Policies and Resources for Student Organizations

Please review the information on this page: Club Budget and Funding Policies

Please review the information on this page: Purchase Orders and Reimbursements

Please review the information on this page.

Please review the information on this page.

Wharton undergraduate clubs and any other student groups affiliated with the Wharton Undergraduate Division are not permitted to engage in profit sharing or charge or receive fees from clients (including companies or nonprofits). However, clubs and students may continue to provide pro bono consulting work.

Please note the following:

• Clubs/student groups are not permitted to do pro bono work for companies they also solicit/or have solicited for corporate sponsorship.
• Agreements for pro bono consulting must be submitted to Ariel Robbins, Associate Director, for review with at least 10 business-days notice.

Please review the policies and procedures on this page.

Wharton-approved student organizations may only raise funds for charities that are nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations by facilitating individual donations that go directly to the charity.

This means that a club could purchase a giveaway and ask individuals receiving the item to make a suggested donation directly to the charity via a QR code/link.

A club could also host an event and suggest that attendees make a donation directly to a charity at the event.

In either case, the donation must be made directly to the charitable organization and cannot be mandatory to receive the item or participate in the event.

Wharton student organizations must submit the Conference and Case/Pitch Competition Approval Form at least three months before their proposed event.

Any speaker that a group, club, department, or individual wishes to invite to a Wharton event, whether on campus or off-site, must be approved by Wharton Marketing and Communications (and in certain cases by the University) before any invitation is extended. Each speaker request must be submitted using the school-wide Speaker Request Management System. Failure to abide by this policy may result in loss of Wharton and University resources. Please expect at least 72 hours for a response to your request. Questions can be directed to Ariel Robbins or Isabelle Glass.

Please submit your speaker names for approval at least six weeks before the proposed event and prior to sending out any speaker bids or email invitations. You will be notified about the speaker approval decision via email.

Note: If you intend to invite the media to your event or capture the event in any medium (e.g., photography or video), you should:

Get approval from your speakers in advance by having them complete the Media_Release_Form.

Review the media relations guidelines before sending out any press releases.

To request the to Dean speak at your upcoming event or conference you must submit a formal request using the school-wide Speaker Request Management System at least two months before your event. Student organizations are only permitted to invite the Dean to one event per year. Failure to abide by these policies may result in loss of Wharton and University resources. You will be notified about the approval decision via email.

Any club or organization wanting to host or sponsor a competition where prize money or gifts will be given out to participants should note the following:

• Case and pitch competitions must be submitted via the Conference and Case/Pitch Competition Approval Form at least three months before you want to start marketing the event.
• Only Penn- or Wharton-branded items of $100 or less per item may be offered as non-monetary prizes.
• Casino nights are not permitted, as prizes from raffles and games of skill/chance are subject to additional legal rules.

Any club retreats or team-bonding events must be held on campus or in the City of Philadelphia.

Travel and expenses related to out-of-town events that have a clearly delineated business purpose such as case competitions and business treks are permissible.

Do not hire or sign a contract with an independent contractor (performers, artists, etc.) as these must be first vetted by the Undergraduate Division and Penn Procurement. Once approved, the contractor can be hired and scheduled.

To hire an independent contractor for your event, submit the name, number, and email address of the potential contractor to ug-finance@wharton.upenn.edu as soon as possible.

In keeping with University policy, all business fraternities that are recognized by the Wharton Council and the Wharton Undergraduate Division will uphold a deferred-rush system. Business fraternities may not rush, hold rush activities, offer bids, begin a pledge program or hold initiation for freshmen during the fall semester. All first-year rush and pledge events must take place during the spring semester. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the business fraternity’s loss of recognition by the Wharton Council and the Wharton Undergraduate Division. Business fraternities may, however, hold rush for upper-level students during the fall semester.

Policies

While email is an effective communication tool, many students complain about the number of emails they receive. In cases where you feel an email is appropriate to inform a portion of the Wharton community, the following rules and guidelines apply:

• Wharton students may disseminate information to each other and the wider Wharton community by using email distribution lists, such as club/affinity group lists.
• Creating a new listserv using the Wharton Global Address List is a direct violation of Wharton’s email policy. Any attempts to bypass mailing lists (and their restrictions and requirements) are prohibited.

The use of Wharton email is a privilege. Abuse of these policies could result in the deactivation of your Wharton email account.

Resources

Wharton-recognized student clubs and organizations are encouraged to have a shared email account for their group (e.g., clubname@wharton.upenn.edu). Information about setting up club email accounts can be found here.

Student groups can also use CampusGroups to create member mailing lists and design and send emails.

