ASABE Student Engagement Project Board Presentation: Research Findings and Recommendations

Presentation Scope Project Overview Project Steps Research Findings Opportunities and Recommendations

Project Overview and Steps

Project Overview To help ASABE: Understand the needs, expectations and motivations for students to join the Society Pinpoint ways to engage students, either through faculty, special programming or other membership benefits Develop a plan to recruit, retain and ultimately convert students to full-time membership.

Project Steps Research conducted at three schools representing spectrum of AgE and BE education Iowa State University Michigan State University Virginia Tech Telephone interviews with ASABE members: 15 Faculty 16 Students Three focus groups (mostly non-member students) 10 in-person interviews with non-member faculty

Research Findings

Relationship Building Awareness Engagement Connection

ASABE Situation Analysis Strengths Challenges Brand recognition Silos and competition Youthful enthusiasm Lack of awareness Professional connections Gatekeeper perceptions A story that builds Lack of structure and consistency

The Faculty Perspective . . . “We have 40 academic departments here and there are some homogeneity problems in our academic degrees, but these are still pretty close to the department names. If the association name doesn’t provide a direct link for the student, then they don’t think that is where they should be. I had a degree in agriculture and this is my pedigree, even though it’s not my department now. But there is a real identity struggle within my industry sector as the agricultural field is a turnoff to new students who don’t see their career path as agricultural. I’m not saying that, for example, ASCE has a magic recipe but I do see a more direct link there.” - ASABE Member “There are a large number of incoming potential students who are really interested in environmental, food, and maybe social welfare issues that ASABE - as a front man for the discipline - could take advantage of. Students who have an interest in those issues don’t know that they can find a home in this society. It needs to create awareness.” - ASABE Non-Member

The Student Perspective . . . “I was encouraged to join by my peer mentor during the first semester of my freshman year. He was very active and told me the benefits of the club. Meeting upperclassmen, making contacts, meeting people who can help you with homework . . . Everything he told me was true and more. I’ve met so many upperclassmen as a freshman. I’ve made a lot of friends that way and started to get involved on committees.” - ASABE Member “The number of BSE students at a meeting for ASABE is usually very low. The employers who come in are usually agricultural engineers, so it isn’t that applicable to us. With the BSE club, we are hoping to have BSE employers come in and speak.” - ASABE Member “I think a lot more companies know what biosystems engineering is now than when we were freshmen or sophomores. I don’t know if this is just my perspective and who I am talking to, but I think this has been influenced by career advisors, who go to career fairs and talk to employers about what benefits we bring to the table and why we can be valuable to the organization. Another factor is that our graduates have gone on and are doing really well, so companies are coming back to look for more biosystems engineers.” - Non-Member Focus Group Participant

ASABE Brand Identity

Student Perceptions

Faculty Perceptions

Opportunities and Recommendations

Relationship Building Awareness Engagement Connection

Strategic Initiatives and Tactics Awareness Engagement Connection Strategic Initiatives ASABE Institutes Local industry contacts 100% Membership Industry outreach Inspirational opportunities Incentives to spread the word Leadership and guidance Greater meeting exposure Complementary value Tactics for Implementation ASABE-branded brochure for employers Video to highlight BE work “Push” engagement to students “Cause” campaign (world hunger) “Face of” campaign 100% Membership program for faculty Student recruitment