Student Organization Leadership

1. Student organizations seeking to maintain best practices and grow in alignment with university expectations.
2. Organizations exhibiting behaviors inconsistent with university standards and who can make changes before any formal violations or conduct sanctions.
3. Organizations that have engaged in the student conduct process and have been found responsible for policy violations but have not met the threshold for being removed from campus.
4. Organizations that have been removed from campus for any reason, including hazing or demonstrated behavior inconsistent with university rules, who are seeking to return to registered student organization status.

Student organizations interested in participating in the Successful Student Organizations Program to improve their organization culture can email SSOP@austin.utexas.edu to connect with the program.

The Nine Dimensions outline the complete Successful Student Organization Program. Organizations may be directed to complete components of the dimensions based on specific behaviors or organizational needs. Components and dimensions can be optional or required, depending on the situation.

1. Self-Reflection: This dimension focuses the organization on understanding and accepting its past; sharing it with former and current members; engaging in open conversation among various constituents.
2. Organizational Identity: This dimension redefines and clearly articulates the organizational identity, including a focus on purpose, characteristics, values, and behavioral competencies.
3. Fostering Healthy, Purposeful Communities: This dimension addresses culture change within your organization and teaches how to support the well-being of members to help maintain a healthy and successful organization community.
4. Anti-Hazing Culture: This dimension includes steps to identify and clearly articulate the organization's approach to ensure a non-hazing culture, develop non-hazing curriculum, and implement or obtain training for members. This dimension also includes development of clear accountability measures for any members that fail to report hazing activity.
5. University Alignment: This dimension reestablishes a critical connection with the university and ensures alignment and adoption of the previously completed culture and organizational framework.
6. Safety and Risk Management: This dimension includes steps to create and implement risk management and safety plans including setting relevant expectations and defining appropriate risk management training.
7. Operations/Governance: this dimension requires a deep dive into six key operational areas, including organization identity (listed above), membership composition and recruitment pipeline, cohesion, community and service, accountability, and education while establishing appropriate governance, onboarding and development programming and oversight support.
8. Re-emergence: This dimension includes the steps to allow the student organization to rejoin campus, including the development of 30, 60, 90 and 180-day plans and any relevant membership recruitment and marketing materials.
9. Ongoing Evaluation and University Connection: This dimension requires an on-going plan of engagement and scheduled evaluations with the Office of the Dean of Students to support ongoing success.

Discover HornsLink

HornsLink is the central platform for student organizations where you can discover groups, explore events, and manage your organization. Student organization officers will learn how to navigate HornsLink and leverage its tools to support their group's success.

Discover Pillars

The Pillars of the Forty Acres Program helps student organizations explore the UT Core Values and discover creative ways to integrate them into their activities. Workshop attendance is a prerequisite to participate in the Pillars program.

Officer Orientation

As a student leader, it is important to understand your registered student organization's privileges and responsibilities. This orientation is for new officers in existing organizations. The workshop highlights campus resources, university policy, and the Student Organization Center.

Recruitment and Retention of Organization Members

This panel discussion features several of your student leader peers to share what they have learned about recruitment, and strategies for keeping your members active and engaged.

Student Organization Travel

Any trip done on behalf of a student organization that is more than 25 miles from the main UT Austin campus or takes place overnight must be registered with Student Organizations prior to departure. In this workshop, we'll go through how to report travel, safety tips, and ideas for how to make your travel plans a little smoother and your organization outing a lot more enjoyable.

Constitutions

Students can learn how to write a constitution or simply use this course as a reference as they update an existing constitution. This online workshop is available to students via Canvas.

Enroll in the Constitution Workshop

Financial Education for Student Organizations

Many students may not feel prepared to oversee their organization's finances. In this workshop, you will learn how to set up and manage a bank account, how to set a budget, and the importance of communication with your members about finances. Feedback from Student Organizations and Financial Wellness staff will be provided through Discussion Boards and Optional Assignments.

Enroll in the Financial Education Workshop

Officer Transition

In this course, you will engage with other student members, learn best practices for officer transition, and receive feedback from Student Organizations staff through discussion boards and optional assignments.

Enroll in the Officer Transition Workshop

Student Organization Advisor Workshops (Faculty/Staff Advisors Only)

These workshops provide various training and resources to help advisors support and advocate for their respective organizations.

Welcoming New Members Training

Leaders who guide or mentor new members have an influential role in supporting and guiding new members in their journey as they join and begin their membership within their organizations. In this training, new member educators will gain knowledge, tools, and resources on how to successfully build relationships and lead new members in this process.

Enroll in the Welcoming New Members Workshop

Youth Protection Program Student Organization Training

Students, faculty, and staff will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Youth Protection Program (YPP) policy as it pertains to student organizations. We will cover the history of the protection of minors in higher education, the mission and objectives of YPP, as well as key aspects of risk management and custodial responsibility. Participants will also learn about the role of chaperones and best practices for managing their events. Knowledge checks occur throughout the course. Student Organization members must complete the training once per academic year.

How to Access the Training:

1. Log-In to UT Learn using your UT EID and password
2. Using the search bar in the top right-hand corner, search 'YPP Student Organization Training'
3. Select the online class titled 'YPP Student Organization Training'
4. Select 'Request'
5. Select 'Launch'

Enroll in YPP Student Organization Training course