SAIL Student Guide

Registration policies to know

• All Organizations must be registered through MyOrgs
• Organizations must have at least 10 general members and 4 executive board members. Members can include undergraduate and/or graduate students (both full and part time) as well as faculty and staff.
• Organizations wishing to seek funding from the Student Government Association must agree that membership is open to all current UMass Dartmouth students regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or ability.
• Organizations must have at least four officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer). Organizations can choose to add more positions as they wish.
• Officers must be enrolled as students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Each member and officer should be in good academic standing with the University. It is recommended that officers maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for their elected term.
• Organizations must have a constitution that describes the purpose of the organization, membership criteria and privileges, meeting information and roles, responsibilities, and election procedures for the officers.
• Organizations must have an advisor affiliated with the University (either as a faculty/staff/or administrator). Advisors must complete the Advisor Agreement Form

Failure to meet any of the requirements will result in loss or denial of recognition for the club or organization.

Officer Transition

One of the key elements to ensure an organization’s smooth transition from one academic year to the next is how well it transitions its officers.

An advisor can (and should) play an active role in the transition process.

There are many methods of transition, including passing on notebooks and electronic records, having one-on-one meetings between incoming and outgoing officers, or planning day-long or overnight retreats.

Focusing on these elements is an important part of ensuring a smooth transition:

1. Selecting new officers
2. Identifying key information to be shared
3. Communicating key information to new officers
4. Officers assuming their new roles
5. Making sure MyOrgs is updated
6. Your Advisor being informed and or involved in the process

In addition, some very helpful hints to utilize during and/or after your transition process are:

• Review the organization’s leadership roles.
• Be honest about the past and realistic about the future.
• Take time to learn your available resources like budget and balances.
• Continue to build a relationship between your group members and the advisor(s).

A MyOrgs guide

Home page

(listed from top to bottom)

1. The first arrow indicates Alert Boxes: special announcements, important forms, pertinent information will be found here
2. The second arrow indicates Memberships: these are where your organizations will be listed
3. The third arrow indicates All events: this is where upcoming events will be listed
4. The fourth arrow indicates Campus links: here you will find various links to forms, information, UMassD websites, training videos, etc. These links will be useful to many student organizations throughout the year.
5. The bottom arrow indicates Latest News: These are the most recent news articles posted by the organizations.

MyOrgs Navigation

(listed from left to right)

1. The first arrow indicates Events: a list of upcoming events. Users can also see a list of past events.
2. The second arrow indicates Organizations: users can view all active organizations at UMass Dartmouth.
3. The third arrow indicates News: posted news articles can be found here.
4. The fourth arrow indicates Forms: this is a quick way to access important forms like the Assumption of Risk and Release form, Contract Request,and others.
5. The fifth arrow indicates the Waffle menu: Click here to switch between the "Explore" and "Manage" views.  "Explore" is the public face of MyOrgs, where you can find events, look up organizations, find news and forms. "Manage" is where you can easily access your Organizations.
6. The sixth arrow indicates your Profile picture: You can find your account information here. You can see events you have attended (if RSVPed through MyOrgs), your past organization memberships, submit your personal service hours, and download your Co-Curricular Transcript.
   If you are not showing on an organization roster, you can click on your account to check your privacy settings.

Users can access the back side of the MyOrgs page two different ways (if they have access to change the page):

1. Navigate to the organization's page and click on "Manage Organization"
2. Click the waffle to navigate to "Manage" and click on the organization (more direct)

MyOrgs Organization Tools Panel

(listed from top to bottom)

1. The first arrow indicates the Pancake or Hamburger menu: this takes you to the organization tools panel.
2. The second arrow indicates the Roster: this is your list of active and prospective members, and where you can message members, update e-board positions, and invite new members.
3. The third arrow indicates About: this provides organization's description, profile pic, contact and social media info and speedtypes.
4. The fourth arrow indicates Events: here, you can submit events to show on the main page and on Corq, the MyOrgs App.
5. The fifth arrow indicates News: this location is where you can create articles to share information and spread the word, which will show on the main page.
6. The sixth arrow indicates the Gallery: where you can upload picture from events, and create albums. This will show thumbnails and link to the gallery on the organization page.
7. The seventh arrow indicates your Documents: organization documents like the constitutions/bylaws, minutes are located here. You can create folders as well.
8. The eighth arrow indicates Forms: you can create surveys, gather information from members similar to SurveyMonkey/Google Forms.
9. The ninth arrow indicates Elections: used to hold online elections; now required by SGA for all organizations to use.
10. The tenth arrow indicates Service Hours: can used to submit service hours the organization completes. This information is shared with the Leduc Center.

