Advisor and Club Member Handbook

Advisor and Club Member Handbook

Advisor Section
Congratulations on being chosen as a club advisor at Central Lakes College. As an advisor your role will be, but not restricted to, supporting, guiding and being accountable for the club. We hope that you will recognize the individual need of your club and make it a successful experience for all the members. This handbook will help you identify you club’s needs, define your responsibilities and understand the inner workings of a student organization.

Benefits of being an Advisor
•      The satisfaction of seeing and helping students learn and develop new skills.

•      Watching a disparate group come together to share common interests and work toward common goals and an understanding of differences.

•      Developing a working relationship with students.

•      Furthering personal goals or interests by choosing to work with an organization that reflects one’s interests.

•      Sharing one’s knowledge and expertise with others.

•      End of semester stipend for faculty advisors.

Responsibilities of Club Advisors
•      Be aware of the purpose and activities of the club through attendance at club meetings or through frequent consultation with student leaders.

•      Be present at all club functions as requested and/or as required per college policy (i.e. after hour events, sports club practices, etc.)

•      Act as a source of general information regarding college policies and procedures to requests for payment, vehicle requests, facility use requests, etc.

•      Encourage club members to assume responsibility for their actions and for the effectiveness of the program.

•      Guide, while at the same time allow freedom for members to plan and coordinate their own activities or programs.

•      Provide special technical knowledge or information relevant to the club, as needed.

•      Oversee financial transactions of the club.

•      Be familiar with club’s history.

•      Provide continuity.

•      Assist in determining realistic goals.

•      When securing funds from the club account, the advisor must sign the Purchase Requisition Form or use their college purchasing card.

•      Ensure that the Fund Raising Request form has been completed and has been approved before any fund raising activities take place.

•      You must attend any club functions that are off-campus or overnight.

•      Act as a contact person for students who are interested in the club.

•      Provide an adequate means of contact for club members through office hours, phone, and e-mail.

 

Advisor to Club Relationship
•      The advisor should assist the officers in formulating and achieving long-term goals, and in planning and initiating short-term projects.

•      Student club officers should know the advisor will be available when emergency problems arise.

•      It is important to develop a trusting relationship with the club officers. So advisor and club members should respect each other.

•      Have a sense of humor. If the advisor finds humor in situations the students should relax and enjoy their roles in the club.

•      Open communication is critical for a successful advisor-club relationship.

•      The members should find the advisor able to assist with the evaluation of a projects performance and progress.

•      The advisor and the officers should discuss job duties and expectations of each other. This understanding and agreement is helpful as an accountability tool.

•      Only one faculty member may serve as an advisor of a club.

 

Expectations
Because you are volunteering as an advisor, it is up to you to decide how much time and energy you can give to the group. It is important you communicate this with your club and discuss limitations on your role and involvement with the club. It is also vital that the club discuss their expectations of you. For instance: How many meetings they expect you to attend? Do they expect you to attend all programs and activities?

 

Advisor and Club Member Section
Club Membership and Establishment
•      Only currently enrolled students may form or participate in a club at CLC.

•      Each club or organization shall have a CLC faculty or staff member serve as the club advisor.

•      Staff members are only allowed to serve as an advisor if the club is non-academic in nature. (i.e. Soccer Club, Spirit Club, Dance Club, etc.)

•      Club membership shall be open with no discrimination regarding race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law.

•      Permanent clubs shall have a charter (constitution and by-laws).

•      The Student Senate of each campus has exclusive right to approve or deny club charters. Charters shall be on file with the Student Senate and the Director of Student Life.

•      Clubs and must meet a minimum of once per month.

•      Clubs shall maintain a minimum (ten or more) number of active members. Upon request, membership rosters, meeting minutes, and attendance records shall be made available to the Student Senate and the Director of Student Life.

•      A student club must sponsor one on campus event and participate in one Student Senate event each semester of the current school year.

•      The person wishing to form a club must pick up club packets from the Student Senate or Student Life offices. All packets must be dated and be received by the Student Senate Executive Board within 28 business days from the start of the semester.

