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What is a RSO?
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How to Become a RSO?
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Writing a Constitution
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Registering your RSO
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What is an RSO?
Recognized Student Organization (RSO) describes any student-run organization that has completed the RSO chartering process and been approved for official University recognition by the Student Government Association.
Official recognition grants access to:
Student Organizations (unrecognized) are any student-run group that has not elected to pursue the recognition process, but, rather, are sponsored by a University academic unit, department, or other sub-unit. These organizations do not receive the same benefits or privileges of RSOs, but are not held to the same requirements, either
RSO Standings
Good Standing – Your organization has met all RSO requirements, and has the full rights and benefits of being an RSO. To maintain Good Standing, RSOs MUST:
1.Create and maintain a portal on Engage
2.Attend at least one RSO Summit per academic year
3.Submit updated officer contact information following each election
Probation - your RSO has not met one of the RSO requirements. RSO’s on probation cannot apply for funding or reserve space for events. RSOs that have violated the RSO Code of Conduct may also be placed on Probation for a pre-determined period of time.
Suspension - your RSO has been on probation for at least two semesters. This status revokes your SGA charter. Reinstatement requires reapplying to the SGA Chartering process. Suspension may also occur if the organization has repeatedly violated the RSO Code of Conduct.
Types of RSOs
When you register a new RSO, you will be asked to select an organization category. Your organization’s category should be a shorthand description of your organization’s primary purpose. Organizations may fall into one or more categories, but we recommend choosing only up to three (3) categories that best describe your organization.
Recognized Student Organization (RSO) describes any student-run organization that has completed the RSO chartering process and been approved for official University recognition by the Student Government Association.
Official recognition grants access to:
- University funding for events, special projects, and travel to conferences
- Free or discounted use of University facilities, including meeting rooms and event space
- Special training opportunities
- Participation in Welcome Week RSO Fair
- Mailbox and storage space in the RSO Suite (Red Barn)
- Free printing, workspace and supplies in the RSO Suite (Red Barn)
- University promotion outlets, including the Student Events Calendar, bulletin boards, and The Cardinal student newspaper
Student Organizations (unrecognized) are any student-run group that has not elected to pursue the recognition process, but, rather, are sponsored by a University academic unit, department, or other sub-unit. These organizations do not receive the same benefits or privileges of RSOs, but are not held to the same requirements, either
RSO Standings
Good Standing – Your organization has met all RSO requirements, and has the full rights and benefits of being an RSO. To maintain Good Standing, RSOs MUST:
1.Create and maintain a portal on Engage
2.Attend at least one RSO Summit per academic year
3.Submit updated officer contact information following each election
Probation - your RSO has not met one of the RSO requirements. RSO’s on probation cannot apply for funding or reserve space for events. RSOs that have violated the RSO Code of Conduct may also be placed on Probation for a pre-determined period of time.
Suspension - your RSO has been on probation for at least two semesters. This status revokes your SGA charter. Reinstatement requires reapplying to the SGA Chartering process. Suspension may also occur if the organization has repeatedly violated the RSO Code of Conduct.
Types of RSOs
When you register a new RSO, you will be asked to select an organization category. Your organization’s category should be a shorthand description of your organization’s primary purpose. Organizations may fall into one or more categories, but we recommend choosing only up to three (3) categories that best describe your organization.
