Start a Student Organization

Want to start a student organization at USI? Here are the steps to making that happen!
The following criteria are considered in approving new student organizations at USI.  When evaluating new group requests, Student Development Programs staff considers the degree to which the proposed organization meets each of the established criteria. Those organizations that best meet all the criteria listed below will most likely be approved. 

• Does your potential student organization complement the mission of USI?
• Does your organization have a clear purpose?
• Does your group demonstrate a student need that is currently not being met?
• Does the name of the organization clearly represent the function of the group?

Steps to starting an organization:

1. Setup a meeting with a Student Development Programs Professional Staff member. 
   • At this meeting, you will discuss the proposed student organization and next steps.
   • Prior to your meeting, it may be helpful to have the contact information for the required 5 students and the name of a full-time faculty/staff member that is interested in serving as the group's advisor. 
2. After the meeting, the group will need to create a constitution (see information below). 
3. Once the constitution is drafted, the group will fill out the Organization Registration in EagleSync.  
4. Officers and Advisor(s) will need to complete the required training pertinent to their position and agree to serve in their position.

Constitutions
Writing a constitution can seem like a huge undertaking. Student Development Programs is here to help! A constitution should be a "living document" that is updated and reviewed annually. A constitution should be the governing document of your student organization. Below we have included a sample constitution that includes some instructions on how to create a constitution. We have also added the the check-list of items your constitution should include. If you have any questions about constitutions and by-laws, please feel free to contact Student Development Programs.

• Sample Constitution and By-Laws
• Constitution Check-List

Feel free to schedule a meeting with Jenny Garrison about starting a student organization!  Schedule online now!