Online Manual

Are you interested in forming a student group?

Developing a student group can be a rewarding endeavor and a source for valuable experience and know-how. It can also be a great challenge. Playing a leadership role in your student group requires a certain level of commitment that will place demands upon your time and brain power. For the majority of students, time and brain power are already scarce and college life is in a state of continuous flux.

The key to building a successful and effective student group is to avoid having it conflict with your academic career and social life. There are strategies and management practices that can be helpful in meeting this challenge. Your student group - especially with its focus on science, skepticism and critical inquiry - can and should serve to compliment other areas of your life and act as a catalyst for increased learning and enjoyment in all realms of the college or high school experience.

Most subjects explored in school are enhanced by skeptical inquiry and so there are great parallels to be made between an academic career and the subject matter and explorations pursued by a student group. Not only can the group expand upon ideas that are discussed in regular classes and make use of the experts and diversity on campus but assignments and exercises can also be tailored for group events and activities. Faculty and classmates may be interested in particular themes your group explores and can therefore serve as a source of membership and support. Other groups on campus, as well as academic departments and institutions, can offer partnerships or co-sponsorship for specific events and activities. The various happenings on campus, or in the larger geographical area you live in, can provide subject matter, activity ideas and outreach opportunities worth exploring.

Groups are also a source of friendship, social stimulation and entertainment. The forum a group provides for discussion and debate can be highly enjoyable for one and all. The pursuits undertaken by the group can contribute to the richness and quality of one's social life and provide an additional impetus for joining - or helping to launch - an extracurricular student group or activity. In this sense, then, the group acts as a compliment to one's existing social life.

To thoughtfully weigh the pros and cons of forming a student group, consider the following questions and comments:

Do you think there is an outlet for improved science education and skeptical inquiry on your campus?

Most students will agree that there is indeed a need for skeptical inquiry on all campuses and although there are several outlets for science education already, they are not as accessible to the average student as they could be. A student group could enhance the presence of science on campus and make it relevant and interesting for a larger segment of the student population - individuals that might be oblivious to it otherwise. Also, because of recent intrusions upon good science education from such influences as creationism, postmodernism and the new age movement, the need for improved science education and skeptical inquiry is on the rise. A CSICOP student group may provide the necessary challenge to the pseudosciences and nonsense that are circulating and gaining popularity within our campus communities. If you think the presence of a skeptically-oriented student group could improve and positively impact your campus community then you should consider forming such a group.

Are you interested enough in the subject matter explored through a skeptically-oriented student group to champion it's goals on campus?

For many of us, the subject matter of the paranormal is fascinating and the tools of science, skepticism and critical inquiry arm us with invaluable skills in investigating these realms and properly evaluating the information we encounter. We often take it for granted that others may disagree and see no direct benefit of applying these tools to the myriad of beliefs and ideas that serve to guide their actions and behaviors and ultimately impact our shared reality. Although skepticism isn't a lifestyle or world view and there are plenty of unrelated pleasures in life with which to busy ourselves with, the lack of interest in the skeptical perspective may simply be due to a lack of awareness. If you are interested enough in the subject matter and tools we concern ourselves with and think others may share your interest then you may very well be able to build a burgeoning presence for skepticism on your campus and help steer the impact of our actions and behaviors towards a beneficial end for one and all.

Do you think that others on your campus would be interested in part, if not the whole, of your student group's focus and lineup of events?

It is very likely that over the course of an academic year your group will offer a little something of interest to just about everyone. This goal of reaching out to a wider audience can also play a role in the actual programming and development plans undertaken by student coordinators. Publicity and promotion of group events also impact the level of interest and participation in group activities and so can be tailored accordingly. With thought placed into these considerations beforehand, your group should have little difficulty appealing to a large audience and encouraging students to become members of your student group. The important characteristic to recognize is that the student population on any given campus is diverse and science, skepticism and critical inquiry can be relevant to all walks of life.

Is there support within your campus community for your efforts?

As mentioned elsewhere, faculty advisors and off-campus supporters can play a very important and effective role in helping launch and develop a student group. In many ways, they serve as an anchor and provide stability to your group's presence and long-term existence. Your overall focus and image, as well as your lineup of events and activities, can also help garner support and participation from outlets within your community. By working to build relationships with other student groups that may share common ground or even with events and/or groups you disagree with, you will again be able to build a more secure and lasting presence within your campus community and attract more support from the diverse groups and individuals represented within the student population.

Do you have the time to devote to an extracurricular activity?

Time management is a challenge for everyone but most especially students. The initial setup and launch of a student group will likely present the largest demand on your time but it should decrease considerably once the group has got off the ground and you are able to recruit volunteers to help. Faculty advisors and off-campus supporters can be a great help in sharing the workload. Once the foundational considerations are made you should also have officers to rely upon. One of the most important skills to develop to avoid huge demands upon your time is the ability to delegate and avoid micro-managing. Several resources will be included in the online manual to help group leaders manage their time effectively and avoid burnout and other debilitating conditions that may result from this particular challenge. As discussed earlier, you will also be able to manage your time effectively if you coordinate your group alongside other areas of your life - your academic career and social life for example. As your group develops you will begin to see how it overlaps with subject matter you are exploring in class or activities you are participating in, with friends - even books you are reading and TV programs you are watching! With a little creativity you may find ways of connecting the many facets of life together so that they can each compliment one another and maximize the benefit to you and other group members.

Are you confident in your leadership abilities?

It's surprising how many self-professed leaders lack effective leadership skills and how many people who don't think they have what it takes to direct a program, actually do! Being an effective leader is an ongoing challenge and the development of leadership skills is never-ending. There is an infinite number of resources for developing such skills and we will provide several in the group resources but the bottom line is simply a matter of whether you would like to play a leadership role in the formation of a student group. If you would like to do so and are willing to work towards achieving this goal, you have what it takes and should jump in and get started!