Student Organization Complex | Photo by Cheyenne Waddell | The Wright State Guardian
Being a part of an organization is a huge part of the college experience. Apart from being a member, many students embark on the task of starting their own organization.
With the help of Courtney Mullins, program manager of student organizations for Student Involvement and Leadership, the perspective student will be introduced to the process of starting their new organization.
“A lot of students come in or email me. Most of the time people have this whole plan that hasn’t been written down yet or they have all the work done and they need to know what to do with that information,” said Mullins.
The requirements to start an organization include a constitution, a minimum of six members, including the president and treasurer, and a full-time staff or faculty advisor.
Although rewarding, there are many challenges that students might face in the buildup of an organization, including the hunt for the perfect advisor; they should be well-versed in the organization’s purpose and mission.
“Ask people who you have good relationships with and someone who is willing to agree to the terms in the constitution,” said Mullins.
Throughout the process, waiting for approval on submissions requires students to be patient.
“If you’re starting a new organization, it’s going to take some time. The whole process took about a month to work and get everything ready to go,” said Chiemeka Okafor, president of Compassion in Action.
Rachel Moorman, treasurer for EcoWarriors, also had difficulties in starting up an organization.
“A few [challenges] were recruiting members, coordinating with Wright State officials on becoming a WSU-affiliated organization and generating the funds to get everything started. But these obstacles are also kind of intentional, they make sure you’re dedicated to making your cause a reality, and that when hard times come, you’re not going to give up,” said Moorman.
With over 140 active student organizations, student leaders must remember to be organized and up to date for an organization to be successful.
“If the leader of the organization isn’t organized, then the rest of the organization will be in disarray. If the head doesn’t know what it is, the feet won’t know it’s doing either. If you want to get somewhere, you need the feet to walk the distance,” said Okafor.
The company you keep and staying motivated, dedicated and passionate are the keys to starting a successful organization.
“Having people in your corner and having a goal that you’re focused on is really important to stay on task,” said Okafor.
Although starting an organization isn’t an easy task, there are great resources to learn how to best utilize a leadership role. Besides workshops covering topics on event planning and working with Engage, you can meet with Mullins.
“Hang out with Courtney! And don’t just email or call. Go into her office, sit down and have a long conversation. She was fantastic at reigning in our big ideas [and encouraged and helped] us get through all of the paperwork involved with making EcoWarriors a reality,” said Moorman.
“Whatever students need is what I’m here for. I love creating those connections and building those relationships with them. I want [students] to succeed in their organization and I want them to be able to make connections in and outside of class using that experience,” said Mullins.
Keep up with Compassion in Action on their Engage page and EcoWarriors on their Instagram, @wsuecowarriors, and Twitter, @eco_wsu.
