Resources

This page provides information on starting your student organization, leading your student organization, transitioning leadership, and more. If you have any questions or need more support, feel free to reach out to Caitlin Hayles at chayles@sandiego.edu.

Scroll down to learn about:

• Starting an organization
• Tips and resources for running your organization
• Common forms relating to budgeting, marketing, and events

 Please read through the COVID-19 protocols for Graduate Student Organizations.

Starting an Organization

• New Org Check-list
  See our New Org Check-list to make sure you are completing all the steps necessary when creating your Graduate Student Organization.
• Mission and Goals

  Your organization's Mission Statement is an opportunity for you to define what your organization strives to do and who you are as a group. This will help your organization develop objectives and will allow prospective members to better understand your organization and what they can expect upon joining it. Your Mission Statement should be as brief as possible; try not to exceed four sentences. 

  Setting goals will help your team stay focused. You will want your organization's goals to be reflective of your mission statement - what will your group do to work toward your mission?

  Not sure where to start? Check out this goal setting worksheet. 

• Bylaws

  Bylaws define the procedures and practices of your organization.

  If you are starting a new organization, you may want to work off of a template to build your bylaws. This template is not required, but it may act as a starting point or a document of reference as you develop your own bylaws. If you are re-registering an organization, you should read through the current bylaws of your organization and consider any updates that need to be made.

  Updates or new bylaws should be voted on by your voting members, as laid out in the bylaws. It is a good practice to distribute your organization's bylaws to all of your members on an annual basis. 

  When completing annual organization registration, you will need to submit a copy of the most recent bylaws for approval. 

  View the bylaws of the Graduate Student Council Bylaws as a sample, although these bylaws are more in-depth than most student organizations will require.

• Registration

  All graduate student organizations and associations must register annually in order to remain active and be recognized by the University. Registration allows the organization to 1) Reserve event/meeting space on campus, 2) Request funding from the Graduate Student Council, 3) Be listed on the Graduate Student Life website, and 4) Advertise your organization around campus.

  See the Student Organization Registration page for the registration form and more details.

• Recruitment

  When recruiting new members, consider your target market. Who does your organization want to be involved and who might be interested in joining your organization? For instance, a student organization for students who will be educators will likely want to recruit from SOLES. 

  There are many practices for recruiting members, including:

  • Word of mouth: Talk to your peers to spread the word and see who is interested. If your organization is related to your degree, class is an excellent space to utilize.
  • Announcements: Ask your professor if you may make an announcement at the beginning or end of class. If you are attending an event relating to your organization, ask the organizations if you may make an announcement there. 
  • Grad Life Connect: You can market your organization's meetings and events through our e-newsletter by submitting the Grad Life Connect submission form. For recruitment, you can offer a preferred contact email instead of a link.
  • Flyers: We encourage students organizations to be paperless. Students are able to post flyers for their events and meetings if they choose, with certain restrictions. Graduate Student Organizations may always bring flyers to the Grad/Law Commons in SLP 401 to be posted on our bulletin boards.

Tips and Resources

• Google Drives

  We recommend creating a Shared Drive for your organization for clear communication and to allow execs and members to have access to necessary files. Any documents created for the organization that may need to be referenced by others within the orgnization should always be created and kept within the Shared Drive. You can also use tools like Trello or other project management platforms.

  Tips for keeping your Google Drive organized:

  • Consider how you want to organize your folders. As many student orgs will have turn over each year, it might be best to create folders based on academic year (ie 2020-2021). Within that folder, you can create subfolders like Communications, Events, Finances, etc. However you decide to organize your folders, make sure you plan out strategically at the beginning of the year so you do not need to reorganize later on.
  • Encourage your executive team to utilize the Shared Drive whenever they are creating documents for the organization. This way, if someone else needs access to the document, they will always have it. It will also help the next team transition over because they will be able to reference previous documents. 
  • Utilize comments functions on Google docs when necessary. If you want to make a note on a document that one of your team members created, it can be helpful to leave a comment or to work in "suggestions" mode 
• Internal Communications

  Consider the various ways you may want to communicate with your executive team and your members.

