Student Leadership and Involvement News Blog

Category: Registered Student Organizations

Completing Your RSO Officer & Advisor Training – FAQ’s

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It’s time for our yearly Registered Student Organization Officer and Advisor Training! Training includes the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Advisor. You have been added to a training path in Involvement Link made especially for your position. 
This training will guide you through the various expectations, policies, requirements, resources, and general operating standards of Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) at Michigan Tech.
You are required to complete all training items by Wednesday, September 28th, 2022 at 5 pm, in order for your RSO to complete the yearly re-registration process. When you have completed all training items, make sure you notify your RSO’s president so that they may move forward with RSO re-registration.  

Detailed Instructions

1. Navigate to https://www.involvement.mtu.edu/involvement/paths. If necessary, Log in using your MTU ISO.

2. Scroll down to the list of training modules and click “Expand All” to reveal the required training items

3. In each section of training, there will be a video to watch along with additional information which may appear after clicking “READ MORE”. The information below the video will include vital information, links, and instructions you will need to complete your training.

4. When you have completed watching each video, make sure you click the “Mark Complete” button at the bottom of the section, enter the date, and the requested reflection, and then be sure to click “Submit”. This will submit your progress to Student Leadership & Involvement and will make sure that you get credit for each section. You will need to click this button on all training items where it appears.

5. The final section, Training Confirmation, requires you to click on “Report Experience” to complete. When using this tool, you will be prompted to complete the RSO Training Acknowledgement Form.

6. At the bottom of the RSO Training Acknowledgement Form, please do not change the options in the Path section “Please select any Path Items you believe this Experience fulfills:” as this will auto-generate the appropriate response – Training Confirmation

7. When complete, click “Submit” 

8. It will be necessary for you to wait for your submission to be approved by Student Leadership & Involvement before your training will be marked as 100% complete. Until it is approved by SLI, you will see a green hourglass next to the appropriate training item.

9. Within 1-2 business days, Student Leadership & Involvement will approve your submissions or return them for revision. When your training progress is listed at 100% please email your RSO’s president to let them know they may proceed with re-registration. If you are the President, make sure your other Officers complete their training and then proceed with re-registration.

FAQ’s

When is the deadline to complete training? – Thursday, September 29 at 5:00 PM. But we encourage you to complete your training early to avoid any potential complications with RSO re-registration.

I completed all of the sections but my progress bar does not say 100% complete, what’s up with that? – If you just finished, don’t worry! It will take the SLI staff a couple business days to check all of the progress that you made. If it has already been a couple business days, shoot us a message at rso@mtu.edu and let us know so we can look into it.

I’m the President of my RSO and I submitted my org re-registration but it hasn’t been approved, why? – Often, the biggest reason that we are unable to approve RSO re-registration is because all of the officers and advisor have yet to finish their training. Confirm with them that they are 100%!

I’m the President of my RSO, but I’m also the secretary of another org, why do I have to take all of these trainings? – Don’t worry! If you are the President, you do not have to take any other training! If you hold more than one officer position in general, you only need to complete one officer training. Please complete the training according to this priority order: President, Treasurer, Vice President, Secretary.

We haven’t heard from our Advisor and we want to complete our re-registration, what should we do? – Let us know right away by emailing rso@mtu.edu so we can start helping you find a new advisor… don’t wait until the deadline to tell us!

I’m signed up for the Secretary training, but I’m the Vice President, now what? – First, make sure your RSO Roster lists you as the correct position. If it does not, make sure that you, your primary contact, or your president updates it RIGHT AWAY! Next, shoot us an email at rso@mtu.edu and let us know of the error so we can move you into the correct training before you complete any sections that you may not have to.

I’m having other issues with training that aren’t addressed here, what should I do? – We are sorry to hear that! You can either email rso@mtu.edu, stop by MUB 112, or call 906-487-1963 and let us know what your issue is so we can assist.

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10 Reason’s Why You Should Join a Student Organization

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1. It’s fun!

One of the most important reasons to join a registered student organization (RSO) is to have fun! Meeting new people, making new friends, trying new things, and participating in activities will help you make the most of your Michigan Tech experience. What could possibly be better?

2. It looks great on a resume.

It’s true, it’s a competitive world out there. Your future employers will be extremely excited to hire someone who has had a great deal of experience and been relatively active throughout their college career, as opposed to someone who has simply gone to class. Being involved will ultimately make you a stronger and more well-rounded candidate for internships, co-ops, graduate schools, job opportunities, etc.

3. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people.

Joining an RSO gives you a convenient way to meet and spend time with other people–many of whom will likely share similar interests, values, and goals. This allows you to form lifelong friendships and expand your social circle, thereby placing you in closer contact with faculty/staff, members of the community, fellow students, and even possible new lifelong friends!

4. It helps to build community.

Since a lot of Michigan Tech students live quite far away from their family and friends back home, they may feel homesick at school. Getting involved enables you to re-establish a sense of belonging, create a chosen family, form an additional circle of friends, and will no doubt ease the transition from high school to college.

5. It’s an awesome way to develop crucial leadership skills.

Participating in a student organization not only teaches you leadership skills but also helps you broaden and improve those you already have. You’ll learn the best way to communicate with both individuals and large groups, and you’ll gain emotional intelligence as you develop new relationships. And you will be surprised to discover all kinds of fascinating new things about yourself by being involved in group activities and events. The management skills you learn as a result will be highly useful in the future when you must venture out into the real world and begin the ever-dreaded job search.

6. It allows you to discover your passions, strengths, and talents.

Joining an RSO presents many opportunities to learn more about yourself, your goals, your passions, and your strengths. You can also find out what you’re good at, what you enjoy (or what you don’t), whether that’s leading, event planning, generating ideas, or serving others. This self-awareness will be beneficial in your future. These can provide you with a sense of self-worth, lead you in new and unexpected directions, and–most importantly–help you succeed in life.

7. It’s the perfect way to maximize learning.

Remember that college is all about learning new information (about yourself, about others, about the world, and about life in general), yet oftentimes the best learning happens outside of the typical classroom setting. Being part of an organization allows you to put all of those things you’ve been learning in class to the test in real-world situations. You’ll get to learn what works and what doesn’t, and you’ll be able to take that knowledge back to the classroom, and then, of course, along with you in a future career. 

8. You’ll learn how to engage with diverse groups of people.

Chances are, the RSO you choose to participate in will include a diverse group of people — you’ll be faced with the same situation in the working world! Learning how different people respond and react to certain situations will help you develop your skills in presenting and implementing ideas, creating inclusive environments, and become a more effective leader.

9. You’ll get a break from your studies.

Concentrating on schoolwork is obviously important during a graduate program, but giving your mind a break is necessary (and beneficial). While taking part in your RSO, you’ll be able to socialize with like-minded individuals and actually learn as much from them as you would your schoolwork. And everyone needs a break once in a while–especially college students who are constantly swamped with school work. Getting involved is the perfect way for you to take some time out of your busy day to focus on hobbies, passions, or other activities.

10. It emphasizes the importance of teamwork.

Knowing how to work well with a team is an essential skill for any career. Being in an RSO teaches you how to do this by putting you in situations where you are required to take advice from others, as well as give your own.

So what are you waiting for???

Michigan Tech is full of wonderful opportunities for students to get involved, but RSO’s might just be the best option (in our opinion!). Joining an RSO and getting involved will not only enhance your overall Michigan Tech experience but will also introduce you to a world of endless opportunities. So what are you waiting for? Go out there and explore all the incredible things our awesome RSO’s has to offer! You can start by checking out our RSO’s on Involvement Link!

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ADVISOR APPRECIATION MONTH – April

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Thank you to our Student Organization Advisors!

We highly value the work that our faculty and staff do with our many registered student organizations (RSO), and we want to take some time to celebrate them and recognize how important they are.

All of our RSO’s must have an advisor who is a full-time faculty/staff member at Michigan Technological University – meaning we have faculty and staff helping to support all 240+ of our organizations!

The role of the advisor may or may not be spelled out in the organization’s constitution (and it does vary from organization to organization), but there are some traits and practices which we know are important for our student leaders to be as successful as possible within their organizations. First and foremost, our advisors serve as educators who act in accordance with the goals and values of their student org and Michigan Tech. Advisors must have knowledge and skills which enable them to empower students within the group they advise. Advisors must also role model ethical behavior and, when appropriate, provide direction to organizations to assist them in their successes.

Advising a student organization can be a rewarding experience, but can also be nerve-wracking. Enthusiastic new advisors can easily fall into the trap of over-advising, or micromanaging, a student group. Conversely, well-meaning advisors can adopt a “hands-off” attitude which can significantly lower the morale and productivity of a student group. As advisors, we often search for balance: we struggle to balance the demands of our “job” with the demands of this “outside” influence. It is our hope that our office can help support you balance that task.

