From: Pounce Cougar
Date: March 21, 2024
Subject: Student Organization Leadership Transition


The Importance of Intentionally Transitioning Student Leader Positions

By intentionally transitioning student leader positions, current officers can ensure that the club they are leading is in good hands when they eventually step down. Creating a smooth, deliberate transition for the new officers will allow them to feel more comfortable and confident in their new positions as student leaders. In addition, it will give the current officers some peace of mind when they step down from their positions, knowing the club will continue to thrive under new leadership.

Electing New Club Officers

Deciding how to elect new club officers can seem intimidating, so be sure to look at your club’s constitution to see what your election process should be. Some organizations open up nominations to the entire club to vote and elect students to be the new officer(s) while others send out an application with general questions for prospective officers to fill out. The election process will vary across student organizations based on the club’s mission and policies.

Tips and Tricks to Transition

• Set up a Google Drive with all of your club’s important information and documents for new officers to access.

• Allow new officers to shadow you as you complete club tasks such as making purchase orders, submitting vehicle requests, etc.

• Communicate with the new officers! Ensure that they have all of the resources and information that they need to succeed as a student leader.

• Allow the new officers to lead a club meeting or take charge of a club responsibility. This will allow new officers to gain experience and feel more confident in their abilities to lead prior to the fall semester.

• If possible, be available for the new officers to ask questions during their first few weeks as student leaders.
Elect new club officers as soon as possible! Re-registration for clubs/organizations will open on April 22. During this process, you must submit your new club officers and at least three members. To make this process go smoothly, you will want to ensure you have your new officers elected by then. Keep an eye out for a future newsletter detailing further instructions on this process.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the transition process, please reach out to Student Engagement & Events (SEE). SEE is a great resource that can help give you pointers that are more targeted to your club/organization.

Don’t forget to nominate someone for a student leadership award by Friday, March 29. Use the button below to submit your nomination!

Written By: Matilyn Carl

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