Retaining Members

Every year, clubs and societies successfully recruit a number of members during the welcome period, only to find that they stop coming as the year goes on. Whilst you'll never be able to keep every student that you recruit, we do have some tips on how to ensure students will stay engaged and keep coming back!

Events

Every group has their hardcore members who will be there every week, but having a wide variety of events that appeal to a large number of students is essential to keeping people interested. Here are some things for you to think about:

• Keep your events regular, well advertised and mix up the kinds of activities that you do so people don't get bored?
• Some groups find it useful to have a couple of regular events a week, each aimed at members with different interests.
• Not everyone wants to be a hardcore member, and this needs to be respected and catered for. Make it clear that it's ok for members to attend as and when they feel - they don't have to commit to coming to everything
• Give plenty of notice for your events, and make sure you are clear if things get cancelled, rearranged or details are changed?

• Make your events inclusive. Ask yourself, is everyone able to access my event? Make the most of training offered by the SU and wider University on things like disability access, inclusivity and student welfare.

Be Democratic

The Students' Union is a democratic organisation – we are led by students for students, and this should apply to our student groups too?. As an affiliated club or society, you are representing the SU and by extension, the wider University?. This is so important for making your members feel included and important, and democracy is a really useful tool for helping you achieve that. For example, you could...

• Ask your members what they want to see! There's no point running events that no one is interested in, they'll get bored and stop attending?
• Use polls and feedback forms – Microsoft Teams has a really useful one and there's also one built in to your committee admin tools. (Try to avoid social media polls as they aren't inclusive of those who don't use social media)
• Remember that committees are equal in status to members, and simply have the added responsibility of organising events for the society?. You want to make your members feel that they can approach you and get involved with the organisation of your group, even if they aren't on committee

• Be transparent - committee business isn't top secret stuff! Your constitution should be available somewhere for all members to access, and you should hold UGMs and AGMs when needed

Cliques...Ugh!

In every social situation, cliques and friendship groups are inevitable. They're not necessarily a bad thing, as they can mean you have a really tight bunch of friends who you can rely on. However, picture it from the perspective of a new student; there's nothing worse than being eager and wanting to join in with an activity you love, only to find it cliquey and unwelcoming.

• As committees, you're often good friends. But when you're hosting events make sure you split up and mix with your members. Make them feel valued and part of the group.?
• This one has been mentioned before, but be transparent – there are very few instances where you should refuse to give information about your group to a member. Remember, you are members too!?
• Any form of bullying or harassment are not acceptable, but unfortunately it does still happen. If the situation can't be managed sensibly between yourselves, you need to let Activities or Student Services know.?
• Committees don't have the power to 'punish' or 'sanction' a member, and you shouldn't have your own disciplinary procedure or code of conduct, unless this has been formed in partnership with the SU. All members are subject to the KeeleSU Code of Conduct.

Staff & Alumni 

Many clubs and societies stay friends with past members and may even invite them along to events. Lots of society have an 'associate membership', which allows non-students to join the society. These members are usually Keele University staff and/or ex students.? They can bring a lot of benefits to a society, including offering knowledge and expertise. However, they can also have an impact on how well your group does with recruiting and retaining new members. Remember...

• Societies should be run by students for students. They are part of the University experience. Non-students should not have any say on the way things are run, and cannot be part of a committee or vote in elections.?
• For a new student, a large alumni or non-student presence in a club or society can be extremely overwhelming, as they will have joined the society to meet other students with similar interests. Having ex-members in regular attendance may contribute to the feeling of 'clique-iness' discussed further up the page
• It's best to keep the majority of your events exclusive to students, and maybe have one or two events a semester that are open to alumni – reunions are always popular!?

Every society is different - some don't have any associate members and some have lots. This is general guidance that all societies should think about when organising events. Always check with Activities if you're unsure.