At the end of the day, our students are blessed to have the support and guidance of our talented faculty and staff. Because of your support, our students accomplish great things, challenge each other, build networks, meet friends, create memories, and gain skills long after they leave Tech. We appreciate you and hope that you get just as much out of the advising experience as our students do.

Being an advisor provides a multitude of benefits for faculty and staff:

  • A unique opportunity to get to know and work with students outside of the classroom or office
  • The reward of watching the group develop to its fullest potential
  • The reward of watching students develop their individual skills and talents
  • The chance to informally share your knowledge and expertise on relevant topics
  • An opportunity to feel satisfaction and accomplishment through making a special contribution to a particular group of students
  • The chance for service to students, the University, and the larger community

If you are not currently an advisor and you’d like to volunteer, please feel free to check out our list of organizations on Involvement Link and send an email to rso@mtu.edu.

The Student Leadership & Involvement office is here to serve as a resource to you and to answer your questions or concerns. Contact us with questions, and be sure to look at the resources available on our website.

Thank you for all you do with our student organizations!

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Hosting Your RSO Elections on Involvement Link

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Organization officers have the ability to create elections within their organizations. To create an organization-based election, follow the instructions below.

Defining Election Parameters

Head to the Action Center for your organization, and then click on Elections in the organization tool drawer. If you do not see this tool you do not have access to manage this tool for your organization.  From here, click the Create Election button.

Identify the Name of the election, if it should include instructions and any additional (custom) instructions that should be included.

Below that, you can choose if your election should be active and the date range your election should be available. When the election is set to Active and it falls within the date range, users will be allowed to access the ballot.

You can also choose to display an alert on the organization’s homepage when the election is active and voting is open by checking the next box. The last option is whether or not to allow users outside your organization should be allowed to vote in the election– checking the box will limit it to only users within your organization roster.

When you’re finished with these settings, hit Create.

Setting up the ballots

You can create as many ballots as needed. Each ballot can be accessible to the general user population or any number of eligibility lists. A user will see each ballot they are designated to see. To start creating your ballots, click Create Ballot.

elections1.png

Enter the name of your ballot, then determine if the ballot should be general access by selecting Enable or Disable. If you select Disable, you’ll be prompted to enter settings for each of the available eligibility lists.

Eligibility lists are set up by campus administrators and are shared to organizations. If you are not seeing an eligibility list that you expect to see, contact your campus administrator.

Setting Definition
Allow Users on the list can access the ballot
Deny Users cannot access the ballot, and supersedes being on an allowed list
Ignore List will not be used for the ballot, users cannot access the ballot

Once you’re fine with your eligible users access, click Create to advance to the next page. You’ll now be taken to the form builder with a limited selection of question types.

Please see Form Building for complete instructions on creating or editing questions. The builder will automatically save your progress as you create questions. At any time, you can revise the title and access of your ballot by clicking Form Properties in the upper right corner.

When you’re finished, click Back to Ballots in the upper left corner. Repeat this for any additional ballots you need to create within the same election. Once all your ballots are ready, be sure to set your election to Active to ensure users can vote when the election starts, and the prompt to vote will display on your organization homepage if requested.

Seeing the Election Results

Navigate to your organization’s Action Center through the Manage view of your switchboard. Open up the organization tool drawer and select Elections. 

org_election_results.png

Select the election you want to view. From there, you can click on the Results tab to browse the ballot results.

org_election_results_2.png

You can select the “Export All Votes” button to download your results into an excel file or you can view the snapshot of the current results displayed on the “Results” page. Click on a specific ballot in order to view individualized ballot response counts. The option to Export All Voters will only appear for community administrators and will not appear for general organization officers.

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K-Day 2020 Registration – RSOs

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As a registered student organization, you can register for both the virtual and the in-person K-Day. We recommend that at a minimum, you should register for the virtual K-Day. K-Day registration will close Friday, September 4 at noon.

For virtual registration:

  • Log in to Involvement Link
  • Select the organization you would like to register for virtual K-Day
  • Select “Manage Organization” from the top right corner
  • You should see “Upcoming Virtual Fair Events” with the K-Day information and a blue button that says “Sign Up”  Click that to complete your registration.

