Guidelines for Student Organizations

How it works

The Dean’s Office connects you to campus facilities so your meeting, workshop, or event lines up with university policy. Send your request in writing with the event purpose, headcount, and any tech needs — at least two weeks out.

The rules, fast

Step by step

1. Reserve space in the Engineering Center: email Jack Allen at johallen@fiu.edu and ask for the Student Organization Event and Space Request Form. Send it at least two weeks in advance.
2. EC classroom reservations go through reservespace.fiu.edu.
3. Want a Facilities cost breakdown? Ask Jack and he’ll send the latest list.

After you submit

We’ll confirm your space or suggest an alternative. A friendly reminder a few days before the event helps everyone stay on the same page. If anything changes, tell us right away.

Day-of

Show up early to check the setup. Stick to your booked time. Leave the room clean — that’s how your org earns the kind of reputation that gets future requests approved fast.

A great event starts with a clear plan and ends with a clean room. Here’s how we get there together.

Plan & get approval

Draft a short proposal that covers the event’s goal, schedule, logistics, audience, external guests, and any security or support needs. Send it to the Dean’s Office at least two weeks ahead.

Stay compliant

Your event needs to follow university policies on safety, student conduct, and FIU branding. We’ll walk you through anything that needs adjusting.

How we help

Think of the Dean’s Office as your behind-the-scenes connector. We’ll loop in facilities, catering, security, or whoever else you need so the logistics don’t bottleneck your idea.

Free food keeps people in the room. Here’s how to order it the right way.

Submit at least two weeks ahead

Send Jack the following so he can place the order:

• A copy or link to the event flyer or webpage.
• Why food and drinks belong at this event.
• A short written statement on how the event benefits FIU.
• An itemized receipt for every purchase.
• A full attendee list (names + PIDs) right after the event.

These vendors already accept FIU’s tax-exempt orders on a university card. Use them and skip the paperwork friction.

For full catering options, ask Jack for the latest list of FIU preferred caterers.

Build the plan

Every fundraiser needs Dean’s Office approval. Put together a plan with the type of fundraiser, the audience you’re targeting, and your financial goal. We’ll check it for conflicts with existing university fundraisers and policy issues, then green-light you to launch.

If FIU Foundation donations cover expenses

Send us all of these:

1. Event flyer or announcement.
2. Purpose of the event.
3. How the event benefits FIU.
4. Attendee list with names, credentials, and FIU affiliations.
5. Receipt or invoice for the purchase.

Fundraising events

After the event

Send a brief financial report to the Dean’s Office. Tell us how much you raised and how you’ll use it. This builds trust with the university and makes future approvals easier.

Where the money lives

• Registered student orgs can access funds through RSOC and a limited College of Engineering and Computing discretionary fund.
• You can chase donations from industry partners and philanthropic groups for events, supplies, travel, and outreach — as long as you follow the Fundraising Procedures for Student Organizations Manual, the RSOC manual, and FIU policies.
• Want monthly finance reports for the college funds available to student orgs? Ask Jack and we’ll share them. Day-to-day accounting stays with your org.

Conferences, competitions, networking trips — they’re some of the best things your org will do. They also need lead time.

Plan & get approval

Build an itinerary with dates, destinations, and the trip’s purpose. List your travelers, estimate the costs, and outline how you’ll cover them. Your point person for travel has yet to be determined and will be communicated as soon as that information is available.

Helpful forms

Jack or your designated travel assistant will share the latest links to all of these:

• FIU Student Travel Form Guide
• Travel Manual
• FIU Business Purpose template
• User Reference Guide for Rental Vehicles
• Pricing Table Template
• FIU Group Travel Template
• Unavailable Receipt Form
• Lost Receipt Form
• Travel Reimbursement Checklist

Safety first

Travel plans must follow university policy. The Dean’s Office may ask travelers to sign waivers or attend a pre-trip session. Build that time into your timeline.

After the trip

Send a short report covering what came out of the trip — wins, connections, and how it pushed your org’s mission forward. Include your agenda or program, hotel folio, and any travel receipts.

Partnerships multiply your reach. Loop us in early so they multiply it the right way.

Starting the relationship

Tell the Dean’s Office before you reach out to a company, nonprofit, or community partner. We’ll make sure the partnership matches FIU values and won’t create a conflict of interest. We can also introduce you to industry leaders, local businesses, and community orgs we already work with.

Keeping it healthy

Once a partnership is live, keep us in the loop. Quick updates help us spot opportunities and head off issues before they grow.

Fundraising Deep-Dive

This section is for the orgs running real sponsorship asks. FIU Foundation has a legal duty to track every dollar that comes in, so the steps below keep everyone covered.

Start six months out

Work with the FIU department or college employee tied to your org and your budget manager. Ideal kickoff: six months before your event. Hard cutoff: 90 days out.

Know these four people

Solicitation materials

Every event needs solicitation pieces — a flyer, a webpage, a Foundation email, something. Use the same solicitation language across every piece. Inconsistency creates compliance issues.

