Your Department, CSU, Chico

Starting an Organization

Filing for Recognition

New student organizations or groups not listed on the Recognized Student Organization List need to complete the formal university recognition process. Groups already recognized and therefore appearing on the Recognized Student Organization List need only submit an Organization Registration Form (PDF)

You may want to review the policies contained in the Student Organization Policies before you proceed with the process to better understand your responsibilities.

If you are interested in starting a student organization, please contact the Student Activities Office for an appointment with Rick Rees

Model Constitution and Bylaws

This model is intended to assist you and your organization in writing or revising our governing document. There are many, many ways to structure an organization and you are free to tailor yours to the needs of your group. However, the paragraph headlines in bold print are required by the policy governing university recognition. Otherwise, this model serves as a good starting point for your constitution. For further assistance with a constitution, please see a staff member in the Student Activities Office.

Constitution (or Bylaws) of .
Date

Article I - Name

Include in this section the complete name of the organization and any national or regional affiliations.

Article II - Purpose

Include a clear and concise statement of the purpose and goals of the group.

Article III - Membership

Please Note:
Official Recognition of a student organization requires a minimum of five (5) CSU students who are currently enrolled in at least one class. Up to a maximum of twenty (20) percent of the members of a student organization may be individuals who are not CSU students, e.g., community members, or students at other colleges. Only students enrolled at the CSU campus may vote on issues that come before the student organization. (Chancellor's Executive Order 969)
No campus shall recognize any fraternity, sorority, living group, honor society, or other student organization, which discriminates on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability. The prohibition on membership policies that discriminate on the basis of gender does not apply to social fraternities or sororities, or to other university living groups. (Section 41500 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulation)

What to include:

Include in this section the criteria for membership and how membership is decided, if any. This might include GPA, class level, major, etc. The criteria may not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, color, veteran status, or disability.
Include any other requirements you wish such as meeting attendance, participation in activities, dues paying, etc. You may wish to include eligible non-students as associate members, who may attend meetings, make motions, and participate in discussions and activities.
Include the responsibilities of all members. Any and all dues or fees that are charged to members, associate members, new members, etc. Instead of setting the dues level, you may wish to stipulate how the assessment is established by the membership.
Include how membership may be terminated or withdrawn.

Article IV - Officers and Committees

Criteria

Election and Removal
Duties and Responsibilities Include the title of each office and a brief delineation of duties. For example:
1. The chair (president) shall preside at all meetings of the club, represent the club to the University and others, and shall convene the executive committee at least monthly when school is in session
2. The vice president shall assume the duties of the president in his/her absence and serve as a member of all sub-committees
3. The secretary/treasurer shall keep all records of official business and financial transactions
Committees
Include all standing (ongoing) committee as well as provisions for the appointment of special projects, ad hoc committees, etc. For example:
1. The executive committee shall be comprised of the elected officers of the organization and shall meet to finalize agenda items, prepare informational reports, and collaborate on the business of the organization.
2. The program committee shall. . .
3. The ______ committee shall. . .
4. The president may appoint others to committees as needs arise.

Article V - Meetings

Include the frequency of meetings, how the membership is notified, how special meetings are called, and how committee meetings are scheduled.

Article VI - Decision Making Process

This must include how many members must be present to conduct business (quorum), the number of votes within the quorum to make decisions, how decisions about the expenditure of funds are made (if different), and any exceptions to this rule. For example:

The process for general decision making (including the expenditure of funds shall be a simple majority of a quorum unless otherwise specified in this constitution. A quorum shall constitute a minimum of 40 percent of the membership in attendance at a scheduled meeting.
The executive committee may, with a majority vote, authorize expenditures of up to $____ for routine operational expenses.

Article VII -Alcohol

The health and safety of your organization's members should be the highest priority for officers, members, and advisor(s).
California law prohibits:

the possession of alcohol by minors
the furnishing, giving to, or buying alcohol for minors
the sale of alcohol to anyone without a license from the ABC (there is no such thing as a "licensed bartender")
the operation of a motor vehicle or bicycle while intoxicated
public intoxication
urination in public

City of Chico ordinances prohibit the possession of open containers by anyone on city streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, or any other property owned or leased by the City of Chico. In addition the possession of glass containers of any kind in the downtown and south campus areas is prohibited at certain times of the year by a special order of the City Council (usually around Halloween and St. Patrick's Day).

At a minimum, your organization must attest that it will adhere to all laws regarding alcohol. A statement of this minimum requirement might include the possession, sale, use, or consumption of alcoholic beverages during an organization event, in any situation sponsored or endorsed by the organization, will be in compliance with any and all applicable laws of the state, county, city and, if on campus, California State University, Chico, and must comply with all state Alcohol Beverage Control statutes found in the state business and professional code section 25658 and 25662.

No members, collectively or individually, shall purchase for, serve to, or sell alcoholic beverages to any minor (i.e., anyone under 21 years old) unless it is otherwise stated in the state Business and Professional Code section 25658 and 25662.
The possession, sale, or use of any other drugs in an illegal manner while on organization premises or during an organization event is forbidden.
No member shall operate a motor vehicle during an organization event while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Neither the organization nor any member of the organization shall possess alcoholic beverages in any park in the City of Chico.

Your organization might also choose to further or completely restrict alcohol at selected or even all of your events. Many organizations have chosen this approach.

Article IIX - Advisor

Include a method for selecting and removing your faculty/staff advisor. It may be by a vote of the membership, the executive committee, or any other method you choose. Each officially recognized student organization must have a university advisor who is either a faculty member or professional member. Campuses may permit part-time faculty and professional staff as advisors, in addition to full-time. The California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 2, Functions of Auxiliary Organizations and Requirement for Written Agreements, Section 42500 does not list club advisement as an appropriate function for auxiliary organizations. Therefore, advisors should not be selected from such organizations. Campuses should develop a training and orientation program for university advisors to student organizations. (Chancellor's Executive Order 969)

Article VIII - Amendment Process

Include a method of changing or amending this document. This is usually done by a 2/3rd majority vote.

Article IX - Disbursal of Assets

(You must make a provision for the disbursal of assets should the club cease to exist. This process must allow for such disbursal by offices or officials outside the organization and designate a benefactor.) For example:

Should the club disband, the executive board shall disburse the assets to ________. Should no officers be available, the director of the Student Activities Office (or an appropriate university official) shall be authorized to make the disbursal.

Student Organization Banking

University recognized student organizations may bank anywhere they wish. Organization bank accounts continue to be a problem for many groups. Banks are increasingly reluctant to start new accounts or even continue old ones when organizations do not have an employer ID number, Internal Revenue Service Section 501(c) (registered charitable organization) status and/or are not incorporated. Contributors to groups often want 501(c) numbers for their tax records.

When organizations do their banking off campus we see fairly substantial account balances (some with hundreds of dollars) lost or closed (funds revert to the State Treasury in Sacramento) as leadership changes occur over the semesters or when a group ceases to exist. Organizations and their advisors are encouraged to develop good internal accounting systems.

Some groups have accounts with the AS. Business Office on the second floor of the BMU. This service solves all of the problems listed above and offers the ease and security of having an account on campus.

Recently the charge for these accounts has increased from $2 per month to a 2 percentof expenditures charge. Many organizations will find a bank the more fiscally sound choice.

If your group receives a gift and your donor wants a charitable tax identification number for his or her tax records, our office can help. We will assist you in setting up an annual fund account with the university. Your donor gets the proper paperwork and you get the money or property.