The University of Wisconsin-Madison updated the Registered Student Organization (RSO) code of conduct in August to require RSOs have an advisor and mandate RSOs participate in disciplinary investigations.
“RSO advising can be provided by a volunteer advisor chosen by or matched with the student organization; an assigned advisor provided by the departmental sponsor; or CfLI advising services,” an email sent to RSO contacts in early August said.
The new policy — that went into effect Aug. 30 — outlines consequences for organizations that disaffiliate from the university during conduct investigations and disciplinary action for any RSO that knowingly collaborates, cosponsors or in any way participates in any event with an RSO that has disaffiliated from the university during the conduct process.
Advisors are meant to be a contact for Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS), which now handles RSO conduct enforcement including conduct investigations and enforcement sanctions, according to the updated policy.
Previously, the Committee on Student Organizations (CSO) handled all RSO non-compliance allegations. The university last updated RSO code in January 2022, UW Spokespon John Lucas told The Daily Cardinal.
These changes were made based on a recommendation from a “working group” made up of staff from the Center for Leadership and Involvement and student representatives, according to Lucas.
“We appreciate the working group’s commitment and efforts to clarify and improve the process,” Lucas said in a statement to the Cardinal.
Another change states RSOs violate policy if they discriminate membership based on “sex or gender identity or expression.” The updated policy also changes the damage to property policy violation by defining “public property” as “buildings, fixtures, moveable property or personal property.”
The new rules also add “withholding information” as a disciplinary offense. According to the policy, this includes refusing to attend investigatory meetings with university officials or faculty.
According to documents obtained by The Daily Cardinal, the former RSO Anticolonial Scientists did not meet with disciplinary officers before it disaffiliated with the university after antisemitism accusations.
These changes also follow the OSCCS investigation into Mecha de Teejop, formerly Mecha de UW-Madison, where investigating officer Tonya Schmidt accused Mecha of “withholding information” from her during an investigation into antisemitic chalkings found at the Dane County Farmers Market, initiating a second investigation. The CSO unanimously cleared Mecha of both antisemitism accusations and withholding information.
The new policy also allows “verbal reporting” of RSO conduct violations. Previously, allegations of misconduct were submitted through an online form or through a letter sent to the CSO office.
The new rules do not specify what counts as verbal reporting or give any link to guidelines for a verbal allegation. This section also says the OSCCS can receive referrals from media, social media and university departments. Previously, the policy only specified that the office could get referrals from law enforcement.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
