7 Things That Can Make or Break MSAs (Muslim Student Associations)

Content or Connections

When we think of organizational work, we often imagine leaders sitting around a table in a closed setting, coming up with ideas for programs. What kind of social event should we hold? What are our educational goals? What charity work do we want to do? What causes will we support? Who will we partner with? How can we best publicize our events? While these concerns over content are warranted, they don’t substitute for connecting face-to-face with your student community.

In working with other university Chaplains, I learned they spend much of their time grabbing coffee with individual students. This is because developing relationships is far more important for spiritual development and community building than simply hosting good events. Though university students often have little time, committing to at least one conversation a week with another member of your community can go a long way to making a more successful MSA.