New Student Organizations

New Student Organization How-To

In order to be recognized by the University, student organizations need to follow a few preliminary steps:

1. Review this list of current student organizations and ensure that your proposed organization’s purpose does not overlap with that of a pre-existing organization.
2. Find three other students interested in joining your club.
3. Start finding a faculty or staff member at USC who could serve as your organization’s advisor.
4. Come up with a unique name that reflects your organization’s purpose and does NOT start with USC. For example, “USC Spirit Club” is not allowed, but “SC Spirit” and “Spirit Club at USC” are both fine.

After you have completed the previous steps, proposed student organizations will then need to fill out our form online detailing your proposed name, purpose, and contact information. This form will open on Monday, August 27th, 2018.

Next…

  1. Wait from an email back from the Peer Leadership Team (stuacts@usc.edu) inviting you to a recognition meeting.
  2. Attend a recognition meeting, where we will outline recognized student organization (RSO) privileges, rules, and also how to complete the recognition process.
  3. Create a profile for your organization on our online platform, upload your organization’s constitution in accordance with our sample one posted online, add four members to your roster, add your club’s advisor (must have an @usc.edu email address), and make sure your advisor has confirmed (all on our online portal).
  4. If recognized, you will receive a recognition letter for the academic year that will need to be renewed the following year.

Please note that we are in the process of transitioning from our current platform, EngageSC, to our new platform, OrgSync. By the end of Summer 2018, all current student organizations will have a page on the new platform, and the recognition process for new student organizations will take place on OrgSync as well.

Resources

Privileges

The existence of student organizations at the university is sanctioned by the Board of Trustees. The responsibility for recognition of student organizations falls within the Division of Student Affairs, specifically, through the Campus Activities office. Recognized student organizations are offered privileges, provided the organizations accept certain responsibilities. All student organizations must complete USC’s Campus Activities recognition process in order to be an officially Recognized Student Organization (RSO).  Recognition status runs for one academic year (August 1-July 31).

All recognized student organizations may:

a.  Post notices on campus, within the posting policy.

b.  Receive and post messages on the student organization electronic mailing list.

c.  Post on the Trojan Information Kiosk.

d.  Use a campus mailing address and/or mailbox.

e.  Reserve campus facilities for events, programs and meetings.

f.  Apply for university funding (including student program fee monies).

g.  Conduct fundraising efforts within the stated Sales and Fundraising Policies of the university (see Section G.7. Sales and Fundraising). Student organizations (or individual members while acting in any capacity for the organization) may not: (i) conduct for-profit or commercial activities (or facilitate the for-profit or commercial activities of others), (ii) conduct a business (or facilitate conducting the business of others), or (iii) act as (or create the appearance of acting as) a liaison, representative, agent, facilitator, face or front for another business, person or entity. All recognized student organizations are permitted to fundraise on their own behalf. However, student organizations may only fundraise or pursue activities to benefit their organization, another student organization or an outside philanthropic agency or relief effort. No individual student(s) may receive any type of payment either in the form of money, discounts and/or goods and services.

h.  Receive a discount on selected facility and equipment rentals.

i.  Access organizational email and web accounts (the university will place the following disclaimer at the bottom of each organization’s website: USC does not control the content herein and takes no responsibility for any inaccurate, indecent or objectionable content, which is the sole responsibility of the student author). Students may not remove or otherwise take steps to defeat this disclaimer. Any attempt to do so will be cause for disciplinary action.

j.  Access banking services at the USC Credit Union and/or Campus Activities.

k.  Use the name, logo or other trademarks of the university, while making clear to a reasonable person not from the campus that the organization is a student organization at the university and not the university itself. Use of the name, logo or other trademarks must be consistent with the USC Graphic Identity Program, including those specified in the Sales and Fund-raising Policies (see Section G.7. Sales and Fundraising).

Responsibilities

In return, the university expects all student organizations to:

a.  Abide by all university policies, regulations and procedures as defined in SCampus and elsewhere, all state laws, and any applicable governing regulations associated with a national affiliation;

b.  Limit its participation to students, faculty, staff, alumni and alumnae of the university;

c.  Limit its voting members and officers to currently enrolled USC students;

d.  Refrain from discriminating in membership decisions, elections, and all other matters on the basis of race, creed or religion, sex*, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, medical condition and national origin. A statement to this effect should appear in the constitution of all recognized organizations.

*Except those exempted from Title IX compliance.

Campus Activities will place all RSO’s into four main offices of oversight:

  1. Office of Religious Life (ORL) –  Religious organizations seeking recognition must complete the guidelines outlined on the Office of Religious Life website prior to receiving university recognition.
  2. USC Recreational Sports/Recreation Club Council (RCC) –  Club sports seeking RCC recognition must adhere to the guidelines established by USC Recreational Sports.
  3. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Leadership Development (FSLD) –  Moving forward, fraternities and sororities will be recognized as those organizations that:
    1. Allow single gender status for fraternities and sororities as protected under Title IX;
    2. Ensure the presence of an inter/national organization for which the collegiate organization (local chapter) is legally recognized and insured;
    3. Are governed under national branches and local structures of Panhellenic Council, Inter-fraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Asian Greek Council; and
    4. Can provide incorporation status – federal or state – at the national or local level.
  4. Campus Activities RSO– Student organizations provide opportunities for students and other members of the university community to explore their academic, professional, political, social, recreational, artistic, cultural, spiritual or community service interests. In addition, student organizations provide a laboratory for the development of interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills in the members and officers. Such organizations exist to promote the educational mission of the university.

View the official memo detailing these changes here: Campus Activities-FSLD-MEMO