President and Vice President Resources
Congratulations on your new position! This new leadership opportunity should provide you with a lot of great experience. If you're not sure how to go about your new position, check out the resources below.
Valuable Links
- Club Information Meetings (required attendance)
- Group Development Tools
- Concession Stand Management / Food Safety Training
- The Source Student Group Handbook
- Frequently Asked
Questions
Important Things to Remember
- Your most recent copy of your constitution must be on file in the Student Activities Office.
- All changes in officers must be reported to the Student Activities Office via the Change of Officer Form.
- The computers in the Club Resource Center are available to you free of charge by the Club Coordination Council.
- Club mail is delivered to your club mailbox in the Club Resource Center, and should be checked weekly.
- As President, you must ensure that the club is abiding by all policies and procedures.
- All expenditures over $5,000 (total cost) require the approval of Financial Management Board in advance. See the Club Coordination Council for more information.
- If you need additional funds, contact the CCC for options on Contingency Appeals and the Council of Representatives Collaboration Fund.
- All posters, flyers, etc. must be approved by the Student Activities Office before posting.
Co-Presidency Issues
As the demand for student leadership opportunities increase, groups are finding innovative ways to provide leadership positions. The most common form of increasing leadership positions is to adopt a co-president concept. The following information is provided to assist you with determining whether or not your group should adopt a co-president leadership role.
ADVANTAGES OF A CO-PRESIDENCY
- Learn to collaborate.
- Provides more students a leadership opportunity.
- Provides members more accessibility to the president.
DISADVANTAGES OF A CO-PRESIDENCY
- Your group could lack a central spokesperson.
- Two leaders could result in increased miscommunication with members (i.e. sending mixed signals).
- There could be the lack of a central leader to "rally around."
- Decisions could take longer to make when you have two co-presidents.
- Clubs, offices and other groups may have difficulty reaching a central spokesperson for your club.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Every group is unique. Some clubs have been very successful by
having two co-presidents. With this in mind, here are some other
notes you should keep in mind:
- Avoid more than two co-presidents. Past experience has shown that group with more than 2 co-presidents have found difficulty in clearly achieving their goals.
- If you want to appoint three or more presidents, consider appointing one person a CEO and have the rest of the officers as an officer board which provides input into all decisions on behalf of the group.
- If you are considering a co-presidency, discuss these questions with your advisor.
- Why do you want to have co-presidents?
- Has the group ever had co-presidents in the past?
- What potential conflicts can you foresee with co-presidents?
- What will you do if the co-presidents disagree on an issue?
- Does your constitution allow for a co-president?
- Who will be the central spokesperson for the club should you need one?
For more information regarding developing a more effective and efficient organization, contact the Student Activities Office.
