It is important that at the end of the semester or year, your organization transitions the new officers into their positions. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you transition your organization for a new year.
Making changes to your roster in WIN
In the Wisconsin Involvement Network (WIN), Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are able to make changes to most of the information on their page. We ask RSOs to change their own information whenever possible, being sure to remain compliant with the requirements listed in the Eligibility accordion on the Registration 101 page of this guide. Your organization’s Roster is one area that should be kept current, as it is deemed the official roster for your organization by the University. Therefore, at the very least you should update your Roster each semester or academic year (depending on when you elect a new Executive Board), to ensure that the proper primary contact is receiving important notifications from the CfLI office.
Click HERE for instructions on how to edit your Roster in WIN.
If in your transition, you want to make other changes to your organization, keep in mind what you may need to work with CfLI to change. Below are the areas of your organization that that cannot be change in WIN by you, but rather needs to be changed by a CfLI staff member.
- Name
- Acronym/Nickname
- URL
- Constitution
If a change needs to be made to these areas, one of the four primary contacts from the organization will need to fill out a Change Request Form.
Officer Transitioning Tips
Smooth and successful transitioning is the key to maintaining a strong organization from year to year. Succeeding officers must be provided with the necessary information to carry on their responsibilities. There should be a time of officer overlap before the current officer leaves to provide an opportunity for training. Regardless of how extensive the training, a comprehensive notebook or binder of each position should be kept and updated throughout the year, and given to each succeeding officer as a resource to use and learn from.
This notebook or binder should include:
- A copy of the organization’s constitution and by-laws
- A complete position description and role classification
- Financial Records – In order to update your Responsible Party with the IRS, complete and submit Form 8822-B.
- Incidentals (copy codes, passwords, banking information)
- General organization information
- General member requirements
- Previous minutes and reports
- Fliers, receipts, and supplementary materials from past projects
- Evaluations of previous projects and programs
- Information on current projects
- Organizational goals and objectives
- Concrete timeline for organizational projects
- Calendar
- Resources and Contact Lists
- Sample meeting agenda
- End of the year report
- Tips (how to reserve spaces for meetings, where to get supplies, etc.)
- Outgoing officer tips and suggestions
- Incoming officer goal sheet
A key point to remember is that you should always leave the organization better than you found it. Remember your previous frustrations and issues and keep good notes throughout the year to pass along to the next officer. Please remind the succeeding officers of the need to register with the Center for Leadership & Involvement each year and to update the organizations Primary Contact in WIN.
For more information, contact the Student Leadership Program.