Student Section Formation Kit

Student Member Benefits
  • Interaction with safety professionals - ASSE members often attend Student Section meetings, and Student members attend ASSE Chapter meetings. This provides a link between employers and prospective employees.
  • Membership in a professional organization
  • Interaction with other students who have similar interests
  • Job availability announcements - The ASSE Online Community offers a Career Center which lists job opportunities and allows members to post their resumes for viewing by employers. The Career Center also offers mentoring services provided by professionals.
  • Professional Safety - Members receive online access to ASSE’s monthly journal, Professional Safety, at no cost or may subscribe to a paper copy at a reduced cost..
  • Scholarships - ASSE, ASSE Foundation, and many of its Chapters sponsor scholarship programs involving Student Sections. The Foundation also sponsors research grants.
  • Conferences - ASSE-sponsored conferences and seminars are available to student members at a reduced rate.
Eligibility for Student Membership

Requirements for student membership are:

  • Enrollment in an accredited college degree program intended to prepare the applicant for practice in the safety profession or one of its relevant specialties
  • A declaration of intention to enter the safety profession or one of its relevant specialties
  • Not presently employed full-time as a safety professional, and thereby not eligible for consideration as a regular member
Reclassification of Student Membership
  • The Student Membership Classification may be retained up to one year following graduation
  • Or until the Student Member becomes employed full time in the safety profession, or one of its relevant specialties, whichever comes first.
  • To become a Member or Associate Member, the student pays the standard reclassification fee and completes a regular membership application, checking the box marked “Reclassification."
Student Section Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to provide guidance for the Student Section operating under the auspices of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Each Student Section is sponsored by an ASSE Chapter. The Chapter then appoints a Faculty Advisor and a Student Section Chapter Liaison to assist the Student Section. These guidelines are intended for use by the Student Section Faculty Advisor, the Chapter Liaison, and Student Section officers.

What is an ASSE Student Section?

The ASSE Student Section is designed for students who are planning a career in the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) fields. ASSE seeks to provide additional opportunities for students to learn more about their chosen areas of study as well as promote interaction between students and professionals.

A Student Section may be formed at any accredited institution of higher education that offers a minimum of a two-year Associate degree in SH&E or a minimum of a two-year Associate degree with courses offered in SH&E. Other requirements include an initial membership of ten (10) or more ASSE Student Members.

ASSE Student Section Bylaws

Student Sections must develop, adopt and function under a formal set of Bylaws that govern their operations. Bylaws set forth the name, purposes, membership requirements, structure and leadership of the Section, and define the responsibilities and functions of officers and members. See the ASSE Officer Central website at http://members.asse.org/officer_central for the most current version of the Model Student Section Bylaws.

Student Section Structure

A Student Section is chartered upon the approval of a sponsoring ASSE Chapter Executive Committee and the Regional Operating Committee (ROC).

The organizational structure of ASSE Student Sections is quite similar to that of many others: primary student officers are the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. In addition, a Section Faculty Advisor must be a regular ASSE member. The Advisor serves as the coordinator and must verify and sign all applications for membership.

Responsibilities of Student Section Officers

President:

  • Presides at meetings, convening special meetings
  • Appoints committees
  • Convenes executive officer sessions when needed

Vice President:

  • Presides in the President’s absence
  • Responsible for planning and coordinating the Student Section’s programs for the year

Secretary:

  • Keeps all records and handles any official correspondence
  • Records minutes of all business meetings and executive officer sessions should be prepared, distributed to the student members and Faculty Advisor, and filed for future reference

Treasurer:

  • Responsible for all financial transactions
  • Submits names and fees for membership to ASSE Headquarters

Committees which might be appointed:

  • Program
  • Membership
  • Special projects
The Faculty Advisor

The key to a successful Student Section is the Faculty Advisor. The Advisor must be a member of ASSE and strongly believe in the functions and goals of the Society. The Advisor must be an active member of the sponsoring ASSE Chapter.

A Faculty Advisor should be assigned to the academic unit that offers the degree program that is intended to prepare students in the safety profession or one of its relevant specialties. The sponsoring Chapter should work very closely with the Faculty Advisor.