Sponsorship packages, FMV, and you

Most sponsorship tiers blend a charitable piece and a non-charitable piece. The non-charitable piece equals the Fair Market Value (FMV) of what the sponsor receives back — tickets, food, swag. FMV gets Miami-Dade sales tax (7%). The charitable piece may be tax-deductible to the sponsor.

If your event isn’t free, send FIUF the documentation it needs to calculate FMV and tax — catering invoices, vendor quotes, etc.

Work with your Department or College Lead on the package itself. That person partners with Finance to set the Foundation Project # where the funds will land. New project ID? Your Department/College Lead starts the paperwork.

Sample sponsorship breakdown

Even when there’s no quid pro quo, you still need to walk through this process.

Required solicitation language

Foundation Event Intake Form

Once your sponsorship package is locked in, your Department Lead initiates the Foundation Event Intake Form. The form must be done at least one (1) month before the event. Department ORG # and Foundation Project # come from your Department Finance Team. The form auto-routes to the Department ORG approvers, then to the Foundation Finance Team and Foundation Gift Services. Everyone gets a copy when it’s approved.

Purchases for an event or activity

When your officers ask the dept/college liaison to place orders for supplies, catering, or anything else, give them:

• Event flyer or announcement.
• Purpose of the event.
• Benefit to FIU.
• Attendee list with credentials — tentative before, confirmed after.

Handling checks and credit card donations

This is the playbook for getting your event in front of CEC students through the channels we run.

These guidelines exist so every CEC org can promote events without flooding inboxes. Follow the rules, hit your timing, and your message goes out the door.

CEC college-wide listserv

ELIGIBLE — YES, SEND THESE

INELIGIBLE — FIND ANOTHER CHANNEL

You cannot email CEC-maintained listservs directly from your own account. Need to reach a specific major? Contact that academic department’s administrators directly.

How to submit a listserv request

1. Email Jack Allen and CC your faculty advisor.
2. Send it at least three (3) business days before the event start. Seven business days is the sweet spot — that gives us time to circulate three to five days out.
3. Include event date, start and end times, location, point-of-contact name and email, whether food or refreshments are provided, and a registration or meeting link if applicable.
4. Optional: a flyer (one file, max 1 MB, clean image — distorted or skewed flyers will be rejected) and a one-line purpose statement (e.g., "Join us to meet the executive board, learn about [your org] and upcoming activities, and connect with peers in [field].").

How often you can use the listserv

Each CEC org gets up to four distinct events per academic year on the college-maintained listserv. We’re protecting subscribers from listserv fatigue. Reminders don’t go out, so make your one shot count.

Other channels worth using

YOUR OWN DIGITAL PRESENCE

Run social media. Build a website. Use your own email list. These channels never run out.

CEC INTERNAL NEWSLETTER

The college marketing team sends an internal newsletter to CEC students every two weeks during the academic year. To get in: contact the CEC marketing team (especially Annette Gonzalez) at least seven business days but no later than three business days before your event. Use the same details as the listserv request. The marketing team may tweak the language for clarity.

COMMON-AREA TV SCREENS

Want your flyer on the TVs in the EC hallways or Panther Pit? Email Jack Allen between seven and three business days ahead with:

• A 16:9 flyer or video (1920 × 1080 recommended).
• A signage expiration date and time.

Materials that don’t meet these specs will be rejected — better to fix it now than scramble the day-of.

Build your own LISTSERV

Want a dedicated mailing list for your subscribers? Open a ticket with the EIC Help Desk (engineering orgs) or KFSCIS IT support (computing orgs). Send them your subscriber list, then keep it maintained. Always let people unsubscribe. Keep discussions respectful.

We can’t share student email addresses with you — but you can build your own list with sign-in sheets at every event.

11 · Logo & Branding

Your visual identity matters. So does FIU’s. Here’s the line.

FIU’s branding rules apply to your org

Read the full FIU logo policy before you design anything. The college’s brand standards apply to student orgs the same way they apply to departments.

Designing your own logo

Make a logo that captures your org’s personality. The only catch: you can’t use FIU’s registered marks (like the official university logo) inside your design. The one exception is the approved student organization logo.

Want the full breakdown? Search for the FIU Student Organization Branding Guide PDF — it covers everything you can and can’t do.

12 · How the Dean’s Office Has Your Back

We’re a resource, a connector, and a teammate. Use us early.

Guidance & oversight

We help you navigate university policy, plan events, and engage with the community. Our job is to keep your activities aligned with the bigger mission of CEC and FIU — and to clear roadblocks before they slow you down.

Build the relationship

The orgs we work best with bring clear intentions, detailed plans, and real respect for the people supporting them. Ask for advice. Share credit. Treat us like teammates.

When things get hard

Funding gaps. Last-minute event changes. Partnerships that hit a wall. Tell us what’s going on. The faster we know, the more we can do.