Hello Student Leaders and Advisors!

AY 2024 Timeline and Key Dates

As you know, one of the requirements this year is that all Level 1, 2, and 3 organizations send all new executive board leaders to one of the three Presence Onboard Trainings. These training sessions will discuss everything you need to know about the system, including how to utilize the check in system to your advantage, how to properly submit transition, and more! Each session is an hour long and advisors are welcome!

Please see all dates below and mark your calendars:

Thursday, August 31                  Presence Onboard Training, 7:00 p.m., Alumni Auditorium
Tuesday, September 5                Presence Onboard Training, 12:00 p.m., UC Webb Room
Wednesday, September 6           Presence Onboard Training, 12:00 p.m., ZOOM – Register here!

Failure to attend the required session may result in removal from an executive board position. If you have a conflict with the dates listed above, please reply to this email for further instructions.

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________

Victoria Fine, MA
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders and Advisors!

I am writing with some updates regarding the upcoming financial workshop dates! Please see all details below:

• SGA Finance Training has been scheduled for the below dates. As a reminder, this is a requirement for all INCOMING Presidents AND Treasurers. Anyone organization planning to submit a budget allocation must attend. If your organization does not receive SGA funding, you do not need to attend.
  • Monday, March 20 – 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – VIRTUAL. This session will be recorded and used as an option for anyone who is unable to attend an in-person session. Please register here.
  • Tuesday, March 21 – 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. in Founders 109
  • Wednesday, March 22  –  12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. in University Center Webb Room

• If you are unable to attend any of the sessions listed above, the virtual session will be recorded. You must watch the recording and answer a few questions after using this form (https://widener.presence.io/form/sga-finance-training-workshop-questions-sp23). The form opens on Tuesday, March 21 at 9:00 a.m. This must be completed prior to submitting your budget allocations.
• Budget Allocations will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 24. All organizations will hear back from SGA with a decision no later than Tuesday, April 4.

Please be sure to share this information with all incoming executive board members. If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________
Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders & Advisors,

Welcome Back! I hope you all had a restful Spring Break. 😊

There are a couple of important reminders, so please pay close attention to the details listed below.

• RSO Calendar Planning Session 1: The first Calendar Planning Session is on Wednesday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. in Lathem Hall. It is a requirement to send two (2) incoming members of your organization to attend. We will be going over event planning and Presence training. Ideally, you should be sending the incoming President and the position that oversees events for Fall 2023. Failure to send two representatives will result in being ineligible to submit an SGA Budget Allocation.
• SGA Budget Allocation Workshops: SGA Budget Allocation Workshops will be held the week of March 20. Please note that it is required to send your President and Treasurer to attend one (1) session. There will be two sessions hosted in person, and one session held virtually. The virtual sessions will be recorded. Anyone who is unable to attend a session will be required to watch the recorded session and answer questions about the video.
• SGA Budget Allocations Due: SGA Budget Allocations are due on Friday, March 24. Allocations submitted by organizations that did not attend the above sessions will be denied. All organizations who meet the deadline will receive an email with all budget decisions by Tuesday, April 4.
• RSO Calendar Planning Session 2: The second Calendar Planning Session is on Wednesday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. in Lathem Hall. It is a requirement to send two (2) incoming members of your organization to attend. Please come prepared with a full calendar of your fall semester events. During this session, you will submit your events on both 25Live and Presence. All requests must be in by the end of the semester to hold your spot on the calendar.
• Last Day for Event Registrations: All event registrations must be put in by Friday, April 7. Anything submitted after that will be denied.
• Last Day for Expenditure Requests: All expenditure requests must be put in by Friday, April 14. Anything that is submitted after will be denied.
• Last Day for Reconciliation Requests: All reconciliation requests must be put in by Friday, April 28. Anything submitted after will be denied.
• Student Organization Budget Audits: During break, SGA will run budget audits for all organizations receiving SGA funding. All unspent funds will be reclaimed.
• Student Leader GPA Checks: During break, the Office of Student Engagement will run GPA checks. As a reminder, it is a requirement to have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA or higher to hold a leadership position.

An updated AY 2023 Timeline and Key Dates is attached with all of the above dates. If you have any questions or would like to discuss these deadlines further, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________
Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders and Advisors!

I hope you are all doing well and had a happy Halloween!

