This document provides guidelines for Red & White student organization officers regarding communication tools, meeting structures, and resources. It details the various email lists officers should use to contact members and each other. Guidelines are provided for formatting emails professionally and having them proofread. Information is also included on using the organization's social media accounts, Google account, network drive to store files, and reserving meeting spaces in the Heffner Alumni House.

1. RED & WHITE
STUDENT ORGANIZATION
OFFICER HANDBOOK
OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Heffner Alumni House
1301 Peoples Avenue
Troy, NY 12180-3500
(518) 276-6205
redandwhite.alumni.rpi.edu
redandwhite@rpi.edu

2. CONTENTS
Contents .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
Section I – Staying Connected ......................................................................................................................... 3
Emails.............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Lists ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Red & White General Email <redandwhite@rpi.edu> ...................................................................... 3
Mentor Email <rw-mentors-l@lists.rpi.edu> ...................................................................................... 3
Proofing...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Email Format............................................................................................................................................. 4
Email Program .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Social Media ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Facebook .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Twitter......................................................................................................................................................... 5
LinkedIn ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Network Drive ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Connecting to the Network Drive.......................................................................................................... 6
Google Account ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Google Calendar ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Google Docs.............................................................................................................................................. 6
Event Signup Form .................................................................................................................................. 7
Section II – Structure ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Elected Officer Position Descriptions .....................................................................................................10
President ..............................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Vice President for Alumni Relations...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Vice President for Membership .......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Vice President for Marketing ...........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Vice President for Recruitment .......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appointed Officer Position Descriptions ...........................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Executive Director – Campus Relations ........................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Executive Director – Alum101 ........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Executive Director – Traditions ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Tour Coordinator ...............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Web Coordinator ...............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Information Coordinator..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
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3. Mentor Coordinator ..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
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4. SECTION I – STAYING CONNECTED
Congratulations on becoming an officer for the Red & White Student Organization! You are in
charge of one of the best organizations on campus. Red & White is comprised of the best of the
best and as an officer, we depend on you to keep in that way. The organization has grown
tremendously in the past few years. In order to keep things running as efficiently as possible, this
document details some of the ins and outs of being an officer, as well as some guidelines to
maintain the high standard that the Rensselaer community has come to expect of Red & White.
EMAILS
As Red & White is a well-connected and modern organization, most information is communicated
to the general body by email. To contact everyone, there are six different email lists. Geoff and Mike
are on all of these lists so they do not need to be copied on any list emails.
LISTS
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT LIST <RW-VPS-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
Only the President and VPs are on this list. This is a way for the Executive Board to communicate
with each other.
OFFICER LIST <RW-OFFICERS-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
All of the officers, VPs, Executive Directors, and the President are on this list. This is a way to
communicate with the entire group of officers.
MEMBER LIST <REDANDWHITE-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
All members are on this list. Though we don’t always encourage members to send to this list, all
members are allowed to send to this list.
TRADITIONS COMMITTEE LIST <RW-TRADITIONS-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
All Traditions committee members are on this list, as well as the Executive Director, President, and
VP for Marketing and Outreach Programs.
ALUM 101 COMMITTEE LIST <RW-ALUM101-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
All Alum101 committee members are on this list, as well as the Executive Director, President, and
VP for Marketing and Outreach Programs.
CAMPUS RELATIONS LIST <RW-CAMPUSRELATIONS-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
All Campus Relations committee members are on this list, as well as the Executive Director,
President, and VP for Marketing and Outreach Programs.
CASE ASAP LIST <RW-CASEASAP-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
To be used for the CASE ASAP Conference Committee
RED & WHITE GENERAL EMAIL <REDANDWHITE@RPI.EDU>
Red & White is always written with an ampersand (&) unless the character is not available (such as in
usernames).
MENTOR EMAIL <RW-MENTORS-L@LISTS.RPI.EDU>
Used to communicate with all mentors.
