Club Operations Policy

BCSG-recognized clubs are expected to adhere to the below policies:

  1. Clubs are expected to maintain updated records with Campus Life. This includes the names and contact information for individuals holding leadership positions (president, vice president, treasurer, community liaison, and secretary), club advisor name and contact information, and, if applicable, key holders for storage and office space.
  2. Individuals holding leadership positions must be currently enrolled in classes at Bates.
  3. Club officers may update their club’s information on file via their Bates Engage group.
  4. Clubs are required to submit a Mid-Year Report in December and a Club Re-Registration Application, which is open from February 1 to the second Monday in March.
  5. New clubs that are approved may only include “Bates” in their name if a substantial portion of their activities involve interacting with external entities. This decision will be made at the discretion of Campus Life.
  6. Existing clubs may request to change their name on the annual Club Re-Registration Application. Requested name changes will be approved at the discretion of the BCSG Funding & Activities Board (FAB) in consultation with Campus Life.

  1. Club leaders are required to attend mandatory orientations and workshops at the request of Campus Life and/or the BCSG Funding & Activities Board (FAB). Failure to meet this requirement may result in the club being put on probation.
  2. Club leaders are strongly encouraged to attend optional workshops and training that are coordinated by Campus Life and the Funding & Activities Board.

  1. Items purchased with club funds must be kept in a Campus Life-approved club storage or office space. Receipts must be retained and submitted to Campus Life to remain on file and maintain an accurate inventory of club purchases.
  2. Clubs may request storage or office space from Campus Life. Storage and office space is limited, and requests may not be able to be accommodated.
  3. Club storage and office spaces may not be used to store personal items at any time of the academic year or over break periods, including summer break.
  4. Club storage and office spaces must be maintained, kept clean, and kept in compliance with college environmental health and safety standards.
  5. Campus Life, the BCSG Funding & Activities Board, and Bates College does not protect against damage, theft, or loss of the items kept in club storage or office space. Clubs store items at their own risk, and are responsible for the cost of replacing lost or stolen items.
  6. Club storage and office spaces are chemical-free spaces on campus. Club or office spaces found to have hosted activities including alcohol and/or drugs will result in club leaders and those involved facing Campus Life sanctions, possible referral to the student conduct process, and possible revocation of club or office space.
  7. Club storage and office spaces will be inspected regularly by Campus Life staff.
  8. Clubs with storage or office space must maintain with Campus Life an updated list of those approved to have keys or swipe access to their space, as applicable. Clubs may add or remove key holders via the Key Holder Change Form. This space must remain locked at all times to ensure the security of items stored.
  9. Access to club storage or office space is only available during the academic year. Key holders must return their keys when they depart campus to study abroad, or for summer break. Keys may not be held over the summer. Spaces for which keys have not been returned will have their locks changed, and individuals who did not return keys will be charged a $50 rekeying fee.
  10. Campus Life will work with clubs that have storage or office space to perform an annual fall inventory of items stored. Any items not claimed will be disposed of appropriately. Any items missing from the previous inventory will be documented, and replacing such items will be at the discretion of the club, using club funds.

  1. Club leaders are encouraged to review the Event & Program Planning Guide.
  2. Clubs are assigned a Funding & Activities Advisor, who serves as their event and program-planning advisor throughout the academic year. Campus Life staff are also available to provide support for the coordination of event logistics. Clubs may check who their Funding & Activities Advisor is by reviewing their list of officers on their Bates Engage group.
  3. Club leaders must track attendance using Bates Engage at all club-sponsored events and programs, except for regular meetings (though this is highly encouraged). Please review this step-by-step guide to learn how to do so.
  4. Campus Life will determine which events require staffing support. This could include security, event staff, custodial support, and others. As responsible members of the Bates community, clubs are expected to provide a safe environment for all attendees of events.
  5. Late night social events (e.g., dances, DJ nights, 21+ programming, etc.) may not begin prior to 9pm, and must end no later than 2am. Exceptions to this policy are possible, and will be made by Campus Life on a case-by-case basis.
  6. Clubs are required to submit their events and programs for approval through Bates Engage, which includes space booking. This must be done a minimum of three weeks in advance of the event date to ensure adequate time for the interactive event planning process, which may involve multiple campus partners.
  7. Events and programs which are proposed to contain sexually explicit or graphically violent material must be reviewed in advance by Campus Life before budget and space requests will be considered. Campus Life reserves the rights to prohibit an event or program, and/or to require certain modifications or accommodations be made to address concerns.
  8. Clubs may invite individuals from outside of the Bates community to their on-campus events, provided they abide by college policies. Clubs wishing to invite guests to their event must notify Campus Life at least two weeks prior to the event date. Campus Life will assist with coordination of guests and invitations. Clubs are responsible for the behavior of their guests, and will be held responsible if guests violate college policies.

