Running an Org | Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion - CampusGroups at University of Baltimore

The Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (CSEI) reserves the right to modify this policy any time with or without notice. A current copy of the policy will be present on CSEI's website at all times.

Note: The policy was written exclusively for the use of University of Baltimore organizations. Certain policies and procedures have been adapted to meet the needs of fee-based budgets only. Other persons or organizations should check with Accounts Payable before using the budget information in the handbook.

Below are policy items related to running your organization.

Table of Contents
Student Organization Types
Student Organization Registration Requirements
Student Organziation Classifications
Student Organization Participant Requirements
Constitution and Bylaws
SGA/Student Organization Elections
Existing Student Organization Responsibilities
New Student Organziations
Organization Deactivation
Misconduct Procedures

Student Organization Types

Honorary Organizations (Honor Societies): Recognize high level of academic achievement and generally require a demonstrated interest in a particular career or academic discipline.
Service Organizations: Raise awareness about a social issue through service, engagement and philanthropy.
Academic/Professional Organizations: Promote development in a particular academic discipline or professional field.
Cultural Organizations: Foster cultural diversity on campus and provide students an avenue to explore and celebrate their own cultural heritage and provide programs and services designed to support students of various cultural heritages
General Interest Organizations: Serve to enhance campus life through the co-curricular involvement of special interests and hobbies

Student Organization Registration Requirements

Student Organization Requirements: In order to be recognized as a university organization and receive organizational benefits, your organization MUST have ALL components of Section 3 of this policy, as applicable to your organization classification, approved by CSEI via Bee Involved. Student organizations who do not fulfill all requirements on or before a written deadline will be subject to sanctions from CSEI.

Bee Involved is an online student organization management tool that assists student organizations in their daily operations, financials, communications, and web presence.

Student Organizations are required to use Bee Involved for:

Student Organization Registration
Maintaining updated officer information via their Bee Involved profile
Submitting budget requests
Managing financials
Managing and registering events

Bee Involved may also be used for, but is not required to be used for:

Elections
Communicating with your members
Maintaining important organization files
Creating and maintaining a website
Maintaining a calendar of events including RSVPs and evaluation

Student Organization Classifications

The classification system of student organizations (Block-funded, Allocated, Non-allocated) was created by the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion in 2022 to establish distinctions between different types of student organizations based on their variety of purposes and financial responsibilities.

Non-allocated Student Organizations provide an opportunity for students with a common interest, which wish to meet regularly, and affiliate as an organization. These student organizations are low-risk, not eligible for funding support, and do not have events. Tier-III student organizations are permitted meeting space requests on campus and utilize the Student Engagement and Inclusion Coordinator for general advisement.

Non-allocated (Non-Funded) Student Organizations require:

President, Secondary Officer
Constitution (no more than 2 years old)
Completion of General Officer training requirements (Module 1 & 2 Only)

Non-Funded Student Organizations, once fully registered, are granted access to the following resources:

Access to the Student Organization Suite including the ability to request a locker
Student organization mailbox
Support from CSEI Staff
Ability to reserve and use campus facilities
Full access to Campus Groups amenities

Allocated Student Organizations are groups of students with a common interest, who meet regularly, and affiliate as an organization. These organizations may participate in activities on and off campus, host or attend events or competitions, are eligible to request allocated funding and require a larger degree of structure and advisement.

Allocated (Funded) Student Organizations require:

President, Treasurer, Third Primary Officer, Faculty/Staff Advisor
Constitution (updated yearly)
7 additional general members
Completion of General and Financial Officer training requirements

Allocated Student Organizations, once fully registered, are granted access to the following resources:
All Non-allocated resources
Inclusion in the Initial and Supplemental allocated funding processes
Access to start-up funds (where applicable)

Block-funded Student Organizations are managed by the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion and are organizations that 1) serve an overall governance, programmatic, or fee allocation function at the institutional level and 2) have a primary advisor who is a full-time Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion employee and for whom advisement of the organization is a formal and significant portion of the employee’s job responsibilities. There are two Block-funded organizations:

Student Government Association (SGA)
Student Events Board (SEB)

Block-funded Student Organizations require:

President, Treasurer, Third Primary Officer, Faculty/Staff Advisor (within CSEI)
Constitution (updated yearly)
7 additional general members
Completion of General and Financial Officer training requirements
Summer Planning Retreat
Spring Planning Refresher

Officer Requirements: In addition to the President and Treasurer roles, each organization will create officer responsibilities based on the needs of the organization – some of which have already been defined in the template constitution. These specific requirements should be outlined in the organization’s constitution.

