ABC Letter to All Applicant Groups

Spring 2017

Dear Applicant Groups,

Thank you for your application to be part of ABC! We are excited to welcome our
applicants to the new group recognition process. Before submitting an application, you
must come to one of our scheduled office hours from 4-6PM on January 31st,
February 1st, or February 3rd, on the Lerner ramps as another opportunity to clarify
your questions and let the ABC know why your student group needs to be
recognized. The recognition process will consist of three phases after youve submitted the
application:

1) The ABC will read all applications to make sure that applicant
groups meet all basic requirements for recognition. If your group
does not meet the minimum requirements, you will be notified early in the
recognition process.

2) Groups that meet the minimum requirements will be invited to

give a short presentation before the ABC, followed by questions. For
spring 2017, all applicant groups must make themselves available
to present on the morning or afternoon of February 18, 2017. The
ABC Secretary/NGR Chair will contact groups shortly after applications are
submitted to set up presentation times. Groups who do not respond in
time to confirm their time slot for the presentation weekend will
not be guaranteed a separate presentation time, as voting will be
planned immediately following groups presentations. The groups
entire executive board is not required to present, with the minimum
requirement being 1-2 officers.

3) The ABC will vote on whether to recommend the groups for

recognition. Groups may appeal the decision to the ABC executive board
within two days of the decision and need one ABC executive board
members sponsorship. The ABC executive board will then discuss the
appeal with the entire board.

The ABC looks for those groups that demonstrate a clear sense of purpose, fill a unique
niche on the campus community, and demonstrate a sound organizational structure. Typically
10-15 new groups apply for ABC recognition each semester. There is no single formula to
gaining ABC recognition; recognition often depends on the quality of the applicant pool, the
amount of funding and space available in relation to groups already recognized by the ABC. The
ABC will continue to work with administrators and student leaders to expand the resources
available to student groups in order to continue to promote campus life.

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 New Group Recognition Applications will be due on February 5, 2017, by no later than
11:59 PM. Please submit the completed application and direct any questions to
abc@columbia.edu.

Sincerely,

The ABC Executive Board

Alexander Li, President
Jin Peng, Vice-President
Anusha Ponduri, Treasurer
Madie Lee, Secretary, NGR Chair
ABC New Group Recognition Process, Spring 2017

What is ABC Recognition?

ABC recognition gives recognized groups the power to request funding from ABC, the
undergraduate student councils and Columbias various funds and departments, access to Lerner Hall
rooms free of charge, power to vote in ABC elections, and the inclusion of Columbia as part of the name
of the organization. Groups may be able to obtain similar benefits from the Student Governing Board,
Club Sports, Greek Life, Community Impact, and the Governing Board at Barnard. Before applying for ABC
recognition, groups should make sure that they are not better suited to another governing board.

Criteria for ABC Groups

To be a Recognized group of the ABC, a group must:
1. Not be community service, political, religious, athletic, or activist in purpose. Honorary societies,
fraternities, and sororities are also ineligible;
2. Not duplicate the function and/or stated purpose of any other ABC organization [or university
division/department];
3. Require access to University facilities and resources not otherwise available to them as an
unrecognized group.
4. Be composed of at least twenty (20) members, unless the nature of the group precludes a 20-
person membership (if so please offer a detailed explanation as to why your group should exist);
5. Have a membership consisting of two-thirds (2/3) Columbia College and/or the School of
Engineering and Applied Science and/or General Studies undergraduate students.
6. Have been active for a minimum of two consecutive semesters leading up to the semester in which
the group seeks ABC Recognition.

Applications from groups that do not meet the ABCs criteria will not be considered.
For a full listing of criteria, please see Article III, Section I of the ABC Constitution on our website.

The Application Process

The ABC accepts applications for recognition from eligible groups at the beginning of each
semester up until a deadline set by the ABC President. The application must include a completed New
Group Application form including an answer to the detailed questionnaire that is provided, a
membership list with signatures of all members (a scanned picture of the physical list); and a signed
constitution, complete with a statement of purpose. Please make sure your constitution is drafted in
the following format. By-Laws are not required, but if your organization has them, please include them at
the end.

