Club Resources & Guidelines

Existing clubs are required to re-register with the office of Student Life & Activities and the Student Life Board once a year in the Fall semester. This year, rather than fill-out and submit a paper form, Student Life will continue to utilize the Virtual Club Re-Registration Form found on our Online Club Forms webpage here.

The virtual registration form includes a request for a list of club leaders, a club roster, an advisor agreement and a request for the most current club constitution (if not on file). Each Brookdale club must have at least 10 currently registered students as members (inclusive of both executive and general members) and a Brookdale employee who is willing to serve as an advisor in order to maintain its active status.

Virtual forms are due within the first month of the Fall semester. If a club misses the Fall deadline, they can also re-register in the beginning of the spring semester. The information on your roster is entered into an online database, and is used when you propose virtual events and activities to check membership. Please make sure, as membership changes, that you are updating the office of Student Life & Activities by submitting an electronic Club Roster Add/Drop Form found on our Online Club Forms webpage (after the initial re-registration form has already been submitted).

If you have any questions about this process please contact Student Life & Activities.

At this time, clubs may host on-campus, in-person events.

Although clubs may host events on-campus, we do highly encourage you to continue hosting virtual activities as well so those students who remain remote can be involved with your organizations too!

Dependent upon the nature of your event, clubs will need to fill-out and submit either a Virtual Program Proposal or an On-Campus Program Proposal. Both of these forms can be found on our Online Club Forms webpage.

Proposals of all kinds must be submitted well in advance of your events so there is adequate time to process approvals and to facilitate any other additional steps as required/necessary.

At this time, clubs and classes are able to travel to represent the student organization in off-campus events.

If your club or class would like to be considered for travel, you must submit a corresponding Travel Proposal  at least 6 weeks prior to the anticipated travel date.

Any club or class that plans to travel needs to coordinate their event with Student Life & Activities. You must fill out a Travel Proposal.

If you need additional funding for your trip, the proposal you submit will be sent to the Student Life Board’s Finance Committee for review. If approved, funding will be given following the guidelines just below.

Whether you are using your own funds and only need Student Life approval, or if you are requesting funds from the Student Life Board after approval, you need to schedule an appointment with the Administrative Assistant in Student Life & Activities in order to process payment and receive trip waiver forms.

If the travel is to occur out of state, or overnight, as per Brookdale policy, the office of the College President must approve the travel plan. Please use the ASBCC Miscellaneous/Travel Advance Form to get approval. This form will be given to you when you meet with the Administrative Assistant.

Because the approval process needs to go through the Vice President and College President, your club or class must adhere to the proposal deadlines given. No travel will be approved outside of the deadlines.

Work with Student Life & Activities to develop the best cost estimate for your trip. If your proposal is approved, the Student Life Board’s Finance Committee will fund the cost of one (1) advisor or instructor per every ten (10) student attendees at 100%.

Clubs or classes who travel for regional events (Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC) will be funded for ten (10) students.  National/International travel will be funded for five (5) students.

The following table explains the amount of any trip that will be funded by ASBCC.

Brookdale Vans

To reserve a van for a trip please contact Administrative Assistant Mary Jo Burkhard at 732-224-2391.

Any current Brookdale employee may drive a Brookdale van, but a copy of your driver’s license must be on record with the College. Your club or class must fill out a van reservation sheet that lists who is going to be on the trip as well as an emergency contact number. These forms are available from Mary Jo Burkhard in the Student Life & Activities office, lower level of the Warner Student Life Center.

If driving a Brookdale van, be sure the van is clean of all trash and that you leave gas (at least ½ tank) in the tank when you return to campus. Turn in any gas receipts for reimbursement. The office will work to ensure that all vans given out are at least 3/4 of a tank full before any trip.

Buses or other Mass Transit

The office of Student Life & Activities can work with your club or class to request a charter or school bus for trips. As charter bus companies’ schedule fill quickly, particularly in December and April, please work early to reserve a bus.

We can also get tickets for NJ Transit or the Sea-streak ferry. At all times a trip chaperone must accompany students, even when using mass transit, if Brookdale funds are being used for travel. After talking to Student Life and receiving approval for the trip, Mary Jo Burkhard may assist you with the bus or mass transit ticket purchase process.

Driving Your Own Vehicle

If you drive your own car, we will reimburse for gas and tolls OR mileage (beginning/ending mileage must be written down) – not both. We may only reimburse one person per car. Mileage reimbursed will be at current IRS recommendation per mile. You may only drive your own personal vehicle for club or class travel if approved as part of your organization’s original travel proposal.

