8.5.1 Motivation
The organizational structure of an SLC is often an excellent pointer to its activities. The way an SLC is structured provides important information on how it is equipped to meet the mission and goals outlined in its charter, and whether it is able to meet those goals.

8.5.2 Different SLC Types
Based on the responses from the survey, SLCs may be broadly classified into two categories. A few schools have open membership in the SLC for the entire student body. Such membership may be either mandatory or voluntary. Subsequently, leadership councils and committees may be formed to provide direction to the students, and to provide the impetus for various activities. The more traditional type of SLC is one in which a small percentage of students is elected or volunteer to serve on a leadership council to represent the interests of the students. Of the 11 SLCs that responded to our survey, 8 were structured in the more traditional fashion.

8.5.3 Summary of Survey Results
The size of SLCs varies greatly. In a couple of centers, the entire student body is automatically part of the SLC, while in most centers, they are made up of about 5-10 members representing an overall student body of 50-100.

Only one of the respondents indicated that they offer a monetary incentive, in the form of an increase in salary, to serve on the SLC. One center offers bookstore gift certificates, and another reimbursement for travel. In most cases, recognition and appreciation are what motivates people to serve.

Most of the well-established centers are making special efforts to encourage undergraduate participation on the SLC. In some centers, it is a requirement of the administration or their bylaws that some undergraduates serve on their SLC. One center is constrained by its relatively small student body, while in another center undergraduate students are present only during the summer, making them unavailable to serve in a leadership role. But most places seem to make a sincere effort to recruit undergraduates to the SLC.

Of the 11 respondents, 6 reported that they hold elections for SLC officers, suggesting that the practice of holding elections is evenly divided. In the smaller, less established centers with fewer overall students, members tend to be appointed or volunteered, while the more established centers with a sizeable study body hold elections. If elections are held, then this is done by e-mail, voice vote, or secret ballot. Nomination periods range from 1 week to 1 day.

Most SLCs have titles for their officers, but in one, officers simply get together on various projects on an as-needed basis. In another center, officers are elected for each research thrust area in addition to holding other positions such as social activities, outreach efforts, etc. Except for one, all the other SLCs have a designated person or committee to focus on outreach efforts. A feature of one center is that two people are assigned to each role/committee, in order to share responsibilities.

In centers where the entire student body constitutes the SLC, meetings are held only a few times a term, though the leadership meets more often. In other centers, the SLC meets weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. Most SLCs have a meeting at the start of the term, in which they decide what they need to accomplish that term.
Most centers have someone from administration attending SLC meetings, by invitation. In one center, the external person actually makes the final decisions at most SLC meetings.

Only 4 out of 11 respondents have bylaws that govern their SLC's functioning. However, there seems to be no correlation between having bylaws and having a good organizational structure. But in general, those centers that do have bylaws tend to have a strong SLC organization.

Almost all the respondents reported that they communicate with the student body using a variety of methods: e-mail, questionnaires, and mass meetings.

8.5.4 Best Practices and Conclusions

Create bylaws and follow them in both letter and spirit

While the findings from the survey indicate that the absence of bylaws does not necessarily imply a weak organizational structure, the converse is invariably true: Bylaws give structure to an organization's activities and lend weight and substance to its decision-making process. Bylaws may typically include (but are not limited to) information on officers' roles and responsibilities, membership rules, voting rights (if elections are held), amendments, and meetings.

Have an outreach coordinator

Most of the schools surveyed indicated the presence of an outreach coordinator on their SLC. This appears to be a very desirable practice. From the experience of the RMS center, and those of the others surveyed, outreach efforts are usually very challenging in terms of time, logistics, and the effort involved in motivating students to participate. Given the importance of outreach activities to the center, it is an excellent idea to designate an SLC officer to handle all outreach activities and to liaise with the center leadership in all such efforts.

Invite center leadership to SLC meetings

Inviting a representative from the center's administration, such as the education director or coordinator, to SLC meetings is a desirable practice. The presence of such a person provides an opportunity for better communication between the students and the administration, avoids potential communication gaps, and expedites decision-making.

Other suggestions

Some SLCs reported that they do not assign roles for their officers, but rather allow them to work on projects they are interested in, as this motivates them to do a better job. While this practice may work in some cases, another idea may be to pair up officers in committees, so that they may motivate each other and share the responsibilities.

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