Engaging ASEE student membership through the creation of a student-inclusive asee conference program

ASEE student membership has grown in recent years, while the professional membership has been in decline. It is critical for ASEE and its divisions to consider new ways to engage the growing ASEE student member population to improve the likelihood of retaining these students as future professional members in the society. Previous studies indicate that students see ASEE as an avenue for fulfilling their professional development needs. A needs analysis of ASEE student members was conducted to inform the creation of a student-inclusive ASEE conference program. The analysis identified high priority professional development needs (e.g., grant & proposal writing, college teaching, and navigating the job market) of student members and possible ways for ASEE to meet these needs (e.g., foster student programs, provide student opportunities, and build community). The results informed the creation of the 2014 Student Division conference program, which is presented in this paper to serve as a model for student-inclusive ASEE conference programming. Student-inclusive ASEE conference programming may be one mechanism to further engage student members and encourage them to continue as professional members in the society.