Graduate student club and organization handbook

It is important for each club to read and understand the policies and guidelines established by the GSA. The handbook provides nearly all of the information and answers clubs and organizations need in order to comply with GSA policies, thereby maximizing potential GSA funding for your club or organization.

Why become a GSA-recognized organization?

• An organization must officially be recognized by GSA to receive any GSA funding.
• An organization must be recognized by GSA to schedule events on campus.
• All events are scheduled through Pack Life.

How do you become a recognized GSA club?

1. Groups seeking GSA Recognition must complete the GSA Organization Registration Application in the Pack Life. Please review the GSA Organization Registration Instructional video for help with the application.
2. GSA organization registration application:
   
   • Step 1: Organization profile
   • Step 2: Organization profile picture
   • Step 3: Organization categories
   • Step 4: Organization roster
     • Executive members: All three executive members must be graduate student/graduate specials
     • Organization members: At least five graduate students/graduate special Other members can be non-graduate members such as undergraduates, post-doctoral scholars, faculty, and/or community members
   • Step 5: Organization constitution/bylaws
   • Step 6: Waiver, release, and indemnification agreement
3. In order to be considered for GSA Recognition, an organization must not be discriminatory with regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex, handicap, and any other type. This statement must be directly listed in the organization’s Constitution.
4. Organization membership must be open and free to ALL University graduate students, so as not to be limited to department membership, and this must be stated directly in the Organization’s Constitution
   1. Organizations can specify 2-tiers of membership if Basic membership has to be free and open to all graduate students at UNR. The second tier of membership can be specified which can include chapter fees or other privileges.
5. The organization must complete the GSA Organization Registration Application in Pack Life one week PRIOR to the next available GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee The organization will be contacted by the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee and at least one member must be present at the next meeting to describe their organization. The meeting schedule is posted online, or organizations can call the GSA office at (775) 327-5190.

Guidelines for writing a GSA organization constitution

Your constitution should clearly describe how your organization will conduct business. This will be especially important when you are no longer at Nevada and others have to follow in your footsteps. It should include your purpose, how officers are elected and what they are responsible for, how the money will be handled, how the business will be conducted, and more. The following template can also be used for writing the constitution

• Article I Preamble: State the purpose and aims of your organization
• Article II Name: State the full name of the organization
• Article III Membership:
  • State requirements, rights, duties, resignation, and termination methods for members
  • Organization membership must be open to ALL UNR graduate students.
    • Organizations can specify 2-tiers of membership, if necessary. Basic membership has to be free and open to all graduate students at
    • The second tier of membership can be specified which can include chapter fees or other privileges.
  • According to University policy, no organization may discriminate in its membership with regard to race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, handicap or sexual These stipulations must be stated in the Constitution.
• Article IV Officers: List the officers of your organization, method of selection, term of office, and general duties
• Article V Executive Council: State the composition of the Executive Council (committee or board) and method of the selection of members, their term of office, general duties, authority, and Provision for vacancies of officers or other executive council members may be included in a section under this article.
• Article VI Quorum: State the size of all of your organization’s regular meetings.
• Article VII Parliamentary Procedures: Questions of parliamentary procedure shall be decided according to Robert’s Rules of Order, latest Edition.
• Article VIII Amendments: Amendments require previous notification to the membership and 2/3’s or 3/4’s affirmative vote of those present and voting, or those present for this adoption.

Updating the constitution

If the Organization has to make any changes to its Constitution, a new Constitution must be uploaded on Pack Life for GSA review.

Becoming a GSA-recognized club

• Once an organization has been recognized by GSA in Pack Life, each year after that organization needs to submit an updated GSA Organization Renewal Application through Pack Life.
• Keep checking GSA website for any GSA policy, Bylaw and Constitution GSA will not be responsible for informing its clubs individually.

GSA club services

Webpages

Organizations should maintain their website and or social media page. GSA will provide a link to the organization’s web page through Pack Life.

Room reservations

GSA-recognized organizations can reserve rooms on campus through Pack Life, under their organization’s Pack Life page: Events tab. Please review this Scheduling Events through Pack Life Instructional Video for more information.

