Recognition Process

July 9: Application opens

August 8: Deadline to submit a complete and accurate application, including all recognition requirements as listed below, for Involvement Fair tabling. Applications submitted after that date can be added to the Involvement Fair waitlist. Incomplete applications submitted by August 8 will be sent back for resubmission and reviewed for the Involvement Fair waitlist. This deadline does not apply to advisor requirements. Advisor requirements are not collected as part of the EngageSC application. Advisors must accept their positions on EngageSC for Involvement Fair eligibility, but other advisor requirements will be collected separately.

September 8: Application Closes at 11:59pm. This deadline does not apply to advisor requirements. Advisor requirements are not collected as part of the EngageSC application and will be collected separately.

TBD: Advisor Requirements Deadline

Info Sessions:

• Tuesday, July 14, 11:00am-12:00pm Zoom 
• Monday, July 20, 2:00pm-3:00pm  Zoom 
• Thursday, July 30, 11:00am-12:00pm Zoom
• Monday, August 3, 3:00pm-4:00pm Zoom

Office Hours:

• Fridays, 2:00-3:00pm on Zoom or in person at SKS 410 (Campus Activities office)
• Tuesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm on Zoom or in person at SKS 410 (Campus Activities office)

• Five required officers: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and programming chair.
• One full-time USC faculty or staff advisor.
• At least five additional student members.
• All must accept/approve their positions through EngageSC. Follow the instructions in the email sent from mailer@campusgroups.com to accept/approve a position. You must accept from a laptop or desktop computer (not mobile).

Organizations will not submit a new constitution as part of the 2026–2027 recognition process. Campus Activities staff have reviewed each organization’s 2025-26 constitution and, if updates are needed, organizations will receive requested modifications that must be completed before a recognition application is approved.

• Submit the required 2026–2027 Accountability Document, completed in accordance with the instructions provided below. You must use the required fillable form template below and maintain the fillable form format. Please review the instructions and sample document prior to beginning your Accountability Document. These resources are also available in the RSO Toolkit.

• The five officers listed on the application must individually complete the Commitment to Community Form and send the completed document to the officer submitting the application.
• First, review this sample document of the 2026-27 Student Officer Commitment to Community form.
• After reviewing all information and viewed all links, proceed to Docusign your form using this link. Download a copy of your Docusigned document and share with the officer who will be submitting the application. Each officer’s signed form should be uploaded with the recognition application on EngageSC.

The five officers listed on the recognition application must complete the required annual training before the application deadline. Only currently enrolled students will be able to access the trainings. The required trainings are listed below. All officers should send their completed trainings to the officer submitting the application. Training completion is confirmed by Campus Activities staff via completion report.

• Hazing Prevention 101: Student Edition 2026-2027 (completed between July 1, 2026 and the application deadline).
• RSO Officer Learning Path (completed between July 1, 2026 and the application deadline).
  • First, log on to Reach360 at usc.reach360.com using SSO. You should do this before clicking the link below.
  • Next, click this link to access the training.
  • Review the “Using This Course” module for information on navigation, interactivity, accessibility, and saving your progress before beginning.

• First, update the RSO’s group details (categories, logo, mission, and goals) to represent your current operations.
• Next, update the roster. Select the field for each officer position, hit backspace/delete, and add the current officer by USC email address and name.
  • If an officer does not appear in the dropdown, please confirm they have logged into EngageSC at least once to activate their account and that their profile is not hidden in their privacy settings. To update privacy settings, click the profile picture in the upper righthand corner, select “Privacy Settings”, and scroll to the bottom to review “Profile visibility”.
  • All officers will receive an email from mailer@campusgroups.com with a request to accept/approve their positions.
• Hit the “Next” button to proceed to the rest of the application.

• Provide basic information about your RSO, including your school/department and national organization affiliations, email and account information, details on certain activities (ex. work with minors, travel plans, and healthcare activities), and other details (typical events, elections and transitions schedule, property owned or controlled by the RSO). *Please note that additional approvals or documentation may be required depending on your organization’s activities.
• Upload your Accountability Document using the required template (fillable form format).
• Upload all individual officer documents for the five required officers (Hazing Prevention 101 certificates, RSO Officer Learning Path certificates, and Commitment to Community forms). You will have three items to upload for each officer.

• You can revisit your application at any time. Start on the EngageSC homepage (not your RSO’s group page) and open the lefthand sidebar. Click My Activity, then My Surveys/Forms. Locate your application in the list.
  • Click to open your application and review your answers or download a PDF of the submission.
  • Resend notifications to officers, advisor, and members who still need to approve/accept their positions.
  • Check your workflow step to see who is currently reviewing your application.
  • Check the applications status: Draft (your form is not yet submitted), Pending Approval (still under review), Requires Modifications (Campus Activities staff have requested changes or updates), or Denied.
  • *You can make modifications to your application only when Campus Activities staff have set the status to “Requires Modifications”.