The Wharton Undergraduate (WUGR) class mailing lists are a way to disseminate information to Wharton students by class year. Use of these four listservs is limited to Wharton departments and initiatives and Undergraduate Division-sponsored student orgs.  To ensure that WUGR emails remain an effective communication tool, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Messages should be original (no forwards or replies).
• Messages should not include attachments, shortened urls (bitly, etc.), or words like “today” or “tomorrow.”
• Messages should contain only one image (does not apply to Campaign Monitor emails).
• Copyrighted images used without permission are prohibited.
• Only one WUGR email should be sent per class year per initiative, course, or event.
• WUGR emails should only be sent to the class year(s) to which the message most directly applies. The message should also be pertinent to all students on the respective list.
• Multiple messages from the same source, especially around the same time frame, should be consolidated whenever possible to minimize the volume of WUGR emails that go out to undergraduate students.
• Messages will be approved within two business days of the time sent.

Please contact undergradinfo@wharton.upenn.edu with any additional questions.

To advertise your club event on the UGR monitors in Wharton buildings, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Life at Wharton app.
2. Click “Create a New Slide.”
3. Choose your slide template (16:9 wide-screen format is recommended).
4. Add an image title and, if relevant, a link to more information.
5. Upload your image (jpg or png).
6. Select the “UGR Student” channel.
7. Set an activation and expiration date (Your image must be submitted at least 3 days before your activation date, may be posted for a maximum of 14 days, and may not be posted past the date of your event).
8. Add your slide.

Your slide will be submitted to an administrator for approval and will not immediately appear on screen. You will receive an email if there are any issues with the image.

Use of the monitors is limited to Wharton clubs, departments, and initiatives.

The Wharton Communications Office is available to provide resources and advice on media promotion for student conferences, and must approve all press releases prior to distribution. Note that Wharton Communications does not provide any services related to advertising or sponsorship.

Press release approval process

• Notify your conference speakers that you intend to invite reporters to the conference and have your speakers complete the Media_Release_Form. Do this as soon as possible; do not assume that your speakers will not care if reporters are present.
• If your speakers agree to media presence, draft your press release, which should:
  • Be one page with basic who, what, where, when, and why type of information.
  • State that the event is hosted by “a student-run organization of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.”
  • Be on your student organization’s letterhead.
  • Include your contact information (phone and email).
• At least one month before your event (the earlier the better), send your press release to communications@wharton.upenn.edu  for approval.

Wharton Communications can provide you with media contact lists when your release has been approved. They can also provide samples of previous student press releases, as well as boilerplate information about Wharton when appropriate. Tell the Wharton Communications Office if any reporters plan to attend your conference.

Please note that if you send out an unapproved press release you will not be able to use the “Wharton” name for your conference.

Any Wharton undergraduate student who would like to create a social media account representing an organization at Wharton must first reach out to the Wharton Undergraduate Division at undergradinfo@wharton.upenn.edu. The Division will work with you and the central Wharton Marketing & Communications office to review your request and, if approved, ensure accounts are set up properly according to Wharton School guidelines.

Remember that when you are managing accounts affiliated with Wharton, you are representing the school. Be sure the accounts adhere to Wharton’s brand guidelines for students, and any posts, comments or actions taken under the account uphold Wharton’s standards and reputation. Accounts should also:

• Be associated with a shared email address so that access can be transferred when needed
• Include “This is a student-run account” in their bio

All photographers/videographers for student events must be approved Penn suppliers. You can find suppliers on the purchasing website:

Other photography options include Pennlens and free headshots at the Career Services Photobooth.

Attract the right attention. Make a good first impression. Find brand guidelines and resources in the Wharton Identity Kit Student Guide.

Naming

Student organizations and events should be named such as to cause no confusion with an official entity or activity of the School. Official student clubs are granted the use of the Wharton name for their club name only.

Logo Guidelines

The Wharton logo, or parts thereof, cannot be used or combined with student organization logos.

Student organization logos may use:

• The School Name: i.e. “Wharton Hiking Club” or “Hiking Club at Wharton”
• The University primary colors:
  Penn Red (PMS: 201, RGB: 153/0/0, Hex: #990000, CMYK: 0/100/65/34) & Penn Blue (PMS 288, RGB: 1/31/91, Hex: #011F5B, CMYK: 100/65/0/30 )

Student organization logos may NOT use:

• The University Shield, wordmarks, and typography
• Any elements (dolphin, books, chevron) of the Penn Shield
• The University Shield with banner
• The University Shield with flourish
• The Athletic Split P or all-caps Athletic PENN
• The University Seal
• UPENN or UPenn or UofPenn