Student activities generally fall under one or more of the following categories:
Academic Academic student activities refer to clubs and programs specifically focused on helping a student in the academic sense. These can be
major-based, area of study-based clubs, or programs and events designed to educate students in any scholarly subject matter. Some examples of academic student activities include: • Accounting Society • Language Clubs • Art History Club •
Public Relations Student Society • Pre-Law Society
Civic engagement Civic engagement student activities generally refer to clubs and programs focused on creating positive societal change. Some of these activities may also fall under the academic category, as these activities work to educate students about
social issues and the importance of getting involved. Some examples of civic engagement activities include: • Action in Africa •
Colleges Against Cancer •
Lions Club School Chapters •
Circle K International • Political Party-Based Clubs • College/University Day of Service
Diversity/Cultural Diversity or cultural student activities generally refer to clubs and programs focused on the representation of
minority groups on campus. These activities may also fall under the academic category as they seek to educate students on cultural differences. Some examples of diversity/cultural activities include: • Black Student Union • Asian Pacific Student Association • Feminist Club • LGBT Alliance • Disability Alliance •
Diversity Training Programs
Honor Societies Honor societies are student activities that recognize academic excellence among students. These organizations are usually exclusive to students who have excelled academically, based on scholastic ranking and/or grade point average. Honor societies are typically national or even international organizations that have established chapters at certain colleges and universities. Some examples of honor societies include: • National Society of Leadership & Success •
National Society of Collegiate Scholars •
Alpha Kappa Delta •
Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society • Phi Beta Kappa
Leisure Leisure clubs are student activities that give students the opportunity to connect with other students with similar hobbies and are an opportunity to socialize and take a break from the academic side of student life. Some examples of leisure activities include: • Acapella/singing groups • Acting clubs • Fan clubs • Cooking clubs
Recreational Recreational activities are student activities that involve some form of physical activity. Some examples of recreational activities include: • Dance classes •
Intramural Sports teams • Club sports • Surfing clubs • Sports tournaments Some examples of athletic activities include: • Football • Baseball • Soccer • Volleyball • Wrestling • Basketball • Golf • Hockey • Cricket
Religious/Spiritual Religious/spiritual student activities refer to clubs and programs that allow students to connect with other students of similar faiths, practice their chosen faith, and/or learn about other faiths. Many schools have a faith center where these sorts of programs take place. Some examples of religious/spiritual activities include: • Interfaith Council • Fellowship of Christian Athletes • International Justice Mission • Latter-Day Saint Student Association • Groups for minorities that may fit into the religion of Pagan, etc.
Student-Run Event Planning Board A student-run event planning board is a student activity that works under a faculty advisor to plan events for students, including concerts, speakers, dances, movie screenings, etc. Generally, this board is also responsible for hosting specific traditional events. These types of groups are often funded by grants from the college or university.
Quote • "As a student run organization, externals are what gives us support, credibility and recognition. External affairs and internal development are interdependent and symbiotic in their essence." - Ralf Georges Mansour
Student-Run Businesses Student-run businesses are student activities that involve running a business that has an affiliation with the college or university and is almost completely, if not completely, run by student workers. Some examples of student-run businesses include: • College/University Radio Stations • College/University Local Television Stations • Production Company • Advertising Firms
National National clubs refer to student activities that exist throughout the country. • Habitat for Humanity • Honors Across State/Country Borders • Engineering Without Borders • Global Brigades
Greek Organizations Greek organizations include
fraternities and sororities, which are exclusive social organizations. These groups are referred to as 'Greek' because their names are made up of two or three Greek letters, and generally focus on the betterment and empowerment of members. Students go through a 'bidding' process in order to be initiated into one of these organizations. Universities and colleges also have Panhellenic and Inter-Fraternity Councils, which act as the governing body over Greek organizations. Some
honor societies can also be considered Greek organizations due to their Greek letter affiliation. These organizations, however, tend to be co-ed, while fraternities are all-male groups and sororities are all-female groups. Some examples of Greek organizations are: •
Alpha Gamma Delta •
Delta Tau Delta •
Pi Beta Phi •
Alpha Epsilon Pi == High school ==