The document outlines an advisor training for sorority and fraternity advisors, including topics such as registration policies, legal issues, the role of advisors, resources, risk management, and questions. It discusses the definition and criteria for student organizations, the roles of organization officers and advisors, and how to apply for operating and programming funds. The training also covers liability issues, Clery Act requirements, FERPA, and how to manage risks related to hazing and alcohol.

1. Welcome To
Sorority and Fraternity
Advisor Training
2012-2013
Jeff Pelletier
Pelletier.12@osu.edu
292-8763
www.slideshare.net/jeffbc94/advisor-certification-2012-2013

2. Training Outline
• Introductions
• Registration & Funding Policies
• Legal Issues
• The Role of an Advisor
• Resources
• Semester Conversion
• Ohio Union Website
• Questions & Evaluation

3. University
Senate
Council on
Student Affairs
Registered Student
Organizations

4. Student Organization Philosophy
Definition of a student organization:
A Student Organization is an association of Ohio State
students created for any educational purpose that supports
the vision and goals of the University set forth in the Academic
Plan and the Diversity Action Plan.
Justification for supporting a wide variety of organizations:
Student Organizations serve as a medium for academic
discourse, personal growth, leadership development,
intercultural understanding, community service, and lasting
friendships.

5. Minimum Criteria
• Must have five OSU student members
• 90% of organization membership must be currently enrolled
OSU students
• Three separate student leaders to serve as primary officers -
President, Secondary Leader, Treasurer
– None of whom may be listed as primary officers of more than three
different organizations
• Student officers must maintain a minimum term GPA (2.0 for
undergraduates)

6. Minimum Criteria
• OSU Faculty or A&P staff advisor (who may not advise more than
three organizations unless required by job description)
– Graduate students and civil service employees are not eligible to serve
as Primary Advisors
– Sharrell is primary, we all are secondary/co-advisor
• Must have a purpose statement, goals, roster, and constitution
submitted
• Constitution must have a statement prohibiting discrimination on
the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression,
national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran
status in accordance with CSA Guidelines

7. Role of the President
• Complete and manage registration for organization
• Coordinate meetings and events
• Primary contact for and corresponds on behalf of student
organization
• Communicate with organization members and advisor
• Provide vision, direction, and leadership for the organization
• Recruit and groom future leaders
• Ensure teambuilding and morale

8. Registration & Management
• Two Registration Windows
– Spring Window: February 15 – April 30
– Autumn Window: August 1 – October 15
– All Chapters should register in the Spring Window
• Annual Renewal Requirements
– Training (Pres, Treas, Adv)
– Online Registration (Pres)
• General Information
• Leaders and Roster
• Constitution
• Goals
– Advisor Online Registration Approval (Sharrell)

9. Registration & Management
• Advisor Approvals
– Online Registration
– Operating Funds
– Programming Funds
– Goals
– End of Year Report
• Sharrell receives email prompts for all approvals

10. Statuses
• Pending: Brand new organizations or organizations in
the process of completing registration requirements for a
given year.
• Inactive: Organizations that have not completed all
registration requirements by the annual April 30
deadline. Inactive organizations are ineligible to use the
free resources for student organizations.

11. Statuses
• Active - New/Re-Established: Organizations that
have been registered for less than two (2) continuous
years or organizations with less than 15 members; all
registration requirements completed by the annual April
30 deadline.
• Active - Established: Organizations that have been
registered for at least two (2) continuous years; at least 15
members of the organization; all registration
requirements completed by the annual April 30 deadline.

