Club Recognition Policies & Procedures

Emerging Clubs 

  • Establishing Interest

    For clubs seeking recognition, please review the Club Recognition Guide. Additional details can be found below.

    To be considered for Emerging Club status, student organizations should complete the Emerging Club Recognition Form. After submission, the Recognitions Committee will review your materials. If approved, your organization will be marked as an emerging club and paired with a Wharton Council Recognition liaison, who will serve as a resource as your club develops toward future recognition.

    If you have any questions or would like to set up a meeting, please contact the current Recognitions Chair (mayaec@wharton.upenn.edu).

  • Benefits and Obligations

    Below is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits and obligations of an emerging club. 

    Benefits

    • A Wharton Council Recognition liaison. Your liaison will serve as your contact point for the Wharton Council, and will guide you through the recognition process. You are expected to be responsive to the liaison's requests.
    • Inclusion in the annual Wharton Council Booklet send out to all of the incoming first-years


    Obligations

    • Maintain at least 10 active members in the club
    • Establish a constitution, niche, and sustainability plans as preparations for trial recognition presentation. 
    • Submit the Club Leadership Change Form If your leadership changes at any point during the year.
 
 
 
 

Trial Recognition

  • Basic Criteria

    ● Your club should fulfill a unique niche within the Wharton community.

    New clubs should also be distinct from already existing clubs. If your idea for a club overlaps with a currently established club, contact the club leader in order to get involved.

    ● Your club should have a list of interested members and a constitution.

    In order to validate student interest in your club, please document the club membership with a signed list of at least 25 club members.

    Create a club constitution outlining your club’s mission and vision, area of business focus, organizational structure, plans for succession and types of activities.

    ● A simple majority of the club's executive board must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students.

    ● A simple majority of the club's committee(s) must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students.

  • Applying for Trial Recognition

    1. Meet with the WC Recognition Committee

    Once you have the sufficient documentation (constitution, list of members, list of board members), please contact the WC Recognitions Chair (see Contact page for info).

    A Recognitions Initiative representative will ensure that your club fulfills the above criteria and will help you prepare to apply for Trial Period Recognition.

    2. Prepare trial recognition materials

    Your presentation should include the following (more details will be provided by your recognition liaison):

    ● The mission and vision of your club

    ● Current student membership and plans for expansion

    ● Club board structure

    ● Ideas and plans for upcoming events (including one detailed description of a proposed event for the upcoming academic term)

    ● GBM engagement plan (see Recruitment policies for more information)

    ● External support (Does your club have a faculty advisor, corporate sponsorships, or any other affiliations within the Penn community?)

    ● Long-term goals and plans for sustainability

    ● Anticipated future challenges and solutions

    3. Ensure that your club follows the following policies BEFORE presenting

    ● At least 50% of the board must continue to be composed of Wharton students

    ● At least 50% of the committee members must continue to be composed of Wharton students

    ● Continue to maintain at least 25 active members in the club, defined as committee members and board members

    ● A club must maintain at least one treasurer and at least one president on its executive board, which can not be the same person

  • Voting Procedure

    ● Your club will then be scheduled a time to come to a Wharton Council Meeting to present for trial recognition.

    ● Executive board members will present to the full Wharton Council for up to 10 minutes followed by up to 5 minutes of Q&A.

    ● 50% of all WC members must be in favor for a club to be granted trial recognition. In case of absences, presentations will be video recorded. Absent WC members will review the presentations later and vote accordingly.

  • Appeals

    ● Clubs are allowed to do a trial recognition presentation twice. If denied both times, their last option is to file an appeal.

    ● Any club may file for an appeal up to 1 semester after a decision is rendered.

    ● The appeals committee will include the co-chairs, and the legacy committee chairs, except for the Recognitions chair. A 2/3 majority vote for the club to be recognized is required.

    ● Clubs will have to exit the pipeline if the appeal is denied and can only re-enter at the discretion of the Recognitions Chair.

    ● Decisions will be communicated to the clubs one week after the presentation.

    Appeals Presentation

    ● Club will be sent a detailed list of our concerns. At least one slide per concern. Since this varies, we won’t create an Appeals template.

    ● 15 minutes total: 10 minutes max for presentation. 5 minute Q&A.

