What are student organizations?

Sometimes you want to go where you’re understood. It’s worked for characters in movies and in books. And it’s a pretty good strategy for adult learners, too, who want to find a place where they belong in the world of online school. Such a home exists at University of Phoenix in the form of the student organization (SO). 

Student organizations prioritize belonging and development. From honor societies to professional associations, SOs help students develop leadership skills, form networking connections and develop soft skills, such as collaboration and communication.

Participation in SOs does much more than make a big, online university seem like a second home. According to Dallas, SOs have been shown to dramatically impact student persistence toward graduation. “Research shows that students who engage in co-curricular activities such as student organizations are more likely to persist in their studies as well as having better overall academic outcomes,” she says.

Of course, you might think that students whose average age is 37 (which is the case at UOPX) are already established with their own communities. Add the fact that 76% are employed and 64% have dependents, and a picture emerges of an adult learner who is also pressed for time and not as available for an SO.

“Our students are balancing multiple priorities. They are older, they are caregivers of children and adults, and the demographic is mostly female [71%],” Dallas says. “But the reality is, many of our students [talk to us about upskilling and pivoting careers]. Student organizations help keep academic momentum going.”

Other tangible benefits exist for students who participate in such organizations. These include:

• Professional networking. “Student organizations are one of the best ways to connect with peers [and] develop relationships,” Dallas says. This can be especially important for students who are career pivoting or trying to enhance their professional prospects. “Even though students might not see the organization’s ‘programming’ as ‘networking,’ students are building connections with peers, faculty and, in some cases, alumni.”
• Leadership opportunities. The beauty of SOs is that student officers provide leadership, management and support of the organization’s activities, including meetings, fundraisers, social gatherings, presentations and professional panels. In some organizations, students also become exposed to top-level success stories and thoughts on leadership through viewership or participation in panels, summits or conferences.
• A sense of community. Networking isn’t all about leveraging other people to get to where you want to go. It’s creating the kind of community you want to belong to. “I happen to advise some of the student organizations. I get to see what they are developing — the kind of impact they want to make and the kind of connection they want to create. They are gaining a real sense of community,” Dallas says. “In online school especially, students find that [SOs] provide opportunities to engage with peers more than just inside the classroom.”
• Emotional intelligence development. SOs help students understand their motivations, cultivate empathy and learn how to navigate conflict and resolve problems constructively. “It’s imperative that we are self-aware in this world — that we know how we are showing up,” Dallas says.
• A safe place to practice skills. Through SOs, individuals have a chance to practice what they’ve been learning in the classroom in a lower-stakes environment than the workforce. “For example, if a student is in marketing, and they become the marketing director as a student leader in the National Society of Leadership and Success, they can implement marketing experience and strategy in a way that gives them real practice,” Dallas says.
• Personal growth. Participating in an honor or professional society with fellow students can build confidence, cultivate new interests, inspire involvement in community or causes and lead to lasting friendships. “So many good things come simply from connecting with others,” Dallas says.

At present, the 14 student organizations at University of Phoenix are:

• Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business — Lambda Sigma Chapter (business)
• Epsilon Pi Tau — Delta Sigma (technology)
• Eta Theta, University of Phoenix Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma (criminal justice)
• Golden Key International Honor Society (nursing)
• National Society of Leadership and Success (leadership development)
• Order of the Sword & Shield Honor Society (homeland security)
• Phi Alpha Honor Society (social work)
• Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society and Professional Association for Educators (education)
• SHRM Student Chapter at University of Phoenix (professional)
• Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society (business, management, administration)
• Sigma Theta Tau International — Omicron Delta Chapter (nursing)
• The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (first- and second-year students)
• Upsilon Phi Delta (healthcare management)
• WiCyS – Women in Cybersecurity (technology)

If students don’t see anything in their areas of study or academic or professional interest, they can apply to start a new student organization through the University’s application process. To do so, students have to meet certain criteria (e.g., they’re enrolled with posted attendance) and publish a purpose or mission along with goals or objectives for the SO. They also need to select a University-approved faculty liaison. Of course, the organization should be consistent with the overarching UOPX mission, too.

An organization can be nationally chartered, regionally rooted or even internally launched.

Whether you join an SO or start a new one, it has the potential to change your college experience. Perhaps even more powerfully, it can also change that of your peers. Talk about the power of belonging.

To learn more about SOs — as well as other belonging initiatives at UOPX, such as the Bravely Belong Student Café and the Student and Alumni Leadership Council — view this video featuring Dallas discussing co-curricular activities.