The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why of SMU Societies: A Closer Look at Campus Life
Written by Carmen Garcia
Thumbnail & Banner Photo by Hadija on Unsplash
When students step onto campus, the university atmosphere can be a lot to take in. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed by the large array of classes, activities, responsibilities, and societies being offered to me. This ultimately leads me to question how I can make the most of my university experience, with my answer being, by joining a society that best fits your interests! Societies allow for identity exploration that can serve as a way to define one's sense of self while navigating the complexities of interacting with others. Beyond making connections with like minded individuals, involvement in a society can contribute to the development of soft skills, which are transferable, and highly valuable in the workforce down the line. If this is a concept you’d like to learn more about, I definitely recommend checking out a later piece of mine titled “Building Success Beyond Academics: The Role Societies Play in Developing Soft Skills.” Saint Mary’s University’s Students’ Association (SMUSA) provides these services to Saint Mary’s students and has a page that anyone interested in accessing, can do so.
With that being said, a large array of questions surrounding who runs these societies and who can join them, what purpose they serve, where and how they can be found or joined, as well as why they should be joined, are all important questions to ask when weighing the pros and cons to involving yourself, that I have the answers to!
WHO
Simply put, SMUSA societies are open to any student with an interest pertaining to the subject matter or activities the society promotes. For example, this means that you can be a chemistry major, with an interest in psychology, and join the Psychology Society. It’s important to remember that Saint Mary’s societies are not limited to those in their respective majors when it comes to their academic societies. Whether you are an undergraduate student or graduate student at Saint Mary’s, you have a wide selection of options to choose from when looking for the right society or societies for you, and can always refer to SMUSAs list of active societies for the term when on the search. In addition to SMUSA’s academic societies such as; the Commerce Society, Global Development Society, Philosophy Society etc., there are also cultural and social societies such as; the African student Society, the Bangladeshi students society, the Pride Society, the Debate Society, the Drama Society, and the list goes on. So, with that being said, when it comes down to the “who” aspect of SMUSA’s societies, there is something for everybody!
WHAT
Getting involved in an SMUSA society is a great way to make new connections, learn new skills, gain leadership experience and get involved on campus. They are set up to help you develop personally and professionally, expand your mindset and knowledge, as well as gain a broader understanding of the world and your place in it.
There is much to what society involvement can look like however, and that is when you take into consideration a society’s structure. Beyond acting as a member who can participate and involve themselves in meetings and events, each society consists of its executive members who allow for the operation of these meetings and events to play out successfully. From personal experience, maintaining and doing ongoing planning for a society, as a society executive can take hours out of your week. What is being done during these hours of planning is anywhere from asking your society members their own interests and what they want to see in the upcoming term, to communicating back and forth with SMUSA to make what's being asked of possible.
WHERE
Located in every corner of campus, SMUSA societies are created in a way for students to easily access. For example, if you have an interest in the commerce society, you can make your way to their on campus office hours on Mondays from 10:30-2:30, Tuesdays from 8:30-9:45, 10:30-12:30, Wednesdays from 10:30-2:30 or Thursdays 10:30-12:30, 4:30-5:30 in room LA166.
However, though the heart of many societies remains on campus, the “where” of student societies continues to expand with everything you need to know about societies being found on their respective social media or virtual options for meetings and events with some societies offering their meetings over zoom, and others events you can tune into online in the case making the event in person isn’t possible. Depending on the society you are a part of, their goals/plans will vary. Therefore, where they take place can differ drastically from one society to another. The Outdoor Society for example has the goal to create in-person events and connect students who love the outdoors, which differs drastically from societies like the Journal where in-person meetings and events are not necessary for engagement but instead, there is a focus on delivering high quality written content.
WHEN/HOW
The best way to learn about and sign up for a society is by attending an SMUSA Society Expo, which happens at the beginning of every semester. Another way is reaching out to society executives through their respective society emails and social media at all times of the school year in case you can't make the expo and have questions regarding the society and membership. At the beginning of each semester, your society or societies of choice typically hold a general meeting for their members to inform them about the goals and plans set for the society, while collaborating as a group to come up with additional ideas. It is at a society’s first general meeting that your membership fee will also be collected, which varies from one society to another, but typically ranges anywhere from $5 to $20. Post-general meeting is when members will begin seeing their societies' events start rolling out with dates scattered throughout the month, semester, and year, that you can stay on top of by tuning in to their social media and the email you provided to the society upon signing up as a member.
More often than not, societies are looking to take on new executive members as old ones graduate and others find themselves involved in other societies. If becoming an executive member of a society is of interest to you, applying is a simple process. You’ll be instructed by current executive members of available positions before being asked to provide a statement supporting your decision as to why you feel you are the best fit to contribute to the society in the position of your interest by highlighting past leadership experience, and your outlook on how you plan to leverage that in said position. After, an election will take place where society members will vote you into the position, with the applicant with the most votes taking on that role.
WHY
Providing a range of qualities useful for current and future development, joining one of SMUSA’s societies can show your dedication to involving yourself and contributing to a community you are a part of. For first years specifically, you’re entering a new environment with lots of unfamiliar faces, so what better way than to join a society with like-minded individuals you can become friends with! Finding yourself new to an environment can make you easily impressionable, as your environment is proven to influence well-being and directly influence productivity. With that being said, you are ultimately making that decision the second you step on campus, and by joining a society, you are setting yourself up for success.
In addition, any experience gained through your time with student societies can be added to your Co-Curricular Record. Your Co-Curricular Record can be found through your Career360 account connected to your SMU email. It allows students to record their extracurricular experiences and associated skills on an official, university-verified document, which is then confirmed on their experience record. Not only does this make note of your work on campus, but the Co-Curricular Record has the added benefit of making access to several activities, such as co-op programs, job opportunities etc., incredibly easy. I should also note that SMU awards three students from each faculty annually with their Student Leadership Recognition Award. With society involvement this could be achieved, and in the case you find yourself in the same situation as me with having a hard time navigating your Co-Curricular Record, SMU is readily available to assist you, all you need to do is email ccr@smu.ca.
While stepping onto campus can come off as extremely overwhelming, with your various other responsibilities in the back of your mind, having the answers to the who, what, where, when, how and why of SMU societies can make your decision to involve yourself in the SMU community much easier! Your environment plays a huge role in influencing your well-being and productivity so it’s important to remember that as overwhelming as it seems at the moment, by having a clear understanding of SMUSA societies, you can better ensure you’ve found the right crowd for you. From the wide array of academic, social and cultural societies offered by SMUSA to choose from, there truly is a place for everyone to get involved! The benefits are timeless and I’ve only laid out a few, so make sure to take advantage of the resources readily available to you.