While engagement at large-scale events is down this semester, clubs have seen a spike in attendance.
According to Coordinator of Student Engagement Rebecca Cherpak, club attendance has skyrocketed compared to previous semesters, with attendance doubling for many clubs this semester.
Cherpak works directly with clubs, easing the stresses of planning and paying for events. “For the month of October alone, we had 293 club events from 73 different clubs. Student engagement at large-scale events may be down, but our club activity has significantly increased,” Cherpak said.
The number of clubs has also increased. There are 173 registered clubs on campus, and there were 166 around this time last year, according to Director of Student Engagement for Student Life Noelle San Souci. Cherpak added that 32 new clubs have been created, and two inactive clubs were recreated.
SGA Director of Finance Amanda Ford said SGA has approved $150,000 for club expenses this semester, which is about a quarter of their total yearly budget, including traveling and campus fees.
This money has helped club leaders plan engaging events that draw more students in, ultimately bringing more people together to form communities, Cherpak said.
Club leaders attribute this growth to the engaging events they have hosted. ASL Club and Feminist Club leaders confirmed that their attendance has been at an all-time high this semester because of their new focus on event-planning.
As acting president of ASL Club, Sydnee-Anne Moeller has made changes to improve student turnout for their club. She said that events tend to see more engagement than meetings, so they’ve reframed their club meetings to feel more like events by doing things like ice cream Sundays. The reframing has nearly doubled their attendance since spring 2024 from ten recurring members to over 20.
ASL Club is not the only club to see growth with this tactic. According to President of Feminist Club Alissa Beehler, the club has seen attendance double since an event that was cohosted with the sustainability organization Green Action Fund near the beginning of the semester, which saw over 60 attendants.
Both club leaders attribute increased engagement to their popular events but also mentioned that SGA and Student Life have been helpful in organizing and marketing the events.
“I have noticed that this semester has had an increase in attendance in a lot of different areas on campus. I’ve noticed that not only in my club, but in other clubs as well … I think that a lot of that can be attributed to [Student Life] bolstering clubs and encouraging engagement on campus,” Beehler said.
With the increase in club life attendance, Moeller encourages students to get out of their comfort zones and join a club.
“Try something new … The worst that could happen is that you don’t like it, and you don’t go back, the best thing that could happen is you meet your new best friend or find something you’re really passionate about,” Moeller said.
To explore clubs at UCCS, check out Student Life’s list here, or text “STUDENTS” to 71444 for a weekly event calendar.
Photo via The Scribe archives.