•      All Club Senate Liaisons seeking sponsorship for their club must attend the Club Approval Meeting conducted each semester by the Student Senate. You will be notified in advance with the time and date of this meeting.

Student Senate Liaisons
•      A Student Club Liaison must be approved before the student club becomes recognized as an official CLC Club.

•      The Student Club Liaison or Club President must attend two Student Senate Meetings per month with the exception of three excused absences per semester.

•      Three unexcused absences in a single semester will result in a 25% reduction of incentive funding for the following semester.

•      Student clubs may appeal for full sponsorship approval through the Student Senate. If the Student Senate has substantial reasons to deny a clubs appeal, such reasons must be submitted to the club advisor.

Club Funding
•      CLC recognized clubs will be allocated a start-up amount of $500.00 per a semester from the abiding Student Senate. If the club advisor is a faculty member, the Student Senate must also allocate $250.00 per a semester as an advisor stipend.

•      CLC recognized Clubs may also request additional funding by completing the additional funding request form. Requests must be detailed and show good fiscal planning in order to be eligible for additional funding.

Permanent Club Status
An existing or first year club is considered to be a permanent club. Permanent club status enables clubs access to funding under the Student Life budgeting process, and to sponsor events and activities that are appropriate to the special interests of their club under the auspices of CLC. Students, who wish to pursue permanent club status, must submit the following items to the Student Senate and the Director of Student Life:

•            An Intent to be Active form that lists all club officers, complete with addresses and phone numbers.

•            A signed copy of the Club Advisor Contract.

•            A Club Membership form which lists all active club members.

•            A copy of the club charter/constitution and appropriate by-laws.

 

Revocation of Club Recognition
The Department of Student Life or College Administration may revoke a club for the current semester if any of the following occurs:

•            A club or advisor submits a written request to disband.

•            A constitutional provision deactivates a club as of a certain date.

•            No record of activity exists for the current academic year.

•            A list of current officers or members is unavailable. Certain clubs may be exempted based on the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

 

*** A club that has had their active status revoked will receive a 25% penalty on their incentive funding for the next fall or spring semester that the club applies.

*** A club that has been revoked has the right to reapply the next upcoming semester.

How Can Clubs Maintain Their Status?
Clubs must meet the following requirements to maintain their status:

•            Clubs should have an updated constitution on file with the Student Senate. The constitution must be updated every two years.

•            Clubs must have a minimum of 10 current CLC student members. Five of which should be officers including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Student Senate Liaison.

•      Attend or send at least one club liaison to no less than 2 Student Senate meetings per a month. The club liaison role is not limited to just one student and students may rotate as needed.

•      Clubs have to renew their registration and get approval from Student Senate at the beginning of every semester to maintain their Central Lakes College administratively approved status.

How Can Clubs Lose Their Status?
Clubs can lose their status due to the following:

•      Failure to complete semi-annual registration.

•      Failure to attend the required amount Student Senate meetings.

•      Violation of college policies and procedures.

•      Discriminatory practices by the club.

•      Failure to meet at least once per a month.

•      Failure to maintain the required amount of active members.

Club Meetings
•      All clubs must hold meetings regularly to discuss club concerns, events, activities etc.

•      It is up to the club to decide whether to meet monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly. The Secretary should be designated to take minutes during meetings and these minutes should be shared with the entire club regularly.

•      Meetings are most effective when they abide by Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Procedure.

***If you would like for your club to be trained on how to use this meeting procedure contact the Director of Student Life.

Club Officer Responsibilities

       President
o     Will chair all club meetings

o     Responsible for creating an agenda for each meeting

o     Will consult with the club members, officers, and advisor before each meeting for meeting agenda items.

o     Will assure that the meetings run fluidly and each and every member has a voice in the outcome of every motion.

o     Will call special meetings when deemed necessary in promoting the general welfare of the club/organization.

o     Will have one vote on general matters of the club/organization in the event of a tie.

