Creating a Local UPA Chapter

 

Local Chapters have proven to be a very fast way of promoting the growth of UPA and the usability profession. The three pilot chapters show impressive figures of growth of the number of members of UPA in their respective regions. In 1999 there were 22 UPA members in the state of Minnesota. Now the Minnesota Chapter has roughly 55 members. The chapters in Linköping, Sweden and Ottawa in Canada had three members respectively in 1999. The numbers for 2000 are 31 and 10 members respectively!

The most central activity for a Local Chapter is the Chapter meeting. Chapter meetings and all that they can offer are the most tangible benefits of membership, and they are also the most important way of adding new members to the chapter. In order to show potential new members what chapters are all about, all newcomers are allowed one free meeting, without joining or paying the door-fee for non-members. "Bring a friend" or "Bring a co-worker" theme nights are also successful ways of showcasing the Local Chapter.

The important thing is that we as an organization can find strength in these numbers. A larger organization carries more clout (for example in discussions with governments, i.e. the UPA Outreach Program) and also offers increased credibility to the members of the organization on a global, national and local level.

The Short Route to Creating a Local Chapter

1. Contact the UPA office or a member of the UPA Chapters Committee and you will be assigned a Chapter Sponsor. Your Chapter Sponsor will send you the Chapter Guidelines and other information that you need in order to start a local Chapter. They will also continue to help you create your Chapter bylaws and guide you through the process of getting approval from the UPA Board of Directors for Chapter status.
2. Round up three to five volunteers in your area who are interested in starting a Local Chapter. This is the core team that will help you prepare the constituting meeting. It may also be smart to arrange one or more informal sessions prior to the constituting one. Both to see if there is enough local interest to start a local chapter, and to see how many UPA members there are in the region (you need 10 members to petition for Chapter status).
3. Write a tentative plan for future meetings and other chapter activities to present at the constituting meeting.
4. Create a petition to form a Local UPA Chapter. Also include the suggested Chapter name, Chapter boundaries and interim Chapter officers. The list of officers shall include a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, or a Secretary/Treasurer, and additional officers as approved by the Chapter.
5. Find volunteers who will help develop the Chapter Bylaws in accordance with the suggested guidelines in the UPA Chapter Guidelines, or decide to adopt the template Bylaws for Chapters. Submit the Bylaws to the Chapter Council, Chapter Sponsor and Chapter membership for review.
6. Organize a constituting meeting with at least ten people that currently are, or are prepared to become, UPA members and support the Local Chapter. The Petition should be signed at the meeting (with each name printed or typed next to the signature) by at least ten members requesting to be recognized as a local Chapter of UPA. Have the President sign the Charter.
7. Submit the Petition, along with the Chapter Charter, proposed Bylaws and the proposed boundaries of the Chapter to the UPA Chapters Committee and UPA Board of Directors for approval.

These seven easy steps are excerpts from the UPA Chapter Manual that will help you build the necessary infrastructure and also advise you on how to make your Chapter grow and prosper.