How to Start an SA Group

  1. Find a core of interested students

    The first step to starting an SA recognized group is finding a core group of students who are interested in what the group would provide. This small initial group will help organize the group, its purpose, its operations, and basically make it run! Try talking to friends, classmates, others in your residence hall, or coworkers to find people who might be interested in helping you form this group.

  2. File for Temporary Recognition

    Once you have five core group members, stop by the SA Office in Campus Center 116 to file for Temporary Recognition. The administrative assistants at the front desk can help you find the forms needed. You will need a list of acting officers and their contact information, a certification that: "the group has voted to observe the rules established by the Student Association for the coordination of organizations", "the group has voted to observe the rules provided for in the Student Guidelines, with regard to reservation and use of University facilities (rooms, equipment, etc.)" (see Student Involvement and Leadership in CC 130 for a copy) and that "the group is composed largely or entirely of students." Lastly, you will need a group Constitution, a sample of which can be found in the Forms/Documents section. With these things the President of SA can grant temporary recognition for the purpose of holding three organizational meetings.

  3. Register with Student Involvement

    Once you are temporarily recognized you can go to the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership and get recognized by the University. You'll need to register your group online at MyInvolvement.org and complete "Student Involvement 101". Once those things are complete you can then post flyers on campus, reserve meeting or event space, and request organizational web space and an email address.

  4. Build your group

    After registering with Student Involvement you should start holding meetings and programs in order to grow your group and its presence on campus. Both your liasion in the Office of Student Involvement and the various offices within Student Association may be able to help you make your group successful. Be sure to solicit their help and advice!

  5. Apply for Permanent Recognition

    In order to get Permanent Recognition from SA you need to have held three meetings with attendence lists and minutes from those meetings. There must also be an SA representative at one of the meetings (you can make a request for an SA representative to be at your meeting at the SA Office. Be sure to give SA enough notice to find someone who can make your meeting, and include as much information as possible in your request (dates, times, name, phone number, email). The minutes, attendance list, list of acting officers and cover letter "Request to President for Permanent Recognition" should be submitted to the SA President for consideration for permanent recognition.

  6. Optional: Apply for Funding

    Just because you have Permanent Recognition does not mean you NEED to apply for funding. Some groups don't need funding, or choose not to have SA funding. If at any point after your group has Permanent Recognition they can apply for a "New/Unfunded Appropriation" through the SA Senate's Appropriations Committee. The form is available in the SA Office or by clicking here. The SA front desk can explain this process to you. If you are granted funding, two offices (usually the President and Treasurer) must take and pass the Treasurer's Exam to obtain signatory powers. Initial (New/Unfunded) appropriations are capped at $250 for the first semester of funding. For the second semester the group can go through a similar "Supplementatl Appropriations" process for a maximum of $250 or twice what the group fundraises on their own - whichever is less. Finally, a group can enter into the budget process for funding without any caps after their first two semesters of funding. See the SA front desk for any questions.

  7. Maintain Recognition

    There are a number of requirements for a group to maintain recognition with the Student Association and there are outlined in this document. Groups must also maintain recognition with the University through the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.


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