Student Organization Review Process
From the day you start this process until the day your organization is reviewed and recommended for recognition by the Student Government Association, this time period must not exceed longer than 1 year. If you go over that 1 year mark, your forming organizations’ files will be removed from our office. Should you choose to continue through the process, you will need to start from the beginning. Any organization going through the Sports Club or FSL process will have 2 years to complete the process. This rule was implemented by SGA on February 22, 2022.
Step 1: Student Organization Research
Do your research to see what the 280+ student organizations we already have recognized at WCU offer (https://ramconnect.wcupa.edu). Learn about our organizations, read their missions statements, and reach out to executive board members should you have any questions.
If there is a similar established organization already in existence, we encourage you to first consider combining your efforts with the previously existing group. You will be asked in your SGA presentation how your forming student organization would serve a different population that our current recognized organization(s) are serving.
Step 2: Meet with University Staff
Meet with the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI). Please email involvement@wcupa.edu, and they will direct you to the correct individual.
If you are interested in a sports-related club, Demetrius Isaac, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation for Intramural Sports and Sports Clubs, will need to be involved in the conversation, as well. He can be reached at disaac@wcupa.edu.
If you are interested in a social fraternity or sorority then Cara Jenkins Sullivan, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, is the person you need to talk to. She can be reached at cjenkins@wcupa.edu.
At the meeting, you will go over all steps of the SGA review process. It is important to note that your forming student organization cannot act like a recognized WCU student organization until you become recognized. Acting like a WCU student organization (with the privileges such as: using WCU in your name, stating you are a student organization, hosting events other than informational meetings, etc.) prior to receiving your recognition letter from the Vice President of Student Affairs or their designee can impact whether SGA chooses to recommend your organization to be recognized.
Step 3: Secure and Confirm your On-Campus Faculty/Staff Advisor
Identify an advisor for your organization. Your advisor needs to be a full-time, part-time
or temporary WCU faculty or staff member.
Step 4: Officially Begin the Review Process by filling out your Request to Organize Form.
After it is complete and submitted electronically, a representative from SLI will reach out to the Advisor listed and confirm their role. It is important to note the recognition process does not officially begin until both the RTO form is received electronically and the Advisor confirms their role via email. The electronic form you submit via RamConnect begins to create your digital and hard copy files for your club.
When the Office of SLI receives both your electronic Request to Organize Form and the email confirmation from your proposed Advisor, SLI will send you a letter via email acknowledging that it is on file, and that the process has officially started. In addition to alerting SGA of your forming club, this letter will give you the following privileges:
· You may book University space to hold a MAXIMUM of three informational meetings in Sykes Student Union (based on availability). Staff in Sykes and staff that manages 25Live will receive the letter so you can reserve space as a “forming organization” only. You may not use these meetings for special events, programming, fundraising, or “open house” style events. Only meetings related to member recruitment or formation are allowed.
· You will have access to the guidance of an LC (Leadership Consultant) to help you throughout the process of becoming a recognized student organization. The LC can answer any questions you might have about forming a new group, recruitment, leading meetings, creating by-laws, generating marketing materials, etc., and be a resource through this process. You will be notified of who your LC is when you receive the official email from SLI that your process has begun.
Step 5: Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!
Use your requested space to organize meetings/virtual information sessions and gather
other interested members. General student organizations require 5 members, while sports-related
clubs require 10. 4 founding members must be interested in holding an SGA-approved
Executive Board position (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer). Because
they do not pay the student activity fees, graduate students may only be included
on a roster and are not eligible to hold Executive Board positions.
Step 6: Approval from Sports Club Council PRIOR to the Student Government Association*
*For sports-related organizations ONLY. General organizations can skip this step.
To be recognized by the Sports Club Council, proposed organizations are required to make a formal presentation at a Sports Club Council meeting. The following documentation is required for the presentation:
1. Proposed roster of undergraduate student participants, class status, and
student ID number
2. Proposed budget which will include National Affiliation Dues and individual
club dues, all expenditures and revenue generation
3. What local/regional/national affiliation the club will join
4. The name, address, phone number, and email of proposed Advisor AND Volunteer
Coach
5. Proposed practice times, game times, location and facilities desired for
on campus practice and games
6. Listing of other institutions in and around Philadelphia metro area who are
potential competitors or league members for the proposed club.
7. Proposed Constitution and By-laws.
- To get on the agenda of the Sports Club Council meeting, please contact the Campus Recreation Department directly, or sportclubs@wcupa.edu. They will work with the Sports Club Council to find a mutually available time for your group to attend Sports Club Council.
- Once the Sports Club Council accepts your proposed Club, then you will enter the review process for SGA. You will submit the materials approved by the Sport Club Council to SGA as described below.