12. Role of the Treasurer
• Meet regularly with the advisor to discuss finances
• Request all funds for the organization
• Save receipts and complete all forms
• Manage organization budget and bank account
• Steward of student money
• Set the example of financial wellness

13. Student Activity Fee
• All students pay a $75 annual activity fee

14. Funding Basics
• Only the listed Treasurer has access to apply for funding
online
• When submitting a funding request, consult the list of
fundable and non-fundable expenses in the CSA
Guidelines
• Your organization must have the following for your
organization to receive funding:
– Active status
– No Outstanding Debt
– Organization Checking Account
– EIN

15. Operating Funds
• Organizations may apply for up to $200 each year in
operating funds
• Examples: supplies, dues to national orgs, promotional items
such as t-shirts, travel/retreat/conference
• Operating funds can be applied for anytime between July 1 -
April 1 during the current student org year
• May 1 audit deadline, to be completed by the Treasurer
• Operating funds are awarded in advance on a first-come basis
until it has run out

16. Programming Funds
• New/Re-Established status organizations may apply for up
to $2,000 per year; Established organizations up to $3,000
• Request submission deadlines:
– July 1: program dates 8/16 – 10/15
– September 1: program dates 10/16 – 12/31
– November 15: program dates 1/1 – 3/15
– February 1: program dates 3/16 – 5/31
– April 15: program dates 6/1 – 8/15
• The applications are reviewed by the CSA Allocations
Committee according to viewpoint neutral criteria
• Programming funds are reimbursed after submitting
receipts for fundable expenses

17. Fundraising and Sponsorship
• Some good ideas are local restaurants, clean-ups,
concessions, selling items, soliciting local business,
partnering with campus departments, or writing
organization alumni.
• On campus credit card sales are not permitted.
• Download the fundraising contact sheet from the Ohio
Union website.
• There are no sponsorship restrictions except for direct
competitors to Coca-Cola, Huntington, or Barnes & Noble

18. Legal Issues

19. Liability Issues
• Student organizations are not official legal entities of
the University.
• When you agree to be an advisor, as the University
representative, you assume a degree of risk.
• Your national headquarters may have additional
information on liability and/or protection.
• Minimize your risk by being familiar with University
policies, staying informed of organization activities
and using good judgment.

20. Liability Issues
• Many advisors have posed hypothetical questions about
whether or not they could be sued for damages by the victim of
an accident at an organization event or by a vendor with
whom the organization has breached a contract.
• There is no way to predict whether or not you could be sued,
but even though OSU Legal Affairs could not defend students
in such a situation, the University could – and likely would –
defend you as the advisor.
• As long as you are acting within the scope of your employment
and are not grossly negligent in your duty to advise the
organization, the University will indemnify you.

21. Liability Issues
• While it is not necessary to have, some advisors have felt more
comfortable with liability issues by having a letter on file, signed
by their supervisor, chair, or dean, that explains the University’s
indemnification of advisors
• The text of such a letter can be found on the Ohio Union’s
Advisor Resources webpage.

22. Jeanne Clery
Disclosure of Campus Security Policy &
Crime Statistics Act
• Under federal law, campuses must compile and publish
campus crime statistics
• If any person reveals to you that they have been the
victim, witness or perpetrator of any incident that might
involve a crime, please immediately contact the University
Police at 292-2121.
• Reporting a crime to the police does not mean that
charges must be filed.

23. Family Educational Rights
And Privacy Act (FERPA)
• In most cases, neither a student’s education records nor the
personal information contained in those records may be
disclosed without prior consent of the student.
• If your organization needs a student to disclose his/her
education records for the purpose of officer selection, you must
get consent from the student prior to obtaining the
information. That consent should be in writing, indicating the
specific records to be released, the specific purpose, the date,
and the party to whom the disclosure may be made.
• Ohio Union staff can help verify student grade information for
the purpose of officer selection.

