As ASUPS transitions to in-person operations, we understand the need for constant and transparent communication with our club leaders. Relevant and updated information will be available to club leaders on this page throughout the academic year.
Club leaders may also direct inquiries to ASUPS leadership through our Director of Clubs and Student Interests at asupsdcsi@pugetsound.edu or the ASUPS Vice President at asupsvp@pugetsound.edu
Dear Club Leaders,
The Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound is beyond thrilled to be back on campus and look forward to having a fantastic year with you! Though this year will prove different from previous ones, we are here to provide you and your club/organization with as much support as possible!
We know that serving as a club/organization leader can be an overbearing and often thankless job, but we are here to help! This packet contains an overview of standard club operations, many of which are new this year, and a list of all the different resources available through ASUPS. Our intention for this year is for you and your club/organization to feel prepared to lead your constituents, enhance campus life, and maintain fiscal responsibility. Club/organization leaders are required to read through the following documents. We suggest hanging on to this packet for future reference.
A majority of ASUPS funds come from the student government fee. This is used to support ASUPS autonomy which in turn supports campus clubs and organizations. Thus, it is with the utmost importance that we use our authority and resources responsibly. This involves being ever conscious of how ASUPS money is used to help create an inclusive and welcoming environment on campus. The use of funds for personal expenses or the purchase of alcohol and/or drugs will not be tolerated and will result in immediate disciplinary action.
ASUPS is here to support you as club leaders. Our doors are always open, and we are here to answer your questions, hear your concerns, and help empower you and your club/organization! We hope to maintain a year of open, honest, and transparent communication, and we look forward to working with you this year!
All the Best,
The ASUPS Executive Cabinet
ASUPS oversees a multitude of entities with many different roles on campus. Take a closer look at our Organization Chart.
We are excited to introduce Presence! Presence is an online campus engagement platform where club/organization leaders can connect to the student body and members of their club. Leaders can create events, maintain rosters, track attendance, and more! All preexisting clubs have been added to Presence. Please fill out the organization registration form if you need to transition your club/organization to new leaders or wish to make a new club.
Our aim with Presence is to have all your club/organization needs in one place! Leaders will request ASUPS resources and have an engaging platform to promote their clubs/organizations! This platform allows us to protect your digital and personal privacy while you can still enjoy the activities you support! So, we encourage you all to use and enjoy Presence.
We ask that all leaders use Presence to notify their constituents of events/meetings in substitute for social media. This is to protect our community members and uphold the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) law. This can be done by logging into Presence as a club admin, clicking the “Organizations” tab, “Roster” tab, and then “Email Members” tab.
Each club/organizations’ initial budget has been added on Presence for leaders/admins to see. Please note that Presence is more of a ledger than an actual accounting tool. It will not be updated automatically every time a purchase is made. We ask that the Treasurer of each club/organization keep their own ledger to track club finances
In addition to budgets being on Presence, disbursement forms will also be on Presence. However, to prevent overspending, all club purchases that are 10% or more of the club/organization’s initial budget will need to be approved by ASUPS. The approval process can be started through Presence. Failure to do so cannot guarantee reimbursement.
It is mandatory that all students participating in high-risk clubs/organizations fill out the high-risk waiver on Presence for each high-risk club they are a part of. This is required, if you or anyone participating in a high-risk club is found to have not completed the form, it will result in the suspension of the club for two weeks, removal of the current club leaders, and any coaches will be fired. Outside members will not be allowed to participate in high-risk clubs.
If your club/organization would like to hire an outside individual (training, coaching, lecture, etc.), please be aware that each individual will be required to provide proof of vaccination or file for exemption and be asked to complete a background check. Only then can a contract be created to allow them to be paid and for the school to hold legal responsibility. Please fill out the coach registration form if you wish to hire someone. Please also make sure it is within the organization’s budget before trying to hire any individual.
The campus has lots of different spaces available to find the one that works best for your club/organization! If you plan to use a classroom to meet or need space for an event, please make sure to reserve it! All reservations can be made through 25live. All events will need to be approved before they can happen. To request an event that involves community numbers, fill out the COVID Event Request Form within Community. To request an event involving outside community members, please fill out the COIVD Event Request Form Outside Community.
“The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.* The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Enacted in 1974, the law gives students and parents several rights. Once the student turns 18 or enters a postsecondary school at any age the rights are transferred to the student”
*An “education records” is defined as, ‘“any record maintained by the university which is directly related to a student”. This includes a range of information about a student that is maintained by a school in any recorded way such as handwriting, print, computer media, video or audio tape, film, and microfilm. This means that almost any document which contains information about a student can be considered part of the student’s educational record.”’
FERPA gives Puget Sound students:
What does this mean for ASUPS and Club Leaders?
The name and information of Club Presidents, Vice Presidents, Treasurers, and all club members fall under FERPA. Club members should not give other departments outside of ASUPS the name or information of other club members without the approval of said club member. Club rosters are kept by the ASUPS Executive Cabinet and only shared with other departments on campus on
an emergency need-to-know basis. Note, the Office of the Dean of Students and Student Affairs is outside of ASUPS.
Presence allows for all members of our community to freely join clubs and communicate about club events without needing to worry about other departments accessing their information. For this reason, we encourage club leaders to use Presence as often as possible – it keeps us in FERPA compliance.
Hazing is prohibited. Hazing of any method of initiation into a student organization or living group, or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to that organization or group (other than customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions) which, with or without the consent of the participant(s):
Any group or individual who is found to have been involved in any instances of hazing will be subject to prosecution, including but not limited to mandatory withdrawal and loss of funding. More information can be found on the University’s Hazing Policy Page.
**Interim Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, Sarah Comstock, has selected the University Chaplain, Dave Wright, as her Dean’s Designee for all Covid-19 related inquiries. Chaplain Wright will review all Club Sport Return-To-Play Protocol related requests via the 2021-22 COVID Safety Student/DSA Public Event Approval Form