Short-take: Club vs. Interest Group transition unfolds
The revisions to the labeling of student organizations is important to students who worry that this change in title might not benefit their college applications. Although in the past, all student organizations have been blanket labelled as “clubs”, many are transitioning their titles to “interest groups” for financial reasons.
Carly Adams, Dean of Activities, hosted a meeting with club, interest group, and ASG officers in the faculty cafeteria during lunch on Feb. 19 to address the issue. The meeting focused on what separates clubs from interest groups.
“Clubs on our campus have financial accounts through the student store. Interest groups are groups that don’t require any financials. They’re not gathering money, they’re not spending money” Adams said.
Mary Jo Barker, president of the White Rice club, said that their “club was called out by Adams” during the meeting but has spoken with her privately about the matter. ”Changing it to an interest group is the resolution that we mutually agreed on,” Barker said.
The decision to differentiate between clubs and interest groups emerged over financial issues within the school. “When we get audited and have people looking over our accounts, it looks like we have inactivity in multiple accounts,” Adams said.
Moving forward, Adams hopes to establish “a more organized system of clubs” and to allow “for more people to have clubs and interest groups … following the proper procedures and goals,” she said.
1 Comment