Starting a Club

Process for New Club Chartering

1) There are three requirements in order to charter a new club.

a) You must have at least three interested students who are taking at least one credit course and are willing to act as officers for the club.

b) You must have at least one full-time faculty or staff member who is willing to serve as adviser for the club.

c) You must have a club constitution.

2) It is the students' responsibility to find an adviser for the club.

3) Students interested in forming a new club should fill out the New Club Inquiry form available on the Student Activities web site.

4) The student will receive a reply with possible meeting times. A copy of the sample constitution (MS Word) file will be attached so the student may begin work on their document.

5) The interested students and potential advisor(s) will meet with the Coordinator of Student Activities who has been assigned as the group's Student Activities liaison. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss what is required to start a new club, and officer and adviser responsibilities. The club constitution will be submitted at that time to be reviewed by the liaison and Director of Student Activities. Required paperwork includes:

a) Final copy of constitution.

b) Officer Update form.

c) Adviser Update form.

d) Club Information form.

e) Information concerning outside or parent organization (if required).

6) Following the chartering meeting, all paperwork will be sent to the Director of Student Activities and the Vice President of Student Affairs for approval. Once approved, advisors will receive a memo and clubs can begin to utilize club benefits.

General Information for New Clubs

• New clubs are chartered with future students in mind, not just current students.

• Student clubs are student run. That means club members are the decision-makers of the group.

• Once a club is approved, Student Activities will copy up to 75 flyers for the club to promote their first meeting. After that the club must raise funds to cover all its expenses.

• It is the club members' responsibility to keep the club going. That means you should always be recruiting new members.

• All club members are encouraged to participate in the Leadership Connection Series sponsored by Student Activities.

The Role of the Club Advisor

A great deal of the success enjoyed by the Student Activities program at College of DuPage is directly related to energy and efforts of advisers. These advisors provide the basic orientation and continuity for the clubs. In a college such as this, clubs are dependent on the adviser to provide knowledge, guidance, direction, and services to the group. Advisors recognize that holding a club office can be a rewarding experience if students learn to assume responsibility through the process of democratic participation. Advisors play an active role in helping the students set up a meaningful program that is consistent with the philosophy of the College.

The selection of advisors for clubs is basically up to the members of the particular group. However, all advisors must receive final approval by the Vice President of Student Affairs. Club advisors may be any full-time or part-time currently employed faculty or staff member of the College who is willing to commit a portion of his/her service to the College in a club or organization of interest. (Part-time must have a co-adviser that is full-time.) Club advisors serve on a voluntary basis; these appointments must receive supervisory recommendation/approval as indicated by the employment status:

• Full-time faculty or administrator – none; appropriate administrator will be notified

• Part-time faculty – recommendation from appropriate associate dean.

• Classified staff – written approval from direct supervisor.

Advisors should feel free to discuss club problems, issues, and happenings with the Student Activities staff. This is done as one way of keeping communication links with the Student Activities staff open.

Responsibilities of the Advisors

1) Be in attendance at all club/organizations meetings and events.

2) Ensure that the Student Activities staff is informed of all programs and activities of the group;

3) Monitor annual registration update process;

4) Assist officers in learning and following the prescribed accounting procedures and handling all financial transactions in accordance with College of DuPage business and financial policies and procedures;

5) Assist officers in learning and following the prescribed policies, procedures and guidelines for using campus services to meet their annual goals and objectives;

6) Ensure that the group conducts its affairs in accordance with administrative rules and procedures;

7) Encourage attendance of officers to the Leadership Development opportunities on campus, including Leadership Connection Series;

8) Serve as a resource person and facilitator for the group, and;

9) Be responsible for the activities and decorum of the group.

Update Forms

Advisors must indicate in writing every semester that they intend to continue to serve as advisor for their organization or club. If the Advisor Update form has been previously signed by the current advisor and the information is correct the advisor may simply email Student Activities letting them know they intend to continue serving as advisor.

Officers must completely fill out a Student Officer Update form every semester and submit it to Student Activities.