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GUIDELINES
ON RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Definitions
Student
Organization the organization consists of 100 percent student
membership and all leadership positions must be filled by students.
Student members must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in the
Student Handbook.
Campus
Organization the organization consists of membership that may
include faculty, administrators, staff members or members of the surrounding
community. Responsibility for and leadership of these organizations
may rest with a faculty member, administrator or staff member and does
not solely rest with students. These organizations are not governed
by this policy.
Recognition
the one time chartering of a campus organization at Bridgewater
State College which permits the organization to use campus facilities,
resources and privileges.
Registration
the annual notification from a campus organization to the College
that the organization intends to be active during the current year.
Guidelines
for New Organizations
A. All
new student organizations must apply once for provisional recognition.
This application is made to the Student Activities
Office unless the new organization is a sport club which intends to
engage in competition with other colleges or sports clubs. Organizations
may remain on provisional status for up to three months from date of notification,
with exception made at the discretion of a BSC staff member in the designated
office. Provisional status will be granted to all clubs meeting the following
criteria:
- submission
of application for recognition
- minimum
of 2 members willing to serve as officers
- written
statement of purpose and/or constitution
B. All provisional
organizations are entitled to the following privileges during the provisional
period:
- use
of college facilities and services for organizational meetings and
recruitment activities
- use
of college advertising opportunities for recruitment purposes
- authorization
to establish a college account
C. By virtue
of their written statement of purpose, the Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip
may require that some new student groups gain approval from another
college department during this provisional period. For example, the
Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip cannot recognize a student honor society which
has not first gained approval from Academic Affairs.
D. During
the provisional period, all student groups are required to attend a
"Nuts and Bolts" session to learn college processes. In addition,
these groups will be assigned a Program Advisor from the Student Activities
staff.
E. At the
end of the provisional recognition period, a group must apply for full
recognition or disband.
Full Recognition
A. Full Recognition
may be granted during or at the end of the Provisional period according
to standards reasonable and sufficient to the College. These are likely
to include, but are not limited to:
- submission
of approved recognition form;
- agreement
to abide by all college policies including those applying to non-discrimination
and hazing;
- updated
constitition; and
- submitted
and approved advisor agreement form
B. Full recognition
from the college entitles organizations to the following:
- use
of college facilities
- use
of the college name as part of the organization's name
- services
provided by the college's offices including program advising, leadership
training, and event management
- funding
from the Student Government Association, if applicable
- participation
in college wide events (e.g., Activities Fairs)
- use
of an on campus-organization account and the College's tax-exempt
status
- option
to advertise through Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip publications
- copy
of the Student Organization Handbook
- ability
to conduct fundraising activities on campus
- ability
to establish an account at the Print Shop
- use
of a mailbox in the Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip
- ability
to obtain an organization email account and to create an organization
WEB page linked to the College home page
Withdrawal of Recognition
Recognition
may be withdrawn if any of the following conditions apply:
- the
organization's activities are not deemed conducive to the usual conduct
of life in a college community
- the
group has presented advocacy of views directed toward inciting or
producing imminent lawless action;
- the
group has failed to show a willingness to comply with reasonable college
regulations including use of facilities, approval of events, use of
funds, departmental guidelines, or recruiting policies;
- the
organization engages in any unlawful, disruptive or harassing activities
or behavior;
- fails
to register with sponsoring department for two consecutive semesters;
- recommendation
made by governing organization (e.g., Inter-Fraternity Council, SGA,
etc.)
- request
for voluntary "moratorium" submitted by student organization;
December 1999
Standards
for Representing the College
In order to
represent the undergraduate college in intercollegiate competition or
as and officer of a recognized club, organization, society, team, or governance
body, a student:
- must
not be on academic probation;
- must
be registered for classes at Bridgewater State College;
- must
not have completed undergraduate degree requirements; and
- must
have met governing body (SGA, NCAA, etc.) guidelines for participation.
- In cases
where full-time enrollment is a requirement for participation, students
with documented disability may request an accomodation to the campus
policy. Determination shall be made on a case-by-case basis following
normal petition and appeal processes.
Hazing
LEGISTATIVE
ACTION MAKES THE ACT OF HAZING UNLAWFUL IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE FOLLOWING
POLICY GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AT BRIDGEWATER STATE COLLEGE:
- Any
individual who is a principle organizer or participant in the crime
of hazing as defined herein shall be punished by a fine of not more
than $3000.00 or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not
more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
- The
term "hazing" shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into
any student organization, whether on public or private property, which
willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of
any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping,
berating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to weather, forced
consumption or any food, liquor, beverage, drug, or other substance,
or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is
likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such
student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended
deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.
- Any
individual who knows that another person is the victim of hazing as
defined above and is at the scene of such crime shall, to the extent
that such person can do so without danger or peril to himself or others,
report such crime to the Vice President of Student Affairs or appropriate
law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practical. Failure
to report such crime shall be punished by a fine of not more than
$1000.00.
- An individual
in alleged violation of the Hazing Policy may not use consent as a
defense to any prosecution.
- Bridgewater
State College shall issue every group or organization under its authority
or operating on or in conjunction with its campus or school, and to
every member, plebe, pledge, or applicant for membership in such group
or organization, and each individual receivinga copy of this policy
shall sign an acknowledgement stating that such group, organization
or individual has received a copy of the Hazing Policy.
Planning
Events
On-Campus:
- Any
event sponsored by a recognized club/organization requires signed
approval from the Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip.
- Your
event is not confirmed until you have received approval from the Student
Activities Office.
- The
sponsoring organization assumes full responsibility for any/ all activities
related to this event.
- You
must still complete a reservation request form.
Off-Campus:
- Any
event sponsored by a recognized club/organization requires signed
approval from the Office of Student Involvment and Leaderhip.
- Your
event is not confirmed until you have received approval from the Student
Activities Office.
- Each
event must have an administrative representative present throughout
the duration of the event.
- Each
event must have a police detail, either sponsored by the event site
or the sponsoring organization.
- The
sponsoring organization assumes full responsibility for any/all activities
related to this event.
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