By Eowyn Thompson
A hallmark here at SU is our wide expanse of clubs. Clubs are an amazing place to express yourself with people who share your interests. This sense of community and belonging is so important on a college campus. So, you may be wondering, just how does one start a club? It’s not as hard as you’d imagine!
Something that is important to clarify is that you technically don’t need the Student Government Association’s (SGA) approval to do club-like activities on campus. You can gather with a group of friends in Fischer every Tuesday night and talk about a topic without having to go through a formal process.
Regardless of SGA approval, you still have the freedom to assemble. There are two benefits to be gained from SGA approval. First, your club will be officially recognized by the university. Second, you can receive funding from SGA. While you must fundraise 10-20% of your total request and there are rules on what it can be spent on, this money can make a difference in the activities your club can hold to benefit the campus community.
Your greatest resource for anything club related is the Office of Leadership and Engagement (OLE) and the Student Government Association’s Constitution (which you can access on Campus Groups). Alternatively, you can reach out to SGA’s Parliamentarian, Olivia Ormsby, who organizes presentations and Organizational Summit. Overall, the process boils down to paperwork, meetings and presentations.
Approval to Present
First, you need to complete the Organization Registration form. Then you’ll need to let everyone on campus know about your club. Clubs must be open to everyone, and they cannot be discriminatory. There are two options to spread the word; you can either send out an announcement on Campus Groups or provide Senate with an interest form when you present your club idea.
After considering this, you’ll need to host your first meeting. This is a very important step where a lot needs to happen. You’ll need to notify the SGA Parliamentarian and Director of OLE, Frank Crofchick, when you do this and relay all information and documentation from the meeting.
Most importantly, you will need to draft a Constitution according to the rules of the Student Government Bylaws Article V, Section II. In essence, you must state the club’s purpose and how it will benefit the university, memberships rules, executive positions and faculty advisor. You will also need to state rules for how your club will operate in regards to appeals, elections and changing the Constitution.
I recommend taking a more thorough look at the guidelines as you draft your Constitution. You will also need to create a petition signed by all interested students, including at least five full-time students. Last but not least, your club will need a minimum of two executive members: a president and treasurer. All other positions are optional.
After you have submitted everything to the Parliamentarian and the Director of OLE, they will review it and either accept it or deny it. If it is denied, you will be informed why and potentially have the chance for revision.
Presenting Your Club to SGA
Upon approval, you will get to set up a time with the Parliamentarian to present to SGA’s Senate. This is a big step! Most of what your presentation is required to have is the same as the information you submitted before. You will need to present your club’s values and what it will do, your executive board, how many interested members you have, your advisor and your Constitution.
But do keep in mind, SGA sees many club presentations each semester, and by having their recognition, you can also receive funding. Ideally, you will want to have your club be more fleshed out than that. This is likely something you’re really passionate about, after all!
I spoke with the current Parliamentarian, Olivia Ormsby, and her biggest piece of advice was to be creative and unique.
She said, “Consider potential on-campus events your club could host, how you will attract new members, and how you will add to the SU community/make your presence known.” The senators can’t read your mind, and they won’t know the value your club will have unless you tell them!
I also asked the current President, Kyra Keenan, for her advice on presenting in front of the Senate, and it boiled down to many common presentation skills. Dress in business casual and practice your speech and potential questions. It is just like any other presentation. As long as you are professional and prepared, you will be starting out on the right foot.
Both Keenan and Ormsby stressed the importance of asking questions. Ormsby is very open to questions as the Parliamentarian and wishes for nothing but your success!
After you give your presentation, the Senate will vote on whether to approve the club and give some suggestions before you present to the next level.
Presenting to Organizational Summit
Now we’re on to the final step: Org Summit. Org Summit is an event that happens twice a semester where each club is required to send a representative to vote on whether to approve or disapprove of new clubs. It is important to note that Org Summit is not optional, and if you don’t send a representative, your club will lose funding. Keep this in mind, because if you start a club, you will also need to send a representative.
Presenting at Org Summit is very similar to presenting to the Senate; it’s just a bigger crowd of people. You can usually use the same presentation but be sure to make any adjustments recommended by Senate, as Org Summit representatives are, in my experience, pickier. Then all they do is have a discussion and vote on whether to approve your club.
Most of the time, as long as your club is clearly backed by student interest and knows what events it wants to hold in the future, you will be approved. What matters is the benefit of the student body over personal interest.
And after all that, hopefully you’ll walk in to clapping and hear that you’re approved! While it seems like a lot now that I’ve typed it all out, it’s relatively simple to be recognized on campus. There are more responsibilities after you are officially approved, so check out the SGA Constitution for that, but now you can let out a sigh of relief and focus on what made you want to start your club in the first place!