About UPC
Who are we?
We are Valparaiso University's Programming Council. We plan events such as movie nights, coffee houses, Homecoming Week, Welcome Week, comedy shows, Valpo After Darks, Chicago trips, concerts, and so much more all at very little or (most of the time) no cost to students. If you have any concerns or want to be involved in what we do, please feel free to contact us through Facebook or email and we will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for visiting our site!
Why do we do it?
The University Programming Council has been around for over 60 years, and every year we strive to provide bigger and better things for Valparaiso University students. Our goal is to provide students with fun in between classes, stress relief to help students forget about the pressure of school, and entertainment to provide memories that will last a lifetime. We know college students are on a budget, so we provide all of these activities for free (with the exception of trips to Chicago, but we try to cover most of the cost to make it super affordable for students). College isn't all about the parties, it's about all the memories between the weekends and creating new relationships and connections with people you might not have met otherwise. We are here to help students with all of it; networking, leadership opportunities, making awesome memories, and truly experiencing college.
How do we work?
We consist of 10 chairs: 4 programming, 3 marketing, 2 leadership, and 1 productions chair. Prior to each semester we plan the entire calendar for the upcoming semester in order to stay organized and plan accordingly to other University Events.
Below is a list of how each chair manages a different aspect of our council and how we plan such events.
Programming
Each semester we send 2-3 student representatives from our council and/or committee to National Association for College Activities (NACA). At this conference we get to see acts and activities from around the nation and ideas from other colleges for programming. The student representatives watch performances such as musical acts, comedians, poets, and participate in different activities. After they see something they think the entire campus would enjoy, they contact that act's agent and book the performance!
The Programming chairs consist of:
- Classics - He or she manages Welcome Week, Homecoming Week, Family Weekend, and Songfest.
- Showbiz - He or she manages which variety acts come to campus. For example we have hosted poets, comedians, musical artists, and the end of year Spring Concert. He or she also manages the movies that are shown on campus.
- Special Events - He or she organizes events that are out of the usual. For example we have hosted Canvas and Mocktails, Valpo After Dark, cooking classes, fitness classes, and so much more.
- Trips and Services - He or she manages service opportunities during Homecoming week and throughout the school year. He or she also manages trips to Chicago such as the Christmas shopping trip, sporting events, and Broadway shows.
Marketing
Our marketing team consists of two graphic designers and one public relations chair.
- We have two graphic designers because we plan over 80 events a year. They work together to cover events that different chairman plan. At the beginning of the semester they discuss which events they would like to advertise for and what products (t-shirts, posters, banners, giveaways, etc) they would like to focus on. Our design team does a fantastic job at being unique in their designs but still maintaining that unified UPC image.
- Our public relations chair manages Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and the texting program. He or she tries to keep the student body informed and interested in upcoming events through social media, contest giveaways, and promotional programs.
Leadership Team
The leadership team consists of the President and the Vice President. They work in the background, making sure UPC continues running smoothly.
- The President keeps track of the budget and communicates our needs and ideas with Student Senate. He or she also runs our meetings and makes sure all of the executive members are keeping on task.
- The Vice President is in charge of organizing the committee and getting them involved and excited about being a crucial part of UPC. He or she plans meetings with the committee every other week that give them the opportunity to be a part of the programming process.
Productions
The productions chairman is in charge of working the sound system at events that require it. He or she is also in charge of the rental program and documenting items in our storage that have the potential to be rented out by other organizations.
How to Get Involved
Committee
If you would like to get a taste of UPC for yourself, join our committee! The committee helps the Executive Council with planning, executing, and brainstorming events. This is a great way to see if you have any interest in applying for an Executive Council position in the upcoming school year. We meet every other Sunday at 3pm.
Our next meeting is November 15th at 3pm in the Shield Room (basement of the Harre Union).
If you cannot make these meetings, please email allyson.hofstede@valpo.edu to receive committee updates, meeting summaries, and event sign-up opportunities.
Executive Council
At the end of each school year we open up applications for positions on the Executive Council for the next school year. Sometimes openings will occur at the end of each semester, so feel free to email Valpo.UPC@valpo.edu with any interests or questions you may have.
Meet the Crew for 2015-2016!
President - Taylor
Taylor is our president. He handles the budget, keeps the executive team on track, and does a great job with keeping UPC running overall.
Vice President - Ally
Ally is our Vice President. She does a wonderful job directing our committee and getting people involved and interested in UPC.
Special Events - Emily
Emily is our Special Events chair. She programs Valpo After Darks, Cooking Classes, Fitness classes, Canvas and Mocktails, and other special events on campus!
Classics - Rebecca
Rebecca is our Classics Chair. She is the head programmer for Welcome Week, Homecoming Week, Family Weekend, Midnight Brunch, and Songfest!
Showbiz - Zachary
Zachary is our Showbiz Chair. He programs all of the variety acts on campus such as comedians, poets, coffee houses, and the end of year Spring Concert.
Trips and Services - Nicholas
Nicholas is our Trips and Service Chair. He programs service opportunities for students during Homecoming Week and for Midnight Brunch. He is also in charge of programming off-campus events such as the Chicago Shopping Trip, Cubs Games, and Broadway shows.
Graphic Designer - Madeline
Madeline is one of two of our amazing Graphic Designers! She helps create the lovely graphics that promote all of our events!
Graphic Designer/Photographer - Cora
Cora is the other half of the Graphic Designer team! She also helps create wonderful graphics to promote all of our events. She is also our key photographer at events.
Public Relations - Kristen
Kristen is our Public Relations chair. She is in charge of the social media accounts, the UPC website, the texting program, and any promotional contests.
Productions - Patrick
Patrick is our Productions chair. He is in charge of the sound system and tech at all of our events. He is also in charge of our rental program.
Adviser - Jess
Jess is our lovely advisor. She keeps us ALL on track with the tasks we need to accomplish throughout the year. She gives us programming ideas and encourages us to strive for greater things.
Awards
UPC strives to go above and beyond all the time. Below is a list of the recognitions we have received in the past couple years from Valparaiso University and from NACA (National Association for College Activities).
- Organization of the Year (Valparaiso University 2014)
- Certificate of Appreciate for 100% Delegation On-Site Volunteerism (NACA 2014)
- Social Media Award (NACA 2014)
- Promotional Giveaway Award (NACA 2014)
- Most Creative Marketing Award (Valparaiso University 2015)
- Late Night/Alternative Program Award (NACA 2015)
UPC Committee & Exec Gallery
Our student representatives gool-ing around at NACA on Halloween!
Our student representatives with our Advisor at NACA!
Cora and Emily learn to cook at our last Cooking Class!