Southern Oregon University : Inter-Club Council : Guildelines

Inter-Club Council

Operational Guidelines

Inter-Club Council Guidelines

Function of The Inter-club Council
The Council's primary function is to:
1. Allocate funds to recognized clubs/organizations.
2. Coordinate and share information about campus club/organization activities
3. Promote collaborative efforts amongst campus clubs and organizations.
Structural Outline

The Inter-Club Council is composed of a representative from each of the registered student clubs and organizations on campus. Representation is mandatory for all organizations in order to be eligible for Council funding. Meetings are held four times per term (or more often if needed). One absence is allowed per term to still be eligible for Council funding. A minimum of 15 clubs must be in attendance to conduct official business. Clubs will wait 10 minutes from the official meeting start time to see if additional Council members show before declaring "No Quorum" for the meeting.

It takes a vote of only 50% +1 members present to decide issues other than guideline changes. A two-thirds majority vote of the Council members is required to rehear an issue or to change the ICC Guidelines.

Members may represent more than 1 club during ICC meetings regarding attendance. However, a member shall have only 1 vote on decisions regardless of how many clubs are being represented.

Co-Speakers, a Secretary, and an Ambassador to EAAC are elected for the year by a majority vote at the final Council meeting each Spring Quarter. Officers can be impeached for a violation of Council rules by a 2/3 vote of the Council. Officers are allowed two unexcused absences and no more than three absences to retain their office. Officers must notify the Associate Director of Student Activities in advance for the absence to be excused. An election to fill any vacant offices will be held at the first possible ICC meeting.

Co-Speakers:
1. Discusses agenda items in cooperation with the Coordinator of Multicultural & Student Activities
2. Presides at and conducts meetings in an orderly fashion
3. Strictly monitors time during hearing process
4. Calls officer meetings
5. Meet with club assistant and advisor before weekly meetings
Secretary:
1. Takes and types minutes
2. Sends minutes to advisor after each meeting
Ambassador:
1. Serves on EAAC
2. Represents the Council to SFC, the Faculty Senate and ASSOU
Club Assistant Advisor
1. Creates agenda
2. Organizes fund requests and keeps a running balance of the budget
3. Meets with Co-speakers and advisor before each weekly meeting
The Council is advised by the Associate Director for Student Activities on budget, event, funding, operational, and administrative matters.
Allocation Of Funds

The amount of funding available to student clubs and organizations for each academic year is determined through the Student Fee process in the spring of the preceding school year. These funds are to be used to help groups operate or in subsidizing/sponsoring those events that are designed to complement the further development of the organization. I.E. speakers, seminars, workshops, films, travel, supplies, etc.

ICC has developed the following guidelines to be used in allocating funds to student clubs and organizations:
1. Events must be open to the entire student body.
2. There is a $50 cap per year on allocations for club food parties.
When granting funding the following priorities will be used:
1. Enriches student body
2. On-campus events, projects, programs
3. Benefit-to-cost ratio (i.e. those events and programs which serve the greatest number of students).
4. Late budgets are assessed the following penalty:
  1. 10% off each fund request for budgets up to one week late
  2. 20% off each fund request for budgets between one and two weeks late
  3. Budgets more than two weeks late will not be considered at all.
5. After funds have been approved, it is the responsibility of the organization to arrange appropriate methods of disbursing funds with the Stevenson Union Office.
6. Funds may only be received by individuals through reimbursement.
7. Resolution of the expenses for any event should take place within 30 days following that event. This deadline may be altered by requesting an extension from the Stevenson Union Office.
8. All unused funds revert back to ICC at the end of the quarter.
9. A report outlining how many individuals (student and non-student) attended the event must be submitted to the Associate Director for Student Activities for all events funded through ICC. Additional funding will not be granted until the report is on file.
10. Clubs receiving funding for travel must also submit a written report or conduct a workshop about the trip taken/information learned.
Operational Guidelines