Responsibilities of the Faculty Advisor
  • Provide continuity for the organization
  • Be aware of university policies and be able to interpret them
  • Know ASSE's basic philosophy and purpose
  • Attend regularly scheduled meetings and social events
  • Offer advice and suggestions to the officers of the Section
  • Meet with the Executive Committee before regular meetings
  • Monitor the financial activities of the Section
  • Be familiar with ASSE and Student Section's Bylaws
  • Sign social permits, speaker forms and money-making forms
  • Encourage members to participate in activities of the Section
  • Suggest suitable projects for service
  • Advise members, particularly on program planning
  • Help students develop leadership skills and grow professionally by offering opportunities to acquire greater knowledge and practical experience
  • Advise student officers and members on program planning
Responsibilities of the Student Section to the Faculty Advisor

The Faculty Advisor and student section officers must work together. The student section officers are responsible to do the following:

  • Inform the Advisor, in advance, of meetings and social events
  • Inform the Advisor of any changes in meeting times or social functions
  • Plan meetings and programs with the Advisor
  • Inform the Advisor of any problems that may arise, whether with the members of the Student Section, ASSE Headquarters, the sponsoring Chapter, or at the school
  • Keep the Advisor informed of all issues pertinent to the Section
  • Provide the Advisor with meeting minutes and other documents
  • Provide the Advisor with a list of all officers including telephone numbers and addresses. This list might also include the roster of section members.
  • Consider the Advisor as a resource person in matters of university policy
ASSE Services to Student Sections

Assistance from ASSE Headquarters
Administrative Assistance: ASSE HQ maintains a database of Student Section members, handles Professional Safety paper subscriptions and keeps the Student Section's Chapter Liaison and Faculty Advisor aware of Society activities.

Timely Communication: ASSE Headquarters e-mails all student members, student section officers, and faculty advisors of latest information on an as-available basis in order to keep them up to date on career information, student award sand scholarship program information, and other issues of interest to student members.

Chapter Assistance to the Student Sections
Student Sections need the guidance and assistance of the sponsoring Chapter to help them to be successful. Some basic guidelines are provided as an aid to chapter officers in promoting and nurturing an active, viable ASSE Student Section.

The following are some suggested guidelines for working with Student Sections:

  • Select Chapter members who are sincerely interested in the Student Section as the Chapter Liaison and Faculty Advisor
  • Furnish or assist in obtaining speakers for monthly meetings, both managerial and technical
  • Invite Student members to attend Chapter monthly meetings
  • Coordinate internship opportunities and provide safety mentors
  • Provide safety equipment and literature when possible
  • Plan tours of actual working environments
  • Publicize student activities in your Chapter newsletters
  • Establish a scholarship fund for Student members
  • Allow Student members to attend Chapter seminars at a reduced cost
  • otify Student members of job opportunities in companies related to or in SH&E
  • Dedicate a regular Chapter meeting to recognize the Faculty Advisor and Chapter Liaison; invite all Student members at reduced meal rates
  • Allow Student members to sit in on ASP/CSP review courses conducted by the local Chapter on a reduced or no-cost basis
  • Send Chapter newsletters to Student members
  • Have Chapter members provide tutorial service
  • Sponsor Student member(s) attendance at the ASSE Professional Development conference or National Future Safety Leaders Conference
  • Furnish the Student Section with a Chapter roster, with member names and company affiliation
  • If there is more than one Student Section in the Chapter, Area or Region, encourage joint meetings. A Chapter could possibly organize the meeting or host a one-day leadership or career program for Student Section officers and members.
  • Invite Student Section officers to attend Chapter Executive Committee meetings
Meetings

The Student Section programs provide hands-on and first-hand opportunities for interaction with safety professionals, tours, and in-depth discussions of topics that may not be discussed in the classroom. The program may be developed independently of the host Chapter or with the host Chapter, may cooperate in joint programs, or may use the Chapter's influence/expertise. The following are some suggested program ideas

  • obtain graduates of your degree program as speakers;
  • conduct a program on school time as part of the existing courses scheduled at that time;
  • have a short business session with longer time devoted to program discussion.
  • Topics can vary depending upon interest levels of students.

The first meeting of the year should cover the purpose of the Section, goals, and services, and the role of the safety professional, including required training and potential job opportunities. All other meetings should be scheduled monthly. Annual program planning is necessary and should be accomplished before the start of the next school year.

The regular meeting should include a business session as well as a program. Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be followed.

The Student Section may want to investigate social and service activities. Seasonal social events, banquets or get-acquainted parties may be effective means of recruiting new members or highlighting special accomplishments of the Section. Service activities can provide good publicity for the Section as well.

ASSE Contact Information