How to start a chapter

1. The Basics. Begin by finding out what process is required for founding a student group on your campus. This can be done by contacting your Student Association or Student Government, which is the most visible student-run organization on campus. The precise role of the Student Government differs by campus, as does the extent of their interaction of the student body.   They are usually viewed as the “voice” of the student body. They will provide you with the rules and guidelines to starting an organization that are specific to your campus.  (If they are unable to do that they will at least be able to send you to someone who can tell you what to do.) Some campuses require you to fill out forms, get signatures, or be voted in.   Make sure you know about all of the requirements. Have a mission statement and a contact list of interested students readily available.

2. Cash Flow. The Student Government is usually able to allocate money to all other student groups with the student activities budget. (Though becoming a campus organization does not necessarily mean that you are entitled to funding. Find out how to obtain funding through your school once you are a recognized organization.) In order to get funding on most campuses, it is necessary to submit a budget.   Think about the programs that you want to have throughout the year and estimate the costs of these programs. Other students with experience as activists on your campus can be great tools for gaining a full insight to your campus's resources.   For help with program costs refer to the programming section.

3. You Don't Have To. There are also other ways of establishing yourselves on campus besides becoming an independent organization. Some campuses have large Hillels that serve the campus as a Jewish umbrella organization and fund many different sub organizations. For more information please see “Working Under Jewish Campus Organizations”(p. 20).

II. So you're officially a campus organization…Now what?

1. Getting the Word Out. Start with a general interest meeting about your organization. Pick a date and time, making sure that there are no other major campus events planned for the same time. You may want to find out if your school has a campus-wide events calendar, an activist calendar or a Jewish events calendar (where you can check for conflicts and advertise your event at the same time!). Sometimes even popular and social events in the local area (like concerts) can cause a turnout problem. Once you've got your time and location nailed down, make sure to let your campus know about it by advertising. Tabling and handing out flyers on campus are good ways to start. Hillel can also be a useful advertising tool; often Hillels send out newsletters or have a list serve, and will post or email out a listing for your event. Find out who runs the campus newspaper and radio and initiate a relationship with them. Make sure they publicize your events. Another good way to raise your organization's profile around campus is to go to other events and promote your UPZ chapter. People will be more willing to go to your events (and more likely to know about your events!) if you go to theirs.   

Some things to consider when advertising and planning your events: Are the students at your school used to taking part in political activities? If they are, generally, how familiar are they with politics concerning Israel? Is there generally a right-wing bias or a left-wing bias toward Israel on your campus? Different tactics, and different kinds of information and programming will be required to reach different students.  

2. The First Meeting. Your first meeting can be purely social, or you can incorporate discussion and planning from the start. Either way, the first meeting should focus on getting to know each other and introducing the organization. Make sure everyone in the room introduces themselves; icebreakers and name games are always a good way to start off a meeting. Then ask everyone to talk about themselves a bit and to explain why they came to the meeting.  

Then focus the meeting on what your group would like to accomplish. Before you begin planning programming, it's important to set both long-term goals (what issues are most important to your group and how you hope to affect the debate on your campus) and short-term goals (what programming you will plan, how many members you hope to attract, how you will secure funding). Finally, it's important to establish any rules for your organization at the first meeting, and it's helpful to organize an official group structure with which to move forward. The best way to keep the group meetings in tact is by setting a permanent time and place for meetings for the rest of the year.

3. Growing. Figure out who your target students are and where you can find them. Keep in mind, even though the UPZ is a Jewish organization, that doesn't mean your chapter should be exclusively Jewish. You should decide what kind of people you want in your group and anyone who is passionate about the issues is a potential member. A good first step in finding people may be through academic departments such as the Middle East Studies Department, the Political Science or International Relations/Politics Department, and Hillel or the Jewish Studies Department. Anti-war groups and labor groups are good places to find the Jewish left. And this is just a start: there are most likely lots of other places on your campus where you can find students who will be interested in the UPZ agenda – the important thing is to find common issues and value you care about, and use that as a basis for working together.

III. A Guide to Decision Makers on Campus

Every campus has its own decision-making ladder. Each campus has different administrative offices and boards and incorporates student input in a unique manner.   Who are the people that hold power and make decisions on your campus? How can you gain access to them? What institutional policies and resources are available to promote a Progressive Zionist movement on your campus? Becoming familiar with your campus's offices and organizations and also their respective spheres of influence will help guide you to become aware of what your chapter needs to do to be recognized on campus.

1. Other student organizations. Student government officers often get seats on faculty committees or decide who will represent the student body on committees. They also have access to other influential campus figures including the administrators, the president, and prominent faculty. Take the time to get to know who your student government officers are and what they have the power to do. There may be other powerful student organizations on your campus that administrators look to for student in-put or who influence student policy. Look into the roles of diversity caucuses, judicial boards, and sorority and fraternity governing boards. Also look into the roles students play in these organizations. Do they have open meetings or processes for student input if you are not an officer or member? Can you volunteer to be on committees if you do not hold an elected position?

2. Office of the President or Dean. This is the most visible position of power on most college and university campuses; the president is the spokesperson for the institution. The college president has a variety of responsibilities and powers that enable her or him to greatly influence campus policy and student life. Knowing the president's political viewpoint and history of policy making will help you plan how to approach him or her.

3. The Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is less visible than the president but usually just as powerful. They have the ultimate authority over all administrative decisions on campus and play a very important role in setting the institution's agenda and establishing future goals for the college. Request a copy of your college bylaws in order to find out the exact jurisdiction of the board at your college or university.

4. Faculty. The faculty has the most contact with students. They may not have much influence over policies, but they have an impressive amount of influence over the student body because they are the ones that are exposing students to new ideas. Seek out progressive faculty members and invite them to events and make sure they are aware of your organization. You may even want to invite them to speak to your organization. Ask them to announce your events in their class even if they are unable to attend them.  

Faculty may be very pressed for time. Sometimes they have long commutes or other jobs. Also, the faculty may be hesitant to ally with a political organization in fear of being looked upon as biased. Sometimes, depending on how the school perceives the situation, faculty cannot help as much as they would like because they can risk losing their job. You should not pressure the faculty, but make sure that they know they are welcomed if they choose to participate and want to help.