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5. PROOFING
There is a rule in Red & White that all emails must be checked by another officer before they are
sent out to the general body or any of the committees. There are several reasons for this. The first
reason is simply to check for spelling or grammatical errors. We all make mistakes, and it is helpful to
have someone else double-check the emails. Additionally, it is a good idea for a member of the
Executive Board to verify that the information is correct and consistent with the goals of the
organization. We try to avoid spamming the general body. Because of this, we like to make sure the
emails say what we want the first time so we don’t have to send them out again.
Members of the Executive Board should send their proof emails to the VP list with PROOF in
the subject title. Any VP can approve the message, but if time allows, sufficient time should be
given for the President to give any thoughts on the email before it is sent out. Situations where
emails need to be sent out in a timely fashion require only the approval of one VP.
Officers and Executive Directors should send their proof emails to the officer list with PROOF
in the subject title. Any officer can approve the message, but if time allows, sufficient time should
be given for the appropriate VP to give any thoughts on the email before it is sent out. For example,
the VP for Alumni Relations should approve emails from the Tour Coordinator whenever possible.
To let the other officers know that an email has been approved, all approval emails should be sent to
the same list that the original proof email was sent to. This is most easily done by using “reply all”.
One exception to this rule is for Executive Directors sending emails about upcoming meetings to
their committees. For these emails, they should make sure that spelling and grammar are correct
before sending their message.
EMAIL FORMAT
To ensure that all R&W emails have a consistent and professional look, there are certain guidelines
that should be followed. These guidelines are applicable whenever emails are sent to the general
body or to people outside of the organization. Emails do not have to follow this format for
messages sent between officers.
1. The subject of each email should start with [R&W] so that people can use a filter to sort their
emails. This should be done for all emails, including messages between officers.
2. The font should be Arial size 12. This includes email signatures.
3. The color should be black and only black.
4. For emphasis, bold should be used, not italics.
5. The small R&W logo (or appropriate committee logo) should be centered at the top with three
blank lines below it. The R&W logo can be found on the R&W network drive in the Logos
folder. It is called logo-png-email.png.
6. You should not have more than one space between paragraphs.
7. Paragraphs should not be indented.
8. Try to keep short, one-sentence paragraphs to a minimum. Combine paragraphs when
appropriate.
9. Web links should use a friendly name. After copying the web address, right click on the (blue)
link and select edit hyperlink. At the top where it says “text to display,” change this to something
more friendly (link, website, etc.).
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6. 10. A recap section should be included towards the end of the email. All text should be bolded. The
word “recap” should not be included. Information to include, when appropriate, is Event,
Location, Date, Time, Dress, and RSVP date (with link to the Event Signup Form).
EMAIL PROGRAM
To ensure that these email guidelines are met, we are requiring that all emails sent to the R&W lists
be sent from your RPI email account from within Outlook. For those of you who do not currently
use Outlook, follow the instructions found at the RPI helpdesk website exactly how to set up
Outlook with your RPI webmail. In case you are unfamiliar with what will happen:
1) If you have your RPI webmail set to forward to a personal account (Hotmail, Gmail, etc…), all
incoming RPI email will continue to forward.
2) If you do not forward your RPI email, all of your messages will sync with Outlook. However,
they will still be accessible online if you chose to continue using webmail.
3) Your personal account can continue to be used to send email as you choose.
4) Outlook must be used to send R&W emails so that formatting will be correct.
SOCIAL MEDIA
In addition to email, R&W uses other forms of social media to stay connected with our members
and with the Rensselaer community. Officers are encouraged to post regularly.
FACEBOOK
As an officer, you should join our Member Group on Facebook (for members and alumni of R&W
only) and become a fan of our R&W fan page. Access to both is available from the members section
of the Red & White website.
TWITTER
There are two Red & White Twitter Accounts. We encourage you to join Twitter and follow the
following accounts:
 RWMembers – Account for members only. This account is utilized to interact as a membership
on a regular basis. It is a great place to get updated news, insider information, and reminders. Be
sure to use #rwrpi when you tweet something about R&W so it shows up in our scroll.
 RPIRedandWhite – Account is used to promote upcoming events and activities. Mostly run by
the VP for Marketing and Outreach Programs.
