The SOURCE helps organize various student groups on campus under one umbrella, allowing them to take collective action and function more efficiently, members of the organization said.

“I think an organization like The SOURCE is critical to any university campus, but especially one of this size,” said Emily Dowdell, a junior majoring in English and director of communications for The SOURCE. “It might not seem like that big of a deal, but having all of the organizations and resources in one centrally located place plays a huge part in the success of everyone involved.”

DJ Jackson, a junior majoring in history and the director of organizational outreach at The SOURCE, said his team has worked a lot on Get on Board Day.

“Fall Get on Board Day was the largest to date with more than 300 student organizations, departments, nonprofits and businesses represented,” he said. “We sought to provide students with an opportunity to see everything that is available to them both on campus and also from the Tuscaloosa community.”

Dowdell said The SOURCE provided a myriad of services to official student groups and to students looking to find their place at the University.

“To be considered an official organization, the group must be registered with us, and we provide a number of resources like leadership training, transition workshops, meeting spaces, free laptop and iPad rentals, publicity [and] promotion help, etc., to make them as successful as possible,” she said. “We also serve as a resource for individual students, to help them find their niche here at the University amongst all of the over 400 organizations.”

Jackson said becoming active in The SOURCE was a way of providing students with opportunities similar to those he had at The University of Alabama.

“About a year ago, I was reflecting on my involvement here at the University, and I wanted to find an opportunity to give back to a community that had provided me with so much,” he said. “For me, this opportunity has provided a great insight into all of the incredible things students accomplish here at the University. Ultimately, I feel like I have gained so much experience in working with other dynamic leaders on campus in accomplishing a common goal, and to me that is invaluable.”

In addition, Jackson said The SOURCE has worked with various student organizations to send personalized stuffed animals to under served children in the Tuscaloosa area.

The SOURCE will also be hosting the first Executive Transition Dinner, Dowdell said, which will be an opportunity for the leadership of student organizations to network with each other. Mark Nelson, vice president for Student Affairs at UA, and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox will both be speaking at the event.

Jackson said The SOURCE is designed to make the experience of being an undergrad at the University as rewarding as it can be.

“The thing I find most significant about The SOURCE is that it exists entirely for the purpose of helping students make the most of their undergraduate experience,” Jackson said. “Each day the directors and team members work to provide as many resources for students through student organizations as possible.”