Resources and Forms

South Dakota Board of Regents Policies

1:17 Harassment including Sexual Harassment
1:17.1 Prevention of Sexual Assault
1:18 Human Rights Complaint Procedures
1:19 Equal Opportunity Non-Discrimination 
3:4 Student Code of Conduct 
3:9 Guest Speakers 
3:18 Recognition and Funding of Student Organizations

South Dakota Mines Policies

Student Organization Posting Policy  
Tailgating Policy
Logo/Licensing Student Organization Apparel 

Policy III-1-1 Excused Undergraduate Absences for School Sponsored Activities  
Policy III-10-1- On Campus Advertising/Campus Posting 
Policy VI-11- Assessing User Fees: Scheduling, Events, and Conferences

Policy VI-03-University Vehicle Usage 
Sexual Misconduct Policy- See BOR policy 1:17

Anti-Hazing Policy

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has zero-tolerance for hazing of any kind. Hazing is defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization. All student organizations are required to inform members and adhere to the Board of Regents Student Code of Conduct policy 2.4.8 and 2.4.8.1 Prohibited Acts defining Hazing The following are examples of what might be interpreted as hazing:

• Any brutality of a physical nature, such as paddling, beating, branding, or forced calisthenics;
• Excessive exposure to the elements;
• Forced consumption of any food, alcohol, drug, or other substances;
• Forcing the theft of any property;
• Any activity or situation which would subject an individual to extreme mental or physical stress, such as permitting less than six (6) hours of continuous, uninterrupted sleep per night;
• Forced conduct, which could result in extreme embarrassment, such as uniforms, costumes, degrading, humiliating games and activities;
• Run forced personal errands for others, such as driving them to class, cleaning their rooms, washing their cars, etc;
• Forced “Road Trips” (dropping someone off to find their own way back), or kidnaps;
• Forcing or encouraging the violation of any university policy, federal, state, or local law;
• The use of pledge requirements such as signatures or interviews as a means of harassment;
• Activities that expose any initiate(s) to physical danger

Process and Requirements

Any organization that is interested in becoming recognized, or organizations that have lost recognition, must follow the process below:

• Hold informal meeting to determine purpose and name of your organization. In addition, decide officers, and gain interest of at least 10 students to join organization.
  • Write a constitution following the guidelines Constitution Guidelines
  • Begin online registration process on Rocker Central * See Registration Section for more information on this.
• After submitting online registration, the Student Association Constitution Committee will reach out to the President to set a committee meeting between the organization and the constitution committee.
• After this meeting (if the organization passed through the constitution committee) a presentation time will be determined for the student organization to present to the full Student Association Senate.
  

It takes about a month to become an officially recognized student organization but will vary depending on the time it takes to finalize a constitution for an organization. Once a student organization presents to senate, the resolution for approving said organization is read during the same week and voted on the following week.

Prior to becoming an organization

Organizations can do the following prior to applying to become an organization:

• Hold three official meetings.
• Reserve rooms for these meetings.
• Advertise on campus for these meetings.
• Begin online registration process on Mines Link.
• Elect Officers.
• Select organization Advisor.
• Draft and vote on constitution.
• Cater food (personal account would need to be used).

Benefits of becoming a Recognized Student Organization

A recognized student organization receives several benefits including but not limited to:

• Eligible to apply for SOAP Funding.
• Eligible for New Venture Funding.
• Foundation Accounts.
• Ability to book space on campus.
• Reduced catering rates with Sodexo Catering.
• Campus Advertising.
• Access to Student Organization Fairs.

Maintaining Recognized Status

Student organizations are a great way for South Dakota Mines students to get involved. We want your organization to be successful and sustainable. Since officers of organizations transition out every year, we do not want important information to be lost during that transition process. Here are a few tips to help your organization be successful!

Operations/Procedures Manual

We encourage you to create an operations and procedures manual for your organization. This manual will help your organization in the member and officer transition process and can serve as a record of past events, procedures, etc. Some items to consider adding to this manual include your organizations constitution, information about your advisor(s), log-in information for websites and email accounts, organization financial information, officer information, event planning documents just to name a few.

