The Spring 2027 RSO Recognition process is now open on EngageSC for new RSOs and RSOs re-establishing after a lapse in recognition. All student organizations* must complete recognition through the online recognition portal, EngageSC, on an annual basis. Recognition status for 2026-2027 runs for one academic year (between August 1-June 30) regardless of when an application is approved. Recognition for all previously recognized RSOs ended on June 30, 2026. RSO benefits are granted once an RSO has been recognized. Organizations that do not complete the recognition renewal process by the specified time will not receive recognition for the academic year and will lose all benefits.
If you hope to re-establish your RSO after a lapse in recognition and are not listed as an officer on the group’s page, please submit this form. RSOs that applied during fall should not submit a new recognition application. Recognition applications are submitted annually and recognition lasts from the date your application is approved through June 30, 2027.
*except “social fraternities and sororities” as defined by the Department of Education, which are recognized through The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life (FSL).
If you need accessibility accommodations or have questions related to RSO recognition, please contact Campus Activities at stuacts@usc.edu.
Important Dates
October 27: Application opens
November 22 at 11:59pm: Application closes. You must submit the form on EngageSC before 11:59pm. Late applications are not accepted. Advisor requirements are collected separately and are not submitted with your recognition application. Advisors have a separate deadline (see below).
December 1: Deadline for advisors to submit their requirements. Advisors may begin their requirements at any time and do not need to wait for an RSO to submit their application. Please see “Advisor Requirements” below for more information.
Info sessions provide an opportunity for officers to review recognition requirements, deadlines, processes, and resources with Campus Activities staff. Each presentation is followed by a Q&A session.
- Tuesday, November 3, 10:00-11:00am on Zoom
- Tuesday, November 9, 2:30-03:30 pm on Zoom
- Tuesday, November 17, 4:00-05:00 pm on Zoom
New RSO Workshops help new RSO officers learn how to organize your e-board, craft your group’s mission and purpose, and build out your Constitution so you can get started on the right foot.
- Thursday, October 29, 4:00-5:00 pm on Zoom
- Tuesday, November 3, 4:00-5:00pm on Zoom
- Wednesday, November 4, 4:00-5:00 pm on Zoom
Constitution and Accountability Document Workshops offer a brief overview of the Constitution and Accountability Document templates followed by breakout rooms to create your documents step by step, guided by a Campus Activities staff member.
Office Hours are ongoing drop-in sessions where students can ask staff questions about their RSOs. During these hours, we will also offer a dedicated Application Breakout Room where students can ask application-specific questions and work alongside other RSOs with staff available to assist.
- Tuesdays, 11:00 am-12:00 pm on Zoom or in-person SKS 410 (check in at front desk)
- Fridays, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm on Zoom or in-person SKS 410 (check in at front desk) *Friday, October 30th, Office hours will be move to 10:00-11:00am
- *Please use the link above for the specific day you are attending office hours. Tuesday office hours and Friday office hours have different links.
Before You Begin
Start here to learn what your organization needs to know before applying.
Who can apply? New RSOs and RSOs seeking to re-establish after a lapse in recognition may apply during the spring 2027 cycle. RSOs that submitted a fall recognition application should not submit another application. Approved fall applications grant recognition through June 30, 2027.
To determine whether your RSO has an existing EngageSC page and/or to be added as an officer to the page, please submit this form. Only officers may submit the recognition application.
Who submits the application? You should designate one current officer to submit the application on behalf of your RSO and follow up on any requirements or modifications. The application must be submitted by an officer listed as one of the five required positions on the application (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and programming chair). The application is not transferrable to any other officer and cannot be edited by any other officer.
How do we begin the application? You will access the application differently depending on whether your RSO has an existing EngageSC page or not. You should search the EngageSC Directory or “Groups” search bar by keyword to see if there is a listing. Try a few different keywords.
- Re-Establishing RSOs: This RSO already has an EngageSC page.
