How to Start a Club or Organization

If you do not see an organization that meets your interests and/or needs, all you need is the desire to get started and the willingness to make it happen! Research the existing student organizations on campus. These can vary every year, so look through the list at the .

Researching other organizations can help you avoid potential roadblocks when establishing a new organization. If an organization already serves a purpose similar to what you want to create, you may want to rethink your plan. Ask yourself the following questions:

Will the membership overlap, causing low membership in both organizations?
Will the SGA fund two separate organizations that have nearly identical purposes?
Will organization events, programs, or projects overlap so much that you will be duplicating each others’ work?
Could your organization benefit from collaborating with an existing recognized organization?

Take some time to ask around campus to see if anyone is interested in your idea. If there isn’t very much interest, you may want to rethink your plan.

New organizations must follow specific steps to be recognized by the University and access funding from the Student Activity Fee. Applications for new student organizations open on the first day of classes and close two weeks after the involvement fair in both Fall and Spring semesters.

Step 1: Register on Get Involved

New student organizations must register on during the registration period, which runs from the first day of classes and closes after the involvement fair.

To register, please follow these steps:

Log on to with your ��vlog�� credentials
Click on the Organizations tab at the top of the landing page
Click on the “Register new organization” button. Please note that this button is only visible during the registration period
Complete and submit the registration form

When submitting a registration, all organizations will be asked to include:

The official name of the proposed organization.
The mission of the proposed organization, and how that mission would advance the Living the Liberal Arts goals described in Appendix A of the .
To the extent that the proposed organization anticipates seeking funding through the Student Activity Fee, a proposed budget that describes the amount of fees to be sought and how those fees would be used.
A list of proposed officers, all of whom must be ��vlog�� students in active status and reside on campus during the registering semester.

Acknowledgment by all founding members of the proposed organization/group that:
The proposed organization or group will adhere to the terms of the Relationship Statement; all applicable University rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the University’s Policy on Hazing, the Policy on Alcohol and Drugs, and the Policy on Equal Opportunity, Nondiscrimination, Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment; and any requirements established by the advising department;

Membership in the proposed organization will be limited to fully matriculated ��vlog�� students; The proposed organization will adhere to appropriate risk management practices and insurance requirements as established by the University; The proposed organization will not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability

Step 2: Application Review

Once your registration form is submitted, the Student Organization Working Group (comprised of representatives from Student Engagement offices and Student Government) will meet to review it. You will receive an email decision that will approve, revise, or deny the proposal, as well as indicating which advising office will work with your new group, by the middle of October. If you wish to revise and resubmit, you will have two weeks, or until the end of November, before the working group makes a final decision.

Step 3: Onboarding Period

All new organizations remain in onboarding status for the rest of their first semester. During the onboarding period, new organizations should be focused on refining their mission and vision, holding informational sessions, recruiting members, and developing bylaws. By the end of the semester, organizations must have completed the following items:

Met with their assigned student organization adviser;
Identified student leaders;
Created mission and vision statements;
Developed organizational constitution and bylaws;
Submitted an SGA petition and delivered a presentation;
Edit an established page on

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