By Nacole Battee/reporter
Many TCC campus organizations struggle to keep students in the know about their particular student club.
Surveys of TCC students and clubs indicate some of these clubs have been successful while others have struggled for participation this fall semester. But survey participants provided a few suggestions for the spring semester.
The survey reveals the No. 1 problem with the lack of student involvement is getting the word out.
Annie Dobbins, sponsor of the African American Student Organization, is currently working to increase the organization’s membership after several members graduated.
The solution is simple, but the problem is that students have to take advantage of the resources, sponsors said. Students have access to the TCC Web site, www.tccd.edu, which lists each student organization on every campus. The sponsor‘s name and office location are also on the Internet for interested students.
One tip for sponsors who have only the name of their club on the Web site is to create and provide a link of their own Web site to give students a better grasp of the organization. An active Web site could also cause skeptical students to change their minds about campus clubs.
Successful clubs encourage current members to bring their peers who will most likely have the same interests. Triesha Light, sponsor of the Women in New Roles Network, gains the majority of her membership through students enrolled in Women in New Roles classes.
Advertising in classes that relate to students who would most likely become involved is another way to gain membership. Word-of-mouth is another strong recruiting approach.
Bulletins and posters also catch the eyes of students on campus. Peggy Ball, South Campus student, said seeing fliers makes her want to be involved.
“They seem very interesting,” she said. “ I think the fellowship of the groups coupled with fun activities make them inviting.”
Students who want to be involved said they always look for projects and interest groups on the bulletin boards throughout TCC campuses.
Club officers should create relationships with campus personnel who are involved with student relations, some club members said. For example, counselors are in contact with every single student enrolled on campus. From event coordinators to testing counselors, the number of students they are involved with could help boost a club’s numbers.
The next issue is to keep members involved.
Students want to be a part of clubs, but the meeting times may not be convenient enough.
Lynette Cox said she had time conflicts with her schedule and student organizations.
Several successful clubs meet with their members during the lunch hour. Combining food and club meetings is one idea to encourage students to come to meetings and be involved.
Barbara Enson, sponsor of Texas Nursing Student Association, has monthly meetings to help students with time conflicts. Meeting once a month instead of once a week allows students to remain in control of their own schedule, she said.
Students are interested in what is convenient. Having the ability to move from home, work and school without schedule conflicts is very important.
Considering students’ workloads are heavier later in the semester, another tip is to be mindful of the duration of club activities.
Also, since club activities should not take up too much time, keeping meetings and activities short helps students with tight schedules, sponsors said.
Although college recruiters say campus organizations are great ways to show a student is a well-rounded individual, the benefits for students are not limited to the attractive resume. Organizations offer incentives such as membership transfers and scholarships, and they provide a way to find fellow students with common interests.
Contributors: Crystal Sulak, Jessica Vargas, Benjamin Whiting
