Chartering a Student Group at Sinclair College Any currently enrolled Sinclair student may petition to charter a NEW student group at Sinclair College by completing the below steps. Step 1: Review the list of current student group to see if there is already a student group with the same purpose. If there is a student group already established, please contact the Advisor to seek membership. Step 2: Write down your student group s title and mission statement. This should consist of 2 to 3 sentences that can be shared with potential Advisors and members about your student group and the benefits it provides the Sinclair community. Step 3: Find an Advisor. Identify a Sinclair employee who would like to volunteer their time to help mentor your student group. Be sure to provide them with your student group s mission statement and discuss how the student group will enhance the college experience. Step 4: Ask the Advisor to complete the charter application. Advisors can complete the online application by visiting their my.sinclair account. The form is located in Forms Central: Student Group Charter Application. Step 5: Remind your Advisor to look for an email from the Coordinator of Student Engagement with an outline of next steps. This email will include dates and times of student officer and Advisor trainings as well as the Advisor Agreement. Step 6: Recruit members to join your student group. Ten (10) currently enrolled Sinclair students is the minimum number of student officers and members to be considered an active student group. The Advisors, student officers and members will need to acknowledge the Student Code of Conduct/Honor Code. Your Advisor can download the form to record membership by visiting their my.sinclair account. The form is located on Forms Central: New Student Group Charter Membership. Step 7: Draft a student group constitution. Review the attached constitution template and sample with your student officers, members and Advisor. Schedule time to draft the constitution as a group. Remind your Advisor to email the final copy of the student group s constitution to the Coordinator of Student Engagement. Approval Process Once all steps are completed and all documentation has been received by Student & Community Engagement, the student group Advisor will be notified of the status of your student group charter. Please know that application and all documentation will be been reviewed by the Coordinator of Student Engagement, Manager for Student & Community Engagement, and Director of Student Affairs as part of the approval process. Questions Contact the Coordinator of Student Engagement via email at studentandcommunity@sinclair.edu or via phone at 937-512-2509.
DRAFTING A CONSTITUTION Template Constitution of Sinclair (student group name) Preamble The preamble is a short paragraph that describes in detail why the student group exists at Sinclair College. It should include information on the educational benefits of the student group and how student group will improve the learning and/or cultural environment for students at Sinclair. This section should also include the following statement: The (student group name) is a recognized student group (select the appropriate term) that is student led and organized and chartered in accordance with the guidelines of Sinclair s Student & Community Engagement office. The views and opinions expressed by the student group (select the appropriate term) do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sinclair College. Sinclair College maintains overall authority in approving the activities and expenditures of the student group (select the appropriate term). Article I: Name The name of this student group (select the appropriate term) shall be (student group name). Article II: Mission Article II is the mission statement for the student group and should be no more than 3 sentences. Article III: Membership Article III is the definitions and criteria of membership. Each definition and criteria should be listed as a separate bullet. This section must include the following statement: Membership of the (student group name) is comprised of 10 or more currently enrolled students who are taking at least 6 Sinclair credit hours. The requirement of 10 members includes elected Officers. Advisors, associate members, and friends of the student group are not considered to be part of the 10 members required for charter eligibility.
Article IV: Organization Article IV is six (6) sections describing the organizational structure of the student group. Each section should provide information on how the governing board of the student group will operate including the roles and responsibilities of the Officers. The section on governing rules relates to the terms of office, rules for elections, the procedure for filling executive board positions that become open prior to the next election, and the process of removing an Officer who has not maintained good standing. Section I: Structure (Branches Executive, etc.) Section II: Officers Section III: Elections and Appointments Section IV: Terms of Office Section V: Roles & Responsibilities of the Officers Section VI: Governing Rules
Article V: Meetings Article V details the student group meeting schedule. This sections should list the number of meetings per moth the student group will host as well as the procedure and process of special meetings. Special meetings are meetings that occur outside the agreed upon schedule and are called by Officers or an established number of members who are considered to be in good standing. Article VI: Quorum Article VI should describe who is eligible to vote, the percentage (%) of members that need to be present for a vote, and the number of individuals needed to pass a vote for a resolution or to call for an election, appropriation, or committee assignment, etc. Article VII: Amendments Article VII has two sections on the procedures: (1) How will the student group go about adopting or ratifying the constitution and (2) What steps must be completed to amend the constitution. Section I: Adoption and Ratification Section II: Amending the Constitution Article VIII: General Provisions Article VIII details out additional governing principles that the student group determine are appropriate, e.g. the Advisor is not a voting member. Another example is: Officers will meet once a month prior to regular meetings.