 

      Vice President

o     Will succeed the President in the event of the Presidents’ resignation, removal, death, or leave of absence.

o     Will chair all committees and will appoint a committee member to chair the committee meeting in the event of a scheduling conflict.

o     Will have one vote on general matters of the club, unless serving in a presidential capacity.

Secretary
o     Will record and report the proceedings of all club meetings.

o     Will distribute meeting minutes of the proceedings of all club meetings no later than 48 hours after the meetings.

o     Will update and revise the club constitution and bylaws incorporating approved amendments or revisions.

o     Will maintain and file all communications and reports.

o     Will monitor all club attendance.

o     Will assist the President in the development of the next weeks agenda.

o     Will have on vote on general matters of the club.

Treasurer
o     Will provide a budget report that can be obtained from the Central Lakes College Business Office, Director of Student Life, or Student Senate Treasurer.

o     Will work with the club advisor to establish a proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year.

o     Will have one vote on general matters of the club.

Student Senate Liaison
o     Attend or send at least one club member to no less than 2 Student Senate meetings per a month. The club liaison role is not limited to just one student and students may rotate as needed.

o     Will provide a report to the Student Senate, as to the activities and events the Club is planning or participating in.

*** All officers are subject to all other duties as assigned by the club.

 

Club Funding and Expenditures
•      Clubs are considered student life activities, and student life activity fees are the sole source of funding.

•      Before the Student Senate can approve any sponsorship funds to a club, the following must be submitted to the Student Senate:

o              Club Intent To Be Active form

o              Club Advisor Contract

o              Current and updated constitution

o              Club Membership List

•      All forms must be submitted no later than 3 business days prior to the next Student Senate meeting in order for the club sponsorship request to be proposed at that meeting.

•      The Student Senate will approve club sponsorship up to 28 business days after the start of Fall or Spring semester.

•      Before each fundraising event the following must happen:

o           Completion and submission of the Student Club Fundraising Proposal Form. You can acquire this form online at http://www.clcmn.edu/ studentlife/

o           Approval of the fundraising request by the appropriate administrators and Director of Student Life.

•      Funds collected and spent by clubs shall be accounted for through a main club and fundraising cost center in accordance with college policy.

•      Club cost center accounts will only be available for the Fall and Spring semester of the academic year.

•      Club fundraising cost center funds will be available for the entire academic year.

•      Club expenditures require prior approval through the club advisor or Director of Student Life.

•      Certain expenditures under Student Life funding are never allowed and include:

o           Gifts or parties for club members

o           Tuition reimbursements

o           Donations

o           Alcohol

•      Student Life budgets are established in early spring for the following fiscal (July 1- June 30) year in accordance with the Student Life policy.

The following steps must be completed in advance of club purchase or expenditure:

1.  Complete a purchase requisition, and include:

•      Vendor Name, Address, Telephone Number (if the vendor is an individual, also include the vendor’s social security number)

•      Item, Quantity, Description (be specific, including name and date of the activity

•      Vendor bid

•      Person making request (club advisor signature)

•      Approval signatures (Advisor/Director of Student Life)

2. The CLC Business Office will create a Purchase Order or PO upon receipt of a purchase requisition. Vendors require a PO number for purchases. The PO is typically mailed directly to the vendor or, on occasion, may be hand-delivered in order to complete the purchase. In the event a vendor will not accept a PO to guarantee payment, consult with the Director of Student Life.

3. When a purchase is completed, the vendor will supply an invoice. This invoice needs to be submitted to the CLC Business Office so final payment can be made. Certain expenditures under Student Life funding are never allowed and include: Gifts or parties for club or organization members, tuition reimbursements, donations, and alcohol. CLC is a tax-exempt organization, which means that sales tax is neither paid nor reimbursed on most purchases made by clubs or organizations. It is important to communicate this to all potential vendors to assure accurate quotes are given and accurate bills are sent. See the Director of Student Life if written proof of tax-exempt status is needed by a vendor.

