During my senior year of high school, I realized the college I was attending did not have a Collegiate DECA chapter. This made me realize that I had the opportunity to create something that would benefit students for years to come.
While founding a chapter may seem overwhelming, here are the steps that I have found make it much more manageable.
Step 1: Research Collegiate DECA
- Review Collegiate DECA's mission, programs, and chapter requirements.
- Learn about conferences, competitions, and leadership opportunities.
- Connect with existing chapters, especially in your state/area.
Step 2: Find an Advisor
- Identify a professor or faculty member who can be your DECA advisor. This should be someone you will enjoy working with and can learn all things DECA.
- Share your ideas for the chapter and explain DECA's impact.
- Make sure your advisor understands their role in guiding and supporting you, your officer team, and the organization.
Step 3: Recruit Founding Officers
- Reach out to students interested in business, marketing, finance and entrepreneurship.
- Promote the chapter through social media, classes, orientation and campus events.
- Focus on building an officer team that will help establish a strong chapter.
Step 4: Obtain University Recognition
- Complete your institution's student organization registration process.
- Develop a constitution and establish official officer positions.
- Submit all required paperwork.
Step 5: Charter the Your Colleges Chapter
- Complete the official Collegiate DECA chapter application.
- Use DECA+, DECA Direct articles and the DECA Inc. website to stay up-to-date on all national resources, competitions and networking opportunities.
Step 6: Create a Long-Lasting Program
- Prepare members for competitions and upcoming conferences.
- Build opportunities for networking, leadership development, and community engagement.
Starting a Collegiate DECA chapter is more than creating another student organization. Through planning, collaboration and persistence, you can build a chapter that empowers future leaders and leaves a lasting impact on your campus.
If your college does not yet have a Collegiate DECA chapter, consider taking the first step to founding one!
