Student Group Leader Resources
Graduate students can enhance their leadership skills and career readiness competencies by becoming an officer of an Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E) recognized graduate student group. Outlined below are resources for AS&E student group leaders and policies to note.
Become a Recognized Graduate Student Group
Recognized student groups have access to advising support from the GEPA office, ability to reserve space on the River Campus for their programs, and the ability to request funding for events and initiatives from the student activity fee funds.
If you’re interested in forming a new grad group or seeking recognition from the AS&E GEPA office to become an active group, please review the guidelines below.
To be considered for recognition, your group must:
- Not be closely redundant in mission to any student group(s) already actively recognized
- Have 50 percent or more officers and active members that are current AS&E graduate students
- Attend the Student Activity Fair (typically near or during orientation in the fall) as well as various leadership and policy trainings offered by the GEPA office
- Not have undergraduate students as group officers or primary event organizers
- Open up events and activities to ALL AS&E graduate students
- Actively use the CCC, including posting all events to promote to all AS&E grads
- Agree to follow all University policies
If you wish to seek AS&E graduate recognition, please email Katie Ferruzza, assistant director of student services at k.ferruzza@rochester.edu to express interest AND complete the .
Campus Community Connection (CCC) Support
Using the (CCC) is an easy and effective way for student groups to engage with students including:
- Event support: Post, manage, promote, track attendance, and request feedback on events
- Showcase your group: Create a personalized website, upload photos, documents, and more
- Manage membership: Students can request to join as members and you can appoint officers within the CCC
- Communicate: Easily email/contact group members, create newsletters or email templates to send via the CCC
Most of the information you need to know about the CCC can be found on the . CCC trainings for student group leaders and CCC office hours will periodically be offered throughout the academic year as well. If you have other questions or still need support, you can submit a support ticket on the at any time.
Reserving Event Space
Student groups with active AS&E recognition have the ability for one officer (must be a current AS&E graduate student) to become their Virtual EMS (VEMS) account contact, which will allow them to reserve space on River Campus only.
New EMS contacts will need to complete the following steps to get access to VEMS:
- Submit a “Request an EMS Web App Account” form.
- Email Lynn Stork at stork@rochester.edu, requesting to change or update the group event contact on behalf of your group if you have questions.
- You will receive an email from ECM with your Web App account. The account userID will be your ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é email address and there will be an initial password in the email.
Go to and log in with your Web App account.
You will see two templates. The “Large Event Request” is intended for reserving large spaces for the upcoming semester, that you anticipate a large number (typically more than 100) attendees. These requests must be made a semester prior in most cases. The “AS&E Staff & Faculty Event Request” can be used for other smaller events in the same semester. Click the “book now” button of the applicable template to create the reservation and walk through the steps.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: The use of certain spaces on campus, furniture services, tech services, improper cleanup of spaces etc. may incur fees that your student group will be responsible for. Please contact Event & Classroom Management for more information or questions on fees and policies.
AS&E Graduate Student Group Funding
Funds for AS&E recognized student groups are appropriated from fees paid each semester by all full-time AS&E graduate students. This funding supports student activities, programs, and support services.
The AS&E Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) office is responsible for the appropriation of funding to recognized AS&E graduate student groups. The funds allocated to an organization are intended to help support the financial aspects of the organization’s community building events and activities.
The University of ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é Graduate Handbook codes and guidelines must be adhered to for graduate organizations.
Only recognized AS&E graduate student organizations are eligible to request funds from the Graduate Student Activity Fund. With the exception of the Graduate Student Association, the maximum funding amount per AS&E recognized graduate student group is currently $500 per academic year (the academic year is considered fall and spring semesters).
All requests for the academic year need to be submitted by April 1. If your group wishes to host an event that costs more than $500, you are encouraged to seek collaboration with other student groups or University offices who may be willing to co-sponsor and help fund.
AS&E Graduate Student Activity Funds can only be used by student groups for:
- Programs and events that are open and actively promoted to the entire AS&E Graduate student community (ie. Not department only specific events)
- Events and initiatives that facilitate intellectual and/or social engagement to build community among AS&E graduate students and enhance their graduate school experience
ALL funded events sponsored by AS&E recognized student groups must be added to the CCC at least two weeks before the event or at least one month in advance (for larger scale events of 100+ attendees). Funding must be also requested at least that much time prior to the event via the CCC budget request process.
These accounts do not function like an external bank account because the funds are within the University system:
- Your organization would have to follow all state and University policies and procedures
- Funds are not liquid, meaning you cannot simply withdraw cash like at a bank
- You can only pay invoices or be reimbursed (someone pays out of pocket and they get reimbursed from the account)
- There may be an option of using the GEPA office’s Procurement Card for certain student group approved purchases depending on the situation, please email ASEGradFinance@ur.rochester.edu for more information.
Once you have planned the needs for your event budget and have collected documentation supporting each line item on the request, log in to the CCC and follow the steps to post an event. If you indicate you need funding for the event/program, you will be prompted to complete and upload a budget request form to be reviewed by the AS&E GEPA office. You will be contacted if more information is needed and will be notified within the CCC or via email if it has been approved or not.
As you consider making your request, be aware that:
- In more cases it will be by reimbursement only.
- Alcohol will not be reimbursed or funded by the AS&E Graduate Activity Fund.
- The University cannot make financial contributions directly to any non-profit organizations. If you are interested in hosting a charity event, please email ASEGradFinance@ur.rochester.edu for guidance at least a month prior to your event.
Please explain your request by email to ASEGradFinance@ur.rochester.edu for consideration.
We recommend gathering the following required information before starting an event or non-event budget request:
- Attendee list—Including the event title and date along with all attendees’ names
- Receipts—Each must include:
- Supplier
- Location
- Date
- Amount
- Description of the goods or services provided
- Proof of CCC or GEPA staff approval
- Invoice (if applicable) —Must include:
- Supplier
- Location
- Date
- Amount
- Itemized description of the goods or services provided
- Expense report in Workday (if applicable)
For any questions related to AS&E graduate student group finances, please email ASEGradFinance@ur.rochester.edu