CLUB ADVISING AT SRJC

Behind every successful student club is a dedicated advisor. Thank you for taking on this important role. Clubs are student-led organizations, and advisors help ensure that their activities align with college policies, stay safe, and are sustainable.

This page is meant as a practical reference for advisors. Right here, at the top of the page I'm including the key links that a club advisor will use, and further down will be more explanation regarding when to utilize these links:

FORMS & POLICIES

SUPPORT & CONTACTS

ADVISOR OF THE SEMESTER WINNERS

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FALL 2024
Josh Hamzehee, Ph.D.
Advisor, SRJC Forensics Speech, Debate, & Performance Team 
STAFF Aleman, Birjit

SPRING 2025
Brijida Alemán
Advisor, ESL Moves; Oak Connections Club

 

CLUB ADVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

  • LIAISON: Serve as a point of contact to help clubs navigate the college. Respond to questions from the club.
  • PRESENCE: Be at key events/meetings when required (see below).
  • PAPERWORK: Sign off on forms (finance, events, travel, etc.) and make sure they’re submitted correctly.
  • SUPPORT: Encourage students, help them build organization skills, and intervene if safety or conduct concerns arise.
  • REPORT EMERGENCIES: Help us ensure that small incidents do not balloon into something worse. Please contact the Student Life department for help/guidance.  
     

WHEN YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED

  • Any meeting or event outside normal business hours (before 8am or after 5pm) or off-campus.
  • Meetings where money is involved/financial decisions are made (ensure majority agreement).
  • Officer elections or any high-risk activity (sports, travel, activities with safety concerns).
  • Official online events (hosted on SRJC-affiliated Zoom)
     

ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, FOOD, & TRAVEL

  • Please go to the Event Policies & Applications page for all details regarding: events, facilities use, campus service & equipment, food, travel, working with outside vendors, and contracts.
  • Food & Travel rules: Advisors don’t have to memorize the policy, but you’re responsible for ensuring students submit the Event Application before food is ordered or travel is booked.
  • If the club name, SRJC branding, or club/college funds are used → it’s an official event and must follow Event Policies.
  • If students simply hang out as friends (pizza, concerts, casual meetups) → that’s personal, not a club event.
  • Risk point: If something is advertised with the club’s name but not approved, the college may still be held liable.
     

CLUB FINANCES & REQUESTING MONEY

In line with being a part of the public sector, all money associated with the club must go through their Club Trust accounts; no outside accounts or personal handling of funds including Venmo, etc.

  • Please go to the Club Funding & Finances page for all details regarding: purchases, reimbursements, and grants.
  • Your role is to confirm that students discuss and agree on financial decisions (ensure majority agreement), then sign forms so Student Life can process the rest.
  • CONTACT: ICC Finance Advisor, Melissa Cowan (clubaccounts@santarosa.edu).
     

CLUB PERSISTENCE & THE INTER-CLUB COUNCIL (ICC)

Clubs come and go, and that’s normal -but it's nice to build a club that lasts so that they can accomplished even bigger goals. This section is here to suggest ways to encourage your club persists!

  1. THE INTER-CLUB COUNCIL (ICC):
    The number one indicator that a clubs' active days are numbered is having poor attendance at ICC. This makes sense, clubs are optional and they rely on the dedication of its members. ICC is dedication manifested; clubs that consistently attend ICC:
    • Stay connected to resources and funding
    • Hear about district operations and policy changes
    • See models of meeting and event planning
    • Network with other leaders (btw, we also usually have snacks)

      If a club is struggling to send a delegate to ICC, there's of course a lot of understandable reasons why that may be the case -it's also true that there may just not be the dedication needed to sustain the club. It may be worth considering merging with another club until you can get off the ground. Dedication it foundational, it's very rare (but not impossible!) that another solution will suffice
       
  2. ADVISORS:
    The other key indicator to a club's success is their advisor. Clubs are student-led but that doesn't mean an advisor can not actively involve! So long as the student leaders consent advisors are encouraged to be involved. Some ways that I've seen advisors help with a club's persistence:
    • CURIOSITY: Shared, enthusiastic interest in the club goes a very long way.  
    • CHECK-IN: Meet with the club president regularly (once a month seems like a good minimum).
    • COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Often an advisor has a network that a student might not have. Bring in professionals, and opportunities to club meetings.
    • REMINDERS: Having that extra voice to help keep important dates at the front of the mind. 
    • MENTORSHIP: Be that staff member that models best practices and provides help on the individual level.
       
  3. ELECTIONS:
    One piece of advice it to be thinking ahead. Don't wait until the last minute to hold your elections. Hold elections early that way there's a known path moving forward. Create a "president-elect" system that allows for the future president time to shadow the current president. Advisors don’t have to run the elections, but should be present to ensure fair process and majority agreement.