Mid Michigan College’s Student Life team is focused on helping students have an engaging and exciting college experience. Beyond the classroom, a wide array of student organizations, volunteer opportunities, and campus events are offered to help students connect with one another, those who work at the College, and community members. Research shows that students who get involved outside of the classroom perform better academically, have a greater appreciation for and awareness of diversity, and gain important leadership skills compared with students who do not. We encourage students, staff, and faculty to connect, collaborate, and take full advantage of the opportunities available through Laker Life.

This handbook is designed to answer questions and provide guidance to those who wish to establish student organizations, advise student organizations, and make decisions related to student organizations.

Within this handbook, you will find policies, procedures, and general information to assist in the creation, development, and growth of student organizations. It is important that you become familiar with this handbook as efforts across our College are tied to many teams, systems, and standards.

As with most handbooks, there may be exceptions to the policies and procedures. Mid Michigan College reserves the right to apply exceptions or modify/change policies or procedures when the need arises.

The College’s Student Life team is committed to an advisor-based system for student organizations. Each student organization advisor should be a good fit for the College, the student organization, and be dedicated to being an active participant in developing that organization.

• Most student organizations that are consistently successful have active advisors working collaboratively with the members of the student organization.
• Advisors should be as actively involved as possible, while allowing students the freedom to make their own decisions.
• Advisors should teach and provide guidance, but decisions should be made by the student members of the organization.

As student activities professionals, it is our role to work with students and advisors to help organizations succeed and accomplish their goals. While we often offer advice, we are not there to supplant or replace an advisor. We strive to serve as a resource for student organizations and their advisors and encourage successful student/advisor relationships that will lead to greater success for our student organizations.

Each fall semester student organizations must register with the Director of Student Life to begin or continue operating.

• Existing student organizations should complete the Student Organization Renewal Form prior to the start of the fall semester to continue operating.
• New student organizations must be requested by currently enrolled Mid Michigan College students who are in good standing. A Student Organization Recognition Form must be completed and an advisor selected who must be a Mid Michigan College faculty or staff member.

All student organizations must have an official advisor who is a Mid Michigan College faculty or staff member, and all student organizations must follow Mid Michigan College policies, as well as local, state, and federal laws.

The Director of Student Life will approve or deny the creation or continuation of student organizations each fall semester. A request may be denied due to the nature of the organization, if the organization violates any Mid Michigan College policies, or if the organization’s purpose is duplicating that of an existing organization.

Requestors are notified via their Mid Mich Email and instructed to complete next steps, including the following.

• At least one student organization member must attend Student Organization & Student Oversight Compliance training during the fall semester.
• A list of student organization leaders must be provided to the Director of Student Life when the organization is established and must be kept current.
• Student organizations are strongly encouraged to create a mission statement, goals, and bylaws to follow. These items must be presented to the Director of Student Life for approval.
  • All bylaws must include the following items.
    • Student organization name, mission, and goals. See Appendix B.
    • Student organization membership requirements. For example, will community service or volunteer hours be required?
    • Leadership position selection and removal methods.
    • A non-discrimination statement.
    • Procedures regarding amendments to the bylaws.
    • Other relevant guidelines and procedures.
• A student organization status report or meeting minutes must be provided to the Director of Student Life at least once during each fall and winter semester.

Any violation of Mid Michigan College policies; Student Life policies or procedures; or local, state, or federal laws; may result in the suspension and/or termination of a student organization. Any organizations receiving notice of suspension or termination will also halt all use of student organization benefits and any upcoming activities. In the event of a suspension or termination the Director of Student Life and College leaders will meet organization leaders, advisors, and members to uphold or reverse that decision. Additional actions by organization leaders, advisors, and members may be required to continue operating.

As the Director of Student Life, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for serving as an Advisor to a student organization this year. Your role is crucial to the success of the student organization and the growth of its members. This handbook is designed to assist you and the students you work with in navigating common policies, procedures, and requests throughout the academic year. I hope that this resource will not only assist you in advising your student organization, but will also assist you in setting up a plan for the future success of the organization.

If you have any questions, contact Student Life at (989) 386-6634.

