Student Organizations Guide

All student organizations at Pitzer College have a number of duties and privileges, which are explained on this page. Failure to meet certain requirements can result in an organization losing its funding or being disbanded, so make sure to familiarize yourself with everything below if you are a leader in a club or other organization. Please scroll to the bottom of this page for information about 5C clubs and organizations.

Much of what is listed here is established by the Student Senate Constitution. If you have any further questions or if you need something clarified, reach out to the VP of Student Engagement at [email protected].

For more information on planning events with your student organization please visit the Campus Life Page.


Important Deadlines

Rechartering: Towards the end of the academic year, every student organization must renew its charter in order to be recognized the following year, and in order to take part in the budgetary hearing process (see below). The precise deadline, and the form to renew the charter, will be distributed in an email to organization leaders.


Important Meetings & Events

Every student organization must send at least one representative, preferably one of the leaders of the organization, to the following meetings:

Student Involvement Fair: once per semester; mandatory for all organizations. Every organization will have a table at the event, which should be staffed by 1 to 4 members. The Fair is a good opportunity to recruit new members and publicize what your group does.

During the fall semester, the Fair will take place within the first month of the academic year. During the spring semester, the Fair will take place during Student Voice Week, which is the third week of the semester. Exact dates will be released via email.

Student Organization Info Sessions: once per semester; mandatory for all organizations. These meetings serve to help familiarize organizations with forms, deadlines, meeting minutes submissions, and general expectations.

Exact dates will be released via email.

Budget Allocation Hearings: once per academic year. This meeting takes place near the end of the academic year. While not strictly mandatory, attending it is crucial for any student organization that wishes to maintain steady budget. It is possible for any group to simply request funding from the Budget Committee at any time during the year, but as much as two-thirds of all funding is allocated at the Budget Allocation Hearings for the following year. Only organizations that have renewed their charters (see above) are eligible to participate.

Exact dates and details will be released via email.


Funds & Supplies

Student organizations must spend their funds only things that further the purpose of the organization. They may not spend their funds to make purchases for any individual member or any activity that is beyond the scope of the organization’s purpose.

Organizations usually receive most of their budget at the budget allocation hearings (see above). For information about requesting additional funding, see the Budget Committee page.

All reusable (non-consumable) supplies and materials that are purchased by an organization using student activities funds are the property of Student Senate. You will be able to store and manage these supplies, but they cannot be permanently given away to any one student, including members, without the approval of Senate.

Organizations process their expenses and receive reimbursements through the Treasurer and Vice President of Finance. Forms to request reimbursements can be found on the accessing funds page.


Charters

All student organizations must write a charter before they can be approved, and you should make sure your charter is up to date and meets all requirements from time to time. To learn more about charters, see the Charter Guide.

If you would like to amend your charter, you can do so by submitting an updated charter as part of your meeting minutes.

Meeting Minutes

All registered Student Organizations at Pitzer College must submit meeting minutes any time they hold an official meeting. Please click here to submit minutes. To view submitted minutes please click here.


Online Presence

Every student organization must maintain some online presence to help students learn about and contact the group. This could be a website, Facebook page, Instagram, or anything similar that can be accessed by any student at Pitzer College. Group chats and email lists don’t qualify, since they can only be accessed by members.


Other Duties

Every student organization must hold at least two meetings every month.*

Every student organizations must keep the Secretary informed about its meeting times, meeting locations, and officer list.

Every student organization must be open to all currently enrolled students of Pitzer College.

Every student organization must abide by all rules and regulations established by Student Senate and Pitzer College, as well as all local, state, and federal laws.

 

*A student organization may apply for an exemption from this duty. Contact the Vice President of Student Engagement for more information.


Privileges

You may use the name “Pitzer College” in your correspondence and advertising. However, you and all members of your organization are liable for your events and actions; Pitzer College is not.

You may use the buildings, grounds, equipment, and services of the College when available and officially scheduled.

You have access to support services, including duplicating, publicity and programming assistance, and a mailbox in the GSC if they desire.

All student organizations will be listed on Pitzer Colleges website. Contact the Vice President of Student Engagement if you would like to have any details from your organization’s listing changed.


Restrictions

The purpose of the organization must be compatible with the policies, educational objectives, and core values of Pitzer College.

Student organizations may not practice any type of hazing or unlawful initiation rituals.

Student organizations may not use student activities funds for the purchase of any of the following:

  • Any illegal substances, as defined by all local, state, and federal laws
  • Weapons, firearms, and/or explosives (with an exception for kitchen tools, art supplies, and gardening equipment)
  • Single-use plastic water bottles
  • Any alcohol or tobacco products
  • Gift cards

5C Clubs and Organizations

Whereas Pitzer clubs/organizations are composed of Pitzer College students and receive funding from Pitzer College Student Senate, 5C clubs/organizations are made up of students at some (or all) of the 5Cs and receive funding from Associated Students of Pomona College, via funding from each 5C college. Further, whereas the Vice President of Student Engagement in Pitzer College’s Student Senate oversees all Pitzer clubs/organizations, the Smith Campus Center at Pomona College is responsible for managing and working with 5C clubs/organizations.


Registration

All affairs related to 5C clubs/organizations (such as registering a new club, signing up for 5C Club Fair & Turf Dinner, etc.) take place on Engage. There is also a comprehensive Student Organization Handbook on Engage, which outlines the process for registering a new club. To access Engage: sign onto MyCampus2 > Home > Engage. Note: You MUST be signed in to access any forms on Engage.


Promotion

There are a variety of ways that you can inform the student body about exciting events, news, and updates in your club/organization! Below are some tips on how to promote your club/organization:

  • Post updates/announcements on social media
    • While the the official Vice President of Student Engagement Instagram account (@pzvpse) account is primarily designated for providing info about and info for Pitzer clubs/orgs, they will still happily promote any Pitzer-affiliated 5C club/organization on the account
  • Send emails via the student-talk listserv and/or your club’s email list (if you have one)
  • Participate in the 5C Club Fair

Funding

5C clubs/organizations can request funding from Pitzer Student Senate as long as there are members in the group who attend Pitzer. While Pitzer can provide funding, it is then managed by the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC). To learn more about the process for requesting funding, please visit the Organization Funding page on the Senate website.


Contact

Please contact the Smith Campus Center, [email protected], for any questions related to 5C clubs/organizations.