Memorandum of Understanding for Student Collaborations

What a good one includes

• A clear definition of the specific campus project, event, or initiative the collaboration is built around, including key dates and the shared vision.
• A detailed breakdown of roles and tasks assigned to each student group, specifying who handles logistics, volunteer coordination, and outreach.
• An explicit financial plan detailing how expenses will be split, how revenue or donations will be distributed, and who is responsible for paying campus vendors.
• A list of shared resources, such as reserved university spaces, AV equipment, student union storage, or social media promotional channels.
• A designated communication plan detailing how often representatives will meet and which digital channels will be used for official updates.
• A simple protocol for resolving creative disagreements and a clear process for how a group can gracefully exit the agreement if necessary.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving financial splits or funding sources ambiguous, which often leads to unexpected out-of-pocket costs for one student group.
• Failing to involve student organization advisors or campus life coordinators in the MOU process, which can lead to administrative policy violations.
• Overestimating volunteer availability and failing to assign specific backup plans for event-day operations.
• Neglecting to define who owns the rights to promotional materials, digital designs, or research outcomes created during the partnership.

Frequently asked questions