Please note, if regulations change, this page will be updated with the corresponding guidelines and procedures.

Student Life remains available to assist in all aspects of club functions & on-goings during normal business hours. Our virtual and in-person office hours continue to be Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm. If you would like to schedule a meeting with representatives from our office, contact information for Student Life & Activities is as follows:

• Lauren Brutsman, Director, lbrutsman@brookdalecc.edu
• ErinMarie Tierney, Assistant Director, etierney@brookdalecc.edu
• Ms Mary Jo Burkhard, Administrative Assistant, mjburkhard@brookdalecc.edu
• Greg Mahadeen, Associate, gmahadeen@brookdalecc.edu
• Student Life & Activities general email: studentlife@brookdalecc.edu

Recruiting New Members

New members are the life of any organization. They provide new ideas, enthusiasm and keep the team moving after graduation. Everyone wants new members. New organizations are starting all the time. As the number of student groups increases, the competition for new members intensifies. Keys to successful recruitment include participation in scheduled virtual Involvement Fairs and Open Houses, planning programs for the beginning of the Fall semester, and submitting your electronic club registration form on time so Student Life & Activities can direct interested students to the current club leadership.

Look objectively at your organization: What is our purpose? What are our future plans? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you define who you want to recruit and how you want to recruit them. Think of the things your organization has to offer to prospective members. Make sure you review your club web-page and Canvas shell so that it accurately reflects the message you want to send about your student organization.

Be sure to incorporate what you have to offer into your virtual publicity. Your new members (like your returning members) will need to feel like they belong in the group. Get them involved in the workings of the organization. Get to know them. Help them get to know you. Let them know that their contributions are needed and appreciated. Following these steps will lead to a more enjoyable and rewarding experience for everyone!

Club Executive Board Members

A common executive board is made up of:

• President – typically presides over meetings, acts as the spokesperson for the group, calls meetings and acts as the overall official for the organization.

• Vice President – usually heads special committees and acts in the place of the President in their absence.

• Secretary – suggested to keep records of the meetings and formal business, as well as writes letters for the organization.

• Treasurer – keeps financial records of the organizations, keeps the officers’ roster up to date and prepares the budget.

There are other positions that could serve on an executive board (parliamentarian, public relations, etc.) If your group needs help determining club needs, don’t hesitate to contact Student Life & Activities for assistance.

Students who serve in these leadership positions must be currently enrolled for a minimum of six college credits (active – not audit status) and must be in good academic standing.

Fundamental Rights of Individuals Involved in Organizations

• The right to maintain close contact in relationships with friends and family members who are not involved in the organization.
• The right to disagree with group members without being belittled.
• The right to say “no” or “I need to think about this,” whether it is about expectations of members, dues, activities, or time requirements.
• The right to ask questions and to express opinions.
• The right to know the history of the organization.
• The right to be respected as an individual.
• The right to withdraw from the organization without fear or humiliation.

Responsibilities of Organizations

• Along with the benefits of becoming a registered student organization at Brookdale Community College, there are certain responsibilities that must be fulfilled. These responsibilities are outlined below:
• All clubs must have a Constitution on file in the Office of Student Life & Activities.
• All clubs must have an updated list of officers and advisors on file with the Office of Student Life & Activities.
• All officers must be currently enrolled in six or more Brookdale Community College credits (active – not audit status)
• All clubs must have an advisor who is employed by Brookdale Community College.
• Membership must be open to all full and part time students at all campuses.
• Club meetings must be held virtually until a return to normal activities on-campus in available. If you need assistance scheduling your Zoom meetings, please contact Student Life & Activities who will happily create the links for your club.
• Clubs will follow all Brookdale Community College policies and procedures, as well as local, state, and federal laws.
• Clubs and their members will comply with Brookdale Community College’s anti-discrimination and anti-hazing policies.
• The club’s money must be maintained in an account with Brookdale Community College. No outside bank accounts are permitted.
• Officers will accept responsibility for all virtual program planning functions as well as any future on-campus programming, from room reservations to the supervision of events and activities.
• Officers will develop honest and open lines of communication with the club’s advisor and the office of Student Life & Activities, keeping them apprised of the group’s activities.

