Navigating Life as a Cardinal:How to Leave a Student Organization Elegantly as a Member or Executive

For many college students, student organizations are great ways to make friends, build a community, and learn new skills. Student organizations can help you to grow as a member or potentially in an executive nd leadership role. But what happens when your schedule begins to have conflicts? What if you have mixed personal and professional relationships within the organization and now there is tension during the meetings? Maybe you simply no longer have an interest in that student organization and you want a change of scenery. How do you leave a student organization elegantly? Let’s establish the difference between members exiting and executives stepping down from their

positions.

Members Exiting:

If you are a member of a student organization, you may have had to pay a due to the club and committed to stay for a short period of time but you hold little to no leadership roles. Leaving as a member is fairly simple, you could let an executive of the club know not to expect you or simply stop showing up and participating in events. Always leave on good terms, you never know when you may need someone’s help or expertise in the future so if it is possible politely let an executive know that this club isn’t working out for you, you have a is a schedule conflict, you have had a wonderful time but you need to pursue other opportunities and obligations. Normally, this should be the end of your membership with that student organization and everything will end on a positive note. However, sometimes drama can occur and leaving a student organization may be your only choice for personal peace and the betterment of your mental health. If situations escalate contact the faculty advisor and make sure to get faculty and staff support.

Executives Stepping Down & Exiting:

If you are an executive of a student organization, you are typically very involved in the leadership, planning, and have committed to be in an executive role for a period of time. Sometimes it can take a year or two to be appointed an executive position and typically these positions last for a year, so most individuals will serve their year and then choose to step up into a higher role or step down due to other time commitments. If you are stepping down at the end of your term it is a best practice to give other executives notice so they can start advertising the position and maybe even have you pass on your knowledge and expertise prior to stepping down officially. However, sometimes you may need to step

down or exit the organization immediately. For example, if a conflict arises where you and other executives are creating a hostile environment, contact your advisor and tell them about the situation and communicate the best way to proceed. Also, when looking at best ways to proceed be sure not only take the organizational interests in account, but also look at your personal interests and know that the word, “No.” is a full sentence.

Let’s put this into context.

There was once an executive of a student organization and she was taking on president roles as well as fulfilling the social media needs of her club. When she was elected into her executive position she was close friends with the other two newly elected executives. This was great, they loved to work on the student organization outside of their designated time and then personal and business began to mix. When their personal relationships fell apart, it was two against one when it came to executive decisions not because the ideas were bad, but because the ideas came from the outlying executive. This tension grew until the single executive wanted to step down and step away, but this executive kept saying, “I want to step down because ...” There is no need to give an excuse or a reason, remember, the word, “No” is a full sentence and if you need to step down or step away from something negative you don’t need to explain yourself. A great way to say this is, “I am stepping down and pursuing other opportunities.” Be sure to check out the Student Organization Handbook and Code of Student Rights and Responsibilites for your college to know what your rights are as a student when conflicts arise. For example, view Ball State University’s Student Organization Handbook as well as its Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

As an executive, you may not be able to just step down and leave. There will more than likely need to be a transference of information, title, and accounts, but if a situation is not working for you and it is draining your time and energy it’s ok to step away. When you care about a club and organization sometimes your personal needs get put to the side for the betterment of the organization, however, you need to focus on yourself and make sure you are in a positive place personally, so you can be a better person professionally. Stepping away from something you love can be difficult but if you aren’t being supported in that role and are negatively impacted, you have to be able to take a couple of steps back and make sure you prioritize yourself.

Need an additional resource for knowing when to quit? Check out #HonorsProblems: Knowing When to Quit for more insights.

Whether you are a member or executive always remember that it is ok to step down from your position and take on different opportunities. If you need to exit an organization be sure to leave on good terms or at least leave on good terms with your faculty advisors. Lastly, “No,” is a full sentence, you don’t have to explain yourself if something isn’t a right fit for you then do something else that makes you happy!