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Starting a New Student Organization

Couldn't find what you were looking for in our already-existing student organizations? Are you looking to start a new organization? If so, you've come to the right place! This page outlines the new student organization recognition process and tips & tricks for getting going in just one semester!

New Student Organization Recognition

The process of becoming a recognized student organization is as follows:

STEP 1—Submit a New Student Organization Interest Form on Triton Connect. Once you have submitted the interest form, you must also send an email to the Student Programs Manager for Student Organizations (studentorganizations@umsl.edu) to schedule a consultation regarding your proposed student organization.

STEP 2—Schedule and attend your consultation meeting with the Office of Student Involvement. At this consultation, you will discuss your proposed student organization with the Student Involvement staff who will provide guidance on the rest of the process. If the staff member decides you are ready to proceed, your proposed organization will be moved to pending status 

STEP 3— Begin Recruiting Members. You will have limited access to certain campus resources to assist you with recruiting student members. This limited access is known as the 3x3x3 Rule of Pending Organizations

  • 3 room reservations in the MSC (rooms only, no costs can be associated with reservations).
  • 3 entries on the Campus Calendar via Triton Connect.

STEP 4—Complete a New Student Organization Application on Triton Connect. After all materials are submitted, you will be contacted by a staff member in Student Involvement to review your constitution and by-laws. (Please note that you may need to revise the constitution and bylaws after it has been submitted the first time. You should be prepared to revise the constitution several times before moving forward in the process).

STEP 5— As part of the new RSO approval process, prospective organizations will present their idea to the Student Involvement Team for initial feedback. This step ensures that your organization’s mission, goals, and proposed activities align with campus policies and meet student needs. The feedback session is designed to be collaborative, helping you strengthen your proposal before moving forward with formal approval.

STEP 6— Once your application is complete, the Office of Student Involvement will take it for review by the Student Affairs Committee of the University Assembly on your behalf. Student organizations may be Approved, Provisionally Approved, or Denied.

STEP 7— Following review by the Student Affairs Committee, the Office of Student Involvement will notify you of the results. If your application is approved you will be asked to schedule an appointment to complete New Student Organization Training.

RSOs are responsible for complying with all applicable University Collected Rules and Regulations, the Student Organization Handbook, and any other campus policies governing recognized student organizations. This includes assuming full financial, administrative, and legal responsibility for all organizational activities.  Maintaining your status as a RSO comes with a variety of privileges and responsibilities.

PRIVILEGES

  • Use of the university name for identification purposes (must be labeled as “[organization’s name] at UMSL”)
  • Participation in University sponsored events
  • Use of campus facilities and services as provided by university regulations, including
    • Reservation of meeting, conference, and programming spaces
    • Opportunity to promote on campus, including hanging flyers
    • Ability to receive mail in the OSI suite
    • Eligible to apply for financial support from the Student Programming Allocation Council (SPAC)
    • Eligible to receive Student Leadership Awards

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Have a faculty or staff advisor that is currently 0.75 FTE (30 hours/week or greater employment at the university).
  • Complete the organization renewal process on an annual basis.
  • Always keep Triton Connect portal up to date with current officers and the most recent constitution.
  • Submit a membership roster of a minimum of ten (10) current student members annually.
  • Submit an update of the organization constitution and bylaws annually.
  • Attend annual required training facilitated by the Office of Student Involvement.
  • Comply with all Student Involvement policies to maintain eligibility.
  • Must be responsible for the whereabouts of equipment or high dollar amount items (>$50) purchased with Student Programming Allocation Council (SPAC) funds.
  • Complete and submit a Mid-Year RSO Report via Triton Connect
  • Hold at least four meetings or events per academic semester.

REQUIREMENTS

Maintaining good academic performance is vital to being a successful student leader. All students holding officer positions must be currently enrolled in classes and maintain a cumulative and previous semester GPA of 2.0 or higher. The Office of Student Involvement reserves the right to perform a grade check on all student leaders. Any officer who fails to meet the 2.0 GPA requirement, will be notified of their ineligibility. The organization’s advisor will also be notified of their ineligibility to continue serving as an officer. Grades will be verified at the beginning of each semester. Grades are also verified when organizations update officer information via Triton Connect. If you are on student disciplinary probation, you may not hold an office nor represent the university while you are on probation. Please contact the Office of Student Involvement for further information.

  • New Student Organization Interest forms and New Student Organization Applications will only be accepted during the Fall and Spring semesters. This gives the Office of Student Involvement time to update necessary documents and policies for student organizations.  No interest forms or applications will be accepted during the summer.
  • The Student Affairs Committee only meets 2-3 times per semester and does not meet between May and August. Being prompt with submitting the Application and changes to the constitution and bylaws will move the process along faster and help ensure your organization is recognized within the same year that the process is started.
  • Be patient and plan on having at least 2-3 rounds of changes for your constitution and bylaws after your initial submission with the New Student Organization Application. These documents govern your organization so it is important that they are accurate and consistent.
  • Student groups looking to become a Recognized Student Organization through the Office of Student Involvement must fill out the New Student Organization Interest form and have a consultation meeting before submitting the New Student Organization Application.
  • The Office of Student Involvement will not begin the review process for your organization before all requirements have been satisfied:
    • Roster of at least 10 currently enrolled student members
    • Faculty/Staff Advisor
    • Constitution and Bylaws
  • Deadlines:
    • New Student Organization Interest forms will not be accepted after:
      • Fall semester December 1st after 5:00PM
      • Spring semester March 1st after 5:00PM
    • New Student Organization Applications will not be accepted after March1st each year
    • All applications and forms will be available no later than September 8th of each year