BYU facilitates the establishment of approved Brigham Young University Student Service Association (BYUSA) clubs, student academic associations affiliated with colleges and academic departments, and pre-professional clubs. The university also supports faculty, staff, and other associations with colleagues both inside and outside the university. All clubs and associations must be governed by a charter approved by the responsible university office.

Clubs and associations must comply with all applicable university policies and procedures, including procedures and guidelines issued by the responsible university office. Before clubs and associations advertise events, invite speakers or entertainers, spend funds, or schedule university facilities, they must receive all required approvals from the responsible university office, and other university officers as required by university policy, for proposed activities and programs (see Speakers and Events Policy). All travel for clubs and associations must comply with the Travel Policy and any related travel procedures, which include requirements to use commercial carriers and obtain prior approval for exceptions.

Clubs and associations should not subject members to unreasonable risks or require inordinate resources. Each club and association must have a sponsoring BYU campus unit. Sponsoring campus units ensure that

• funds are properly managed in compliance with university policy and procedures,
• organizational objectives are consistent with university standards,
• there are no undue risks to students, faculty, staff, and others who may be involved, and
• activities are otherwise compliant with university policy and procedures.

Charitable fund-raising for clubs and associations must be conducted in accordance with the University Fund Raising Policy and established procedures. Member dues, if any, should not exceed operating costs of the club or association.

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved, in advance and in writing, by the appropriate vice president or designee.

Before conducting any activities, all BYUSA clubs, student academic associations, and pre-professional clubs (“Student Clubs and Associations”) must have a charter and be approved by the responsible university office in accordance with this policy. Once approved, all Student Clubs and Associations are bound by the terms of their charters and may not conduct activities or events outside the scope of their respective charters. Student Clubs and Associations that are not approved in accordance with this policy are not authorized to use university resources, funds, and facilities, and may not promote goals, purposes, and activities on BYU’s campus or represent BYU.

Generally, members of Student Clubs and Associations are current students and employees of BYU. Occasionally, with the approval of the responsible university office, Student Clubs and Associations may include spouses or alumni. All members of Student Clubs and Associations must comply with the Church Educational System Honor Code and Church Educational System Dress and Grooming Principles and Expectations.

In general, only day continuing students who are in good standing are eligible to hold office in Student Clubs and Associations. Any exceptions must be approved by the responsible university office.

All Student Clubs and Associations must use the university’s speakers and events approval processes for activities and events on campus (see Speakers and Events Policy).

BYUSA Clubs

BYUSA clubs exist to give students with similar interests a place to meet, enjoy activities, render service, and develop leadership skills. These clubs are not exclusive to a particular academic department or college, and they are not affiliated with any off-campus organization. Accordingly, student clubs that do not have a specific academic purpose or focus, or that do not involve a specific academic department, must seek approval from BYUSA.

BYUSA clubs must have an advisor who is either BYU full-time faculty or full-time staff. The advisor is ultimately responsible for: (1) working with student leaders to solve club problems and make important decisions, (2) managing the funds received and expenditures made from the club account, and (3) implementing applicable university policies.

Clubs are intended to enhance the experience of those affiliated with the university. Although some special events are open to guests, guests who are not serving as approved speakers or presenters are not allowed at regular club meetings.

BYUSA clubs are not allowed to engage in any level of competition with other academic institutions, sporting entities, organizations, or groups and should not represent BYU as an entity for any competition.

Club activities are designed to be on-campus experiences. Participation in clubs does not require off-campus travel, and therefore, off-campus travel is generally prohibited. Permission for off-campus travel should be obtained from the director of the Student Connection and Leadership Center and in accordance with the university’s Travel Policy.

BYUSA clubs are also subject to procedures and guidelines issued by BYUSA and approved by the responsible university office.

Student Academic Associations

A student academic association is sponsored by an academic college, school, department, or academic center for the purpose of deepening student engagement in the unit’s academic programs. These organizations are different from BYUSA and pre-professional clubs. Advisors must be appointed from the ranks of CFS-track faculty; deans may request exceptions from the associate academic vice president – undergraduate studies. There are several types of organizations:

• associations with a specific academic interest, such as law, math, food science, or geology
• associations affiliated with, and often a chapter of, an external national or international academic organization, such as Beta Alpha Psi or the American Society of Civil Engineers
• honor societies, such as Golden Key or Phi Kappa Phi
• associations aligned with campus-recognized political parties

Campus-recognized political parties are those certified by the State of Utah or that have at least one member seated in the United States Senate or House of Representatives. Colleges, schools, departments, or academic centers whose curricula and/or research foci concern United States politics (e.g., political history, political theory, study of elections and democracy) may sponsor student academic associations aligned with campus-recognized political parties (see Political Neutrality Policy).

Academic associations are intended to enhance the experience of those affiliated with the university. Therefore, although students, faculty, and staff may occasionally bring guests not affiliated with the university to association activities, regular attendance by guests is discouraged.

A college, school, department, or academic center may sponsor a student academic association when

• there is sufficient student interest,
• the purpose of the proposed association aligns with the mission, disciplines, and curriculum of the sponsoring unit, and
• a CFS-track faculty member from the sponsoring unit accepts an assignment from her or his dean, director, or chair to advise the association.

A student academic association must be approved by the dean and director or chair of the sponsoring college, school, department, or academic center. The decision to approve should consider the disciplinary alignment with the proposed association and level of faculty support, including proper supervision of the association’s activities as described in this policy.

The student academic association advisor is ultimately responsible for

• working with student leaders in solving problems and making important decisions,
• overseeing funds received and expenditures made from the organization’s account in collaboration with the relevant budget custodian, and
• implementing applicable university policies.

If student academic associations desire to deviate from established policies, they must obtain approval in advance and in writing from the appropriate dean or director and an endorsement by the academic vice president or designee.

Activities sponsored by academic associations will generally be held on campus. Off-campus events require the approval of the associate academic vice president – undergraduate studies. Travel related to a student academic association requires the approval of the dean and the associate academic vice president – undergraduate studies and in accordance with the university’s Travel Policy.

Pre-professional Clubs

Pre-professional clubs are sponsored by the Pre-professional Advisement Center and are advised by a full-time faculty member or administrative employee from that unit for the purpose of encouraging and deepening students’ knowledge, involvement, and interest in particular pre-professional fields, including law, medicine, dentistry, and allied health. These clubs are not exclusive to a particular academic department or college and are open to all students who are interested in pursuing further education in these fields.

Pre-professional clubs are intended to enhance the experience of those affiliated with the university. Therefore, although students, faculty, and staff may occasionally bring guests to association activities, regular attendance by guests is discouraged.

Pre-professional clubs are designed to be on-campus experiences. Participation in clubs does not require off-campus travel, and therefore, off-campus travel is generally prohibited. Permission for off-campus travel should be obtained from the director of Student Development Services and in accordance with the university’s Travel Policy.

Faculty, staff, and other affiliated associations are not Student Clubs and Associations. Instead, they consist of individuals who associate with others as part of their BYU employment or affiliation. Examples of these associations include:

• a professional organization that has given a BYU faculty or staff member responsibility for the management of its funds
• a BYU chapter of an honor society or professional organization such as Phi Kappa Phi or the Office Professionals Advisory Committee
• associations of BYU-affiliated individuals connected to a particular college or department of the university, such as the MBA Spouse Association

In general, funds of the following types of clubs and associations are considered university funds (i.e., in fund groups 12 or 13):

• Student Clubs and Associations
• student spouse associations
• faculty and staff associations with membership consisting only of BYU faculty or staff

These clubs and associations are required to use the university’s established accounting procedures for all financial transactions and must use a university operating unit to collect or expend funds as part of their operations; they are not permitted to have independent bank accounts (e.g., savings, checking) at off-campus locations. If they need to conduct business that typically requires a bank account, they should contact BYU’s Treasury Services for assistance.

In general, for faculty, staff, and other affiliated associations, finances are coordinated with Treasury Services. Separate bank accounts for these associations, including honor societies and professional organizations, may be established only with approval from the responsible dean or director, the responsible vice president, and BYU’s chief financial officer.

Any credit card acceptance solution (online or point of sale) that clubs and associations desire to use must be approved in advance by Treasury Services.

Club and association advisors or official representatives have the responsibility to ensure that appropriate financial safeguards are in place and that the club or association’s account balance remains positive. Any deficit cash balance is the responsibility of the representative or advisor and members of the organization. Misuse of funds in these operating units must be reported immediately to Financial Services as well as to the dean, director, or chair of the sponsoring campus unit and may result in disciplinary action.

The charter of each club or association must specify the conditions for dissolution of the club or association and indicate how unused funds and equipment are to be handled. Unused funds may only be transferred to other BYU units. If a club or association is in a deficit position at the time of dissolution, the sponsoring campus unit must cover any deficit balances.

Except as otherwise noted herein, funds associated with clubs and associations should not be used for university operations, off-campus scholarships, research contracts, or grants or donation activities.

Approved university clubs and associations are eligible to use the university’s tax identification number and participate in the university’s sales tax exemption. Clubs and associations outside the governance of the university and not otherwise covered by this policy or other university policies and procedures are not authorized to use the university’s tax identification number or the university’s sales tax exemption.