Registered Student Organization

Club Training
Excelling our Student Organizations capabilities and
possibilities through education.

OFFICE OF STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES &

THE STUDENT EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

SECTION 1.

INTRODUCTION

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

WELCOME TO TRAINING!
The purpose of this training is to excel your Student Organizations
capabilities and possibilities by:
Providing you with information on the resources available to you
Aiding you in developing a program or event
Informing you of the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures set by
the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Undergraduate Student
Government
Aiding you in managing your Student Organizations finances
Broadening your horizon
Guiding you to success

Student Activities Staff

Now that you have an understanding of what this training will consist of, this page contains a list and pictures of
the Student Activities Staff. Whether or not you may need help from an Advisor, the Staff are here to help!
Their main offices are located in the Campus Center, Room 3400.

Shelby Harris
Assistant Dean of Student
Development

Chuck Henriques
Assistant Director

Rita Haidul-Campbell
Associate Director

Diane Murphy
Bookkeeper

Bob Cole
Assistant Director

Donna Neal
Assistant Director

Jennifer Celino
AdministraBve Coordinator

SECTION 2.

REGISTERED STUDENT
ORGANIZAITON (RSO)
CAPABILITIES

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

So, what can your

organization do now
that it s official?

RSO Capabilities

As a Registered Student Organization, you can:

1. Request and receive a maintenance and event budget from the Student
Events and Organizations Committee.
2. Request an office or locker space for your Student Organization by
applying for a space through the Undergraduate Student Government
website.
3. Request and receive a budget for an off-campus event through the
Budget and Finance Committee and the Undergraduate Student
Senate.
4. Book a space on campus through the Universities website.
5. Publicize events on campus through fliers, SAGroups, and various
other resources.
6. Talk with your assigned Student Activities Advisor.
7. Edit your public SAGroups profile that is require to have up-to-date
contact information, and post event information on.
Although these are some of your capabilities as a Registered Student Organization (RSO),
this list does not cover all of them. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask
your Student Activities Advisor and/or the Undergraduate Student Government.

What resources do we
have as an RSO?

RSO Resources

Clubs can request office spaces or storage lockers through the Student Events and Organizations
Committee (SEOC). You can find the application system HERE. When space is available, the
applications will be reviewed by the SEOC and it will be determined who receives a space. All
spaces require a space contract to be signed, and any violation may result in penalties by the
SEOC, judicial review from the Judicial Branch of the Undergraduate Student Government, or
revocation of space.
Students who utilize these spaces must be mindful of noise levels and University Policy.
No amplified sound between 8:30-5pm
No athletic equipment (basketballs, frisbees) should be used inside the building
Spaces can be accessed during Student Activities Office Hours (below) or by access card
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 8:30 am-6 pm
Wednesday, 8:30-7 pm
Friday, 8:30-5 pm

SECTION 3.

FINANCE 101

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

The Rules, Regulations

and Guidelines of RSO
Funding.

Financial Regulations

In-order for all RSOs to follow a strict set of rules, regulations and guidelines on being funded, the
Student Events and Organizations Committee (SEOC) has a set of regulations.
Along with these regulations, there are THREE different budget cycles. The dates of these cycles
are August 30, October 18, and February 21, 2014. Please make sure that if you are requesting
a budget that it is submitted prior to the deadline that it must be submitted by.
In addition, each returning club and each new club that successfully complete reactivation
requirements will receive a $100 activation bonus to use towards programs & club support.
ANY FUNDING REQUESTS SUBMITTED AFTER A DEADLINE WILL NOT BE FUNDED UNTIL
THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
Note: Please allow up to THREE weeks from the budget deadline for the funds approved by the
SEOC to be placed into your Student Organizations account.
Please also keep in mind that the SEOC will NOT fund the following:
Off-campus events (budget requests for off-campus events go HERE.)
Re-imbursements to students
The SEOC may fund individual computers, printers, and off-campus printing depending on the

I still need money!

What do I do?

How to: Request Funds

Every Registered Student Organization (RSO) on campus is eligible to receive both a

maintenance, and event budget from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). The
Student Events and Organizations Committee (SEOC) oversees this process. In order to apply
for funds, you must submit an application through the USG s website. Follow this process:
1.Go onto www.umbgov.com
2.Highlight the Senate tab, and then click on Student Events and Organizations
Committee.
3.Make sure that you re within the budget deadline date.
4.Click on budget request page.
5.Read through the Funding Rules & Regulations set by the SEOC.
6.Once you re done, click I agree.
7.Fill out a maintenance form if you need money for the sustainability of your organization,
OR fill out an event form if you need money for an event that your organization is doing.
As a general reminder, any event request above $2,000 REQUIRES you to present your planning
for the event in front of the Student Events and Organizations Committee during a Committee
Meeting.

