Student Clubs and Organizations

GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS

General Information

The following guidelines and regulations are designed to provide direction and assistance for individuals and groups participating in student clubs and organizations.

Eligibility

All students enrolled in credit classes at Frederick Community College are eligible to become members of any student club or organization. Some groups, such as honor societies, may have academic restrictions for membership.

Club and organization officer eligibility varies for each club. Contact the advisor to find out how you can be elected to an officer position. Officer positions are a tremendous leadership opportunity to grow your skills and confidence.

• Participation in clubs and organizations should enrich your academic experience, not negatively affect it. Academics should always be your top priority, and involvement with clubs and organizations should come after that.

• Serving in a leadership role brings responsibility to serve as a role model for your club members and the student body at FCC. You should always abide by the Code of Student Conduct, the Club Guidebook, and campus policies and procedures.

• Establish and maintain good communication with your members, advisor(s), the Student Government Association (SGA), and the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement.

• Remember that leadership is not about titles or accolades. It is a process of growth in which you will learn new and improve existing skills. Focus on progress rather than perfection.
  
  

Membership

Membership in any student club or organization financed through the SGA must be open to all activity-fee-paying students, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or covered veteran status. All club and organization meetings must also be open to all enrolled activity-fee-paying FCC students.

How to Start a Student Club or Organization

Visit the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement, located in the Student Center (H101), to view the current list of clubs. If you don’t see a club that matches your interests, email [email protected] to schedule a meeting with Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE).

You’ll need to complete all necessary steps and demonstrate sustained interest in your proposed club over two semesters before presenting your proposal to the Student Government Association (SGA) for a vote on official recognition. New clubs must have at least five members and an advisor.

During the start-up phase, new clubs cannot submit a budget request; however, if financial assistance is needed, a mini-grant request can be submitted. New clubs can request up to $200 per semester, and the Coordinator of Student Leadership and Service will review each request.

All clubs must create a constitution. Copies and samples are available in the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement or by emailing [email protected].

Once approved by the SGA, clubs are eligible to request funding, reserve campus space, advertise their events, and be listed in college publications and on the website.

Role of Advisors

Club and organization advisors may be any faculty or staff member at FCC. Advisors serve as mentors and resources for students, with varying levels of involvement depending on the group’s needs. Expectations should be discussed each semester.

Advisors must be present at all off-campus events and at on-campus events that (a) host a large crowd, (b) occur outside 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, or (c) include guests outside FCC. Advisors should be familiar with the club’s officer/member information, constitution, budget, service project, and semester goals, and uphold all college policies relevant to student clubs.

Role of Student Leaders

Student leaders have valuable opportunities to develop leadership skills through both academic and co-curricular experiences. Leadership can be rewarding but also demanding—collaboration and delegation are key to success.

Leaders should maintain awareness of all club information (officers, members, meetings, activities, constitution, and budget) and ensure events are open to all students. Attendance records should be kept and reported monthly to [email protected].

Clubs must track their spending, budget balance, and maintain SGA representation. Student leaders should regularly communicate with their advisor to keep them informed.

Club Attendance

Attendance should be taken at every club meeting and emailed monthly to [email protected].

Student Government Association Meetings

The SGA meets twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the Student Center (H202/203), unless otherwise noted. Meetings include representatives from each student club or organization, as well as any interested credit-paying students.

The purpose of these meetings is to share information about student issues, events, and budgets, and to represent the student body’s voice on campus. Each club is responsible for sending a representative. If a club fails to attend three meetings in a semester, it will be deemed non-compliant and must contact [email protected] to be reinstated.

Service Projects

All clubs and organizations are required to do a service project each semester as a way to give back to the community. A service project is an activity in which club members actively contribute their time, effort, and skills to support the campus community or the broader local community. The primary purpose of a service project is to serve others through meaningful participation, relationship-building, and hands-on support—not through financial contributions.

