To the top of the David Stolarz website
To the top of the Dept. of Geography, Hunter College website
To David Stolarz's Online Career Development Handbook for Geography
To the top of David Stolarz ASPRS Student Activities Information
ASPRS Student Activities Committee National Report
ASPRS Student Activities Committee Chair
David Stolarz
Graduate Student, Hunter College, NY, NY
ASPRS Student Activities Committee Chair
dstolarz@everest.hunter.cuny.edu
The Student Activities Committee is designed to study and recommend policy to
the ASPRS Board of Directors relating to the student members of the
Society,
establish and foster communication among student members, plan and
establish
student programs and related activity at Society symposia and
conventions, and
liaise with related ASPRS Entities. The plan to implement that
strategy is to
target learning materials to the member's level of education and
interest, to
spread successful interaction ideas between regions and chapters by
designing
templates of involvement, and to build an Internet structure for
effective
communication. In addition, it is advisable to create links between
ASPRS
committees, between industry and academia, between full members and
student
members, and between job seekers and job suppliers. By building a
structure
for student activities, future committee members can concentrate
their efforts
on implementing the ideal.
The ASPRS Student Activities Committee is where interested parties
come
together to share ideas and implement strategies to continually
improve the
usefulness of student membership. At this point in time, ASPRS
student
activities are poised in anticipation of astounding growth.
Established
building blocks of faculty, region leaders, and staff support at
headquarters
are forming the foundation that will support further construction of
interactive communication, links to industry, and active student
participation. With the technological advances in the mapping
sciences and
widespread application of related products, the ASPRS student members
of today
will be the scientific leaders of tomorrow. Active participation in
society
membership offers the student the opportunity to develop the skills
of success
required in today's challenging professional climate, equipping them
with
proficiency in communication and persuasion, while fostering a sense
of
responsibility and commitment to a higher, grand vision.
Students are individuals in transition. Generally, they enter a
school with
little knowledge of remote sensing or photogrammetry beyond the
nightly
weather satellite view. The advantage to that assumption is that it
permits
the development of simple materials that will support the learning
experience,
thereby providing each member with positive links to ASPRS membership.
With
the development of computers that can select members on varying
criteria, it
is feasible to target the development of informational materials to
the
educational level and specialization area of student members. Topics
under
development range from a welcome to membership, explanations of
career
options, and an invitation to communicate, to recognition for
participation,
simple renderings of technical concepts, and communication with
industry
leaders. In addition, materials for non-traditional student members
can be
developed that satisfy their unique needs. By dividing students into
a series
of niches of progressing technical difficulty, ASPRS can gradually
guide
student members into the professional world. Of course, these
materials will
supplement the benefits that active students already receive.
The level of student activity at the region level varies from minimal
to
outstanding. Identifying the factors that lead to the outstanding
success of
one region's interaction with the local student chapters, the
committee is
moving to share those factors with other regions where improvement is
desired.
Work is under way to document the causes of success. The preliminary
finding
points to the efforts of "champions" who generate excitement with
their
enthusiasm and capacity to push a project or concept to fruition.
These
champions often start at the student level. Creating a support
structure for
success is a step in the right direction for creating ASPRS champions.
Part of that support structure is the development of re-usable
templates for
student involvement. The most obvious application of this concept is
the
creation of a package of materials that help a student leader or
faculty
member form a student chapter at a school. Simpler templates might
be a
checklist for chapter activities, a how-to guide on approaching an
employer
for a job, or what to expect at a conference. Similarly, the
development of a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) portion of the ASPRS home page
allows
information to be dispersed on demand with minimal human and monetary
expense
over the long term. Whatever the design, useful information can be
arranged
and offered that will facilitate the efficient generation of positive
feelings
regarding student membership.
The committee's role is to serve as a feedback mechanism whereby
policies and
strategies can be evaluated and revised for the future. For example,
prior
surveys found that the overwhelming interest of student members is
assistance
in securing employment. Therefore the committee is taking steps to
encourage
ASPRS to help move students into the job market at a level matching
their
skill, knowledge, and passion. The committee also serves to offer
student
members an entry-level position in the behind-the-scenes activities
of the
society, generating a source of knowledgeable, experienced leaders.
Finally,
it needs to sustain itself into the future by properly coercing
student
members to participate.
Ideas exist to be shared. The Internet offers a quick way for
members to
interact among themselves: person to person, chapter to chapter,
student to
alumni, with region leaders, and with ASPRS headquarters. The most
difficult
aspects of e-mail are making the first successful communication,
confirming
receipt, and changing e-mail addresses as students graduate. As the
technology matures, and as ASPRS members become familiar with its
implementation, e-mail will serve a vital role in allowing members
to
communicate rapidly so as to maximize their benefits from membership.
In
addition, student members often bring to the society hands-on
experience in
developing Internet resources. For example, future student meetings
are
expected to be performed in real-time on-line, in addition to
national
convention meetings.
One area which needs growth in the future is the committee's
coordination with
related ASPRS entities. The Awards Policy Committee plays a key role
in
student affairs since it seeks to reward active student members with
nationwide recognition for a job well done. Similarly, the
Scholarship
Committee offers students money, which is a clearly recognizable,
direct
benefit. The Education Committee is also important since they help
design
informational materials that will provide a clear benefit to student
members.
Finally, the Membership Committee wants to ensure that student
members are
properly motivated to continue their full membership following
graduation.
Proper motivation simply means anticipating feeling a benefit for
continuing
one's membership.
Challenges to a committee populated by student members are their lack
of funds
for travel to meetings, time constraints due to commitments of class
work,
unrecognizable rewards, and the occasional bout of apathy (conditions
not
uncommon in today's society). These challenges are solvable when
full
members, with a passion for sharing their personal experiences,
insights and
expertise, identify and form relationships with motivated students.
By
generating a feeling of connectivity to the industry, these
relationships
offer a simple, recognizable reward for ASPRS membership and
participation.
Whether it is a telephone call to a professor extolling a student's
enthusiasm
at a local meeting, a push to fill out a scholarship application, or
a ride to
the national convention, a mentor can help direct and support a
student in a
personal and fundamentally rewarding relationship. In addition, they
may
offer career direction to students who are looking to develop a
vision of what
their future work life will be like.
Developing an internal vision of the future is a documented technique
for
raising the probability of success for that vision. In that regard,
ASPRS can
help students develop a vision of success by establishing links
between the
working world and the academic community. Although exposure to
industry
professionals is currently available at region meetings and at the
national
convention, perhaps a more formal avenue of development, such as a
internship
clearinghouse, could be worthwhile. The Student Activities Committee
is an
opportunity for students to step forward and explain what links would
best
serve their interests and participate at a level that justifies the
expenditure of effort. Then perhaps a convention welcoming party
could serve
to bring together ASPRS leaders, industry representatives, and
student members
in a room where discussions of job prospects, desirable skills, and
methods of
development could take place.
Whatever may take place right now, it is important to establish a
structure
that can be filled with the personal creativity of the committee
members of
the future. Part of the current movement in the committee is to
clearly
explain what can be done, while at the same time doing it. By
testing
alternatives and identifying strategies with a proven record of
success,
future committee leaders will not have to invent ways to build
membership or
create benefits. Instead, they can concentrate on analyzing the
techniques of
implementation. These first steps start ASPRS student activities
on a
growth curve based on open and frequent communications, templates of
action,
and a system for rewarding active students members with clearly
recognizable
benefits. Over time, graduation to full membership will be perceived
as an
honor and a privilege to students.