Officer Transition Manual

Transcription

1 Officer Transition Manual Page1 For registered SUNY Geneseo Student Organizations The Department of Student Life

2 In this MANUAL Officer Transition Introduction.Page 3 Officer Operations Binder Outline.Page 4 Outgoing Officer Transition Worksheet.Page 5 Incoming Officer Transition Worksheet.Page 6 Officer Transition Meeting/Retreat Guide..Page 7 Member & Officer Contact List Page 8 Important Resources & Contacts for Organization Page 9 Creating a Timeline..Page 10 IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL HELP PLANNING YOUR OFFICER TRANSITION, PLEASE CONTACT THE SENIOR COORDINATOR OF STUDENT PROGRAMS AT OR BARSEMA@GENESEO.EDU. WE ARE HERE TO HELP! The transition of your leadership team is the single most important event in a student organizations year. It can determine the effectiveness of a group for years to come. Following a transition manual often helps to ease the transition as newly elected officers take over from the previous officer. A smooth officer transition will not only improve the abilities of the newly- elected officers, it will decrease the amount of time each officer spends learning their position. Through an effective transition, the incoming officers will be able to learn from the experience of the previous officer and offer continued growth and continuity for the organization. The transition process is a reminder of the mission, vision, and values of the organization as well as an opportunity to assess previous programs, events and areas of organization strengths and opportunities for improvement. Page2 Best wishes for a challenging and rewarding experience.

3 Officer Transition Introduction Effective leadership transition is the process by which past and future student leaders in an organization work together to review and learn from previous events and programs and prepare for the upcoming year. This process can occur in one or several days and may be accomplished in a formal or informal setting. The transition process an organization chooses to use during this time period truly depends on the needs and resources available to the group. - National Association of Campus Activities, Campus Activities Programming, May 2009 A smooth officer transition is:! The responsibility of both the outgoing and incoming members! A way to help the group avoid starting over or starting from scratch each year! A transfer of significant organization knowledge! A sense of closure for the outgoing members! A utilization of the valuable contributions of experienced leaders! A time for the new leadership to absorb the experience of the outgoing members! A great opportunity for outgoing leaders to evaluate the year! An orientation process for new leaders! A time for the incoming leaders to ask questions and the outgoing leaders to offer advice Page3! An outgoing leader s chance to say I wish I had done this

4 Officer Operations Binder Outline The officer operations binder is a beneficial resource in orienting the new officers with all the functions and responsibilities of their position. The binder should cover all aspects of officer responsibilities and how those tasks fit into the organizations operations. If officer operations binders are not currently done, incoming officers must initiate development and use of operations binders at the beginning of the positions term of office. The binder must be utilized by the officers as a working tool throughout the year rather than something to be completed at the end of the year. Organizational Mission and Vision Statements Organization Constitution and By- laws Organization Policies and Procedures University Policies and Student Guidelines Fundraising Policy Publicity Policy Event Reservation Policy SA Financial Policy (if funded by SA) Historical Information (i.e. rituals, traditions, significant changes with reason, etc.) Organizational Chart Budget Registered Student Organization Benefits & Services Available Current Organizational Goals Specific Officer/Position Roles Officer Specific Task Timeline in Chronological Order by Month Important Forms Important Resources and Services Numbers Contact List Calendar of Events Agendas and Meeting Minutes Committee Reports Program/Event Planning Documents & Evaluations End of Year Reports and Evaluations Pertinent Correspondence Unfinished Project Information Name and Contact Information of Outgoing Officer Transition Material for Following Year Page4

5 Outgoing Officer Transition Worksheet What problems or stumbling blocks did you encounter as an officer? How were these problems or stumbling blocks dealt with? What aspects of the term went really well? List organizations you have collaborated with and specific projects What recommendations do you have for the incoming officer? What unfinished business must be addressed? What would you have done differently? What are some things you wish you would have known? What is the advisors role for our organization? Page5 Were the programs we hosted consistent with our goals?

