Campus Collaborations
Building Bridges Between Phi Theta Kappa and Student Government
Looking for an angle to reach potential new members and expand your chapter's involvement on campus? Look no further than your own student government association. Your chapter can tap into the entire student body while establishing crucial relationships with campus leaders and key college faculty members that could boost membership acceptance and broaden your chapter's leadership role on campus.
Your chapter and your student government association may have more in common than you realize. Campus leaders seek out involvement in student government because they wish to positively contribute to their college, give their time and energy to help the community and develop their own leadership skills. Sound familiar? The shared values of student government and Phi Theta Kappa make bridging the gap an ideal move for your chapter.
Make it Official.
The critical step is initiating some sort of
collaboration between your chapter and your student government
association. Try working directly with your college's student body
president or vice president in establishing official representation of
Phi Theta Kappa on the student senate. Your chapter represents
a significant number of students and deserves a position in the
representative branch of your student government association. This
representation helps establish Phi Theta Kappa's presence on
campus and exposes Phi Theta Kappa to the leaders of all major
clubs and organizations with student government representation.
By simply attending weekly student government meetings, your
chapter's presence is felt by students who represent and report
back to a significant portion of the student population.
Create New Partnerships.
Phi Theta Kappa's
presence in student government will open doors to potential
collaboration and co-sponsorship of events that
tie in to one or more of the four hallmarks of
Phi Theta Kappa. From socials to educational
speakers, your student government and the
various organizations it represents will always
provide your chapter with opportunities to
expand into new areas of the campus and further
establish your chapter as a leading campus
organization.
Support Your College Administration.
Phi Theta Kappa can
also jump onboard with the overall mission
of your college through its presence in
student government. The student government
association likely has a tight connection to the
faculty and administration of your institution,
offering your chapter the chance to contribute to the overall mission of
the college. Your chapter can stay abreast of any programs or events
that contribute to your college's mission and easily take a leading role
in such events.
Increase Membership Acceptance.
Forming relationships and networking with the other campus leaders
represented in student government can also lead to an increase in
membership acceptance. These leaders can encourage their group
members to accept Phi Theta Kappa membership. Chapter officers
may even be given the opportunity to speak about Phi Theta Kappa
at other organizations' meetings on campus.
Make Your Voice Heard.
Finally, involvement in
student government gives Phi Theta Kappa a voice on campus
issues. The student senate often debates and votes on issues and
resolutions that directly affect Phi Theta Kappa members and the
chapter as a whole. Issues like the funding of campus
organizations and the establishment of policies governing campus
groups relate to every Phi Theta Kappa chapter and often are
decided on by the student senate. Representation assures that
Phi Theta Kappa's stance is heard.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to expand your chapter's membership and programming opportunities by getting involved with your college's student government association and the student senate!
"Working with student government helps our
chapter in member recruitment. The Student
Government Association sets aside a portion
of their newsletter for Phi Theta Kappa to post
events and provide officer contact information for
potential members."
Dagmar Regel, Vice President of Leadership
Edison College, Naples, Florida
"Chapters should not only strive for individual
accomplishments, but also to strengthen the
impact of events by working with other campus
organizations. Our chapter teamed up with the
student government to promote cancer
awareness in our community."
Dustin Timmerman, Chapter President
Odessa College, Odessa, Texas
