RISO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

COVID-19 Related Questions:

• What should I be preparing my RISO for this year, that is different from other years?
  For right now, the best thing you can do is stay flexible and in contact with our office if you have any specific questions. For the most up to date information and guidelines of the university visit the UH Hilo COVID-19 Guidelines interim website. Here you will find important guidelines about personal safety practices and food service at events.

General Questions:

• How long will it take to process my RISO registration?
  Please allow the RISO office up to 10 business days to contact you regarding your RISO registration.

• How many people do I need to start a club?
  You need a minimum of 6 UH Hilo students to register a club.

• What if I have more than 6 people who want to be a part of my club?
  Any group of six (6) or more students currently enrolled at UH Hilo wishing to pursue a common education, civic, social, cultural or recreational interest may become a RISO by completing the RISO application and submitting required documents. RISOs are able to have as many members as they want as long as they maintain 75% of their RISO membership as UH Hilo students. - RISO Handbook Page 2

• Can community / HawCC members be in my club?
  In addition to the six student members, membership may include members who are UH Hilo or HawCC faculty, staff, students or community members (including alumni). RISOs are able to have as many members as they want as long as they maintain 75% of their RISO membership as UH Hilo students. - RISO Handbook Page 2

• What if I don't know how to write a constitution and by laws?
  Feel free to use these resources to help with building or revising your Constitution and By-Laws. You can start with this sample document created for UH Hilo RISOs which allows you to insert or delete information as needed. We have also linked in a video that talks about the differences between the documents. Please see the Constitution & By-Laws section of "Helpful Resources" for more information.

• What are minutes?
  Minutes, sometimes known as meeting minutes, are written or recorded documentation that is used to inform members of an organization of topics discussed at a meeting. Please review this resource for more information.

• How do I write minutes for our meeting?
  Most clubs use Robert’s Rules on how to take minutes. View more information on Robert’s Rules .

• What if I submitted my registration pack but need to change to an officer?
  As long as your RISO registration pack has been submitted and your RISO is NOT APPROVED, all you need to do is email the RISO office at uhhriso@hawaii.edu to let them know your changes. In the email, please include the student’s legal name, Hawaii.edu email address, and what position they will be holding. The RISO office will email and contact the student to confirm that they are an officer for the organization. .

• What if my officers changed after my RISO has been approved?
  Great question, all you need to do is submit the RISO Change of Member Google Form. The RISO office will contact the outgoing and incoming officers, along with your advisors to approve those changes.

• What if my advisor changes?
  If you need to add or change an advisor after your RISO is approved, please notify the RISO coordinator. The additional/new advisor will need to fill out an Advisor Agreement Form which can be submitted via email to uhhriso@hawaii.edu or to the Campus Center 210. If you need to change an advisor before your RISO is approved, but after you have submitted documents: They will need to fill out an Advisor Agreement Form. This form can be emailed to uhhriso@hawaii.edu or dropped off at the RISO Coordinatorʻs office.

Advisors

• What if I can't find an advisor?
  Please fill out this google form so that we can help you connect with a potential advisor.

• How would you recommend finding an advisor?
  Reaching out to faculty/staff members that you know or faculty/staff within the department of your interest. If you are then unable to find an advisor please fill out this google form so that we can help you connect with a potential advisor.

• Why does my advisor need to sign the agreement form?
  They need to sign the form so that they understand and agree to the purpose and responsibilities of being a RISO Advisor.

• What liability is my advisor taking on?
  This is a difficult answer to the question as it will depend on the RISO's activities. The most important factor to remember is that RISOs are independent of the University and that per RP 7.203 the "University assumes no responsibility for RISO activities" and that your participation as an advisor is voluntary and not part of your position as a University Employee. The RISO itself is responsible for its finances and all RISO activities and as the advisor you are agreeing to guide the group. The specific defined relationship between the RISO and the advisor is typically found in the Constitution of the RISO as well as a delineation of specific advisor duties, responsibilities, and obligations.

• Can I have a HawCC faculty or staff member be my advisor?
  RISOs are required to have an advisor who must be a faculty or staff of the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. There is an exception outlined in the RISO Handbook for nationally affiliated groups. - RISO Handbook Page 4

• Why does my advisor need to take the Title IX course?
  Title IX is a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender/sex at educational institutions that receive federal funding, RISOs are considered educational opportunities under Title IX. As such RISO advisors are considered "responsible employees" to the university. Taking this training informs advisors of their duties under Title IX, provides resources, and talks about the reporting process. For more on Title IX at UH Hilo, please visit the Title IX site, for the training, please visit the UH System training page.