Advisor Requirements: The University of Baltimore mandates that each officially recognized student organization must have at least one (1) faculty or staff member serve as an advisor to the organization. The organization is free to choose their advisor, pending approval from CSEI. The advisor must be classified a CII or PIN employee of the University of Baltimore. Organizations are also allowed to have secondary advisors that are any classification of employees of the University of Baltimore.

Classifications of Advisors: There are three types of advisors at the University of Baltimore: Primary (required), Secondary (optional), and CSEI (assigned). Advisers are not permitted to have voting rights within the organization. Make sure that the primary and secondary (if applicable) assume the role willingly and seriously.
- Primary Advisor (required): Organizations are required to have a Primary Advisor in order to be considered active. When selecting an advisor, find a UB faculty or staff person who will have the time to devote to your organization and is considered a permanent employee of the university.
- Secondary Advisor (optional): Organizations may find benefit in having more than one advisor to assist them in their operations. The secondary advisor can be any University of Baltimore faculty or staff member.
- CSEI Advisor (assigned): CSEI Staff act as an additional advisors for all organizations in the areas of Policy and Procedure, as well as a support for all organization advisors.

To ensure open and transparent communication the Primary Advisor will be cc’d on all organization related emails sent from CSEI.

The following are responsibilities that student organizations have regarding their advisor:

Notify the advisor of activities and meetings of the organization.
Consult your advisor in the planning of all activities.
Consult the advisor concerning potential changes of structure or policies of the organization, and before major projects are undertaken.
Understand that although the advisor has no vote, they should have speaking privileges.
Remember that the responsibility for the success or failure of the organization rests ultimately with the organization, not the advisor.
Communicate any problems or concerns with the advisor.
Acknowledge the advisor’s time and energy are donations to the organization, and express appreciation.
Be clear and open about your expectations for your advisor’s role.
At the end of the semester, evaluate your advisor and give appropriate feedback.

The following are responsibilities that advisors have regarding the student organization that they advise:

Be a full-time professional faculty or staff member of the University of Baltimore. Part time staff or graduate students may not serve as the Primary Advisor.
Have a basic knowledge as to the purpose, structure, and history of the organization.
Facilitate the student led operations of the organization (but do not take over operation of the organization).
Provide support to the student organization in attaining their goals.
Responsible for approving organization budgets and payments.
Be knowledgeable of University and Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion policies that relate to student organizations (available in the Student Organization Policy), as well contact the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion for guidance when there are questions about policy, state, and federal laws that affect the activity of the organization.
Maintain consistent communication with the organization officers.

The following are the expectations that CSEI for every primary advisor:

Regularly attend meetings
Provide guidance and support to organization leadership>
Approve all financial transactions
Be familiar with the organization’s constitution and be involved in annual review
Support organization leadership in following their constitution
Provide consultation concerning membership election or selection procedures and responsibilities
Meet with officers to discuss upcoming meetings and programs, long range plans, goals and problem solving
Assist with officer transition and new officer training

Membership: Student organizations are funded by student fees, therefore membership is open to all enrolled students of the University of Baltimore, including undergraduate, graduate and law students. Organizations are allowed to have “affiliated” members who are not UB students. See the below sections for more details on student and affiliated memberships.

Student organizations must comply with the University non-discrimination statement and policies:

The University of Baltimore is committed to providing a working and learning environment, free from all types of discrimination prohibited by State and Federal laws, including discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. State and Federal laws prohibiting discrimination on these bases include, but are not limited to: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended ("Title IX"); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title 20 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland..

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination and provides, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The University’s requirement not to discriminate on the basis of sex extends to admission and employment.

The University has implemented policies prohibiting discrimination on these bases and procedures for resolving complaints of discrimination. Inquiries or complaints regarding sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX, including Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct should be directed immediately to the Title IX coordinator, Suzanne Tabor, phone: 410.837.5036, T9@ubalt.edu. Please see the Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct Policy. Inquiries or complaints regarding Title IX may also be directed to the Assistant Secretary for the Department of Education. The local Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Education is located at: The Office of Civil Rights, Philadelphia Office, U.S. Department of Education, The Wanamaker Building, Suite 515, 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323, OCR.Philadelphia@ed.gov. Please visit the Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct Policy for a listing of other external offices that accept and review complaints of sex discrimination.

