EVENTS WHERE ALCOHOL IS BEING SERVED

When do I need to hire security at my event?

See the Albany Law School Student Handbook at pages 76-77 for the rules on events where alcohol is present. The Student Handbook may be found on your Albany Law School Portal.

“For events where alcohol will be present, the host organization must employ one uniformed security guard if it is estimated that there will be 75 or more persons in attendance. If it is estimated that the event will attract more than 250 persons at one time and that number will remain longer than one hour, two security guards must be employed.”

“Events with 250 or more persons in attendance, one security guard must be at the bar and one security guard must be at the door.”

Students must complete a Student Event Alcohol Form.

Please note that this FAQ response is not a complete depiction of Albany Law School Student Affairs policies. If you should require any further information, please consult the Student Handbook or reach out to Andrea Irizarry and/or Owen Collier.

1. Gather an e-board. You may determine the positions, however, you must have a President and Treasurer.
2. Recruit an advisor. Ask a faculty member to be an advisor for your club.
3. Create your bylaws/charter/constitution. Feel free to use the current bylaws on the SBA Canvas page as a template.
   1. Your charter must have:
      1. Statement of Non-Discriminatory Policy  
      2. Statement of Purpose 
      3. At a minimum, provisions for the positions of President and Treasurer  
   2. Your Bylaws or Constitution must have:
      1. Elections Procedure 
      2. Eligibility for Elections 
      3. Impeachment Procedure for Officer or Member 
      4. Causes for Impeachment of Officer or Member 
      5. Process in which a Member of the Group Becomes an Active Member 
4. Submit a New Organization Request. Submit all of the above information to SBA through the New Organization Request form on the website.
5. Attend the next SBA meeting. A representative for your new club must attend the next SBA meeting to present your club. You will give a small speech about the purpose and the events you hope to have, then you will field some questions for the SBA Senate. At the meeting, during the executive session, SBA Senate members will vote on whether to allow the creation of your club. Within 24 hours you will receive an email informing you whether your club was approved.

Mandatory Event Planning Meetings

What if my organization does not have two officers for the fall semester?

• Per Bylaw Eight Subsection (1)(c), for student organizations to continue to be recognized by the Student Bar Association, there must be at least a President and Treasurer, or their equivalents (i.e., Chair, Chief Justice), provided under your organization’s charter.  Failure to fill both these positions pursuant to your organization’s charter means you are in violation of your organization’s charter.  If your organization does not fill these positions, and continues to violate the charter, Bylaw Eight empowers the Student Bar Association Senate to revoke your organization’s recognition. 
• If you are concerned about your organization’s adherence to Student Bar Association policies, please reach out to Max Sevor (SBAPresident@albanylaw.edu) and/or Noah Jacobs (SBAvp@albanylaw.edu).

Which of my organization’s officers must/may attend this meeting?

• If there are at least two officers of your organization attending this meeting, you have met the requirement.  However, we HIGHLY ENCOURAGE your President, Treasurer, and other officers to attend this meeting.  There will be discussion of critical requirements your organization must meet to hold events for the fall and spring semesters.

What if none of my organization’s officers can attend the times listed on the Excel sheet?

• If none of the times listed on the Excel sheet work for at least two of your officers to attend via Zoom, please contact Andrea Irizarry (airiz@albanylaw.edu) and Owen Collier (ocoll@albanylaw.edu) in a separate email.

Adding Members to Official Organization Roster

Why should I give SBA my organization’s official membership?

• One of the many considerations during the SBA Senate’s budget process is the total amount of official members that are a part of a student organization.  It is one thing for an organization to claim they have X amount of recipients on an email list and an entirely different thing to say that the organization has an official roster of members.  In other words, an email list is not the same as the actual membership of a student organization.  Having an accurate, updated list of members shared with SBA is beneficial to any student organization.
• SBA is responding to student concerns about being included on student organization emails that they no longer wish to receive.  By keeping an updated roster of members, SBA can help coordinate the removal of members from student organization rosters.   

How do I add official members to my student organization?

• Under “Your Org’s Roster” on the SBA website, you may input the list of your organization’s official members.  Each time you use this form, please include your entire membership.

What if my organization wishes to host an event prior to February 4th?

The budget request will be considered one for reimbursement.  Please keep in mind the above list of limitations and items that SBA does not fund in spending money prior to budget approval.  It is not guaranteed that any event prior to this date will be reimbursed as the Senate has the discretionary ability to fund or not fund any event.   This also applies to holding events like past events; funding is not guaranteed.