I am writing with some updates regarding the upcoming workshop dates! Please see all details below:

• SGA Finance Training has been scheduled for the below dates. As a reminder, this is a requirement for all INCOMING Presidents AND Treasurers. Anyone organization planning to submit a budget allocation must attend. The budget allocation process has changed this year, so any group who does not attend will not be eligible to submit a budget allocation.
  • Monday, November 14 – 12-1 p.m. – VIRTUAL. This session will be recorded and used as an option for anyone who is unable to attend an in-person session.
  • Wednesday, November 16 – 12-1 p.m. in Alumni Auditorium
  • Thursday, November 17 –  5-6 p.m. in University Center Webb Room
• Budget Allocations will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 18. This deadline has been extended. All organizations will hear back from SGA with a decision no later than Wednesday, November 30.
• RSO Calendar Planning has been rescheduled! Our first session will take place on Wednesday, November 16 during the SGA Town Hall Meeting. We will discuss the proper steps to follow to successfully plan events. The second date has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 30 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Founders 109. All Recognized Student Organizations are required to send a minimum of one representative. This representative should come prepared with a FULL calendar of events for Spring 2023. This workshop will allow students to get their dates into the system now, to ensure there are no issues with reservations in spring. This will also be an opportunity to find collaborators for any duplicate events, i.e. tie dye, pumpkin painting, stress busters, etc. All students are encouraged to bring a computer so you can access Presence and 25Live on the spot to put in your requests.

Please be sure to share this information with all incoming executive board members. If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

AY 2023 Timeline and Key Dates — UPDATED

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________

Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Good Afternoon Student Leaders & Advisors!

MORE GOLF CARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE! UP TO $50.00 WILL BE REIMBURSED BY SGA FOR GOLF CART DECORATING SUPPLIES!

The Student Government Association is now taking applications for the Annual Homecoming Golf Cart Parade. The Homecoming Golf Cart Parade will take place at the Homecoming Pep Rally on Friday, October 14 at 5:00 p.m.

All golf cart entries will be judged on creativity, effort, usage of theme, enthusiasm, and crowd approval.

 The Student Government Association will provide 10 golf carts on a first-come first-served basis. Student Organizations will be able to decorate their golf cart on Thursday, October 13 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday, October 14 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Golf Cart Decorating on Thursday will have snacks, music, and some basic started supplies to get you going! Friday’s decorating will be an opportunity for last chance decorating. All golf carts will be parked in the back of the Old Main Building (next to the entrance to the Campus Safety Department).

Again, supplies are limited, and golf carts will be issued on a first-come first-served basis.

Please CLICK HERE to reserve your Homecoming Golf Cart no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30. The registration form will close by this deadline or if all golf carts are reserved.

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________
Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Good Morning Student Leaders and Advisors,

As some of you may be aware, last night was the first SGA Town Hall of the semester! We went over a lot of great information, including the RSO Academic Year Timeline, semester requirements, and Homecoming!

Attached, you will find the timeline. This is subject to change and will be shared out accordingly with any changes. Please be sure to mark the dates on your calendars for all of our important deadlines!

Below, you will find links to register for our Happily Ever Homecoming events, like the Block Party, Golf Cart Parade, and Homecoming Tailgate! In addition, you will find a direct link to the semester requirements. Please be sure to bookmark the RSO Site, as this is where all important information will be held.

RSO Site – Semester Requirements: https://sites.widener.edu/rso/semester-requirements/
Golf Cart Registration: https://widener.presence.io/form/homecoming-golf-cart-float-registration-1
Block Party Registration: https://widener.presence.io/form/pac-block-party-table-registration
Homecoming Tailgate Table Registration: https://widener.presence.io/form/homecoming-2022-tailgate-registration

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________
Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders and Advisors!

As you begin preparation for the start of the fall semester, I want to make you aware of a couple changes that have occurred within the Event Registration process. Please see below for an overview of the new process.

All students will now submit their own request on 25Live, while simultaneously submitting their Event Registration for on Presence. Students will be in charge of submitting all necessary work orders for technology, housekeeping, and maintenance. All Event Registrations are now do a minimum of one (1) month in advance to ensure there is ample time for event prep. Please note that the first week of the semester is 1 month away. If you are planning on holding any meetings or events in the first couple of weeks, you must submit your forms ASAP. Below, please find a link to an Event Registration Tutorial which details the new process in full, including how to submit on 25Live.

Click here to view the Event Registration Tutorial!

This tutorial is also available on the RSO Site.

If you have any questions regarding the new process, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am looking forward to seeing all of your hard work come together this semester!

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________

Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vnfine@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders & Advisors,

UPDATED: Spring 2022 Semester Timeline and Key Dates

I hope you are all doing well! I wanted to provide you all with a quick update on the RSO Timeline as well as provide an opportunity for you all to be involved with Courage Week!

