With the introduction of voluntary student union membership (VSM) at the start of 2012, it has become clear that professional presentation and member management is going to be essential for most student unions & student associations.
While there is no argument that the majority of student associations do add value to student life, it is how that value is communicated to the students that will determine the on-going success of student associations. They can no longer rely on students being members by default, instead student associations now need to not only offer services to students, but also communicate their value clearly too all members and prospective members.
Student unions in New Zealand now need a way to not only present themselves externally to the public but also internally to their membership, as well as a way to manage that membership.
Currently “VUWLSS” Victoria University of Wellington Law Students’ Society and “SOULS” Society of Otago University Law Students use MoST to manage their websites and membership database.
MoST content & member management system has specialised in membership organisation since 1999.
Some of the MoST features student unions use:
Banner Ads
Allows student unions to display and get stats of the banner ads on their website. It is great way to sell advertising on a website, or for student unions to market their services. These banner ads can be designed by yourself or expert.
Blogs and Comments
Comments are replies to entries in a blog or news article on a website. Student unions can choose whether or not to allow students or the public to make comments on any page of their website. Pages with comments will have a form students fill out to add a comment and to read the comments other people have already made. The site administrator can monitor each message from the back-end.
Client Database
This is a comprehensive SQL database that holds all the student union's members details. Student unions can define the fields of the database, and query, filter and sort the contents of the database. The database may hold not only contact details, but also any notes relating to the members, invoice and payment details, event registration details and more. The client management feature attached to the database makes for easy subscription management of members through your website. The majority is automated for a cost-efficient way to manage the relationship between a student union and its members.
CRM Auto-reminders
This tool allows members and student unions to setup and send pre-dated automated emails to control subscription updates, events reminders and more.
Discussion Groups
This feature allows student unions to post multi-threaded discussion groups and forums on your website such as “Text books for sale” or “Study group meetings”. Students can post messages and track the development of certain threads. Site administrators can monitor each message from the back-end, or else the system can be made automated. Students can add their own topics for discussion, or an administrator in the back-end can mediate the whole forum.
Events Calendar
This facility allows student unions to enter event details in the back-end of their website which will automatically display in the front end on an events calendar. Student members can then view and book into events.
Events Management System
A comprehensive application linked to the client management system and database. This allows student unions to manage all aspects of your events online – from event posting, to automated emails, to registration, to payments, to invoicing, to table booking and name badges! An extremely popular and efficient MoST tool.
Email Newsletter or e-Zine
This is an online newsletter facility that allows student unions to create email newsletters to send out to large groups of students or the public. There is no limit on how often they are sent out, and no charge for per newsletter sent. Student unions can send emails to a members database or to a list of subscribed users.
Password Protected Sections/Intranet
Allows student unions to create sections or areas on your website where entry is restricted by a username and password. These restricted areas can also house forms for students to update their own details.
Statistics
MoST has a built in statistics package that gives comprehensive statistics on several aspects relating to page visits and search words used to find the website. Student unions can also check which pages are popular, what keywords they used, where they landed in the website and so on. This information will help student unions to update and target the information on their website.
Wysiwyg editor
A Word-like editor that allows student unions to update the contents of the website themselves in an easy format. Includes linking, inserting images, document lists, language blocks, breadcrumb trails, file uploading, multimedia uploading and more.
These are just some of the features of the MoST – Students Association System. We hope that this list of features helps you in your selection of a Students Association System. At Expert Developments, we are also familiar with a range of CMS’s, MoST is our CMS of choice.
If you have any questions on the MoST – Students Association System, please do not hesitate to contact the team at Expert on us@expert.co.nz