Furthermore, if your organization does host an event prior to February 4th, and your organization is requesting reimbursement from SBA, you must supply the Executive Treasurer with updated expenditures following the event no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the February 4th budget meeting. See SBA Bylaw Ten § 7(a)(i).

What if my organization collects dues?

Per Bylaw Eight § 5, “[d]uring the budgeting process each semester, a group imposing special dues must place within its budget request a section containing the specific amount of dues to be collected from each member of the group, whether there has been an increase over the previous semester, and the reasons for the imposition of such dues.”

Now that the budget process has changed, what should I expect?

In November 2023, SBA amended Bylaw Ten to tweak the budget process. Many of the amendments centered around altering the budget process to create a more equitable budget for all SBA-Chartered Organizations.

Due to these amendments, the Finance Committee will be making initial cuts to SBA-Chartered Organizations’ requests to be either approved, amended, or denied by the SBA Senate at-large. Therefore, between the day the “proposed budget bill” is published and the day of the SBA Senate’s budget meeting, you might see that your organization’s request was amended from what was initially submitted. Please keep in mind that the amendments the Finance Committee may make before the budget meeting are NOT FINAL. The entire SBA Senate has the final say on the entire budget.

General Interest Meetings will now be funded at $60.00 per semester.

How do event reports factor into reimbursement or check requests, and how do I submit one?

Per Bylaw Nine §§ 6(d)–(e), event reports must accompany requests for reimbursement and must include information relating to the number of attendees, how the event went, if the event is held annually, if and how much food/beverage were leftover, what modifications the current board might recommend to a future board if the event were to be held again, and what the total budget allotted and used for the event was.

According to Bylaw Nine § 6(h)(i), if an SBA-Chartered Organization fails to submit an event report prior to the applicable deadline (see the body of the June email about end-of-week requests for reimbursements – meaning the “applicable deadline” is also the end of the week that the event was held during), the organization may be subject to sanctions.  These sanctions may include, but are not limited to, revocation of all or part of SBA funds, suspension of your organization’s charter, or revocation of your organization’s charter.  Therefore, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU SUBMIT EVENT REPORTS WITH YOUR REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS.  Alternatively, if you requested an advance check for an event, the event report must still be submitted for your organization to continue to receive funding for future events and maintain its charter.

Event reports may be submitted on the events page.  These are automatically sent to us, similar to your budget requests.

Do I need to prepare a presentation with my organization’s requests for the Senate?

No, not necessary.  The Senate received your organization’s request in full and any amendments that have been made.  Requests have also been supplemented by past funding information where applicable.  The requests have been put into a PowerPoint format already and this will be on display while your organization presents.

What do I need to present if the Senate has my organization’s requests?

Because the SBA Finance Committee is making proposed funding allocations this weekend and these allocations will be sent out to the student body before the budget meeting on February 4th, the presentations serve as a time for each organization to advocate for events they feel should receive more funding, or for an organization to ask that some events be prioritized over another, if necessary, as we do not have the money to fund all events in full.  Additionally, presenters should be prepared to answer questions about events.  These questions might ask for more specific details, for more background, or whether your organization is prioritizing a certain event, for example.  The Senators will already be knowledgeable about what events each organization would like to have, but this allows the Senate a chance to further decide how to best allocate resources this semester.

Do I need to present my organization’s request for multicultural cabaret?

No.  Azad Kurd and the SBA Diversity Committee will be presenting the budget request during the meeting since they were filed under the committee.

How to Submit a Budget Request

Budget requests must be submitted on the budgeting page.  This is the only method by which clubs and organizations may request funding.  These forms will automatically be received by the SBA Treasurer email.  If you must make adjustments after a request is submitted, please email SBATreasurer@albanylaw.edu.  To avoid potential miscommunication and confusion, please try to submit budgets with as much detail as possible in a close-to-final version so that we can try to avoid as many alterations as possible (although they are bound to occur).

