Department of Student Engagement

Article VIII: Clubs

Section 1

The Senate shall, by a supermajority vote of ⅔ (two-thirds), have the discretionary power to accredit probationary clubs.

  1. There are three types of clubs: 
    1. Tier One: Unchartered Club 
    2. Tier Two: Chartered Club 
    3. Tier Three: Secured Club 
  2. A probationary term shall be defined as a 12 academic weeks period for new clubs to develop and prove their ability to pursue or fulfill their purpose and to function well as an organization. 
  3. A probationary club is a club that has been accredited by the Senate, and is yet to be guaranteed continued existence or dissolved. 
  4. Tier One, Two and Three Clubs clubs shall be guaranteed continued existence in their current status pending the completion of the annual renewal process, provided that the club is not deemed to be in violation of its purpose, its constitution, Club Support regulations, the Student Union Constitution, or these Bylaws. 

Section 2

In order to be eligible for accreditation, a prospective club must: 

  1. Be demonstrably organized and efficient in operating as defined by their club's constitution to do at least one of the following: 
    1. Advance an interest or initiative. 
    2. Create a community beneficial to the Brandeis undergraduate student body.
    3. Provide meaningful opportunities to partake in a specific activity. 
  2. Not be a fraternity or sorority.
  3. Not duplicate the purpose or goals of an existing club. If the prospective club’s operations, impact, and student appeal would substantively be the same as that of an existing club, then it should not be accredited. A group has duality of purpose if it has duality of operations, impact, and appeal. Collectively, this standard is called Duality of Purposunder
    1. The National or International affiliation of an existing or the prospective club will have no bearing in determining duality of purpose between groups. All clubs, whether or not they have non-Brandeis affiliations, will all be treated equally regarding duality of purpose. Unique national or international affiliations shall not solely warrant exemption from Duality of Purpose.
    2. Guidelines for accommodating the regulations on Duality of Purpose will be restricted to clubs' impact on the Brandeis University campus only, and only those on-campus impacts will be relevant in evaluating purpose. 
  4. Not discriminate against members on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation and ideology, veteran status or any other category protected by law.
  5. Not charge its members fees or dues or frequently engage in cost prohibitive activities without an attempt to offset costs through fundraising or allocated monies. 

Section 3

To seek accreditation, an eligible prospective club must do the following:

  1. Submit to the Senate a proposed constitution which includes the following about the prospective club:
    1. Name
    2. Purpose
    3. Officer positions and the method for filling Them
    4. Membership criteria
    5. Meeting procedures
    6. Amendment procedures
    7. Statement of non-exclusivity
    8. Request to be chartered (if applicable). 
  2. Submit to the Senate written statements of fifteen members of the Student Body who wish to join the club describing why they wish to join the club and why they believe the club will benefit the Brandeis community.
  3. Submit to the Senate a semester plan approved by the Club Support Committee which outlines the club's goals, methods, and verifiable objectives.
  4. Attend a meeting of the Club Support Committee to discuss the merits of their club and to discuss preparation for accreditation.
  5. Hold a club meeting that is attended by at least ten (10) students in addition to at least one(1) senator or non-senate club support committee member who will observe proceedings. This meeting must occur prior to the Senate meeting at which the leaders will present their club. 
  6. Submit to the Senate a list of the initial E-board members with each member's respective position and Brandeis email attached.
  7. After meeting all of the other requirements listed in these bylaws, prospective clubs must present their case for accreditation in front of the Senate, and must receive the Senate's approval, in order to become a probationary club. Representatives of the prospective club must step outside while the Senate votes on its accreditation as a probationary club. 

Section 4

Any club which duplicates the purpose or goals of an existing academic department or other campus resource in terms of operations, impact, and student appeal is ineligible to become or remain a chartered club; otherwise, clubs shall have the right to become or remain chartered clubs, so long as they remain accredited.

  1. As part of granting accreditation to a prospective club, the Senate must determine and specify whether a club is to become a Tier One probationary club or an Tier Two probationary one. 
  2. The Senate may, by a supermajority vote of ⅔ (two-thirds), toggle whether an accredited club is Tier One or Tier Two, if it deems such a change is appropriate as per these Bylaws.
  3. In accordance with the Union Constitution, Tier One clubs are eligible to receive funding from the Allocations Board; Tier Two clubs are not. 
  4. Tier Two clubs may not utilize Allocations Board funding for anything other than furthering their constitutional purpose. 
  5. Clubs which selectively admit members through auditions shall be eligible to become chartered as a Tier 4 club.
    1. Tier 4 clubs shall be afforded all the rights and responsibilities of chartered clubs, subject to the Allocations Board funding scope, and with the added stipulation that funding shall only be provided for on-campus events 
    2. Clubs which selectively admit members through auditions and wish to be chartered shall only become a Tier 4 club. 

