At the beginning or end of a semester is when most organizations transition new officers. A bad transition is the single most common reason an organization loses momentum or institutional knowledge. A good transition takes a few hours and saves the next year of work.
Before the Transition Meeting
Outgoing officers should prepare:
- Updated officer list submitted in 1850 (so 1850 access transfers cleanly)
- Current membership roster
- Calendar of recurring events and deadlines
- Login info for the org's email account (recover via the Request/Change Email form on 1850 if needed)
- Financial records: current balance, FOAPAL, list of outstanding reimbursements, recurring expenses
- Constitution and bylaws
- Inventory of physical items (equipment, supplies, banners)
- A short written summary of what worked this year and what didn't
The Transition Meeting
Plan a 60–90 minute meeting with the outgoing and incoming officers (and ideally your adviser) to cover:
- Walk through the past year's calendar — what happened, what worked
- Review the constitution and bylaws together
- Review the current financial position
- Go through 1850 together: officer page, member roster, event registration, FMT, money tab
- Discuss outstanding commitments (contracts, partnerships, deadlines)
- Set the incoming officers' first meeting date
- Confirm who reviews completion of the Hazing Prevention training and when
After the Transition
Within the first two weeks of the new academic year, incoming officers should:
- Confirm officer roles in 1850
- Complete required trainings (President/Treasurers Training, Hazing Prevention, EMT if applicable)
- Meet with the faculty/staff adviser
- Schedule the Fall Checkpoint