Our Organization
wants to hold or travel
to an event not on
campus. What is the
procedure?

Off Campus Events

NEW FOR 2013-2014

Club events taking place off campus within the Greater Boston area will now be funded
through the SEOC budget request process. Off-campus events beyond the Greater Boston
area, out of state or out of the country will still be funded by the Budget and Finance
Committee (click HERE for info).
Please give at least 6 weeks in advance of your event to request funding from the Budget and
Finance Committee. More information can be found HERE.
In the case that your RSO is travelling somewhere, airfare and other transportation must be
booked directly with the University Travel Agent. Travel waivers are required for all club events
where travel is required (see your Advisor for the waiver).
Advisors may be required for overnight trips or trips with a high level of risk (work with your
Student Activities advisor to determine if you need a trip advisor).
All international trips must be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at least 2
months in advance and will require a trip advisor.

The SEOC funded me!

How can our
organization use the
funds?

Using Funds

Student Organization funds can be used in several ways:

Purchase Order (creates a check)
Credit Card
Shaw s Card
Although you are able to use these funds in several ways, please keep the following in mind:
ALL requests for payment and purchase MUST start by creating a purchase request on
SAGroups.
Please note that ONLY Presidents and Treasurers are able to create these requests.
ALL requests for Shaw s Cards or Credit Card purchases MUST be on SAGroups a
minimum of 3 business days in advance of the event.
Shaw s Cards are distributed by your Student Activities Advisor, please see them for more
information.

A couple important
things to note before
starting.

Financial Notes

NEVER pay for expenses out of your pocket. You will NOT be reimbursed.
If you are planning an event, you should use contract vendors (vendors who are on
the system and offer competitive pricing) whenever possible. See your advisor for
details.
Remember, it can take up to 8 weeks for a vendor to receive a check so plan ahead!
The University of Massachusetts Boston is tax exempt so we do not pay tax on
purchases other than hotel and meals.
ALL unspent RSO funds not reserved for specific events/purposes will be returned to
the Student Events and Organizations Committee (SEOC) at the end of each semester.
Purchase order requests (for checks) must be complete (with all paperwork) and on
SAGroups a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your event.
All other financial requests (Shaws Cards, Credit Card purchases) must be on
SAGroups a minimum of 3 business days ahead of your event or they will not be
processed.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your Advisor!

How do I use
SAGroups to make a
purchase request!?

How to: Create a

Purchase Request

Before you begin, follow these steps:

1.Login to your account on SAGroups.
2.Go to your club page.
3.Click on the Finance drop down menu and click on Create a Purchase Request (Primary
contacts will see tabs along the left hand side of the page)
Please note that: ALL FINANCIAL REQUESTS (Including POs, Shaws Cards, and Credit Card
purchases start with this form).
The next screen should display what you should see once you have completed the above
steps.

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

Now that youre on the prior slide screen, fill out the following lines for ALL PURCHASES:
Subject
Amount (give an estimate if not sure of final total)
Choose one of the following from the Category menu:
Expense: Misc for Shaw s Card
For Shaw s or Online orders simply put Shaw s or the website for your order
(Ex: www.orientaltrading.com)
Expense: Purchase Order / Check Request for a check to be cut to a vendor
For check requests, fill out all payee info including address
Expense: Purchasing Card for any credit card purchase
Please note that for a Purchase Order / Request you must also fill out the following fields under
Additional Information
Federal ID or Social Security Number (of Vendor)
Vendor Phone and Fax #
Date you will need to check (it takes up to 8 weeks to pay a Vendor so plan ahead if you
need to check on the day of the event!)
Student Organization Name, Contact E-mail, and Phone #
Student Organization Approval
Event date, location, start time, end time, and description of event
List of items to be purchased or description of Vendor fee
When you re finished, click submit. Please also note that for a purchase order you must also
make sure the Vendor is on the system and you submit an invoice.

Remember that in-order to get a Vendor Paid

You must have:

Completed MW-9 including Vendor Email address (if not on

system-minimum 2 weeks prior to event)
+
Completed Vendor Add/Update Form (if not on system-minimum
2 weeks prior to event)
+
Purchase Request on SAGroups (minimum 2 weeks prior to
event)
+
Invoice (minimum 2 weeks prior to event)
=
Payment 30 days from date of Invoice!

Help! Our vendor

wants us to sign or
agree to a contract!

Contracts

Both written and verbal contracts are legally

binding. Do not sign or agree to anything on
behalf of the University of Massachusetts
Boston.
Should you require a signed contract, work with your advisor well
in advance (at least 1 month) of your event.

UMASS Boston will not honor any verbal or written

agreement not sanctioned or agreed to through
the University Purchasing Office.

Our organization still

needs more funds!
What can I do?

