Chatham University is a host to many student organizations that appeal to a diverse range of interests. From the Chatham Community Service Club to the Fiber Arts Bunch, there is something for seemingly everyone to enjoy.
Despite so many options, student organizations struggle to get more people involved with meetings and events. We wonder: why is this the case?
As active students who hold leadership roles in organizations and attend countless events, we bring a unique perspective to observing this bit of campus culture. We’ve seen our peers hesitant to attend on-campus events and the hardships that come along with planning some events.
For those who are not involved in event planning, the process is seemingly simple. Three or more weeks before the event, an organization has to put in a request to Student Engagement for a chosen space and time. If requesting funding, there is also a required document outlining every item the funds will go toward, which is then sent to the Undergraduate Budget Committee. A member of the student organization then attends a meeting with the committee where they inquire further about the funds, and ultimately decide to approve or deny the request. After the event and funding are approved, the Student Engagement staff orders the event supplies, depending on what type of funding is requested.
However, the process does not always go this smoothly. We believe that greater communication between student organizations, the Undergraduate Budget Committee and the Office of Student Engagement can help events on campus become more successful.
A student organization-centered perspective
Tiana Eicher
I am currently an officer for Planned Parenthood Generation Action. Our organization has 50 people on our email list, but typically only 10 to 15 students come to events. The other officers and I work hard in our free time to plan these events. So, while we are grateful for everyone who has been consistently showing up, we would love to see more students get involved.
However, our frustrations don’t only come from the lack of participation, but also from securing funding for events. For a recent event that took place on Jan. 16, we submitted the request for funding in December and it was approved by the Undergraduate Budget Committee before winter break. The day before our event, the supplies we requested for the event had not arrived. After we inquired with Student Engagement staff, it turned out the items were never ordered due to some form of miscommunication and had to be purchased that day. The current lack of communication within the process of requesting an event creates uncertainty among student organizations, like mine, and is reflected in unfulfilling event turnouts.
The lack of communication between Student Engagement and student organizations has also led to conflicts in event scheduling. Recently, Planned Parenthood Generation Action and the Chatham Feminist Coalition had two events scheduled for the same day at the same time, both in the Carriage House, just in separate rooms. While the organizations did decide to combine their events, this could cause future issues regarding student participation, especially in cases of students wanting to attend both events.
Requests are required to be put in three weeks before the event date and, in my experience, do not get approved for another week. So, there is no way of knowing when other organizations submit their requests for since it is impossible to reach out to each organization in the planning process. Communication about issues such as these is up to Student Engagement to catch and resolve before it is too late.

Morgan Rapsky
As anyone who has had the displeasure of being subjected to my email signature knows, I have worn many hats during my three years at Chatham University. For instance, I volunteered as the vice chair of the Undergraduate Budget Committee, where my role was to notify clubs about the approval status of their funding.
This role has shown me that while clubs may get financial backing, they often lack the support needed to turn their plans into successful events. This month alone, I’ve been included in numerous emails detailing issues such as miscommunication about event details, unordered items and missing supplies. Even when it comes to funding, the process is not often communicated.
I also founded the Chatham Chess Club. Because of my excitement for the game, every successful event feels that much more rewarding, and every setback hits a little harder. For example, our last tournament was held in October with a high turnout, but the winner didn’t receive their gift card until January because it was never purchased. While the event was ultimately a success, I couldn’t help but feel discouraged from planning another if the failures of Student Engagement were going to continually appear as that of the club.
Securing funding for the event wasn’t straightforward either. During our budget request hearing, Student Engagement informed the committee that they are to “strongly discourage” gift cards— a policy that not only has not been published but also has not been shared with all student organizations. Policies established regarding funding need to be shared with the community so student organizations can make more informed decisions about funding requests.
As a result, the prize amount of our original gift card request, which had been approved in the past, was lowered. When I attempted to appeal this decision, I was informed that there was not “enough standing” for this appeal rather than being given an opportunity for it to be heard by the committee to persuade them to change their decision.
Reflections
Let us be clear— our takeaways from these experiences are in no way to bash the individuals who volunteer their time to keep the UBC running or the Student Engagement staff who work tirelessly to support campus life. On the contrary, these people are the unsung heroes, taking on hard tasks to keep campus life up and running.
If these issues that linger between student organizations, the Undergraduate Budget Committee and Student Engagement are resolved with the University’s support, it will result in more successful events and greater student participation. Whether this means increasing staffing or re-evaluating the distribution of work among employees, there’s room for improvement.
We also encourage every student on campus to look into joining student organizations that fit their interests. Students can learn more about campus organizations on the Chatham Student Government website or follow organizations on social media to stay up to date.
Our campus deserves to have a meaningful community of organizations, as any other University does. Help us make this happen and build excitement around getting involved on campus.