• Courage Week Involvement Opportunities:
  • My name is Lizzy Lynch and I am the Co-Program Coordinator along with Kyle Schaeffer for the Apogee Scholar Program, which hosts the annual Courage Week. Running from April 4th-8th, we will host a week-long of events where students get to learn what courage is and how to be courageous. The theme for Courage Week 2022 is “Dare to Defy”. On Wednesday, April 6th, we have planned an event called the Courage Fair, which will run from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Here, we will host clubs, organizations, teams, and campus partners from Widener in the UC Atrium. At each table, they will share how they show courage through their organization. This could be benefitting a philanthropy you love, doing a small craft, or even having students write down a worry or anxiety and shredding it! We would like to invite your organization to share how you Dare to Defy and use courage at Widener and beyond. Please let us know if you are interested in participating, and we will send additional information regarding this event. Contact Lizzy Lynch at emlynch@widener.edu.
• RSO Timeline Updates:
  • RSO Membership Recruitment and Retention Workshop has been moved to 3/30/22 UC Room A @ 6:30 p.m. Please pre-register here!
  • Dates are finalized for the Finance Workshops! Please ensure all treasurers for fall semester are in attendance. This is a requirement. Please pre-register here for the in-person sessions! Pre-register here for the ZOOM session!
  • We have adjusted the due date for the Budget Allocations. Please note that these are hard deadlines. If you have any difficulty meeting them, please reach out to me to discuss! As a reminder, the incoming executive board should be submitting the budget allocation!
• RSO Reminders:
  • Elections must occur by Friday, March 25! Please ensure if you need to elect a new executive board, you are meeting this deadline.
  • All Level 2 Organizations (SGA Funded RSOs) must attend the RSO Fall Calendar Planning session on 4/13/22 – Lathem Hall @ 6:00 p.m. Please pre-register here!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Best,
Victoria

______________________________________

Victoria Fine
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vndean@widener.edu

Dear Student Organization Leaders and Advisors:

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and safe new year!

As we begin this semester, I am writing with a few reminders and important updates for our Student Club & Organization Program.

• Student Leader GPA Review: As stated on Page 20 of the Student Organization Policy Manual,   student leaders  must hold a  cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher to serve in an elected or appointed role in a student organization.. The Office of Student Engagement will conduct a GPA review of all current elected or appointed student leaders of record in the next few weeks. If a student leader does not meet the 2.5 cumulative GPA requirement, then a separate email correspondence will be sent detailing all necessary steps required to move forward.. All information will remain confidential within the Office of Student Engagement.
• Student Involvement Fair: As you know, the Student Involvement Fair was originally scheduled for Thursday, January 13. Since the University has implemented remote learning and working during that time, the Office of Student Engagement has opted to move the date to Thursday, January 27 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Student Involvement Fair will still take place in-person in the University Center Atrium. The deadline to sign-up has been extended to Thursday, January 13. You may register here.
• If you haven’t submitted your Annual Recognition (https://widener.presence.io/form/annual-recognition-form) or Character Clause Forms (https://widener.presence.io/form/student-leader-character-clause-form) yet (if you just had elections in fall) please do so ASAP! If you’ve had changes but hold elections in Spring, please submit the Student Organization Update Form (https://widener.presence.io/form/student-organization-update-form) to make sure everything is up to date! You can check the club directory here to see if you’re missing any important updates: https://sites.widener.edu/rso/recognized-student-organizations/
• Pride Night Program Funding Application: We’re super excited to be rolling out our newly revamped Late Night and Weekend Programming, Pride Night. We’re looking for RSO’s like you to get involved! Ever have a program you wanted to put on but couldn’t afford to do it or not have the resources you needed to execute it? Well, look no further – we’re here to help! For a new event idea, your RSO is able to receive of a minimum of $1,000 towards your program as well as gain a Pride Night Advisor to help you through the process! You can also choose a Pick-A-Program and have all the items supplied for you and gain an additional $500 towards the event. There’s a limited number of spots so submit your application soon! Any questions can be directed to the Assistant Director of Campus Engagement & Student Programs, Sarah L McGuckin, at slmcguckin@widener.edu. Here is the link to apply: https://widener.presence.io/form/pride-night-program-funding-application
• Spring 2022 Semester Timeline and Key Dates: To ensure your organization’s success, I have created a document that houses all of the important dates and deadlines for the spring semester, including a section full of helpful resources. This timeline will be a resource for you this semester. It will live on Presence and the RSO Site, but I strongly recommend keeping a copy accessible. This living document is subject to change, but you will be notified if we need to adjust. Spring 2022 Semester Timeline and Key Dates
• Spring 2022 Semester Requirements: The Spring 2022 requirements can be found on the RSO Site (https://sites.widener.edu/rso/semester-requirements/) and are listed below.

SPRING 2022 SEMESTER REQUIREMENTS 

All student organizations are required to follow all University policies, procedures, and requirements to remain in good standing each year. Inactive status will be issued to any recognized student organization that does not meet the requirements outlined below. ​All recognized student organizations will have the flexibility of participating in a tiered recognition process based on each organization’s level of active participation and need for funding.