24. Risk Management
• What is Risk Management?
– Assessing, minimizing, and preventing accidental loss
through the use of safety measures
• Varying levels and types of risk with student
organizations
– Liability
– Safety
– Reputation
– Financial
– Emotional

25. Risk Management
• Hazing
– Ohio Revised Code Definition: “ ‘Hazing’ means doing any
act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act
of initiation into any student or other organization that
causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or
physical harm to any person.”
– Civil Liability: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2307.44
• Alcohol
– Follow State of Ohio Law
– www.partysmart.osu.edu
– Cannot use in promotional materials for events

26. Risk Management
• Waivers
• Controversial topics or speakers
• Games of Chance/Raffles
• Money handling
• Responsibility for others
• Contracts
• Code of Conduct
– Off Campus Rules
– Property Destruction (i.e. Car Bashes)

27. International Travel
• If your student organization is traveling internationally,
please contact Grace Johnson (johnson.136@osu.edu) in
the Office of International Affairs to discuss insurance
coverage and safe travel practices.

28. The Role of an
Advisor

29. Role of the Advisor
• Listener •Mentor
• Historian •Teacher
• Policy Interpreter •Motivator
• Risk Manager •Financial Advisor
• Conflict Mediator •Copy Editor

30. Required Duties
• Complete an Advisor Training session every two years.
• Annually review and approve the organization’s online
registration information.
• As requested, approve/reject CSA funding requests.
• Review and approve organization’s Goals and End of Year
Report
• Sign off on reservations of University space and equipment, as
requested by the University department granting the
reservation.
• Be listed as a signatory on the organization’s checking
account.

31. Other Duties As Assigned
• Primary resource offering suggestions
• Provide continuity and historical perspective
• Explain and review policies with the organization
• Meet with the Exec Board/President
• Assist the Treasurer with budgeting, account management
• Attend meeting and events
• Assist with retreats, officer elections and transitions, goal setting
• Custodian of group paraphernalia, records, documents

32. Advisor Success Tips
• Establish mutual expectations
• Find balance and prioritizing responsibilities
• Stay in the loop
– Cc on emails
– Subscribe to organizational listservs
• Advising vs. Supervising
• Seek out personal relationships
• Be an educator and challenger

33. Advisor Success Tips
• Know or help develop the goals of the group
• Know the members of the organization
• Be committed to the organization
• Be visible, available, and approachable to members
• Provide appropriate feedback
• Know resources available to you and your organization
• Have fun

34. Forming
• Coming together stage
– Officer transitions
– Goal Setting
– Recruitment
– Retreats
– Teambuilding
– Budgeting
• What do advisors do?
– Offer balance of Challenge & Support
– Answer questions, provide context

35. Storming
• Differences of opinion stage
• Building & testing trust
• Conflicts and indecision
• What do advisors do?
– Promote understanding leadership styles
– Encourage open debate and discussion
– Remind them of goals

36. Norming
• Group culture emerges
• Projects and organizational work gets done
• What do advisors do?
– Keep them motivated
– Check in on progress
– Use your connections

37. Performing
• Execution of goals or events
• Reflection, Feedback & Assessment
• Elections
• What do advisors do?
– Identify potential future leaders
– Provide recognition opportunities

38. Millennial Generation
• Students born between 1982-2001 are often referred to as the
Millennial generation
• Some general characteristics of Millennials
– Confident
– Team-Oriented
– “Special”
– Conventional
– Achievement-Oriented
– Sheltered
– Diverse
– Pressured
Coomes, M.D. & DeBard, R. (2004). Serving the Millennial Generation. San Francisco:
Jossey Bass.

39. Conflict Resolution Tips
• Establish rapport, a non-threatening environment
• Build trust through empathy & understand
perspective
• Identify and agree on a problem
• Focus on behavior, not people or personalities
• Be objective, forward looking and positive
• Look for mutually agreeable solutions, shared interest,
and multiple options
• Create attainable commitments, evaluate, and praise
success

40. Suicide Prevention
• OSU Campus Suicide Prevention Program training sessions
– Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college
students.
• The OSU Campus Suicide Prevention Program offers free one-
hour trainings to help you recognize the warning signs for
suicide and teach you how to intervene to get the student help.
• To schedule training contact Wendy Winger at
OSUsuicideprevention@ehe.osu.edu

