How to Start a Registered Student Organization?

  • The first step is to check Engage, our student organization portal, to see if a registered student organization like the one you are proposing already exists on campus.
  • If so, have you contacted the organization to see if they are accepting new members? Or could your proposed student organization merge with an existing group to provide the same services/experiences to UI students?
  • If there is not an organization on campus with a mission similar to the one you are proposing, or if there is an existing group but it conflicts with your mission/ideas/goals, then follow the steps below to start a new student organization at the University of Iowa.

Requirements/Specifications for Approval:

  • Your student organization must contain 100% University Iowa students. In starting an organization, you are required to have five members. This means five of the five members must be University of Iowa students.
  • Student organizations petitioning for registration are not eligible to use the name the University of Iowa in their organization’s name. The organization could be named “Student Club at Iowa” or Student Club”, but not University of Iowa Student Club”.
  • All student organizations must be approved by the Student Organization Review Committee (SORC). This approval process happens after each open window period. To be considered, you much complete all steps in the new student organization process. Please note, you may be contacted to present to the SORC depending on the nature of your proposed organization’s activities.
  • Through the new student organization review process consideration will be given to the following priorities:
    • Mission/purpose alignment with the definition of a student organization. Including but not limited to:
      • Student organizations cannot be for profit
      • Student organizations are not eligible to provide professional services
    • Organization Finances
    • Student organization risk profile
    • Relationship with internal and external programs/partners
    • Alignment with university, local, state and or federal law/guidelines
    • Trademarking and legal issues
    • Organization membership
  • General student organizations petitioning for registration should adhere to university standards including but not limited to those listed on https://brand.uiowa.edu/student-organizations

Registration Periods:

  • June 30 - July 21, 2025
  • September 22 - October 6, 2025
  • November 17 - December 1, 2025
  • February 2 - February 16, 2026

Steps to Receive Approval:

To be considered, you must complete all steps in the approval process during one of the open registration windows listed above. Registration only occurs during these four windows. If a open registration period is missed, a proposed student organization must wait until the next available open registration period to apply.

Our staff is available before those dates to answer questions, help plan out your potential organization, and conduct Pre-Registration Meetings.

Step 1

Ensure the organization you’re proposing does not exist by visiting Engage website.

Step 2

Make sure your organization has 5 people who are willing to be members.

Step 3

Determine the student organization tier and category your proposed student organization will be applying for.

These include:

  • Campus Life Organizations (CLOs) focus on serving and supporting the student experience in full alignment with the university’s mission and a sponsoring unit’s academic or co-curricular goals and objectives. CLO activities, operations, and decision-making processes are subject to direct university oversight, whether by the Division of Student Life, academic college, administrative division, department, or unit. CLOs include student leadership and professional development opportunities that guide the program’s activities and objectives. They are comprised of enrolled students and have an administrative advisor who is a full-time university faculty or staff member. Advising the CLO is listed in the faculty or staff member’s university local job description.
  • Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) at the University of Iowa are registered voluntary associations comprised of enrolled students. Supported Student Organizations (SSOs) have an established relationship to a university sponsoring college, division, department, or unit, who provides some oversight of activities, operations, and decision-making processes. Additionally, SSOs may have some alignment with the university’s mission. Affiliated Student Organizations (ASOs) and General Student Organizations do not have an established relationship with a university college, division, department, or unit and may have some alignment with the university’s mission.

As stated above, Registered Student Organizations consist of three subcategories: Supported (including Sport Clubs), Affiliated (including social fraternity and sorority chapters), and General.

  • Supported Student Organizations (SSOs) are registered voluntary associations of enrolled students that have goals consistent with the university’s mission and the academic goals and objectives of the supporting university college, division, department, or unit. The supporting campus unit shall provide the SSO with operational oversight and may provide SSOs with funding or financial and account oversight.
  • Affiliated Student Organizations (ASOs) are registered voluntary associations of enrolled students that are affiliated with or related to an external, non-university entity, whether local, national, and/or international, that imposes its own requirements, rules, or regulations on the organization and often provides an advisor or oversees some degree of organization operations. ASOs are eligible for specific but limited benefits.
  • General Student Organizations (GSOs) are registered voluntary associations of enrolled students organized around shared and specific educational, social, political, religious, or recreational interests or experiences. GSOs include interest-only student organizations, which focus on a shared passion or interest that lies beyond the traditional scope of student organizations, such as niche hobbies, unique fields of study, or uncommon activities, some of which may be considered moderate to high-risk. GSOs provide opportunities for students to find and develop their own university community, connect with like-minded peers, enhance their knowledge in a particular area or topic, and foster a supportive environment. GSOs are eligible for specific but limited benefits.

Please see a full description of student organizations categorization and tier system here on our website.

3a

Step 3a: Please note, only Campus Life Organizations (CLO) and Supported Student Organizations (SSO) will be required to submit their Constitution to the Student Organization Review Committee (SORC) during the application process.

Create a constitution for your proposed new student organization using Constitution Standards and Guidelines .

  • Do not simply copy/paste, then answer, the questions/prompts asked in the Constitutional Standards & Guidelines. Put thought into your organization’s constitution; format the information so that it is easy to reference and use. Keep in mind, the goal is for your organization to outlast your time at the University. You are setting up the structure that will govern your organization into the future.
  • If you need assistance drafting your constitution, please contact Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement by email at dsl-leadandserve@uiowa.edu 

Step 4

Schedule a pre-registration meeting with a staff member from Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement (LSCE) to discuss your potential new student organization.

Please come to the pre-registration meeting prepared to discuss the tier of your proposed new student organization using the information provided in Step 3.

At this time, LSCE staff will provide any feedback needed to continue the steps in proposing a new student organization.

If you want to start a new Sports Club, please contact Recreational Services to meet with Matt Schaefer (matthew-schaefer-1@uiowa.edu).

Step 5

Sign in to Engage with your Hawk ID and password. If you have not joined Engage, you must create an Engage Personal Profile.

  • Once in Engage, click on the “Organizations” tab toward the top of the screen.
  • On the bottom left, click “Register an organization”
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Register a new organization”
  • Complete all necessary information as listed in the form and submit.

If a new student organization Registration Form is submitted without first having a Pre-registration Meeting, outlined in Step 4, the form will not be reviewed by SORC and will require the proposed organization to wait until the next available window to be reviewed and the Pre-Registration Meeting is held.

Step 6

Once all necessary steps in the process have been completed, the Student Organization Review Committee (SORC) will look at all proposals submitted after each application window closes. Please allow for up to two weeks for notice of your application.

Step 7

If your organization is not approved, follow up from the SORC meeting will occur to identify.

Step 8

If approved by SORC, you will be sent an official notification via email. At least one member of your new organization is required to attend an orientation led by our staff. Orientation invites will be sent out to your organization's contact once the committee gives approval.

If a representative from your organization cannot attend one of these times, please contact dsl-leadandserve@uiowa.edu to reschedule!