Student Activities and Organizations

SAO Mission

Provide students with opportunities to develop and enhance a personal philosophy of leadership and engage in experiences that address individual and community needs that include understanding of self and others, acceptance of responsibilities inherent in community membership, and appreciation of diverse ideas, backgrounds, and lifestyles.

SAO Values

Student Activities and Organizations create a great opportunity to learn leadership skills, make lifelong friends, and positively influence the campus community. The SAO Office strives to help student leaders and advisors facilitate experiences that are developmental, educational, safe, and successful. Our Staff greatly values the engagement of students in co-curricular activities, and therefore has adopted a philosophical approach to partnering with individual students leaders and student organizations as "facilitators" of the involvement experience.

Risk Management

“The goal of our proactive risk management guidelines is to ensure that student organizations plan and host events where everyone involved has a safe and fun experience.”
– Pablo Malavenda, Associate Dean of Students

When addressing risk management, we state that its foundation lies in the balance of rights and responsibilities, neither extremely authoritarian nor overly solicitous of student freedom. We seek shared responsibility between all constituents for the activities. If the planned event implies an appropriate and reasonable degree of risk, our office works in conjunction with the Office of Risk Management at Purdue University to advise student organizations of the potential and perceived risks involved in their activities. Our role in risk management is to take corrective actions and proactive steps to minimize accidental injury and/or loss.

Process of Risk Management:

1. Advising organizations of the potential and perceived risks involved in their activities,
2. Providing education about the guiding boundaries established for organizations, and
3. Taking corrective actions and proactive steps to minimize accidental injury and/or loss.

Facilitator Universities must be proactive and communicate events and goals to advisors and administrators. Together, we all ensure that student organizations operate safely and successfully within the Guiding Boundaries. As SAO’s guiding boundaries, we abide by the following:

1. Represent the University and its goals
2. Must comply with all federal and state laws
3. Governed by University Regulations
4. Expected to be aware of policies
5. Stated in their constitution given to us
6. Affiliated with parent organizations