Date: 3/29/99

Time: 11:30

Type: Symposium

Number: 13

Attracting students to the Branch

*T. Clark, Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583
Contact e-mail: entm051@unlvm.unl.edu

The Council of Elders has identified "growth in membership" and "enhanced customer value" as key central issues that are integral to the survival of the Branch. Students have been identified as a key membership group. Because graduate students represent the future, the Council is interested in student ideas in their continued development of the Branch's Strategic Plan. To accomplish this goal, open-ended questionnaires were distributed to graduate students in three entomology departments within the North Central Branch. Seventeen individuals responded. A standard human science thematic analysis was conducted. Three major themes emerged from the data analysis. They were labeled as: Attendance Synergism (positive aspects that keep students interested), Attendance Inhibitors (negative aspects or obstacles that discourage interest or participation), and Attendance Potentiation (possible solutions that could make the Branch more attractive). Within the major themes a series of sub-themes also arose. These will be presented in greater detail at the Strategic Planning Symposium.

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