Official Organization Emails/Digital Resources

In addition to having a physical operations and procedures manual, student organizations may find it beneficial to have a centralized email account that is your primary way to contact your organization that can stay consistent from year to year. The South Dakota Mines IT department is happy to create an organizational email for you. Just click Student Organization Email Application and fill out the required information. You can also utilize the different application within the Google system such as google calendar, google drive, and google photos that can help keep your student organization organized and on the right track.

Rocker Central

Rocker Central is our web-based portal that houses all our student organization webpages as well as the Mines Advantage program.

Some of the useful advantages of Rocker Central include:

• Create organization surveys and upload photos
• House guiding documents such as your organization constitution
• Email your group members utilizing the built-in roster
• Track events and service hours
• Archive past organization events

Additional Resources

Building A Team

Group Decision Making

Group Development Theory

Icebreakers and Team Builders

Meeting Evaluation Checklist

Recruiting and Retaining Members

Running an Effective Meeting

Understanding Group Process

Goal Setting

Advisors

All recognized student organizations are required to have a full-time South Dakota Mines faculty or staff member to serve as their organization advisor. Advisors play a pivotal role in the success of student organizations. Student organization advisors are there to provide guidance, support, and advice and to make sure that student organizations are following university and Board of Regents policy. Advisors can also assist student organization officers in setting goals, planning events, and help organizations with the officer transition process. Advisors also serve as the signing authority on student organization accounts. Advisors must complete an advisor agreement annually.

Tips for having a successful advisor

Advisor Resources

Advisor Agreement

Reading List

ACPA Advisor Manual

STUDENT ORGANIZATION TRAVEL

Student organizations looking to travel, should work with their organization advisors. Business Office Travel Information/Forms

State Travel Regulations

SLICE Travel Documents (Optional, but recommended)

SOAP ACCOUNTS

One of the benefits of being a recognized organization is the ability to apply for SOAP funds. These funds are dispersed through Student Association and the SOAP Allocation Process. SOAP accounts are located in both the Business Office and Foundation. Expenditures from SOAP Accounts are subject to the state purchasing guidelines.

FY24 SOAP Funding Application

FY24 Supplemental Funding Application

AGENCY ACCOUNTS

Funds earned through organization fundraisers can be deposited into Agency Accounts housed in the Business Office. These accounts are separate from any SOAP awards, and have a different budget number. If you have questions about your Business Office Account(s), contact Dawn Miller, Accountant, in the lower level of O’Harra

CARA ACCOUNTS

Donations and gifts to the University are deposited into Foundation Accounts. The Foundation is a separate non-profit agency, so funds in these accounts have a little more flexibility in terms of how they can be spent. In general, though, they try to follow the same guidelines as the state. All expenditures from Foundation Accounts must have advisor approval. If individuals or companies are making a donation to your organization, you must deposit these funds into an account in the Foundation. These donations may be tax-deductible, and the Foundation will issue the appropriate receipts. If you have any questions about a Foundation Account, contact Audrey Boehm, Financial Analyst, located at the South Dakota Mines Foundation.

FUNDRAISING

Student organizations are required to fill out and submit a Student Organization Fundraising Form prior to hosting a fundraiser.

• Raffles (See Student Engagement staff for Raffle process)
• Sale of something related to the club (such as a calendar sale featuring pictures taken by a photography club)
• Asking for donations at a free event
• Partnership with a firm or business for an event (ie Pizza Ranch)
• Bus tables or do a percentage of profits (Pizza Ranch, Pancheros, Civic Center concessions, Mines Games etc.)
• Work with Alumni/Foundation to solicit funds from Alumni and companies
  • Work with Foundation to create crowd-sourcing fundraiser Fundraising Strategy

Soliciting Money from Alumni and Corporations

Budgeting For Your Organization 

1.  Plan the event

Planning an Event Backwards Planning Planning a Retreat Planning a Conference

2.  Reserving a Space

Reserving Space on Campus.pdf

Book Now: Reserve Space on Campus

3.  Requesting Catering

Book Now: Catering on Campus

4.  Screening Movies on Campus

Movie Guide

5.  Risk Management

“Risk” is defined as the possibility of loss or injury. It further implies a person or thing that is a specified hazard to an insurer. Because all events present situations, which imply potential risks and liabilities, it is beneficial to the student organization to know how to anticipate and prevent risky situations and to be aware of its responsibilities in case an incident occurs. The Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement office and Facilities and Risk Management office are here to assist organizations in planning their events with regards to liability and reducing risk.

