Student Organization Officer Training

Fall 2017

SOOT Manual

(Student Organization Officer Training)

Some material in this handbook is adapted from the University of New Hampshire

Student Organization Manual with permission.

University Contact Info

Coordinator of Student Government Operations

Ray 207-228-8503

Accounting Support Specialist, SGA Office

Drew 207-228-8503

Advisor to Student Senate

Rodney 207-780-4035

Advisor to BSO

Alex 207-780-5624

Campus Departments

Community EngagementSamantha Frisk, Coordinator of Service Learning

& Career Development140 Luther Bonney, Portland 228-8284

Computing Services Help Desk144 Luther Bonney, Portland 780-4029

ConferencesAbromson Center, Portland 780-5960

Dining ServicesWoodbury Campus Center, Portland 780-4039

Gorham Brooks Student Center, Gorham 780-5420

Facilities Management25 Bedford Street, Portland 780-4160

30 University Way, Gorham 780-5226

Instructional Technology231 Luther Bonney, Portland 780-4280

& Media Services3 Bailey Hall, Gorham 780-5356

Space and SchedulingDiane Berry 780-5616

USM Public SafetyUpton Hall, Gorham 780-5211

Sullivan Complex, Portland

Board of Student Organizations (BSO)

Fall 2017 Meeting Schedule

Fridays 10:00am – 12:00pm

September 1510 BaileyGorham

October 6241 Luther BonneyPortland

October 27113 BaileyGorham

November 17241 Luther BonneyPortland

December 810 BaileyGorham

Contact:

For More Information on Student Organizations

46th STUDENT SENATE

Fall 2017 Meeting Schedule Fridays 1:00pm – 4:00pm

September 15166 Upton-HastingsGorham

September 291 Payson-SmithPortland

October 13166 Upton-HastingsGorham

October 271 Payson-SmithPortland

November166 Upton-HastingsGorham

November42 Payson-SmithPortland

December 8166 Upton-HastingsGorham

Proposals must be submitted to the Vice-Chair of the Student Senate no later than 7:00PM each Wednesday to appear on the agenda for that given week. Proposals must be complete and should be dropped off at the Student Government Offices, at 152 Woodbury Campus Center.

Please contactTrevor Hustus, Senate Vice-Chair, for more information on proposal process at 228-8501 or

Proposal forms can be found at

For further information, please contact

SOME HOW-TO’S

TO HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION

(For SGA and BSO Groups)

Photocopying

-Student organizations can sign up for a copy code and use the photocopier in the SGA Business Office.

-You must fill out a Purchase Order and submit it to the Coordinator of Student Government Operations, Ray Dumont, prior to receiving a code.

Making Long Distance Phone Calls

-Student organizations can sign up for a long-distance calling code and use any campus phone to make calls.

-You must fill out a Purchase Order and a calling code request form in the SGA Business Office.

-All calls are billed through USM Telecommunications and will be charged to your student organization account.

Updating Contact and Meeting Information

-It is imperative that you keep your organization’s officer and public contact information up-to-date.

-Visit the Campus Life website at submit your updated contact information on-line.

Changing Your Organization’s Constitution

-If you wish to make changes to your organization’s constitution (including name changes), you must submit a proposal form (found at to the Student Senate Parliamentarian.

-Once received, the Student Senate Constitutional Review Committee will review the proposal. They may contact you with questions or to ask you to attend their meeting.

-The proposal will be heard and voted on by the Student Senate.

-Upon approval or disapproval, your organization will be notified.

Registering Your Events

Part of the responsibility of running a student group is making sure that you are keeping the University and the SGA Business Office informed about any events you are organizing/sponsoring. This is also extremely important information for students to know. ALL events MUST be registered with our offices at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Please use our online Event Registration Form at

Reserve Space On Campus

Call Diane Berry at Space & Scheduling, 780-5616, to reserve campus space. Exception: Abromson Center room reservations should be directed to Conferences, 780-5960.

Accessing Student Activity Fee:

Student Senate Monetary Proposals

If a BSO group, Student Senate entity, or individual student would like to request Student Activity Fee funding for some sort of special event or trip, the Senate can help! Senate funding can be requested for many things, including a trip or conference that you or your group would like to attend, or an event that you would like to host. Your group can request Senate funding by filling out a Student Senate Proposal Form( from within the “Student Senate” pull-down menu.

How to Fill Out a Student Senate Proposal Form:

• General Information - Fill in this section of the form with your group’s name, your name, and your email address. Once you have completed the rest of the form, bring your proposal to a Senator, explain it to the Senator, and ask that she or he be its sponsor. If the Senator agrees to sponsor your proposal, she or he will sign their name on the line designated for the Signature of the Senator Sponsoring on the form.

Additionally in this section, you must provide a brief description of your proposed event or trip. Where and when will it take place? Who will be attending (students, faculty, staff, the community?) and how many people are expected to come?

• Proposal Information – In this section of the form, you must check a box to signify that your proposal is a funding request.