Information Needed for a Budget Request per Bylaw Ten § 3(c)

• Name of the Requesting Entity
• Two points of contact (names, emails, phone numbers)
  • Please see below for our new policy for co-sponsored events
• How many events your organization intends on hosting for the semester
• Total amount of funds requested
• The name of each event your organization is hosting
• At most a thirty (30) day window in which the event might be held
  • If your organization has already received approval from Student Affairs and Administrative Services for a specific date/time, this may be listed
• What type of items you intend to buy for each event; items may include but are not limited to:
  • Food
  • Beverages (MUST specify whether they contain alcohol)
  • Decorations
  • Deposits
  • Entertainment (MUST specify what kind)
  • Venues
  • Catering
  • Equipment (MUST specify what kind)
  • Prizes, including gift cards (MUST specify what kind)
• Total amount of funding requested for each individual event
• If you are receiving outside funding
  • If so, from where and how much is anticipated
• Whether the event has been held in the past
  • If so, please include how many attendees there were, how much of the event SBA funded, if any outside organization provided any funding, and if there are changes being made to the event
• Dues that members of your organization are charged, if any
• Account balance if your organization has a bank account

SBA’s “Do Not Fund” List & Set Limitations per Bylaw Ten § 9

SBA does not fund:

• Outside speakers (speaking fees, etc…)
• Engravings for awards
• Hotels
• Merchandise (unless fronting the money for a fundraiser)
• Travel
• Anything for Non-ALS Students (food, drink, entry fees, etc…), unless they are guests at an SBA Senate Event
• Tax – tax exemption forms must be obtained from the Business Office prior to purchases
• Closed-Door Events
  • Defined as “those events which are explicitly restricted to club members only; or those events that don’t allow for equal footing of participation between members and non-members of the club.”
• Deposits for kegs

Set Limitations on Funding:

• The Senate will only fund one (1) General Interest Meeting per semester, up to $60
• Up to 20% tips
• Delivery Fees deemed reasonable, considering the following:
  • Could a member of the requesting entity pick up the items rather than having them delivered?
  • How expensive is the delivery?
  • Was something ordered from far away that could have been ordered locally?
• Gift Cards and Prizes up to $75.00 total a semester in any increment allotted
• Bottle Deposits in full
• Equipment, including board games, if they are deemed reasonable under the discretion of the Senate while meeting the following requirements:
  • Open for school-wide use
  • Able to be checked-out by organization’s president
  • The president is required to “lease out” the equipment unless there is an unavoidable conflict, such as a game or practice during which that equipment is in use

Requirements & Considerations for Popular and Co-sponsored Events

• For co-sponsored events, one organization will be required to be the “lead” organization and provide a singular point of contact for questions and communications pertaining to that event.
  • For example, if four organizations are co-sponsoring an event, they will collectively choose one individual to represent the event on behalf of all four organizations.
• For popular events, such as panels, trivia nights, etc., we ask that each organization consider consolidating these events and partnering with other campus organizations to host them.  This enables the Senate to provide more funding and avoid too many repeat events.
• For events such as General Interest Meetings, please attempt to stay under the $65 limit and consider steering away from lots of pizza.  This past year we funded hundreds of dollars’ worth of GIM pizzas.  We are trying to steer away from this for a few reasons:
  • Students have indicated that they’d like less money to be spent on pizza.
  • Instances where low attendance have led to an abundance of leftovers.
  • While the Senate cannot control what type of food is ordered, often students with dietary restrictions are not considered and/or left out when pizza is the sole food ordered for GIMs.

Important Dates & Times for the Budget Process 

Per the Bylaws, the funding process for the Spring 2024 Semester will proceed as follows:  