- First, submit this form to be added as an officer. Only officers can submit the application.
- Once added as an officer, open your RSO’s EngageSC page, review the information in the blue box, and scroll down to begin.
- New RSOs: This RSO does not have an EngageSC page.
- Open the EngageSC Directory.
- Locate the blue box that reads +Register a new Recognized Student Organization. *RSOs that engage in religious or spiritual activities will select +Register a new Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.
- Click the button to begin the application.
You should review the information below carefully for details on preparing and submitting a complete and accurate application, including recognition requirements, important dates, and resources. Click the + symbol to expand the accordion and learn more about each item.
Application Requirements
The following items are required to complete the 2026–2027 annual recognition process. All items below are submitted with the application, except the advisor requirements. One officer will submit all materials on behalf of the RSO and more information on the application is in the next section. Additional guidance, FAQs, and step-by-step instructions are available in the RSO Toolkit. Please log in to your USC account to access the Toolkit.
- Five required officers: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and programming chair.
- One full-time USC faculty or staff advisor not currently on sabbatical or leave.
- 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).
- You should proceed to the next page of the application once you input the officers, members, and advisor information on the roster. You do not need to wait for all officers and members to approve their positions to proceed. After completing the roster, hit “Next” to continue the application.
Submit a Constitution using the required 2026-27 template. You must use the required fillable form template below and maintain the fillable form format. Do not print to PDF or flatten your final document. A sample Constitution is available in the RSO Toolkit. We strongly encourage you to attend a new RSO workshop to learn more about how to create a strong Constitution.
Submit an Accountability Document using the required 2026-27 template. You must use the required fillable form template below and maintain the fillable form format. Do not print to PDF or flatten your final document. 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 links, proceed to Docusign your form using this link. Include your first and last name on the Docusign along with the name of each RSO in which you serve as an officer and your specific officer position(s). 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 between July 1, 2026 and the application deadline. Only currently enrolled students will be able to access the trainings via SSO. All officers should send their completed trainings to the officer submitting the application. Training completion is also confirmed by Campus Activities staff via completion report.
- Hazing Prevention 101: Student Edition 2026-2027
- RSO Officer Learning Path
- Review the “Using This Course” module for information on navigation, interactivity, accessibility, and saving your progress before beginning.
- If you see a page that reads “You have not been assigned any trainings”, please click the learning path link again.
- If you experience technical difficulties, please try accessing the training on a different browser, using a private/incognito window, and clearing your cache.
The student who is responsible for submitting the application should review and send the following Student Officer Requirements Guide to the other four officers that will be listed on the application in one of the required positions (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and programming chair). Please note advisors do not complete the same requirements as student officers. Please see “Advisor Requirements” below for additional information.
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. Click here to review the instructions for the 2026-27 Student Officer Commitment to Community and to proceed to the Docusign.
The five officers listed on the recognition application must complete the required annual training between July 1, 2026 and the application deadline. Only currently enrolled students will be able to access the trainings via SSO. All officers should send their completed trainings to the officer submitting the application. Training completion is also confirmed by Campus Activities staff via completion report.
- Hazing Prevention 101: Student Edition 2026-2027
- RSO Officer Learning Path
- Review the “Using This Course” module for information on navigation, interactivity, accessibility, and saving your progress before beginning.
- If you see a page that reads “You have not been assigned any trainings”, please click the learning path link again.
- If you experience technical difficulties, please try accessing the training on a different browser, using a private/incognito window, and clearing your cache.
Submitting the Application
Now that you have prepared all your materials, it’s time for your designated officer to submit the application!
- Who Should Submit the Application? You should select one officer to submit and be responsible for all application follow-up. This officer will submit all materials and should confirm the entire application is complete and accurate. The application must be submitted by a current officer who is listed as one of the five required officers on the recognition application (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, or programming chair).
