President and Vice President Resources

President and Vice President Resources

Congratulations on your new position! This new leadership opportunity should provide you with a lot of great experience. If you're not sure how to go about your new position, check out the resources below.

Valuable Links

Important Things to Remember

  • Your most recent copy of your constitution must be on file in the Student Activities Office.
  • All changes in Officer 1 must be submitted via NDCentral - for any questions regarding user access to NDCentral, contact Devon Sanchez-Ossorio at dsanche5@nd.edu.
  • The computers in the Club Resource Center are available to you free of charge by the Club Coordination Council. 
  • Club mail is delivered to your club mailbox in the Club Resource Center, and should be checked weekly. 
  • As President, you must ensure that the club is abiding by all policies and procedures.
  • All expenditures over $5,000 (total cost) require the approval of Financial Management Board in advance. See the Club Coordination Council for more information. 
  • If you need additional funds, contact the CCC for options on Contingency Appeals and the Council of Representatives Collaboration Fund.
  • All posters, flyers, etc. must be approved by the Student Activities Office before posting.

Co-Presidency Issues

As the demand for student leadership opportunities increase, groups are finding innovative ways to provide leadership positions.  The most common form of increasing leadership positions is to adopt a co-president concept.  The following information is provided to assist you with determining whether or not your group should adopt a co-president leadership role.

ADVANTAGES OF A CO-PRESIDENCY

  • Learn to collaborate.
  • Provides more students a leadership opportunity.
  • Provides members more accessibility to the president.

DISADVANTAGES OF A CO-PRESIDENCY

  • Your group could lack a central spokesperson.
  • Two leaders could result in increased miscommunication with members (i.e. sending mixed signals).
  • There could be the lack of a central leader to "rally around."
  • Decisions could take longer to make when you have two co-presidents.
  • Clubs, offices and other groups may have difficulty reaching a central spokesperson for your club.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Every group is unique.  Some clubs have been very successful by having two co-presidents.  With this in mind, here are some other notes you should keep in mind:

  • Avoid more than two co-presidents. Past experience has shown that group with more than 2 co-presidents have found difficulty in clearly achieving their goals.
  • If you want to appoint three or more presidents, consider appointing one person a CEO and have the rest of the officers as an officer board which provides input into all decisions on behalf of the group.
  • If you are considering a co-presidency, discuss these questions with your advisor.
    • Why do you want to have co-presidents?
    • Has the group ever had co-presidents in the past?
    • What potential conflicts can you foresee with co-presidents?
    • What will you do if the co-presidents disagree on an issue?
    • Does your constitution allow for a co-president?
    • Who will be the central spokesperson for the club should you need one?

For more information regarding developing a more effective and efficient organization, contact the Student Activities Office