For More Information on MyOrgs

MyOrgs Training Video

Have an idea

You need to know what you are planning. Sometimes knowing what you want to do is the easiest part, and sometimes it is not. Many student organizations have their own annual programs which have become part of the campus culture. Outside of these programs, student organizations provide programming that will benefit their specific membership, as well as the campus community. Often this programming can be timely to current events and happening both on and off campus, related to the focus and mission of the organization, collaborations with other organizations, or simply to provide a fun activity away from the classroom.

If your group is looking for programming ideas, there are various avenues to take:

• Look at the mission/vision of the organization
• Seek suggestions from your general membership
• Look up what other organizations like yours are doing on other campuses

Most importantly, ask yourself:

• WHY - why do you want to put on a program at all?
• WHO - who do you want to support/who will benefit from this program happening?
• WHAT - what do you want to do or accomplish with this program?

Figure out the details

Once you have an idea, you need to realistically start thinking about the details. First, you need to identify the date and time, then space for the event, how it should be set up, what you will need to make it successful, and the budget* for this event.

*Budget is particularly important to keep in mind as you are going through the planning process. Identifying and creating a budget upfront will help to direct your planning process. At the end of this section, we will provide a table with approximate costs related to campus services for your use in planning your events.

Reserve a room

25Live for Spaces

On campus we use the 25Live system for making room reservations. This system is accessible on the MyUMassD Portal under the Quicklaunch menu. Space on campus is a premium, so once you know where and when you want your event you should reserve the space.

You are allowed to book the same space over several weeks, or a whole semester. So, we suggest booking your regular meeting space before the start of the school year for the first semester. You can book up to a year out, however classes will get priority so if you reserve a classroom your reservation may be cancelled at the start of the next semester. Other spaces may have time restrictions, use restrictions, etc. So, if a space is denied make sure you read the email as it should say why it was denied and you may be able to just adjust your reservation instead of finding a new space. 

On the portal for 25Live you will find many useful guides and documents to learn more about using 25Live to reserve space, resources, and transportation. You will also use 25Live to reserve information tables in the Campus Center and Main Auditorium Lobby.

If you are new to using 25Live you will want to review the “Creating an Event-25Live Pro” PDF as it takes you step by step using 25Live in creating a space reservation for campus.

For planning purposes, even before going to 25Live, you can download the “Event Planning Checklist” to help you to figure out some of your basic details and needs for your event. Your completed checklist can also be uploaded with your space reservation in 25Live, as well as room layouts if you are looking for a specific layout.

If you are curious about what rooms may work for your event, you can download the “Space Capacity and Room Layouts” PDF. If you need assistance with 25Live the SAIL Office or the Conference and Events office can assist you.

If you need assistance with 25Live the SAIL Office or the Conference and Events Office can assist you.

11/1/2021 Update from the Conference and Events Office - All space requests will need to have operational needs (room set up, tech needs, if catering will be present, etc.). added into the comment section of 25Live or a completed "Event Planning Checklist" uploaded when space is requested. All events must have the detailed pertinent information to be approved. If a request is entered without this information the request will be considered incomplete and will be denied.

25Live for Services

When you are making your space reservation in 25Live, you will also be able to request services for your event like tech and facilities. There is room for you to write out what you are looking for, upload layouts and notes for set up, as well as requesting transportation and signage from parking lots.  The more information you can provide about your event, the easier it will be for university staff to understand your needs. See the update above for requesting services in 25Live.

Transportation

If your event requires transportation there are several options, depending on your needs.