• What if I have more than one person who wants to be an advisor?
  That’s great! If you have more than one advisor, please fill it out in the registration form and mark who is your primary advisor. Make sure you have all of them sign the Advisor Agreement form.

• What if I have one UH Hilo faculty or staff member and a community advisor?
  RISOs are required to have an advisor who must be a faculty or staff of the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. Nationally affiliated organizations may request that a non-UH Hilo faculty or staff, who has been accepted by the national affiliate, be allowed to serve as an advisor for a chartered campus chapter of that organization. - RISO Handbook 4 & 5

  If your organization wishes to have a community member serve as an advisor, they just need to fill out an Advisor Agreement Form and submit it.

• Do both advisors need to complete to the orientation and Title IX training?
  A minimum of one of your advisors will need to come to both. However, we believe that the trainings are important for the advisors to fully complete their duties and so we recommend that all advisors complete the trainings.

• Why can't my advisor be an authorized representative for my club?
  Your advisor already is an authorized representative to sign/reserve campus facilities/services on campus. Listing them as an authorized member on your form means that there are less students you can add.

Registration Form

• What if I don't have an email, website, mailing address etc?
  This depends on the needs of the RISOs, some may highly depend on email and others physical mail. RISOs may rent a Post Office box (PO BOX) where they can receive mail. It is recommended that the RISO find a system where the email, website, and a mailing address can be easily transitioned from year to year.

  A benefit for being a RISO is the opportunity to obtain a Hawaii.edu organizational username. This will give RISOs an opportunity to utilize Google Suite. For more on the Organization Username, please visit the RISO Benefits Page.

• Can I use the UH Hilo Mailing address?
  RISOs may not use the University of Hawai’i at Hilo’s address (200 W. Kawili St.). It is recommended that RISOs retain their own address or get a PO BOX. - RISO Handbook Page 3

• Can I send mail to my advisor?
  While it is permissible for the RISO to use members’ or advisors’ addresses, it is not recommended as it’s difficult to maintain the continuity of the organizations as your membership changes. - RISO Handbook Page 3

• Can I create a UH Hilo Organizational username (i.e. a hawaii.edu email address)?
  As a RISO, you can create a hawaii.edu username for your group. This can aid in the transition process and allows your group to use Google suite for club business. If you would like to apply for a hawaii.edu email address please visit the UH System ITS website and select “Organizational Username”. These usernames will get approved annually by the RISO office. - RISO Benefits Page

• Do I have to have a ___Insert Position Name__ (i.e. treasurer, secretary,etc.) in my club?
  If a RISO chooses to use other terms to refer to leadership positions, please be sure those terms are used in the group’s Constitution and By-Laws. - RISO Handbook Page 2

• What is an authorized representative?
  The following members are authorized, on behalf of this RISO, to reserve/sign for the use of campus facilities and/or services, including the Campus Center. These members are authorized to commit RISO funds as required for use of facilities and/or services. The authorized representatives must be a RISO member listed on this application excluding your advisor. As an official contact person, you agree to the release of your name and email address to persons seeking contact with your RISO. This includes authorizing the use of this information to share with interested students on the RISO website or any other listing provided by Campus Center.

• Why do I have to have all of my members sign this form?
  To make sure that all officers of the club understand the responsibilities and are willing and knowingly to take on the position.

• If one of my officers is also an authorized representative do they need to sign for both positions?
  Yes, the student needs to sign for both positions because they are taking on the responsibilities of their officer position and being an authorized representative.

  Members listed as authorized representatives will have both their name and email address listed on the RISO website, which is something that not all officer positions will automatically have.

Membership/ Roster Page

• Why do I need to give my UH email address?
  The RISO office wants to ensure that we are utilizing official UH email addresses. Should at any point the RISO office needs to contact a RISO, the UH email address serves as a point of contact. The UH email address is used to check that the organization’s membership meets the requirements to be UH Hilo RISO.

• What if I have lots of members who aren't active?
  Active membership in a RISOs is defined by each individual group, whoever you list on the membership roster will be considered an active member from the viewpoint of the RISO office. We highly recommend you define what active membership means in your Constitution & By-Laws.

• Who should I count on the roster?
  Anyone who is considered to be an active member. Active members should be defined in your Constitution and By-Laws.

• Should I put the officers list on the registration page on the roster as well?
  At minimum your officers should be listed on your membership roster.