Section 5

The privileges of all accredited clubs shall include:

  1. Use of University facilities and Union resources. 

Section 6

Clubs are forbidden from doing the following:

  1. Spending Allocated Student Activities Fee (SAF) funds on activities that do not affect the Brandeis University Student Body.
  2. Paying salaries, wages, or stipends to Brandeis students unless approved otherwise at the discretion of the Treasurer.
    1. The Brandeis Sustainability Fund will be exempt from this clause and the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board will have the discretion to allocate funds towards paying student wages as it sees fit each semester in accordance with the laws established for the Brandeis Sustainability Fund in the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Constitution and the Student Union Constitution.

Section 7

Clubs are responsible for complying with the following annual requirements and policies: 

  1. Submitting a copy of the Club's Constitution to the Union Secretary upon request. 
  2. Complying with yearly renewal requirements, as is prescribed by the Student Union Secretary.
    1. The deadline for the Anti-hazing/Club Renewal Form shall be 40 academic days from the beginning of the academic year. Failure to submit the document shall result in de-chartering pursuant to a simple majority vote of the Senate and/or the inability to use University facilities and Union Resources
  3. Complying with the Student Union Advertising Policy, as is prescribed by the Student Union Secretary.
  4. Clubs shall update their Presence pages with most recent Senate approved version of their constitution
  5. Clubs shall update their Presence rosters 

Section 8

The following shall be the relevant requirements for officers in clubs: 

  1. Clubs shall be encouraged to attend training sessions focused on allyship and coalition-building before receiving Student Union funds for events related to topics focused on marginalized populations or controversial issues.
  2. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as the Intercultural Center, will offer allyship and coalition-building training at the beginning of each semester to provide this support.
  3. All clubs must have a president and a treasurer or officers that have comparable duties necessary for successful club operations. 
  4. All officers must be students enrolled in the undergraduate program or the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program at Brandeis University.
  5. All Officers must complete Bystander Training and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training once annually as recorded by the Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center (PARC) and the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Two Club Officers must also attend Budgeting, Recruitment, Event Planning and General Student Activities training. Failure to comply will result in club de-chartering and de-recognition. 
  6. The Senate may, by majority vote, mandate that a particular Club Officer report before the Senate. 

Section 9

Clubs may, with the approval of the Senate, change their names and constitutional purposes. The Chair of the Club Support Committee shall inform the Department of Student Engagement of any changes to club names. 

Section 10

Probationary clubs must report to the Club Support Committee within 1 probationary term of being accredited. After reviewing a report written by the club reflecting on their probationary term and meeting with the club's officers, the Club Support Committee shall have three options: 

  1. Guarantee continued existence as a Tier One or Tier Two club subject to Section I of these Bylaws. The Club Support Committee shall notify the Senate of this decision.
  2. Provide the club another probationary term of 12 weeks after agreeing upon a new semester plan. The Club Support Committee shall notify the senate of this decision.
  3. Request that the Senate votes to revoke accreditation for the club.
    1. If, after two probationary terms, a club has not been guaranteed continued existence, the Club Support committee will request that the Senate vote to dissolve the club. If the Senate chooses not to dissolve the club, it is to be automatically guaranteed continued existence at that point. 

Section 11

The Senate shall have the power to revoke the accreditation of a club by a supermajority vote of ⅔ (two-thirds) under any of the following conditions:

  1.  If a club fails to follow any of the mandates and prohibitions stated in these bylaws. This may be appealed to the Union Judiciary. 
  2. If a club is shown to have been dishonest or purposefully misleading during their accreditation process. This may be appealed to the Union Judiciary.
  3. If a club fails to follow their constitutional purpose to the best of their abilities given their resources and extenuating circumstances. This may be appealed to the Union Judiciary. 
  4.  If the club is probationary, and if the Club Support Committee requests a vote on the club's dissolution. This may be appealed to the Union Judiciary. 

Section 12

There shall exist Student Production Services (SPS). SPS shall provide Brandeis University and Student Union-Accredited Clubs with lighting and sound equipment and the technicians required to operate said equipment at any event upon request by the event or club, based on staff and equipment availability. SPS shall be a free service to all undergraduate clubs of Brandeis University. SPS employed members are salaried by Brandeis University through the Department of Student Engagement and the purchasing budget is provided by the Student Union Allocations Board.

