Student Activities Commission records

Record Group

Identifier: RG-14-080

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Student Activities Commission (SAC) range in date from 1955 to 1986. The records include SAC constitutions and by-laws, minutes and agendas of SAC meetings, correspondence, memoranda, budget proposals pertaining to no one particular SAC organization and records of individual SAC organizations. SAC organizations are defined as "organizations whose funds are handled by the SAC ... or which use the name of the Johns Hopkins University."

Dates

1955-1986

Creator

Student Activities Commission (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

All student organization records received prior to 2017 are closed for 25 years from the date of creation to everyone except current members of the student organization, after which they are publicly available for access. Materials intended for public dissemination, such as publications, newsletters, and event flyers, are publicly available for access immediately once processed. If you are a member of this student organization and have questions about our access policy, please contact Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Special Collections department. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Biographical / Historical

Organized in 1920, the Student Activities Commission (SAC) was originally constituted to monitor the finances of non-athletic, extra-curricular groups and to award Varsity Seals for distinguished leadership. During the early 1930s, the SAC was noted for its strict scrutiny of the expenditures of the nine groups under its control. Also at that time, the SAC, in a ruling which still holds, barred graduate students from full membership in constituent organizations. Although they can participate in organizational activities, graduate students cannot vote or hold office.

Today, the SAC is a standing committee of the Student Council, responsible for the allocation and expenditure of student activities funds and the well being of its nearly 40 member groups. The Commission is composed of two representatives (usually the president and the treasurer) of every club, publication and class. The Commission's powers are vested in its Executive Board which, like the Commission itself, is chaired by the Student Council Treasurer. The Board consists of the Student Council President, the Director of Student Activities and four SAC members elected at large. In addition to reviewing budget requests and petitions of new groups, the Board administers a contingency fund of $3,000 to $14,000.

Extent

1.14 Cubic Feet (3 letter size document boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Organized in 1920, the Student Activities Commission (SAC) was originally constituted to monitor the finances of non-athletic, extra-curricular groups and to award Varsity Seals for distinguished leadership. Today, the SAC is a standing committee of the Student Council, responsible for the allocation and expenditure of student activities funds and the well being of its nearly 40 member groups. The records of the SAC include constitutions and by-laws, minutes and agendas of SAC meetings, correspondence, memoranda, budget proposals pertaining to no one particular SAC organization, and records of individual SAC organizations.

Arrangement

The record group is divided into two series: (1) Administrative Records, 1962-1986; and (2) Club Records, 1955-1985.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Lori Malloy, Secretary of the Student Council (1981-1982), and Harry Davis, Chairman of the Student Activities Commission (1982-1983), transferred most of these records to the Archives. Some records were also given by Margaret Shamer, SAC Administrative Assistant.