You will need a short description and a link for a Zoom (or virtual platform of choice) meeting.  The virtual meeting should be set up for Friday, September 11 from Noon – 5 PM.  Prospective members will be able to select “Meet Online” during that time for your organization and talk to officers/members that you have on the call.  If you cannot have someone on the virtual call for the entire 5 hours, please note the times you will be there in your description.  Students will only be directed to use the meeting link from Noon – 5 PM on that day.  

**You will not be able to edit your description, so please make sure it is what you want.  Also, it has a 200 character limit. 

For in-person registration:

You can register through Involvement Link.  Once you log in, the link will be on your homepage.  Some things to note:

  • Your organization will get to choose their top 3 dates/times, but you will only be able to have a table once. 
  • There is a limit on the number of organizations that can be approved, so your organization might not get a space.  
  • If your organization wants to bring food, it must be pre-packaged.
  • Minimal activities will be allowed.  They must be compliant with University policies, as well as local, state, and federal expectations in regards to COVID-19. 
  • You are allowed to have 1 or 2 people from your organization at your booth.  No more than 2 will be allowed at a time. 
  • Power is limited and we cannot guarantee it. 
  • Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive more information on expectations for the day of your event. 

Please send any questions to Rochelle at raspence@mtu.edu.

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Involvement Link: Creating a New Event

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Involvement Link has many great features to help your student organization be successful including the calendar. To feature your organization’s event on the calendar (and on the Michigan Tech Calendar!), just follow the steps below.

Note: Only primary contacts and positions with full access over Events can create events within an organization. If you do not have the proper permissions, you should first refer to your primary contact or your site administrators in order to request the required access.

Manage your organization by selecting Manage from the switchboard and choosing your organization. When you are at your organization’s page, use the top left-hand side menu. Choose Events in the organization tool menu and click on the blue Create Event button on the top right.

Completing Core Event Details

Enter an event title, theme, description, start and end time, and location into their respective boxes. You can also identify if the event will be co-hosted with other organizations. Required fields are marked by the red asterisk at their start.

a screenshot of the first section of the create event sccreen

You can add up to 18 different times/locations within one event submission. Upon approval, each instance of the event you created will become its own event that can be individually edited or changed. Click “Add Another Date” to create a recurring event.

You can also choose whether to include a helpful map, courtesy of Google Maps, to your event details page. Note that selecting the space will not reserve it. Your next couple of options are about event visibility and are outlined below.

Each field after this point is detailed below:

Field Description
Show-To Determine whether the event should show to the public, authenticated users only, only members of hosting organizations (and cohosting organizations), or only to invited users
Event Categories Associate the event with one or more event categories
Perks Associate the event with one or more event perks (special benefits for your attendees) 
Additional Information Complete any additional fields that may be required by your campus. Depending on your institution’s settings, your responses to these questions may show publicly on your published event page. 


Additional Pages and Event Questions

The next page allows you to customize your RSVP settings. Use this tool to collect information from your attendees before the event or to set a specific attendee limit. 

The third page allows you to customize your event’s cover photo by clicking Choose File and adding an image that you feel will draw attention to your event. We recommend a photo that is 1024px by 600px or larger, under 10MB, and of one of the mentioned formats (JPG, JPEG, GIF, or PNG). The image will run through an image re-sizer, so the larger – the better! If you choose not to upload a photo, a default photo will be chosen for you based on the theme of your event. As this photo will be displayed alongside event details across Engage, it is best to choose a cover photo that is simply an image without text. 

When you’re ready, advance using Next or Skip. Your organization’s branch may require each event submission to provide additional details that will be kept on the private record of the event submission. You will be prompted at this time to complete this information. Fill out the rest of the form and submit for campus administrative approval.

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Involvement Link: Changing Your Organization’s Profile Picture

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Involvement Link has many great features to help your student organization be successful . Make sure you are keeping your student organization site updated – including the profile picture!

Your organization’s profile photo appears next to your organization in the directory. 

profile_photo.png

The photo also appears at the top of your organization’s public-facing page.

profile_picture_2.png

Note: You must be the Primary Contact of your organization or have officer rights to make changes to your organization.

If you meet this criteria, you can change your organization’s profile picture navigating to your Action Center by accessing the Manage view of your Engage Switchboard. Select your organization and open the organization tool drawer. Select the About tab along your organization’s tool drawer. Upload the image under the section labeled Profile Picture. Your image will be sized to fit. Keep in mind that since the photo appears in a circular shape throughout the site, edges of square and rectangular images will be cropped.

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