Helping Students Run Effective Meetings

Effective chapter meetings require thoughtful preparation, including well-structured agendas, clearly defined roles for the chairperson, and intentional efforts to encourage member participation beyond just officer involvement. The chairperson, typically the Chapter President, holds responsibility for running meetings fairly, following the agenda, facilitating discussion, and ensuring all voices are heard without dominating the conversation. Chapter advisors should encourage officers to create welcoming meeting environments where members feel valued and included through strategies like assigning greeting roles, inviting non-officers to lead meeting elements, and implementing basic parliamentary procedures such as hand-raising to maintain order while still keeping meetings engaging enough that members genuinely want to attend.