The Council controls the allocation of these funds and has established the following procedures by which student organizations can request money. Procedure
1. Fund Requests are turned in to the office of Student Activities (Requests are accepted after last the meeting the previous term)
2. Budgets are presented to ICC in the order they are received
3. ICC asks questions, discusses, and votes on the fund requests
4. Funds may be reimbursed for the amount allotted by ICC
5. Funds should not be spent before they are approved.
6. Fund requests for the yearly recruitment party must be turned in, but are automatically funded to groups in good standing with ICC Meetings
ICC meetings are held Wednesdays, from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Room location is determined by the office of Student Activities. After the final budget deadline each term ICC may decide to adjust the length of the meeting to hear all fund requests in one meeting. There must be a 2/3 majority vote to lengthen the meeting. This is done on a quarterly basis.

Schedule

Fall Term
1. Club Registration due Second Friday of the term
2. Fund Requests due Third Friday of the Term
3. ICC Meetings begin the Fourth Wednesday of the Term
Winter Term
1. Fund Requests due First Friday of the Term
2. ICC Meetings begin the Second Wednesday of the Term
Spring Term
1. Fund Requests due First Friday of the Term
2. ICC meetings begin the Second Wednesday of the Term
Presentations
1. Review of the fund requests can begin at the first ICC meeting if time permits.
2. Fund requests will be reviewed in the order they were received by the office of Student Activities.
3. When a fund request is presented to the Council, the club has:
  1. Five minutes per proposal
  2. A maximum of 15 minutes if the club has more than one proposal
4. If an organization's representative is not in attendance, the budget cannot be considered and will be placed at the bottom of the request list.
5. Organizational representatives should be able to answer questions knowledgeably about their events at the Council meeting when funds are being requested.
6. When presenting a budget a club should include the following information:
  1. The specific line-item expenditures and why they are needed
  2. The students and community served and/or enriched by the request
  3. Any fundraising in which the club currently does/planning
  4. Any community service in which the club currently participates
  5. How their club will benefit from the fund request
  6. If Applicable: How information will be brought back to campus (i.e. requests to attend conferences)
  7. If Applicable: Why the request is necessary for the club to operate (i.e. supplies)
Process
1. After the presentation the body will go into discussion, which can include questioning of the requesting group.
2. Upon conclusion of discussion a vote will be taken. Simple majority is necessary to approve or reject budgets.
3. A second motion can be made if the first motion fails.
4. If the motion fails a second time, the budget goes to the bottom of the consideration list. Individual budgets not approved after two attempts can be referred to EAAC.
5. In the event the budget is not approved, the organization has five school days to appeal the Council's decision. The appeal must be in writing, with grounds specified, to be reviewed by the Educational Activities Advisory Committee. The decision of the EAAC can also be appealed by filing a written explanation within five school days to the Student Fee Committee.
6. Any reversal of a Council decision by EAAC can be appealed by the Council to the SFC within five school days.
7. Budgets can only be approved for the current academic year. All unused funds revert back to ICC at the end of each quarter.
8. Funding granted by ICC will be rescinded if a club/organization misses more than one meeting in a term. Attendance will be taken at the beginning and at the end of each meeting. If a Council member was originally at the meeting and had to leave before the end of the meeting, the club will receive a one-half absence towards their one allowable absence. The club/organization would have to reapply for funding during the next quarter.
9. A report outlining how many individuals (student and non-student) attended the event must be submitted to the Associate Director for Student Activities for all events funded through ICC. Additional funding will not be granted until the report is on file.
10. Clubs receiving funding for travel must also submit a written report or conduct a workshop about the trip taken/information learned.
Coordination Of Campus Activities

In addition to allocating Student Fee funds in support of club/organization activities the Council may choose by a 2/3 majority vote to sponsor activities as a Council. Planning would be conducted during regular Council meeting times and job assignments given accordingly.
Optional Workshops

From time to time mini-workshops on a variety of leadership topics will be offered to Council members at the end of regularly scheduled meetings as a way of sharing information with SOU's clubs/organizations.

Guidelines updated by unanimous vote at ICC meeting April 22, 2009