While students taking online classes may not have access to the exact same clubs and organizations that exist on a traditional brick-and-mortar campus, there is still a wide range of options available for those who want to connect with classmates.
Virtual clubs and organizations provide students with multiple opportunities for engagement and connection. Options can range from academic honor societies to volunteer organizations, cultural clubs and academic interest groups.
Students interact in online platforms like Facebook and Skype and sometimes get together in person if doing so is geographically possible. Experts say these organizations present opportunities for members to connect over shared interests while also providing forums for leadership development, networking and friendship.
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“The experiences within an online club are typically no different than what a campus student would experience; just the space in which activities are conducted is different,” Maurice Brown, student life manager at Kaplan University, said via email.
As Brown says, “In many cases, students are surprised to learn that there is any type of community available outside the classroom.” Brown tries to make sure students know about online clubs and organizations by mentioning these online communities in emails, Web pages and personal conversations with staff, faculty and student peers. Students interested in discovering what online groups might be available at their own institution should look to these resources for more information.
“Start your search for clubs or other organizations by looking for a student life office on your online campus,” Kathy Gonzales, an undergraduate pursuing an online bachelor’s in health care administration at Kaplan, said in an email interview. “Students should look for clubs that fit their academic needs or hobbies.”
Because being of service is important to her, Gonzales is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, an honors organization that provides volunteering opportunities. She says it’s been a good fit because it has allowed her to “have more of the university experience” than she would have otherwise.
Tierra Wilson, who is pursuing a doctorate in psychology at Walden University, found out about online organizations at Walden through her enrollment counselor. She says students trying to find out about online clubs and organizations — and about whether they’re a potential fit — should look at a group’s mission, their vision and how the club can connect back to a student’s academic experience.
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“Indicators that a club is a positive fit for an individual encompass the organization offering ways for the student to better themselves personally, academically and professionally,” she says through email.
Wilson herself is active in Walden’s chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society, which describes itself as the world’s largest collegiate honor society. “I was interested in exploring the group as a component of my college experience,” she says, “because the majority of my academic research projects had been based on a topic that correlated with the honor society’s mission of unlocking potential for positive social change.”
Finding an online group with a mission that resonates with your own values is important.
“The best way to go about deciding which online club is right for you is to find clubs that align with your interests and passions,” Joe Chapman, director of student services at ASU Online, the online division of Arizona State University, said by email.
He points out that clubs and organizations don’t just cater to hobbies, however; “There are also online clubs for students with a strong academic focus that obtain a certain caliber GPA and display interest in leadership and community service.”
If students are interested in exploring virtual clubs and organizations as part of their online college education, where should they begin?
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Chapman encourages students themselves to take the first step. “If a prospective student feels that a particular club is of interest to them,” he says, “they are welcome to reach out to the club to connect and learn more about the club’s activities, events, benefits of being a member, etc.” Typically, each club’s website, blog or social channel will list the best way to reach the club, he says.
Regardless of how — or how much — students get involved with online clubs and organizations, experts say reaching out, connecting and exploring your interests can be an important component of their college experience.
“Get involved!” Gonzales says. “It will enhance your learning experience.”
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Join a Virtual Club as an Online Student originally appeared on usnews.com
