Commitments of Key Plus students include:

• Have the option of residing on the designated Key Plus floor of 3 NE Braiden Hall for the 2008-2009 academic year (fall and spring)
• Enroll in either the Key Plus Leadership or Career Decision-Making class
• Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Move into Braiden Hall or be available early before the Key Academic and Service students move in. If you live in Braiden, your student account will be charged a one-time early move in fee.
• Participate in the Key Academic and Key Service Community Fall Orientation (Key Plus students return to campus early to avoid the rush and welcome Key Students to campus)
• Attend the Fall Key Plus Orientation which is right before the Key Academic and Service Orientation.
• Attend the Key Plus Induction Ceremony
• Participate in the Challenge Ropes Course during the academic year
• Uphold the goals and values of the Key Plus program
• Be a positive representative of the program on the campus and in the community
• Participate in an established programming committee that fits with my interests

• Conduct myself in Braiden Hall and on campus in a way that positively contributes toward developing a community based on academic success, civility and respect
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  3. What do Key Plus students say about their experience in the program? Why should I apply?
  
  Key Plus is awesome because you learn so much about yourself and you have such a supportive hall community to bond with and learn from.
  
  You get to make new friends, live with your old friends, and have a blast with teambuilding!
  
  Because of Key Plus, I know I can be a leader amongst the CSU community.
  
  Key Plus helped me develop my leadership skills and abilities.
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  4. What are the opportunities and advantages for participating in Key Plus?

• Benefits of participating in the Key Academic Community include:

• Opportunities to interact with the new first year class of Key students, and to provide leadership to first year students
• Building on the community that was established during the first year in Key
• Emphasis on academic performance
• Continued access to information, resources and opportunities
• Attention to major and career choice, including exploration of internship opportunities and interaction with professors and professionals in the field
• Leadership development programs that enhance resumes, improve academic performance, and promote campus engagement
• Opportunities for membership and leadership in the Key Student Organization
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5. Can I request a roommate?

Definitely! As long as you both apply and are accepted into Key Plus, you can request to live together.
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6. I heard about the Key Student Organization (KSO). Can you tell me more about KSO?

The Key Student Organization is the most recent addition to the Key Academic Community. It was founded on February 24, 2003 with the purpose of increasing student involvement on campus and throughout the community. The goals of KSO include: helping students build strong character through community service and outreach; recognition as future CSU student leaders; having an exciting year with great activities and programs; raising funds to support future KSO programs and activities; increasing membership by spreading enthusiasm and advertising on campus; and having fun!

The mission statement of KSO is: to serve as an active member of the CSU community by creating a motivated, positive, goal oriented environment for all students o that they may excel academically, socially, and professionally. We are committed to making our community a better place through service, social, and educational programs. We will strive to build a network for all Key Academic Community members so that they may get more involved with campus and community activities and enhance the leadership of this diverse community. We will promote change within our organization because we know that if we can change ourselves, then we can change the world.

The motto for KSO is: "The Best Way to Predict Your Future is to Create It."
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7. Will I have to enroll in cluster classes?

No. Key Plus students will not register for cluster classes; however, you will be required to participate in either the Leadership in Higher Education or Career Decision-Making Class.
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8. What advice would you give an incoming Key Plus student related to any subject you want to comment on, i.e. the Key Plus program itself, or classes in general, or getting involved on campus, etc?

I would tell the incoming Key Plus students to “make sure they ask upperclass students about classes they have taken and with what professors to get a better idea about the classes they choose or have already chosen, also to ask about the w-drop policy and the repeat/delete policy also! Lastly would be to make sure they get involved in some type of organization that accommodates to their interests.”

Ask questions and use your ears.  Don't put stuff off, check on any scholarships you won, budget, budget, budget.  Balance work and play.  Do as much as you can, for these are the best years of your life. Realize that professors are your friends, and alcohol isn't. (Yes, I came up with this myself instead of copying it from some pamphlet)

I would say the most important thing to know is that their experience is all that they make it.  It's SO vital for them to take advantage of every opportunity they have whether it be directly tied into the program or just "being" in the moment and making those relationships meaningful.  I would encourage them as well to work hands on with all the staff to make the program overall more successful for not only themselves, but for the freshman too.

“Take advantage of all the opportunities on campus. Key Plus allows you to network with so many interesting people and gives you so many opportunities to further yourself and your career.”

I would encourage people to meet one another especially and then go to events that they may have heard about and meet even more people.  I think this is extremely important because it created my network the enable me to find out more about CSU life in general.  If people are unsure about going to an event or organization, I'd challenge them to just try it once and meet someone there.  There college life will take off afterwards for sure.

I think more than anything else it's important for incoming Key Plus students to realize that you will get what you put in. Key Plus is helpful because there are people who sincerely care about you and want to help you succeed, but Key Plus is also a program that encourages leadership. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. That means that future Key Plus students have to be willing to take the initiative to be involved and take on leadership roles. I know that when I did Key Plus many of us expected it to be a lot like Key Community where it was easy just to show up to meetings or Key events, but Key Plus required more from us. It gave us the perfect opportunity to grow in the same community environment, but with higher expectations.
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9. What separates a Key Plus student from other sophomore, junior, and senior students on campus?

Well first of all the Key Academic Community is highly respected on campus and most of the students that were in Key and then go on to participate in Key Plus continue on being successful and are leaders on campus throughout their college career.

You are getting ahead of the crowd with little effort.  You are in contact with people who can help you in for college career and beyond that you may never have met if not for Key.  Any professor who knows about the key program will be just that much more responsive to you than if you were just another student.

I think the thing that separates a KP sophomore from a non-KP sophomore/upperclass student is that they are given such a great chance to explore more of their freedoms as an independent college student, but they have the structure and guidance of being apart of the program to allow them to understand themselves and where they're going in college with more ease and less pressures.  I think everyone's first year of college goes by so fast with so much to absorb, that often times, whether they're in key or not, when they get to their sophomore year and are making those choices to live off campus, or what to be involved in, it's like a wave of pressure and responsibility that can be so overwhelming.  Being in KP gives you just enough freedom to figure out who you are more independently, but offers the structure and support needed to keep you sane.

Key Plus students are more confident and get more involved in campus and community events. They are not afraid to help others.
“What separates Key Plus students away from other students is that fact that many people are already familiar with each other and feel comfortable asking questions and talking to each other. They live with each other, so it just makes networking that much stronger. I would say the support structure.”

Key Plus students are in a better position than most sophomores, juniors and even seniors because they are involved in a community where they can grow and not just academically. While I often knew more about campus opportunities and events than my friends who were not involved with Key Plus, I also was learned a lot about myself and who I wanted to be.  I had mentors and fellow key plus friends that encouraged me, supported me and kept me accountable.
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