You can reserve a Corsair Shuttle if you are looking for a shuttle service from one location to another for a duration of time, or to transport a small group of people off campus. If you are looking to transport more than 14 people, then either a school bus or coach bus would be your option. School buses are only for most in-state travel and Rhode Island. If you are looking to travel more than 3 hours one way or out of state, then you will need to reserve a coach bus. The costs associated with transportation all depend on where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Purchasing for events

Student organizations with funds in their on-campus accounts can use those funds for their events. These funds will cover any services for their space, catering, decorations, giveaways, etc.

Bank Card Use (formerly Pro Card)

The full policy and procedures for making purchases are outlined in this handbook (Finance/Funding and Budgets, pg. 20). The university uses a Bank Card (formerly Pro Card) system through US Bank. This system allows staff and departments to have university credit cards to make purchases which are then reallocated back to their respective accounts. Students will no longer be allowed to check out a Bank Card from the SAIL Office to make purchases. All purchasing will be completed online and set up to either ship to the SAIL Office or for pick up by the student organization at the store. Due to this new policy any purchases need to be completed no later than two weeks prior to your event. Please review (Finance/Funding and Budgets, pg. 20) for the full policy and procedures for making purchases with the Bank Card.

Catering

The university has an exclusive contract with Chartwells for Dining Services on campus. This means all on campus events looking to have food must work with Dining Services and Catering for those food needs. If you are looking for specific items, you can arrange a tasting of your menu prior to your event. Contact Catering at catering@umassd.edu or call (508) 910-6415 (or just 6415 from an on-campus phone) to arrange a tasting or for other questions.

Student organizations looking to order food can go to umassd.catertrax.com to start their order. Using the “Student Menu” or “Student Favorites” will provide cheaper options for student organizations. If you do not see what you are looking for on Catertrax, you can submit a custom order in the system and write out what you are looking for to start the process or contact the Catering Office.

Contracts

If you are looking to have a performer/DJ/speaker/company supply a performance or service for your event, you will need to work with the SAIL Office to contract those services. To request a contract, you will need to complete a Contract Request Form on MyOrgs. Your contract request must be submitted no later than 16 days (about 2 and a half weeks) prior to your event.*

The SAIL Office will complete a contract and send to the student organization which will need to be signed by the performer/company and sent back to the SAIL Office for processing. STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY. They must be completed through the SAIL Office.

Staffing

It is important as you are planning your events to consider the people-power needed to make your event successful. Forming a planning committee will help not only share the workload of planning the event, but also working the event. As you are working out the details of your event keep these questions in mind!

• Is there anything that can be done prior to the day of the event?
• What/who is needed to set up before the start of the event?
• How many people will you need during the event?
  • This may change as you are working with other campus resources
• What/who is needed for tear down after the event ends?

Planning and hosting events are a great responsibility for student organizations. You are hosting students into your “space” and providing a service or social event. The student organizers will need to make sure the event is running smoothly and checking in with your volunteers and campus partners. Even if you want to stop to enjoy the event, your responsibility is to ensure the guests are having a wonderful time!

Tell people about the event

Publicity and Promotion of your events is just as important as the planning, otherwise no one will know your event is even happening. Being creative with your publicity is key to attracting others to attend.

Posters

Many students feel posters are ineffective, but more students have attended events because they saw the poster over any other form of publicity. Making your poster stand out is important. Students can access Adobe Creative Cloud software (including Photoshop and Illustrator) on public-use computers. These are two powerful tools at your disposal to help make your posters stand out on the boards. For more information on using Adobe Creative Cloud check out the CITS Software page.

There are other websites and free software you can use and/or download to assist in poster creation outside of Adobe. Canva, Adobe Spark, PosterMyWall, and PicMonkey are just a few.

Posters can be posted in all academic buildings without approval from any office. However, you should follow all posting policies for boards dedicated to specific departments and have contact information on the poster if people have questions. Posters for the Campus Center need to be approved by the SAIL Office before they are posted in the Campus Center. Posters you want posted in the Residence Halls are dropped off in the Office of Housing and Residential Education and they will be distributed to the various halls.

With the closure of the Campus Print Shop, we are currently working on a solution to allow for easy and efficient printing of organization posters.

