Build Your ACM-W Student Chapter: 2. Goals
Step 2 – Setting Goals
The Ohio State University Student Chapter of the ACM-W was chartered on May 13, 2003 and is one of the oldest continuously operating ACM-W Student Chapters. This chapter annually hosts 40+ events that include trips to the Grace Hopper Celebration, the Ohio Celebration of Women in Computing, company visits, tech talks, socials, and workshops. They have around 50 active members, and they serve a total community of about 200 students. They often send more than 50 Ohio State students to the Grace Hopper Celebration, and can provide financial support for travel and registration costs to 35 of these through chapter fundraising efforts.
Learn how to build, maintain and grow a strong ACM-W chapter from The Ohio State’s ACM-W Chapter Leaders.

In this segment, ACM-W OSU Chapter Co-President, Courtney explains the importance of Setting Goals for your club. She advises you to create two lists of goals: practical and aspirational. Dream goals will help your club visualize its future and give direction to your day-to-day operations. Having big dreams allows you to recognize opportunities when they present themselves. Your ACM-W Student Chapter should pick a few achievable goals for your first year. Accomplishing these small steps will give you the energy to take on incrementally greater things later. For example, you might set a goal to have one tech talk and one social per semester in your first year. Next year you might set a goal to have one more event. Build on your successes!
Does your chapter have formal written goals? Are they tactical or strategic? How are you planning to accomplish them? What’s your chapter’s dream goal? And how does it help drive your club’s activities?
Let us know by interacting with us on Twitter, Mastodon or Facebook. Use #BuildYourACMWChapter and our handle @OfficialACMW Want to know more about how to start an ACM-W Student Chapter at your school? Here’s the quick-start guide.
This series continues. Please read the other tips in this series:
- Mission Statement
- Goal Setting
- Executive Board
- Event Planning
- Member Recruiting
- Funding
- Company Relationships
- Community Involvement
- Sustainability