• December 16, 2023 – The Executive Treasurer will send another notice to all SBA-Chartered Organizations, committees, and their presidents with this information, updating anything if it has changed (Bylaw Ten § 1). 
• Week of January 16, 2024 – The Executive Treasurer, along with members of the SBA Executive Board and school administration, will host a MANDATORY MEETING.  At least one member from your organization must attend for your organization to receive funding (Bylaw Ten § 2), but it is highly recommended that both your organization’s president/chair and treasurer attend.  Please keep an eye out for a date, time, and location of this meeting and appropriately mark it in your calendar.  SBA hopes to include this information in an email on December 16^th and will send a reminder closer to the date as well.  We will be taking attendance.
• Friday, January 19, 2024, by 11:59 PM – BUDGETS ARE DUE FOR THE SEMESTER (Bylaw Ten § 3).  Extensions will only be granted in extenuating circumstances or previously agreed-upon circumstances.    
• Weekend of January 27–28, 2024 – The Executive Treasurer will convene the SBA Finance Committee to review budgets and make initial funding allocations in alphabetical order of each organization (Bylaw Ten § 4).  These initial allocations will be determined by reviewing Event Report Forms for events that have been held previously, assessing the state of the Student Activity Fund, and a Requesting Entity’s past expenditures. During this time, we may reach out to the contacts on the funding request if we have any questions or need any additional information.
• January 28, 2024 – The SBA Finance Committee will finalize the budget of each requesting entity.  A proposed Budget Bill will be distributed to all Requesting Entities and the SBA Senate for review prior to the Budget Meeting.  This proposed Bill will contain whether the Finance Committee has recommended approving requests in part or in full and will be accompanied by minutes of the meeting for review.
• February 4, 2024 – SBA BUDGET MEETING.  Please keep an eye out for further information, but one individual from your organization must be available to present your organization’s budget to the SBA Senate (Bylaw Ten § 7(d)(i)(1)).  The schedule for presenters will be determined by requests to present at a specific time, whether the same individual is presenting on behalf of multiple organizations, and whether organizations request to present in tandem, amongst other factors.  The SBA Senate will then vote on whether to approve or amend the proposals made by the Finance Committee.
• February 5–6, 2024 – All Requesting Entities will be notified of whether their request(s) has/have been approved in part or in full via the Senate-approved Budget Bill (Bylaw Ten § 10).  
• February 6­–7, 2024 – If funding was denied or Requesting Entities need additional funding, Requesting Entities may begin the appeal process or request additional funding on this date pursuant to Bylaw Ten § 10(b)(iii) and Bylaw Ten §§ 3, 4.  Any Requesting Entity undergoing the Appeal Process for any event that received no funding must submit appeals no later than 11:59 PM on February 7, 2024.  Requests for additional funding for partially or full-funded events may be made throughout the semester until the last Senate meeting.
• April 30, 2024 – ALL REQUESTS FOR ADVANCE CHECKS AND REIMBURSEMENTS DUE.  Requests for reimbursement and advance checks must be submitted by the last day of classes, no later than 12:00 PM to be considered.  If your organization plans to hold an event during the final exam period, please plan accordingly. Generally, to avoid delay and ensure we can provide additional funding to organizations in emergencies, please submit all requests for reimbursements by the end of the week of an event. While this is not in the Bylaws, this helps ensure that students who spend their own money are reimbursed as soon as possible and allows me, the Finance Committee, the Business Office, and Student Affairs to remain as on top of things as possible.

You may submit your end-of-year report via this form.

1. The current executive board of an SBA-chartered organization must submit the names and contact information for the newly elected or appointed executive board to the Senate to remain active for the next academic year.  
   1. All submissions must be emailed to the Executive Secretary prior to the last day of classes for the spring semester.    

Currently chartered organizations that fail to submit the information required in subsection (a) prior to the deadline will be placed on probation and have their fundraised funds frozen. 

1. Any currently chartered organization on probation may be deemed active and regain its fundraised funds if it submits the information required in subsection (a) no later than five school days prior to the fall budget meeting.  
2. If the required information is not submitted prior to the deadline, the organization shall be deemed inactive and have its fundraised funds frozen. 
3. Fundraised funds shall remain frozen for the fall semester, after which time the funds will be deemed forfeited.  
4. Forfeited funds shall be rolled into the student activity fund for the spring semester.  

Appealing the freezing of fundraised funds:

1. Inactive organizations that feel their fundraised funds were improperly frozen may request a reconsideration in one of the following ways:  
   1. Presenting the Executive Secretary a petition with the valid signatures of twenty-five percent (25%) of the student body, demanding reconsideration; or 
   2. Presenting a written request signed by ten members of the Senate. 
2. To be reconsidered, petitions or requests shall be presented to the Executive Secretary no later than the last day of classes for the fall semester.   
3. No organization shall receive more than one reconsideration.  
4. A majority vote of the present Senate is required for reallocation of frozen fundraised funds upon reconsideration.  
5. An organization that is reallocated its fundraised funds upon reconsideration shall be deemed active and not required to submit a new charter. 

Reporting Requirements for SBA-Chartered Organizations. 

1. All SBA-chartered organizations are required to submit a yearly report, which can be submitted between the organization’s last event and the end of the last final of the spring semester. 

2. The purpose of this policy is to develop and maintain a system of event and yearly reports that serve as a record for student organizations. Its primary function is to assist student organizations in assessing their organization’s events and structure each year. A secondary function is to assist the SBA in fulfilling its purposes outlined in the preamble of the SBA Constitution. The overall intent is that SBA-Chartered Organizations will use the information to improve the purpose, efficiency and operation of their respective organizations.  

3. The yearly report shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: 
   1. Outgoing officers (if applicable); 
   2. Incoming officers (if applicable); 
   3. Number of members; 
   4. Identify which event had the biggest impact on the organization this year; and 
   5. Total Budget allocated and used for each semester