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Guidelines for Establishing a USITT Student Chapter

Student Chapters of USITT exist in universities, colleges, junior colleges, or high schools where an interested faculty or staff member serves as a sponsor to a group of motivated students. They participate in a variety of local activities and often travel together to USITT's Annual Conference & Stage Expo.

Prior to starting a student chapter of USITT at a university, college, junior college, or high school, the faculty or staff member who will eventually become the sponsor, and the students who will be involved in chapter activities, should give serious consideration to the future of the proposed chapter. Student chapters are frequently started but become inactive within a very short time. Before starting a chapter, it is necessary to consider if it will have continuity of chapter sponsorship. If the sponsor leaves, who would be willing to assume responsibility on a temporary or permanent basis? Similarly, who are the students who will maintain a sustained interest in the chapter and establish a plan for continuity of leadership as others graduate?

Activities that will be valuable to the participants and that will assist in expanding members' experience and education should be planned . Workshops led by visiting professionals, inter-chapter idea sharing, and group trips to both local and national conferences often make membership worthwhile. The networking and social activities that accompany such events provide further benefits.

Another issue to consider is identifying activities to enrich the chapter. Most chapters adopt a philosophy which places service and education as important goals. Not only may a chapter serve as a recruiting device for an institution (certainly a reason for existence) but it may function as a service group as well. In addition to holding workshops on campus; the chapter members may travel to high schools or other colleges and universities to sponsor workshops or service days where chapter members assist the institution being visited. Such activities might include installing a sound system, building scenery, or hanging lighting instruments. Activities such as these should be included in the chapter's annual report to USITT, and are, in essence, the "glue" that holds the student chapter together.

Once the goals and the future plans for the group are established, there is a prescribed means for establishing a chapter.

• Identify a faculty sponsor who is a member in good standing of USITT, who is a willing volunteer, and who will give the chapter active leadership and guidance.
• Identify six or more students who are USITT members in good standing and are willing to undertake the activities of the student chapter. In addition to those students, other non-USITT members may be accepted into the student chapter as chapter members.
• Hold elections to determine the officers of the chapter. The required officers are: Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary (the latter two officers are sometimes combined into a Secretary-Treasurer position).
• Establish a set of By-Laws for the chapter. A sample set of By-Laws and a formal application for charter may be requested from the USITT VP for Sections & Chapters
• Submit a request to establish (charter) a student chapter along with the By-Laws to the VP for Sections & Chapters who is also authorized to re-establish a charter. The VP sends out a call for re-chartering each fall.

Questions about the benefits of establishing a student chapter should be directed to the VP Sections & Chapters who can provide a referral to another chapter located nearby. Officers of Student Chapters meet during the Annual Conference & Stage Expo.