And I'll chime in with my thoughts...
The question this brings up in my mind is whether or not there is
enough
interest in the community for its own LUG. The usefulness is
apparent,
and if there is interest, such folks may not wish to be second-class
"members". It sounds trivial and petty, but personal ownership and
investment are big parts of the success or failure of a club.
What we would be proposing, at a minimum, by sticking with one
organization is:
1) Associate members could not vote.
2) Associate members could not hold offices.
3) Activities, even as simple as catering an event, have requirements
imposed by an outside entity (MTU) because of the funding source.
Another consideration is activity during the summer. Student
groups are
largely (and appropriately) focused on an academic calendar, while
community groups are more-or-less year-round.
I also agree with Phil's comments previously, on the focus of such
groups. Students have different needs than community members, and
having two coordinated clubs might provide the greatest benefit.
To put
it bluntly, the community does not revolve around MTU, nor MTU around
the community -- but they do depend on and benefit from each other.
That said, if the community lacks sufficient interest, a single club
with associate memberships is the way to go. That could always change
down the line as needs change.
Dave
On Sun, 2008-03-30 at 11:00 -0400, Kent Frazier wrote:
Just as an added note to this discussion. HARO had a clause in their
constitution that allowed associate members to be part of HARO. The
associate members had most of the benefits but no voting rights. I
believe the phrasing in the clasue was something like "Associate
memberships shall be granted to those students who are not registered
students at MTU." This passed the review that student affairs does
so I
would bet you could do the same with just individuals in the area. I
would check with the office of Student Affairs and see what you
can do
within Tech's legal framework of including the community.
Kent