LINKEDIN
We encourage you to join LinkedIn, a professional online networking tool. Join the Rensselaer
Alumni Association and the Red & White subgroups. The Red & White subgroup is for alumni and
current members of Red & White.
NETWORK DRIVE
The R&W network drive is where useful files are stored for easy access for all officers. Please use the
network drive to store information instead of your own personal hard drive; this makes it easier for
all officers to access information. There are two important folders on the T-drive, the general Red &
White folder and the committees folder. All R&W members have access to the committees folder,
which is used to store files for the various committees. In the general R&W folder is where the rest
of the files are stored. In the general R&W folder, each officer has a folder that can be used to store
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7. files. Each officer can utilize any of the files on the network drive, but should not delete anything
other than what is in their own folder.
CONNECTING TO THE NETWORK DRIVE
If you are connecting from off campus, you will need to use the external VPN before you connect.
WINDOWS USERS
1. Right click on the desktop
2. Click on New → Shortcut
3. Copy the following address and then click next
iacsdept.win.rpi.eduInstAdvDepartmentAlumniRedandWhite
4. You will then need your RCS ID and password (username should be WINRCS ID)
5. Name the folder and then click finish
6. This shortcut can be moved to any location that you wish
MAC USERS
1. Open Finder
2. Go to “Go” tab
3. Select “Connect to Server”
4. Type in Server Address – smb://iacsdept.win.rpi.edu/instadv/department/alumni/redandwhite
5. Hit “+” sign to add it to favorites
6. Hit Connect
7. Type in RCS Username and Password
GOOGLE ACCOUNT
Red & White has its own Google account. Please use this account (and not your own personal
account) for all R&W related activities. The username is redandwhite@rpi.edu. The password is
xxxxxx
GOOGLE CALENDAR
The calendar of events on the website is linked to our Google account. Officers can update the
calendar with the events that they are in charge of. Please keep the calendar up-to-date so that
members feel that it is a reliable source. Any changes made to the Google Calendar will be updated
immediately on the R&W site.
HOW TO ADD AN EVENT
1. Go to Google Calendar at calendar.google.com
2. Make sure that you are logged in as redandwhite@rpi.edu
3. Click on "Create Event" in the upper left hand corner of the screen
4. Fill out all of the information about the event. The event description can simply be the same
information that would be sent out in an email to everyone
5. Do NOT change anything under "Options" or "Guests"
6. Click "Save"
GOOGLE DOCS
All of the forms on the website are created with Google Docs. Any officer can create a new form
with Google Docs to gather information from R&W members or any other group of people. Once
a form is created, please email the Web Coordinator so that the form can be added to the website.
Once the form is added, any changes will be reflected on the R&W site immediately.
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8. HOW TO CREATE A NEW FORM
1. Go to Google Docs at docs.google.com
2. Make sure that you are logged in as redandwhite@rpi.edu
3. Click on "Create new"
4. Click on "Form"
5. Give the form an appropriate title
6. Add questions to the form
7. Do NOT change the theme of the form
8. Click on "Save" in the upper right hand corner
HOW TO EDIT A FORM
1. Go to Google Docs at docs.google.com
2. Make sure that you are logged in as redandwhite@rpi.edu
3. Click on form in the spreadsheets list
4. Click on the "Form" menu
5. Click on "Edit form"
6. Edit the form as necessary
7. Click on "Save" in the upper right hand corner
8. Changes will be reflected on the website immediately
EVENT SIGNUP FORM
To streamline the event signup process, there is a single Google form for all events. The purpose of
this is so that events can be added to the website easily with Google Docs without the need of the
Web Coordinator’s intervention. All officers can add events to the Event Signup form. Officers are
only responsible for editing the Event Signup Form, the Information Coordinator will revise the
Event Wrap-Up Form once the email has been sent to the group.
