A call to alms
Budget time is once more upon FAU‘s Graduate Groups, and they are faced with a difficult task – getting FAU Student Government (made up almost entirely of undergraduates) to provide funding for graduate orientations, events, workshops and perhaps most importantly grants.
The task is difficult, first because of the sheer number of requests that SG is faced with, and secondly because so few graduate students participate in Student Government.
The Agency for Graduate Concerns focuses on this need for involvement in its March newsletter. Although it mistakenly asserts that “graduates are responsible for over 20% of the A&S (activities and services) fees (the real figure based on graduate tuition is closer to 10%), the AGC‘s newsletter highlights the real need to get more graduate students involved with clubs, organizations and above all, in student government, which administers the millions of dollars paid by FAU students each year to support student activities and student services on campus.
Last week a dozen graduate students showed up to support the Graduate Grants Committee’s request for additional funds. That vote will go through this week (on March 28th), and will determine whether or not any more Boca graduate students will receive grant funding this year.
This Thursday the Boca campus SG senate will also vote on next year’s budget – determining how much money will be available for graduate clubs, graduate events and graduate grants. How much money graduate groups will get depends largely on how effectively the groups lobby, and on how many students turn up to lobby on the day. While AGC has already been given its budget for the coming year (around $80,000) it remains to be seen whether Boca’s SG will decide to give less to the Boca campus groups because of this increased award to the campus spanning graduate agency.
Whatever happens, more grads are needed to lobby SG and Administration for more funds, better conditions and other issues like pay, health insurance & benefits, and parking.
Copycards anyone?
The agency for graduate concerns is currently offering free copycards to graduate students. Those interested can email [email protected], or can stop by the Graduate Concerns Office (UC Room 221, Boca Campus).
Graduate Clubs & Organizations
One issue that most people can agree upon is that graduate student groups need more participation from their members and those they represent. Being a volunteer group like Boca’s Graduate Student Association means finding ways to attract, involve and motivate people beyond just paying them.
Unfortunately doing this is no easy matter – it requires ideas, motivation and above all leadership – and it takes enough time to make things happen. Free time is not something that grads have in great abundance. Grads are busy, no one doubts this, and this can make organizing and leading a graduate club or organization a difficult task. Here are a few tips on how to start a club at FAU:
Getting Started
While students can set up an unofficial club, becoming an official club or association at FAU has certain benefits: The biggest is that you will be eligible to apply for funds from Student Government, but you’ll also be able to advertise your events on campus and you have certain liability protections for your events and meetings.
Of course, there are certain rules you’ll have to follow. For information on starting up a club, contact your local Student Government or Student Activities office.
Define A Purpose
While “mission statement” might sound pretentious, it’s important to remember that any student group needs a clearly defined purpose. This could be to represent student interests, organize social events, to improve awareness of certain issues or just as a place for like-minded individuals to meet up and discuss issues of relevance to them. Put yourself in the shoes of another student and ask, “Why would I want to join your group?” or “What’s in it for me?”. While it sounds selfish, few people will give up their free time for no reason at all.
Avoid Redundancy
At FAU, where communication is about as good as a cell phone conversation at a rock concert, it’s often difficult to find a club to join. Sometimes it seems easier to start your own club than to track down and investigate existing groups. Generally speaking you should avoid starting a new club that duplicates an existing group – it makes more sense to add to their membership than compete for a small membership base. Those looking for a club to join should be aware that the University Press has events listings in its pages, and there is a list of FAU clubs at http://www.fau.edu/student/activities/studact1.htm.
Attracting Active Membership
The keyword here is “active.” Members who join a club and then never show up to meetings or events are not true members at all. The membership that is needed are keen, motivated individuals who want to help out, get involved and further the club’s aims. Leaders must make efforts to include everyone who volunteers, but in an organized manner.
Often if there is a lot to do, or many volunteers, its a good idea to break down club tasks into “committees”, smaller groups with responsibility for a particular task such as organizing a social, or putting up fliers around campus. Keeping members involved is a vital part of retaining membership. If one or two people in the group do everything, those who want to “get involved” might feel their services are more appreciated elsewhere.
Advertising
Advertising is crucial for any club to succeed. It can take many forms: Flyers, handbills, radio and TV as well as the most important one – word of mouth. Personal communication is vital for any club to succeed; networking is one of the crucial elements in making a club work.
People are far more likely to come to an event because a friend suggested it, than because they saw a poster or heard about it on the radio. One of the simplest ways to get members involved is to ask them to invite their friends to events (and ask them to bring their friends along too).
Other methods of advertising are subject to FAU rules: Putting up posters is ok on designated notice boards, but you will need your campus Student Activities Office to validate (stamp) your posters before you can put them up on campus. Otherwise you might find your posters taken down and your efforts in vain. For campus policy, get in touch with your student activities office through their website at www.fau.edu/student/camplife.htm or www.fau.edu/student/activities/.
Another option for clubs looking to advertise on one or more campuses is through the University Press. There are several options available. If you have a flyer ready for a specific event, we can print it as an ad. If you are looking for more in-depth publicity, we regularly cover student organizations in our UP Profiles section. This is a great way to raise student interest in your club.
If you would like to have your club featured in the UP Profiles, send some basic information, including your clubs purpose and regularly scheduled meetings or events to: [email protected].
Problem Members
Sometimes clubs and organizations find themselves with members who cause problems. These are people who challenge the club’s leaders, disrupt events and meetings or just seem downright strange.
Often, disruptive members come to push buttons or get a response. It falls to club leaders to deal with disruptive elements, since failing to do so may well drive other members away. How to do it is beyond the scope of this article, but club leaders must be very alert to tensions on their group, and be prepared to deal with them directly.
Grads need a life too
While club activities might not include keg parties and trips to amusement parks, there are still many reasons for a club on campus. A basic need to socialize is high on the list of reasons – many grads would prefer to be able to mix and interact with their fellow students, if only they had the time and the venue.
Most people won’t spontaneously decide to do something as a group, but if an organization exists and offers up an event or service, quite often people will take advantage of it. Involvement can also make communication easier between groups and individuals, and once you’re involved in a group its far easier to hear about and get involved in other clubs and activities.
If you can spare the time, get involved with your local student groups. Who knows, you might learn something, meet new people and feel a little more connected to your University.
Events
Graduate End of Year Conference
Thursday, April 9, 2002
12:00-2:00 p.m. Live Oak Pavilion, Boca campus
Academic and Research Presentations by Graduate Grant Recipients. Lunch Provided. Everyone welcome! Please R.S.V.P.
Contact: [email protected]
