Skip to Content

Student Club Guidelines and Policies

Blue Ridge Community College’s Student Activities and Recreation Center serves as the primary avenue for student involvement including clubs and organizations, educational and recreational activities, community service, leadership, and fitness opportunities. In recognition of the contributions made by student Clubs/Organizations to the student experience, BRCC extends the following benefits:  

  • Dedicated support from staff in Student Activities
  • The ability to reserve space in designated BRCC buildings and other designated spaces outdoors. 
  • Participation in educational and leadership development programs facilitated by the College.
  • Ability to request funding from Student Activities 

The information below is intended to guide and inform club advisors, officers, members, faculty and staff during the planning and facilitation of programs and events throughout the academic year. The Director of Student Activities can be reached by email or by phone (richardsonc@brcc.edu, 540-453-2368)

The Student Leadership Council (SLC)

The SLC represents the rights, interests, and concerns of the student body, while cultivating meaningful interpersonal relationships among students, faculty, staff, and administration. As a council for student ideas and concerns, the SLC works in correlation with the College by planning, supporting, and facilitating programs that contribute to the enhancement of a holistic student experience. The Council meets monthly to discuss student/club concerns. The SLC takes concerns to college leadership as needed.

Policy and Guidelines

The following regulations and procedures apply to all student activity programs in the community colleges of the VCCS:

  • The entire program of student activities shall be under college supervision.
  • There shall be a faculty or staff advisor for each student organization. The faculty or staff advisor shall serve as a point of contact for college processes.
  • Students may hold an interest meeting to determine viability of club prior to obtaining a faculty advisor, under the supervision of Student Activities. Such organizations are not officially recognized and may not continue meeting without a faculty or staff advisor.
  • All student activity funds shall be deposited with and expended through the college business office, subject to State Board policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to such funds.
  • All student programs and recognized organizations must comply with the VCCS’s nondiscrimination policy, except as follows: Any recognized religious or political student organization shall be authorized to limit certain activities only to members who are committed to furthering the mission of such organization. Such activities include ordering the organization’s internal affairs, selecting the organization’s leaders and members, defining the organization’s doctrines, and resolving the organization’s disputes.
  • Pursuant to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a group will be considered political or religious if it: (a) articulates a clear political or religious purpose as its primary mission or a reasonable person would conclude that the group has such a purpose, and (b) its actual practices and operations support that articulated primary mission.
  • Private clubs, private associations, social fraternities, and social sororities will not be recognized by the VCCS.

Starting a Club and Administration of Clubs

Each club or organization must have a purpose statement approved by both their faculty/staff advisor and the Student Activities Director, to function and receive funds from the Office of Student Activities.

  1. All Clubs must complete the New Student Club/Organization Interest form.
  2. Clubs/Organizations must be approved by the Student Activities Director.
  3. Clubs/Organizations must always maintain a minimum of four currently enrolled BRCC students.
  4. Clubs/Organizations must have membership open to all students on campus, unless there’s an academic reason for limiting members (i.e. GPA requirements of PTK).
  5. Clubs/Organizations must assign at least one active member to attend the monthly Student Leadership Council (SLC) meeting.
  6. Each club should decide how their club leaders will be elected, what/how many positions are appropriate for the club, and how clubs should make decisions together. Some clubs may choose to be more formal than others, with 1-2 student members acting as Chair/Co-Chair and leading the club in meetings and planning.
  7. Clubs/Organizations must follow BRCC policies and guidelines. All students are encouraged to become familiar with college policies by visiting the student handbook at www.catalog.brcc.edu/
  8. No Club/Organization will require dues, unless approved by the Director of Student Activities.
    Phi Theta Kappa is a national honor society that has dues.
  9. A club will become inactive when it has less than 4 students serving as members for the current term. In an effort to assist clubs with regaining membership, the club will continue to be listed on the college website and other official listings. However, the club will be removed from the website and club listings when it has been inactive 2 consecutive semesters (not including summer semesters). Contact the Director of Student Activities if a Club/Organization is no longer active.
  10. It is the club’s responsibility to update the Student Activities Office with club leadership changes throughout the year.
  11. Movies: It is against Federal law to show any film (includes documentaries and TV shows) without following proper licensing procedures — no matter the admission is free or paid. Educational exemptions are not available for Student Activities or club events. For more information, contact the Student Activities Office. If your organization is interested in showing a film, but does not have adequate funding for the performance rights consider requesting financial support from the Student Activities Office.

Clubs might not be approved based on risk or other factors. While student clubs and organizations have their own merits, sometimes liability, risk or other factors preclude them from being offered as an official club at BRCC, and Administration reserves the right to decide whether to grant approval or not.

Any occurrences by a Club/Organization resulting in disciplinary action will be reviewed by the Director of Student Activities and the Dean of Students. Those who fail to abide by the policies and procedures set forth by the College may be subject to receiving minimum or no funding. Situations involving egregious violations or clubs with multiple violations may result in the club or organization losing recognition.