• Additional Information Form for Monetary Requests – Begin filling out this section by specifying the name of the account that you would like your funding request to come out of. Generally, you will fill in “Unallocated” on this line. The Senator sponsoring your proposal will let you know if a different account should be used.

Next you must specify the person(s) and/or company(s) to whom you will be making payments associated with your funding request expenses. Fill in this area with the name(s) of the person(s) and company(s) who will be paid for the expenses associated with your funding request.

• Budget Request - This section of the form requires you to list each expense item associated with the trip or event that you would like to request funding for, how much you expect each item to cost, and the total amount of money your group would like to request to cover each cost. Using the drop-down menu in the field next to Budget Item, select the type of expense you expect to incur (Food, Lodging, Publicity, Services, Transportation, or Other). Then, list out the cost of the item in the designated Expense Amount field, and the amount of funding that you are requesting to cover that cost in the Funds Requested field. Repeat for each expense item associated with the proposal. In the designated space, write out the total amount of your funding request.

NOTE: Keep in mind that there is a $250 per student limit for each proposal. This does not preclude an individual student from receiving funds on multiple proposals during the fiscal year.

The next three questions on the proposal form ask you to describe any fundraising that your group has already done to help offset the expenses associated with your trip or event, explain why the request for funding is important to the success of your trip or event, and discuss any activities or events that you have been involved in that would help the Senate make a decision about your proposal. You are also given the opportunity to attach to the proposal a document containing any additional information that might supplement your request and aid the Senate in making a decision.

Once you have finished filling out the Student Senate Monetary Proposal Form, place one copy in the mailbox of the Student Senate Vice Chair (located in 141 Woodbury Campus Center). Email another copy of the form to: . The Vice Chair will refer your proposal to an appropriate Senate committee for discussion and consideration. The proposal will then be placed on the agenda for discussion and decision at an upcoming Senate meeting. It would be extremely helpful for you and members of your group to attend the Senate meeting at which your proposal will be discussed, so that you can answer any questions that may arise.

Accessing Funds as a Member of the BSO

(Board of Student Organizations)

You are a part of one of the largest student body organizations on campus, serving more than 50 student groups and thousands of students who are and are not directly involved in them.

Every year, Student Government is allocatedalmost $400,000 in Student Activity Fee (SAF) money to allocate across the University. The SAFthat you pay as part of your semester’s tuition is parceled out to entities like the Free Press, WMPG, the Gorham Campus Activities Boards (G-CAB), and the Commuter Student Association. Around $60,000 comes to the BSO every year, which in turn is allocated to the student groups that make funding proposals.

There are two ways your student group can get money from the BSO.

1)Apply for money from the Group Operating Budget (GOB)

2)Apply for BSO Special Projects funding.

What is a Group Operating Budget (GOB)?

Instead of giving groups a fixed budget for the year, groups can apply for “budget” money on an as-needed basis. Hopefully, this will prevent the thousands of dollars that have historically gone untouched in student accounts and have had to be forfeited back to the Senate every June!

GOB money is available to cover groups’ administrative costs:

- Advertising- Promotional items (t-shirts, etc)

- Equipment- Repairs and Maintenance

- Office Supplies- Subscriptions

- Photocopying, Postage, Printing

Each group can access up to $1,000 of GOB money per year, but groups must apply for the funding from the BSO. Note: GOB funds can no longer be used to supply food at group meetings. Rather, fund-raised money can be allocated for that purpose.

How to Apply for GOB Funding

To apply for GOB funds:

1)Your group fills out a GOB Request form (available on the BSO website) and submits it electronically to the BSO E-board.

2)Requests under $500 can be approved/denied by the BSO E-board at its regular meetings. Requests in excess of $500 MUST be reviewed/vetted by the BSO assembly at the next regularly scheduled BSO meeting. (This includes groups that have cumulatively received over $500 during the fiscal year.)

3)Requests to be reviewed at the BSO meeting MUST be submitted by 3:00pm onMonday, the week of the meeting.

4)A representative from your group will present the request, fielding any questions the Committee members might have.

5)After discussion, the E-board or BSO assembly (depending on the case) will vote to accept or deny the request. It may also choose to amend the request before making a final decision.

6)If your request has been approved, funds will be transferred to your account.

7)PURCHASE ORDERS MUST BE FILLED OUT TO SPEND THE FUNDS. The approval alone does not constitute permission to spend.

8)Any money you are awarded that does not get spent (if you are under budget or students drop out) goes back into the GOB account so that other groups can use it!

• If your group needs GOB money in excess of the $1,000 cap, requests will be presented to the BSO body to be discussed and decided at the next BSO meeting.
• You CANNOT access GOB money until your group is SOOT certified. If uncertified groups wish to use GOB money, their requests will need to go through the BSO body at the next BSO meeting.
• New student groups may immediately access up to $50 in GOB money (“Start-up funds”) upon official recognition by the BSO. They will access the remaining $950 in the same manner as established groups. To access these Start-up funds, a simple request via e-mail to Ray Dumont () will suffice.

