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The 411 on Student Orgs - General Information


Welcome to another year of student organizations at GW!  The Student Activities Center is excited about your involvement with organizations. This section of the Student Org Handbook serves to collect a general overview of information for orgs at GW. Further sections in this handbook offer information regarding specific topics related to student org operations.

SAT Advisors:
Upon completion of all registration steps, your organization will be assigned a SAT (Student Advising Team) Advisor. They are located in one of the following offices: the SAC office - Marvin Center 427, the Mount Vernon Campus Life Office - Academic Building 115, The Office of Community Service - 2129 G Street, and CIHQ - Marvin Center 433. Once you have fully completed registration, your advisor will contact you. For those already registered, you can search here for your organization. Your advisor's name will be listed on your organization's information page.

Every registered organization receives a SAT Advisor. We encourage you to consider your SAT Advisor as your personal guide to all things student organizations at GW. Your advisor participates in regular trainings to stay informed about polices and procedures at GW that relate to the work of student organizations. They will make attempts to contact your organization with important updates throughout the year, as  well as work with your org to discuss events held in some University spaces. We also encourage you to reach out to him or her and introduce yourself as an officer in your organization. They are interested in getting to know you and helping your org any way they can!

Your advisor will...
  • Meet with you about your events and organization concerns
  • Process contracts on behalf of your organization
  • Assist your organization in adhering to GW policies and procedures
  • Help your organization be as successful as it can be

Your advisor can also:

  • Offer ideas and answer questions about all aspects of running an effective organization
    • Running effective meetings
    • Planning retreats
    • Event Planning
    • Motivating group members
    • Handling conflict among members
    • Elections
    • Transition
    • And more...

The Role of SAT Adivsors and Faculty Advisors:
The Student Activities Center does not assign student organizations a Faculty Advisor but encourages groups to seek a faculty member who specializes in their area of interest should they find this beneficial.  This is particularly helpful to organizations who form around a specific topic area that may be academically related (i.e., Mock Trial, Forensics, etc.). 

There is a difference in the role Faculty Advisors take with student organizations and the role of SAT Advisors. Faculty Advisors can provide guidance surrounding the organization's interest area (ideas on speakers/programs, academic resources, etc.). Please note that your SAT Advisor should serve as your resource to the annual org registration process, University policies and procedures, reserving space at GW, funding, contracts, tips on managing an organization, etc.


Resources
The Student Activities Center encourages you to contact your SAT Advisor for any needs your group may have. They are your first line of contact in the process of managing an org. In addition to your SAT Advisor, a great number of resources exist at GW for all questions groups may have about their day to day operations. Listed below are some of the resources provided for student organizations by the Student Activities Center:

        Studentorgs Website

The studentorgs.gwu.edu website was re-designed this summer to help you manage all things student orgs! Filled with a wealth of information, this should be your first stop when you have questions related to org operations.

Orghelp
Do you have a student organization related question to which you cannot find the answer? Not sure where to find resources to assist with managing your student organization? Email orghelp@gwu.edu for assistance!

Student Org Listserv

The Student Activities Center maintains a listserv by which we communicate important information to student orgs. While registering your organization, you will be prompted to offer an email address that will receive these updates from the MC427 Listserv.  We recommend using a general organization email account for this rather than using a personal email account. Look for these emails with announcements about registration for student org fairs, co-sponsorship opportunities, policy updates, volunteer opportunities and other relevant information. We promise not to clog your inbox with too many emails - we'll just send the important ones!


Click here for a list of additional student org resources.

Policies
A variety of policies exist that affect the operations of student organizations at GW. From the student organization registration policy to the University policy on hazing, student organization leaders and members are responsible to know the policies that their organizations are responsible for upholding. Click here for a full list of policies that relate to student organizations.

Organization Recognition
The Student Activities Center continually seeks ways to honor and recognize the great work done by GW's student organizations.  Click here for information about the monthly Spotlight Award and the annual Excellence in Student Life Awards.