The Office of Student Activities unveils iStrike

As student leaders flooded the Grand Ballroom for Rattler Round-Up in efforts to certify their respective organizations for the 2016-2017 academic school year, they were introduced to iStrike.

iStrike, a program run through OrgSync, is Florida A&M University’s first glimpse at the Office of Student Activities’ (OSA) move to go digital. iStrike was originally contracted two years ago and has been in the works for some time now. However, on September 10 it was officially put to work as campus organization leaders logged in.

“iStrike is an online social media and organizational type of platform,” said Director of Student Activities William Clemm II. “The way I usually describe it is that Facebook and Google drive had a kid, sent it to college and now we have iStrike.”

The platform allows each organization to customize a profile where they can connect with current and prospective members. They have the ability to post flyers, send out newsletters and broadcast recent activity. OSA got everyone on board by requiring each organization to recertify through the program. FAMU Divas dance team president, Shantera Smith, shared her view on the platform.

“When I first was presented with iStrike, I thought it was OSA trying to be nosey and overbearing but after Rattler Round-Up, I actually saw a different view of iStrike. It’s more convenient and it’s not so much paper.”

In the past, organizations had to seek out various campus officials to sign off on paperwork in order to become certified. Now it is as simple as logging in, filling it out and sending it off.

While the convenience of the program is highlighted, Caribbean Student Association representative Dillon Noel explained that it can only be benefitted from if utilized.

“You get back as much as you put into it. So if an organization is on top of iStrike, utilizes all its’ functions, even customizes the page and is really on top of it then I feel like it can be very beneficial,” Noel said, “But some organizations probably don’t want to be bothered by it because it is an additional responsibility and won’t put a lot of effort and time into it so they won’t be receiving much back from it.”

Time and effort are exactly what OSA is hoping to see from these certified organizations as they have the ability to track everything from the amount of community service events hosted to the GPA’s of every registered member. But Clemm states that the ultimate goal is to keep the student organizations organized.

“One of the biggest challenges most student organizations have is keeping, maintaining and passing on information and data. So this system will help with that because the organizations, if using it, there’s a place for them to store files, documents, pictures…” He then states “(members seeking data can) contact us, we can give them access through their advisor to the system and then they can have access to all the stuff that was done years in the past.”

Most recently the program has been used to keep organizations abreast of all upcoming volunteer events but the system has great potential. OSA plans to soon have facility request forms, Set Friday vendor applications, and even Student Government elections through iStrike.