Leadership & Transition

It takes work to run a student org. It also takes work to set up the future of the student org!

Learn more on how to setup your elections and make sure you transition your student org for success in the new academic year!

Club Leadership Basics

YDS Student Orgs run on the passion and dedication of our students. Each year, 30-40  students take on leadership roles in our student orgs, helping to cultivate the experiences for their peers (and each other!)

Your work as student org leaders feeds into the rich tapestry of the student experience - and OSA is here to help you navigate all of that!

Number of Club Leaders
Each student org must have at least 2 elected "main" officers, who are returning students; including a president/chair and a treasurer, who will be listed in the student org directory. These officers serve as the main contact points for the student org, and share overall responsibility for club management, including finances.

Student Org Elections
All elected leaders must commit to leading the student org in the next academic year, and must be a full-time enrolled student.

Student orgs decide the following year's leadership in early-to-mid Spring. The election process starts in January and ends late-March. You will then report the names of the new leaders to OSA. These deadlines will be communicated to current student org leaders by the OSA team via email and meetings.

Required Positions:

Club Chair/President
  • Main point of contact between Clubs and administrators
  • Overall responsibility for the Club activities and programs
  • Manages the leadership team
Budget Officer/Treasurer
  • Responsible for Club's budget and all financial transactions
  • Ensures Club does not incur deficit; personally and financially accountable
  • Maintain fiscal transparency, enforces purchasing policies with other Club leader

Optional Roles to Consider:

  • Events & Social Chair
  • Communications Chair
  • Admissions Liaison
  • Vocation & Leadership Liaison
  • Community Engagement Ambassador
  • Speakers & Public Liaison

Leadership Transition

Outgoing student org leaders are responsible for assisting and advising new leaders until the end of the academic year. In Fall of the new academic year, incoming student org leaders officially assume their roles and responsibilities.

Newly elected leaders must attend mandatory training sessions organized by OSA, (outlook invites sent by end of May.)

Consider having a transition meeting before the Re-Registration deadline, or incorporate the topic of Club transition into smaller items in your normal Club leaders weekly meeting.

When Student Orgs Take A Break:
Hiatus Status Explained

Sometimes student organizations need to take a break. Whether due to lack of leadership, or low engagement even after repeated attempts by leaders, it is often a healthy signal of a community in constant change and evolution! When a student org does not plan on being active in the next academic year, we call this being on Hiatus Status. A student organization is considered hiatus (or inactive) should any or all the following occur:

Lack of Leadership

The student organization does not have the required minimum number of leaders AND after multiple attempts is unsuccessful in finding replacement leaders after a period of 2 months.

Incomplete Re-Registration

The student organization does not complete the re-registration process as required by the Office of Student Affairs.

Prior Notice Given

The student organization notifies the Office of Student Affairs that it has committed to closing their operations due to lack of interest, leadership, or other reasons.

A student organization is considered HIATUS by the end of the academic year, regardless of when it officially ceases its operations. It remains in this status for two consecutive academic years (during which some reasonable memory of the student organization still exists within the student community). After this two-year period, any students wishing to restart the organization must follow the New Student Org Process. Hiatus status for an organization means:

No Funding Available

The student organization cannot request funds from the YDSG Funding Committee or any other source allowed. The org may not purchase items using university funds.

Unable to book spaces on Campus

The student org cannot book spaces on campus by any department, or submit invoices for external venues to be paid.

No Events, No Engagement

The Yale Connect group is locked, meaning no one can lead the group, send emails, create events, or other engagement tools.

Coming Out of Hiatus Status:
Student Org Re-Activation

If within the two-year hiatus period, a student organization can be reactivated at any time in the academic year, should new student leaders come forward expressing interest. The process of re-activation is handled by OSA and the Community Life Committee (CLC):

1. Contact OSA and Provide Info!

Students wanting to re-activate a student org contact OSA and provide information on, interest levels (number of people interested), proposed programming, and confirmed student leaders (minimum two current YDS students in good academic standing).

2. The CLC Reviews and Votes

OSA presents this information to the CLC (Community Life Committee) at their next meeting and leads discussion in any concerns with the org being reactivated.

2a. If no concern is raised:

OSA will then work with new leaders in training and re-activating student org, ensuring that leaders are supported with all necessary policies and procedures.

2b. If no concern is raised:

or the CLC feels extra steps are required before the student org is re-activated, then OSA will provide these concerns and support the organization in fulfilling the steps required.