• The advisor must supervise and support participation in all student organization activities.
• The advisor must attend Student Organization & Student Oversight Compliance training during the fall semester.
• Provide motivation and encouragement to student organization members by working with students to achieve goals, without dictating the decision-making process and allowing student development through member responsibilities. However, the advisor may have final approval of group decisions depending on the student organization structure and bylaws.
• Be well-informed about the organization’s plans and ideas, and attend as many meetings and events as possible.
• Be familiar with organization goals, by-laws, and plans to ensure an efficient flow of progress within the organization.
• Be able to interpret organization decisions should any questions arise, as well as evaluate the progress toward goal achievement.
• Be aware of the organization’s financial condition and encourage the accurate maintenance of financial records.
• Ensure that officer elections take place in a responsible manner according to the organization’s bylaws.
• Evaluate prospective officers to ensure that students are both ready and willing to serve.
• Assist in the training of new officers.
• Advisors should attend and accompany all off-campus events.
• Facilitate the approval of all fundraisers and purchases for the student organization through the Director of Student Life.

Student organization members must be currently enrolled Mid Michigan College students in good standing.

• Good standing is defined as students who are NOT on academic or financial aid probation as defined in the most current College Catalog.
• Select audiences must adhere to additional membership requirements.
  • Dual Enrolled and Early/Middle College students may be members of student organizations, attend meetings, and hold leadership positions.
  • Alumni and community members may attend student organization functions and events, but must cover costs related to themselves from their own funds. Funds provided by the College may only be used to cover costs for currently enrolled Mid Michigan College students.

Leadership positions within a student organization must be filled by currently enrolled Mid Michigan College students in good standing.

• Students may hold more than one student organization leadership position at one time.
• Students interested in leadership positions should be fully informed about the responsibilities of that position by the advisor, and the advisor should evaluate whether or not the student is ready and able to fulfill those responsibilities.
• Student organization presidents are not the ‘boss’ of the organization, rather they serve as the organization's spokesperson and meeting facilitator.
• All students in leadership positions should commit to informing all members about meeting times and locations, as well as any changes or cancellations, and are responsible for developing meeting agendas. See Appendix C.
• If any student in a leadership position fails to fulfill the duties of their office for any reason, including inactivity; is placed on academic probation; or is found to have violated the College’s Student Code of Conduct, they may first be asked by the advisor to resign their leadership position. If they do not resign, they may be removed from their leadership position by a 2/3 vote cast by all present during a meeting held to discuss their removal. 

All student organizations must manage their finances in collaboration with Business Services. Under no circumstances may student organizations have private banking accounts.

• To request funds from the College, contact the Director of Student Life. Putting together a comprehensive budget can be helpful, see Appendix D.

All student organizations must follow the College’s Financial and Purchasing Policies.

All fundraisers must be approved in advance by the Director of Student Life.

• All fundraisers including ticket sales or raffles must adhere to the guidelines and requirements of the Michigan Gaming Commission.
• Student organizations seeking donations of any kind must first discuss their plans with the Director of Student Life and potentially the Executive Director of the Mid Michigan College Foundation before taking any fundraising-related action.
• Approval must be requested a minimum of two weeks prior to any fundraising-related event.
• Student organizations should NEVER approach businesses, staff members, students, etc. without prior approval from the Director of Student Life.
• When hosting a bake sale or food-related fundraiser, student organizations must adhere to food safety and sanitation guidelines and requirements. Items for sale should be individually wrapped to eliminate unnecessary handling/contamination.

Student organizations planning events or activities must have approval from the Director of Student Life a minimum of two weeks prior to the event or activity. A sample event checklist is available in Appendix E, along with an event evaluation in Appendix F.

Student organizations may borrow, with permission, supplies from Student Life and/or other departments for event use.

• Supplies should be kept in working order.
• Supplies should be returned to Student Life or the lending department following an event within five business days or when the student organization becomes inactive or disbands.

Student organizations may use campus facilities to host events, activities, or outreach efforts.