How do I Fill Out a GOB Request Form?

A sample GOB request form is shown below. The form is double sided.

BOARD OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Student Group Operating Budget Request Form

Please submit a completed form to the BSO Office and an electronic copy to .

Forms are due no later than 4:30PM, five business days prior to the next scheduled BSO Budget

Committee meeting. The BSO Office is located in 152 Woodbury Campus Center, on the Portland

Campus. Operating Budget funds may be requested up to the amount of $1,000 per academic year,

with the final amount to be determined by the BSO Budget Committee.

General Information

Name of Organization The Journalist Society .

Contact Person Submitting Proposal Tela Forbin .

Contact Email . Contact phone # 207-123-4567 .

Amount Requested

Operating Expenses

Advertising (Newspaper, Radio, etc)
Equipment
Office Supplies
Photocopying/Printing / $ 400.00
Postage / $ 25.00
Subscriptions
Promotional Items (t-shirts, etc)
Repairs & Maintenance

Total Operating Budget

$ 425.00

On-Campus Events

Speakers/Performers
Rental Fees (Equipment, Materials, etc.) / $ 100.00
Police/Safety Coverage
Set-Up Fees (DFM, Cash Bars, Tables, etc)

Total On-Campus Event Expenses

$ 100.00

Other Expenses

Total On-Campus Event Expenses

$ 525.00

GOB Request Form – Page 1

GOB Request Form – Page 2

BSO Special Projects Funding

All off-campus events, trips, etc (anything not covered under GOB funds) are expected to be paid for by fundraised money and student contributions. Groups can also apply for Special Projects money—a request is brought before the BSO body, who discusses, amends, and approves or denies funding.

Student groups can access up to $250 per student, per event.

Any Special Projects proposal of $5,000 or more MUST also be approved by the Student Senate. Proposals that need dual approvals will be given priority for consideration at the nextscheduled Senate meeting.

Steps:

1)Your group fills out a Special Projects request form (available on the BSO website) and submits it electronically to the BSO E-board Monday prior to the BSO meeting at which you would like it discussed.

2)At the BSO meeting, your group representative presents the request to the BSO body, detailing the event, how it is being funded, expected attendance, and other basic information.

3)The BSO then moves into discussion. The representative or other group members present are expected to be able to answer all questions regarding the request.

4)The BSO then votes to accept or deny the request. It may also choose to amend the request, cutting funds but still granting money toward the event.

5)Once a group has been granted Special Projects funds, the money is deposited into their group account. Purchase Orders need to be filled out in order for checks to be cut to the appropriate parties.

6)A BSO group may request up to $250 per semester directly from the BSO Executive Committee by submitting a proposal up to 3 business days prior to the next BSO E-board meeting.

Any money that was approved but does not get used goes back into the BSO Special Projects account so another group can use it!

How do I Fill Out a Special Projects Proposal Form?

A sample Special Projects proposal form is shown below. The form is double sided.

Special Projects Proposal Form – Page 1

Special Projects Proposal Form – Page 2

Other Ways to Raise Money for Your Group:

Fundraising and Student Contributions

Fundraising

In the BSO, fundraised money is the best kind of money—you don’t have to ask for it, it’s accessible all year round, and it rolls over year to year!! Plus if we know you’re working to get money, we’re much more likely to want to give you large chunks of our Special Projects and GOB money when you ask for it!

Three important things to remember with fundraising:

1)We need to know you’re doing it. Fundraisers both on-campus and off attract attention, and the E-Board and Business Office need to be able to field any questions that might come in. If you’re doing a carwash in the WalMart parking lot and we get a phone call about it or about your group, we don’t want to be taken by surprise!!

2)If you’re soliciting donations from local businesses (a great way to get money for specific trips or events!), we need a list of companies you’re going to be asking. Again, this helps us field phone calls from companies, who may be calling to see if you’re a legitimate group doing legitimate fundraising! Letting us know also prevents groups from asking businesses who are off-limits (for example Hannaford, who has already given substantial funding to USM).

3)All the money you raise needs to be turned in to the Business Office and deposited into your account within 24 hours of the fundraiser. We want to avoid lots of hands touching your money, and lots of time elapsing between your receiving it and our receiving it—as we all can attest to, cash is very, very easy to lose!

Student Contributions

Although we’re all poor college kids, the BSO can’t pay for everything!! Student contributions are commonly a part of off-campus events like trips and conferences. For example, students will often pay for their own plane tickets but get money from the BSO for a hotel.

It is very important that all student contributions come through the Business Office! Contributions must be deposited into your group account, and then purchase orders are made out and a check is cut to whoever you’re paying. This may seem inconvenient, but because the BSO is ultimately held responsible for how groups are spending their money, it all needs to go in and out through our office. The best and easiest way to do this is to have students pay their contributions directly to the Business Office! They can go in, talk to the work-study student on duty, make a deposit into your group account, and get a receipt, without money needing to travel through anyone else’s hands!