Student Run Organizations!

Today I would like to focus on getting involved on your campus! Many students are very concerned with their grades (and rightfully so), however some students neglect to identify the importance of involvement and experience. Some have heard the adage (I know I sure have) that "you can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job!" 

I would like to present a different opinion! One can get experience without a job. We have talked about volunteering, let's talk about getting involved on your campus with learning what student run organizations (SROs) are located on campus! I know at Florida State University (go 'Noles!) we offer a list of current SROs on our campus via the FSU homepage search tool, and I will go out on a limb and say that many other colleges and universities do, too. If you are interested in gaining valuable experience you may choose to locate your schools list of SROs so that you may identify a few you would like to research! 

I encourage you to consider the reason you want to get involved. Is it to network? Make friends? Learn about your field of interest? I would consider these types of questions so that you may get involved intentionally with the SRO that will provide you with the satisfaction you want. 

I have created a sample list of SROs from around the U.S., but keep in mind that there are many, many more. SROs may be nationally recognized, locally recognized, be established, or more of a grassroots-newcomer. Which ever SROs you choose to get involved with, I say do your research and get involved with a goal!

Name of SRO/ University	Website	Brief description	Services offered	Sample list of skills to put on your resume
AIESEC/Nation wide	https://aiesecus.org/about-aiesec/	AIESEC is focused on helping students at universities to develop leadership skills and global initiative	The AIESEC site boasts that “society needs leaders who are entrepreneurial, culturally sensitive, socially responsible, and who take an active part in their own learning.” AIESEC places students in internships around the globe in an effort to engage them in building leadership skills.	Leadership (uh, hello!) Teamwork Communication Specific technical skills that are learned at your site Organization (i.e. time-management) Life skills
LGBT Health Interest Group/Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis	http://medadmissions.wustl.edu/ StudentLife/studentrungroups/Pages/Student-Run%20Activities%20Groups.aspx	LGBT Health Interest Group engages medical students at Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis in serving and learning more about the LGBT population. Educating the students on special considerations, as well as working to improve their cultural competence.	This SRO works in their community to educate “medical students on health disparities in this population and the many factors that affect LGBT access to care as well as quality of care. We also train medical students in ways to make health care settings a safe zone and ways to build trust in the physician-patient relationship.”	Communica-tion Social awareness Teamwork Technical skills (medical related)
Amnesty International/ International	http://www.amnestyusa.org/	AI focuses on bringing awareness to human rights violations, while also working to prevent abuse.	According to AI’s website, this organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and helps to transform societies to create a safer, more just world.	Social awareness Leadership Teamwork Organizations skills (especially if you help organize an event!)
Student Government/ University of Texas Dallas	https://www.utdallas.edu/sg/	Most student governments focus on ensuring that a school’s student body is represented and that student interests are being served within the school.	Student Government will often times be involved in various causes on campus. This SRO gets participants involved in contributing to important on- campus happenings, making decisions that impact their body of students, and teaches students to interact with faculty and staff on campus.	Various professional skills, including: Teamwork (with other high achievers) Communication (with other students, staff and various important people on campus) Leadership Prioritizing Organization Program development or management
National Association of Women MBAs (WMBA)/ Smeal College of Business at Penn State	http://mbastudents.smeal.psu.edu/student-organizations/mba-women-international-wmba	WMBA at Smeal boasts that their mission is to enhance the personal, professional and economic development of graduate business women and promote professional, philanthropic and social networking opportunities.	WMBA is dedicated to linking their female MBA students to networking opportunities and professional development experiences. They facilitate a blog for WMBA members, encourage attendance at various events, and remind their members of the contributions that women throughout history have made.	Teamwork Communica-tion Leadership Networking Social Awareness
Equestrian Club/ Vassar	http://vsa.vassar.edu/activities/organizations#Equestrian Club	Vassar’s Equestrian Club brings riders together to train and participate in IHSA events.	This SRO seems to be focused more on bringing riders together and engaging them in competitions while enrolled at Vassar. Although they do not advertise a commitment to a certain cause, they may donate their time as a club to important causes within their field.	Discipline Teamwork Time-manage-ment Technical skills (related to riding) Networking
Various Sororities and Fraternities/ Nation Wide	Sites are going to vary depending on the sorority/fraternity and the school where the chapter is located	Sororities and fraternities offer a great avenue for networking, developing a social support, getting involved on campus and off campus. They often times encourage high standards of academic achievement, and more!	Depending on the sorority or fraternity, there will be varying degrees of community involvement, charitable work, entrepreneurial experiences, networking events, Social opportunities and much more! The ways to get involved are not limited typically, and the social supports and connections could last a lifetime.	Teamwork Leadership Communica-tion Social Awareness Organization Time-manage-ment Networking
Legion of Black Collegians/ University of Missouri	http://mizzoulife.missouri.edu/legion-of-black-collegians-lbc/	LBC states that they are the only Black Student Government in the country. Whether that is accurate, I am not sure! It would be worth looking into, though. Their site reports to be run in similar ways as other student governments; however their body is all of Black students.	LBC’s missions is one that works “to develop a lasting appreciation of social, moral, intellectual, and most of all, cultural values that will uplift the Black student in the pursuit of academia, and heighten the cultural consciousness of all students in all aspects of student life.”	Networking Teamwork Leadership Communication Organization Program management (especially if you get involved in planning events!)
Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)/ San Francisco State University	http://www.sfsu.edu/~cse/wise/wise_sf_state.html	This club focuses on themes that empower. Be it in education, equity, and support across practices, or research, WISE is focused on being there for their women students in science and engineering. It’s quite cool.	This SRO links its members with research in the field, scholarships, networking opportunities and more.	Technical knowledge Research awareness and knowledge Communica-tion Teamwork Leadership Social Awareness
Dicks & Janes	http://www.umich.edu/~dandj/about.html	The About section of this SRO’s web-page highlights that “in the Spring of 1998, a musical theatre student named Marc Smollin decided to form an a cappella group. His goal was to have a musical ensemble that not only would perform contemporary a cappella, but also would explore musical tastes that were less mainstream at the University of Michigan, such as blues and vocal jazz.”	This SRO gets its members involved in competitions, practice, creating albums and more.	Communicat-ion Skills related to their art (singing) Time-management Teamwork Leadership