Student Organizations Handbook
Student Organizations Handbook
The purpose of student organizations at William Mitchell College of Law is to promote life balance and to provide opportunities for enhancement of the academic, cultural, social, and recreational aspects of student life. Through participation in programs and activities, student organizations and their members play a vital educational and social role at William Mitchell and contribute to a campus rich with energy and opportunity for the development of our students.
This handbook will acquaint you with policies and procedures regarding student organizations on campus and will assist your organization in effectively using college services.
The Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Student Life serves as a liaison to student organizations and maintains an up-to-date list of organizations, their officers, and any pertinent contact information.
Students interested in starting an organization should complete and submit the online registration form.
Non-credit student organizations, regardless of special focus, must be open to all students. Upon approval from the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life and upon concluding that sufficient student interest in the organization exists, a representative of the group must submit the following to the Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life studentlife@wmitchell.edu:
See: Information and guidelines for creating constitutions and by-laws PDF, 33 Kb
There are several ways to gather interested members and officers to join an organization, including:
The New Student Orientation Picnic offers an opportunity for organizations to inform entering students about the organization. Make arrangements to participate with the Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Student Life
Submit an announcement about your organization to the Docket.
Promote your organization's activities. Submit an event to the Docket. In addition to the Docket calendar, events appear on the William Mitchell home page and the video monitors around campus as the event date draws near. Please submit event information at least two business days prior to your event.
If an organization has been approved in the past but is currently inactive, a representative must submit the following to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life to re-activate the organization:
When a new organization is approved during the academic year, it may request funding from the Student Bar Association (SBA). Representatives of the group should contact the SBA President or Treasurer. Funding for mid-year requests will fluctuate from year-to-year depending on available resources and number of active organizations. Assuming the SBA is comfortable with the student organization, the level of organization of its officers, and the availability of funds, the SBA makes its best effort to help student organizations get started with a reasonable budget.
The SBA allocates its annual budget through a hearing process at the beginning of the academic year. Procedures and deadlines are typically posted in the Docket. Organization leaders are also welcome to contact the SBA Treasurer.
Financial transactions for student organizations are conducted through the SBA Treasurer and the Finance Department of the college. Student organization requests for expense reimbursements should be submitted to the SBA Treasurer. The Treasurer will forward the reimbursement request to the Finance Department. Questions regarding expenses should be directed to the SBA Treasurer.
Student leaders in each organization are responsible for a smooth leadership transition from one year to the next. In order to ensure the best likelihood for a successful funding request, student organization leaders must identify a means to smoothly transition the leadership of the organization from one year to the next. This is best handled by:
This department provides the following services for written materials:
Main (Summit Avenue) Entrance - This department provides the following services:
There is a security guard at the desk during all hours that the college is open, but they do not assist with the above services. Please request assistance for these services during the above posted times.
Contact:Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life
The Docketis a dynamic campus newsletter posted on the William Mitchell Web site. It contains a wide range of announcements about student events, room changes, student jobs, competitions, financial aid, etc. Special events and meeting announcements may be submitted to the Docket.
Students are able to post items to the Docket through the “Submit an Announcement” and “Submit an Event” options. For instructions on submitting see the “Posting Instructions” link on the Docket. Items do not post immediately. Upon submission they are sent to an editor who edits them and then posts them, usually within one business day and often shortly after submitted.
Effective use of the Docket as a marketing tool: When using the Docket to promote events, the following sample guidelines may prove helpful:
General Use Rooms
Room reservations are scheduled at the Switchboard/ Information Desk – Summit Avenue Entrance. To reserve, contact
Small Group Study Rooms in the Library
The small group study rooms on the lower level of the library are intended primarily as student group study rooms. They are scheduled at the Library circulation desk.
There is a wide range of multimedia equipment available to student organizations. To request equipment, fill out a request form at least one working week before you need the equipment or services. The forms are located in the Central Services Center, room 121. Place the completed forms in the audiovisual mailbox outside of the Central Services Center or give them directly to a member of the multimedia staff. There is no charge for this service. Contact:
Temporary parking permits for speakers and guests may be obtained from the
Switchboard/Information Desk – Summit Avenue Entrance. If you expect a large crowd for a function, speak with:
The poster and distribution policy is designed to maintain an orderly appearance on campus while reducing maintenance costs (painting, wallpapering, etc.) of campus buildings. Students may post notices on stairwell bulletin boards. Items posted on painted, glass, or wallpapered surfaces will be removed.