  Utilize tools like:

  • Group text messaging
  • Facebook Groups
  • Slack
  • GroupMe
  • WhatsApp
  • Google Hangouts
  • Any other platform you may prefer

  For email communications with your organization, you may want to consider an email marketing service like Mailchimp. This can be helpful for larger announcements like monthly newsletters, updates, events, and more. 

• Meetings

  All Graduate Student Organization meetings in the Fall 2020 semester need to be registered via Virtual EMS. See more information in "Event Registration" in the common forms section.

  Zoom

  Zoom is available for all members of the USD community. Directions for downloading Zoom Pro are available here.

  Tips for Hosting Effective Virtual Meetings

  Preparing for the meeting:

  • Decide who needs to be present at the meeting. Is this an executive board meeting, a committee meeting, or a general body meeting? Being clear about the meeting’s purpose and who needs to attend will ensure engagement from attendees.
  • Use video calling if possible. Using video increases a feeling of connection and community, so encourage members to turn on their videos if they are able to do so.
  • Create an agenda and take notes. Set a clear agenda outlining the topics the meeting will cover. This will help guide the meeting and keep everyone on track. We recommend using google docs to create your agenda, so you can use it as a living document and take notes throughout the meeting. This will allow members to see updates in real time. 
  • Establish new meeting norms. Remote meetings probably won’t look like in person meetings, and that’s okay. Work together to create new norms that work for the group. (For example: Raising your hand to contribute ideas, limiting speaking time to 60 seconds so everyone gets to speak, using the chat function, etc.)
  • Test meeting technology. Practice using the meeting platform before your meeting time. If you are using a presentation or a Zoom add-on, practice using each function beforehand, so you can ensure the meeting runs smoothly. If you are curious about remote technology available, or need help troubleshooting, check out the ITS website. 

  During the meeting:

  • Actively facilitate the meeting. Be sure to create space for members to contribute to the meeting. It’s helpful to ask questions like, “What do people think of this idea” or “does anyone have anything to add.” Remember that sometimes people will need time to think, so a moment of silence is okay. 
  • Share key takeaways at the end of each meeting. At the end of each meeting, be sure that members have a clear understanding of the next steps. Summarizing key take-aways and action items is a good way to do this. 
  • Have fun! Meeting online doesn’t mean that meetings need to be boring. Get creative with your meeting content. Including ice-breakers, check-in questions, and/or games can help keep everyone engaged and connected. 
    • Virtual Icebreaker & Connection Activities
    • 10 Fun Virtual Icebreakers to Take Remote Working to the Next Level

  Additional Tips:

  • Create a meeting schedule and stick with it. Creating a consistent meeting schedule will help with members’ planning and attendance. If you’re able to, stick with the meeting times you had before moving online.
  • Advertise your meeting. If you would like your meeting to be advertised to the graduate student community, send a flyer and link to Caitlin Hayles at chayles@sandiego.edu and she will add it to Grad Life Connect. 
  • Check-in with your team frequently. Ask the group for feedback on how they feel about the new meeting norms and if they have any feedback or suggestions. This is an adjustment for everyone, so give yourself permission to pivot as needed.
• Marketing

  If you would like to advertise your meeting or event, please complete the form for Grad Life Connect Submissions. We also encourage you to submit the MyPostings form to advertise upcoming events on the Graduate Student Council Page under "Upcoming Events." 

  It is important that you follow Grad Life guidelines while completing the MyPostings form. If you submit the form incorrectly, your posting could end up in the wrong place and it is possible your posting will be deleted. Follow our MyPostings How-to for the submission steps.

  Contact Caitlin at chayles@sandiego.edu with any questions you may have.

  Here are some tools for marketing your organization and events:

  • Canva for creating flyers and other graphics and docs
  • befunky for photo editing
  • The 7 Best Free Social Media Management Tools
  • Graphic Design 101
• Event Planning

  Event planning is an excellent way to build community and meet student needs. Check out our Event Planning Checklist to ensure you are prepared for your event.

  All events must be registered through VirtualEMS. We ask that Graduate Student Organizations register their events through VirtualEMS even while hosting events remotely. All Graduate Student Organization Leaders have access to a VirtualEMS Event Registration How-to video in the shared GSC Google Drive. 

  Please read through the COVID-19 protocols for Graduate Student Organizations to ensure all of your events are within USD protocols.

