Promoting inclusion within our SSSA divisions is a top priority. We asked past leaders about their tactics to increase diversity and improve inclusion in their divisions and developed this list of best practices.

Year-Round Engagement and Inclusion

• Recruit future leadership through personal interactions and encourage diversity in leadership positions.
• Recruit new members to join SSSA with personal invitations to students.
• Involve the chair-elect in CANVAS scheduling and planning.
• Communicate with members via circle discussion threads in the Member Hub. Encourage consistent and meaningful discussions among community members.
• Emphasize the benefits of SSSA to new members and students.
• Consider hot topics or issues in the news when developing session ideas to gain traction and interest.
• Hold virtual meetings for topical discussions, networking, and social hours.
• Encourage community members to nominate themselves or others for ASA, CSSA, and SSSA awards.
• Schedule an annual online division planning session or business meeting, which offers opportunities for members to identify future leadership and develop activities for the coming year.

Involve Students

• Highlight student competition opportunities at CANVAS.
• Recognize contest winners at your division business meeting and offer monetary awards or certificates.
• Inform students about contests, SASES involvement for undergrads, and CANVAS social events.
• Invite graduate students to participate as session moderators.
• Ask other faculty and advisors to encourage students to participate in the meeting or specific sessions.
• Reach out to students you meet at CANVAS and invite them to participate in division sessions the following year.

CANVAS Ideas

• Use targeted emails, connections from CANVAS, and circle discussion posts to develop Cross-Division symposia or community symposia. Feel free to reach out to other leaders and pitch ideas for these sessions.