Fundraising

Although you may have received funding from the Student Events and Organizations
Committee on behalf of your budget request, you may still be short funds. There are several
options you can take:
Requesting funding from University Departments
Requesting funding from Outside Organizations
Ticket sales
Donations
Bake sales fundraisers (Please note that these fundraisers and ALL Items sold must be
approved by your Advisor first!!!!)
You cannot sell the following at a Bake Sale: Loose baked goods including
donuts, muffins, munchkins, etc; Coke and Pepsi products due to contractual
obligations, home baked goods, and any hot or refrigerated items.
ALL prepackaged, individually wrapped baked goods (e.g. Little Debbie) should
have nutrition information available.
Any money that you may raise should be deposited into your Student Organizations account. If
you are looking to sell tickets for an event, the Student Activities front counter may be able to
help you. However, you must provide at least a 2 weeks advance notice.
Please note that if you are looking to donate the proceeds of an event to a charitable
organization, please work and notify your Advisor in advance!

SECTION 4.

EVENT PLANNING

Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee

Our Organization
wants to hold an event!
Where do we start?

How to: Plan an Event

As a Registered Student Organization (RSO), you have the capability to host an event on campus.
However, as most events require, you must plan first! As such, we have made a list of questions for
you to ask yourself before beginning:
Do I have funding for the event?
If not, can I receive funding from the Student Events and Organizations Committee?
If

not, can I work with another RSO or University Department who has the
funds?
Does this event support and push the mission & purpose of my Student Organization?
When do I (and my organization) want to host this event? (Have at least 2-3 different days
you can chose from!)
Do my members have an interest in this event idea?
Would these members be able to attend the event and be able to help set the event up
if necessary?
Have I talked this event over with my Student Activities Advisor?
If you are holding a late night event or an event that requires an Advisor, please
speak to your Advisor before reserving a space!
Please note that the last day to hold an event is the last day of classes each semester.
You can find a more thorough checklist for planning an event HERE.

We ve planned our
event but need a place
to host it. Help!

How to: Reserve a

Space

As you are planning your event, you may want to check what spaces are available and on what
days so that your organization can reserve that space. You can find the Event Calendar
HERE.
Here are instructions on navigating the Event Calendar:
You can view specifics (capacity, set-up options) about each space by rolling over the
room number on the left hand side of the grid and clicking on the space.
To change buildings or dates, use the navigation tools on the right hand side of the
page.
If a space is shaded, then its not available.
If its not shaded, then the space is most likely available.
Keep in mind that reservations are on a first come, first served basis so there may be
someone in the queue for that same space. (You may want to have alternatives in mind!)
If you are looking to reserve Room 3315 in the Campus Center, please visit the front
counter of Student Activities in Campus Center Room 3400.
Once you have a location and a day for your event, your Registered Student Organization
(RSO) can reserve a space online through the R-25 Reservations System. Make sure to fill
out all required fields. Please note that it may take a minimum of 3-5 business days to
process your space request, so book ahead! (You can book up to 3 years in advance!)

Once you have submitted your space request, you should receive an automated response that
indicates the scheduling office has received your request. The Scheduling Office will check
availability and will contact you if there are any conflicts.
Note: This is not a confirmation.
A formal confirmation in the form of a PDF will be e-mailed to you within 3-5 business days.
You will also receive a confirmation from your Student Activities Advisor.
When you have received the confirmation e-mail, meet with your Student Activities Advisor and fill
out an Event Planning Checklist. Your Advisor will help determine if you need the following:
Public Safety
Events that require a detail will do so at a 4 hour minimum (e.g. if your event runs
from 9-11 pm and requires a police detail, you will have to pay for 4 hours per officer)
Details are assigned based on the number of attendees, whether your event is open
to the public, or has a higher level of risk involved
Facilities
Media Details
Your Advisor will also help you order any supplies, food, media equipment, and can help with
getting a Vendor paid for your event.

My event is going to
require security. How
do I go about getting
it?

Public Safety

As a new policy effective of the new Academic year of 2012-2013, the Student Activities and
Leadership Office alongside with the Campus Center and Public Safety Departments have
implemented a large-scale event and metal detector policy. The following are regulations that
you must abide by in order to host such an event:
Please note: Performances, concerts, cultural shows, and other large events fall under
this policy. The final determination on what constitutes a large-scale event will be
made in conjunction with the Campus Center, Public Safety, and Student Activities
offices.
An event may be classified as a Dance/Social event if it meets most of the following
criteria:
Any purely social event that will be advertised to non-UMass Boston students
Expected attendance of 100 or more attendees
The use of music for the defined purpose of social dancing
A scheduled event ending time of later than 11 pm
Also, due to safety and staffing concerns, the university can no longer support
multiple events in one evening.
Example: A club has a performance show and then wishes to hold a dance party following
that requires change in set-up, requires participants to exit and then re-enter for the dance
party, and the second party is open to new participants.

