The Student Organization Handbook, which offers guidance to student leaders about expectations and support for their organizations, recently underwent substantial updates by Director of Student Life Gavin Curless and Vice President of Student Affairs Deanna Wagner.
The need for an updated handbook was identified in the summer of 2025, to help improve communication about goals between student leaders and staff members.
“With these changes came updates to responsibilities for student organization leaders,” Curless said. “Obviously, responsibility isn’t fun, but it is a two-way street.”
He explained that the updates now require student organization leaders to be responsible for completing the proper paperwork to hold an event, ensuring that they have the supplies and support needed, and access to avenues of communication with the campus community to promote events.
“[T]his is going to be a living, breathing process, and I will never claim to be perfect,” Curless said. “I am excited to work with student leaders to continue making this process as good as it can be because no one gets it right on the first try.”
Both Curless and Wagner realize that keeping the handbook relevant and helpful requires regular updates in consultation with student leaders. However, the recent updates signify a “wonderful first step” that Curless believes will lead to transformative improvements for student organizations.
Creating a document that helps student leaders understand how they can run their organization will enable them to reach more students, which will help them grow and evolve. More interest and increased membership lead to greater access to resources and support in executing meaningful, well-organized events.
Curless and Wagner will work over the summer to observe what else they can change to improve student life and student involvement on campus.
“This document isn’t set in stone; it’s a living document,” Wagner said. “As Baker grows, it can grow and be a resource that all students can access and see what organizations are working toward.”