Step 7: Organize Your Packet and By-Laws
Please find a blank SGA By-Law Template.
You may not remove sections of SGA’s blank by-laws, but you may make additions. Once
you have completed your by-laws, you will complete the following steps:
Submit (1) copy of your DRAFT by-laws and (1) copy of your roster (name, WCU email
address and proposed Executive Board positions/member position of all members) to
your assigned Leadership Consultant via email. Your Leadership Consultant will review
these documents and then send them to the SGA Parliamentarian for review. It will
be time-stamped upon receipt so groups are recognized on a first-come, first-served
basis. If you have any questions directly for the SGA Parliamentarian, you can reach
them at the information below:
The SGA Parliamentarian for 2022-23: Brenna McGowan, sgaparliamentarian@wcupa.edu
Step 8: Schedule and attend your By-Law Review Committee Meeting
The SGA Parliamentarian will present your by-laws and roster to the By-Law Review
Committee (BRC), and invite a representative from your club into their meeting to
speak on behalf of the proposed student organization. Invitations will be communicated
via email and extended by the SGA Parliamentarian only.
The By-law Review Committee will decide the following based on the conversation:
o By-laws passed without change: You will be invited to Senate (see below)
o By-laws passed with minor changes: If you send the changes to the Parliamentarian
and submit a hard copy via email, you will be invited to Senate (see below)
Make sure you make those changes or you will get held up at this point
of the process.
o By-laws not passed. Documents requiring major review will be scheduled for another
review meeting time. Invitations are based on the other groups currently in-process.
o The designated category (Academic/Professional, Special Interest, etc.) of your
organization (only one SGA-approved category for each organization is permitted).
Step 9: SGA Senate Review and Approval Vote for Consideration of Recognition
Once your by-laws are approved, you will be invited to the SGA Senate floor for a
formal vote to recommend your organization for forward movement to VPSA, or designee,
for final University recognition.
Attend the Student Government Association Senate Meeting
The SGA Parliamentarian will invite representatives from your organization to the
floor of the Senate. Members of your club will give a brief presentation about the
purpose and function of the club. Typically, a brief PowerPoint presentation is created
by the incoming group to help with the appearance. This presentation should highlight:
- State the purpose and function of the club
- List the SGA recognized student organizations you could be seen as similar to. Highlight the ways in which you would be different and serve a different population of students whose needs aren’t currently being met.
- List the number of undergraduate students on your membership roster.
- Senate will vote on the status of your club or organization.
- If you are approved, an email, on behalf of the Student Government Association, will be sent to the President of your organization and to alert the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement. A formal hard-copy letter of recognition will be emailed to the Senior Leadership Consultant assisting in the transition from forming organization to recognized organization.
- SGA and the VPSA or designee, not the Office of SLI, grants final approval of student organization recognition. Once the Student Government Association receives your packet, the process is in their hands. At this stage, all questions should be directed to 2020-21 SGA Parliamentarian: Brenna McGowan, sgaparliamentarian@wcupa.edu. SGA office hours are posted on the door of the SGA office (Center for Student Involvement, 217 Sykes Student Union) or you can call the SGA office at 610-436-2956.
- If you are successful, an email, on behalf of the Student Government Association, will be sent to the President of your organization and to alert the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement. Student Leadership and Involvement will coordinate with the VPSA or designee the final approval and wherein recognition of your organization.
Step 10: Recognition granted by VPSA or designee; meet with Senior Leadership Consultant
Staff
Our Senior Leadership Consultant Staff will do the following:
· Walk you through setting up your RamConnect portal and a brief training on the system
· Introduce you to 25Live Room Reservation system
· Help you establish an SSI financial account
All registered organizations are required to have portals on RamConnect. Think of the database as a “Facebook for clubs and organizations at WCU.” Creating your portal now will allow you to add/update other pieces as you work on the formation of your club.
BEFORE YOU MEET: Have available the name and contact info of your Executive Board members and your advisor. Also have available a brief club description and basic info about your club.
· Log in to RamConnect using your traditional WCU credentials.
· If you are a new user, you will set up your initial profile. All users of the portal will have to go through this process as well upon their first login attempt.
· Any change in your roster, Executive Board, general information, etc. must be current in RamConnect at all times to remain in SGA compliance.
Once approval is given by the General Assembly of the Student Government Association and Vice President of Student Affairs or designee, and you have successfully met with our Leadership Consultant staff, you are considered a recognized student organization on a one-year probationary review period.
Organizations approved within the previous spring, or current fall semester, when the budgeting process begins, shall be eligible to apply for up to $300 in funding for their first probationary year. Meet with the SGA Treasurer as soon as possible after recognition to satisfy budget training seminar requirements.
GOOD LUCK!