The benefits and opportunities that department clubs offer students are numerous. The size and time constraints of University faculty and the complexity of course scheduling prohibit many students from taking classes with prominent professors within their concentration department. Department clubs offer the opportunity for undergraduate students to learn from professors with whom they are not acquainted. The relationships students and faculty form are on a more personal level than traditional student-teacher relationships. Undergraduates can also take advantage of scheduling advice from professors who actually teach the courses - advice that will likely surpass that given by normal academic advisers.
The benefits of departmental clubs are not limited to students - faculty members can gain from the experience as well. In addition to the opportunity to better acquaint themselves with those students who may have previously been a small figure at the back of a lecture hall, clubs offer professors a more tangible opportunity to search out prospective student assistants. Many professors at the University are in need of research assistants and prefer to individually select students to fill these positions. Departmental clubs are an excellent resource for professors to find dedicated students interested in and willing to help with their research.
In addition to the report's claim of insufficient support and leadership from faculty members, undergraduate department clubs also suffer from inadequate funding and office space. In lieu of charging high dues - a practice that discourages students from joining these beneficial and supportive organizations - or spending countless hours preparing fundraisers to maintain self-sufficiency, the committe recommendeed that each department allot at least $200 for its undergraduate club. Considering the benefits these organizations offer to both students and faculty, this minor request for funds should be generously fulfilled by departments.
Undergraduate student department clubs have the potential to create an individual niche for each student within the University's academic community. At such a large university, students often feel as though they are merely a number. Undergraduate clubs offer personal yet professional relationships between students and professors. Through the organizations students can be transformed into scholars, fulfilling the essence and ideal of the University. But potential scholars are being deprived of this opportunity by a lack of funding and interest from the very faculty members who could provide inspiration to University students.