  1. Coordinator
    1. The leader of SPS is known as the coordinator. There can be multiple coordinators as deemed fit by the current coordinator in conjunction with Student Activities. 
    2. The coordinator(s) has the primary task of organizing SPS. Their duties include: 
      1. Being the main contact from SPS with contracting groups. 
      2. Talking with groups to discover their needs and helping SPS to do their best to provide for these needs. 
      3. Assigning technicians to events.
      4. Repairing broken equipment in a timely manner (either personally or through an outside company). 
      5. Provide training for new and existing members in SPS's equipment. 
      6. Being the main supervisor for SPS events. 
    3. The coordinator can assign captains to events at their discretion. These captains will take over all the coordinator's duties for the duration of the event. The coordinator will be in charge of requesting funding through the Union Treasurer to the Allocations Board and maintaining SPS's budget. SPS will receive a budget of at least $4,000 per year from the Student Union Allocations Board with the ability to request for additional funding at the discretion of the coordinator through the Treasurer. Additional funding should be used for emergency situations and large purchases that may include but are not limited to new equipment and broken equipment. The Union Allocations Board will oversee how SPS's funding is being spent. SPS's budget should comply with the funding scopes of the Allocations Board. 
  2. Advisor
    1. SPS will have an advisor from the Department of Student Engagement.
    2. This advisor will serve as a liaison between the Department of Student Engagement and SPS.
    3. The coordinator will have at least bi-weekly meetings to discuss SPS, its current issues, successes, upcoming events, etc.
  3. Technicians
    1. Technicians are those selected by the coordinator(s) to be a part of the core team of SPS. 
    2. The coordinator(s) is also a technician of SPS. 
    3. Technicians are trained members of SPS with time to work multiple events per semester.
    4. They are salaried by the Department of Student Engagement. 
    5. All technicians must be approved by the Department of Student Engagement before they are hired.
  4. Selection of Coordinator
    1. Coordinators will be selected as needed.
      1. There is no term of office for coordinators. 
      2. A current coordinator can decide that they want to hire a second coordinator. 
      3. Selection of coordinators may be necessary for a number of reasons, including but not limited to: decreased time available for SPS, going abroad, taking a semester off, etc. 
      4. The current coordinator(s), with help from the Student Activities, will select the new coordinator. 
    2. There is no official selection process for a new coordinator, although it is suggested the following process is followed: 
      1. An email is sent out to all the SPS technicians saying a position has become available
      2. All technicians will have time to express interest. 
      3. Once the allotted time has expired the coordinator(s) with the Student Activities advisor will interview all candidates and decide on a new coordinator within the pool of applicants. 
      4. Due to the knowledge required, new coordinators may only be selected from currently employed technicians. 
      5. Coordinators must be approved by the Department of Student Engagement before taking the position. 
  5. How to Book SPS
    1. In order to request that SPS provide support for an event, a member of the event's planning committee or club's E-Board must submit a request at least two weeks prior to the event to the coordinator(s) through email or through the online submission form available through the Student Activities website.
    2. The request must contain the following information at minimum: 
      1. Contact Information (email, phone number, club name)
      2. Date and Time 
      3. Requirements for the event (Type of event, number of performers, name of DJ, etc.) 
    3. Due to time, equipment, technician restraints, or untimely submission, the coordinator reserves the right to decline service to clubs based on a first-come first-serve basis with priority given to undergraduate clubs and clubs then to all other Brandeis groups. 
    4.  If multiple events are received on the same day, priority first goes to undergraduate clubs, followed by university clubs.
    5. Student Union will be considered a club with all rights and privileges associated with that title. 
    6. SPS does not work events for off-campus groups or groups unrecognized by Brandeis University. 

Section 13

All Tier Three clubs shall register an official “Club Consultant” with the Senate Club Support Committee and the Department of Student Engagement. 

  1. The Club Consultant shall be an employed faculty or full-time staff member at Brandeis University. 
  2. The Club Consultant shall not be a voting member within a club. Student club leaders hold final authority on all club decisions. Club Consultants shall not hold or wield official authority or influence over club operations, content published by media organizations, nor club financial decisions, unless deemed necessary by the organization.
  3. Club leaders shall host a meeting between the club treasurer and Club Consultant at least twice per semester to ensure consistency with financial policies. 
  4. When deemed necessary by student club leaders, Club Consultants shall be contacted for advice on the following matters: 
    1. Any leadership or membership issues which arise
    2. Any inter/intra-group conflict
    3. Effectively voicing their concerns to administration and advocating for the club 
    4. Third-party perspectives on club functions and operations 
    5. Networking with other universities and off-campus organizations 
    6. Any additional club-related issues that arise 
  5. Club leaders shall specify the roles and responsibilities of their respective consultants in a formal contract to be re-evaluated yearly. These roles and responsibilities shall fall within the constraints of parts (a) through (d) 

Section 14

Chartered Clubs

  1. Chartered Clubs shall maintain ten active members each academic year to remain chartered. Failure to maintain ten active members shall result in that club being placed on probationary chartered status. During probationary chartered status, the club is bound by stipulations set out in Section 10 of these Bylaws. 

The definition of an active member shall be determined by a club’s constitution

 

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