Along with the information on this page, you can use our downloadable guide to use in your officer transition. With this form, you can perform your own SWAT analysis, fill out tips for incoming officers, complete tasks with a transition checklist, and guide exit interviews with outgoing officers.

What to Update:

• Officer position descriptions and organization structure

• Constitution and bylaws

• TigerQuest information: primary contact, officers, and member roster

• Registration with national organization, if applicable

• Include the next re-registration date for your student organization in your overall plan

What to Keep:

• Outgoing officer contact information

• Login information for emails, national organization, social media, and other sites

• Account information for off-campus bank account, BuyWays account, and Tax ID number, if applicable

• Tip: Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) can request a clemson.edu email from CCIT

What to Review:

• Annual calendar of events

• Organization budget of expenses for last year

• Prior documentation (meeting minutes, calendars, paperwork, strategic plan, etc.)

• Contacts for community and campus partners the organization works with frequently

• Clemson resources

  • Student Organization Policy and Facility Use Policy

  • Student Funding Board Constitution + Funding Design or Graduate Student Government Funding Policies

What to Create:

• Create or update your organization's transition binder with organization materials, including:

  • Calendar of events for next year

  • Plan for achieving Student Funding Board Pillars

• Tip: RSOs can request a meeting with the Student Funding Board before presenting your request for annual or contingency funding. Email orgfund@g.clemson.edu for more information.

Including the following items in an officer transition handbook can help incoming officers learn more about their roles and the organization, and become familiar with resources and university policies.

• Organization's mission statement

• Organization's constitution and by-laws

• Organizational policies and procedures

  • Judicial policies, voting policies, etc.

• Contact list with important names and numbers/emails

• Executive leadership position descriptions

• Budget overview and information

• Any reports or evaluations from the end of the previous officer's term

• Helpful Clemson resources (can also be found in the SOC Resource Library)

• Student Organization Policy and relevant university policies

• Past agendas and meeting minutes

• Committee descriptions, updates, and reports

*Adapted from California State University, Dominguez Hills

• Emphasize the process of working through problems rather than the final result. Your desired results may change as your group changes. An open channel of communication that involves all group members will help you incorporate changes.

• Encourage brainstorming and creativity. Provide feedback and support for new ideas and avoid penalizing for mistakes made for the sake of experimentation.

• Share decisions regarding policies and procedures. By emphasizing how to solve problems, and involving your members in these decisions, you'll create deeper commitment in your members.

• Recognize criticism as the first step individuals take in assuming responsibility. Use criticism as a chance to solicit suggestions for improvement.

• Make sure your group has common purpose. Structure meetings so that issues of common interest are discussed with the whole group and individual concerns are addressed at other times.

• Don't set yourself up as infallible. Be honest and admit when you don't have the answer. Don't be afraid to be human.

• Manage conflict, don't ignore it. Bring conflict into the open, and concentrate on issues, behaviors, and facts rather than personalities.

*Adapted from Student Organization's Handbook - The Wichita State University.

1. Registration with the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement is an annual process. Ensure your organization re-registers each spring so you don't lose student organization benefits.

2. We use TigerQuest in our office when we meet with students who want to join student organizations! An up-to-date, vibrant page is a great marketing strategy to get potential new members excited about your student organization.

3. The University can only communicate with your organization through TigerQuest, so if your officers have graduated or left, you may not receive crucial information. Email us at CSLE@clemson.edu if you need help updating your page.

4. Registered student organizations can reserve rooms at reduced rates through Campus Reservations and Events. CRE also approves all flyers on campus.

5. The Student Funding Board allocates 95% of Student Activity Fee dollars in the Spring!

6. Getting started with community service as a student organization is easy with our office. We coordinate days of service like Fall In and MLK Jr. Days of Service.

7. Student Organization Consultants are available to help organizations with member engagement and retention, using resources on campus, transitions, and organization sustainability.

8. TigerQuest is a great place to store your organization's materials. That page has to transfer from year-to-year, so it may be a better option for information storage than a group Google Drive or other methods.

9. Clemson Makerspace is a free resource for all enrolled Clemson students, and organizations can use the space to create buttons, signs, banners, 3D printed shapes, and more for use with their organization.

10. If you've got a great idea or something your group needs help with, CSLE is here for you! A lot of times, the smartest thing you can do is ask for help. We're here to help you succeed.

You can create 10 Helpful Tips for Your Organization to help ease transitions and document the knowledge your leadership has acquired with experience.