Service projects should focus on engagement, volunteering, and direct involvement, such as:

• Assisting at a campus or community event
• Participating in a local cleanup or sustainability effort
• Organizing a donation drive (with the club collecting items rather than purchasing them)
• Volunteering with a community partner or nonprofit organization
• Hosting an educational program that brings value and knowledge to the community

Clubs should not spend large amounts of money on service projects. Service projects are meant to center on time, presence, and participation, not purchases. Limited funds may be approved for essential materials (e.g., printing materials, minimal supplies), but clubs are encouraged to design projects that require little to no spending.

Clubs are responsible for ensuring that their project aligns with these guidelines and contributes positively through direct involvement. The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) may request modifications due to funding, feasibility, resources, or timing.

Club and Organization Fair

Student clubs and organizations are encouraged to participate in the Club Fair, held twice a year—once each fall and spring semester. Each club will receive an email with table reservation details. For more information, contact [email protected].

Student Leader Resources

Whether new or returning, student leaders can access helpful resources on the SGA Blackboard to explore leadership topics. The SLE Office also offers workshops throughout the year to help strengthen leadership skills. Attending workshops is a great way to learn, network, and build confidence. Workshops are listed on Blackboard and the FCC events calendar.

Blackboard for Clubs

Each club and organization has a designated Blackboard page for sharing information and updates. Student leaders and advisors can edit and post content. Interested students can self-enroll in any club’s Blackboard page to stay informed about meetings, activities, and events. Pages should be updated each semester.

Club and Organization Student Leader Transition

Leadership turnover is natural in student organizations, but it’s important to plan smooth transitions. Always recruit, train, and prepare new leaders to sustain your club’s success. All student leaders should complete the Leader Transition Guide in this guidebook.

EVENTS AND FACILITIES

How to Reserve a Room

Student clubs and organizations may reserve campus spaces at no charge. Contact your advisor or [email protected] to request a room through 25Live. Room setup requests must be made by the advisor or SLE. Student leaders can also request Zoom licenses for virtual meetings by contacting the SLE office.

Catering and Food Requests

If food funding is approved through your club budget, contact [email protected] at least two (2) weeks in advance to arrange catering. Requests within two weeks cannot be guaranteed, and those within three (3) business days will not be processed. Clubs may purchase food independently and submit a reimbursement form per standard procedures.

Even with at least three days’ notice, SLE cannot guarantee purchasing support due to competing priorities, delays, or vendor issues. Giving early notice helps ensure your request can be fulfilled.

Advisor Attendance at Events

An advisor must be present at all off-campus events and any on-campus events that (a) host large crowds, (b) occur outside 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or (c) include non-FCC attendees. SLE may also determine when an advisor’s presence is required.

Event Management

Club meetings and activities are intended for FCC students and the campus community. Events open to the public require pre-approval from SLE. The office may request a planning meeting with the student leader, advisor, and FCC event staff (e.g., public safety, facilities, marketing). Final approval of events rests with the SLE staff.

Movie Screening Requests and Copyright Information

The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs how copyrighted materials such as movies may be used—even for nonprofit organizations. Non-classroom film showings require a public performance license. Club funds can be used to purchase a film license.

For R-rated films, students must show valid ID, and anyone under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. An advisor must be present for all R-rated film events. These requirements should appear in event flyers and announcements. Contact [email protected] to clarify license requirements.

Events Involving Paint

If your club plans an event involving painting, email [email protected] with details so SLE can support logistics.

• All painting events must be held in the Visual & Performing Arts Center (F Building) or a space with tile flooring. Work with your advisor or SLE to reserve an appropriate area.
• Clubs are responsible for protecting tables and surfaces with coverings and ensuring spaces are properly cared for.

Transportation Requests

If your club or organization has been approved for a trip, contact SLE to coordinate logistics. All sign-ups, waivers, and collected funds will be managed through SLE. Transportation requests must be submitted at least 21 days in advance. If FCC vehicles aren’t available, Wolfe’s Transportation may be used at a higher cost.

