255 organizations join as one
Representatives from over 255 student organizations convened Tuesday in the NDSU Memorial Union.
The Congress of Student Organizations meets a few times each semester to discuss new policies, deadlines and administrative details to keep student organizations running on campus.
According to CSO’s Web site, “the CSO Commission is the governing body of the Congress of Student Organizations, which is comprised of representatives from student organizations on campus. The CSO Commission determines organizations’ (statuses), hears status appeals and grants university recognition to new organizations. The CSO Commission also sponsors the Student Activities Fair held every semester.”
Melissa Mallett, executive commissioner of student organizations, said one of the primary tasks of CSO is to inform organizations of new policies on campus.
“ We’re introducing NDSU’s anti-hazing policy tonight at our meeting,” Mallet said. “A lot of universities are having problems with hazing so we’re going to take care of the problem before it starts”.
NDSU is taking a zero-tolerance policy toward organizations that practice hazing rituals. “Hazing in any form,” according to the statement,“ is prohibited by NDSU and state law.”
According to the NDSU anti-hazing statement, hazing is defined as “a broad term encompassing any action or activity that inflicts or intends to cause physical or mental harm or anxieties that may demean, degrade or disgrace any person, regardless of location, intent or consent of participants.”
The statement also includes a list of some activities organizations are prohibited from practicing under the anti-hazing policy.
Some of the activities banned by the university include forced road trips, forced consumption of any substance, paddling in any form, creating excess fatigue, morally degrading, demeaning, harassment, ridicule and unsanitary, humiliating games or stunts, or other activities prohibited by law or university policy.
CSO also discussed other topics at their meeting including upcoming budget deadlines, events, leadership opportunities and position openings.
“ Anyone is welcome to attend the meetings,” Mallet said. “We’re here to assign new statutes to organizations and also to just make sure the organizations have their paperwork turned (in) so that they maintain their organizational status.”