This page is for discussion about how best to target University students for membership. Zoology students are passionate and engaged and are likely members for life. Some universities have more than 200 first year Zoology students beginning their studies each year. They are the future of RZS NSW.
At Western Sydney University, I asked current Zoology and Animal Science students if they knew about the society and what is does. Less than 10% of students knew about the society, let alone what it does.
My proposal is for free membership for 1st year students doing a named Zoology degree (or agreed variations) in all NSW/ACT universities or TAFEs (or equivalent). This should include free access to the careers day.
Benefits include:
(1) Supporting universities to value add to degrees in Zoology (or related degrees)
(2) Targeting a passionate cohort at the beginning of their working lives. A very large database
(3) Engaging students early should lead to good conversion into paid membership in 2nd and 3rd year and beyond. Currently, we only see most zoology students joining the society when they apply for research grants in years 4 (honours) and post-grad.
(4) Establishing links university administration. Potentially a pathway to be an advisory, review or accreditation group - (if that is something we consider important into the future).
(2) Targeting a passionate cohort at the beginning of their working lives. A very large database
(3) Engaging students early should lead to good conversion into paid membership in 2nd and 3rd year and beyond. Currently, we only see most zoology students joining the society when they apply for research grants in years 4 (honours) and post-grad.
(4) Establishing links university administration. Potentially a pathway to be an advisory, review or accreditation group - (if that is something we consider important into the future).
Issues include:
(1) Free entry to the zoo. Is this an issue for Taronga?
(2) Anything in the constitution about free membership?
(3) Are we discriminating? I think supporting students doing Zoology degrees (or related) is something that we should support. Many Universities have reduced or eliminated their degrees.
(2) Anything in the constitution about free membership?
(3) Are we discriminating? I think supporting students doing Zoology degrees (or related) is something that we should support. Many Universities have reduced or eliminated their degrees.
Logistics:
1) Identify target degrees at each University
2) Contact program directors or course advisers at in each institution.
3) Explore privacy issues
4) Create literature and unique website(s) for Universities to include in Open day packages (August), as well as, PowerPoint slides for academics to use.
Other Ideas
1) Ramp up the careers day to be a post grad and careers expo, where universities and industry can have display stands and a separate stream of talks for 3 minute thesis style recruitment drives. This would target 3rd year and postgraduate students.
I will keep adding others, but please place comments below for discussion
Hi all just some observations from a current student albeit in a different field of study that may or not be relevant.
ReplyDeleteThe Student Organised Network for Architecture (SONA) – student arm of the Australian Institute of Architects proper - provides first year membership free and I guess is good at getting students on the mailing list in the first place. The Design Institute of Australia provides a one off payment for the full duration of their course ($125).
SONA has a student representative at each Australian university who essentially operates as an organiser for that institution’s student members and as a go between for the Institute and that particular university’s cohort. They also organise informal events at their particular uni, which so far have simply been lunch time or afternoon BBQs with free food and drinks.
The Institute of Architects also supports the biannual Australasian Student Architecture Conference which is run by a committee of students themselves. They organise the speakers, program, venue(s), etc. with some assistance from the Institute. Consequently the speakers and topics are inherently relevant to the interests of students. SONA also organises fringe events for the main Institute’s professional conference which usually include either behind the scenes tours somewhere or simply getting all the students to the pub together with a few of the speakers.
UTS Architecture School also holds several series’ of lectures. An informal lunch time lecture series usually from academic staff, and a more formal evening series with visitors from interstate and overseas which concludes with food and drinks. More importantly however these are advertised with printed posters throughout the university. The whole school is plastered with them so they’re impossible to miss. There’s something to be said for simply sticky-taping a poster next to the elevator.
Hopefully there’s something of interest here for us.
Hi Ricky,
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting this discussion going. I think this is a great idea and we can make the society stronger as a result. A few comments/suggestions from me.
1. It is not clear what we want to achieve - I think this is important since it will guide where we go. Do we simply want to increase membership (I hope not) or do we want to engage with the best students and keep them engaged throughout their career (I hope so).
2. Once we know what we want to achieve (for the Society) then we can work out what we can offer to the students. Our current mix doesn't offer a lot, so I think we need to tweak this.
3. I think the zoo access is a problem from a range of different perspectives. We don't want to frame the RZS within Taronga Zoo. It is part of our history, but we need to move on from that and find our own place. I would prefer that we don't offer students access to the zoo (but we keep for others). We should be able to offer enough to attract students to the society without the zoo. If we can't do that then I ask, why are we doing this?
4. We need to make sure that we don't make admin too high for this - with this in mind I would aim for 2nd year students rather than first. Ricky said above that UWS students generally don't know about RZS. This doesn't surprise me, but I also wonder if students know much about scientific societies or publications in general. I think we should focus on 2nd year and above students who have made a choice about what they want to do. We can always expand in the future, but lets start with the obvious low hanging fruit.
5. I like the ideas that Stew put forward. However, I would make the point that we are not a professional society (i.e. we don't speak for all zoologists or can be considered the peak body for zoologists.) Membership BY ITSELF is not a draw card here. We need to offer students things that will encourage them to participate, learn, and be engaged.
Hi Ricky
ReplyDeleteI really like some of your ideas, and I think this is an excellent starting point for the discussion. I agree with Martin about the zoo-dissociation thing - it should be the society that they're interested in, and flooding the zoo with free entries would not be good. We could create a free 'intern' membership that confers benefits such as access to ePubs, newsletter, mailouts etc, without the full zoo entry membership card. I also think that targetting 2nd and 3rd students is a good idea for the reasons stated by Martin. Guess we'll talk more about this at the meeting!
Cheers
Adele