Student Organizations Committee

Meeting Time/Location: Tuesday 12-1pm,  MCSG Office (CC235)

SOC Chair Office Hours: MF: 11am-1pm, T: 10am-12pm

Contact Us: soc@macalester.edu

Information on chartering a new org can be found here.

Student Organizations Committee Bylaws:

Article V. Section 2. The Student Organizations Committee (SOC)The duties of the SOC shall include:

• Chartering
  • When a new student organization is chartered, it will be designated as either a budgeting or non-budgeting student organization.
    • A budgeting student organization is defined as a student run institution that has one of the following:
      • Demonstrated history of large, re-occuring, specific events that necessitate future planning and budgeting
      • Consistent capital needs
      • Demonstrably large active member base (10 + members)
    • A non budgeting student organization is defined as a student run institution that fails to meet the requirements for being a budgeting student organization.
  • Shall charter student organizations using the procedure laid out in article XI.
• Auditing
  • Each year, 1/3rd of student organizations will be audited for the following information:
    • A list of current leadership.
    • Inventory of capital purchases.
    • Recent and upcoming events and activities.
    • Assignment of each student organization active, probational, or inactive status.
    • Any other information that the SOC Chair and/or SOC Committee members see fit.
  • Student Organizations that fail to audit are not eligible to receive $200 in Flexifunds or the ability to file additional allocation requests.
  • The SOC may audit organizations at any time.
    • To conduct an audit, the SOC must fulfill two stipulations. First, a majority vote of the SOC must be achieved. Second, the SOC must ensure the organization under consideration for an audit meets one (or more) of the following criteria:
      • The organization experienced, or is experiencing, either intra-organization or inter-organization conflict that inhibits the proper functioning of a/an organization(s).
        • In regards to individuals (intra-organization conflict), conflict is defined as: when a member, or members, of the organization experienced, or are experiencing, harassment, bullying, or are otherwise made to feel uncomfortable.
        • In regards to multiple organizations (inter-organization conflict), conflict is defined as either: (1) when the organization or its members, through actions conducted in relation to their organization, fulfill the definition of intra-organization conflict supplied above, or (2) the organization or its members, through actions conducted in relation to their organization, infringe on another organization’s ability to fulfill its purpose.
      • The organization fails to respond to three (3) or more communication attempts by the SOC or SOC staff advisor.
      • The organization misuses space, capital, or their funding.
      • The organization failed to submit a budget to the FAC and did not get approval from the FAC.
      • The organization failed to send a representative to SOLO training.
  • • In conducting the audit, the SOC must notify the organization to be audited of their need to appear before the SOC within fourteen (14) days.
      • The SOC must provide the organization with the following courtesies:
        • The SOC must inform the organization as to the above criteria (under section 2, subsection c, point i) that necessitated their summoning.
        • The SOC must inform MCSG’s LB of the audit during the next LB meeting following the auditing decision.
  • Guidelines for Auditing
    • Each student organization will be audited once every three years, with newly-chartered organizations being audited at the end of their one-year trial period.
    • The student organizations will be split into three on a rotating yearly basis, with one group being audited in the spring of each year.
    • The Chair will announce to student organizations the deadlines of the evaluation process at least two weeks in advance.
    • Evaluation forms will be distributed to organizational chairs that will detail the status and programming of the organization.
    • The Student Organization Committee will evaluate each student organization’s performance based on the following criteria:
      • Impact on Macalester College Community.
      • Past Performance.
      • Leadership.
      • Consistency with past year’s projected programming.
      • Any other criteria the SOC shall submit to the LB for approval.
    • The results of the audits shall be presented in the form of a report to the LB for its approval.
    • The SOC will meet with the FAC to discuss each organization’s status and the performance report, which will be used by the FAC in the budgeting process.
• The SOC in conjunction with the President, the FAC, and Campus Programs office, shall organize the training program for new student organization leaders in the fall of each year.
• The SOC and the FAC shall collaborate in the following points:
  • The SOC shall advise the FAC on funding decisions.
  • The SOC shall follow up with student organization leaders on their events to determine their success and what changes may need to occur in the future.
• The SOC shall allocate available student spaces in consultation with the Campus Programs office.
  • The SOC shall publicize available student spaces to student organizations at least once a semester.
  • The timing of space allocations will be made at the discretion of the SOC chair.
  • Space allocation requests will be made using the appropriate form on OrgSync.
• Membership
  • Five (5)LB members will be assigned to the SOC.
  • These five (5) SOC members will be assigned as liaisons to groups of orgs; each org will have one liaison.
• The SOC will coordinate the ‘Org Adviser of the Year’ nomination and selection in March of each year.
• The SOC shall coordinate the meal donation program with Bon Appetit each semester (prior to fall break and spring break).