Advisor Roles

• Advisors, with rare exceptions, volunteer their time and efforts to student organizations without financial compensation. At all times they should be appreciated and valued for the work they do for students.
• Advisors should be knowledgeable in the nature of the club (i.e. how to assist the club in reaching goals/purpose)
• Advisors must be aware of any virtual programming the club proposed to host/participate in. Advisors must also sign off on all future requests. This includes future room reservations, food service requests and any application for funding.
• The advisors are not the club leader but a consultant that initiates ideas or information applicable to the club’s interest. All decisions must be student driven.
• Advisors should make every attempt to attend virtual club meetings. Meeting minutes must be sent to advisor for any meeting that is missed.
• Advisors will serve as future event chaperones. In the event they are unable to attend a future event, it is necessary that another Brookdale employee is chosen.
• Advisors should assist students in ensuring the club maintains accurate records of club business.

Working With Your Advisor Effectively

Communicate! Make sure your advisor is informed of all activity of the club, including virtual meeting times, virtual programs, votes, upcoming discussions, and any other pertinent information.

Ensure your advisor is interested with respect to club activity, try to get them engaged and involved as you would any club member.

Provide them with copies of the minutes and agendas prior to start of virtual meetings.

Allow space on the agenda for your advisor, in case they wish to address the club.

Allow your advisor to advise and not dictate the actions of the club – set ground rules with your advisor as to their specific role at the start of each academic year to avoid confusion and potential frustrations.

In some cases, the relationship that develops between Advisor and Advisee is not good or productive. A relationship where there has been no discussion of expectations, no clarification of roles—and everyone is doing a lot of guessing and even more assuming—is a strong indication that this relationship could be in trouble.

These expectations should be discussed and processed at the beginning of the year. After your groups expectations have been laid out, it would be helpful to distribute these to group members. It is also important to update them or reflect on whether or not the expectations are being met throughout the year.

For more information, check out the Advisor Checklist.

All active clubs will receive $400 in their allocated budget for the current fiscal year (Fiscal Year runs July 1 – June 30). Any funds that are collected (through fundraisers, membership dues, etc.) are considered income and will carry over year to year. New clubs will be allocated through Club Reserves (if available) until the end of Fiscal Year.

ASBCC Funding Guidelines can be found here

Allocations and income are not blank checks for programming – all events need to be proposed and approved by Student Life & Activities before funding is available.

Fundraising/Approaching Donors/Bake Sales

All fundraisers must be pre-approved by Student Life & Activities. Games of chance (50/50’s, raffles, etc.) are lawful activities in the State of New Jersey when, and only when, the sponsoring organization is registered with the state and licensed with the local township in which the drawing takes place and prizes are awarded. At this time student clubs and organizations are ineligible to hold games of chance. Contact Student Life for other fundraising ideas.

All requests for business donations must be approved by the Brookdale Foundation before you can approach any businesses. If your club wants to solicit any type of donation (monetary donations or the donation of food, supplies, etc.), please submit a list directly to Student Life & Activities for approval.

All bake sales have been halted at this time due to the ongoing pandemic and as campus remains closed to the public.

Making a Deposit

As the campus is closed to the public, clubs should make Student Life & Activities aware of any collected funds via email as soon as it is collected. Student Life & Activities will work with the club to arrange a date and time for deposit in office.

Checks should be made out to Brookdale Community College and reference your club, the student ID number and telephone number (if applicable) in the memo line. No starter checks will be accepted (all checks must have the address imprinted on the check). Clubs should not hold on to any money collected, especially checks; it is especially important to ensure Student Life is aware of your collected funds as soon as possible to coordinate a date for deposit with the club. Checks need to be deposited within three (3) weeks of date-stamp; if a check bounces, the fee assigned by the bank will be held against your club’s income account. Clubs must not collect cash and then use it to directly pay for something. This is considered a slush fund and it is illegal! Please contact Student Life & Activities as soon as possible to arrange a date to deposit the money collected and request a check if needed.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is a subcommittee of the Student Life Board chaired by the SLB Treasurer. They assist the Office of Student Life in the management and supervision of ASBCC funds. The Finance Committee is tasked with the distribution and allocation of funds to Clubs and Organizations for events and programs. They meet roughly every other week to approve proposals. All proposals should be submitted through the appropriate online form before the Finance Committee meeting. Please plan to virtually send a representative of your club to the virtual meeting where your program proposal will be discussed.

If you ever have questions or concerns, members of the Student Life Board, including their Treasurer, are available for consultation. The Student Life Board can be contacted directly at SLB@brookdalecc.edu. As always Student Life & Activities is also a great information resource.

Any decisions by the Finance Committee may be appealed directly to the Director of Student Life. All appeals must be in writing (e-mail) and sent to the Director within 72 hours of the Finance Committee’s decision.