Master's Student Group Administrative Guidelines

Master’s Student Group Administrative Guidelines AY 2025- 2026 Last updated: January 2026 OGE: Office for Graduate Education This document is intended to provide information to support the day-to-day activities of Master’s student groups, outline administrative support, and general guidelines. Communication  External Communication: Develop strategies for communicating with the graduate student body, including adding items to the Office for Graduate Education monthly newsletter, social media, and meetings, that align with the university policy. o Student groups are expected to send any announcements that they would like shared with students to Gaby Calderón (gaby@hms.harvard.edu) at least 24 hours before the send date/time. Please note, messages will only be approved within business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). University policy states that neither students nor student groups can email the listserv directly. Students and student groups also may not establish their own listserv. Financial Management  Budget: Develop an annual budget that includes funding for events, projects, and administrative costs. o OGE strongly encourages student groups to split the budget in half for both semesters. Doing so will allow you to allocate the funds appropriately. o Please refer to the Suggested Budget Sheet provided for the budget tracking template. o Student groups are expected to maintain an up-to-date budget, with regular updates throughout the academic year - ideally after each event. OGE reserves the right to request a current budget at any time to ensure appropriate financial management.  Expenses: Set procedures for reviewing and approving expenses, ensuring transparency and accountability. Note that student groups are strongly discouraged from using personal funds for purchases related to the group. Student groups are prohibited from making purchases over $250 using personal funds. If personal funds, up to $250, are used, please notify OGE immediately to initiate the reimbursement process.