41. Resources

42. Meeting & Event Space
• Ohio Union Meeting & Event Space
– Over 30 options
– Most spaces are free with Active status
– Conference Meeting Rooms in the Center for Student Leadership
and Service
• Tabling in the Union
• Ohio Union Catering – Student Organization Catering
Menu & Policies
• Additional campus locations – Selected classroom
buildings across campus
• Outdoor Events – BEN request

43. Meeting & Event Space

44. Meeting & Event Space

45. Coke Beverage Donation
• Donations are for events, rather than for meetings.
• The event must be on or near campus.
• The request form must be filled out online at least 2
weeks prior to the event for which the beverages are
needed.
• Several pick-up locations, including the Ohio Union
• Request form available through Student Life website

46. Working with Food
• If you are not selling food, the general rule is “eater beware”
• If you are selling food, the campus policy states:
– Food items sold by student organizations should either be commercially
prepackaged by a licensed vendor and handled in compliance with
relevant health codes or grown, raised, or produced by members of a
registered student organization as part of their academic program.
• Download a copy of Food Safety Guidelines from the Ohio
Union Resources webpage

47. Using Trademarks
• All items with any kind of OSU logo or images, etc. need
approval by the Trademark and Licensing Office
• The words “Ohio State” or “OSU” do not need to be
approved if outside of organization’s name
• “Ohio State” or “OSU” must appear at the end of the
organization name. Only student organizations in the
Active - Established level of registration may use “Ohio
State” or “OSU” in their official organization name.

48. Transportation
• Students may drive each other to events, or other student
organization related activities without signing a waiver
• Organizations may rent cars, passenger vans, buses, and
trucks through OSU Transportation & Parking
• Reservations must be made at least three business days in
advance

49. Showing a Movie
• If you want to show a movie, most likely you need to buy
a licensed copy of the film if it is a “public performance.”
• Visit MPAA website for more information.
• Visit www.swank.com to browse movie titles

50. Center for Student
Leadership & Service
A student’s point of connection
for the full spectrum of involvement
at Ohio State.
Students can connect with leadership
and service initiatives, engage with
student organizations, advance learning,
and create lasting memories.

51. Center for Student
Leadership & Service

52. Center for Student
Leadership & Service
Access free
workshops and
retreats for your
organization.

53. Center for Student
Leadership & Service
• Lounge
• Graphics Department
• Video Department
• Meeting Rooms
• Office Space & Lockers
• Leadership Library
• Resource Room

54. Resource Room
• Resource Room Handout – Page 4
• Annual $250 Line-of-Credit to spend on resources.
• Line of Credit is reset at conclusion of registration period; not
available until organization obtains Active status.
• When Line of Credit runs out, or if so desired, items may be
purchased with cash/credit/Buck ID.
• All members can use Line-of-Credit.
• Only leaders may check out equipment.
• Items available for individual purchase too
ohiounion.osu.edu/get_involved/student_organizations/resourceroom

55. Marketing Resources
• Graphic Designers
• Photography
• Videography
• Vendors or promotional items
• Ohio Union virtual Bulletin Boards
• Ohio Union website calendar

56. Technology Resources
• Website hosted on University server
• Organizational Listservs
• Organizational Email Accounts
• Carmen page

57. Student Organization Insider
• Weekly email newsletter sent to all listed officers and
advisors
• You can sign up for the listserv on the Ohio Union website
without an osu.edu email address
• Submit announcements for your events by Tuesdays at
5pm to csls@osu.edu

59. Ohio Union
Website

60. Most Popular: Go to Get
link for Student Involved and
Organizations click Student
Organizations

61. Student
Organizations
home page
Advisor
resources

62. Guidelines, documents, links,
access to marketing/
graphics/video services

63. Funding: important treasurer
information, including
deadlines guidelines, and
documents

65. Sorority and Fraternity Life
home page

66. Council
documents,
hazing
information,
student code
of conduct

67. Questions or
Comments?
Jeff Pelletier
Pelletier.12@osu.edu
292-8763