FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHO IS PART OF JSA?

This organization is open to both undergraduate and graduate/professional students. JSA members also include Japanese-American, Japanese International, Japanese Exchange, and non-Japanese students. Our organization is proud to welcome any member interested in joining JSA.

WHAT ARE MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS?

This organization is open to all students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Members do not have to be Japanese or speak the language in order to join. Currently, we do not require membership fees.

Members are not required to attend a certain number of events/meetings to be considered active.

I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE AND/OR I DON'T IDENTIFY AS JAPANESE. CAN I STILL PARTICIPATE IN JSA?

Yes! JSA aims to be inclusive to students of all linguistic abilities and identities. We would love to have you in the organization. If you would like to talk about a specific situation/identity or have specific concerns, please reach out to us.

HOW OFTEN CAN JSA MEMBERS EXPECT TO MEET?

All JSA members (as well as other interested students) are invited to our bi-weekly events, which run in the fall and spring semesters. Keep an eye on our Instagram, emails, or upcoming events page, and you'll be provided with all of our latest event information.

HOW DO I JOIN A MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME? CAN I JOIN JSA MID-SEMESTER?

Members can participate in meetings at any time of the academic year! Keep an eye on our website, Instagram, emails, and other platforms, and you can see where and when our events will take place. Please feel free to show up to your comfort level, and know that JSA always welcomes any member or interested student to our events. Additionally, if you feel nervous about showing up, reach out to our board members through email or Instagram, and we can provide more information.

WHAT EVENTS CAN I EXPECT FROM JSA?

JSA hosts a wide variety of events, which aim to promote Japanese culture and the well-being of Madison students. You can expect events related to Japanese food, discussions on identity, movie nights, Madison excursions, Japanese celebrations, and much more. We also participate in annual and recurring events, such as the Spring Festival. However, our subjects vary from year to year, so you can look forward to event variation. Check out our Events page for more specifics.

WHO IS THE JSA FACULTY ADVISOR?

Associate Professor Naomi Geyer of the Japanese Language and Linguistics from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature.