Supporting Student Chapter Advisors
I am excited to share some tips that I have gathered from some phenomenal colleagues over the years who have helped me to be a better CEC student chapter advisor. Whether you are starting a new chapter, trying to bring one back from the brink, or even wanting to elevate yours to the next level, there is likely something on this list that can help you!
Know Your ‘Why’
We all get busy. Really busy. It is easy to take on too much, spread ourselves too thin, and even drop the ball on things we want to do well. Every year I write down a few key words to remind me of my top priorities and post them near my desk. As simple as it sounds, this familiar note helps me continuously make decisions that support those priorities. This includes being selective about how to spend limited time and resources, designing chapter activities that connect to priorities, selecting guests and opportunities that support priorities, etc.
Think Big. Start Small. Go Slow.
Most of us want to take on a new project and just ‘knock it out of the park’. Realistically, it is more likely that we will run into challenges that are hard to anticipate. A couple decades ago, one of my college professors shared an excellent piece of advice. Having a big idea is essential, but starting with a small, manageable task and then making slow progress towards the goal is how it happens. This allows for flexibility to make changes, and provides multiple opportunities along the way to demonstrate success to continue to get additional buy-in.
When I was hired at my university, I was also tasked with reigniting the CEC student chapter. Rather than simply restarting it, we began by identifying the current needs of the student population (which had changed significantly) and identified a 5-year plan to ensure that membership added value to the preservice teacher experience and contributed to the local community. To achieve that big goal, we had to start with smaller parts, so in the first year, we applied through our university to be a recognized student organization and worked through the process of getting our logo approved.
Maximize Your Efforts
We often look at our project list and it appears as a seemingly disparate compilation of unrelated items. Plus, I’m willing to bet your list is like mine and has things that are ongoing, and you never get to cross them off, like fundraising and recruiting. Admittedly, this one takes a little creativity, but there can be a big payoff. With a little planning up front, there are times where one project can have multiple impacts. Look for ways to combine two (or more) items on your list into one project. For example, if you want to combine (1) recruiting members and (2) advertising club activities, one of the easiest ways to do this is by having a consistent design and logo so that folks recognize ‘the brand’ when you send out fliers, emails, or social media posts, and include a link back to your membership page. Use the same template each time and just substitute the specific activity content.
I recently submitted a grant proposal to a local foundation that would take care of all fundraising and chapter activities for the entire year. Plus, we would be able to take a group of local teachers and paras with us to the CEC convention next year. Who knows, there might be some potential teacher-candidates in the group. This one checks all of the priorities on the note I keep on my desk. Talk about win-win-win if it gets awarded!
Find Your Supporters
It is easy to think you are in this alone. We are bombarded with messages of limited funding and stories of isolation and burnout. The truth is that you have a lot of support! For starters, CEC has a Student Chapter Organization Packet on the website that is very helpful. Additionally, many of our colleagues are CEC members and recognize the value that it holds for our students. You can ask for their support by allowing time at faculty meetings to share updates about chapter activities, and during courses for chapter officers to promote chapter membership. In addition to social support, seek out people from departments who can provide valuable information about processes such as account management, marketing, event services, and campus patrol (I have locked myself out of rooms many times).
You might be surprised to find potential sources of financial support across campus for the chapter. Start in your department to see what sources of student support, travel stipends, and professional development funds are available. There might be individual programs that support efforts such as the activities your chapter is involved with. A few years ago, funding through a university DEI initiative provided financial support for one of our activities because of the focus on disability. At the college and university level, there are likely additional funds available to students for specific things such as travel grants, conference attendance, club activity support, and much more. You could even task your chapter officers with looking into some funding options available to students as one of the early activities of the year.
Promote
Many of us do not do this work for the attention. We do this to make a difference. However, over the years I have found that promoting this work creates opportunities to share positive things with people who may not otherwise come to know what is happening. Plus, it allows for others to reach out with ideas and connect. An alumnus of our university, who went on to serve in a significant state-level position and has since retired, reached out to inquire about sponsoring an annual legacy scholarship to send teacher-candidates to the CEC Special Education Legislative Summit, which was something he was passionate about his entire career. When we met to discuss the details, he mentioned that he had been following the stories about the chapter and was excited to see it reignited. The reach of social media, websites, newsletters, marketing, and even the advancement office can be significant. It is good for our students, it is good for our institutions, and it is good for the field of education.
Connect
One of the most important lessons that I learned as a CEC student chapter advisor was an immediate one. This is a team project. Not the typical ‘this team vs. that team’ kind you typically find at a university, but the ‘we are all on the same team’ that invites collaboration. In my first year as student chapter advisor, I attended a state CEC board meeting and mentioned that I hoped to one day take students to the national convention. The most established chapter advisor in the state, Shirley Dawson from Weber State University, reached out and mentored me through the entire process to make it happen. In fact, if it were not for her and her chapter, my first year attempting to take my single student to our first national convention would have been an epic disaster. My husband had a medical emergency the day before our flight was scheduled to take off requiring me to stay back. Shirley simply adopted my student into her group as one of her own. Fast forward a few years and we have collaborated on a several projects and recently started a monthly support group for Student CEC advisors from multiple universities across the state of Utah to share ideas for activities, fundraisers, and general support. To all those who take the time to mentor others, thank you for the impact you have had on those beyond your own chapter.
Lift Others
In big moments, it is easy to get swept up into the limelight. Find ways to make the success of your chapter lift the student members into the profession. For example, if the university marketing group emails and asks to interview you about the chapter’s recent fundraiser, gently offer to find a time when your officers can join so they can have a public record of their organizational skills.
Recognition goes a long way to acknowledge the time and effort people put into their work. When your state CEC unit sends out a call for award nominations, consider having your SCEC chapter promote a drive to encourage student teachers to nominate exemplary professionals from their host schools for the various awards. This will help them recognize all of the great people that are in the field and promote positive relationships between the state and student chapters, and schools.
Dr. Shamby Polychronis is the SCEC advisor at the University of Utah and received a CEC Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award in 2023.
