Membership

  1. Membership in registered student organizations shall be open to all students at The University of Alabama, without regard to race, religion, sex, disability, national origin, color, age, disability, gender identity or expression, sexual identity, or veteran status, except in cases of designated fraternal organizations exempted by federal law from Title IX regulations concerning discrimination on the basis of sex. NOTE: Religious student groups will not be denied registration solely because they limit membership or leadership positions to students who share the same religious beliefs.
  2. Registered student organizations must inform the University community of organizational membership criteria and selection processes, including membership application deadlines, when requested.
    1. Selection criteria must be relevant to the goals and objectives of the organization. Organizations with selection criteria adversely impacting a particular segment of the University community must eliminate those criteria or demonstrate adequately the relationship between selection criteria and organizational goals and objectives.
    2. The Office of Student Involvement (SI), reserves the right to work with registered student organizations to enhance inclusiveness and to determine alternatives to arbitrary criteria that may limit membership or that encourages irrelevant exclusivity.

Financial Management and Accountability

  1. Registered student organizations must maintain all funds allocated from University-controlled sources in a University account and must spend these monies in accordance with current University of Alabama financial policies and procedures, as well as state funding guidelines. Student organizations losing registered status also forfeit access to FAC funding processes, currently allocated FAC funding, and other financial benefits of the University.
  2. Registered organizations can maintain accounts outside of the University. In particular, they may get an account with the Alabama Credit Union (ACU) or another bank. The organization must keep accurate records of funding sources and disbursements, including the amount of income and expenditures, the means of generating funds and approving expenditures, and the purposes of expenditures. Student organizations must keep receipts for monies expended and must issue receipts for monies collected.
  3. Members of registered student organizations have the right to know how organizational funds are collected and disbursed. Additionally, sources and amounts of organizational revenues and the objectives and amounts of organizational expenditures are public knowledge. The organization should take measures to support consistent policies of money expenditures within their organization to prevent fraud.
  4. It is recommended that organizational monies be dispersed by use of checks rather than cash. All checks must include the signature of one (1) officer, preferably the president or treasurer.
  5. Advisers are to serve as signatories to add and remove students from outside bank accounts, but should under no circumstances be active signers on the account.

Organization Officers

  1. The primary officers of a registered student organization (president, vice-president, secretary/treasurer, or the equivalent) must be currently enrolled students at the University of Alabama.
  2. Officers of student organizations must be in good disciplinary standing with the University of Alabama and must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade point average for undergraduates and a 3.00 grade point average for graduates to hold office. The responsibility of verifying grade-point averages rests ultimately with the organization and organization adviser(s).

Organization Advisers

  1. In concert with the academic and educational mission and policies of The University of Alabama, advisers of registered student organizations should share insights and directions with student leaders to ensure student organizations promote organizational objectives and enhance the meaningfulness of organizational membership.
    Primary responsibilities of the organizational adviser include:
    1. Ensuring that officers have a minimum cumulative 2.00 grade-point average and 3.00 grade point average for graduate students and that primary officers are currently enrolled University of Alabama students.
    2. Providing consultation concerning membership selection procedures and responsibilities, conducting an initial overview of membership outcomes, and reviewing profiles of newly selected members; advisers should be aware of the constitution and bylaw that govern the organization and help with interpretation, when applicable.
    3. Reviewing and signing/approving organizational documents (e.g., registration, rental agreements, on-campus room reservations, grounds use permits, etc.) and annual reports when requested.
    4. Performing other duties deemed appropriate by the organization and outlined in the organizational constitution and by-laws.
    5. Attending events sponsored or required by The Office of Student Involvement, as well as reporting an organization or member’s violation of any Student Code of Conduct guidelines.
    6. In addition, advisers should be aware of policies and resources available on campus regarding the Campus Security Act reporting obligation, Title IX policy, sexual assault policy, child protection policy and mandatory reporting, harassment policy, the code of student conduct, hazing hotline services, or assumption of risk resources available. Advisers should be aware of said policies and seek them out as needed.
  2. Registered student organizations have the right to select a new adviser at any time according to procedures outlined in the organization’s most up-to-date constitution and by-laws.

Who can serve as an Adviser?

  1. Regular Full-time, faculty/staff members are eligible to serve as student organization advisers, as long as they are not on leave or away during their term with the group.
  2. Student teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and retired/emeritus and some adjunct professors can serve in a secondary advisery capacity, but only if the primary adviser of record meets the criteria. Regular faculty/staff members who are interested in becoming an adviser should contact the Student Involvement office at 205-348-6114 or complete the Adviser Interest Form online.
  3. Some organizations have multiple advisers. Organizations that are considered Sponsored and/or Coordinating Bodies may have an adviser that is designated by the department or college.