August 2024 News for Student Organization Officers
August 2024
Organization Fest
The fall Organization Fest and Community Service Fair will be held Thursday, September 5, 2024, 4-7 p.m., Central Mall (rain date Friday, Sept. 6 same time and place).
Table registration closed August 12. At this juncture, please reach out to Stephanie Dooge (stephanie.dooge@marquette.edu) to be put on the waiting list.
ONLY ONE table is allowed per organization.
Table assignments
Categories of student organizations are grouped together (e.g. all sororities and fraternities, all academic organizations, etc.). We will not assign specific tables to organizations. You will choose a table in your category section (first come, first served). THUS, if you want to be next to a specific organization, you should show up at the same time for check-in with that other organization. We cannot guarantee placement.
A limited number of chairs are available, so either bring your own or get to check-in early!
Wondering if you're registered? Check here. NOTE: Organizations that did not complete the renewal process will not have a table confirmed. If this applies to you, please complete the transition process and then reach out to Stephanie Dooge to get on the O-Fest waiting list.
Required Training
As was the case last year, all organizations are required to participate in training sessions. These are aimed at developing organization officers as leaders as well as helping you to manage your organization. We've made a few tweaks to requirements this year. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.
- All undergraduate organizations are required to attend Student Orgs 101. You must send at least one officer, and we recommend this be the President and/or the financial officer of your organization. This is a two-hour session that will overview basics of running and maintaining a student organization. See the schedule and sign-up here.
- In addition to Student Orgs 101, student orgs must attend two additional trainings offered by Student Engagement. You must send at least one officer. The schedule of these is forthcoming.
- Organizations who are in the Club Sports category must attend Club Sports training as designated by the Department of Recreational Sports. NOTE: This counts as one of your two required trainings as noted in #2 above.
- Any organization who puts on a large performance event must attend the "Large Scale Event/Performance" training. This training will overview the updated Practice Space and Show Policy as well as provide helpful timelines for planning a large scale event. You must send any and all officers who are involved in the planning of your large scale event. This counts as one of your two required trainings as noted in #2 above.
- If you attend more trainings than what is required, you get extra credit! This credit will be weighed when assigning closet space in spring 2025. It also bodes well in terms of criteria for student organization awards.
NOTE: MUSG also requires organizations to attend SOF training (Student Organization Funding) in order to apply for MUSG funding. These trainings do NOT count for the requirements above as this is a requirement of MUSG as part of their financial policies.
Information on MUSG funding is available on their .
Practice Space and Show Policy Update
Given increased demand for large scale events, the AMU has updated our Practice Space and Show Policy to assist with equitable distribution of large event space and resources associated with large scale events among student organization.
Please read the full policy carefully.
As noted above, those orgs who plan to hold a large-scale event will be required to attend a training that overviews this policy and will give you the opportunity to ask questions.
Please also note that pre-existing large-scale event registrations made by student organizations for academic year 2024-25 will be honored. (For example, if you made reservation for fall 2024 large-scale event space in spring 2024, that reservation will be honored if all other event policy requirements are met.)
Policy Highlight: Get Out the Vote Efforts, Political Events, and Demonstrations
Any organization who wishes to do voter education and/or get out the vote efforts must coordinate with the university's efforts as these activities must be non-partisan. Before you plan any efforts, please reach out to Dr. Jen Reid to discuss your plans. You should do this well in advance of when you would like these events to occur as there are policies that govern these activities.
See the following applicable policies:
All events that are political in nature must be reviewed and approved by AMU Student Engagement Services before any reservation (tentative or confirmed) can be made by the AMU Event Management office or other campus scheduling officials. Events that are political in nature are defined as any event that features a political candidate as a speaker, panelist, or special guest; promotes the interest of any political campaign; or features an issue-driven speaker or agenda. All approved events must be congruent with the policies, objectives, and mission of the University.
Sponsorship of Voter Registration Activities
Wisconsin law stipulates that only Official Election Commissioners are eligible to register voters. Thus, student organizations are not able to register voters. In Wisconsin, people wishing to vote can register themselves online, by mail, or in-person at certain locations during certain time periods prior to Election Day, or they can register on Election Day at the polls.
As such, student organizations may sponsor non-partisan get-out-the-vote activities in which they can assist people in filling out a registration application, but they cannot collect and submit a registration application unless the applicant has a photocopy of the their proof of residence and is willing to provide it to the drive volunteer for submission along with the voter registration application. If an organization wishes to sponsor an event of this nature, they must go through training coordinated by the university who works with the Milwaukee Election Commission.
In accordance with election laws, all voter registration-related events must be nonpartisan in nature; no campaigning may take place and no materials in support of any candidates or issues can be displayed while registering voters.
Demonstrations
It is clearly inevitable, and indeed essential, that the spirit of inquiry and challenge that the university seeks to encourage will produce many conflicts of ideas, opinions and proposals for action. The university community recognizes its responsibility to provide effective channels for internal communication, free discussion and rational persuasion as the normal and preferred means of airing and reconciling such differences. On occasion, recourse to public demonstration and protest may become, for some, a necessary and justified means of supporting their cause or position.
Student organizations that wish to hold a demonstration are required to follow the steps outlined by the Student Organization Demonstration Policy and submit a . There are specific spaces approved for demonstrations, and use all university facilities are governed by the University Policy on Use of University Facilities. (Please note that this policy is accessible only on the Marquette network/VPN.)
Please review the policies noted and reach out if you have any questions.
Meet the New Coordinator: Stephanie Dooge
Stephanie is from Mequon, WI (20 mins from campus!). She graduated from St. Norbert College in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies. After, she attended UW-Milwaukee for grad school. She graduated in 2020 with a Master’s in Administrative Leadership in Higher Education and a Graduate Certificate in Support Services for Online Students. She did her graduate assistantship work in student orgs and fraternity/sorority life. Previous to Marquette, Stephanie worked for three years as an Area Coordinator in the Residential Education and Housing department at St. Norbert College. Stephanie is excited to be part of the Marquette community and can’t wait to meet the students to help bring their passions and programming ideas to life!
Quick Facts: She has 4 sisters, she is a member of Theta Phi Alpha, she’s a Leo, favorite food is a turkey sandwich, favorite drink is apple juice, favorite candy is snickers and reese's peanut butter cups, favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies, she collects rubber ducks and vintage baseball cards, and she loves attending concerts, baking, hanging out with friends, golfing, watching baseball, crafting, reading, and reality tv!
For additional information about student organizations, please visit our website or contact the student orgs team engaged@marquette.edu.