  For tools and resources for planning on-campus events, see our Event Planning Guide.

• Budgeting
  All registered Graduate Student Organizations may request an on-campus CLUB account:
  

  • Free and convenient way to manage finances for registered student organizations;
  • Like an on-campus bank account--you can deposit dues or fundraised money, withdraw cash, or have checks written from your CLUB account (POETS Code);
  • The POETS Code enables you to receive a discount with USD Catering, and many other campus resources require a POETS Code for use/rental.

  To request a new CLUB account, confirm your CLUB account information (POETS code or balance), or change the President/treasurer on the account please email Mariann Sanchez, Assistant Director for Graduate Student Life, at marianns@sandiego.edu.
  
  You must maintain a positive balance in your CLUB account to remain in good standing.

  See below for important budgeting forms.

• Elections

  Do you usually elect a new Exec Board in the Spring? You can host virtual elections using a varity of platforms. Each platform offers different features, so review the guides below to determine which will work best for your organization's elections.

  Virtual election guides:

  • Torero Orgs
  • Zoom
  • Google Forms 

  Elections Tips:

  • Check your organization’s constitution to ensure you are following the proper election procedures.
  • Consider having candidates give live speeches via Zoom or have them pre-record speeches for club members to watch prior to voting.
  • Encourage candidates to create a written platform for club members to review before they vote.
  • Share election results with your membership in a meeting, via email, and/or through social media.
• Transitioning

  Planning a strong transition for your student organization can help set officers up for success in the upcoming year. Check out the resources below to prepare for the transition process.

  Outgoing Officers & Incoming Team

  • Transition Meeting Guide

  Outgoing Officers

  • Outgoing Officer To-Do List
  • Preparing Transition Binders/Files/Notebooks
  • Outgoing Officer Transition Worksheet
  • Outgoing Officer Organization Analysis
  • Outgoing Officer Executive Board Analysis

  Incoming Officers

  • Incoming Officer Transition Worksheet
  • Goal Setting for Your Position - Part 1
  • Goal Setting Guide - Part 2
  • Goals, Dreams, and Priorities - Part 3

Common Forms

• Budgeting Forms

  Budgeting forms are accessible online in either Excel or PDF format, depending on the form. The best way to complete these forms is to fill them out on a computer and then print them. Forms should be completed and submitted by the organization's Treasurer.

  All reimbursement forms must be accompanied by the following:

  • An original itemized receipt showing the purchase.
  • If the reimbursement is for food, the reimbursement form must be accompanied by a sign-in sheet from the event.

  The Petty Cash Voucher for reimbursements under $100, Cashier's Office Deposit Form, and Missing Receipt Declaration are available on the Cashier's Office Forms page.
  
  Student Payment Request form (for reimbursements over$100) and Payment Request  (payment for non-employees) are available on the Accounts Payable Forms page. 

• Event Registration

  All events and meetings must be registered through VirtualEMS. We ask that Graduate Student Organizations register their events through VirtualEMS even while hosting events remotely. All Graduate Student Organization Leaders have access to a VirtualEMS Event Registration How-to video in the shared GSC Google Drive.

  You can also use this system to browse for space or to submit a space reservation request once we return to campus. To learn more about planning events on campus, see our Event Planning Guide.

• Funding Request

  Graduate Student Organizations are able to receive funding through the Graduate Student Council. Visit our Funding Request page for details on the process.

• Grad Life Connect

  If you would like to advertise in Grad Life Connect, complete the submission form by Friday at noon. Grad Life Connect is sent out every week on Monday.

  Submissions will appear for up to two weeks leading up to the date of the event/deadline. If you have any questions, contact gradlife@sandiego.edu.

• MyPostings

  All registered Graduate Student Organizations are able to submit the MyPostings form to advertise upcoming events on the Graduate Student Council Page under "Upcoming Events." 

  It is important that you follow Grad Life guidelines while completing the MyPostings form. If you submit the form incorrectly, your posting could end up in the wrong place and it is possible your posting will be deleted. Follow our MyPostings How-to for the submission steps.

• Organization Registration

  All graduate student organizations and associations must register annually in order to remain active and be recognized by the University. 

  Visit our Student Organization Registration page to access the form and for more information.