Faculty/Staff Advisors

Faculty/Staff advisors need to be involved and participate in club meetings, and club outings/activities.  . The advisor’s role is to ensure that students are following policy and procedure, and provide guidance to encourage wise decision making. Decision making related to the club’s activities, goals, and expenditures should ultimately be the responsibility of the students.

Club Spending

  1. The Student Activity director processes the budgets for all student organizations.
  2. All clubs receive $1000 for the fiscal year (July 1-June 30). If a club wants additional funding, this is available on a first come, first serve basis and can be requested via the Club Fund Request Form on an as needed basis. The Student Activities Director and Vice President of Finance & Administration will approve additional funds.
  3. Club Advisors are required to submit requests for purchases at least ten days in advance so that the Business Office can process the requests.
  4. Club members and advisor are accountable for the spending of their budget. At the end of each semester, the allocation will be reviewed.
  5. Fundraising efforts must be approved by the Director of Student Activities along with the Vice President of Finance and Administration. This Student Organization Fundraising form (login required) needs to be completed and sent to the Student Activities Director. All funds raised at a fundraiser event must be delivered to the BRCC’s cashier’s office within a 24-hour period.
  6. Money that has not been spent by the end of the fiscal year (June 30) will NOT be carried over to the next year.
  7. Expenditure of Club/organization money must adhere to the stated mission/topic of the Club. Funds should support activities geared toward club unity and items for long-term Club/Organization use. Funds can be used for refreshments; however, the cost of food cannot exceed the state per diem, including tip.
  8. Food/Drink purchases: Clubs and organizations may serve food at an event (with the exception of alcohol). When ordering the food and/or drink from club fund budget, purchase requests need to be sent to the Student Activities Dept at A MINIMUM 7 days prior to the food event. Students and Advisors will not be reimbursed for food (or any) purchases. A Business Meal Approval Request Form must have been completed ahead of time. Please contact student activities assistant to request food and drink for club events: clubpurchase@brcc.edu or 540-453-2575.
  9. Non-Food/Drink purchases: When ordering anything non-food related, such as supplies, services, trips, dues, etc- reimbursements are NOT allowed. Please contact student activities assistant to request club funded purchases: clubpurchase@brcc.edu  or 540-453-2575.

Space Reservations

  1. Club members should contact the Club Advisor if rooms or space on campus are needed for events. The Club Advisor must submit a reservation request on AdAstra at least one week in advance. Instructional activities take first precedence for scheduling purposes.
  2. The Club Advisor must submit a Building & Grounds Facility Request at least a week in advance if tables, chairs, or special set-ups are needed for an event. The Club Advisor must submit requests for technology (login required) at least a week in advance.

Club Traveling or Physical Activity

  1. All club/organizational members must complete and sign an Assumption of Risk form for each trip.
  2. Advisors must attend any travel sponsored by the Club/Organization. If the advisor is unable to attend, the advisor must identify another BRCC employee who will accompany the group. All club/organization travel must be related to the club topic.
  3. Students are not allowed to drive a state vehicle, Approved BRCC faculty/staff can use a state vehicle for club-related travel if the employee is driving the vehicle. Vehicle reservations (login required) must be made at least a week in advance.

Promoting Events or Club Meetings

Bulletin Boards (Houff and Rec Center): All registered and approved Clubs/Organizations can post flyers about upcoming events/activities on the bulletin boards designated for student club use. Only post flyers on the bulletin boards and do not tape to walls, windows, entry/exit doors, or bathroom stalls. If an event/activity is only open to current club members, please use internal communication to share that information and please do not post a flyer for the public to see.

Club Day: Student Activities hosts a Club Fair at the beginning of each semester. Each Club/Organization interested in participating will have an assigned table in the event space in the Recreation Center (or other location). This event provides Clubs with the opportunity to display what they offer to the student body.

Emails: The Public Relations department will promote club activities and events monthly. The activities will be posted to the events calendar and sent in a monthly email to all students. In order to advertise an event within the monthly student event email, event info must be submitted to Public Relations Director a month in advance. If clubs wish to advertise an event in other ways, they need to work though the Director of Student Activities.

Official College Communication

Students are not authorized to speak on behalf of the College.  The Student Club and/or Activity shall take affirmative steps in all its recruitment, business, and other dealings with third parties (including, for example, prospective members and businesses) to properly explain its relationship with the college. The Student Club and/or Activity shall, without exception, include the following statement in the Student Club and/or Activity’s correspondence, messages, contracts, publications, websites, and other written or internet communications:   

This organization has members who are Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) students and may have college employees associated with or engaged in its activities and affairs. These individuals are not spokesperson for the College but rather express their personal views.

All statements or communications from the College are officially sanctioned and coordinated through the Director of Public Relations. Please contact the Director of Public Relations with media questions.

The Student Code of Conduct applies to those engaged in Clubs/Organizations and associated activities. The Code can be found in the BRCC Catalog. Clubs/Organizations should also review the College’s Expressive Activities website for additional information.

College Closing: All events are cancelled when the college is closed.