Inquiries or complaints regarding other forms of discrimination, such as complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or other legally protected characteristics should be directed immediately to the following offices: For complaints of discrimination perpetrated by a student: Dean of Students, Office of Student Support, Academic Center, Room 112, phone: 410.837.4755, studentsupport@ubalt.edu; please see the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures – Complaints Against Students. Complaints of discrimination perpetrated by an employee or third party: Office of Human Resources, Charles Royal Building, Third Floor, 410.837.5410, hr@ubalt.edu; please see the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures – Complaints Against Non-Students. Please visit these non-discrimination policies for a listing of external offices that also accept and review complaints of discrimination on these bases.

Student Membership: Student organizations may set GPA and judicial requirements for members to hold leadership within their organization. Any such stipulations should be outlined in the student organization constitution. Student organization officers are responsible for ensuring compliance with any such requirements by requesting members to submit copies of transcripts.

In order to avoid a conflict of interest, students who are permanent or contractual, full-time or part-time employees of the University of Baltimore, excluding student assistants and graduate assistants, may not run for, or serve in an executive position in a student organization. Executive positions include, but are not limited to, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (or equivalent). These employees may, however, participate in student organizations as non-executive members, and are therefore eligible for any benefits non-executive members receive.

Affiliated Membership: Organizations may find value in having staff, faculty, alumni or community members participate in the organization’s activities; however, these individuals cannot hold voting rights or hold an officer position.

Constitution and Bylaws

Student organizations are required to submit an updated and ratified constitution to CSEI, via Campus Groups registration, each year; the file must also be loaded to the organization’s “Files” section for the public to view, this will assist in the transparency of student organizations.

In order to be considered for recognition by CSI, student organization constitutions must comply with the constitution template found here- including the exact sequence of articles and verbatim language as indicated in the template and signed by the organizations executive board. If any changes are made outside of the registration period, the newest version must be submitted to CSEI for approval via an updated registration.

CSEI will review all constitutions to ensure compliance with CSEI policies and procedures, University of Baltimore and University System of Maryland polices, and federal and state laws, as well as to make sure all amendments do not directly benefit currently sitting officers. The review process can take up to 30 days to be completed.

Once approved and signed by CSEI, a PDF copy of the constitution will be uploaded to the organization’s registration, and emailed to the organization’s president.

Organizations who were registered prior to February 1^st, 2015 are currently exempt from following the template. However, the current constitution must include the below. Please review the constitution template located here to help develop the constitution.

Name, Purpose, Membership
Governing Structure
Executive Board
Communication
Elections
Vacancies
Financials
Amendment(s) to and Ratification of the Constitution
Bi-Laws (if applicable)

CSEI encourages all registered student organizations to conduct elections in a fair, consistent, and ethical manner to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to participate and to ensure the integrity of any elections process.

As the unit responsible for oversight of all registered student organizations, CSEI requires the following for all elections:

Elections must be facilitated in a manner that complies with the organizations’ constitution, University of Baltimore policies and procedures, and all applicable State of Maryland policies and procedures.
The constitution governing the election must have been approved by CSEI by the first day of classes of the semester during which the election occurs. Otherwise, the constitution on file by the first day of classes of that semester will be used to administer the election and qualify candidates.
All decisions to disqualify candidates from an election must be in compliance with guidelines and governing documents and are subject to review by CSEI.
CSEI Reserves the right to review election policy and procedure based on the following criteria:
- Fair viewpoint and neutral approach
- Adherence to current constitutional documents
- UBalt policy and procedure

CSEI will notify groups in writing of any required changes to election policy or procedure or if they determine that the above criteria are not met.
Organizations may appeal a CSEI decision related to student organization elections in accordance with the following guidelines.:

Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion within 5 business days following notification of a CSEI decision. Appeals should indicate the specific grounds on which the appeal is based and present all information that supports this claim. This information may include 1) new information not previously known prior to the decision being issued; 2) procedural errors that may have impacted the fairness or process of the decision; 3) a claim that the severity of the decision is not congruent with the violation.
CSEI will appoint a professional staff member to review the appeal. The appointed professional staff member will review all documentation and determine whether there are valid grounds for an appeal or not. If the grounds of the appeal are determined valid, the CSEI Director or designee will convene an ad-hoc committee of Student Success and Support Services staff members to consider the matter.
If the organization wishes to further appeal decisions after review by CSEI, or if the interested parties have concerns with CSEI’s handling of the election process, those concerns should be directed to the Executive Director of Student Development in the Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Success and Support Services.

