For Advisors

Student organizations do not become successful simply on their own. Behind every successful group there are important and influential people. By sharing both knowledge about the college and personal experiences, the advisor can assist the organization in the conduct of its activities. Good advisors inspire and challenge their groups so they can reach their highest levels of success. The relationship between an advisor and an organization will vary from year to year and individual to individual. It is important that an advisor and the organization communicate their expectations to each other. Please review the Advisor Tutorial for vital information that will impact the success of the group that you advise. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Student Activities & Greek Life.

Advisor Verification - We have moved to emailing advisors to verify all organizational oversight at one time. If you are a new advisor, please email clindsay@gettysburg.edu.


Advisor Tutorial
Please consult the Advisor Manual (PDF) for tips on how to be an effective advisor and information about college policies and procedures.

Advisor Frequently Asked Questions

Advisor Requirements and Expectations

Requirements

  • All registered clubs and organizations at Gettysburg College must have an advisor. This person must be considered full-time faculty (not on sabbatical), staff, or administration at the College.
  • All advisors must verify their role through email response in order for a club or organization to become and remain registered at Gettysburg College.
  • All advisors must complete Campus Security Authority (CSA) training yearly.
  • The advisor must attend and remain throughout ALL events requiring the Department of Public Safety.

Expectations

  • Get to know the group members and officers
  • Help the group to develop, understand, and achieve goals and objectives in line with the aims and objectives of Gettysburg College
  • Assist in identifying and developing new leaders in the club or organization

Advising is a process in which an advisor is available to guide and assist the officers or members in the mission and goals of the group. The level of guidance or assistance a group needs can depend on the time of year or the developmental level of the officers leading the club or organization. Some clubs or organizations may be more or less autonomous, and meeting the group’s needs will be important in being an effective advisor. In evaluating your time commitments, negotiate with the group the amount of time they need from you before agreeing to be their advisor.

Attendance at every meeting may not be necessary, but it is the best way to get to know the members and stay informed of the activities of the group. If you are not able to attend a meeting, effort should be made to determine what occurred. Remember, you are not there to run the meetings, but you can offer objective points of view or alternative solutions to problems. Advising is much more about showing support and encouragement to the club or organization than it is about supervising.

For tools for determining student organization expectations for advisors, and vice versa, please see the Advisor Manual linked above.

Student Organization Yearly Requirements

Process opens early April and must be completed within 21 days of the start of Fall classes. We encourage outgoing officers to complete the form before the end of the Spring Semester.

  • Complete the Student Organization Registration Form
    • If your club elected more than the two required Executive Board Officer Positions, please include these names on the registration form.
    • If you want to be Senate Recognized, you must also have a Senate Representative.
  • Advisor Confirmation
    • Listed Advisors will be emailed to confirm their role.
  • Submit Constitution to gburgclubliaison@Gettysburg.edu if updated.
  • Update CNAV Alias
    • Organizations are not required to have a CNAV Alias.
    • OSAGL does not have access to edit organizational aliases, so outgoing leadership must update.
  • Update PeopleSoft Roster
    • All organizations must have at least six (6) members).

PDF Checklist

Freedom of Expression Philosophy

In Fall 2017, President Riggs convened a Freedom of Expression Workgroup to develop an institutional philosophy regarding Freedom of Expression.

Freedom of Expression Philosophy

Invited Speaker/Performer Documents

Student Organizations inviting a speaker or performer onto campus must complete and submit the following forms to the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life (CUB 210) prior to advertising the event.

Invited Speaker or Performer Request Form

Interim Invited Speaker Contract

Policy on Partisan Political Activity by Students - Informational

Student Senate Resources

Gettysburg College's Student Senate is the primary governing and coordinating organization of the student body. Senate plays a critical role in representing student perspective sin the discussion of all campus issues. Senate also oversees all Senate Recognized clubs and organizations on campus.

Benefits of Senate Recognition:

  • Funding
  • Publicity
  • Other resources that benefit the organization's programmatic goals