  1. Club treasurers are required to maintain an up-to-date Bates Engage accounting book, accessible from their Bates Engage group’s Officer Dashboard.
  2. Accounting forms for reimbursement must be approved by a Campus Life staff member or Funding & Activities Advisor.
  3. Reimbursement requests must be submitted to Campus Life via the relevant club’s Bates Engage accounting book’s Payment Request feature within thirty days of the date of purchase. Requests submitted after thirty days will be rejected, and the individual that made the purchase will assume personal responsibility for the cost.
    1. At the end of the academic year, payment requests must be submitted no later than the business day closest to June 30. This date supersedes the thirty day rule.
    2. Please note there are additional considerations regarding reimbursement for travel – see the travel section below.
  4. Club funds may not be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Religion-related clubs may spend funds on necessary alcohol for religious activities only, and must be approved in advance by Campus Life.
  5. Club funds may not be used to purchase pornographic material.
  6. Clubs wishing to use their funds to purchase a subscription service (e.g., Apple Music, Spotify, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, etc.) must obtain prior approval from Campus Life to do so.
  7. Clubs may not use their funds to buy gas for personal vehicles or for ridesharing/taxi transportation options such as Uber or Lyft. Any personal gas or ridesharing/taxi purchases made with club funds will have to be reimbursed to the college by the purchasing student. If the student responsible does not respond to outreach regarding repayment, Campus Life reserves the right to directly charge the student’s account after fourteen days.
  8. Clubs wishing to pay an individual for labor or any service rendered (e.g., coaching, training, mixing, art commissions, etc.) must receive prior approval from Campus Life. This individual will be expected to comply with HR policies regarding hiring. Please see “Working with Non-Bates Entities” for more details.
  9. Services rendered (e.g., coaching, training, mixing, art commissions, etc.) must be paid for via invoice. Individual club members may not pay for services from personal funds and then request reimbursement. Reimbursement requests related to services rendered will be rejected, and the individual that paid for the service will assume personal responsibility for the cost. Please contact Campus Life for support with the invoice payment process.
  10. Club funds may not be used to pay students under any circumstances. Please note that this is a legal requirement.
  11. Club funds may not be used to donate to external organizations (e.g., charities and other non-profit organizations). 
  12. Club funds may not be donated or transferred to other clubs without the permission of Campus Life. Clubs may request inter-club transfers using the Club Funds Transfer Request Form. Please allow two business days for requests to be reviewed.
  13. Because the BCSG Funding & Activities Board provides ample funds to help clubs realize their goals during the course of an academic year, fundraising is typically discouraged but may be necessary and permitted under special circumstances. Clubs interested in fundraising should review the Campus Life Fundraising Policy and plan to meet with a Campus Life staff member to discuss interest and plans. 
  14. Unless it is expressly communicated to Campus Life (via emailing campuslife@bates.edu) by club officers that donations and financial gifts are being made to a club’s account for a specific goal or purpose (e.g., an upcoming trip, large permanent equipment purchase, etc.), donations and financial gifts received will be withdrawn first from a club’s account as expenditures are made. Any donations and financial gifts remaining in a club’s account at the end of a fiscal year will roll over to the following fiscal year.
  15. A club may restrict donated funds for a specific purpose at any time. Contact Campus Life to initiate this process.
  16. If a club cannot find a means to fund a specific inititiative, a personal expense may be incurred. If this expense incurs a hardship on a club member they should submit a Personal Expense Fund application.
  17. Clubs are prohibited from spending into debt. If a club spends into debt, the treasurer of said club must immediately report this to Campus Life. A Campus Life staff member or Funding & Activities Advisor will meet with the club treasurer to determine how the debt occurred, and determine next steps regarding the club’s account and potential debt resolution.

  1. BCSG-recognized clubs are required to comply with the Off-Campus Travel Policy. Clubs that are not approved for travel by Campus Life may not use club funds on travel expenses or related activities. All costs associated with travel without prior approval are the personal responsibility of those who attended the trip.
  2. For trips that are projected to exceed $1000 in expenses, a cash advance for all in person expenses must be withdrawn from the club’s account. This is to ensure equity and access for those that may not have the ability to pay out-of-pocket for trip expenses, even in situations where reimbursement is an option.
  3. Students traveling away from campus for club activities may be expected to financially contribute towards their expenses should expenses exceed the club’s budget or travel allowance. However, if the personal expense incurs a financial hardship on a club member they should submit a Personal Expense Fund application.

  1. External entities wishing to conduct business and/or use Bates College facilities are required to have their own liability insurance. This insurance is necessary to cover any claims or losses for which the external entity may be responsible. Clubs contracting such entities should request that they provide a Certificate of Insurance with $1,000,000 in coverage and Bates College listed as co-insured.
  2. Campus Life believes in creating and sustaining safe environments for our students to thrive. Individuals that work on a consistent basis (i.e., more than once) with a club advised by Campus Life, but are not otherwise affiliated with the Bates community (e.g., a student or employee of the college) are required to complete a background check. They may register for a background check here.

  1. Violations of this policy or any college policies by the club and/or its members may result in Campus Life or the BCSG Funding & Activities Board enacting club disciplinary measures known as probation.
  2. In general, when a club is on probation:
    1. It may not request or spend funds, with the exception of start-of-year on-campus activities that have the goal of club member recruitment and retention.
    2. It may not reserve campus spaces for anything other than regular club meetings (i.e., the club may not host events).
    3. Activities related to religious observances are exempt from the above stipulations.
  3. When it is determined by Campus Life or the BCSG Funding & Activities Board that a club is to be put on probation, the club leadership will receive an email outlining the reasons for the probation and how to emerge from probation.
  4. Upon receipt of the items and/or action steps noted in the probation email, Campus Life or the BCSG Funding & Activities Board will lift the club’s probation.

General Policies
Club & Org Policies