HOT TOPIC: Attracting and Retaining Membership
Posted by RCCE-D on September 20, 2009
Hello fellow SWE Divas. My name is Allison Tuff and I am this year’s Region D Membership Chair. As active members in SWE we are always looking for ways to recruit more members into our local sections to share in both the benefits of SWE and to extend the reach of our local network and resources.
A section’s membership is what keeps it alive and thriving. The members are ultimately who provide the much needed support for successful events. So thank you SWE members, whether you are helping by offering your leadership skills, planning events, donating supplies, or simply going to meetings and bringing a friend =)
To me, the best method to attract and retain members is though involvement. Sections should entice new comers with the great opportunities they have for members to get involved. I believe that increasing membership involvement will have both a direct and positive influence on recruitment and retention numbers as members begin to take ownership of their local section and feel like they belong.
The University of Central Florida section implemented a great program called SWE Buddies to help recruit and retain new members. SWE Buddies is a mentoring program the section created to provide a support network to help students negotiate the difficulties of their first years in the engineering curriculum by getting to know SWE members that have gone though the same thing. This is a great opportunity for Seniors and Juniors to relay the volumes of information they’ve gathered over the years and make an underclassman fell welcome within the organization. It is a simple and rewarding program that helps get new comers involved!
As Region Membership Chair, one of my primary goals is to see a healthy increase in membership recruitment and retention numbers among all of the region’s local sections and MALs. Monthly membership reports will be posted on the Region D Community, so make sure you check them out. Should you have any questions regarding Membership, please feel free to email me at Allison.M.Tuff@usa-spaceops.com.
Kristen (Poz) Porter said
Allison I love your enthusiasm for Region D and membership increase and retention. I know that I myself took a year long break from SWE to focus on work, my graduate degree, and my wedding. I think that the SWE buddies is a great way to increase membership. I also think that communication is key to ensuring a healthy region. From my SWE experiences, communication has been a huge factor in determining the number of people who come to a meeting. Without communication and section wide acceptance of members, the leadership is unable to determine program and/or section needs!
This blog is the first step in communication! I stumbled upon it via the 1st Region D newsletter! Look forward to great communiques to come!