SSA at UAA Starting Secular Student Alliance at University of Alaska Anchorage: A Feasibility Report By Erin Price Technical Writing A212

Overview The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) has several religious student clubs to represent it's students but no clubs to representing secular, skeptic, humanist, free thinker, non-believer, and agnostic atheist student population. This presentation examines the feasibility of creating such a club, in the form of a Secular Student Alliance (SSA) affiliate, at UAA. Research was conducted through interviews with current UAA students, an online questionnaire posted online to measure interest. The Academic Search Premier was used to research the importance and impact of student clubs and the groups they represent. Both the UAA club and SSA affiliate requirements, were located online. Their websites provided and outline of the basic steps and more detailed versions were found in their respective handbooks. In conclusion, it is feasible to create a SSA affiliated club at UAA. Students who are interested in starting the club recommended to begin meeting with each other, file the UAA required Intent to Organize form, promote and raise awareness about the club in order to gain potential members.

Introduction There are many religious student clubs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) but there are no secular, skeptic, humanist, free thinker, non-believer, atheist or agnostic clubs. (University of alaska anchorage organizations directory, 2013) This leaves part of the student population at UAA unrepresented. Creating a club that represented these students would solve this problem. On June 24 th, 2013, research was started to determine the feasibility of the solution.

Conducted Research Methods The research conducted was in order to find current level of demand for a SSA affiliated club at UAA, what the requirements for creating a student club at UAA are, what it takes to run a successful club, and what the requirements for creating a SSA affiliate are. The following methods were used to gather data: I conducted interviews with local UAA students. I created a questionnaire for local UAA students. I conducted research online and on campus regarding the requirements for club creation at UAA Student Clubs & Greek Life. I conducted research online and by phone, regarding the requirements for club creation at the SSA website. I used the Academic Search Premier was used to locate articles showing the importance and impact of student clubs and the groups they represent.

Criteria used in the level of Student Interest Does the responding/participating student go to UAA? What number of interview respondents showed interest in joining a club? What number of questionnaire respondents showed interest in joining a club compared to joining a secular club? What number respondent know fellow students who identify as secular, skeptic, humanist, free thinker, non-believer, or agnostic atheist? For those that do, how many?

UAA Criteria To be officially recognized a student club at UAA meet the following requirements: Completed the Intent to Organize form Fall under one of the nine categories for UAA clubs: Academic/Pre-Professional HonoraryGoverning Body International/CulturaSpecial Interest/Service ReligiousPoliticalRecreation Activity/Sports

UAA Criteria cont. Completed a New Student Club Registration Packet including: Student Club Registration Form Adviser Agreement Statement of Compliance The Student Club's Constitution and Bylaws

UAA Criteria cont. Officers The club must have four officers who meet the following requirements: Be a fee-paying student enrolled in at least three credits by the tenth of class during the current semester. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0/4.0 or higher. Be in good standing with the University.

UAA criteria cont. Faculty Adviser Have at least one faculty/staff member to serve as an adviser, who: Is Full or part-time Faculty, Administrative Professional or State Classified Employee. Is not currently or while on sabbatical leave. Should work with club members to establish expectations that addresses the level of involvement, attendance at general meetings and club events, communication, and other details.

Criteria used for becoming a SSA affiliate Serve primarily students and be led primarily by students. Meet the four Minimum Standards for Affiliation: Naturalistic Economically Neutral Civil Rights-Minded Non-Discriminatory

SSA criteria cont. Be officially recognized by a school, college or university at the high school level or above. Have a constitution, charter and/or bylaws. Have at least two officers and either a faculty/staff adviser or a third officer. Have at least one publicly-facing web presence. Agree to renew your affiliation each semester via the Affiliation Renewal. Be located within the United States of America.

Results Student Interest The online questionnaire reported a very low level of interest in students joining both a club and particularly a secular club. However, despite previous emphasis on the need for high levels of student interest. The report found the level of student interest for club creation to be feasible. This is also due to the results of student interviews conflicting with data. 66% of the students interviewed were interested in student clubs and 58% had interest in a secular club. However, even with a majority of reported low level of interest in survey responses, the requirements for creating a UAA club could still be feasibly met.

Results cont. The next set of criteria of feasibility, was the requirements from the UAA Student Clubs and Greek Life. UAA students club is the filing an Intent to Organize form. This form only requires a you list the possible name for the club, number of possible interested students and possible faulty adviser. Club registration requires four student officers, a club council member and a faulty adviser. Maintaining a club requires at least 6 members, 3 being officers and maintaining a faculty adviser. This is still feasible using only the survey results. There are 15,00 students attending the UAA main campus. If only 35% are interested in joining clubs, and 9% have modest interest in a secular club, that still is 472 students.

Results cont. The final feasibility criteria was also found to be feasible. The requirements that the Secular Student Alliance for it's affiliates were mostly determined to fit of UAA club is requirements. With the exceptions being, requiring a public facing website and forms specifically dealing with affiliation. The result of this, it was determined feasible to meet these criteria.

Conclusion This report has found that it is feasible to meet the requirements of sufficient student interest, UAA club creation and SSA affiliation. The first criteria point was met by the results shown in the results from student interviews and online survey. The second point was also met by interviewed students and the overall basic feasibility of UAA requirements. The third point relies on the previous two being met and as such is also feasible. Starting a UAA based student club affiliated with the SSA is feasible based on these results.

Recommendation Students who are interested in being a part of a secular student club are recommended to start communicating, meeting with one another and start the Intent to Organize form. The proceed to following up with the New Club Registration Packet. Once officially recognized by UAA, members are then to apply for group affiliation with the SSA. Throughout this process, students are also recommended to promote the group, raise awareness and to draw potential members. Which can feasibility done online, on camps through fliers and tabling events.