The 2026–2027 RSO Recognition process is now open on EngageSC! 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. During the recognition period, EngageSC RSO pages are available only to submit the recognition application. RSOs regain the ability to manage the group page after being recognized. All other RSO benefits are also 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.
*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.
Before You Begin
Start here to learn what your organization needs to know before applying.
Who can apply? RSOs that were recognized during the 2025-26 academic year are eligible to apply during the fall application cycle. New RSOs and RSOs seeking to re-establish after a lapse in recognition may apply during the spring 2026 application cycle, which will open in fall. Please submit this form if you would like to receive information about the spring application cycle. Information will be shared closer to the opening of the spring cycle in October.
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 is not transferrable to any other officer and cannot be edited by any other officer.
How do we begin the application? Open your RSO’s EngageSC page, review the information in the blue box, and scroll down to begin. 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.
Important Dates
The Fall Involvement Fair takes place August 25, 26, 27, 11:00am-2:00pm in McCarthy Quad, Alumni Park, and Trousdale Parkway.
RSOs must submit a complete and accurate recognition application by Saturday, August 8 to meet the priority Involvement Fair deadline. RSOs that have submitted by the August 8 deadline will receive information to the student who submitted those RSO’s application the week of August 10, however each application will be reviewed for completeness and accuracy as conditions of tabling. Please see below (under “Recognition Deadlines” for additional details on what constitutions a complete and accurate application.) Any student organization that submits after the August 8 priority deadline will be added to the Involvement Fair waitlist.
Departments may request a table by submitting this Department Tabling Request form. This form is not for RSOs and should only be submitted for department tabling. More information on the Involvement Fair is available on the Recognized Student Organizations page.
July 9: Application opens
August 8 at 11:59pm: Priority Involvement Fair application deadline.
- An RSO must submit a complete and accurate application, including all recognition requirements as listed below, by August 8 for Involvement Fair tabling. Applications submitted after that date can be added to the Involvement Fair waitlist. Incomplete or inaccurate applications submitted by August 8 will be sent back for resubmission and reviewed for the Involvement Fair waitlist.
- A complete and accurate application includes the following items. Campus Activities staff review each application and determine whether an application is complete and accurate. Please see “Recognition Requirements” for details of each requirement.
- An accurate roster with members, officers, and advisor approving their positions
- A completed Accountability Document using the required 2026-27 template and following the guidelines in the Instructions Document
- Docusigned 2026-27 Commitment to Community forms for each required officer
- Training certificates (Hazing Prevention 101: Student Edition 2026-27 and RSO Officer Learning Path) completed by the five required officers within the required timeframe (starting July 1, 2026)
- Complete and accurate information provided on the application form, including information about activities and affiliations.
- Parent organization documents, advisor requirements, and additional approvals are not required by August 8. Constitution review is part of the overall application approval process, but any required modifications may be made after August 8 without impacting Involvement Fair eligibility.
September 8 at 11:59pm: Application closes. You must submit the form on EngageSC before 11:59pm. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for spring recognition. Advisor requirements are collected separately and are not submitted with your recognition application. Advisors have a separate deadline (see below).
October 1: Deadline for advisors to submit their requirements, excluding the Clery Act for Campus Security Authorities training. See the “Advisor Requirements” section below for more details.
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:
- Tuesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm on Zoom or in person at SKS 410 (Campus Activities office)
- Fridays, 2:00-3:00pm on Zoom or in person at SKS 410 (Campus Activities office)
- *Please use the link above for the specific day you are attending office hours. Tuesday office hours and Friday office hours have different links.
Recognition Requirements
The following items are required to complete the 2026–2027 annual recognition process. You and your fellow officers should prepare these items prior to beginning the application. 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. An Officer Requirements Guide is available here. We encourage the student submitting the application to share this document with their fellow officers along with the link to this page.
- 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).
- 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.
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. You can view your constitution on your RSO’s EngageSC page and on the first page of the recognition application.
- 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. 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. 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.
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.
- 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”.
Advisor Requirements
Please review the list below and 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, excluding the Clery Act training, are due October 1 and are submitted to this Google Form. Advisor requirements are not submitted by students with the recognition application. Information on advisor requirements is also sent to advisors via email as RSO applications are received, however advisors may complete and submit their requirements at any time. RSO requirements must be completed annually and documents from previous years are not accepted.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Advisors who completed this course during the 2026 calendar year will not need to complete it again for this academic year’s RSO cycle. Information on your most recent Clery Act training completion date can be found in your Trojan Learn transcript under “Completed”.
- If you have not completed it during 2026, you will receive an assignment from Trojan Learn at a later date. The deadline for Clery Act completion will be shared with advisors via email once assignments have been made. More information will be shared via email.
- Campus Activities staff confirm completion via report from Trojan Learn, so you will not need to 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.
- The Clery Act training completion is confirmed via TrojanLearn report and you will not submit a certificate.
Additional Recognition Process Details
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.
- Recognition Info Sessions: Learn more about the recognition process, including requirements, steps to submitting an application, and follow-up once the application has been submitted.
- Recognition Office Hours: Drop in to connect with a staff member for support on your recognition application and making required modifications.
- EngageSC
- RSO Toolkit: 2026-27 Recognition Folder
- Email: Stuacts@usc.edu with any questions. Please review the information above and in the RSO Toolkit to determine if your question can be answered using those resources.