The following are regulations as part of the large-scale event and metal detector policy.

Events will end at midnight unless express permission is received from the Campus Center
Office and the Student Activities Office.
Dance/Social Parties should be limited to Friday or Saturday nights. If an event occurs
during the Monday-Thursday, then it will end no later than 10 pm. No parties will be held on
Sundays.
UMass Boston students may enter with valid UMB ID card. All non-UMass Boston students
and guests must be 18+ years of age and must produce a valid ID with date of birth (passport,
license, state issued ID card)
A designated Advisor from the Office of Student Activities and Leadership must be present
during the entire event. The club must check with their Advisor prior to scheduling the event
to ensure the Advisor is available for the event.
A designated Liaison from the Campus Center Office must be present for the event.
A Public Safety detail (number to be determined) will be present for the entire event with the
cost assumed by the sponsoring Recognized Student Organization (RSO).
Depending on the nature of the event, Metal Detectors may be required. USG owns Metal
detectors, which can be utilized free of charge. However, the cost of Public Safety to run
them will be assumed by the club. The final decision for metal detectors rests with Public
Safety and Student Activities.
There will be 1 entrance and exit identified for the duration of the event.

Our event needs food!

How can we get it?

Food & Catering

Before you order any food, make sure that the Student Events and Organizations Committee has
funded the expenses for the food in your event. You can check the status of your budget requests
HERE.
Sodexo has created a Student Organization-only no frills catering menu with competitive
pricing! Therefore, you should place food orders from this menu whenever possible! You
can find the menu under the Campus Links section of SAGroups.
Food should be ordered through Sodexho or purchased at Shaws with a Shaws Card
whenever possible. Pizza, sandwiches, and snacks are not subject to a 9% catering fee.
Use of an off campus catering vendor (which must be from a licensed establishment) is subject to
a 9% catering fee.
For example, if you order $500 of hot trays of food from Spinellis to serve at an event, 9%
of the order (or an additional $45) will be charged to your account.

If your event requires Catering (a food vendor other than Sodexho setting up and serving large
quantities of food), then the vendor must provide the Campus Center with a certificate of
insurance and must participate in a walk through with Campus Center Staff at least (10) business
days prior to the event. The Campus Center also has a list of preferred caterers on their website
(those who have already submitted insurance, etc.)

New for 2013-2014: If you are using an off campus caterer, then they must provide plastic
or china service. We will no longer support china rentals only.
As a reminder, all requests for food must be submitted as a Purchase Request on SAGroups. So
please allow at least 3 business days notice to process your request (longer for large orders).
And as always, your Student Activities Advisor can help you with all of your food and
catering questions!

When planning your

event, the Campus
Center has the
following

Campus Center
Resources

Evening and Weekend Staff Assigned to match the event schedule

Students who serve as the backbone of the CC and serve as Bldg
Managers, AV, Info Booth, and Event Staff
Design-an-Event Map We can design your room/event layout to scale

Built-in LCD Projectors & PA system in the Ballrooms, 3540, 3545,

2540, 2545, and Alumni Lounge

Built in LCD TVs in 3315, 3115, and 2315

Additional AV is also available including TV/DVD carts, overheads,
LCD s, boom-boxes, and conference phones
Staging, risers, dance floors, sign-holders, snap frames, easels, and
dry erase boards
Assisted Listening devices are available in the Ballroom & Braille
Directories are available at the Info Booth

Our event needs

advertising! Where can
we print fliers and get
posters?

Printing of Fliers &

Posters

Every Registered Student Organization can receive 60 free fliers from Quinn Graphics for an
event that they are hosting. Your Advisors send all printing requests to Quinn Graphics.
If you are looking for a different order however, send an e-mail to your Student Activities
Advisor with the attachment and order details (e.g. number of copies, sizes, etc.) and the date
you would need the materials by. Please allow up to 2 business days to complete the
request.
Once the printing is complete, pick up your materials from Quinn Graphics (located in the
Quinn Administration Building LL) and bring them to Student Activities for the approval stamp
so that you can post them up around campus. You can find the Posting Policy HERE.
Please note that ALL event publicity must have:
Your RSOs name
Contact information
The Disability Statement (available from advisor) or it will not be approved
Your Student Activities Advisor can provide you with an overview of Quinn Graphics printing
costs if you are looking to purchase printing.

Thank you for completing club training.

In order to get credit for club training,
Presidents and Treasurers must click
HERE.
Returning clubs must complete training
by September 20, 2013
to remain active.
Contact SEOC@umbgov.com with any
comments, suggestions, or questions.
Club Training | Student Events and Organizations Committee