6 Incoming Officer Transition Worksheet What is the purpose of the organization? What made you want to run for this office? What are my responsibilities? How can I improve what the former officer accomplished? What new/old programs do I plan to utilize during my term? What are some thing I think I really need to know to do my job? Questions to ask outgoing officers: A. Things I should do over the summer B. People (positions) I should get to know C. Services that I need to know about Page6

7 Page7 D. Other questions I want answered before they are gone

8 Officer Transition Meeting/Retreat Before the new officers of your organization officially assume responsibilities, it is wise for the outgoing and incoming officers to get together for a transition meeting. It provides the outgoing officers the opportunity to ensure that the programs, policies, and success of your term do not diminish with the next administration. Furthermore, it provides the incoming officers the opportunity to learn what their responsibilities are and prevents the new officer from reinventing the wheel. A casual open environment should be encouraged so that the organization can benefit from an honest evaluation of the accomplishments and challenges of the current year. An officer meeting/retreat can be: A meeting with the newly elected and outgoing officers (all together) A meeting between the newly elected and outgoing officers (one on one) A retreat during which newly elected and outgoing officers meet for one day (or just a morning or an afternoon), while the newly elected officers meet for a second day to brainstorm goals An informal information gathering session during which younger officers gather and record information and knowledge from outgoing officers/seniors Agenda: Responsibilities of the position Timeline for completing duties of the position Unfinished projects Important resources Mistakes the outgoing officer made that could have been avoided Advice the outgoing officer wishes she/he had been told before taking office last year Questions from the incoming officer Outgoing officer contact information (in case questions arise) Questions to consider: Page8 What specific accomplishments were realized this year and why were they successful? What supplemental material resources did you find most helpful (i.e., contacts, websites, campus partners, etc.) How can a timeline for the position be made more efficient and effective?

9 Member & Officer Contact List Organization Emai: Password: Advisor: Advisor Organization Website: Social Media Sites: Facebook Username: Password: Instagram Username: Password: Twitter Username: Password: Other: Password: *Make sure these are not connected to a personal page accounts Outgoing President: Phone #: Outgoing Treasurer: Phone #: Outgoing VP: Phone #: Outgoing Secretary: Phone #: Incoming President: Phone #: Incoming Treasurer: Phone #: Incoming VP: Phone #: Incoming Secretary: Phone #: : Page9 Members

10 Important Resources & Contacts for Organization As a student organization leader you are likely to work with a number of different people who are integral to the work that you do. Please take some time and share who some of those resources are for Incoming Officers. People you can include are any administrators you work with on a regular basis or any vendors that you use for events. Resources/ contacts for this position: Name Contact for: Contact Information Questions regarding student barsema@geneseo.edu organization policies and procedures Kristina Barsema, Senior Coordinator of Student Programs- Department of Student Life Lauren Kuski, Assistant Director of Student Life, Department of Student Life GLK Grants, Event Planning Kuski@geneseo.edu Page10

11 Creating an Organization & Position Timeline While each year is different and brings upon new things to celebrate and new obstacles to overcome, there are a number of things that can stay the same such as annual events, procedures from Student Life, etc. Please take some time to fill out the Organization Timeline. You can also do this for each specific position which could be really helpful. The outgoing officer should fill this out and think about things to have done/think about each month. January Update your organization website - February March - Begin Officer Transition Process if you transition in the Spring semester April - Apply for a Weeks of Welcome or GLK Grant for the following semester - Office Space Application process begins- Be on the lookout to apply for space in the union May August- - Register for the Student Organization Expo - Make sure to complete the Continuing Registration process with the Department of Student Life - If you have office or storage space in the union, fill out Key Authorization List & Submit Office Hours to Coordinator of Student Organizations September- - Update your organization website October- Page11

12 November- - Begin Officer Transition Process if you transition in the Fall semester December- - Fill out change officer forms if your organization has recently switched over Page12