• The use of campus facilities must be approved by the Director of Student Life a minimum of two weeks prior to the intended use date.
  • Facilities use requests may be denied for the following reasons.
    • The Director of Student Life deems the request risk-averse.
    • The request would unfairly deny access to campus facilities to others.
    • The request does not align with College policies, especially for requests related to non-college student use, improper use, commercial use, or solicitation.
• Once a reservation is confirmed, any updates or changes to that reservation, including cancellation, must be communicated to the Director of Student Life as soon as possible.
• Valuables should not be left in facilities used by student organizations. Mid Michigan College is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
• Chalk drawings on Mid Michigan College sidewalks are governed by the Expressive Activity Policy. Select areas (pink) of sidewalk are designated for this use on each campus, see Appendix A. Do not chalk in the yellow highlighted areas.
• The use of campus facilities is dependent upon the following requirements.
  • The student organization must be active via approval by the Director of Student Life.
  • The space must be kept in good order. If space is not kept in good order, organizations may be charged a cleaning fee, lose future facilities use benefits, result in organization suspension or termination.
  • Student organizations are asked to arrive and depart according to their reservation as campus facilities are often used by multiple groups throughout each day.
  • The use of campus facilities may only take place during normal college operating hours unless otherwise approved by the Director of Student Life.
  • The College may impose “reasonable time, place, and manner” regulations on speech (how, when, and where it may take place) so long as the restrictions are necessary to fulfill a significant legitimate institutional purpose and other avenues remain available for communicating the same message to the same audience. 

The use of the Mid Michigan College logo and brand are managed by the Strategic Communications department and student organization leaders and advisors are strongly encouraged to collaborate with Strategic Communications as outlined below.

Strategic Communications is happy to assist student organizations in select situations, but does not typically promote events planned by student organizations. If an event is focused on involving community members, Strategic Communications should be involved. It is important to collaborate on these efforts to ensure that brand standards and accessibility requirements are met. In addition, we can help reach target audiences in impactful ways.

The following guidelines are in place to protect the College’s brand standards.

• All materials, artwork, designs, etc. must be approved by the Director of Student Life prior to being posted, ordered, or disseminated. Materials must include the student organization name and contact information.
  • Flyers promoting meetings or events should include all pertinent details including the who, what, where, and when of the event, a short description, contact information, and any related costs to students who may want to participate.
• The media should ONLY be contacted by Strategic Communications. If leaders or advisors have a story to share or an event to promote, they must coordinate media outreach through Strategic Communications.
• Print materials (flyers, business cards, posters, handouts, etc.) created by student organizations should NOT include the Mid Michigan College logo or pieces of the logo without approval from Strategic Communications.
• Any art designed by student organizations for items being ordered should be reviewed by Strategic Communications prior to the order being placed.
• Requests for Strategic Communications services should be coordinated with the Director of Student Life and submitted via email to stratcomm@midmich.edu or via a Marketing & Communications Help Desk Ticket.
  • Event-related requests should include all pertinent details and be submitted 6-8 weeks in advance of the event date.

Social Media
Mid Michigan College understands the popularity and usefulness of social media accounts in promotion and communication. All College-related, including accounts created by student organizations, social media accounts and online profiles are managed by Strategic Communications. Below are a few quick guidelines, refer to the College’s Online Presence Policy for full standards and requirements.

• Social media accounts, profiles, or website URLs may NOT be created or purchased without prior approval and consultation from Strategic Communications.
• Student organization leaders and/or advisors would be provided with moderator-level access after Strategic Communications completes account activation.
• Account moderators are responsible for keeping accounts active, monitoring, and maintaining accurate information on accounts.
• Inappropriate content or actions taken by moderators related to account management may be grounds for account termination.
• The full policy includes many important aspects of account management, including accessibility requirements, account best practices, and annual audit evaluation criteria.

Student organization advisors, leaders, and members must remember that they are serving as representatives of Mid Michigan College and are interacting in the public eye.

• Before participating in any online community, understand that your content cannot be retracted.
• Do not post any information, photos, or other types of content that could be detrimental to your personal reputation, your family’s reputation, your friends’ reputation, or Mid Michigan College’s reputation.
• Social media accounts, online profiles, and college-related websites are monitored regularly. Disciplinary actions or dismissal could occur if the policy is violated.

Website
The College’s website is managed by Strategic Communications. Any questions regarding website structure, edits, or additions should be directed to the Strategic Communications team through the Director of Student Life.

• All student organizations are listed on the website with contact information for a student organization leader and the advisor.
• Any website creation or purchase of URLs outside of the Mid Michigan College website MUST be approved by Strategic Communications and the Director of Student Life prior to action being taken. The College reserves the right to deny any requests which are in conflict with College policies or interests.

Signage & Bulletin Boards
Mid Michigan College’s Signage, Displays, & Installations Policy is managed by the Strategic Communications and Facilities departments. The standards and requirements in this policy apply to student organizations at Mid and are in effect to protect campus facilities and maintain the experience of all those who visit campus.