Club Student Life & Fund Raising Cost Centers
1) Student Life Cost Center

a)  Always begins with the numbers (219)

b) Funds must be requested from the Student Senate at the beginning of each semester within 28 business days.

c) $500.00 is the initial start-up amount that can be awarded to clubs each semester. A $250.00 per a semester stipend plus fringe is also allocated for a faculty advisor and will be awarded at the end of the academic year.

d) The funds in this cost center must be used to enhance the educational experience of the student body. Ex. Student conferences and seminars related to the mission of the club/organization.

e)  The funds in this cost center do not carry-forward to the next fiscal year.

f)  You cannot transfer funding from this cost center to your club/organization fund raising cost center.

g) You cannot transfer funding from this cost center to your club fund raising cost center.

h) Student Club Officers can check account balances of this account with advisors, student senate treasurer, Director of Student Life or at the Business Office.

2) Fund Raising Cost Center

a)  Always begins with the numbers (919)

b) For new clubs, this cost center will be created for you once your group has been approved by the Student Senate and you have submitted a Fund Raising Activity Approval Form.

c) All fund raising supplies and expenses come out of your fund raising account.

d) The Fund Raising Activity Approval Form must be submitted and approved before any funds may be spent.

e) If you’re fund raising account has a zero balance the Director of Business Services will place the account in the negative for the amount that you are requesting. This will only be done if your Fund Raising Activity Approval Form shows that your fund raisers revenue will replace the funds used.

f) All fund raising revenue goes into the fund raising cost center.

g) The funds in this cost center do not need to be used to enhance the educational experience of the Student Body. Ex. Donations to in-house college groups and departments and club activities.

h)  The funds in this cost center carry-forward to the next fiscal year.

i) You cannot transfer funding from this cost center to your student life cost center.

j)  Student Club Officers can check account balances of this account with advisors or at the Business Office.

Club Activities
•      Activities of a club shall contribute to the positive development and welfare of the membership.

•      Activities that create situations not consistent with policies and procedures of CLC shall not be permitted.

•      Clubs and organizations shall sponsor activities or events only with prior approval from their club advisor.

•      Clubs shall meet regularly during the academic year. Each club shall designate a representative or representatives to act as the liaison to the Student Senate.

•      Upon request, clubs shall provide a year-end report to the Director of Student Life.

•      If you require help in planning or generating ideas for programming and activities please contact the Director of Student Life for assistance.

Student Travel & Accommodations
Students traveling for club related functions do so as representatives of CLC and are required to adhere to college policies. A copy of the Student Travel form must be completed by each club member and provided to the club advisor in case of an emergency. Overnight travel requiring room accommodations should follow the guidelines below:

•      Book rooms in such a way to share/save expenses (four to a room).

•      No guests (family members or friends) may share accommodations.

•      An advisor must accompany students on all school-related functions.

Mailing, Printing, Copying and Advertising Services
Services for mailing, printing and copying services are provided by CLC and expensed to the club cost center. Please work with your club advisor or the Director of Student Life for assistance. Clubs may advertise using campus media, including:

•      Bulletin Boards, Posters or Table Tents – contact the Director of Student Life

•      Campus Television Monitors – contact the Marketing Department

•      All Student E-mail – contact the Marketing Department

•      Community newspapers – submit requests to the Marketing Department

•      Local Radio – contact the Director of Student Life for rates.

•      Event and Room Booking – contact the Facilities Coordinator

•      CLC Facebook Page – contact the Director of Student Life

College Policies and Procedures
Please refer to the Central Lakes College Student Handbook, Student Senate Constitution, Student Senate Bylaws, and Club/Organization Advisor Policy for questions regarding campus policies and procedures. Comments or suggestions for this handbook please contact the Director of Student Life.

Links to all forms and documents listed in this handbook are posted on the CLC Student Life website.

 

 

CLC is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment and education opportunity. No person shall be discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment, personnel practices, or access to and participation in, programs, services, and activities with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law. This information is available in alternative format upon a 48- hour advance request by contacting Disability Services at 800-933-0346, ext. 8175. Minnesota Relay Service: 800-627-3529 or 612-297-5353.

Revision 9/2015

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