POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES GOVERNING STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY

ACADEMIC SENATE POLICY S79-46

At its meeting of April 17, 1979, the Academic Senate approved the following policies and principles governing student organizations at SFSU:

1. The University has ultimate responsibility for all co-curricular activities including student organizations at San Francisco State University. This responsibility is delegated to the University Student Activities Office.

2. The Student Activities Office supports the basic right of students to organize and join associations to promote their common interests. The Student Activities Office provides resources and professional advice to student organizations regarding programs, activities, policies and procedures. It assists in the development of new organizations and the reorientation of existing ones to meet new needs in the educational community.

Types of organizations include: religious or faith groups, social groups, recreational groups, professional and honorary societies, groups affiliated with academic departments of the University, service groups, special interest groups, political and social-action groups.

3. The Director of Student Activities shall act in all matters of recognition suspension and withdrawal of recognition of student organizations in accordance with University policy.

The Director of Student Activities shall develop procedures for obtaining recognition for student organizations.

In disputed cases concerning recognition, suspension, or withdrawal of recognition, the Director of Student Activities shall convene an appeals committee for final review and resolution of the case. This appeals committee shall consist of: the Director of Student Activities, the Dean of Student Affairs or designee, three members of the Associated Students to be appointed by the President of the Associated Students, and a representative of the Student Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate to be appointed by the Chair of that Committee.

4. To obtain recognition, students must submit a Student Organization Recognition Form to be renewed each year. The Recognition Form will be reviewed by the Student Activities Office. The Student Activities Office may ask members or prospective members of the organization for further clarification of organizational material prior to approval. The Student Activities Office then will notify the organization within ten working days on action with regard to the proposed organization.

Student organizations must meet the following six requirements to obtain recognition status at San Francisco State University:

A. Membership shall be open to students of San Francisco State University regardless of race, national origin, creed or political affiliation, sex (in accordance with Title IX), sexual preference, religion, or handicap.

B. The organization must not affiliate with local, state, or national organizations which require affiliates to support specific positions within the areas of economic, political, or social issues which contravene University policies (such policies are on file in the Student Activities Office).

C. The organization must file with the Student Activities Office a copy of the current constitution and/or by-laws by which it is governed. An organization affiliated with a national, state, or local group shall keep on file in the Student Activities Office a current copy of the constitution/by-laws of its related group.

D. The organization shall obtain an advisor from the faculty of the University.

E. All organization officers must be in good academic standing with the University and must maintain a minimum of six (6) units and a grade point average of 2.0 during their terms of office.

F. The organization shall follow the procedures for recognition as established by the Director of Student Activities.

5. Recognized student organizations will have the following rights and privileges:

A. Scheduling the use of University facilities for meetings and events.

B. The use of professional services of the Student Activities Office in developing programs and planning events.

C. The use of the name of the University in organization correspondence and publicity.

D. The right to request financial subsidy and other services from the Associated Students.

E. The right to use the University as its mailing address (mailboxes in Student Activities Office).

F. The privilege of the use of publicity media of the campus bulletin boards, master and weekly calendars plus assistance in planning and executing publicity campaigns.

6. Responsibilities of a recognized organization:

A. To manage itself within the framework of the University and the Associated Students' policies, and the provisions of the organization's constitution/by-laws.

B. To conduct its fiscal operations in accord with proper standards of business management set forth by the Auxiliary Accounting Office.

C. To work with its selected faculty advisor, the Student Activities Office, and the Associated Students to enhance the purposes and plans of the organization for the benefit of its members and the University.

7. Each semester the Director of Student Activities shall present a Student Organization Recognition Report to a review board. This board shall consist of the same membership as the aforementioned appeals committee. The report shall include:

A. The number of organizations recognized.

B. The various types of organizations recognized.

C. An overview of the purpose of each organization recognized.

**APPROVED BY PRESIDENT ROMBERG, APRIL 20,1979**