Occupational Therapy Student Organizations

Occupational Therapy student organizations at UND promote pre-occupational therapy and occupational therapy student development as OT professionals.

Student Occupational Therapy Association - Grand Forks

The University of North Dakota Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) exists to:

Provide service to the community
Raise funding for local, state and national organizations that promote the health and well-being of people
Provide educational sessions to occupational therapy students and practitioners
Support the psychosocial well-being of occupational therapy students
Promote the visibility of the occupational therapy profession.

Member Requirements

Must be a registered student at the University of North Dakota.
- Pre-occupational therapy students are encouraged to join this association and become involved in association activities.
Pay an annual $10.00 membership fee.
Register as a member of SOTA on the UND Involvement website (see link below)
- Once you are logged into the involvement website using your UND Student ID information, search for the STUDENT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION
Attend and participate in monthly meetings.
- Meeting attendance for occupational therapy students is required.
- Pre-occupational therapy students may have classes scheduled during some meeting times. Students are encouraged to attend when possible, even if it is only for part of a meeting.
Attend and participate in service, fundraising, and educational sessions and committee work.

Become a Member

Attend a SOTA meeting (refer to schedule below) and introduce yourself to the President. If students are unable to attend meetings due to their class schedule, they should contact the SOTA President via email. The President will assist them in becoming involved in the association activities.

You can receive updates, view photos, and receive correspondence by joining our through our UND Student Occupational Therapy Association group on Facebook.

Faculty Advisor: Bobbi Carrlson, Ph.D., O.T.R./L. roberta.carrlson@und.edu

SOTA Committee Information

In-service: Responsible for scheduling guest speakers and informing fellow student members of any upcoming presentations in an effort to promote broad and current knowledge of occupational therapy.
Out-service: Responsible for promoting occupational therapy within the university, the community, regionally, within the state and nationally.
Fundraising: Responsible for developing fundraising opportunities for the organization and organizing the membership to take part in fund-raising activities to achieve the mission of the organization.
Social: Responsible for organization and provision of a variety of social events for members in order to facilitate fellowship between those who value occupational therapy as a common interest.
St. Kate's Challenge:
Mentorship:

Past Events

Here are a few examples of what SOTA members have been involved in the past.

Out-Service Activities
- Interprofessional Health Screening Fair, Autism Speaks, UND Fall & Spring Involvement Expo, book drives, The Walk to End Alzheimer's, Walk to Stop Diabetes, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Walk, Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, Bake Sales, UND Homecoming Parade (2011 Best Entry), Potato Bowl Parade, Spin for Kids, Financial support for occupational therapy students to attend the American Occupational Therapy Conference, Integrative medicine group, Ornament Decorating and Gift Purchasing at a local skilled nursing facility, The Big Event, Relay for Life, Lunch volunteers at the Northland Rescue Mission, Up Until Dawn for St. Jude's Children's Research, Boundless Playground Fundraising Efforts with GF Sertoma Club and the ARC, School for the Blind Valentines Day Dance, The Giving Tree and more.
In-Services for SOTA Members
- Experience with Leukemia, Experience with Cancer, Thanatology Guest Speaker, Experience with a parent with Borderline Personality Disorder, Dress for Success, Parent's Perspective of Having a Child with Disabilities, LGBTQA and Healthcare, Special Olympics, Hippotherapy, Wheels for the World and more.
Fundraising Activities
- Occupational Therapy Gear (Mittens, sweatshirts, jackets, t-shirts, car decals, and more), Occupational Therapy Department Snack Cupboard, Finals Survival Kits, pancake breakfasts, the UND Popcorn Lottery and more.
Social Activities
- Halloween Potluck & Costume Contest, Welcome Back Potluck, Movie Night, Easter Egg Hunt, Jogging with Josh, Pumpkin Carving Contests, End of Year Picnic, Bowling, and more.

Student Occupational Therapy Association - Casper

The UND Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) at Casper College exists to provide service to the community and promote visibility for the occupational therapy profession through the following:

Facilitation and participation in fundraising endeavors for local, state and national organizations that promote health and wellness
Provide educational sessions to occupational therapy students and practitioners
Support the psychosocial well-being of occupational therapy students
Facilitate collaborative partnerships on campus to facilitate access and opportunities to the college experience for students with special needs

Programs / Events

Annual UND OT Conference and Celebration Expo

This event is scheduled in April (Occupational Therapy Month) of each year. The student club organizes the event, recruits guest speakers and collaborates with local and state organizations such as the Wyoming Occupational Therapy Association to provide an opportunity for continuing education credit for therapists and students.

Maximizing Access Program

This program is designed to facilitate participation in college occupations including education, social participation, functional mobility, and leisure activities for students enrolled at Casper College who have special needs. This is a SOTA organized program orchestrated through close collaborative efforts with the student services department.

Member Requirement

$10.00 fee per academic year
UND Student (pre-OT students are welcome)
Attendance of scheduled meetings
Committee participation:
- In-service: Responsible for informing fellow students of OT related upcoming presentations, selection of guest speakers
- Out-service: Responsible for promoting OT within the community and on campus
- Fundraising: Focus on participating in appropriate events or activities that enable SOTA to raise funds for the club account to aide in achieving goals
- Social: Provide and organize a variety of leisure events in order to facilitate fellowship with those who have OT as a common interest

Contact Information

Nicole Harris, Ed.D., O.T.R./L.
Professional Site Coordinator, OT Club Advisor

Pi Theta Epsilon

The Occupational Therapy Program at UND is proud to support the Kappa Chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon, a specialized honor society for occupational therapy students and alumni. This society recognizes and encourages superior scholarship among students enrolled in professional entry-level programs at accredited schools across the United States.

The purposes of Pi Theta Epsilon is to:

Recognize and encourage scholastic excellence of occupational therapy students
Contribute to the advancement of the field of occupational therapy through the scholarly activities of student and alumni members
Provide a vehicle for students enrolled in accredited programs in occupational therapy to exchange information and to collaborate regarding scholarly activities

Membership in PTE is determined according to scholarly achievement with potential new members invited in the spring semester of each year.

Current Activities

Round Table—a monthly event where members and friends gather to discuss a piece of scholarly work from the professional literature.
Inservices—presentations by area therapists/clinicians on topics of interest to the student body.
Outservices—opportunities for members to contribute positively to the community (serving at City Mission, assisting with ongoing projects at local non-profit organizations).
Fundraising—primary beneficiary of recent fundraising is the Ruth Peterson Scholarship, a scholarship developed in memory of Ruth Peterson, a past faculty member who was instrumental in developing PTE at UND. The scholarship is available annually to an OT student at UND and is administered by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation.