Student Activities and Leadership Development

Student Leadership Criteria

Standards

The College of New Jersey has established the following criteria in order for students to be eligible to hold leadership positions in student organizations.   The criteria must be met at the time of application to become a student leader and must be upheld throughout a student leader's entire term of office.

Students seeking to hold an Executive Board position in any TCNJ recognized student organization must at time of application:

• Have completed a minimum of twelve credits at TCNJ and be fully matriculated.
• Have a minimum 2.0 college reported cumulative grade point average.   Higher expectations for specific positions are noted below.
• Have served as a member of the respective organization for at least one year or have equivalent experience as determined by the organization's general membership.
• Be free of probation with restrictions in residence, college-wide disciplinary probation, or higher-level disciplinary sanctions (college-wide probation with restrictions, suspension or dismissal).

Executive Board positions shall be defined as the President, Vice President(s), Secretary and Treasurer (or equivalent titles), committee chairs and other officer positions as defined by each student organization's constitution.

A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for students seeking Executive Board positions in a governance organization, judicial board or college standing committee, defined for this policy as follows:

• Inter-Greek Council
• Residence Hall Association
• Student Finance Board
• Student Government Association
• Student Representatives to the Board of Trustees
• TCNJ (National) Panhellenic Council
• Academic Integrity Board
• All College Disciplinary Board
• Campus Activities Board
• Greek Judicial Board
• Residence Judicial Appeals Board
• Student Center Board of Governors
• Student leaders who are paid a stipend, defined for this policy as follows:
• College Union Board (Director, Finance Coordinator, Graphic Artist and Rathskeller Committee Co-Chairpersons)
• Inter Greek Council (President)
• Student Finance Board (Chairperson, Assistant Chairperson, Director of Finance and Junior Accountant)
• Student Government Association (President)
• The Signal (Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor)

Individuals who represent their organizations (listed below) in the Campus Activities Board, defined for this policy as follows:

• Asian American Association
• Black Student Union
• PRISM at TCNJ
• Inter Greek Council
• Islamic Society
• Jewish Student Union
• Off Campus Student Organization
• Residence Hall Association
• Student Finance Board
• Student Government Association
• Union Latina
• Women's Center

Plus twelve, annually rotating cluster representatives, identified and maintained by the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development.

The aforementioned standards are the minimum requirements of the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development to hold a student leadership position. Organizational requirements which exceed these standards shall remain in force.

Review Process

The academic standing of each prospective candidate requiring a minimum 2.5 college reported cumulative grade point average shall be reviewed by Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development staff prior to the election of new Executive Board members. The disciplinary status of each prospective candidate shall also be reviewed prior to the election of new Executive Board members by staff from the Office of Community Standards.   Students who do not meet the minimum criteria as outlined in this policy will not be eligible to assume the student leadership positions outlined in this policy.

It will be the responsibility of each student organization whose executive board member(s) require a minimum 2.5 college reported cumulative grade point average to provide the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development with the necessary information to review the student leadership criteria for all prospective candidates.   A list of all prospective candidates must be submitted to the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development at least two weeks prior to the selection of new Executive Board members for review.   The list should include the name and student identification number of each candidate and indicate the position for which they are applying.   The student organization president and advisor will be informed within two business days of any candidates failing to meet eligibility requirements.

Appeal Process

Any student who incurs a disciplinary sanction as noted in the Standards section of this policy or falls below the required grade point average while in office will be removed from her or his position immediately upon written notification from the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development or the Office of Community Standards. Removal from office will include loss of voting privileges and forfeiture of stipend commencing from the date of notification. This decision may be appealed.   Reinstatement of lost wages may not be appealed as the student leader would have been unable to fulfill her or his duties while removed from office.

Students found responsible through the campus judicial process of theft or mismanagement of organizational funds or college property will not be permitted to hold leadership positions within student organizations for the remainder of the time they are enrolled at The College. This decision may not be appealed.

Requests for exceptions to the aforementioned criteria, except as noted, must be dated and submitted in writing to the Student Government Association and SGA advisor, who will consult with Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development staff prior to rendering decisions on requests.   In the event of a request for an exception involving a Student Government Association position, the request must be dated and submitted in writing to the Campus Activities Board via the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development, who will consult with Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development staff. Approval or denial of a request for an exception by the Student Government Association or the Campus Activities Board is a final decision.   Approval of a request for an exception will result in an appeal hearing before either the Student Government Association or the Campus Activities Board.   The decision of the Student Government Association or the Campus Activities Board is final.   

All campus organizations will comply with The College of New Jersey Policy Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment and Procedures.

The Student Leadership Criteria will be reviewed every three years by the Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board.   Recommendations for changes must be submitted in writing to the Vice President of Student Affairs by the end of the fall semester for consideration and implementation by March 1 st of the following spring semester.