Question: What is SHA? What are the goals of this association?

Answer: The Student History Association (SHA) at Arizona State University is a vibrant community of students passionate about history or looking to explore the subject further. Our primary goal is to create an inclusive space where members can enhance their academic journey and forge lasting connections with one another. We aim to achieve this by organizing various activities such as guest speaker events, roundtable discussions and collaboration with other organizations.

Q: What does an average meeting look like for SHA? When are your meetings scheduled?

A: We’ve found that our guest lecture events have proved to be the most popular thus far. We aim to have about a 30-minute presentation time and allow for 10-15 minutes worth of Q&A. So far, our guest speakers have been generous enough to stay for more casual conversation following the Q&A, which is an amazing opportunity for our members. We generally have our meetings on either Tuesdays or Thursdays around 5 p.m. Arizona time, and look to host at least one a month. 

At the moment, we’re maintaining this approach of primarily featuring guest lecturers, while also hosting the occasional informal discussion amongst our members. Primarily, this is so that we can consistently give students on all campuses access to high-quality content that isn’t rushed and is highly personalized. That said, I would urge members of the SHA and those who are interested to let us know what you’d like to see, what works and what purposes you hope that a student history organization would fulfill for you.

Q: How are topics selected for students to discuss? Are there set rules for these discussions? 

A: Our organization is only in its inaugural semester and we’re still experimenting with topics and formats. That said, topics for discussion are selected through brainstorming sessions by our leadership team and feedback from our members. We try to strike a balance between what we think are popular or interesting topics and how we think we can approach it in a way that benefits our members academically. While we encourage open dialogue and diverse perspectives, we do have guidelines in place to maintain respectful and constructive conversations, namely that students should adhere to the same codes of conduct and nettiquete in the SHA as they would in any classroom environment.

Q: How often do you host speaker events? Who can attend your events?

A: Speaker events are a cornerstone of our organization, providing opportunities for members to engage with experts in various historical fields. We aim to host speaker events regularly throughout the academic year, covering a wide range of topics to appeal to our diverse membership base. Generally speaking, you can expect us to have at least one speaker event per month. These events are open to all ASU students, regardless of their major or affiliation with SHA – though you will need access to SunDevilSync to RSVP and be provided with the Zoom link. 

Q: Do you collaborate with other organizations? 

A: Collaboration with other organizations is integral to our mission of creating a vibrant and inclusive community. We actively seek opportunities to partner with student groups to enhance our programming and reach a broader audience. Our primary collaborative partner so far has been the Unified Anthropology Association Online, which has provided a great amount of guidance to us in launching our organization.

Q: What is the process to join SHA?

A: Joining the SHA is very simple! Any ASU student enrolled in at least one credit hour is eligible for membership. There are no dues or fees required, and interested students can simply register themselves on our Sun Devil Sync page to become members. This is where you can keep up to date with our latest events and RSVP as well. This is because the university uses it to track our official membership for funding and other related purposes, as well as to provide us with data insights that help us to make the SHA better.

Q: What do you love most about being president of this organization? OR What does this organization mean to you?

A: What I love the most about being the president of the SHA is seeing the impact our organization has on our members’ academic and personal growth. It’s incredibly rewarding to see when a member is invested in a topic being discussed or is clearly enthused to be talking with our guest speakers after their presentations. This organization means a lot to me because it embodies the spirit of ASU and you can physically see the diversity and unifying nature of the historical sciences. We have members from all across the United States and the world, who are all united in our goals for academic excellence and intercultural exchange. It’s been so humbling to see what our organization can do for our members in such a short amount of time since its formation and I’m very pleased to be a part of it.

Q: Is there anything else you want others to know about the Student Historical Association?

A: I’d like others to know that the Student History Association is more than just a student organization; we’re a community dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of history. We are here to help improve your time as an undergraduate at ASU, by giving you access to high-quality academic events, information about SHESC and The College itself and a community of your peers who want you to succeed – on demand, wherever you are.

I would also like to add that we are always on the lookout for motivated students who are passionate about history and eager to take the next step into a position of leadership within our organization. If you’re someone who is enthusiastic about shaping the future of historical scholarship at ASU and contributing to our mission of fostering a vibrant historical community.

Interested in joining, or have questions? Contact SHA via sha.at.asu@gmail.com