- Academic – related to a specific academic major or to academics generally
- Ex: Geography Club, Association of Humanities Academics
- Arts – related to artistic expression and/or appreciation of the arts; artistic expression includes writing, painting/drawing, sculpting, design, musical or dramatic performance, or audio-visual production
- Ex: Cardinals for the Appreciation of Musical Theater, Photographic Alliance
- Athletic – related to athletic activities, both competitive and non-competitive; includes intramural sports clubs
- Ex: Student Cycling Coalition, Club Baseball
- Community/Service – related to performing service or philanthropy, or who provide services/resources/advocacy to the community
- Ex: Saving Smiles, Men of PEACC, Habitat for Humanity
- Cultural/Multicultural (formerly ‘Ethnic’) – related to the celebration of/education about various cultures; can be related to ethnic, racial and/or language groups
- Ex: Indian Student Association, Portuguese Language Club
- Graduate – groups specifically for Graduate/Doctoral students; may also be related to a specific academic area
- Ex: Graduate Association for Professionals in Student Affairs, Biology Graduate Student Association, Aegis
- Greek – any “Greek-letter” organization. There are four primary types of Greek organizations
- Social – refers to Greek-letter organizations whose focus is primarily social interaction and brotherhood/sisterhood; usually gender-segregated. Includes all IFC, Panhellenic, and NPHC fraternities and sororities
- Ex: Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Sigma Theta
- Academic – typically refers to co-ed Greek-letter honor societies related to specific academic areas
- Ex: Eta Sigma Pi, Alpha Epsilon Delta
- Service – refers to co-ed Greek-letter service fraternities
- Ex: Alpha Phi Omega
- Social – refers to Greek-letter organizations whose focus is primarily social interaction and brotherhood/sisterhood; usually gender-segregated. Includes all IFC, Panhellenic, and NPHC fraternities and sororities
- Honorary – Refers to any honor society; may include Greek-letter honor societies
- Ex: Golden Key, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa
- Political – related to advocacy of/education about particular political issues or parties; may be loosely defined
- Ex: College Republicans, Students for Justice in Palestine
- Professional – related to particular professions; includes student chapters of national/regional professional associations
- Ex: American Dental Education Association, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- Religious/Faith-based –related to faith or beliefs; includes non-worship organizations whose purpose or membership is religiously-based
- Ex: Muslim Student Association, A Woman’s Choice on Campus, Christian Law Student Association
- Social – related primarily to social interaction, usually based on a shared interest in a particular topic or activity
- Ex: Cardinal Anime Club, Resident Student Association
- Special Interest – related to the enjoyment or advocacy of a specific topic of interest
- Ex: Cards Uniting for Disability Awareness, Colleges Against Cancer
- Student Government – includes SGA student councils and boards
- Ex: Student Activities Board, Speed School Student Council, Student Bar Association (Law School Council)
Recognition Process
Any student organization may petition the Student Government Association for recognition. Organizations wishing to be recognized must agree to comply with the relevant guidelines, procedures, and policies of the Student Government Association, the Student Organization Advisory Board, and the Office of Student Involvement
How Does a Student Organization Become Recognized?
Any student organization may petition the Student Government Association for recognition. Organizations wishing to be recognized must agree to comply with the relevant guidelines, procedures, and policies of the Student Government Association, the Student Organization Advisory Board, and the Office of Student Involvement
- Groups wishing to pursue recognition will complete the New RSO Application and submit it to the Graduate Assistant for RSOs in the Office of Student Involvement
- At the time of application, groups must have the following:
- At least 5 members. More than half must be UofL students
- An advisor. Must be 25 or older; may not be a student. (Exceptions may be made for doctoral candidates)
- A constitution
- At the time of application, groups must have the following:
- Applications and Constitution will be reviewed by the Graduate Assistant to RSOs for completeness and submitted to the Student Organization Advisory Board.
- If an application is not complete, the application will be reopened and the submitter will be notified by email of any changes that need to be made.
- Completed applications will be reviewed by the Student Organization Advisory Board (SOAB), who will approve or reject applications based on the criteria set forth in the RSO Interest Guide.
- The SOAB will act on applications within 30 days of their receipt, excluding applications received during the summer term.
- Approved applications will be submitted to the Student Senate at the meeting immediately following the Student Organization Advisory Board meeting. Organizations are not required to send a representative to the Senate Meeting.
- Once an organization has been approved by both the SOAB and the Senate, the contact person for the organization will be notified by email by a member of the SOAB.
- The contact person or an officer must contact the GA for RSOs as soon as possible to schedule a meeting to orient the organization’s officer(s) to relevant policies and available resources.
How Does a Student Organization Become Recognized?
- Applications can be found on EngageUofL. (Louisville.edu/engage)
- Click on the Organization Tab in the top left of the page
- Click on “Register an Organization”
- Click on the blue box that says “Register a New Organization”
- At the time of application you must have the following:
- A constitution (see “How to Write a Constitution” for Constitution guidelines and requirements)
- An advisor. Must be 25 or older; may not be a student
- At least 5 members. More than half must be UofL students
- Completed applications will be reviewed by the Student Organizations Board, who will approve, reject, or request revisions based on the following criteria:
- Compliance with SGA requirements
- Completeness of Constitution
- Consistency of purpose with University policy
- Approved applications will be submitted to the Student Senate immediately following the Student Organizations Board meeting. A representative of the organization must be in attendance when the application is brought forward for approval. Should your organization fail to send a representative, your organization will be placed on the docket for the following Senate meeting.
- A schedule of Senate meetings will be posted to the SGA website at the beginning of the Fall semester: www.uoflsga.org
- Once the organization has been approved by both the SOAB and the Senate, the contact person for the organization will be notified by email.
- New RSOs must register a portal on Engage by the end of the semester in which they are chartered to retain “Good Standing.” Organizations who have not registered their portal by the end of the semester will be placed on “Probation.”
RSO Constitution Guide
What is a Constitution?
