Office of Student Life

Student Activities

Registration

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Registration is the annual process student organizations complete in order to be recognized by the university and receive resources. Existing student organizations must complete requirements for registration each year during the organization's registration window to maintain active status and to receive access to university funds and resources. Brand new organizations may begin registration in either the autumn or spring registration window.

It is important to view the Student Organization Registration and Funding Guidelines to completely understand the roles and requirements of student organizations on campus.  The Guidelines explain the registration process outlined below as well other important aspects of student organization operations such as CSA Funding.

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Request a meeting with a Coach for support in understanding this process, re-activating an inactive organization, or navigating a leadership transition along with registration.

Organization Registration Status

Student organizations can fall under several statuses which are based on the amount of time an organization has continuously completed the registration requirements as well as the membership size.

The different statuses are: Active (New/Re-Established I or II, or Established), Pending, Inactive, and Archived. See below for a detailed explanation of each status.

It's important to maintain your status each year because it is tied to access to benefits such as campus space reservations, funding opportunities, and more. Organizations who are in Pending or Active status are eligible to access all benefits. If your organization is Pending, you are due to complete the registration process and will become Active once the registration process is completed.

Registration Windows

All student organizations exist on an annual registration cycle. Roughly half of the student organization community registers in each window annually. 

Autumn Registration Window: August 15 - October 30
Spring Registration Window: February 1 - April 15

All registration requirements must be completed within the window (on or before the deadline) in order to stay continuously registered and achieve Active status. If you would like to change your organization's registration window, email csls@osu.edu.

Annual Registration Requirements

Click here to view a summary graphic of the registration process
 

The three main components of the registration process are training, online updates, and advisor approvals.

Training:

The Primary Leader and Treasurer both complete an online module, which is role-specific, and a live 1-hour training session, which is focused on the shared leadership of the organization. The online module can be accessed by logging into the Student Organization Management System.

Visit the Training webpage for more information on training sessions and to sign up for a live session.

Online Updates:

The Primary Leader submits several pieces of information each year during the registration window. The following instructional video will be helpful for learning to navigate the management system and submit the online updates.
 

General Information:
  • Information shared in the Student Org Directory including org purpose, meeting information, membership requirements, and more.
  • Affirmation of non-discrimination policy and anti-hazing statement.
Roster:
  • A minimum of 5 students
    • 3 of the 5 must be listed as Primary Leader, Secondary Leader, and Treasurer
  • Advisor
  • Note: Updating the roster is the only way to affirm officer transitions and provide access to the Student Org Management System for key individuals.
Constitution:
  • Purpose statement
  • Officer titles and duties
  • Member selection and removal processes
  • Officer selection and removal processes
  • Statement of nondisrimination prohibiting discrimination 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.
  • Note: Student organizations are not legal entities of the university. Include all relevant sections related to all organization processes and policies. Submit PDF or Word format.
  • A Sample Constitution is available for reference.
Annual goals:

Advisor Approvals

Online approvals are needed for both registration and goals. These must be submitted by the primary advisor annually via the Student Organization Management System. Upon logging in, use the approval links available on the dashboard. For more information, visit the Advisors webpage.

The following instructional video will be helpful for advisors in navigating the Student Organization Management System.

New Student Organizations

Step 1: Confirm that the organization you are interested in creating is not duplicated in the student organization community by searching the Student Organization Directory. Specifically, the purpose of the new organization needs to stand apart from all other student organizations.

Step 2: Complete a New Organization Interest Form, which must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the close of the Registration Window - by October 15 or April 1, respectively - to ensure adequate time for new organizations to complete initial meetings and registration requirements.

Step 3: Attend a New Org Welcome (NOW) Meeting. Upon submitting the New Organization Interest Form, you will be invited to schedule the NOW Meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to seek approval for your organization's idea and talk through the steps to register.

Step 4: If approved, your final step is to complete the registration process. New organizations must complete the requirements within 60 days of receiving approval or by the end of the registration window, whichever comes later. 

Email our team at csls@osu.edu if you have questions about registration or starting a new student organization

Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend that you select a window based on your officer election and transition cycle. If your organization transitions on the calendar year (i.e., over winter break) then we recommend you select the Spring Registration Window. If your organization transitions on the academic year (i.e. over summer break) then we recommend you select the Autumn Registration Window. It is important to consider your transition timeline so that incoming officers are able to complete registration at the beginning of their term, which allows them to learn the processes and resources related to student organizations.

 

Active: Registration requirements are fully completed before the window is closed.  The two designations of Active status are New/Re-established and Established, described below:

  • Active New/Re-Established: Organizations that have been registered and Active for 2 or fewer continuous years and have at least 5 members; all registration requirements are completed before the window is closed.This status is displayed as Active New/Re-Established I or Active New/Re-Established II to denote the first and second years of continuous registration, respectively. Benefits available to student organizations do not change between these first two years/statuses.
  • Established: Organizations that have been registered and Active for 3 or more continuous years and have at least 15 members; all registration requirements are completed before the window is closed. This status is displayed as Active Established. These organizations are eligible for up to $3,000 of Programming Funds annually (compared to $2,000 for Active New/Re-Established I and II organizations). Refer to the Funding webpage for information on this benefit.

Pending: Registration is in-progress and the registration window is open. All organizations are listed in Pending status during their registration window as requirements are being completed. All brand new organizations are automatically listed in pending status. Most benefits available to registered student organizations are available while an organization is Pending.

Inactive: Registration is not completed and the window is closed. This may include organizations that are no longer operating as groups on campus. An organization was in Pending status but missed one or more registration requirement at the end of the registration window deadline. Organizations who are Inactive due to missing registration requirements can restore their status to Active New/Re-Established I by completing the remaining requirement(s). Active status will reset because continuity was broken.

Unregistered: organizations that choose to be listed in the Student Organization Directory online, but do not complete all of the registration requirements and therefore, do not receive any benefits or resources available to student organizations. An organization must request this status designation.

Archived: An organization did not complete registration for 2 or more consecutive years and the window is closed. By default, an organization's record will be placed into the student organization archive. The organization can be re-activated by request.

If you have questions about the registration process, need support strategizing completing the steps, or believe your organization may struggle to finish the requirements, connect with our team by emailing csls@osu.edu or requesting a meeting with a Coach.