• Advisors must be full-time USC faculty or staff members who are not on sabbatical or leave. While part-time faculty and staff may serve as additional advisors to a group, the advisor listed on the recognition application must be a full-time USC faculty/staff member. 
• Advisors must agree to the duties outlined in the RSO’s constitution (meet with the RSO at least once a semester, maintain open lines of communication and awareness of organizational activities, act as a liaison to connect students with university resources).
• Advisors must accept their position on EngageSC. Follow the instructions in the email sent from mailer@campusgroups.com to accept/approve your position.
• Advisors are required to complete a Commitment to Community form, RSO Advisor Module, and Trojan Learn course titled “Clery Act for Campus Security Authorities”. Additional information about advisor requirements will be available soon. Advisors will receive information on their requirements via email once available.

Recognition is a privilege granted by USC. Student organizations are expected to operate in accordance with University policies and demonstrate responsible leadership, ethical conduct, and a commitment to the values of the Trojan community.

An organization may not receive recognition for reasons including, but not limited to:

• An incomplete recognition application, including missing documents or incomplete officer training.
• The organization is not in good standing with the Office of Community Expectations (OCE) or the Office of Civil Rights Compliance (OCRC).
• The organization or its members have engaged in conduct inconsistent with the USC Student Handbook or USC Student Commitment. Please refer to the RSO Accountability page for additional information.
• The organization is not student-led and student-run.
• The organization is not open to all eligible students.
• The organization charges for services rather than accepting permissible donations.
• The organization is unable or unwilling to operate within university policies, procedures, and expectations.
• The organization’s purpose or activities conflict with university policies or standards.
• Required approvals for specialized or high-risk activities have not been obtained, including those from:
  • University Clinical Services
  • Youth Protection Services
  • Offices or departments with oversight established through university agreements (for example, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Recreational Sports, or the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life).

Organizations are expected to maintain compliance with University expectations throughout the academic year. Failure to do so may result in the loss, suspension, or limitation of recognition and associated RSO privileges.

Recognition may be affected for reasons including, but not limited to:

• Failure to complete the annual recognition process.
• Non-compliance with applicable inter/national governing organization policies.
• Hazing.
• Misrepresentation (“fronting”).
• Organizational responsibility for the actions of members.
• Bank fraud, larceny, or theft.
• Activities inconsistent with the educational mission of the university.
• A written request from the organization to relinquish recognition.
• Other violations of the USC Student Handbook.

Please refer to the RSO Accountability page for additional information regarding organizational responsibilities and accountability.

Some student organizations are affiliated with external organizations or operate within specialized areas of the University. These organizations may be subject to additional requirements.

RSOs affiliated with other campus departments must first become a Recognized Student Organization. 

Organizations affiliated with off-campus organizations must submit applicable governing documents (such as constitutions, articles of incorporation, or similar governance documents) for University review.

Religious organizations must also comply with expectations established by the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life.

Club Sports organizations must first become a Recognized Student Organization before completing the Recreational Sports Council recognition process in accordance with Recreational Sports requirements.

Social fraternities and sororities are recognized and supported through the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and are governed by the Trojan Greek Community Standards and Accreditation, their respective governing councils, and, where applicable, inter/national organization policies.

Report & Response: Report incidents involving bias, misconduct, or other concerns through the USC Report & Response website.

EngageSC: Learn how to access and manage your organization’s information, update officers, and complete important recognition tasks.

RSO Accountability: Student leaders are expected to uphold a high standard of ethical conduct and foster a positive, responsible organizational culture. Review the RSO Accountability page to learn more about your organization’s responsibilities.

Trojan Event Services (TES): Reserve eligible campus event spaces and learn about venue timelines, services, and event planning resources.

Classroom Scheduling: Request classroom space for meetings and events. Classroom requests open beginning Week 4 each semester. Additional scheduling information is available on the Classroom Scheduling website.

University Event Permit Application (UEPA): Determine whether your event requires a UEPA and begin the event review process when applicable.

Hazing Prevention: Access resources that promote healthy team building and help organizations prevent hazing.

Trademarks & Licensing Services: Find authorized vendors for organization merchandise and learn about appropriate use of USC trademarks and branding.

Trojans Care for Trojans (TC4T): Submit a confidential concern if you are worried about the well-being of a fellow Trojan and connect them with available support resources.