New Organization Registration
If you are interested in starting a new student organization, please read the instructions carefully and complete the New Organization Interest Form below. Once submitted, you will receive an email with information about next steps.
New Organization Process Timeline
The following table indicates the standard timeline and windows during which the steps to register a new organization can be completed.
| Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Submit New Organization Interest Form | Aug 1 - Oct 1 | Jan 15 - Mar 15 |
| Staff Review Period This is an average and is not guaranteed |
2-3 weeks | 2-3 weeks |
| Complete New Organization Welcome (NOW) Session Instructions for completion are sent via email from staff |
Aug 15 - Oct 15 | Feb 1 - Apr 1 |
| Registration Deadline After completing NOW Session; whichever is later |
60 days or Oct 30 | 60 days or Apr 15 |
Please review the following criteria and procedures prior to submitting the Interest Form:
Only current Ohio State students may submit the New Org Interest Form. Community members, alumni, or staff/faculty may be involved with the organization, but are not permitted to drive the registration process.
The New Org Interest Form will close prior to the registration deadline. The registration deadline for fall is October 30 and for spring is April 15, but the form will close on October 1 and March 15, respectively, to ensure there is enough time to complete all remaining steps of the process. The form will open 2 weeks prior to the registration window opening on August 1 and January 15, respectively. New Org Interest Forms will not be accepted outside of these windows: August 1-October 1 for fall and January 15-March 15 for spring.
The New Org Interest Form must be submitted in the semester you intend to register the organization. You will need to submit the form again in the future if you choose to delay the registration of the organization and do not complete your New Org Welcome Session.
If multiple students submit New Org Interest Forms for the same concept, the student who submitted the Interest Form first during the submission window will receive priority for registration. Students will be encouraged to work together to launch a singular organization, as duplicate/competing organizations will not be approved.
All newly proposed organizations need to be unique from any other registered organization. If the proposed organization duplicates or closely aligns with another existing organization's purpose, the organization will not be approved. You may adapt the proposed organization idea and resubmit the Interest Form or merge efforts with an existing group. Acceptable variations of similar organizations are competitive/non-competitive, unique national governance bodies, chapter-based organizations, undergraduate/graduate/professional membership, major/college-specific, and identity-specific groups. Differences between groups that are not distinct enough to be approved selective/non-selective membership, dues/no dues, membership size, organization operations, etc. Please refer to the Student Organization Directory to make sure a group similar to your organization does not already exist. Search for similar phrases and keywords that pertain to your group. There is a chance that the organization you are interested in has already existed on our campus at one point and has been archived after inactivity. You will still need to follow the new organization process in this case. The Student Organization Team has discretion over organization approval.
No organization, new or existing, can discriminate for any reason in their membership or activities on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, protected veteran status or any other basis in accordance with Student Organization Registration and Funding Guidelines. Organizations may not require students be of a specific race, age, sexual orientation, or any other basis referred to in the above statement. If your proposed organization is an identity-based group, it will still need to have an open membership.
Please be aware that student organizations must adhere to The Ohio State University’s branding policies and guidelines. If you would like to refer to the university in your organization’s name, it must be at the end of the name and it must be listed as Org Name at The Ohio State University" or "Org Name at Ohio State." Student organizations may not use "OSU." Please visit https://brand.osu.edu for more information and to submit branding requests.
Email csls@osu.edu with questions or for additional support.