Existing Student Organization Responsibilities

Re-registering Your Student Organization: Each student organization must register with CSEI on an annual basis. Registration is managed through Campus Groups. Once approved, organizations will have access to reserve space on campus, view financial records, and other resources.

All student organizations are required to submit an updated and ratified constitution to CSEI annually as part of the registration process. For more information on constitutions and bylaws, please refer to section 5.

Failure to start or complete the registration for an existing organization by the close of the registration period will result in the organization being marked “disabled”. For more information, please review section 7.

Registration Requirements: In order to be fully recognized as a University organization and receive organizational benefits, your organization MUST have ALL of the following approved by CSEI on Bee Involved.

A minimum of three (3) officers who are current UB students (officers cannot be full or part-time UB faculty or staff).
A minimum of ten (10) members who are currently UB students (this can include the three organization’s officers).
A University of Baltimore faculty or professional staff advisor. (Must be listed on Bee Involved with the position of Advisor).
A signed copy of the organization’s constitution and/or by-laws listed on Bee Involved.
A current and complete Registration Form on Bee Involved.
Forms required of specific officers and the advisor (when registered, the officers and advisor will be emailed via Bee Involved to complete these forms).

Officer Transitions: Transitioning from outgoing to incoming officers is a vital part in the success of a student organization. Organizations are encouraged to complete the Transition Packet (found in the Student Organization Resources folder on each Bee Involved page) prior to the end of the spring semester. This packet aids in the transition of officers from year to year. All of the information contained in the packet will be used during the yearly registration process and includes: advisor information, officer information, and access to organization spaces, budget requests, planned events, and much more. Picking up this packet will be the first step of the registration process for returning organizations.

Elections and Selection: Elections or Selection for student organizations will run in accordance with their constitution. If student organization have any questions about how to best run their election or selection, please contact the CSEI for assistance.

New Student Organizations

Organization Duplication: Due to limited resources (students, financial, and staff), the duplication of organizations is strictly prohibited. Each organization must have a unique mission, purpose, and name. CSEI will analyze each organization to ensure all organizations can function and thrive at the University.

Greek Affiliated Organizations: At this time, the University of Baltimore does not recognize Greek affiliated entities (fraternities or sororities) on campus, as such; Greek organizations are not supported by CSEI.

New Student Organizations

Interest Form: Student will submit this interest form on Bee Involved, requesting to start a new organization. The student will need to provide the name and purpose of the organization, have a name of their potential advisor, etc.

If an organization’s interest form is submitted and there is a similar organization already established, the organization’s leaders will be encouraged to participate in the established organization since duplicated organizations are prohibited (see: section 8.1).

Bee Involved Registration: Prospective student organizations must follow this guide for registering their student organization. If an organization is not approved and registered with CSEI via Bee Involved, it is not an official University of Baltimore student organization.

Organization Deactivation

If an organization fails to register by September 30, the organization will be marked “disabled.” “Disabled” organizations will be unable to enter the student organization portal and their budgets will be frozen. In order to register a student organization that has been disabled, the student organization must contact CSEI through Bee Involved by sending them a message as prompted on their disabled portal.

If a student organization fails to register for two semesters, the organization will be marked “inactive” and removed from Bee Involved. Once a student organization has become “inactive,” students will need to go through the new student organization process to register their student organization.

Misconduct Procedures

Community Standards and Code of Conduct: Student organization officers and members serve as role models at the University of Baltimore. All students are expected to follow the University of Baltimore Code of Conduct found in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide at www.ubalt.edu/studenthandbook.

Any violations of the UB Code of Conduct will be adjudicated through the student conduct process in accordance with university policy.

Jurisdiction: The University of Baltimore’s jurisdiction shall extend to all behavior by any undergraduate or graduate student and/or student organization that occurs on University property, at University-sponsored activities, on University-sponsored trips or functions, and to off-campus conduct detrimental to University interests.

Therefore, the University of Baltimore may impose sanctions against a student or student organization for the violation of any student regulations that occur on campus. 9.2.2 Sanctions also may be imposed against a student or student organization for the violation of any regulations that occur off campus when the alleged conduct would impair, interfere with, or obstruct the missions, processes or functions of the University, or when the alleged conduct would, if true, endanger the health, safety or welfare of the student or others, or would endanger any University property.

