RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

The following is important information for all student organizations regarding recognition, both for new and continuing groups.

Recognition Criteria

In order to gain recognition, groups must meet the following criteria:

• The mission of the student organization must reflect the values and mission of John Carroll University.
• The services and activities offered by the organization must be directly related to the organization's mission and must comply with the policies and procedures of the Student Union, Office of Student Activities, and those in the JCU Community Standards Manual.
• The mission, services, and activities of the organization should be different from any other already-existing student organization.
• Each student organization must have an advisor who is a full-time member of the JCU faculty, staff, or administration.
• Each student organization must have active members and a solid leadership structure, including a president and a financial officer.

Recognition Process

In order to begin a new student organization and become recognized by the Student Union and Office of Student Activities, the following steps should be taken:

1. Submit the Notificiation of Student Organization Petition form to the Office of Student Activities. The group needs to identify an advisor who is a full-time employee (faculty, staff, or administrators) of John Carroll University. Graduate assistants, graduate students, and resident ministers are not eligible to be organization advisors.
2. Meet with the Student Union Coordinator for Organization Development & Communication to discuss the group's mission, possible activities, and benefits as a petitioning group in comparison to a recognized organization. The founding president will also be provided with a Model Constitution, Application for Organization Recognition, and Student Organization Guide.
3. The group needs to develop a membership with a minimum of ten students. Organizations also need to develop officer positions, at least two of which being a president and a financial officer.
4. Turn in a preliminary version of the group's constitution to the Student Union Coordinator for Organization Development & Communication for review. If affiliating with a non-John Carroll entity or national/parent group, the petitioning group must submit information on that organization, including its constitution and by-laws.
5. Make required changes to the constitution. Submit final constitution and Application for Organization Recognition to the Vice President for Student Organizations in the Student Union office. The signatures of the Coordinator for Organization Development & Communication, Vice President for Student Organizations, Student Union President, and Director of Student Activities are all required in order for the group to become an officially recognized student organization. The group will be informed by the Vice President for Student Organizations if and when it becomes a registered and recognized organization, along with its account numbers.
6. Groups petitioning for recognition can only have petitioning status for two (2) months when classes are in session. It is the responsibility of petitioning groups to complete all the requirements in a timely fashion. If a petitioning group loses its status or its request for recognition is denied, it must wait two weeks to reapply for recognition.

Privileges of a Petitioning Student Organization

Once an organization has submitted its Notification of Student Organization Petition form to the Office of Student Activities, the group has the following privileges until the group becomes a registered and recognized student organization:

• Posting privileges, including the ability to submit items for the daily all-student e-mail.
• Opportunity to host a table at the annual Student Involvement Fair.

Privileges of a Registered and Recognized Student Organization

Once an organization has become registered and recognized by the Student Union and Office of Student Activities, and renews its recognition status annually at the designated time, it has the following privileges:

• Guidance and advising with organizational operations by the Vice President for Student Organizations, Student Organization Review Board, and the Office of Student Activities.
• Access to a number of leadership resources, including participation in the annual Transition Weekend sponsored by the Office of Student Activities.
• Financial accounts. One is a savings account, where dues/fundraising money would be deposited, while the other is a LSO account, used to house any funding awarded through the Student Organization Budget Board (SOBB) allocation process.
• Opportunity to request funding through the Student Organization Budget Board.
• Reservation and use of campus facilities (including off-site retreat facilities) and services.
• Reservation and use of the university van fleet (certified drivers only).
• Posting privileges, including the ability to submit items for the daily all-student e-mail.
• An organization mailbox in the Student Union office.
• Access to use Club Manager to be able to promote the organization and use its internal management tools.
• Ability for a student organization website to be housed on the University's web server.
• Opportunity for an organization e-mail account on the JCU domain.

Maintaining Registered and Recognized Status

Once an organization is registered and recognized, it must complete the online renewal process via Club Manager on an annual basis to maintain its active status. This must be completed by the last day of finals in the fall semester. Failure to complete this process by the posted deadline will result in the expiration of privileges and an organization status of "inactive." This renewal process is required of all organizations, whether or not officers transition on a calendar year basis. This allows records to be maintained with the most up-to-date information.

Each organization will be sent reminders via e-mail about the deadline dates for recognition renewal. The general rule will be that the renewal "application" will be available within the Club Manager online system for a three week time period, beginning with the day after Thanksgiving break and ending the last day of final examinations in the fall semester.

The status of student organizations that fail to complete the online renewal process by the required deadline will turn to "inactive." This means that all privileges of registered and recognized student organizations are no longer available, including facility reservations, posting privileges, and SOBB funding. To return as a registered and recognized student organization, the organization must submit a letter to the Office of Student Activities (OSA) requesting reinstatement signed by both the organization's president and advisor. The OSA will then allow the group to complete the online renewal process in order to be termed as "active" again. The privileges of a registered and recognized student organization should resume within one (1) week of receipt of this information; however, there will be an automatic waiting period of two (2) months before SOBB funding can be requested.