Banner (Large Format) Prints

If your organization is looking for a large format banner the request can be sent to the SAIL Office. We can print up to 3x5ft. The file can be emailed to SAIL (sail@umassd.edu) but must be print ready (sized to the correct print size and ready to be printed) and sent as a .pdf file. The cost for student organizations to print a large format banner is $30, and $45 for Campus Departments (including prints of posters for academic projects).

Social Media

Use of social media is a terrific way to not only spread information but also connect and interact with students. When designing your own images for your social media accounts, you should consider resizing/redesigning your poster design to optimize the space available online, and keep in mind students are looking at this info most likely on their phones so should be created so it is easy to read

Campus Center Projectors

Student Organizations will now have access to create and upload their own slides to the Carousel System. This system will not only populate slides shown throughout the campus on TVs but will also be projected in the Campus Center. Presidents will be given access to the system and SAIL will approve all slides prior to posting. If you have access to this system you will be able to use your UMassD log in credentials to access the templates.

UMD Announcements

These are daily emails sent to either students or everyone on campus. An announcement can be emailed to umdannounce@umassd.edu. Your request for UMD Announce must be sent in plain text, with no attachments, subject line, intended recipients, and contact person included in body of message. If your announcement does not meet these criteria, it may be sent back for modification. Announcements sent by 3pm Monday-Friday are sent the following day. No messages are sent out on Sundays or Mondays. For more information you can contact Access Management at citsam@umassd.edu.

Campus Center Information Tables

There are vendor tables set up in both the Campus Center and the lobby of the Main Auditorium that can be reserved for student groups to use to advertise upcoming events and share information. Tables can be reserved Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, and must be reserved through 25Live no later than 24 hours prior to tabling.
Starting this year, if you choose to play music while at your table, the sound level of your music should not impede regular conversation at the tables next to you. Tables must always be attended by at least one person. If you violate any policies or regulations, you may risk losing your right to reserve a table.

Have the event

While your event is happening, make sure you are checking in with volunteers working on the event, making sure you are staying on schedule, and watching for anything else that may come up that you either planned to happen or did not plan to happen.

Take pictures, take notes of what went well and what did not, pay attention to what is happening, what attendees are saying, and look for things you may have missed in your planning stages.

Should anything unexpected happen during the event know you can rely on university staff to assist if needed. If there are no university staff members present and your committee/members/e-board members are unsure what to do, you can always call the University Police for assistance. Their non-emergency number is 508-999-8107, or for emergencies 508-999-9191.

Debrief how the event went

Soon after the event ends, plan to pull together your planning committee, volunteers, anyone who helped make the event happen. Debriefing the event can help to start the planning process for next year's event and to help make improvements if needed.

When debriefing, consider the following:

• What went well
• What did not go well
• Did we have enough supplies/gifts/things for everyone (if handing out items)
• How was the flow of traffic (people coming in/leaving the event)
• How was the space set up?
  • Would we change the set-up
  • Would we move to a different space?
• Did we forget anything?
  • Did you have trash cans?
  • Did you wish you had anything to make something easier?
• How was registration/check in
• Did we stay on schedule?
  • If not, what caused us to be off schedule
  • How can we mitigate this next year
• Did we have enough volunteers?
• Anything else that may have come up specific to your event

When debriefing your event, it is also important to review the budget and final costs of your event. Looking at where you may have overspent/underspent can help you more evenly allocate money to those line items that may need a bigger boost.

General guidelines

All student clubs and organizations must utilize the professional staff in the SAIL Office when looking to access their university funds to make purchases, enter into contracts, etc.

If you are planning to work with another office or department on campus, the President or Treasurer of the organization must email the SAIL Office to inform us of the financial collaboration/sponsorship. The email should contain:

• Name of Organization
• Position of student emailing the office
• What you are donating funds to (name of event or project)
• What specifically your funds are going towards (if known)
• The other office/department(s) involved with the event/project

Prior to making any purchasing requests, student leaders should meet with one of the professional staff members in the SAIL Office to discuss their purchasing needs, the best methods to use, timeline, etc. The staff member you meet with will be the staff member you continue to communicate with when ready to make your purchases.