Emergency Situations

If an emergency occurs during a College-sponsored off-campus activity, the advisor and trip leader must take the following steps:

1. Ensure Immediate Safety
   • Call 911 (or local emergency services) immediately in cases of life-threatening emergencies, serious injury, or crime in progress.
   • Follow all instructions from emergency and law enforcement personnel.
   • If using College-provided transportation, ensure all passengers remain safe until responders arrive.
2. Provide Care and Support
   • Administer basic first aid only if trained and it is safe to do so.
   • Remain with the affected individual(s) until emergency personnel assume responsibility.
3. Notify FCC Public Safety
   • As soon as it is safe, contact FCC Public Safety at (301.846.2453).
   • Public Safety will assist with coordination, documentation, and notification of college leadership.
4. Notify College Officials
   • Contact the AVP for Student Engagement and Wellness or the Coordinator of Student Leadership and Service to report the incident.
   • For athletic travel, notify the Athletic Director as well.
5. Emergency Contact Notification
   • After emergency services and Public Safety have been notified, the advisor should contact the participant’s emergency contact as listed on the Excursion Waiver and Release Form.
6. Document the Incident
   • Complete an Incident Report as soon as possible and submit it to Public Safety and the sponsoring department.
   • The advisor and trip leaders should retain a copy of the Excursion Roster and ensure all waiver forms are on file, as required under College policy.

Key Reminders

• The advisors and the trip leader must remain accessible by cell phone during the entire excursion.
• All students and employees represent FCC and must follow College policies, including the Code of Student Conduct.
• Alcohol, illegal drugs, and weapons are strictly prohibited while traveling on College-sponsored trips.
• For students under 18, parent/guardian signatures are required on all travel documents.

Off Campus Event Policy

Any club hosting a College-sponsored activity off campus must have an advisor present and all attendees must complete a FCC Waiver form, regardless if transportation is provided by the College. Students will continue to abide by the Student Code of Conduct where College-sponsored activities are held. As stated in the Code of Student Conduct (section IX, article J, item 1) “Disruption, obstruction of, or interference with College or College-sponsored activities (…) or other College functions on College property, at College-leased or owned facilities, or at any sites where College-sponsored activities are held.” In addition, students are required to follow the rules and policies of the facility or off-campus location they are hosting the College-sponsored activity.

 

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING

Publicizing your events

Be sure to double-check spelling and make sure the information is correct on your marketing information. Make sure all important information is provided: name of group, date, time, location, contact information for more details, and a brief description of the event. There are many ways to spread the word about your club meetings, activities, and events:

• Posters/flyers for events can be sent to SLE to be posted on campus bulletin boards. All flyers and posters need to have the non-discrimination policy and ADA statement on them at the bottom. Please allow at least two weeks before your event for posting, to have enough time for people to read it. Posters/flyers are posted on boards weekly. To reduce paper waste, SLE will not print flyers for events being advertised fewer than 3 days before the event. Clubs are encouraged to use other digital platforms for last-minute advertising. If you create your own flyers, you must get approval from Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) before they are posted. The SLE staff can grant access to a Canva account for designing flyers or other marketing materials.
  • Flyers must include the full building name (Student Center, H-111; not simply H-111)
• The website has a calendar of events for students. If you’d like your club information shared there, please send it to SLE.
• Smart Signs - FCC has electric signs on campus to advertise events. Send your club’s information review by your advisor to [email protected] to have your event promoted on the electric signs.​
• NewsBlast - FCC sends a weekly email to all current students, listing upcoming events and announcements for the following week. Send your event information review by your advisor to [email protected] by Thursday each week to be included in the blast the following week.
  