LEVEL 1 – Organizations receiving no SGA funding

• Hold a minimum of one meeting per month or three meetings per semester. This requirement is in place simply to ensure your organization is active.
• All executive board members must attend one Presence Training session offered throughout the spring semester, unless previously attended in fall.
  Gain pre-approval for all events, programs, and meetings using the Event Approval form located in Presence. This is the form you will utilize to reserve spaces on campus.
• Send a minimum of one executive board member to attend the RSO Policy Training.
• Submit any changes to your executive board that occur after your annual transition through the Student Organization Update Form located in Presence.
• Complete the Annual Recognition Form by April 1 for all Fall-Spring organizations and November 1 for all Spring-Fall organizations.
• All new executive board members must complete the Student Leader Character Clause Form by April 1 for all Fall-Spring organizations and November 1 for all Spring-Fall organizations.
• All advisors must sign the Advisor Agreement by April 1 for all Fall-Spring organizations and November 1 for all Spring-Fall organizations.

LEVEL 2 – Organizations receiving SGA funding

• ​Meet all of the Level 1 requirements.
• All executive board members must attend RSO Presence Training (unless previously attended in fall) and all treasurers must attend SGA Finance Training.
• Send a minimum of one Active Member (this could be an executive board member, committee member, or active general body member) to represent your organization at ONE additional workshop of your choosing. All workshops are listed in the Spring 2022 Semester Timeline and Key Dates document.
• Send a minimum of one Executive Board Member to the RSO Fall Calendar Planning Session on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m. in Lathem Hall.
• Update your active membership list using the Active Membership Roster Template in Presence by February 25.
• Maintain at least one organization member to act as the SGA Representative and COR member at SGA Town Hall Meetings.
• Complete the SGA Service Requirement – minimum of two service projects with a minimum of 5 people (unless otherwise approved by the Director of Student Organizations). THIS DOES NOT APPLY FOR SPRING 2022.

Fraternities and Sororities will adhere to a modified version of requirements based on their individual chapter involvement in their respective Governing Council or National Headquarters.

All Club Sports Organizations will adhere to the requirements listed, in addition to all guidelines and policies issued by the Pride Recreation Center and each organization’s professional association.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________

Victoria Dean
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vndean@widener.edu

Hello Student Leaders and Advisors!

I know we are in the final stretch of the semester, so I wanted to send out a few final reminders, including a chance to be entered to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Please see the following requirements below:

• Annual Recognition Form (Spring-Fall Groups): The annual recognition form is due by December 1. Please be sure to submit this asap if you are a Spring-Fall group. If you have not yet submitted a form and you are a fall-spring group, please be sure to submit this or you will officially be inactive and unable to program until the form is submitted. Please click the link above to submit.
• Student Leader Character Clause Form (all Spring-Fall groups AND those who have not yet submitted): The character clause form must be submitted by each member by December 1. Please be sure to submit this asap if you are a Spring-Fall group. If you have not yet submitted a form and you are a fall-spring group, please be sure to submit this or you will officially be inactive and removed from your executive boards. Please click the link above to submit.
• Active Membership Rosters: Active membership rosters are due December 1. Failure to submit this form will result in your club being inactive. Active members confirm that all RSOs are meeting the minimum requirement of membership in order to stay active. Please click the link above to submit.
• Spring Student Involvement Fair: Though our fall semester is coming to an end, it’s already time to start thinking about spring 2022! Our Spring Student Involvement Fair will take place on Thursday, January 13 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The theme next semester is Alice in Wonderland: Fall Down the Rabbit Hole of Involvement! Please submit the form to confirm your interest in tabling! All groups will be required to share a table, and you may put in a request, but both organizations must request each other in order to be placed together. https://widener.presence.io/form/spring-student-involvement-fair-registration. Priority will be given to all groups who submit the form by noon on Friday, December 10. The deadline to submit a form is Wednesday, January 5 by 5:00 p.m. Don’t be late for this very important date!
• Pride Night Programming Model Survey: At the last SGA Town Hall Meeting, Sarah McGuckin, Assistant Director of Campus Engagement & Student Programs, went over the proposed model for our Pride Nights Program. Pride Nights refers to our Late Night and Weekend Programming. The new model works to include all RSOs in our programming and will offer funding to those who participate. More information can be found in the image below. Please take a look at the proposal and fill out the following survey. https://form.jotform.com/213184434635051 If you complete the survey by December 1, you will be entered to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Best,
Victoria
______________________________________

Victoria Dean
She / Her / Hers
Director of Student Organizations
Office of Student Engagement
Widener University
One University Place, Chester, PA 19013
p: 610-499-4570 | f: 610-499-1275
vndean@widener.edu