Officer Transition Guide

Use the below to guide transition from outgoing to incoming officers. Best practice is to provide too much information, rather than not enough.

Documentation 

• People Additional Tasks q Organize all files, notebooks, binders, and electronic files in an accessible place
• Update organization constitution and bylaws
• Outline and update position responsibility descriptions
• Make an asset list of your organization supplies and where to find them
• Document any login information for social media, email accounts, etc.
• Create a commonly used resource list (contacts, room booking links, vendors, etc.)

People

• Introduce officers to important organization contacts via email or in-person meeting
• Connect new officers with your organization advisor
• Provide outgoing officer information, phone numbers, and emails
• Share organization member contact information (emails, phone numbers, etc.)

Additional Tasks

• Reserve meeting rooms for upcoming year on Virtual EMS (Baker) or Astra (Classrooms)
• Finish all necessary correspondence (emails, etc.)
• Re-register the organization on Bobcat Connect
• Share important training dates, upcoming opportunities/tasks/training information with new officers (e.g. Involvement fair), etc.
• Create samples of meeting minutes and agendas

If your organization has annual events or traditions, be sure to share a timeline of events and funding information with incoming officers.

Time Orientation 

• Make a detailed calendar and timeline
• Document campus events for new officers to be aware of/ plan around (e.g. Involvement Fair, Homecoming, Parent’s Weekend, Senior Week, etc.)
• Document SAC Funding deadlines and their rules regarding funding (must submit budget requests before events)

Event-Specific

• Provide previous event planning checklists, risk management plans, and statistics of attendance
• Plan room reservations, advertising, budgeting, etc.
• Plan marketing: electronic copies, Bobcat Connect event requests, etc.
• Complete semesterly SAC funding requests
• Share past SAC budget requests for new officers to reference
• Complete Event “Brain Dumps” for each event your organization hosts (see sample at the end)

Completing this worksheet will help incoming officers achieve success in the role. Consider what would have been helpful to know when you began the role. The more thorough and detailed you can be, the better off the new officer will be! Going over your answers together will provide an opportunity for the incoming officer to ask questions.

1. In my own words, the major responsibilities of this role are... 

2. If I had to divide my responsibilities into a pie chart, it would look like... 

3. The most valuable thing(s) I learned about being effective in my role were... 

4. Obstacles to completing my position responsibilities effectively were... 

5. Something I tried that did not work and why… 

6. Things that helped me better handle the responsibilities of the position were... 

7. Things I wish I would have known before taking this officer position were...

8. The greatest responsibility of the position is... 

9. How can this position have a meaningful impact on the organization? 

10. If I had another year in the position, my priority/vision for the role would be... 

11. When I needed help, these were my resources.... 

12. Go to the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership for...

Incoming officers should complete this worksheet before meeting with the outgoing officer for their role. The worksheet is intended to help you idealize your role and generate questions about how to do your job successfully.

1. In my own words, the mission of the organization is the following: 

2. Why did I want this role? What skills or experiences do I want to gain? 

3. What position-specific things do I need to know about (e.g. forms, meetings, reports, events, timeline, duties, etc.)? Generate a list to ask the outgoing officer about. 

4. List the tasks you think you should do in the next month. Ask the outgoing officer if there is anything else they think you should add. 

5. Generate a list of people you think you should get to know to serve as helpful resources. Ask the outgoing officer if there is anyone else to add. 

6. What other resources should I use to complete the duties of my role (i.e. websites, offices, etc.). Ask the outgoing officer is there is anything else to add. 

7. What will my self-care plan be?

8. What am I most nervous about? What questions could I ask the outgoing officer to ease these nerves? 

9. What expectations do I have for myself in this position? Ask the outgoing officer if these seem reasonable or if they have anything to add. 

10. What expectations do I have for the rest of the officer board? Ask the outgoing officer if these seem reasonable or if they have anything to add. 

11. What expectations do you believe others have of you and the rest of the incoming officer board? Ask the outgoing officer if they have anything else to add.

After organizing your information, your organization should schedule transition meetings for the outgoing and incoming officer boards.

Sample Agenda for Transition Meeting 
Required Participants: Outgoing and incoming officers 
Recommended Participant: Organization Advisor

Agenda: 

• Ice breaker activity to help everyone get in the proper mindset for transitioning
  • Potential activity: Each person could share their pits and peaks relating to the organization for the past year. This will help participants reflect on the organization’s strengths and areas for growth.
• Mission, Vision, Values o Remind incoming officers of the ‘why’ of your organization • State of the Organization Report
  • Outgoing officers should be prepared to report successes, challenges, and current climate of the organization
  • Completing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis could be useful
• Organization Accounts and Digital Sites o Share all organization passwords and run through accounts (Social media, emails, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Bobcat Connect: roster updates, how to register an event, etc.
• Organization Timeline
  • Summer To-Do's
    • Who will re-register the organization, submit involvement fair application, etc.
  • Fall Calendar
    • Typical events, membership drives, etc.
    • Required fall training for president’s and treasurer’s (typically hosted before the involvement fair)
    • SAC funding
  • Spring Calendar
    • Typical events, membership drives, etc.
    • SAC funding
• Breakout Session: 30-60 minutes for individual transitions (I.e. the outgoing president meets with the new president to do a role-specific transition, etc.)
• Farewells to outgoing officers
• New officers stay and new president lead first executive meeting. Items to consider may include the following:
  • Consider summer duties and beginning of school year plans for the organization
  • Set next year’s full board meeting times and reserve meeting space
  • Set next year’s officer board meeting times and reserve meeting space
  • Sign up for the involvement fair and decide who will be creating the involvement fair table materials
  • Goal setting for next year
    • A summer or fall officer planning retreat is useful for many organizations. Discuss this option!
    • There is a sample goal setting worksheet at the end of this document
• Adjourn the meeting

New officers can use this worksheet to help the group achieve a sense of common purpose and to set goals.

1. How would we describe your organization to someone who is unfamiliar with it? 

2. What is the mission of our organization? What is our vision for the organization? Vision is what the organization aspires to be in the future.

3. How does our organization execute our mission and vision? What philosophies, activities, or events does our organization host? Do they all align with our organization's purpose? 

4. Do we think organization members would be able to articulate the organization’s mission? If no, how can we communicate the mission? 

5. How is our organization structured? Does the officer, committee, and informal role structure equitably distribute labor? 

6. How are our organization’s meetings structured? Do members engage?

7. Besides meetings, what kinds of activities does our organization host? Do most members attend? Do only a subset attend? If just a subset, what does that group have in common? 

8. Use the chart below to set SMARTIE goals for the upcoming year.