The role of the ACM Student Chapter
ACM has established student chapters to provide an opportunity for students to play a more active role in the Association and its professional activities. By encouraging organization of student chapters on college and university campuses, the Association is able to introduce students to the benefits of a professional organization. These benefits include periodic meetings, which encourage and enhance learning, through exchange of ideas among students, and between established professionals and students. Members of a student chapter may also take advantage of the activities and services provided b the Association including the Lectureship Program, student programming and paper contests, and the publications program.
Student chapters provide an obvious setting for the development and demonstration of leadership capabilities -- an important factor both to students in career development and professional growth, and to the Association since students are its future. Finally, students find the various activities of ACM and its student chapters both professionally and socially exciting as well as rewarding.
Initially, the ACM organization structure was based solely on individual membership. In 1954, as a result of growth and the wishes of its members, the ACM authorized the formation of chapters as an official element of the organization. These chapters provided a means for people in a geographical area with a common interest in computing to get together and exchange ideas and sponsor professional activities. Since the recognition of the Dallas-Forth Worth Chapter in 1954 as the first ACM chapter, the number of regular chapters has grown steadily to over 100 today, and they have become an integral part of the ACM organization. Student chapters were authorized by the ACM in 1961; the first was chartered at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Student chapters provide important services to ACM student members and offer a means whereby the ACM can provide information on computing to other members of the college or university community and to the general public. Moreover, chapters and student chapters are focal points for feedback of information from members and student members to the ACM leadership. Finally, ACM Chapters and Student Chapters are a training ground for the Association's future leaders. Over one-third of the current members of the ACM Council began their volunteer work with ACM as officers in the chapter system.
