Growth Strategy for Students Society - Term Paper Example

Introduction A student society or student federation is any organisation that is operated by students of a particular university or different universities and its members generally include students from different batches, colleges and universities. There are certain student societies that are affiliated to student unions and are accessible only by students of specific university(s). On the other hand, some non-affiliated student societies are accessible to anonymous students as well. These societies are involved in different activities such as, organisation of extra-curricular activities like, sports, arts, debates and drama, while some societies take part in social activities for societal development. Such activities include plantation drive, cleanliness drives and others. It has been observed that many students rarely realise the importance of joining student federation and avoid these societies or federations due to politics. Student organisations exist in almost all developing and developed countries (Thomas, 2002). Student societies play a significant role in shaping an individual’s career as well as overall personality. These societies are seen to support learning activities among the members through different practical approaches as students get to meet different people, develop mentors as well as often get opportunity to earn scholarship. However, every student society or federation is not meant for every student. In any renowned university, it is possible to find at least 50 different societies. One should join societies that suitably nurture their skills and interest. It is important to be part of these organisations, but over-indulgence often results in poor grades and missed semester (Hui-ling, 2003). Present state of student federations in the society Student federations and similar organisations are currently active in different parts of the world. These societies have various goals and are always working towards welfare of students and the society as a whole. These organisations follow outline of real organisations as they are guided by aims and objectives, have specific structure and membership programs. The members have well-defined rights and responsibilities (Thomas, 2002). In the following section, some well-known student clubs and their affairs have been discussed for better understanding: In Harvard university, the club category ranges from academic to non-academic activities such as, arts, public affairs, women’s initiatives, media, religious groups, health and wellness, culture and recreation and so on and so forth, where the group size varies from five to hundred and above (Harvard College, 2014) (Harvard University, 2014). In King’s College of Cambridge University, the societies and activities include traditional painting and digital art, drama, music and dance, film, flute, agro-based activities and horticulture, politics, photography and outdoor activities such as, mountaineering and kayaking; whereas, the total number of societies and clubs under University of Cambridge exceeds 1000 (King’s College, 2014). Another similar organisation is Golden Key International Honour Society. The Golden Key members include students, alumni and staff and faculty members from all over the world. The society confers its achievers with prestigious awards and scholarships. The society helps members through jobs and internships, training and opportunities related to academics, education in abroad and leadership and other privileges (Golden Key International Honour Society, 2012). In Stanford University, there exist around 650 clubs and societies for students, which help in enriching the social, educational and cultural experience of students. These clubs are spread across areas such as, sport, recreation, career, ethnic, culture, health, media, social awareness and religion. There are student government, publications and fraternities and sororities, which helps in enriching student’s life and enhancing overall diversity of the university campus (Stanford University, 2014). Growth potential and reasons supporting growth of student clubs The various factors that influence growth of student clubs and societies across the world are as follows: 1. Networking- Student clubs and societies present the best opportunity to know students having similar interest and students with complementary skills. These networks help in cultivating new habits and interests in an individual as well as provide better communication system. 2. Social skill- A fresher generally lack social and interpersonal skills and in a new environment, this initiates feelings of insecurity and fear. Participating in student clubs ensures that the student meets and communicates with individuals from different regions of a country or world, thereby improving their social skills. 3. Professional experience- It has been observed that student societies help in building professional careers of individuals if the students join professional chapter societies. There are a number of existing societies that focus on subject interest of different students and provides them professional training and learning sessions on the same (Wu and Gao, 2007). 4. Personality development- Student societies have a significant impact on personalities of its members. In general, every club or society has its own culture and personality, which in turn affect that of the members. By joining these organisations, skills such as, interpersonal, social and communication abilities, improve among individuals. The societies teach to maintain balance between education and other curricular activities, while focusing on goal achievement. The learning scope increases as a student move higher in the structural hierarchy. 5. Leadership skills- When a student participates in competitions on behalf of the society or club or leads a team, it enhances his/her leadership skills. Moreover, as a member of club management, leadership skills improve when students are endowed with responsibilities (Dugan and Komives, 2007). 6. Alumni networking- Student societies usually arrange meetings with alumni of the institutes so that member students can learn from their experiences. According to many students, this is a wonderful opportunity as seniors share their knowledge and practical experience. They also help the students in their placements and internships. 