University student orgnizations active in disasters: A case study

Student organizations generally play a vital role in promoting the well-being of the student population at any given university, and they also serve as incubators for leadership development. Two such organizations at UCLA focus on disaster education, response, and relief. The American Red Cross at UCLA and the Community Emergency Response Team at UCLA developed as an extension of their off-campus counterparts in the City of Los Angeles, but the process of creating viable student organizations has been challenging as a result of university policies, jurisdictional issues, and other considerations. This case study presents lessons learned about the experience at UCLA, as well as a comparison with similar organizations at other California universities (both public and private). It also provides useful insight regarding the challenges of voluntary organizations involved with disasters in other bureaucratic contexts. Finally, it provides a glimpse into the process of developing young leaders. This is most evident in the way that the students organizations have created a space for themselves to operate, grow, and generate income in spite of bureaucratic obstacles.