The University of West Alabama’s College of Business is proud to announce the club charter of Toastmasters International, an educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills.

The UWA club is one of seven college campus clubs that make up the forty-nine chartered clubs currently in the state of Alabama.

The mission of Toastmasters International is to make effective oral communication a worldwide reality by developing vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind. In addition, the organization strives to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking while working to continually expand its worldwide network of member clubs, giving more people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

“We are excited to have Toastmasters International as a part of our professional campus organizations,” said club co-sponsor and management instructor Aliquippa Allen. “The primary objective of the UWA club is to bring together students and community leaders interested in improving their communication skills.”

Students followed several steps in chartering the organization, from research to proposing the charter to a group of fellow students and community members.

“The students were required to research the history, values and objectives of Toastmasters and make a formal presentation to UWA students and community representatives within the UWA service area,” explained Allen. “The students made two presentations; one on campus and the other in Demopolis at Napoleon’s restaurant. The secondary objective of the club is to develop a network of potential employers and students in hope of future internships or employment opportunities.”

“One of our main goals at UWA is to provide our business students with the necessary knowledge, skills and ability to develop into a well-rounded business professional upon their graduation from this university,” said Dr. Ken Tucker, dean of the College of Business. “The charter of this respected organization is one more way in which we work to enhance our students’ educational experience on campus and better prepare them to be successful in their chosen career.”

In addition to the Livingston campus club, organizers hope to recruit enough members to form a sister club at the Demopolis Higher Education Center. Meetings will be held at the DHEC during the months of May, June, and July every 2nd and 4th Monday at 5 p.m.

The international non-profit organization has more than 12,500 clubs with more than 260,000 members in 113 countries. For more information about Toastmasters International at UWA, please contact Aliquippa Allen at 334-287-0595, 205-652-3564 or by email at .