ACDA student chapters are active on dozens of campuses nationwide, and even in a few high schools and conservatories.
Are you interested?
Is there an existing chapter? First look to see if the chapter at your school is active. Here is the list of active student chapters, current as of August 1, 2019. If your school is listed, find out when meetings are!
Was there once a chapter that you can reactive? If you don’t see your school listed as having a chapter, contact Trina Kopacka, ACDA membership & communications coordinator, to see if there ever was one. If yes, you can easily reactivate the chapter by submitting a Reactivation Form. Establish a chapter! If there is not and has not ever been, a student chapter at your institution, it’s a straight forward process to establish one. We offer you a variety of resources and suggestions:
If you want to establish a brand new student chapter, once you lay the groundwork on campus, please submit:
(1) a completed application form and
(2) a copy of your student chapter constitution. We require that your chapter adviser be a current ACDA member, as well as your student chapter president. Of course, we encourage all of the student chapter members to be ACDA members, and for the 2020-2021 school year, all new and renewing student memberships are $5.
Kudos!
Outstanding Student Chapter. Ithaca College (Janet Galvan, faculty advisor) was recently named 2019 Outstanding Student Chapter. The Outstanding Student Chapter Award recognizes an ACDA student chapter which, through its activities, best supports the advancement of choral music. In announcing the award, Dr. David Edmonds, ACDA’s National R&R Chair for Student Activities, stated that Ithaca “continues a strong tradition of musical leadership and innovation and serves as a model of what student chapters can bring to our profession—they are truly doing outstanding work.” This year, the award committee also recognized the student chapter at Texas State University (TSU) with an honorable mention.
Do you Lead an Active Chapter?
- Submit your annual report by May 15 in order to keep it active for the following school year, and help us stay in touch so that you receive news of student and chapter opportunities.
- Share news about your chapter! We want to highlight your success. Send photos of your group to Trina Kopacka so we can feature you on our Instagram Highlights (@acda_nation)! Additionally, Choral Journal regularly includes “Student Chapter Updates.” Email news updates and photos to Trina Kopacka. (Updates should be 250 words or fewer and include your institution’s name and your contact information.)
- Looking for ideas? Successful collegiate ACDA chapters tend to use the following guidelines in planning their year:
- Encourage and stimulate student membership and involvement in ACDA at the state, division, and national levels.
- Promote and recognize the involvement of ACDA student chapters on college campuses.
- Sponsor activities and sessions at the local level that engage the training and experience of student choral musicians.
- Encourage student attendance and involvement at ACDA region and national conferences through scholarship projects.
- Chapter activities can include events like the following:
- Student symposia and workshops
- Conducting masterclasses
- Reading sessions
- Sponsorship of activities and sessions at ACDA conferences that directly relate to the training and experience of student choral musicians
Ready for a bigger adventure? ChorTransform is a new program for chapters structured around the tenets of service-learning and takes students out of their usual settings into underserved choral programs and populations. More here.
For additional information and ideas for student chapters, please email David Edmonds, national repertoire and resources chair for student activities.