HOW TO EDIT THE EVENT SIGNUP FORM
1. Go to Google Docs at docs.google.com
2. Make sure that you are logged in as redandwhite@rpi.edu
3. Click on Event Signup Form in the spreadsheets list
4. Click on the "Form" menu
5. Click on "Edit form"
6. Add the event to the "Select Event" multiple choice question
7. If any additional information is needed, add questions to the form as necessary
8. Click on "Save" in the upper right hand corner
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9. SECTION 2 - RESOURCES
HEFFNER ALUMNI HOUSE
The Heffner Alumni House is the home of Red & White Student Organization. All Red & White
meetings, including VP, Office, Committee and general body meetings are held in the building.
RESERVATIONS
All meetings must be scheduled through the Heffner Alumni House Manager (Mike O’Neill) by the
following process:
1. Please work to know your meeting time at least a week prior. It is helpful
that if you are having reoccurring meetings to have a full list of dates.
2. Send an email to heffneralumnihouse@rpi.edu
3. Include the name of the meeting, date, time and how many people you
expect at the meeting. If it is a reoccurring meeting, indicate that in the
email.
This process will avoid any double bookings within the Heffner Alumni House.
CARD ACCESS
The Heffner Alumni House is on card access and only certain individuals have card access to the
building after hours. Only the R&W president has anytime access to the building. It is important
that you request the use of the HAH for many reason, but it is most important in order for the card
access to stay unlocked until your meeting time is complete.
CANCELLATIONS
It is important to notify the Heffner Alumni House Manager immediately if you are planning to
cancel a meeting. This will help to avoid the Heffner Alumni House remaining unlocked when no
meeting is present.
BUILDING SUPERVISOR
There is always a Building Supervisor on duty in the Heffner Alumni House when the building is
unlocked. If you have any problems or need any assistance, contact the Building Supervisor located
on the upper level of the HAH. If there is an emergency, dial 911 first and then find the Building
Supervisor.
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10. SECTION II – STRUCTURE
President Advisor Advisor
Geoff Seber Mike O’Neill '11
Courtney Nicholas '13
Executive Director Executive Director
Traditions Programs Alum101
VP for Alumni Relations VP for Marketing
Elise Budd '15 Brendan Howell '14
Natalie Maslow '13 Anisha Smith '13
Executive Director
Campus Relations
Tour Coordinator Web Coordinator
Bobby Langan '14
Alli Welling '14 Jay Cady '14
Chair
CASE ASAP D2 Con.
VP for Recruitment VP for Membership Ben Lewis '13
Cale Kochenour '13 Charles Carletta '14
Information
Mentor Coordinator
Coordinator
Allie Ahn '13
Megan Smead '14
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11. ELECTED OFFICER POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
These positions are elected by the general body
PRESIDENT
 Requires a commitment of 12 to 16 hours per week
 Oversee all Vice President positions to make sure the organization continues to move forward
 Create overall standards for membership
 Develop overall strategic plan for the organization
 Work with advisor every week to move organization forward
 Meet with Vice Presidents and Executive Directors on a regular basis
 Communicate with Executive Directors about progress of programs and activities from the
Alum101, Campus Relations, and Traditions Committees
 Run all general body meetings, including food schedule
 Notify members of upcoming general body meetings
 Meet for applicant and member review process
 Provide members with updated information on current campus stories/issues
 Attend highest level events with President & President’s Cabinet as requested
 Oversee yearly election process
 Serve as a member of the RAA Board of Trustees
 Serve on the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame Selection Committee (every other year)
 Make all final decisions on all activities for the organization
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI RELATIONS
 Requires a commitment of 10 to 12 hours per week
 Second in command for the organization
 Create the strategic operations plan for Alumni Relations
 Oversee the Tour Coordinator
 Work with Alumni Relations to provide Red & White participation at events
 Select members for events and coordinate with event contact person
 Coordinate Red & White involvement in Reunion & Homecoming and the Volunteer Summit
 Meet for applicant and member review process
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12. VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBERSHIP
 Requires a commitment of 10 to 12 hours per week
 Create the strategic operations plan for membership
 Oversee the Information Coordinator
 Keep a diversity record of the organization
 Provide member activities that increases member development, communication, and interaction
 Oversee membership development throughout member tenure
 Provide member reviews once per semester