A constitution contains the fundamental principles that outline the purpose, structure, and limits of an organization. Essentially, the constitution provides a foundation and a set of rules that will help to ensure the smooth operation of your organization.
Why should we have a Constitution?
Every recognized student organization at the University of Louisville is required to file a current copy of their constitution with the Office of Student Involvement. Any major changes to your constitution, including name changes, must be submitted to the Student Organizations Advisory Board for approval.
Your constitution serves an important purpose for your organization. The process of writing a constitution should help to:
• Clarify your purpose
• Outline your basic structure
• Provide the cornerstone for building an effective group
• Allow members and potential members to have a better understanding of what the organization is all about and how it functions.
Constitutions may seem like a burden to create, but they aren’t as difficult to write as you might think. If you keep in mind the value of having a written document that clearly describes the basic framework of your organization, the drafting of a constitution will be a much easier and more rewarding experience.
How to Use This Guide
This document is intended to lay out the basic structure of a student organization constitution and give examples of things to consider when writing your constitution. The guide should also help you identify the specific elements that the Student Organizations Advisory Board will focus on when reviewing your constitution for approval.
The advice in this guide is intended to help you build a strong foundation for your organization. The topics covered may or may not apply to your organization, and this guide should not be considered the final authority on constitutions.
What is a Constitution?
A constitution contains the fundamental principles that outline the purpose, structure, and limits of an organization. Essentially, the constitution provides a foundation and a set of rules that will help to ensure the smooth operation of your organization.
Why should we have a Constitution?
Every recognized student organization at the University of Louisville is required to file a current copy of their constitution with the Office of Student Involvement. Any major changes to your constitution, including name changes, must be submitted to the Student Organizations Advisory Board for approval.
Your constitution serves an important purpose for your organization. The process of writing a constitution should help to:
• Clarify your purpose
• Outline your basic structure
• Provide the cornerstone for building an effective group
• Allow members and potential members to have a better understanding of what the organization is all about and how it functions.
Constitutions may seem like a burden to create, but they aren’t as difficult to write as you might think. If you keep in mind the value of having a written document that clearly describes the basic framework of your organization, the drafting of a constitution will be a much easier and more rewarding experience.
How to Use This Guide
This document is intended to lay out the basic structure of a student organization constitution and give examples of things to consider when writing your constitution. The guide should also help you identify the specific elements that the Student Organizations Advisory Board will focus on when reviewing your constitution for approval.
The advice in this guide is intended to help you build a strong foundation for your organization. The topics covered may or may not apply to your organization, and this guide should not be considered the final authority on constitutions.
Registration Steps Walkthrough
Step 1) Instructions
Please review the following Instructions:
Welcome! We are excited to have you returning as a RSO
We highly recommend that the President or another Senior Officer complete the process for your organization. Please be aware that the person who begins this process is the only one who can complete it and will be responsible for the organization's submission.
When you are ready to begin, make sure you have the following elements ready:
Step 2) Organization Profile
The Organization Profile step allows users to provide basic details and information about their organization, such as the organization description, contact information, and social media links. The Organization Profile step is required for every organization registration process and cannot be removed by campus administrators. The profile step is where any organization additional fields created by campus administrators will appear for users to complete.
Additional Information
We will also be asking additional information for all the groups to fill out for our purposes:
Step 3) Organization Profile Picture
Organizations are also required to upload a profile photo to show in the organization directory and on their organization's page. The profile picture step is required for all organizations and cannot be removed by administrators. The image you select will automatically run through an image resizer, so the larger the better! Your profile photo will appear in a circular shape in the directory and on your organization page, so expect the edges of the photo to be cropped.
Step 4) Organization Roster
Here is where you upload the information about your officers. There are specific positions I will need for you to assign to your members.
As a user submitting the registration request, keep in mind that potential members will be able to sort through all organizations on campus by category when looking for organizations to join, so you'll want to pick the categories most relevant to your organization.
Organization interests are used to recommend your organization and your organization's events with users who have identified similar interests in their personal profiles. Select interests that represent your organization.
Step 7) Constitution/Bylaws Upload
Review your organization's constitution/bylaws or upload a new one.
Step 8) Privacy Policy
Required
The EngageUofL platform will serve as a great tool and resource for members of our community to manage student organizations as well as individual involvement experiences. As an EngageUofL user, you should take note of a few points:
Step 9) UofL Hazing Policy
UofL Hazing Policy
Required
As a member of the EngageUofL community, I understand that University of Louisville is NO PLACE FOR HAZING. I have read the UofL Hazing Policy and understand my responsibility for the policy.
