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Passing the Torch. Transitioning New Leaders in your Student Organization. Whose Responsibility Is It?. Outgoing officers Newly elected officers Advisors Members. Goals of Transitioning. Provide closure for outgoing officers Train new officers Preparing members for new leaders
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Passing the Torch Transitioning New Leaders in your Student Organization
Whose Responsibility Is It? • Outgoing officers • Newly elected officers • Advisors • Members
Goals of Transitioning • Provide closure for outgoing officers • Train new officers • Preparing members for new leaders • Maintain consistency for the organization
Why Bother? • Officer transitions are stressful! • Officer transitions can lead to tension, hard feelings, and a severing of communication • Officer transitions can lead to miscommunications that place the organization at a disadvantage
Closure for Outgoing Officers • Throughout the year, keep meticulous records • Reflect on the year’s accomplishments and disappointments • Reflect on what you learned from your experience as an officer • Determine how policies and procedures can be improved • Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!! • Implement a new tradition to honor outgoing officers and to welcome new officers
Training New Officers This can be done several ways, so long as all incoming and outgoing officers and advisors are present. • Meeting • Retreat • Shadowing Whatever method you choose, be sure that an agenda is planned and notebooks have been created
Basic Housekeeping • Officer Roles and Responsibilities • Yellow Pages and Policy Manual • The Online Roster • Email Accounts • Websites • Mailboxes • Annual Calendar
Financial Issues • What is the financial status of the organization? • How does the organization receive its funding? • Who has signature authority on bank accounts? • What are the procedures for spending organizational funds?
Contacts and Resources • Which faculty and staff members will I be working with regularly? • Will you introduce me to them? • Which companies, contractors, or other vendors do we regularly use? • Are there any providers that I should avoid using?
Brainstorming • What were the best and worst experiences this year? • What are your ideas for the future of the organization? • What do you wish you had done differently? • If you had one more year as an officer, what would you add, take away, or change?
Goal Setting and Organizational Direction • A difficult balance between embracing your roots and moving forward • New officers must be on the same page • How can we help to ensure the future of our organization on this campus? • In what ways is our organization outdated and/or in need of change? • How can we better market our organization to new members? • How is our organization adding to the Baylor experience? • What practical goals can we accomplish this year?
Pass it On! • Constitution and/or by-laws • Statement of mission, philosophy, goals, and purpose of the organization • List of committees, descriptions, and the officer responsible • Member, officer, and advisor contact list • Contact information of important people/offices on campus • List of basic annual procedures/Calendar of events • Webpage and webmaster information • Email and Listserv logins and passwords • Any historical records of the organization
Other Things to Include… • President: • Job description for all officers • Financial Record • Secretary: • Contact information for all members, advisors, and alumni • Records of group history, particularly if the group does not have an historian • Guidelines for meeting minutes and agendas
Event/Social Chair • Budget information • Event contracts • Relevant ideas that were not accomplished • Event planning checklist • Event resources and vendors • Treasurer: • Financial Records • Contact information for all banking needs • Advisor contact information • Student Life Fund allocation information • Fundraising information
One More Thing…. • Is your officer structure conducive to change? • If what you have is not working for your needs, change it! • There is a broad continuum between formal and flexible officer structures • A few options to consider…. • A rotating committee • An officer rank that gradually increases in responsibility
Last, But Not Least! • None of this matters without your members • Keep lines of communication open • Keep your members informed • Utilize the wisdom and work of your members during times of transition • If the members aren’t happy, nobody is happy!
The End Questions? Comments?