The Department of Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) facilitates the creation of student organizations on campus, expanding the ever-growing student life on campus. Through the New Club Process, SEA has recognized more than 30 new clubs/organizations to join the vibrant student life on campus this upcoming spring. These new organizations range from Dodgeball Club to Artificial Intelligence Community, National Society of Black Physicists, Real Estate Institute Club and more.
Students who wish to participate in the New Club Process start by submitting proposals to SEA, explaining how the prospective group showcases its unique contribution to student life and how they will enhance the Stony Brook experience. While the ability to provide a different experience for students to be involved on campus is the driving force behind many of the newly formed groups on campus, other groups have sought going through the new club process to take advantage of the benefits that being a recognized group provides.
“We wanted to make it an official club on campus so that we have an easier opportunity to meet and hold events on campus, connect with other clubs, and gain new members,” said Clare Dana, president of the Society of Women Marine Science Chapter at SBU. Gaining recognition from SEA helps groups book space on campus, have an SBEngaged club page, and provides them the opportunity to receive funding through multiple facets.
This fall semester, SEA, co-led by Samantha Thompson, associate director, and Gillian Farnan, coordinator for Student Engagement and Activities, enhanced the new club process to help founding leaders of the new organizations develop leadership and organizational skills they would need to successfully lead their student organizations. “The new model of the new club process, while still in its advent stages, has shown great success in providing foundations for club management and leadership growth,” stated Thompson.
Groups also participated in training sessions that provided them the foundations to learn how to successfully manage their club, how to conduct their meetings in the spring semester, and how to recruit new members. “We were also able to learn many things that we did not consider such as 25Live and creating our Constitution. The process definitely made us confident in our leadership positions and how our club will move forward in the future,” remarked ExpressiveCycling President and Founder Sara Fayed about the process.
Creating Cohorts to Support Each Other
An important part of the New Club Process was the creation of a cohort model by bringing all of the student leaders together to learn and familiarize themselves with not only the department, but each other. “We provided four skills-based training sessions as well as two social events to help the New Club Cohort learn together and start off on the right track,” said Thompson.
The New Club Social and the New Club Involvement Fair were the highlights of the cohort. The New Club Involvement Fair, modeled after SEA’s Fall and Spring Involvement Fair, garnered more than 170 attendees. The New Club Social brought groups together to meet each other and ask questions from student leaders who have recently gone through the new club process in recent semesters.
“We are so proud of the hard work of these student leaders and can’t wait to see these new organizations’ impact on the Stony Brook community,” stated Thompson.
You can read and find a list of the new clubs here.
— Gillian Farnan
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