The University of Louisiana at Lafayette AITP campus organization was formed during the fall of 1999, receiving an official charter in January 2000. During the first year members have benefited from the organization through involvement with fellow IT students, guest speakers, and faculty. The campus chapter attempts to align and mesh itself with the local Professional Chapter of AITP, providing excellent opportunities to learn, grow and network. The network of individuals that can be built can benefit a member throughout a career. The best jobs are not always advertised but come through a combination of exposure and persistence. AITP cannot provide persistence, but can expose each active member to local and national professionals.

Our AITP chapter is one of the most recently established organizations at UL Lafayette. The student chapter was established to cater to the increasing demands of students with a need to be kept aware of the latest advancements in technology. As we all must have noticed by now, keeping up with new technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity for both professional and personal growth. The formation of a group of this type was overdue, particularly because of the implementation of the new MIS degree program in the College of Business. This organization was established to help students successfully achieve career objectives and meet the challenges of the growing Information Technology (IT) industry. We now invite you to network with IT professionals while also learning about new market trends. Likewise, this is the perfect opportunity to meet students sharing similar interests and skills, allowing you to exchange ideas with one another, staying both involved and informed at the same time.

AITP is a professional association comprised of career minded individuals who look to expand their talents. Professional members include, but are not limited to IS managers, programmers, systems analysts, educators, consultants, sales/marketing managers, researchers, and systems engineers. These people may be very diverse but all share an enthusiasm for knowledge. By networking with these types of people, a gold mine of information is placed within your reach. In today's marketplace, it is not only what you know, but who you know as well. This is one reason why networking with professionals in your career field is absolutely essential, particularly in the IT industry. The organization's goal is to provide avenues for all members to exchange ideas with other professionals, as well as members, in an effort to become more marketable.

Our local student chapter is open to any student enrolled in any information technology related field, such as MIS, Marketing, Computer Science, Engineering, ITEC, or anyone with an interest in technology in general. Students are encouraged to check out this innovative organization and see what it has to offer.