  • Benefits and Obligations

    Below is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits and obligations of a trial recognized club. While they highlight the most important ones, please familiarize yourself with the entire set of relevant policies throughout this website to understand their full scope.

    Benefits

    • A Wharton Council liaison. Your liaison will serve as your contact point for the Wharton Council, and will be a resource for you throughout your trial period. You are expected to be responsive to the liaison's requests.
    • Inclusion in the annual Wharton Council Booklet send out to all of the incoming first-years
    • Access to Wharton Council contingency funding.
    • Guaranteed spot at the Wharton Council fall and spring Club Fair
    • Ability to reserve spaces within the Wharton buildings
    • Trial Period Recognition lasts for one year.

    Obligations

    • As a Trial Period Club, you will be required to hold 1 GBM and one independently run event per semester.
    • At least 50% of the board must continue to be composed of Wharton students.
    • At least 50% of the committee members must continue to be composed of Wharton students.
    • Continue to maintain at least 25 active members in the club, defined as committee members and board members.
    • A club must maintain at least one treasurer and at least one president on its executive board, which can not be the same person.
    • A club must also have a board member designated as GBM chair.
    • Your club must attend the following events: President’s/Treasurer’s Training, Beginning and End-of-Semester Coffee Chat with Wharton Council Liaison, and the semesterly Wharton Club Fair.
    • Your club must begin to track GBM attendance on Campus Groups
    • Your club must conduct its recruitment through the Wharton Centralised Club Application in adherence with the recruitment policies. Your club must also maintain a robust GBM program unless your club maintains a 100% acceptance rate.
    • You must follow all of the recruitment, finance, and other applicable policies of Wharton Council as outlined throughout this website and email communications.
    • Submit the Club Leadership Change Form If your leadership changes at any point during the year.
 
 
 
 
 

Full Recognition

  • Applying for Full Recognition

    ● After a year of Trial Period Recognition, you and your board may choose to present for Full Recognition before the entire Council.

    ● Evaluation will be based on your club’s adherence to its mission and vision and its performance throughout the year.

    ● To initiate this process, please contact your trial recognition liaison.

  • Voting Procedure

    ● Your club will schedule a time to come to a Wharton Council Meeting to present for full recognition.

    ● Executive board members will present to the full Wharton Council for up to 12 minutes followed by up to 8 minutes of Q&A.

    ● 66% (2/3) of all Wharton Council members must be in favor for a club to be granted full recognition. In case of absences, presentations will be video recorded. Absent WC members will review the presentations later and vote accordingly.

  • Appeals

    ● The appeals process will begin in the latter 4 weeks of an academic semester.

    ● Clubs must reach out to Recognitions Chair to express interest in the Appeals process within the same semester that they were denied full recognition

    1. If that window is missed, a club will have to reapply as an Emerging Club

    ● If the club has fulfilled all fundamental requirements of being a Wharton Council Recognized (i.e. GBM plan, 25+ members, Board requirements), they can proceed with the Appeals process.

    ● The Club will attend the Recognitions Committee meeting to present for 10 minutes to all members of the Wharton Council Recognitions Committee, including the Recognitions Chair, and The Director of Student Life.

    1. They can address the concerns outlined to them by the Council from the Full Recognition Presentation, explain the reasons why these concerns have been misconstrued, and why they wish to be a Fully Recognized Wharton club.

    ● The Recognitions Committee will ask questions for 5 minutes following the presentation.

    ● A vote is required for the club to be rewarded with ONE extended semester as a  Trial Recognized Club.

    1. The Club must spend at least ONE semester in Trial Recognition before reapplying for Full Recognition status.

    2. Following that ONE semester extension, the club must present as soon as possible within the first two months of the start of the academic semester.

    3. If the club does not present within two months after their ONE semester extension, the club is no longer in the Wharton Council pipeline.

    ● If the vote fails, the club is no longer in the Wharton Council pipeline and must reapply the following year as an Emerging Club.

    ● A Club can only request this Trial to Full appeal policy once in a 5-year time period.

  • Benefits and Obligations

    Below is a non-exhaustive list of the benefits and obligations of a fully recognized club. While they highlight the most important ones, please familiarize yourself with the entire set of relevant policies throughout this website to understand their full scope.