  

Non-discrimination policy and ADA statement

The following statement must be included on all advertising for club meetings, activities, and events. The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement reserves to right to remove any advertising that does not have the statement listed.
Frederick Community College prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in its activities, admissions, educational programs, and employment.

Under the ADA and Section 504, Frederick Community College (FCC) makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities for College-sponsored events and programs. For FCC employees needing accommodations, including interpreting, please email [email protected]. For students and others with accommodation needs or questions, please call 301.846.2408, or to request sign language interpreter services, please email [email protected] . Sign language interpreters will not be automatically provided for College-sponsored events without a request for services. Requests must be made at least five workdays before a scheduled event to guarantee accommodations. If your request pertains to accessible transportation for a College-sponsored trip, please submit your request at least 21 calendar days in advance. Requests made less than 21 calendar days in advance may not be able to be guaranteed.

 

Printing and Copy Machine

Students receive a limited amount of pages to print each semester on your student account. Student Leadership and Engagement is available to print flyers or related materials for any student leader at no cost to the student and that do not take away from your student-related printing. We can also make copies for your group, to a reasonable amount. If you have a larger quantity, the SLE staff will send it to the Print Shop on campus. Email [email protected] with your document and how many copies you are requesting.

Posting Policy & Campus Bulletin Boards

There are 25 designated bulletin boards on campus that you can use to advertise your club or organization meetings, activities, and events. Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) maintains these bulletin boards and can post flyers for your club. Please email your flyers to [email protected] at least two (2) weeks prior to your event. All event flyers must have the SLE stamp of approval on them, and they must have the non-discrimination policy and ADA statement. Flyers should be no larger than 8.5”x11”, unless you have approval from SLE to print a larger copy. Flyers should be posted using pushpins on the designated bulletin boards and should never be posted using staples or tape on walls or windows.

Chalking

Students may use chalk for announcing events, but require permission from Student Leadership and Engagement in advance. Chalk may be used on horizontal surfaces (i.e. SIDEWALKS), which can be hit by rain. Be aware, individuals and/or groups may be assessed restitution charges for damages caused to College property.
 

BUDGET AND FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

Clubs are equally responsible for maintaining accurate internal records of their own expenditures and for ensuring that all purchases comply with college and SGA guidelines.

All officially recognized student clubs and organizations may submit a Plan of Use of Funds to SGA using the form. Any unused funds remaining in a club’s budget at the end of the semester will be returned to the general Student Activity Fee account. These funds will then be available for redistribution to student clubs and organizations in subsequent semesters.

At the first meeting of each semester, club leaders should meet with their advisor to review their goals for the semester and discuss budget plans.

New clubs and organizations may contact [email protected] for any funds they need for the year, up to $200 per semester. All requests will be reviewed by the Coordinator of Student Leadership and Service.

Criteria for allocations

The Student Government Association considers the following criteria when reviewing budget requests:

• Attendance at SGA Meetings
• Ability to present knowledge of activities planned
• Number of active members in club or organization
• Success of activities held during current year
• Number of students who will benefit from proposed activity
• Educational, social, cultural, or recreational value of programs
  
  

 Extra Funding

Clubs that collaborate with another recognized student club or organization on a cross-collaborative event are eligible for additional funding:

• $300 may be awarded for each approved cross-collaboration event.
• Clubs may also request supplemental funding from SGA for larger-scale events or programs.

 

The Funding Request Form for Clubs and Student Organization Events must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the event. SGA will review the request and notify the club of approval or denial following the next scheduled Executive Board meeting.

How to Access Approved Funding

When possible, the preference is usage of the College credit card for all purchases. Clubs can access money for approved events by contacting Student Leadership and Engagement at [email protected] with your purchase request. Only items that were approved in your budget will be purchased tax-exempt with the SLE credit card.

In cases where SLE makes a purchase, but the items are delivered directly to club members, those members must collect and submit the corresponding itemized receipt by bringing the receipt in person to the SLE office or sending a clear photo of the receipt to [email protected].

