This executive order develops and communicates systemwide policies,
procedures, and/or guidelines for student organizations and activities.
Overall Program Evaluations
Campuses shall assess student organizations and activities programs biennially. The
review shall include the assessment of such factors as risk management, program quality,
student satisfaction, student participation growth, and how the student organizations and
activities support the goals of the university. Campuses may develop an individual
assessment instrument or select an existing assessment instrument, e.g., The Council for
the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) or CSU Quality Improvement (QI).
The first report for the period of 2005-06 shall be submitted to the Office of the
Chancellor, Student Academic Support, by August 15, 2006. Thereafter, biennial reports
shall be submitted to the Office of the Chancellor by August 15 every even-numbered year.
Student Organizations
Campuses shall establish and publish procedures for formal chartering and recognition
of student organizations in compliance with the following policies:
Formal chartering and recognition policies
Campuses shall comply with all student organization filing requirements described in
California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 4 Nondiscrimination in Student
Organizations, Sections 41500 (Withholding of Recognition), 41501
(Definition of Recognition), 41503 (Filing Requisites), and 41504
(Penalties). These sections require each student organization to deposit with
the vice president of student affairs or his/her designee copies of all constitutions,
charters, or other documents relating to its policies. Documents shall be refiled within
90 days after any substantive change or amendment.
No campus shall recognize any fraternity, sorority, living group, honor society, or
other student organization that 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. Student organizations shall deliver to the vice president for student affairs or
his/her designee a statement signed by the president or similar officer of the local
student organization attesting that the organization has no rules or policies that
discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, sex,
marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability. This statement shall be
renewed annually.
The CSU Alcohol Policies and Prevention Program adopted by the CSU Board of Trustees
at its July 2001 meeting (REP 07-01-03) requires campuses to provide orientation programs
for student organization advisers and for student officers that outline policies,
expectations, and information on alcohol use/abuse. This orientation may be provided to
officers of student organizations in writing or electronically, and an acknowledgement of
completion of this orientation that includes the name of the student organization and
student officer(s) shall be retained by the vice president of student affairs or designee.
In addition, campuses shall advise student organizations and student officers about the
California State University Student Conduct Code as revised in Title 5, California Code
of Regulations by the CSU Board of Trustees at its November 2005 meeting (REP 11-05-07).
In recognizing student organizations, campuses are encouraged to consider such factors
as the mix of students who reside on campus, students who commute, part-time and full-time
students, students who are working while attending college, and other factors that will
provide opportunities that meet the diverse needs of students seeking to affiliate with
student organizations.
Withholding and withdrawing official recognition
Official recognition of any fraternity, sorority, living group, honor society,
religious, political, special interest, professional/academic related, or other student
organization that discriminates on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity,
color, age, gender, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability shall
be withdrawn. The prohibition on membership policies that discriminate on the basis of
gender does not apply to athletic groups/clubs, social fraternities or sororities, or to
other university living groups.
In addition, official recognition of a student organization may be withdrawn for hazing
as defined in Education Code Sections 32050 and 32051. A description of hazing may be
found in California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 2, Student Discipline,
Section 41301(b)(8). Individual students may be disciplined for hazing under Section
41301(b)(8).
Campuses may establish codes of conduct for student organizations and procedures for
sanctions against the organizations. Sanctions may include actions such as withdrawal of
recognition, suspension of recognition for a specified period of time, probation (warning
that might lead to a more severe sanction), restriction of privileges, reprimand, and
restitution for losses caused.
Minimum number of students
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 20 percent
of the members of a student organization may be individuals who are not CSU students,
e.g., community members, students at other colleges. Only students enrolled at the CSU
campus may vote on issues that come before the student organization. The vice president
of student affairs or designee may waive the 20 percent and voting provisions for
fraternities and sororities to accommodate such organizations as the National Panhellenic
Council that includes representatives from non-CSU campuses. Documentation for this waiver
shall include copies of national charters or other appropriate documentation, and these
documents shall be submitted to the vice president of student affairs or designee. These
are minimum requirements, and campuses retain authority to include additional requirements
for recognition and/or to make the requirements listed here more limiting.
The president and treasurer of the student organization are required to meet the
minimum requirements established for Minor Student Representative Student Officers.
Minimum Academic Qualifications
Students must be matriculated and enrolled at a CSU campus and maintain a minimum
overall 2.0 grade point average each term. The student must be in good standing and
must not be on probation of any kind.
