Re: Students, STC, and Student Chapter--Need Advice

[Dan BRINEGAR <vr2link -at- VR2LINK -dot- COM>]

Original message:
>The local STC chapter where I live does not seem to care that
>there are undergrad and graduate student members who might
>benefit from being able to interact with the professionals in
>our area.

I don't think STC can survive in some places as a relevant professional
organization without encouraging and evangelising student involvement: I
figure the TECHWR-L has helped more students find out about (and get into)
the trade over the years than some chapters: It's not just the students who
benefit from interaction, but the professionals  -- after all, where do ya
get new techwriters?

It may not be the case that they don't care, but are waiting for some
external enthusiasm to show up ... The biggest things I think were missing
from my attempts to form a student chapter were critical mass, and an STC
evangelist on  faculty... whether university or community college students,
a fellow-student just isn't as persuasive as the prof...

(tho I have heard  comments at board meetings about "wannabe's" distracting
the attention of the chapter from important things like
spaces-after-periods and certification -- since I was the only wannabe who
regularly showed up at board meetings I took it kinda personal, but that's
been covered in the archives, I'm sure).  )

Tom Hoyt added:
>.... I would go ahead form a student chapter.  If you have the potential
>for 150 members, that would make you a formidable chapter in your own right
>if they all joined (which is a big IF, by the way).

100,000 students within the local Community College System, and I
calculated that 7800 of 'em were taking techwriting courses during any
semester.... what potential!

>Bylaws.... "...To establish a student chapter, ten or more student
>members and at least one voting member who is the student chapter advisor
>must submit .... an application for starting a student chapter.

The first problem was coming up with a student chapter advisor; none of the
faculty were in STC or had time, and none of the chapter members were
faculty... If you've got one or more faculty in STC or willing to join,
3/4s of the battle is won... I tried for three years till I became a voting
member, and found out *I* could be student chapter advisor... go talk to
some more techwriting classes... a couple of people showed up from a couple
of classes at the monthly meeting... <fizzle> Also, it would help to avoid
getting married, having surgery, getting divorced, and working on a monster
project during the same period to distract you <grin>.

Tom Continues:

>....become a player.  Make the regular chapter notice you!
>

Rule number one for anyone getting into the biz, I think!

>....After all, you may have to work for and/or with some of these same
>people in the
>next couple of years after you graduate.

It's worth the work it takes, you'll make a fair number of contacts, and
you'll work with 'em or hear from 'em later on... (it's also a good way to
figure out the internal politics of the chapter and the community you'll be
working with).

Best of luck!

dan'l

-----------------------------------------------------------
Dan BRINEGAR, CCDB Vr2Link
Performance S u p p o r t Svcs.
Phoenix, Arizona

"Liberating the Technical Communicator," at 110 pages and counting
vr2link -at- vr2link -dot- com
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