Student organizations are permitted to post promotional materials that have been pre-approved by the Director of Student Life and, in certain cases, also approved by Strategic Communications.

• For full standards and requirements, refer to the College’s Signage, Displays, & Installations Policy.
• Materials may be posted to open bulletin boards only, not boards that are reserved by specific departments.
• If a posting is connected to a specific date, the materials should be removed within three business days after the date/event has concluded.
• Materials should not be smaller than 8.5” x 5.5” or larger than 11”x17”.
• Materials should not be posted over or on top of other materials.
• Materials should fit completely on the bulletin board and not be hanging off the sides, top, or bottom.
• Materials may be denied posting or removed after posting if policy standards and requirements are not followed.

Informational On-Campus Outreach
Sharing information with others is an important function of student organizations. Efforts like informational booths or tables are a key part of this strategy for student organizations.

Tables or similar efforts must abide by facilities use guidelines for student organizations, as well as the Signage, Displays, and Installations Policy mentioned above.

Tables must be requested through the Director of Student Life. All tables and materials that will be used as part of the informational booth must be approved by the Director of Student Life.

All vehicles used for student organization-related events and activities MUST be driven by a full or part-time Faculty or Administrative staff person of Mid Michigan College.  No others are allowed to drive Mid Michigan College vehicles. Contact the Director of Student Life to reserve a vehicle, or if more information is needed. For full College vehicle use details, see the College Vehicles Policy.

• All participating members must complete the required online travel forms including the Student Activity/Program/Sport Travel Release, Student Travel Supplemental Terms, Student Emergency Contact Form Waiver & Release, and the Student Activity/Program Participation Agreement, Release, Assumption of Risk, and Waiver of Liability.
• Vehicles may be driven no more than 650 miles or 10 hours. Any trips over this amount require a flight.
• To book a flight, student organization advisors must first request travel from the Director of Student Life and follow College procedures.
• All off-campus travel plans must be approved by the Director of Student Life to be sanctioned as an activity acceptable for the organization’s mission and goals.
• A travel itinerary and list of all attending individuals must be submitted to the Director of Student Life at least three weeks prior to the date of the trip via the Laker Life Travel Roster Form.
• If planning to leave a vehicle in the College’s parking lot, notify the Director of Student Life who will then alert Mid’s Safety & Security team.

Campus security services are provided by Clare County and Isabella County Sheriff’s Department during the day with a Liaison Officer assigned to each campus Monday – Friday. Evening and event security services are provided through contracted security.  Coverage is provided from 7am to 10pm Monday through Friday and from 7am to 5pm on Friday. Summer hours may vary but will be maintained for the duration of daily class times and while College buildings are open to students, staff, and visitors.

Reports of any suspicious acts (criminal or otherwise) which threaten a person, damage property, or result in harmful implications should be reported to Campus Security. Campus Security contact information is as follows:

Harrison Campus Security Room 139
(989) 339-4204 | security@midmich.edu

Mt. Pleasant Campus Security CSS 146
(989) 339-7323 | security@midmich.edu

Security services include addressing reports of crime and or disruptive behavior, escort services, lost and found, campus surveillance and property patrol, parking enforcement, emergency assistance – first aid, auto-jump start, and can provide general campus information/direction, and Mid policy enforcement.

Read the following College policies.

• Campus Safety & Security Resources
  
  • Annual Security Report
  • Reporting Options
  • Confidential Resources & Support
• Student Code of Conduct
• Smoke & Tobacco-Free Policy
• Alcohol and Other Drug Policy and Prevention Programming
• Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy
• Student Right To Know

• Appendix A | Sidewalk Chalking Maps
• Appendix B | Sample Student Organization Goals
• Appendix C | Sample Student Organization Agenda
• Appendix D | Sample Event Budget
• Appendix E | Sample Event Checklist
• Appendix F | Sample Event Evaluation

Significant effort has been made to ensure this content meets accessibility guidelines. If you encounter a barrier you can report the barrier at midmich.edu/reportaccessibilitybarrier or contact Strategic Communications at (989) 386-6622 x579 or stratcomm@midmich.edu.

In its commitment to providing a safe environment, Mid Michigan College actively endeavors to broaden our diversity, promote equal opportunity, and prohibit any form of discrimination in its programs, activities, and conditions of admission or employment. Learn more about these efforts and policies by visiting midmich.edu/eeo, midmich.edu/titleix, midmich.edu/securityreport.