    Benefits

    • Authorization to utilize the Wharton name in your club's name as well as marketing.
    • Fully Recognized Clubs are eligible for a semester budget allocation as well as contingency funding.
    • Access to a @wharton.upenn.edu email for your club
    • Ability to request the presence of the Dean of Wharton at one club eent per year.
    • A Wharton Council liaison. Your liaison will serve as your contact point for the Wharton Council, and you are expected to be responsive to the liaison's requests.
    • Inclusion in the annual Wharton Council Booklet sent out to all of the incoming first-years.
    • Guaranteed spot at the Wharton Council fall and spring Club Fair
    • Ability to reserve spaces within the Wharton buildings

    Obligations

    • Continue to maintain at least 25 active members in the club, defined as committee members and board members.
    • A simple majority of the club's executive board must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students. 
    • A simple majority of the club's committee(s) must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students.
    • Must utilize 85% of budget allocated by the WC Finance Committee.
    • Hold at least 6-8 GBMs per semester (with either 25 attendees or 40% of general body), or 2 per month.
    • Your club must attend the following events: President’s/Treasurer’s Training, Coffee Chat with WC Liaison, and Club Fair (in the semester during which your club conducts recruitment).
    • Your club must track GBM attendance on Campus Groups
    • A club must maintain at least one treasurer and at least one president on its executive board, which can not be the same person. 
    • A club must also have a board member designated as GBM chair.
    • Your club must conduct its recruitment through the Wharton Centralised Club Application in adherence with the recruitment policies. Your club must also maintain a robust GBM program unless your club maintains a 100% acceptance rate.
    • You must follow all of the recruitment, finance, and other applicable policies of Wharton Council as outlined throughout this website and email communications.
    • A club must maintain an updated website and online presence. Campus Groups is a free service and is strongly recommended for hosting club websites. Because Campus Groups is offered as a complementary website hosting service for clubs, Wharton Council funding cannot be used for any other website hosting fees.
    • Clubs must submit the Club Leadership Change Form If your leadership changes at any point during the year.
 
 
 
 
 

De-Recognition

  • Criteria for De-Recognition

    ● Club Resources Committee has the power to nominate clubs for de-recognition to the Recognition Committee, if a club has violated a Wharton Council or Wharton Undergraduate Division policy.

    ● Examples of policy violations include but are not limited to:

    • Not attending the Wharton Club Fair or the President's/Treasurer's Workshop without notice
    • Not responding to WC liaison requests or communication
    • Club inactivity
    • Poor semester performance, as determined by WC liaison
    • Failure to comply with GBM engagement program

  • First Offense (Notice)

    ● A club that violates any part of our club requirements policy will receive an official email notice from the Council

    ● There are no material consequences to receiving a notice, but continued failure to comply with policies will result in a Second Offense

    ● Any and all financial violations (going into debt, etc.) will lead to a club being put directly on probation, foregoing notice

  • Second Offense (Probation)

    ● Continued behavior as described above within any two consecutive semesters will lead to the club being put on probation. Any and all financial violations (going into debt, etc.) will lead to a club being put directly on probation, foregoing notice.

    ● Club will not receive any Wharton Council funding for the semester following the declaration of probation. Additionally, any current Wharton Council funding will be frozen. However, club is still eligible for contingency funding (this funding will not be allowed to pay off any debts).

    ● Club leaders must attend a meeting with Council members to explain the current position of their club.

    ● Club will be closely monitored in following semesters in hopes of possible improvement.

  • Third Offense (Proposed De-Recognition)

    ● Should a club continue to express behavior that violates our Recruitment Policy, the club will be proposed for de-recognition.

    ● Club will be asked to state their case in front of the Council.

    ● Members of WC will vote with a 2/3 majority required for a de-recognition decision.

    ● If passed, clubs may no longer use the “Wharton” name, must notify members of the club’s status, lose space/room privileges, and may not reapply for recognition for a full year.

    ● All final decisions to propose a club for any step in the de-recognition process are up to the Council’s discretion.

  • Appeals

    ● A club may file for an appeal up to 1 month after a decision is rendered.

    ● If the Recognition Committee comes to a consensus stating that the club has valid reasoning for seeking re-recognition, the club is brought into a council wide meeting.

    ● For a club to be re-recognized after an appeal, 66% (2/3) of all Wharton Council members must approve, and the club will be placed under stricter supervision for a one-year period.