Student clubs and organizations have access to two different types of purchasing methods:

1. Bank Card (Procard) - This is a University credit card that the professional staff in the SAIL Office have and utilize for making minor purchases. Starting Fall 2021, students will no longer be able to check out a Bank Card to use at stores in the area or to go on trips (travel information is forthcoming). Further information about the use of a Bank Card is below.
2. Purchase Order (PO) - This is a form of payment typically used for bigger expenses, various vendors, and is a way to guarantee payment. A Purchase Order is created for vendors in the University’s Buyways system. Vendors may need to be added as new vendors or may need to update existing information in the system. Payments from purchase orders are always sent out after services are rendered or items are received. Further information about use of Purchase Orders is below.

Bank card information

As stated above, student clubs and organizations will no longer be able to check out a Bank Card from the SAIL Office to take off campus and make purchases. Purchasing that would have been done previously with a ProCard in person must now be completed online.

• Students will search online for items they need ordered
• All requests for purchases should be submitted no later than 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) prior to when you need the items. We understand there are unusual circumstances, but all efforts should be taken to make purchasing requests by the 10-day deadline.
  • This deadline is to ensure items arrive on campus in a timely manner and gives everyone time to reorder if something arrives damaged or is out of stock.
  • Students should be thinking ahead and looking at shipping timelines when looking at ordering items online so requests can be made to accommodate lower shipping costs.
  • Students should also be trying to request all purchases from one store/vendor at the same time so only one order is required to be placed.
• Links for those items will be sent to the SAIL Office professional staff member you met with initially to discuss purchases.
• Will need to include quantity and specific choices (i.e., color or size, if available)
• If store pick-up is available, we will also need the name, email, and cell phone number of the student picking up the items
• If items are being shipped, they will be shipped to the SAIL Office and students will be notified when they arrive
• If we are not able to make the purchase online, we will contact the vendor to see if other payment options are possible.

The following are stores/vendors* we have worked with to create tax exempt accounts online for purchasing.

• Amazon
• Walmart
• Party City
• Home Depot
• Michael’s
• Blick Art Supplies
• Oriental Trading
• Vista Print

* As we continue this new process more stores will be added. If a store/vendor you want to use is not on this list, please still send the links and we can work with the vendor to acquire tax exemption, if applicable.

Purchase order

• Use of a Purchase Order is for vendors providing a service (non-student DJ, inflatables, etc.), restaurants (if looking for a larger group use), purchase of promotional items, or purchase from a vendor already in our Buyways system.
• Student leaders should first meet with SAIL to ensure their vendor is already in ourBuyways system.
  • If the vendor is not, we will need their name and email address to send a request to submit their information*. This is necessary to send payment.
    • *This replaces the old process of asking for a copy of the vendor’s W-9 form
• The Purchase Order process starts when we receive a quote from a vendor.
  • Student leaders should work with the vendor prior to submitting the quote to SAIL to ensure they will be happy with the services, the cost, and the vendor is able to do what the students are looking for.
• Once the Purchase Order process is started, this will encumber the funds in your account. These funds will no longer be accessible by the student organization for anything besides paying that specific vendor.
• Once services are rendered or items delivered, student leaders should receive an invoice showing the final cost. This invoice will need to be sent to SAIL to release payment to the vendor
  • If students are not satisfied with services or items received, they will need to talk with the SAIL Office about workable solutions they can take with the vendor
• UMass Dartmouth works on a Net 30 policy, which means payments will go out within 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) of services rendered or items received.

Gift card purchases

Student Organizations have the ability to purchase gift cards through the SAIL Office. Advanced notice is needed in order to seek approval prior to purchasing. The SAIL Office must receive your request to purchase gift cards 10 days prior to the date of the event.

We will need the following information with your request:

• Purpose of gift cards
• Date of event
• Type of card(s) to be purchased
• Denomination per card
• Quantity of cards
• Speedtype

Once the request is approved your gift cards can be purchased. A Gift Card Documentation Form must be completed by the recipient before they receive their gift card. This form must be returned back to the SAIL Office after your event.

Prizes/raffles

If an organization is looking to give prizes at their event, the recipient must complete an Event Prize Form before they receive their prize. This form can be obtained from the SAIL Office and must be returned to the SAIL Office once signed. If the prizes are part of a raffle, please talk with the SAIL Office first to determine feasibility.