Article I. Name
Article II. Membership
Article III. Governance
Article IV. Meetings

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 Article V. Elections of Executive Board Members
Article VI. Amendments to the Constitution
Article VII. Dismissal of Officers
Article VIII. Activities

If your organization anticipates funding, please indicate the amount on the Allocation Sought
form on this application so that we may decide on the funding for your organization.

The ABC will review each eligible application. Groups that meet the basic criteria established
above will be invited to give a short presentation to the ABC. The ABC is responsible for conducting a
thorough review of the groups and developing a concrete recommendation as to whether the group
merits recognition. The ABC will vote based on the application, specifically the responses given to the
questionnaire as well as the quality of the presentation. The ABC will compare these responses to other
groups, to the missions of current groups, and assess as best as possible the new group applicant.

In order for a group to be recognized, two-thirds of the ABC must vote in favor of recognition. All
decisions made by the board are final for the semester; groups that are denied may reapply in the
succeeding semester.

New Group Recognition Applications will be due on February 5th, 2017, by no later
than 11:59 PM, please email your completed application with the subject line [NGR]
Group Name to abc@columbia.edu.
Late applications will not be accepted.

ABC New Group Recognition Application, Spring 2017

Organization Name:

What date/time did you come to office hours: Who did you speak with:

Executive Board:
Position School/Year E-mail
Name

President

Vice-President

Treasurer
Secretary

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How many semesters has the group been active on campus:

Date of first general body meeting/event (month/year):

Purpose:

Membership: SEAS: _______ CC: _______ Barnard: _______ GS: _______ Other: _______
(Please provide a numerical breakdown)

ABC Allocation Sought for 2017-2018: $ ________

Total Pages in Packet: ________

(Including this page and attached Constitution)

Presidents Signature: __________________________ Date:

Treasurers Signature: __________________________ Date:

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 ABC New Group Recognition Questionnaire, Spring 2017

On an attached sheet, please thoroughly and concisely complete the following questions.
You can build it into a concise narrative, or answer point-by-point. If a question does not apply,
please indicate so in your answer. If you do not understand a question, please contact the ABC
at abc@columbia.edu for clarification or clarify at our office hours listed above. Please know
that this is a critical way in which we can judge the thought process your organization has gone
through in developing your new group proposal and allows us, as a board, to make as informed
a decision as possible.

Your response should be about 1-2 pages long. Failure to appropriately address all parts
of the question will hurt chances of recognition; a lengthy application will not necessarily
improve chances of recognition. The ABC requires this information so that it can make an
informed decision about the nature of new groups, what new aspects groups will bring to
student life, and how they will interact and affect organizations that are presently recognized.
It is our hope that this questionnaire provides a clear forum for all applicant groups to best
represent themselves before the ABC.

I. Organizational Structure and long-term sustainability:

a. What activities has your group already done? Discuss in detail (as a continuation of section
I.a.) what you have already done, highlighting various events you have held on campus, the attendees,
and the impact you believe your group can have in filling a new niche
b. Why is ABC recognition specifically necessary for your group to complete its
activities?
c. How do you plan to solidify your organization (i.e. pass down information, recruit
new members, develop leadership and support)?
d. How does your organization anticipate changing over the next 2-4 years?
e. What/which campus spaces (i.e. Roone Arledge, Performing Spaces) does your
organization require, or anticipate requiring?

II. As all groups that are approved by the ABC are eligible for some degree of funding, it is
important for us to understand how you plan to use this funding, and what thought you ve
put in place for the growth of your organization.
a. What financial needs does your organization have?
b. How can ABC funding help support your organizations growth in the short-term
and long-term?
c. What means of revenue-generation do you currently have or hope to develop?

III. Please elaborate on your groups purpose and your specific niche on campus:
a. Address any relationship your group has with existing groups
b. If there are some aspects of overlap with existing ABC groups or university
divisions, please indicate how you hope to work with organizations with competing
purposes (sharing space, sharing resources, etc.)

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