Incumbent Unit Load
This requires undergraduate students to earn six semester (nine quarter) units per
term while holding office. Graduate and credential students must earn three semester
(four quarter) units per term while holding office. Students enrolled at quarter
campuses must attend a minimum of two quarters during the academic year to maintain
eligibility.
Incumbent Maximum Allowable Units
Undergraduate students are allowed to earn a maximum of 150 semester (225 quarter) units
or 125 percent of the units required for a specific baccalaureate degree objective,
whichever is greater. Graduate and credential students are allowed to earn a maximum
of 50 semester (75 quarter) units or 167 percent of the units required for the graduate
or credential objective, whichever is greater. Students holding more than this number
of units will no longer be eligible for minor student government office.
Club advisors
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.
The CSU Alcohol Policies and Prevention Program adopted by the CSU Board of Trustees at
its July 2001 meeting requires campuses to provide orientation programs for student
organization advisers and for student officers that outline policies, expectations, and
information on alcohol use/abuse.
Role of auxiliary organizations in recognizing student organizations
Campuses may not delegate the process of approving or managing student organizations
or their activities. California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 2, Functions of
Auxiliary Organizations and Requirement for Written Agreements, Section 42500 lists
the functions that have been determined appropriate for auxiliary organizations to perform.
This section does not specifically state that auxiliary organizations may engage in
managing student organizations and approving student activities.
Auxiliary organizations may not provide auxiliary funds or facilities to student
organizations that are not currently recognized by the campus. Funding and use of facilities
are available only to student organizations that are currently recognized by the campus.
Minor Representative Student Officers
CSU's Minimum Academic Qualifications for Student Office Holders permits campuses to
define minor student representative officers. As a result of the University Auditor
Recommendation that the Chancellor's Office update and clarify existing systemwide policy
for minor representative officers, CSU student presidents and treasurers of campus-approved
student organizations and clubs shall be defined as minor representative student officers.
Campuses retain the authority to define additional minor representative officers as
appropriate.
Off-Campus Student Activities
Campuses shall comply with Section 41301, Student Conduct, of Title 5 of the
California Code of Regulations adopted by the CSU Board of Trustees at its November 8-9,
2005 meeting. This section clarifies the university's authority for off-campus behavior
that includes students who are members of clubs and organizations. The Student Conduct
Code sets the standard of expected behavior and describes conduct that is unacceptable
and subject to discipline through the university's disciplinary process.
Club Sports Insurance
Officially recognized student club sports at all CSU campuses must carry adequate
liability and secondary medical insurance as determined in collaboration with the campus
risk managers or the Office of Risk Management in the Chancellor's Office for all
participants and coaches, including non-students and volunteers. The insurance shall cover
travel, practices, and competition. The insurance coverage will depend upon the level of
risk. Each campus may develop its own method for insurance coverage requiring participants
to pay or other fiscally sound approaches as authorized by the campus vice president for
student affairs or his/her designee. In no case may a campus use General Funds to pay for
club sports insurance. No student, non-student, or volunteer may participate in a club
sport without approved insurance, and no club may be recognized or organized to participate
in practices, competition, or travel without approved insurance.
Insurance documents should include, but not be limited to, appropriate hold harmless
provisions as follows: "Insured shall hold harmless, indemnify, and defend the State of
California, the Trustees of the California State University, the (campus) and the officers,
employees, volunteers and agents of each of them from and against any and all liability,
loss, damage, expense, costs of every nature, and causes of actions arising out of or in
connection with the use by the insured of said property or participation in said activity."
Student Judiciary
Academic dishonesty cases that occur in the classroom shall be handled by faculty
members. However, after action has been taken by the faculty member, the faculty member
shall complete a form that identifies the student who was found responsible, the general
nature of the offense, the action taken, and a recommendation as to whether or not
additional action should be considered by the campus judicial affairs office. The completed
form should be sent by the faculty member either to the provost or to the vice president
for student affairs whenever academic dishonesty cases are handled by the faculty member.
This process provides an opportunity to hold students accountable for multiple academic
dishonesty situations that may occur with several departments but never be known because
there is no central location to gather the information. By having a central location for
all academic dishonesty cases, there is a better understanding of the trends in academic
dishonesty and the opportunity for academic affairs and student affairs to address any
problem trends in a formal way, e.g., Honor Code, more academic dishonesty education/information.
Consistent with California State University student conduct procedures, campuses shall
record probation on the student's academic record during the term of the probation.
Suspension is entered on the student's transcript with its beginning and end date, for
the period of time that the suspension is in effect, but remains on the transcript
permanently if the suspension is for longer than one academic year. This requirement
cannot be waived in a written agreement with a student or by any other means. |