Funding

Eligibility for funding is dependent upon the membership criteria for organizations, clubs, etc. Student groups must first register as an organization on MyOrgs. Registrations will be reviewed by the Student Government Association (SGA) to decide on recognition. That information is then conveyed to the SAIL Office and the organization is made “active” on MyOrgs. Student organizations that are eligible for funding from the Student Government Association will receive notification from the Association’s Treasurer (or designee) regarding the Budget Request Process. In general, the budget request process takes place in the Spring semester for the following year.

Fundraisers

Student clubs and organizations MUST work with a SAIL Office Professional Staff Member BEFORE any potential fundraiser is marketed to the community. The University has specific fundraising guidelines (that are currently under review) relative to raffles, etc. The University does not permit the use of mobile apps for financial transactions (i.e., CashApp, Venmo, GoFundMe, etc.).

Speedtype Numbers

Once your club or organization has received a budget you will receive an account and number. Speedtype numbers are account identifiers for all organizations and departments on campus. Funds are received from SGA each year and deposited into the accounts for each organization. The speedtype number allows for automatic billing for university-related expenses, including catering, teach costs etc. It also identifies the account(s) to be used in processing requisitions for Purchase Orders. All revenue from events and fundraising campaigns must be deposited into a separate Fundraising account through the University.

Financial reports

The University can provide a variety of financial reports, but most clubs request a simple balance sheet or a complete detailed listing of all transactions (also known as a 7062). To request these reports, please contact the SAIL Office Accountant, Maria Antao via email (mantao@umassd.edu). Please allow one week for processing. Reports will be emailed as attachments to the requester. 

Depositing funds

Student clubs and organizations must bring all revenue/funds to the SAIL Office to be officially counted in front of the accountant and to obtain a deposit slip. The organization will then take the deposit to the Bursar’s Office, get a receipt, and return with it to the SAIL Office where it will be placed into the club’s financial folder.

Reimbursements

Any obligation on behalf of the University should follow the procedures listed above for Purchase Orders or use of a Bank Card. For those rare times when neither of these systems can be used, a student within the organization is allowed to pay for something using their own money (or credit card) and then seek reimbursement. It is recommended that the purchaser first check with the Accountant in the SAIL Office to ensure the item being purchased is an appropriate expense for student fees. As such, a request may be denied if it falls outside of an appropriate expense. To get reimbursed, the student must bring in the receipt and fill out a Direct Reimbursement Form. These forms are only available through the Accountant. It must be noted that the purchaser will only be reimbursed for the amount of the purchase less the tax. The university is a tax-exempt organization whereas individuals are not tax exempt. The amount paid in tax would still be the responsibility of the purchaser.

Performance contracts & contracts for services

A Contract Request Form must be submitted through MyOrgs for any non-student who is going to perform on campus (DJ, Lecturer, Visiting Artist, Speaker, Musician, etc.). A contract will be created based on the information that is provided on the request form and sent to the requester. A signed contract from the performer must be received in the SAIL Office at least 16 days (about 2 and a half weeks) in advance of the performance for further processing. If you are using a Contract for Services, you must plan at least one month in advance.

Preferred vendors

When purchasing items, it is best to get quotes from several different vendors in order to get the best price. Always get the quotes in writing (an email is fine) and understand that you need to weigh both prices, quality of the product and service in making your decision. The University maintains relationships with several vendors who do a large volume of business with us and, as a result, offer us discount prices. Most notably, W.B. Mason has a contract with us for office supplies and is one of the vendors on Buyways. Students should work directly with the SAIL Office on all purchasing/vendor needs to get the best possible prices and/or service.

Additional guidelines

Please note that all clubs and organizations are subject to all the benefits and restrictions for using funds provided by the University of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SAIL Office Accountant is well versed in these guidelines and will assist any club to make sure they are following these rules. For more information, please contact sail@umassd.edu.

Conduct policy

All Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs), leaders, members, and participants within, who are connected to, and or affiliated with any activity in the name of The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth are required to comply with all policies and guidelines as stated and described within the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Student Handbook.