The time has come. The Spring 2021 Student Group Recognition is now available to fill out on Cougar Link. All of the Union, Ocean, and Skylands campuses recognized student groups, Greek Letter Organizations, governmental organizations, and student governments who wish to be recognized for Spring 2021 must complete this mandatory process by Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. Up until Monday, Nov. 16, only the President, Secretary, or Primary Contact of the organization can fill out the form but after that, any member can fill it out.
The groups who are currently conducting elections for 2021 must-have them completed by Monday, Nov. 30. Organizations that fail to fill the roles of the preceding officers (such as a President) and record keepers (such as a Secretary or Vice President) will not be eligible for recognition until these positions are filled. If any organization anticipates challenges filling executive board roles, please contact the Involvement Center as soon as possible for guidance and assistance.
The Student Group Recognition form is available via Cougar Link. Spring 2021 executive board members may access it by going to the organization's tab by clicking the "register an organization button" on the left side of the page under the filter box. That link will take users to a page where they can see a list of organizations that are eligible for registration. The executive members are responsible for selecting their organization and clicking the "Re-Register" button.
In order to best prepare for the Spring 2021 Student Group Recognition process, please make sure to collect the following from each executive board member for the Spring 2021 semester:
Full name
Position
Kean University Student ID number
Contact phone number
Kean email address
If an executive board will not change for the upcoming year (ex. an organization has an April to May election), then the group does not need to make any changes. If any member of an executive board is changing for the Spring 2021 semester, then their information will need to be updated. Please make sure the information is accurate and updated in a timely manner. Also, make sure the organization's roster is updated.
For a student wanting to serve in an executive board or leadership role, within any recognized student group, they must meet a minimum established criteria in accordance with the Kean University Student Leadership Criteria. Depending on the organization, some may require higher standards within their constitution. Students seeking to hold a leadership position must follow these guidelines:
- Have completed a minimum of 12 credits at Kean University and be fully matriculated (excludes freshman class officers, freshman council representatives, part-time students, and graduate students);
- Have a minimum of a 2.50 cumulative grade point average;
- Be free of probation with restrictions in residence, University-wide disciplinary probation, or higher-level disciplinary sanctions (University-wide probation with restrictions, suspension, or dismissal).
All executive board members must also complete a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) form. The FEPRA form has been updated for Fall 2020 and will be available when the student group recognition process opens. Any questions regarding the Student Leadership Criteria should be directed to Scott Snowden, Director of the Center for Leadership and Service at snowdens@kean.edu.
All student group executive board members must complete an annual training program known as the Student Group Leadership Conference. It is organized and designed to fulfill this training requirement. Additional information regarding the conference will be communicated to the new Spring 2021 members who have not yet completed their training.
Another piece of important information: Organizations that fail to have their entire executive board complete the annual training requirement by Tuesday, January 19, 2021, will not be permitted to participate in the Spring Involvement Fair and the organization's reservations and programs will be deleted until the organization is fully compliant.
For more information about the Cougar Link Student Group Recognition Process, please visit https://www.kean.edu/offices/center-leadership-and-service-2.
Any questions or concerns? Please email the Involvement Center at groups@kean.edu for assistance.
