New clubs are appearing at Appalachian
State University. According to the university’s mission
statement, Appalachian uses more than 250 clubs and organizations
in order to maintain a sense of community and provide an
opportunity for students to experience leadership and service.
Creating a new club involves paperwork and consents. The
Club Council, a group of undergraduate students, must approve
each new club before the university recognizes it.
Once recognized, a club is allowed use of campus facilities,
support services and funds for educational activities. The
club is also given permission for solicitation and fund-raising
activities and the ability to create a Web site using university
resources.
The Club Council makes recommendations on policies and programs
for student organizations. The Council is also responsible
for reviewing the funding requests and petitions by those
students interested in forming new clubs and organizations.
“Club Council looks over 10 to 15 potential clubs each
semester to make sure they fit all of the requirements,”
junior Heather Smith, vice president of the communications
committee for Club Council, said.
Smith said that before a club can be approved, it must have
a faculty advisor and list of at least 10 students’
names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses who are potential
members.
“We knew there was interest for the club through talking
to people, so we just went around collecting signatures for
an initial sign-up sheet,” senior Anna Crayton, president
of the Appalachian chapter of American Correctional Association,
said.
Each new club or organization must also create a constitution
stating, among other things, the name of the club, membership,
qualifications of membership, financial plans and much more.
“[American Correctional Association] got a booklet
from the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership office
and wrote a constitution saying what we stand for,”
Crayton said.
The Club Council then reviews the constitution at its weekly
meeting.
“CSIL was a very good resource,” junior Evan
Moody, president of the Fair Trade Club said. “They
really helped out with the logistics of [the constitution].”
“The majority of Club Council must vote yes to the
constitution in order for the club to be approved,”
Smith said.
If the constitution is not approved, the council then goes
to the potential club with any revisions it would like to
see.
“It is a big process, but I understand, because if
Appalachian’s name is on it I am sure they want the
club to be appropriate and respectable,” Crayton said.
“As long as a potential club is significantly different
from any other club on campus and they meet the requirements
stated in the starter packet, we will usually approve them,”
Smith said.
Anyone interested in starting a new club or organization
on campus can stop by the CSIL office on the second floor
of Plemmons Student Union and pick up a starter packet.
“The CSIL office will give you all the resources you
need,” Moody said. “The only advice I can give
is to ask as many questions as possible, don’t try
to do it all on your own.” |