Compliance with this process is required to ensure proper and transparent management of funds allocated to student clubs.

If you choose not to go through the SLE office to purchase your items, student leaders or the advisor can pay for the cost-related item and then submit a reimbursement with the itemized receipt(s).

*Reimbursements will only be given for expenses that were approved in your budget.
*All reimbursements MUST be submitted for payment within 30 days of the event.

Account Balance

Contact the SGA Vice President of Finance or Student Leadership and Engagement for a copy of your account balance or your group’s transactions. Please allow for a few days’ notice for account balance. SGA and SLE are strongly encourage all student clubs and organizations to keep track of their own spending.

Fundraising

Any ideas for fundraising must be pre-approved by Student Leadership and Engagement and the FCC Foundation Office. A club or organization may only fundraise for nonprofit charitable organizations. Clubs and organizations should not include money to support the fundraiser in their budget request. If approved, student leaders and advisor(s) will work directly with the FCC Foundation Office for how fundraising money will be collected.

Donations

Student leaders and advisors must get approval from Student Leadership and Engagement and the FCC Foundation Office before asking for or accepting any donations. If approved, student leaders and advisor(s) will work directly with the FCC Foundation Office for how donations will be collected.

Raffles

Any raffles must be pre-approved by Student Leadership and Engagement and the FCC Foundation Office. In some instances, a permit will need to be obtained by the FCC Foundation Office.

Single-use Items

All single-use items purchased by Clubs and Student Organizations during the fiscal year become the property of the SGA at year-end, allowing them to be reused for future meetings and events by any Club or Student Organization.
 

STUDENT LEADER TRANSITION GUIDE

As a club or organization leader, it is not enough to build and run a good organization; your mission should be to leave your group in the hands of students that will continue to build on your accomplishments. Therefore, you should always be in the process of recruiting, training, and putting into place new student leaders. While turnover is a natural part of the leadership of a club or organization, a great student group will put in place a smooth and effective leadership transition process.

 You have learned important things along the way that can help future leaders. Mistakes, tips, tricks, ideas and success are all important things to share. Think: What would you have wanted to know when you took a leadership position?

Here is a checklist of helpful things to complete during the club leader transition:

• Introduce new officer(s) to the advisor(s)
• Share contact information of all student leaders and advisor(s)
• Give access and instructions to any online platforms
  • Online documents storage (such as OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive)
  • National affiliation website login information/passwords
  • Information about any other communication tool your club may utilize
• Share all important documents:
  • Constitution
  • Budgets/Financial reports
  • Agendas
  • Sign-in sheets
• Any evaluations of events/programs
• Calendar of events and deadlines
• Officer position descriptions
• Election process and timeline
• Membership recruitment information and timeline
• List of members and their contact information
• Special events
• Marketing (logos, flyers)
• Photos
• Pass along your wisdom:
  • Description of the group culture
  • Tips of running an effective meeting
  • Ideas for improvement
  • Do not “drop off the face of the earth” – be available for consultation or questions

Acknowledgements and References

This Club and Organization Handbook is a guide for student leaders and advisors to use in the operations of clubs and organizations. It incorporates guidelines from the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement and Policies & Procedures at Frederick Community College. We have also used best practices for clubs and organizations from other local colleges including:

• Carroll Community College
• Hagerstown Community College
• Montgomery College

 Additionally, we incorporate standards from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).

Zach Roberson ([email protected])
Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Wellness
301.624.2745

Kristi Mills ([email protected])
Assistant Director
301.846.2488

Emily Cronise ([email protected])
Coordinator of Student Leadership and Service
301.846.2489

Shelby Carmon ([email protected])
Operations Manager
301.624.2793

Maria Rodriguez ([email protected])
Student Engagement Specialist

Office Hours & Location:
Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Student Center – H101
[email protected]
[email protected]

Student Center - H106B
301.846.2650
[email protected]