ASMJC Advisors
NEW PROCEDURE:
In collaboration with the Business Services Office, there are new processes associated with Club Advisor procedures and forms. Please visit the ASMJC Documents page for more information.
What is a Club Advisor?
An effective advisor has a strong belief in the club/student organization, a desire to help students succeed, a willingness to share expertise and a commitment to spend time with the organization. District staff or faculty can be club advisors. For more information, contact delacruzm@yosemite.edu
Roles and Responsibilities
- Be aware of all club plans and activities
- Attend all club meetings and events
- Keep a club calendar to be aware of club events
- It is each club advisor’s responsibility to oversee all aspects of the event including timely promotions (Graphic Guidelines)
- Once promotion materials are received, it is the students’ responsibility to place the materials in strategic locations
- Guide club members to work responsibly
- Attend club meetings and be present at events
Your responsibility is to act reasonably while performing your role. Consider yourself a representative of both the college and the club. Also, we encourage clubs to have an advisor and co-advisor.
An effective advisor allows students to make decisions and learn from their experiences. While it may be your first reaction to intervene and fix the mistakes you see, this is not the role of an advisor. Assist club members in benefiting from their experiences by using mistakes as teachable moments.
Conversely, while it may be easy to sit back and say “everything is a learning experience, I won’t interfere with what they say or do,” it is your responsibility to ensure that students understand what consequences could result from the decisions they make. In other words, be proactive when a potentially controversial or policy-related situation or decision is discussed
The Importance of Planning Ahead
Most campus activities and events require planning ahead. It is recommended to plan at least a month in advance in order to have all paperwork completed in time, especially when requesting funds. Large events need to be planned six months ahead. The best idea is to map out all the semester's plans early and then work ahead a semester.
Traveling with Students
- Emergency preparedness - plan ahead and pick up a first-aid kit from our office
- Employer Pull Notice Program-Attached with a DMV Printout
- Student Travel Agreement form
- Known medications / food allergies
- Students with disabilities
- No drinking alcohol (Students and Advisors)
- If students leave with you they come back with you
Club Finances
Part of the educational experience students gain in a leadership position is learning how to manage a budget and maintain fiscal records. Your primary role regarding finances will be to monitor expenses, provide feedback on the budget, and authorize Payment Requests Forms. Your signature (in addition to a student officer signature) signifies that club money is being spent appropriately. Also, keep in mind Raffles (a chance to win) are against the law in California. Door prizes are, however, acceptable. Just make sure no one is excluded.
Keep in mind that as an advisor, it takes two signatures to approve funds, one from the student representative, and two you as an advisor. Just because the club wants it is not enough. Overturning a club decision can be done, and you can say, “no” if you do not agree with the item.
Also, no outside bank accounts, or taking money home. Should you have an event on the weekend or in the evening. Let security know at 575-6351 to have you deposit the money in the drop box.
When fund-raising for events, a budget must be done. What is the cost of the fund-raising event? What is the expected revenue? Understanding the budget is necessary to determine whether or not the club’s goals can be reached.
Tips...
- Cash Box Request
- Cash Advances
- Reimbursements
- Review financial records
- Carefully review and authorize all Purchase Orders (PO's) and accompanying original and itemized receipts and invoices. Club funds may not be spent on alcohol or gift cards.
Remind clubs to request Purchase Orders prior to confirming orders with vendors whenever possible.
.