7. Organisation and management abilities- Undergraduate and many of the postgraduate students rarely have work experience and as a result, they are not aware of ways in which an organisation functions. However, while working for the clubs that involve activities such as, fundraising, event organising, planning finances and marketing events to sponsors, students imbibe management and organisational abilities. 8. Friendship and fun- Societies teach individuals not only to manage their goals and aspirations, but also to enjoy their lives and make friends. It has been observed that friends made during this period often prove helpful in near future (Hui-ling, 2003). Identification of team and resources necessary for growth of student societies Managing a student club or society is equivalent to managing a real organisation. Consequently, before gathering resources and teams, it is important for initiators to determine if they will be able to maintain the organisation. In addition, they need to plan their objectives and missions as well as take in consideration whether they have sufficient support from staff and faculty members of the institution (Guiffrida, 2003). The initial planning for building a student club includes deciding upon its mission and vision, its organisational structure and administration. In this regard, the best possible method is to prepare a constitution and apply for its recognition. It is essential for a club to earn support and affiliation from the respective university. Different countries and universities have their own governing systems, which are responsible for affiliating these clubs and societies. For example, in Harvard University, for starting a club, it is necessary to follow guidelines of Harvard Extension Student Association. HESA looks after student affairs and club department in the university (HESA, 2014). Post-recognition, it is important to advertise about the club or organisation so that interested students can join the same. For start-up fund, the club can ask for nominal fees as a contribution towards development fund from the new joiners. The club should be able to recruit at least ten members for the organisation. The club should familiarise with the university guidelines and set-up a personal bank account. The society should hold elections so as to select its board members. These activities will be helpful for the concerned club to gain recognition among other clubs in the campus as well as to gather sponsorship for conducting activities. The sponsorship includes accessing different companies for raising fund for club activities (Guiffrida, 2003). Developing series of activities for growth of student society The growth strategies of a student federation include three major activities: People management Supporting and developing members and overall diversity in the university Member engagement, recognition and rewards I. People management Managing members of the club is essential for enhancing the value and involvement of the club. In addition, a club with good people management strategy often have higher members due to satisfaction level offered. People management involve clear definition of job roles for every member of the club. In addition, responsibilities related with the society must be equally allocated among individuals. II. Contribution towards overall development The club should not only support overall development of the interest of members, but also contribute towards that of environment of the university. The club can, along with other clubs, appeal to the university governing bodies for certain changes that are required for improving its facilities; for example, leadership training sessions, talent management activities and pre-placement discussions and so on. III. Member engagement activities The growth of a student society is highly dependent on the way in which members are treated. It is important that the voices and interests of members are valued and regarded with respect. The club must undertake activities so as to improve employee engagement and reward their efforts. The club can also take initiatives to involve staff and faculty members in their activities (Kuh, et al., 2010). Conclusion and recommendations Student societies and clubs are integral part of a student’s life as these enrich learning and overall experience. It is necessary that both universities and student unions take responsibilities and initiatives towards development of such organisations. There are misconceptions among several students that joining clubs and federations will result in student politics and hamper their education. However, it is important that these notions and misconceptions are cleared as participating in such societies usually facilitates personality development and professional experiences for a student. To conclude, the paper has explained the importance of clubs and societies in a student’s life and ways to further develop these societies. In addition, the paper has highlighted on the current state of affairs in these societies and ways to improve their future growth. Reference List Dugan, J. P. and Komives, S. R., 2007. Developing leadership capacity in college students. [pdf] National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs. Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Golden Key International Honour Society, 2012. Members and chapters. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Guiffrida, D. A., 2003. African American student organizations as agents of social integration. Journal of College Student Development, 44(3), pp. 304-319. Harvard College, 2014. Office of student life. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Harvard University, 2014. Student activities. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. HESA, 2014. HESA executive team. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Hui-ling, W., 2003. On the Effects of Student Societies in College Student Quality Education. Journal of Chenzhou Teachers College, 4, pp. 1-24. King’s College, 2014. Societies and activities. [online] Available on: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H. and Whitt, E. J., 2010. Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Stanford University, 2014. Student organisations. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 20 June 2014]. Thomas, L., 2002. Student retention in higher education: the role of institutional habitus. Journal of Education Policy, 17(4), pp. 423-442. Wu, D. Q. and Gao, B. L., 2007. Activity actualities and optimization Strategies of student societies in vocational colleges [J]. Journal of Higher Education, 1, pp. 5-15. Read More