 Complete follow-up evaluation for new members
 Meet for applicant and member review process
VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING
 Requires a commitment of 8 to 10 hours per week
 Create the strategic operations plan for the organization’s marketing and communications
 Oversee the Web Coordinator
 Work on strategic publicity for the group
 Maintain style guide and enforce its use
 Provide a newsletter to members after general body meetings
 Position the organization through different outlets to build awareness on campus
 Manage all forms of Social Media used by the organization
 Maintain and coordinate pictures from members
 Create new ideas that will help to promote Red & White
 Coordinate and place new clothing orders
 Meet for applicant and member review process
VICE PRESIDENT FOR RECRUITMENT
 Requires a commitment of 10 to 12 hours per week
 Create strategic operating plan for Recruitment
 Strategically recruit for the most diversity for the organization
 Represent Red & White at the Fall Activities Fair
 Responsible for drafting the application
 Responsible for creating the Recruitment Timeline
 Lead Application & Interview Reviews
 Responsible for drafting the interview standards & training for Interviewers
 Organize New Member Orientation, Mentor Selection, and the Etiquette Dinner
 Presiding authority over complete recruitment process and efforts
 Oversee the position of Mentor Coordinator
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13. APPOINTED OFFICER POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
These positions are appointed by the incoming executive board
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – CAMPUS RELATIONS
 Requires a commitment of 8 to 10 hours per week
 Oversee the Campus Relations Committee
 Oversee a committee of 8-10 members
 Coordinate Welcome Barbecue, Study Days @ the Heffner Alumni House
 Arrange an Event for Red & White participation in Reunion & Homecoming
 Organize Red & White participation in Campus Wide Events (Big Red Freakout, Winter
Carnival, etc.)
 Create new programs and activities that incorporate into key campus programs
 Report to Advisor & Update President and VPs on Committee Progress
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – ALUM101
 Requires a commitment of 8 to 10 hours per week
 Oversee the Alum101 Committee
 Oversee a committee of 8-10 members
 Organize programming for Alum101, including but not limited to:
 Roundtable Interviews
 Research Jobs/Graduate Schools
 Culinary Engineering
 Financial Management for the Future
 Create new programs and activities that incorporate into key campus programs
 Report to Advisor & Update President and VPs on Committee Progress
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TRADITIONS
 Requires a commitment of 8 to 10 hours per week
 Oversee the Traditions Committee
 Coordinate NRB Traditions Activity
 Research RPI Traditions
 Create and promote Traditions to First-year Students
 Work and create programs with other student organizations to maintain campus tradition
 Report to Advisor & Update President and VPs on Committee Progress
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14. TOUR COORDINATOR
 Requires a commitment of 1 to 5 hours per week
 Receive requests for all tours
 Provide tour information, training, and scheduling to members for tour
 Send email messages of upcoming tours
 Select members for tours and coordinate with event contact person
 Make sure members that are doing tours are updated on any new important campus information
 Be part of the overall orientation and train members on tour tips/information
 Report to the Vice President for Alumni Relations
WEB COORDINATOR
 Requires a commitment of 1 to 5 hours per week
 Update web pages with membership changes, event text, and photographs
 Work with new technologies to provide an interactive website
 Organize Google Documents
 Work with Information Manager to be sure all information on the website is updated
 Post all information requested from all officers
 Report to the Vice President for Marketing
INFORMATION COORDINATOR
 Requires a commitment of 1 to 5 hours per week
 Record member responses and attendance for events
 Gather feedback/success stories with Event Wrap-up Form following events
 Provide member feedback to Vice President of Membership on member needs
 Maintain R&W online database by prompting members to keep their information current
 Add new members to listserv
 Coordinate and keep track of attendance at meetings
 Gather and analyze information requested from officers
 Send out meeting minutes to members
 Report to the Vice President for Membership
MENTOR COORDINATOR
 Requires a commitment of 1 to 5 hours per week during recruitment periods
 Assist in the recruitment process with the Vice President for Recruitment
 Work with Vice President of Recruitment to match Mentors with New Members
 Set overall standards and responsibilities for Mentors
 Provide events for Mentors and New Members to attend together
 Report to Vice President for Recruitment
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