Maximizing Collegiate Club Success & Impact: Project Spotlight from GRC at UVA

By Liz Rotherham, University of Virginia

Clubs are a critical part of the college experience for students. Nowadays, collegiate clubs range from pre-professional organizations that emulate the workplace to niche affinity groups, such as The Squirrel Club at the University of Michigan, where members gather every Sunday to feed squirrels. Collegiate clubs share a common goal: to bring undergraduate students together around shared interests and build a sense of community.

Once a marginal presence on many campuses, the range of clubs has expanded over the years. A team of analysts from GRC at the University of Virginia (UVA) have identified a classification system for them: academic clubs, pre-professional clubs, hobby clubs, political clubs, and civic organizations. These clubs, although diverse in scope and membership, all face a similar assortment of challenges, such as navigating the changing landscape of students’ priorities, effective club leadership, and member recruitment and retention.

Project Scope

Consultants at the Global Research and Consulting Group at UVA had the opportunity to research what makes collegiate clubs successful and how they can face these challenges to maximize club impact.

The project began with a thorough primary research stage where consultants conducted interviews with club president and executive leadership from several clubs across the University. These clubs included Fight Cancer at UVA, Girls Excited about Math and Science, UVA Democrats, and Muslim Students Association (MSA). These interviews focused on how club leaders across the university quantify club success, their perspectives on how they create effective club leaders, as well as their approaches to managing member recruitment and continual engagement.

Next, consultants conducted secondary research to investigate the changing club landscape and how the selectivity and competition when applying to clubs has shifted over the years, using research from Northwestern and Princeton in particular. Consultants then investigated the importance of effective club leadership and member retention drawing from research about the University of Wisconsin Madison and Modern Campus.

Project Findings & Analysis

Over the years, the collegiate club landscape has become increasingly competitive with rigorous applications, multiple interview rounds, and resume-based selection. This shift in culture has discouraged many students from participating in collegiate clubs. To navigate this dynamic landscape and maintain selectivity while balancing inclusion and learning opportunities, clubs could implement entry-level opportunities. Clubs such as Smart Woman Securities, an organization focused on educating female investors at 25 chapters across the US, have programs like this. Instead of a rigorous application upfront, Smart Woman Securities have a unique approach to recruitment by having potential members complete a 10-week educational seminar series before the application process. As another solution, organizations could create a more transparent and equitable application process. By establishing clear criteria for assessing applicants and improving transparency in selection choices by offering feedback and potential skill-building opportunities, clubs can have a greater impact on their community while maintaining a level of selectivity.

Effective club leadership is a critical component of achieving sustained club success. To maximize the impact of club leadership when choosing a board organization, there are various approaches. Fight Cancer at UVA prioritizes passion and mission alignment, as leadership is something that can be taught. Organizations can implement strategies to improve leadership by defining clear, specific roles for each executive member, creating a structured transition process for leadership to ensure continuity over the years, and building a culture of connection between club alumni and current leaders to provide insights and advice.

Member retention is a primary challenge for many collegiate clubs: how to get members who will return and engage beyond the first few weeks. Creating a welcoming environment from the first meeting that emphasizes personalization, even in large chapters, has proven success in increasing retention and engagement rates. Fight Cancer at UVA emphasizes the importance of having no “dead zones,” periods of weeks without events as a strategic approach to maintaining consistent member engagement. By articulating to members that their attendance matters and utilizing follow-up personalized outreach, clubs can shift members' perceptions of being just a number.

Looking to the Future

Consultants at the University of Virginia recommend that collegiate clubs create and expand upon entry-level opportunities for interested students, which will allow clubs to balance the pursuit of qualified members while increasing inclusion and learning. To further club impact, GRC UVA recommends implementing a structured and defined process for club leadership and transition periods to ensure continuity over the years. Next, through active engagement and personalization with individual club members over the semester, clubs can maximize retention rates. Consultants at the University of Virginia recommend these strategies to collegiate clubs to ensure the greatest impact on their targeted communities.

Cover photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.