You don't need to be knowledgeable about Objectivism to run successful meetings. The only responsibility you take on as a club organizer is to set up a forum for studying Objectivism. You are there to learn, just like any other member; nor does studying Objectivism in a club require that all members have the same level of understanding of the philosophy. Each member can participate at his own level, and all members can benefit.

We strongly recommend that you start each semester with a campus talk. It is the most effective way to create an awareness of Objectivism on your campus, and the best means of attracting new members to your club.

Think of campus talks as an element in your marketing strategy. The product that you are marketing, i.e., the value you offer to students, is the regular meetings of your club. Just as you want your marketing campaign to be successful, so you want your actual product, your meetings, to be attractive. Successful campus events bring new students into your club but it is successful meetings that motivate them to stay.

The following link will provide you with some tips on how to run successful meetings:

Tips for Successful Meetings

The links below will take you to a series of semester schedules. You can base an entire semester on the materials outlined in one of these schedules. All taped materials listed are available on loan from ARI.

The schedules are merely suggestions on how to plan a semester around a single topic. If you are familiar with the Objectivist literature and have access to relevant materials, you can plan a semester on any topic within Objectivism. You may then take the schedules below as inspiration for your own semester plan.

Introductory

Semester plans suitable for participants with little or no prior knowledge of Objectivism (e.g., admirers of Ayn Rand's novels):

The Philosophic Message of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
The Philosophic Message of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged
Overview of Objectivism
Selfishness
The Objectivist Ethics
Individual Rights and Capitalism

Intermediate

Semester plans suitable for participants familiar with most of the Objectivist literature, including Ayn Rand's nonfiction works:

Understanding Objectivism
Rationality and Objectivity
Free Will

Advanced

Semester plans suitable for long-time students of Objectivism:

Advanced Topics in Ethics
The Nature of Concepts
Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand lecture course
Objectivism Through Induction