SAMPLE CONSTITUTION Constitution of Sinclair Truth Seekers Club Preamble The Sinclair Truth Seekers Club is a recognized student club that is student led and organized and chartered in accordance with the guidelines of Sinclair s Student & Community Engagement office. The views and opinions expressed by the student club do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sinclair College. Sinclair College maintains overall authority in approving the activities and expenditures of the student club. The purpose of the Truth Seekers Club shall be to increase interaction among students, faculty, and staff at Sinclair College. We will interact with members of the local community and professionals in a variety of career fields to: 1. Perform community service. 2. Provide information on careers and college opportunities. 3. Increase general understanding and interest in a variety of career fields. 4. Increase personal and professional growth in a variety of career fields. Article I: Name The name of this student club shall be Sinclair Truth Seekers Club. Article II: Mission The Sinclair Truth Seekers Club focuses on creating community service opportunities for its members to explore a variety of career fields. Article III: Membership Membership of the Sinclair Truth Seekers Club is comprised of 10 or more currently enrolled students who are taking at least 6 Sinclair credit hours. The requirement of 10 members includes elected Officers. Advisors, associate members, and friends (alumni and community members) of the student group are not considered to be part of the 10 members required for charter eligibility. Members must attend fifty percent of the club meetings and activities and must be available to work in one third of the club activities. Any individual, who satisfies the c riteria for membership, shall be considered a member in good standing. Any individual meeting the criteria of membership will be added to the roll of members maintained by the student club Secretary. Any individual not fulfilling the requirements for membership will be deleted from the roll of members upon direction from the student club executive committee. Article IV: Organization Section I: Structure (Branches Executive, etc.) The Sinclair Truth Seekers Club will be governed by an executive committee offices that are elected by the student club membership. Section II: Officers The executive committee offices of Sinclair Truth Seekers Club will be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Campus Representative. Section III: Elections and Appointments Candidates for executive committee offices will be nominated at the first meeting of the academic year. Once nominations are closed, Officers will be elected by vote of all members present. Any office that becomes empty shall be filled at the next regular meeting, through the nominations/election process listed above. Section IV: Terms of Office
The term of office will match the academic year. Section V: Roles & Responsibilities of the Officers President Will preside at all general and Executive Committee meeting. Will be an ex-officio member of all standing committees. Will perform all duties customary to the office. Will appoint all chairpersons of committees. Will attend monthly student club training or appoint a delegate in his/her absence. Will represent Sinclair Truth Seeker s voice and vote where appropriate. Vice President Will preside in absence of the president. Will be ex-officio of all special committees. Treasurer Will deposit and requisition funds from Sinclair College through the Student & Community Engagement office. Shall be responsible for all financial record keeping for the student club. Shall render a financial report to the membership at least once each quarter. Secretary Will keep accurate written records of all general and student club executive committee meetings. Will take roll call at all meetings. Will keep a roll of all regular and associate meetings when necessary. Will be responsible for receiving and answering all correspondence, and will report the contents to the student club executive committee. Will provide members with a printed copy of constitution upon request. Will provide an electronic copy of all correspondence to the Student & Community Engagement office to be placed in the club file. Section VI: Governing Rules 1. Voting members of the student club executive committee will include: the President, the Vice President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. 2. Any other members may attend and petition at an executive committee meeting. 3. Executive Committee meetings will be scheduled once per month to precede regular meetings. Article V: Meetings The Sinclair Truth Seekers Club meetings will be held once per month at a t ime and place scheduled by the executive committee. Special events meeting will be scheduled upon the request of any Officer or petition of five members in good standing. 1. The student club President will preside at all meetings. 2. If the student club President is absent (or is the subject of the meeting), the next office listed in the constitution will preside. Article VI: Quorum A quorum of five or more members in good standing is required to call a vote of election, appropriation, or committee assignment. Article VII: Amendments Section I: Adoption and Ratification Any member may propose an amendment to the constitution by submitting a written proposition to the secretary at any time.
1. Secretary shall notify members of proposition by mail prior to the next regular meeting. 2. Membership will also be informed of proposition at the next regular meeting. Section II: Amending the Constitution 1. The proposed amendment will be put to a vote at the next regular meeting following the meeting in which the membership was notified. 2. A majority student club vote is required to amend the constitution. 3. Amendment will be applicable immediately following a majority vote in favor of the proposed amendment. Article VIII: General Provisions 1. The Advisor is not a voting member. 2. The constitution will be readopted every three years. 3. Sinclair Truth Seekers Club will establish by-laws at the beginning of each academic year after the executive committee has been elected.