How to become an advisor
If you are interested in becoming a chapter advisor of an existing Psi Beta chapter at your college, please click here to contact Jerry Rudmann, Executive Director, to request an advisor account, username and password. Chapter advisors must have an account in order to register new student members of Psi Beta, update contact records, and access other password-protected information. If your college does not have a Psi Beta chapter, see information on Starting a New Chapter.
Benefits of Becoming a Psi Beta Faculty Advisor
A message from Executive Director Jerry Rudmann
Much has been said and written about students’ benefits through membership in Psi Beta. Much less has been said or written about the faculty advisors of Psi Beta. Two-year college teachers have plenty to keep them busy. Teaching a full slate of classes, serving on various committees, and maintaining office hours provides a sufficiently busy schedule. Club and honor society advising is a completely voluntary activity; there is no financial compensation and such work falls outside of the teacher’s contractual obligations. And most, if not all, Psi Beta advisors have experienced the frustrations of red tape and bureaucratic procedures encountered while trying to help their students put together a fundraiser, conduct a service project, or do some other worthwhile activity. Regardless of the number of students eligible for Psi Beta at a college, there will be no chapter if no one comes forward to be an advisor. Obviously, chapter advisors are Psi Beta’s lifeblood. There are now more than 150 Psi Beta chapters at the nation’s 1,086 two-year colleges.
My Psi Beta story began while I was attending the annual American Psychological Association conference in San Francisco about ten years ago. My wife and I stumbled into a Psi Beta chapter exchange meeting. Within minutes we were welcomed into a group of faculty and students. As we sat in a large circle, different people shared how their chapters had raised money, gone on some educational field trip, recruited new members staged a successful social event, and so on. While the group was exchanging stories, I realized just how much the students in the group were gaining from Psi Beta and how their learning experiences simply couldn’t be provided through the regular classroom experience. The very next academic year, I started a Psi Beta chapter at Irvine Valley College.
Years of Psi Beta involvement has rewarded and enriched my professional life in a number of ways, many of which were totally unexpected. Below I have listed the areas in which I feel Psi Beta provides personal benefits for advisors.
This message is dedicated to the Psi Beta faculty advisors across America. They are Psi Beta’s lifeblood!
Making the classroom connection
Opportunities to learn about and try new teaching strategies and techniques
Many Psi Beta chapters traditionally attend the annual regional psychology conference. Every regional psychology conference (in my area, the Western Psychological Association) offers an impressive array of presentations on the teaching of psychology. Presentations and poster sessions on teaching methods are sponsored by Psi Beta, CABE, Psi Chi, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), and other organizations. I’ve used many of the teaching suggestions.
Network with winners
I get a real lift when I’m around upbeat, positive folks. Since becoming associated with Psi Beta, I have met many winners. Psi Beta and Psi Chi chapter advisors and psychology faculty who attend regional and national conferences are the cream of the teaching crop. These people really care about students and teaching effectiveness; they are good people to know and have as friends.