Student Activities and Organizations

The President is authorized to establish procedures for student activities and the budget to support student activities. The President is authorized to establish procedures for approval of student organizations and clubs not funded from student activity fees or University funds, and for the depositing, withdrawing, and accounting for funds of these organizations and clubs.The President is authorized to establish a student newspaper and such other publications as he deems necessary to give proper emphasis to student activities at the University.

I. Procedure Establishing Organizations and Clubs

1. Purpose. To establish procedures for forming student organizations and for approving such organizations.
   
2. Procedure. Administrative approval of the establishment and character of student organizations is contingent upon adherence to the following procedures, rules, and regulations:
   
   1. A student organization petitioning charter on campus shall show promise of serving the academic, professional, social, or physical well being of its members and shall reflect creditably on the University.
      
   2. Student organizations shall be open to all qualified students. Qualified students shall be defined as students who are not on academic or disciplinary probation. This does not preclude an organization setting a higher academic qualification than that necessary to remain off academic probation.
      
   3. In the case of professional or honorary organizations, qualifications shall also include those stipulations of merit, achievement, and student status of members as shall be defined in the constitutions of those organizations.
      
   4. Student organizations shall adhere to all rules and regulations promulgated by the College and the constitution of the Student Government Association.
      
   5. Student organizations must obtain the sponsorship of an academic department or service organization of the College. There shall be at least one advisor or sponsor for each student organization or club from the full-time staff or faculty of the University.
      
   6. Student organizations shall submit a completed New Organization Registration and Current Organization Renewal form through SGA to the Dean of Students and Campus Life. Attachments to the form must include a proposed constitution and by-laws in which the following information shall be detailed: name and sponsorship of the organization; purpose of organization; acknowledgment of adherence to the jurisdiction of college regulations; membership qualifications, method of selection of members, and method of termination of membership; officers, duties of officers, and method and time of elections; fees and dues; insignia; ceremonies, rituals and meetings (which must be open); definition of a quorum; method of selection and duties of the faculty advisor; standing committees and their purpose; publications.
      
   7. The aforementioned constitution and by-laws must receive approval of the SGA and the Dean of Students and Campus Life.
      
   8. Each charter granted shall be for the duration of one (1) academic year. Charters may be extended for a subsequent academic year by decision of the SGA and the Dean of Students and Campus Life.
      
   9. Rules and regulations governing student organizations on campus shall be published each year.
      
   10. A list of proposed members will be provided along with the proposed constitution at time of submission for approval. After an organization is approved, a current list of members will be furnished to the SGA and the Dean of Students and Campus Life. A report then will be made to the director of student support services after members are added to or deleted from the organization roster.
       
   11. Responsibilities of sponsoring organization. In the event an academic department of the University or service organization desires to sponsor an organization on campus, the department chair or an officer of the organization will address a letter to the Dean of Students and Campus Life to include the following: a desire to sponsor a student organization; objectives of the student organization; an agreement to conform with University regulations for student organizations; the extent of support the sponsoring organization expects to give, such as financial support, if any, and attendance at meeting by representatives of the sponsoring organization; the name(s) of the staff or faculty advisor(s) (at least one) who agree(s) to serve during the first year after the student organization has been formed; an attached copy of the national constitution or suggested constitution for a similar organization; a list of names of students who will form the charter membership.

II. Business Procedures For Students

1. Activities Funded by the University
   
   1. Purpose. To provide procedures for maintaining and accounting for monies for student organizations and activities funded by student activity fees or University funds.
      
   2. Procedure
      
      1. Each activity funded by the University must submit a budget for anticipated expenditures for the year.
      2. Each organization treasurer must maintain accurate financial records and should reconcile club records at the end of each month.
      3. All requisitions for withdrawal of funds must be approved by the organization's advisor and the Dean of Students and Campus Life. The Associate Vice President for Operations may reject the approval of the assistant vice president of student affairs/dean of students.
      4. Upon disenfranchisement of an organization or activity, the funds will revert to University funds.
2. Organizations Not Funded by the University
   
   1. Purpose. To provide procedures for maintaining and accounting for monies of organizations not funded from University funds.
      
   2. Procedure.
      All organizations except those funded by the University have the choice of depositing their monies with the University or a local bank. An organization may establish its own account in a local bank and formulate independent polices and procedures for depositing and withdrawing funds. The name on the bank account should be in the form of "[Name of organization] of Mountain state University." If the organization chooses to deposit its monies with the University, the established procedures must be followed:
      
      1. Each organization treasurer must maintain financial records, and organizations using a University account as a depository must verify receipts and expenditures with the Dean of Students and Campus Life.
      2. All requisitions for withdrawal of funds must be approved by the organization's treasurer and sponsor prior to submission to the Business Office.
      3. Upon disenfranchisement of an organization, its funds will be distributed to the current membership of the organization with the approval of the President of the University.
      4. An authorized University organization whose financial accounts have had no deposits or withdrawals for a period of two full fiscal years and has no sponsor or current membership may be disenfranchised by approval of the Dean of Students and Campus Life. Funds will be transferred to the Student Government Association account.

III. Scheduling Student Activities

1. Purpose: To ensure proper approval of all on-campus activities sponsored in the name of the University or sponsored by an approved University organization.
   
2. Procedure
   
   1. In order to schedule a student activity or event, the organization or activity chair must submit the official student activity request form, which may be obtained from the Dean of Students and Campus Life.
      
   2. The request form, signed by the club advisor, must be submitted to the president of the Student Government Association at least thirty (30) days prior to the proposed scheduled activity or event.
      
   3. If the Student Government Association approves the event, additional approval must be obtained from the Dean of Students and Campus Life.
      
   4. The University does not approve or sponsor off-campus activities. Students participating in off-campus activities do so of their own accord. Students using off-campus facilities are required to have a contract signed by a third-party participant releasing Mountain state University of any liability. A copy of the forms can be obtained from the Dean of Students and Campus Life. Students participating in off-campus activities must sign a release absolving the College of any liability in the event of death, dismemberment, injury, or harm. Signing this form relinquishes the survivorships any rights to seek responsibility of the college in the event of death, dismemberment, injury, or harm.

IV. Approval of Outside Speakers and Lecturers For Campus-wide Forums

1. Purpose: To ensure administrative responsibility concerning outside speakers and lecturers.
   
2. Procedure: Any person seeking entry to campus for the purpose of addressing a campus-wide or open forum, or any employee intending to invite an outside speaker or lecturer to campus for the same purpose, must submit a written request to the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs for approval. The request must be approved prior to the proposed scheduled event. The request form can be obtained at the Student Affairs or Academic Affairs Office.

V. Approval of Outside Speakers and Resource Lecturers for Classroom Use

1. Purpose To ensure administrative responsibility concerning outside speakers, resource instructors, or resource lecturers.
   
2. Procedure
   
   1. A faculty member planning to invite an outside speaker, resource instructor, or resource lecturer on occasion to speak to a class or participate in a class must receive prior approval from the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.
      
   2. Any student wishing to invite an outside speaker, resource instructor, or resource lecturer to class must first receive approval from the instructor. It is the instructor's responsibility to obtain prior approval from the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.