Tips to Get Your Organizations Ready for the School Year!

August and September are a busy time of the year for student organizations. In many cases, students have transitioned into their leadership executive board roles. Many students stepping into these officer positions are first-time leaders, and while very excited to have their new leadership role, may feel overwhelmed. We wanted to provide you with ways to aid in the leadership development of these students throughout the year.  Below is a check-list of items Advisors can use as a tool to assist their current student leaders, and help new student leaders properly prepare to lead their student organizations.

Assisting Current Student Leaders

❏    Student Orientation

• ❏    Identify resources on campus (pro-staff and offices/departments)
• ❏    Receive needed materials from the student involvement office
  • ❏    Handbooks
  • ❏    Advisor information
    • ❏    Email
    • ❏    Office Phone Number
    • ❏    Office Location
  • ❏    Important dates throughout the academic year
• ❏    Attended Mandatory and Optional Trainings
• ❏    Use of Online Resources
• ❏    Complete Your Goal Setting Map
  • ❏    One month goal
  • ❏    Three month goal
  • ❏    Six month goal
  • ❏    One year goal
• ❏    Utilize Conflict Management Styles and Other Self Aware Styles
  • ❏    StrengthsQuest
  • ❏    The 5 Love Language
  • ❏    True Colors Personality Quiz
  • ❏    Leading versus Managing
  • ❏    Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI)
• ❏    Schedule Checkpoint Meetings with Advisor
  • ❏    Beginning of the school year
  • ❏    At the end of each quarter/ semester
  • ❏    Whenever feeling unsure
• ❏    Establish a strong relationship with your organization
• ❏    Learn the needed skills specific to your student organization and the most effective ways to prepare for a successful event/meeting
• ❏    Continue to participate in the organization’s events
  • ❏    Post-event learning, including a debriefing session designed to capture the lessons of the experience

In addition, students usually pass down binders and information full of content that new leaders may not fully review before the start of the academic school year. As an advisor, provide this checklist of items to your incoming officers to make sure they get/ have access to important student organization information.

Information Needed to Ensure a Successful Start of the Year 

❏    Passwords

• ❏    Email Accounts
• ❏    Social Media Accounts
• ❏    Websites
• ❏    Membership listserv

❏    Bank Account Information

• ❏    Bank Name
• ❏    Bank Account Number & Routing Number
• ❏    Tax Identification Number

❏    Mailbox/Storage Information

• ❏    Locker
• ❏    Keys
• ❏    Mailbox
• ❏    Storage Unit

❏    Files

• ❏    Mission, Philosophy, Goals and/or Purpose of the Organization
• ❏    Constitution/By-Laws
• ❏    Budgets/Financial Reports
• ❏    Calendar
• ❏    Meeting Agendas & Minutes
• ❏    Organizational Chart for Organization
• ❏    Election Process and Timeline
• ❏    Special Events
• ❏    Marketing (logos, photos, etc.)

❏    Event files

• ❏    To-do Lists
• ❏    Evaluations/Reports
• ❏    Donor/Sponsor Contact List

❏    Student Organization Contact List

❏    Position Descriptions

• ❏    Officers
• ❏    Committee Members

❏    National Organization (if necessary)

• ❏    Representative Contact List

❏    University Resources

• ❏    Contact List
• ❏    List of Funding Opportunities/Resources

❏    Annual Requirements

• ❏    Renewing Student Organization
• ❏    Expectations for Officers and Advisor
• ❏    Meet with Student Organization Professional on Campus

Student organization officers and professionals provide many resources to contribute to the success of student leaders and their organizations. ACPA CSI hopes that by providing these checklists for Advisors that they can better assist an organization’s new officers to build on the knowledge gained rather than starting from scratch every academic year.

Tempris Daniels                                            

Student Involvement Advisor

The University of Chicago

[email protected]