Pellissippi College Advantages

Through expanding clubs, extracurricular opportunities, and other organizations at the Pellissippi, it has the potential to be very beneficial for the Magnolia campus. To present Pellissippi as an overall great community college, these issues will need to be recognized and there are several methods to solve the problems at hand. One option is by grabbing the attention of a larger portion of the students and directing it towards clubs. It is also important to be able to keep in mind that students have different interests and to offer them a variety of clubs to choose from can be very appealing. Students who are not only able but willing to join would want to invest their free time in something that they consider appealing, specifically something

that appealed to their hobbies, or that would tie in with their major. Another approach that the school could take is by increasing advertisements. Having a more structured and detailed resources about Magnolia clubs on the online website, that would be useful for current students who are club searching as well as potential students. Also by increasing the amount of ads at the Magnolia campus specifically: posters, flyers, or just simply through words of mouth would inform students about the various opportunities available through the clubs. When students are interested and excited about the extracurricular activities they are attending, word will spread to their fellow classmates. This will hopefully spark curiosity in them and lead to a potential new member; and then the cycle continues. Adding more clubs will provide students with higher quality in their college experience. Statistics shown in the article Community Colleges Struggle to Foster 'Engagement,' Survey Finds states, “This year 17 percent of students said they were undecided about whether they would return to college after the current semester” (Evelyn). With the development of clubs, students will have more access to attaining a wider variety of knowledge regarding their interest. This will undoubtedly keep them invested in their learning and help lower the dropout rate. While funding is not a major issue, it could still be helpful for the organizations and clubs. When adding a larger selection of clubs the fundraisers can come in handy to help with additional costs. Each club can jump start by running their own fundraiser. For example: a robotics club could host a fundraiser where anyone can donate parts. This would be useful for funding as well extra advertisement. If they really want to make sure that they can gain more members it is important the club and it’s current members present it by showing acceptance and providing an inviting mood.
The students that are engaging in these in clubs would receive advantages in their college experience versus a student who keeps to only their classes and homework.

Evelyn wrote “The survey also found that professors may not be challenging students as much as they could be.” (Evelyn) The options that are possible in this area are more than just giving out more demanding homework for the students, instead the teachers and faculty could encourage their students to branch out and try getting involved with clubs or extracurriculars. Homework and projects from class can definitely be tough and taxing, but primarily those are general education courses; clubs revolve more around creative subjects, or community work. This focus on the direct field that an individual is either interested in or that is connected to a class is extremely beneficial because it allows the person to learn more about their particular and applicable needs. Having an outlet where students are able to exercise a different part the student’s brain, all of that could have a very positive affect in their schooling careers. Another method is if a student is interested in numbers or finances, they would prefer an outlet that revolves around those interest. Most clubs are creative and gives students a break from the general education classes. But to bring those clubs to the campus would only add to the value of the Magnolia campus. In an article written by Grace Chen “The Benefits of Community College Clubs” she says “in Garden City, New York, has a diverse list of professional clubs, including organizations in accounting, science, and Wall Street finance.” (Chen) Adding various clubs brings quality to the campus, but it can also lead to conflicts among the clubs. To keep everything organized and running smoothly there would need to be some of democracy over the clubs. Having a board consisting of two people representatives of each club. That includes the sponsor who represent the needs of the club, while

the club president represents the student’s interest. This would help create an environment of communication and representation between all clubs.