Eligibility

Once recognized with GSA, organizations will submit club funding requests through Pack Life. Please review GSA Funding Instructional Video for more information on submitting for funding. 

Funding request procedure

1. Only organizations that have been officially recognized by the GSA for the current academic year, August – June, are eligible to apply for funding. Funding for an event is contingent upon the availability of GSA funds and the approval from either the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee, GSA Senior Advisor, GSA President and/or GSA Summer Task Force.
2. Funding limits:
   1. Organizations will be funded a maximum of $500.00 per academic year.
   2. Organizations can request funds for items such as food, beverages, event equipment, printing cost for flyers, tip/delivery fees*, venue reservation fees (i.e. Aces baseball game, pumpkin patch, bowling tickets), gas for travel, etc**.
   3. Organizations cannot request funds for alcohol, guest speaker travel/or honorariums, gifts, gift cards, prizes, etc**.
   4. Permanent items purchased by the club (i.e. sled, carts, sports equipment, etc.) must be stored with the organization and available for all members to use.
   5. Organizations can hold collaborative events but cannot apply for the combined funding requests. Two organizations using combined funding for collaborative events must provide separate funding & reimbursement reports for each organization respectively.

* Tips are itemized within 15% – the receipt of which is stated and signed by the receiving party.

**Please note that the approval of ALL funding requests is at the discretion of the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee, GSA Senior Advisor, GSA President and/or GSA Summer Task Force.

Funding request procedures

Once recognized with GSA, organizations will submit club funding requests through Pack Life. Please review GSA Funding Instructional Video for more information on completing the GSA Funding Form in Pack Life.

1. In order to receive GSA funding, you must complete your funding request PRIOR to your event.
2. The GSA Funding Request form must be completed in Pack Life one week PRIOR to the next Clubs & Organizations Committee meeting at which you will present your request. Organizations can view the meeting schedule on the GSA website, or call the GSA office (775) 327-5190.
3. If an organization is applying for a funding request of $500, which is the maximum funding available to a recognized organization over the fiscal year, then it is mandatory for the organization to provide an outline and description of the events they will be hosting over the fiscal year using those funds.
   • Please use the GSA Funding Spreadsheet template to upload to Pack Life as part of the GSA Funding Request Form.
4. An organization representative must be present at the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee Meeting at which the request is considered. The representative will be required to present a brief overview of the event, and answer any questions asked by the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee Members.

Organization purchase procedure

1. Once approved by the GSA, organizations can make their own purchases of the approved items. All receipts acquired for the purchase must be itemized. Any receipts not itemized will not be processed for reimbursement. No Exceptions.
2. All purchases should be tax-exempt. View the tax exemption form.
3. When making purchases, organizations are not allowed to have personal purchases and organization purchases on the same receipt. All organization purchases must be on their own receipt. No Exceptions
4. If organizations would like to utilize the GSA Department Purchasing Card to purchase items from Amazon, then organizations will need to make arrangements with GSA Administrative Assistant (Allison Ferguson) at least one week prior to the intended date of purchase.
5. If the organization has any remaining funding left over at the end of the semester and would like to utilize those funds by the end of the fiscal year (June), the organization will have to complete a new GSA Funding Request in Pack Life, and have it approved by GSA.
6. Please note that the GSA encourages the clubs to use the funding for productive purposes which have academic and professional benefits for the graduate students of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Advertising the event

1. Organizations are required to advertise their events through Pack Life.
2. Please review this Scheduling Events through Pack Life Instructional Video for more information.
3. GSA logos can be found on the Graduate student club graphic design standards.

Requesting reimbursement

1. After purchasing GSA-approved items, the organization will submit their GSA Reimbursement Form in Pack Life no later than seven days after the organization's event is held. Any receipts submitted after the seven-day deadline will not be reimbursed.
2. All receipts submitted for reimbursement must be itemized. Any receipts not itemized will not be processed for reimbursement. No exceptions. 
3. Organizations cannot receive reimbursement for any of the following: parking charges, guest speaker travel/honorarium, sales tax, alcohol, gifts, gift cards, or prizes. Please note that the approval of funding requests is at the discretion of the GSA Clubs & Organizations Committee, GSA Senior Advisor, GSA President, and/or GSA Summer Task Force.