Step 1) Instructions
Please review the following Instructions:
Welcome! We are excited to have you returning as a RSO
We highly recommend that the President or another Senior Officer complete the process for your organization. Please be aware that the person who begins this process is the only one who can complete it and will be responsible for the organization's submission.
When you are ready to begin, make sure you have the following elements ready:
- Information for your organization's profile including purpose, contact information, meeting times, and adviser information.
- Membership roster - You MUST use everyone's UofL email address. You do need to include ALL members as this is used as your official roster on campus. Please note that you are able to change the position titles to fit your organization as desired AFTER you are recognized.
- Your organization's constitution
- The date, time and location for organization meetings
Step 2) Organization Profile
The Organization Profile step allows users to provide basic details and information about their organization, such as the organization description, contact information, and social media links. The Organization Profile step is required for every organization registration process and cannot be removed by campus administrators. The profile step is where any organization additional fields created by campus administrators will appear for users to complete.
Additional Information
We will also be asking additional information for all the groups to fill out for our purposes:
- Where and when are your organization meetings held?
- Write-In:
- Are meetings open to all students?
- Yes
- No
- Do you have an Outside Bank Account?
- Yes
- No
- If yes please indicate the name and address of the Financial Institution where you currently have your account.
- Write-In
- Adviser Name
- Write-In
- Adviser contact email address:
- Write-In
- Is your Adviser
- A UofL Faculty or Staff Member?
- From outside the University?
- When do your elect new officers?
- Beginning of the Fall Semester
- End of the Fall Semester
- Beginning of the Spring Semester
- End of the Spring Semester
Step 3) Organization Profile Picture
Organizations are also required to upload a profile photo to show in the organization directory and on their organization's page. The profile picture step is required for all organizations and cannot be removed by administrators. The image you select will automatically run through an image resizer, so the larger the better! Your profile photo will appear in a circular shape in the directory and on your organization page, so expect the edges of the photo to be cropped.
Step 4) Organization Roster
Here is where you upload the information about your officers. There are specific positions I will need for you to assign to your members.
- At least 1 Officer #1 who can make Reservations
- Must be the president or the main leader of your organization
- At least 1 Officer # 2 Who can make reservations
- One other officer from your RSO who can make reservations for your RSO
- At least 1 Advisor
- If your advisor is on Engage you will be able to add them on your profile
- At least 1 Financial Officer
- Who is the person that oversees your financials and bank account
- At least 1 President
- Must be the leader of the organization.
As a user submitting the registration request, keep in mind that potential members will be able to sort through all organizations on campus by category when looking for organizations to join, so you'll want to pick the categories most relevant to your organization.
- Available Categories:
- Academic Graduate/Professional
- Academic Undergraduate
- Brandeis School of Law
- Campus Housing
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business .
- College of Education and Human Development
- College of Music.
- Faith Based Groups
- Greek Letter Organizations
- Honor Societies
- Kent School of Social Work .
- Multicultural
- Nonprofit
- Performing Arts
- Political .
- Publications
- School of Dentistry
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Public Health and Information Sciences
- Service
- Special Interest
- Speed School of Engineering.
- Sports
- Student Government Association
- University Department
Organization interests are used to recommend your organization and your organization's events with users who have identified similar interests in their personal profiles. Select interests that represent your organization.
- Academic
- Art
- Culture
- Faith & Religion
- Fundraising
- General
- Ideology & Politics
- Leadership
- Local Service
- Media
- Military
- On Campus
- Recreational
- Service & Philanthropy
- Social
- Time Commitment
Step 7) Constitution/Bylaws Upload
Review your organization's constitution/bylaws or upload a new one.
Step 8) Privacy Policy
Required
The EngageUofL platform will serve as a great tool and resource for members of our community to manage student organizations as well as individual involvement experiences. As an EngageUofL user, you should take note of a few points:
- EngageUofL users are able to manage privacy settings, such as hiding organization membership and communication/notification settings; it is the responsibility of each individual user to manage their own privacy settings.
- Information entered into EngageUofL is subject to all applicable EngageUofL University policies and guidelines, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct and User Accounts and Acceptable Use Policy.
Step 9) UofL Hazing Policy
UofL Hazing Policy
Required
As a member of the EngageUofL community, I understand that University of Louisville is NO PLACE FOR HAZING. I have read the UofL Hazing Policy and understand my responsibility for the policy.
- I have reviewed the policy at the link above.
- I understand that hazing puts both myself and my organization at risk and I agree to comply with the policy and to report hazing of which I am aware.
- I understand that hazing practices are not only harmful, but also have no place at UofL or in student organizations.
- I will not allow myself to be hazed nor will I tolerate the hazing or harassment of any fellow members.