Student Organization Travel Risk Management Guidance Student Organization Insurance

Housing Risk Management Guidance Waiver and Medical Release

Shared Responsibility

Publicity is an integral part of any organization. Without the proper publicity the organization’s goals – to raise money, to attract new members or to provide a program or service – will not be met. For your organization’s publicity to bring results, careful thought and planning should be put into your campaign.

The most effective publicity allows people to grasp all the important facts of the program quickly. Accordingly, promotional materials should bear a clearly printed message that is designed to evoke a response from the viewer. They do not necessarily have to be extremely artistic, but your message should be clear and understandable to the reader.

Planning your publicity campaign: Publicity.pdf 

Advertising in the Residence Halls

Posters, signs, advertisements, or notices may be posted in public areas of the residence halls ONLY with the approval of the building Assistant Director or the Director of Residence Life. RAs may post signs related to residence hall activities.

Residence Storming Officially recognized student organizations and University departments may request a 'Residence storm' to inform residents of an upcoming event following the following procedures.

1. Submit written request to Director of Residence Life at least 24 hours in advance of proposed 'Residence storm.'
2. Provide the following information in this request: proposed date/time, purpose of 'Residence storm', and names of building escorts (each building must always have a resident escort). "Residence storms' cannot occur during quiet hours. Since Residential housing is for resident use only, requests will be approved/denied at the discretion of Residence Life.

Marketing and Communications

The South Dakota Mines Marketing and Communications office is also a great resource to help you market your organization and events. They can assist you with graphic design, press releases, and more. For a complete list of resources visit their website.

Updated Posted Guidelines 2022

Student Organization Awards and Recognition

Student Organizations have the opportunity to be recognized during the annual Student Leadership Awards and Leadership Hall of Fame Recognition every spring. Student organizations can recognize outstanding members and advisors in addition to nominating themselves for the South Dakota Board of Regents awards. The three Board of Regents awards recognize student organizations for their community service, organizational leadership, and academic excellence. For more information on student organizations awards and recognition, please visit our website.

Additional Organization Resources

Organization Training and Workshops

The staff of the Student Engagement office are happy to assist and/or provide training and workshops for your organization. We can present on a variety of different topics including leadership development, officer transition, event planning, group development, and more! If interested, please contact the Student Engagement office for more information.

Student Organization Websites

Each officially recognized student organization will have a website housed in our Rocker Central system. Organizations can choose a tagline for their site when registering your student organization. You also can include social media sites or your organization on your Rocker Central page.

Rocker Central

Additional Organization Involvement Opportunities

There are other opportunities on campus that your student organization can be involved in.

Rocker Connections:

Rocker Connections weekend is open to all new, incoming first-year students. It is an opportunity for new students to meet one another and experience the Rapid City region, and form connections with returning students, faculty, and staff. If your organization would like to lead an Adventure, contact the Student Engagement office.

Rocker Days (South Dakota Mines Homecoming)

There are a variety of ways for students to get involved during Rocker Days. Whether it is during Paint the Town, Rocker Days Fair, hosting your own event, or just serving on the planning committee.

Martin Luther King Day of Service

This community service event happens every January, and we make it a day on, not a day off. Various student organizations collect non-perishable food at local grocery stores which is then donated to Feeding South Dakota.

Personal Development Resources

Active Listening Brainstorming Delegation

Diversity: Getting the Most out of It Facilitating Change

Feedback Leadership Managing Conflict Persuasion Procrastination Time Management Stress Management