JCU Home Page    |    Admission    |    About JCU    |    Mission    |    Academics    |    Campus Life    |    Athletics    |    Alumni
Student Organizations >> Starting a New Student Organization


 



STARTING A NEW STUDENT ORGANIZATION

The following is important information for all groups of students wishing to form a new student organization.

Recognition Criteria

In order to gain recognition, groups must meet the following criteria:

  • The mission of the student organization must reflect the values and mission of John Carroll University.
  • The services and activities offered by the organization must be directly related to the organization's mission and must comply with the policies and procedures of the Student Union, Office of Student Activities, and those in the JCU Community Standards Manual.
  • The mission, services, and activities of the organization should be different from any other already-existing student organization.
  • Each student organization must have an advisor who is a full-time member of the JCU faculty, staff, or administration.
  • Each student organization must have active members and a solid leadership structure, including a president and a representative to the Legion of Student Organizations (LSO).

Recognition Process

In order to begin a new student organization and become recognized by the Student Union and Office of Student Activities, the following steps should be taken:

  1. Obtain a Student Organization Guide, either in hard copy format from the Office of Student Activities or a downloadable version from www.jcu.edu/organizations.
  2. Complete the Notification of Student Organization Petition form and submit to the Office of Student Activities. Submission of this form offers the organization several privileges as outlined in the next section.
  3. Hold organizational meetings with interested students prior to becoming fully recognized.
  4. Select an advisor. Advisors must be full-time members of the JCU faculty, staff, or administration. Graduate assistants and resident ministers are not eligible.
  5. Meet with the Student Organization Review Board's Coordinator of Organization Development and Communication to form a constitution, mission statement, and help begin the Application for Organization Recognition. Policies and procedures governing student organizations will also be discussed at this time.
  6. Complete and submit the Application for Organization Recognition to the Student Union Vice President for Student Organizations. This includes a mission statement, list of possible services/activities, membership list, and constitution.
  7. The application will be considered and should take no longer than a period of one (1) month to be processed. At the discretion of the Vice President for Student Organizations, exceptions may be made based on the level of student interest, number of active members, etc. An organization is registered and recognized upon the signatures of the Student Union Vice President for Student Organizations, Student Union President, and Director of Student Activities.

Privileges of a Petitioning Student Organization

Once an organization has submitted its Notification of Student Organization Petition form to the Office of Student Activities, the group has the following privileges until the group becomes a registered and recognized student organization:

  • Posting privileges, including the ability to submit items for the daily all-student e-mail.
  • Opportunity to host a table at the annual Student Involvement Fair.

 

 
John Carroll University, University Heights, OH 44118  |  (216) 397-1886