● 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.

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

● At least 50% of the general members must also be composed of Wharton students.

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

● 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 Lee, 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.

● You will be assigned 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.

● Trial Period Recognition lasts for one year.

● 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 general members must continue to be composed of Wharton students.

● You are expected to fulfill all the expectations required of a fully recognized club, as outlined in the following sections.

● You will be assigned 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.

● Participate in the Wharton Undergraduate Leadership Forum (WULF) [Fall] and Club Leader Retreat [Spring].

● Attend the President's/Treasurer's Workshop

● Participate in the Wharton Clubbing Fair during any semester in which the club recruits new members

● Actively attend Office of Student Life Meetings with the Director of Undergraduate Student Life, Lee Kramer.

● A simple majority of the club's executive board must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students. (Policy goes into effect in Fall 2023)

● A simple majority of the club's committee(s) must be composed of Wharton undergraduate students. (Policy goes into effect in Fall 2023)

● 25+ club members are Undergraduate students of the University of Pennsylvania.

● Must utilize 75% of budget allocated by the WC Finance Committee.

● Hold at least one GBM per semester (with either 25 attendees or 40% of general body).

● Submit the Club Leadership Change Form If your leadership changes at any point during the year

● Continued behavior as described above for a second consecutive semester will lead to the club being put on probation. Any and all financial violations (going into debt, utilization below 85%, 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.