- Can I Submit the Application for Multiple RSOs? Each student may submit one recognition application. You may not submit the application for more than one RSO. If you are an officer of multiple organizations, coordinate with your fellow officers to determine who will submit each organization’s application.
- How Do Officers Submit Their Requirements? Each officer should send their three requirements (Hazing Prevention 101 certificate, Officer Learning Path certificate, and Commitment to Community form) to the officer submitting the application, who will upload all documents to the application.
- Who Has Access to the Application? Only the officer who submitted the application will be able to view and make edits. This officer is responsible for all follow-up and modifications. Applications cannot be transferred between officers.
- Where is the Application? The application can be found on EngageSC. To begin, navigate to your RSO’s page on EngageSC from a laptop or desktop computer (not mobile) and look for the blue box at the top. Scroll down to begin the application.
- What happens after I submit the application? You will receive a confirmation email from Campus Activities within a few days of submitting the application with some information on the next steps in the process. Applications are reviewed in the order received, and a Campus Activities staff member is assigned to review your application and work with you from beginning to end with updates, requests for modifications, and other information. You should monitor your email and EngageSC Chat carefully and be responsive to any requests from Campus Activities as you are the only student who can view or edit the application.
- 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. Do not wait for officers or members to approve positions. You may continue to the rest of the application in the meantime.
- 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. If a staff member has already started a Chat with you after reviewing the application, you will find a link to your application at the top of the Chat. Otherwise, you can 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”.
Advisor Requirements
RSO advisors must complete annual requirements as part of each RSO’s recognition application and documents from previous years are not accepted.Advisors of fall applicants who have not yet completed their requirements should review the list below and submit as soon as possible. Please use the RSO Advisors Toolkit folder for resources. An RSO Advisor Recognition Requirements Guide is available in the Toolkit with a completion checklist and some step-by-step walkthroughs of different components. Advisor requirements are submitted to this Google Form. More information on the Clery training is below:
The Clery Act training completion is confirmed via TrojanLearn report and you will not submit a certificate. The Commitment to Community and RSO Advisor Training certificate are submitted to this Google Form. RSO requirements are not accepted via email.
- 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 must complete recognition requirements annually.
- Please follow the steps below exactly as described. Do not skip the first step.
- First, log in to usc.reach360.com with SSO.
- Second, return to this page and click this link or copy/paste into your browser. Please be sure to log in prior to clicking this link.
- If you receive a screen upon signing in that you do not have any assigned trainings, please check that you are logged in and click the link above again.
- Download the PDF of the certificate and submit via Advisor Requirements Google Form along with your Commitment to Community form.
- Review this sample document, including all links.
- Click this link to Docusign the form.
- Download the PDF of the form and submit via Advisor Requirements Google Form along with your RSO Advisor Training certificate.
- All RSO advisors serve as Campus Security Authorities under the Clery Act and complete a Trojan Learn course related to these responsibilities annually. Updates and a deadline to complete the Clery Act training requirement will be sent to all advisors soon. Campus Activities staff confirm completion via report from Trojan Learn, so you will not need to submit a certificate. You may check your past completion of any Clery Act trainings by opening your Trojan Learn transcript and selecting “Completed” from the dropdown.
- If you completed the course “Clery Act for Campus Security Authorities” or “Clery Act Refresher Training for CSAs” anytime during the 2026 calendar year, you do not need to take it again and nothing is needed at this time. Your Clery Act training requirement for the 2026-27 academic year is complete.
- If you completed either of the courses above prior to the 2026 calendar year, you must complete “Clery Act Refresher Training for CSAs”. You may access that course by first logging in to Trojan Learn and then clicking this link. You may also log in to Trojan Learn and use the magnifying glass in the top right corner to search the name of the course.
- If you have never completed the course “Clery Act for Campus Security Authorities”, it will be assigned to you using the information you provide on the Advisor Requirements Google Form. You should wait to receive more information from Campus Activities.
Additional Recognition Process Details
- 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.
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.