Policy Violations: Violations of the Student Organization Handbook will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

When a potential violation occurs, the involved student(s) and/or student group executive members will be required to attend a meeting with a Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion staff member. After that meeting, the staff member will determine if a violation occurred and assign sanctions as appropriate.

Sanctions can include, but are not limited to: warning/reprimand, involvement restrictions, loss of privilege, suspension from organization activities, and/or removal from office.

Students will be notified in writing of the decision and any sanctions assigned. Appeals of student organization policy violations may be submitted, in writing, to the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion within five business days of the decision letter.

All communication and information regarding a policy violation will be stored in the organization’s file within the Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion and may be shared with the organization’s advisor.

Reports of Potential Violations: Potential violations may be reported to CSEI in writing by any member of the UB community; a formal written report may also be written by CSEI staff following verbal notification of a potential violation.

Community members who need to report a possible violation should contact the CSEI at studentorgs@ubalt.edu.

Once a report is received, the Director (or designee) will review all information, and if warranted open an investigation.

Notice of Potential Violation: If information in a report or subsequent investigation indicates a violation may have occurred, written notice outlining the potential violation will be given to the involved parties and the advisor of the organization involved. The parties involved will be given five (5) business days to review the allegation and respond.

Process for Resolution: A conference (or conferences) with the involved parties, the advisor, and Director for the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) will be scheduled to discuss any potential violation, hear any rebuttal/response to the allegation, and gather additional information regarding the allegation.

Failure of any party to attend a scheduled conference will result in the conference proceeding in the absence of that party. Rescheduling of conferences is at the discretion of the Director and is generally limited to academic conflicts, work commitments and emergency situations.

Within five (5) business days of the final conference pertaining to the allegation, the Director for the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) will issue a written decision outlining the resolution of the allegation. If no violation is found to have occurred, the decision will indicate as such and no sanctions will be applied to those parties found without violation. If a preponderance of the information available indicates a violation occurred, the decision will outline the specific nature of the violation and any sanction(s) being applied.

When a potential violation is found to involve the Student Code of Conduct, State or Federal Law, or if it is otherwise recommended by CSEI, the Office of Student Success and Dean of Students and/or the University of Baltimore Police Department will be notified before a decision is made.

Sanctions: Sanctions may be issued by the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) when it is found that a violation has occurred. Below is a list of possible sanctions that CSEI may apply.

The sanctioning official has discretion to determine what sanction is appropriate to the violation. Repeated or egregious violations generally result in sanctions of increased severity. Situations involving multiple violations generally involve sanctions of increased severity or number.

Common sanctions issued to individuals and/or organizations are listed below. Available sanctions are not limited to those listed.

A verbal and written warning outlining the violation, any recommended corrective measures, and a caution regarding possible further consequences if the actions are not corrected.
Educational activities designed to assist the parties involved in understanding policy or behavior; the exact nature of which are defined by the sanctioning official.
Requirements to engage in service or re-engage with the UB or larger community in another manner; the exact nature of which are defined by the sanctioning official.
Limitation of access to student organization privileges, including, but not limited to Campus Groups, financials, room reservations, event planning, the Student Organization Suite, etc.
Cancelation of organization events and activities.
Removal of the organization from “active status” for an amount of time determined by CSEI.
Suspension or removal of individual members, including officers, from the organization and/or their office in the organization.
Loss of official recognition as a registered student organization.
Other sanctions as appropriate.

In the event of suspected criminal behavior or potential threats to health and/or safety, CSEI, in consultation with the Office of Student Success and the Dean of Students, may immediately issue sanctions up to and including suspension of an organization’s active status and/or suspension of an individual’s organizational membership without following the above resolution procedures. In these instances, a conference will be scheduled to resolve the matter as soon as is practical and the interim sanctions will remain in effect pending the outcome of that conference.

Appeals: The involved parties have the right to appeal all decisions made by the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee).

All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Director, Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion within five (5) business days of the date the written decision is issued.

Appeals should indicate the specific grounds on which the appeal is based and present supporting information for that claim. Acceptable grounds for appeal include 1) New information, not available at the time of the conference, which may have an impact the outcome; 2) Procedural error which impacted fairness of the process, and; 3) Severity of sanction assigned is incongruent with the offense.

Once an appeal is received, the Director will first determine whether valid grounds for appeal exist. If the grounds for appeal are found to be valid, the Director will reconsider the matter or designate a staff member in CSEI or another University office to do so.

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The decision of the Director or designated staff member is final and not subject to further appeal.