All campus organizations must meet the requirements of this section in order to be recognized as an official campus organization. An official campus organization shall be eligible for SGA incentive funds and the organization presidents shall serve on the SGA President's Council.

1. Constitution
   1. Substance

      Any official campus organization shall have the following information in its constitution:

      • Name of the organization,
      • Purpose of the organization,
      • Financial means of the organization,
      • Qualifications and responsibilities of officers and members,
      • Requirement that all officers have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 when elected,
      • Requirement that all members of the organization maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0,
      • Regularity of meetings,
      • Provision for constitutional amendments.
   2. Approval & Accountability

      New constitutions and amended constitutions must have the approval of the SGA Executive Council and the University Administration. The SGA Leadership Director shall hold each organization accountable to meet the requirements of its constitution.

   3. Deadline
      • Current organizations shall have 21 days after the first official Executive Council meeting of the academic year to turn in their current constitutions to the SGA Leadership Director.
      • Organizations which fail to do so will be considered inactive, have restricted access to their financial account, or will not be eligible for incentive funds.
      • New organizations may seek official recognition at any point throughout the year but are required to have Executive Council and Administrative Council approval before functioning as an official organization.
2. Campus Need

   Any new organization seeking recognized status must present a cover letter along with a proposed constitution stating why the campus may benefit from such a student group. The cover letter must also demonstrate the interest of at least six students who would be able to actively participate in the activities of this group and a list of potential officers and faculty advisors.

3. Discipline Structure
   1. Reasons for Discipline

      Failure of organizations to abide by policies appearing in the SGA Constitution and By-Laws are subject to discipline by the SGA. Organizations that violate University policy as stated in the Cedarville University Student Handbook or the Organization Guidelines and Policies (available on the student organizations page of the CU website) are subject to discipline by the Student Life Programs.

   2. Procedure

      In the event that an organization violates its constitution, SGA policy (as stated in the SGA Constitution or By-Laws) or the Student Handbook, SGA shall proceed with the following disciplinary steps. If necessary, these steps shall be carried over from one academic year to another:

      • The SGA Leadership Director shall first give a written warning to the organization.
      • If the organization fails to respond appropriately within an agreed amount of time, the SGA Leadership Director shall place the organization on probation with the majority approval of the Executive Council. Notice will be given in writing.
      • If the organization fails to respond appropriately within an agreed amount of time determined by the Executive Council after the probation, the SGA or the Leadership Director will disband the organization with the unanimous approval of the Executive Committee. Notice will be given in writing.
   3. Restrictions

      If the SGA disbands an organization, the Executive Council may place any of the following restrictions on that organization.

      • Loss of the seat on the SGA Organization Council and incentive fund eligibility;
      • Loss of the right to use University property for fund-raising purposes or regular meetings;
      • Loss of approval for special activities;
      • Loss of other rights and privileges granted to official campus organizations.
   4. Appeal

      Organizations that are placed on probation or are disbanded may file an appeal with the SGA Executive Council up until one academic month after the ruling. Honoring an appeal requires the unanimous approval of the Executive Council.

   5. Reinstatement

      All organizations that have been disbanded must follow the correct procedure in order to be reinstated as an official campus organization:

      • On-campus meetings held for the purpose of restitution or re-establishment of the organization must have majority approval of the Executive Council.
      • The organization shall resubmit its constitution to the SGA Leadership Director within 14 days after the appeal is honored by the Executive Council.
      • Upon the approval of the Leadership Director, the constitution shall be forwarded to the necessary university administration for final approval by the organizational director.

1. Purpose

   The incentive fund exists for the following purposes:

   • To assist organizations in funding eligible activities which have a tangible benefit for the organization, the campus, or the community;
   • To provide incentive for organizations to be active in their operations;
   • To serve as a way for the SGA to recognize deserving organizations through financial means;
   • To strengthen the relationship between the SGA and organizations.
2. Availability
   • The incentive fund shall be budgeted as a line item in the SGA Leadership Director's budget.
   • The budgeted total of the fund shall be at least five percent of the SGA's projected allocation for the semester.
   • An organization may receive grants from the fund a maximum of two times per semester and may not receive more than a total of $225.00 each semester.
   • When the incentive fund budget line has been exhausted no organizations may receive further funding through incentive funds.
3. Procedure
   In order to request incentive funds, an organization is required to:
   • Have all necessary information submitted to the Leadership Director (including officer information, member’s lists, and updated constitution),
   • Attend at least one Org Council meeting for the semester,
   • And submit an Incentive Fund Application to the SGA Leadership Director no later than 14 days prior to the date of the event and the Leadership Director shall respond no later than five days after the application has been received.

1. Eligibility

   All on-campus fund-raising activities by official campus organizations must be approved by the Philanthropy Director. On-campus fund-raising activities must not conflict with either the standards of the university or the fund-raising activity of another organization. If a possible matter of conflict arises, the Executive Council will vote on the issue.

2. Procedure

   In order to receive approval for an on-campus fund-raising activity, an organization shall:

   • Turn in an Organization Fundraiser Initiative Form to the Philanthropy Director at least 14 days prior to the date of the activity
   • Turn in an evaluation of an approved event no later than two weeks after the activity to the Philanthropy Director. Failure to do so will result in the organization losing priority for fundraising approval.

Hazing is defined as subjecting student(s) to abusive or humiliating pranks. Hazing is not permitted at Cedarville University. It is often difficult to distinguish between hazing and an innocent prank among friends. Therefore, resident directors and/or Student Life deans will make all determinations relative to hazing. Any student participating in either an "innocent" prank or in a deliberate hazing activity will be held responsible for his/her behavior. Regardless of motive or intent, any student participating in a hazing/prank-type activity which potentially endangers or adversely affects the physical and emotional well-being of another student can expect immediate and serious disciplinary action. This includes the possibility of suspension or dismissal from the University. Handbook p. 25