The Student Organization Recognition Policy is designed to ensure that our student organizations are active, fulfilling their purpose, and contributing to Jefferson and the community. All student groups are bound by this recognition policy.  

Student groups that are not recognized by the University (e.g., fraternities) may not represent themselves as affiliated with any part of the University, receive funds from the University, nor use University facilities unless they meet the requirements for use of facilities by outside parties.

For the 2022-23 Academic Year

Part A. Student Organizations Must…

• Student organizations must have officers, members, and an advisor meeting the specifications below.
  • At least four, but no more than six, individuals in the role of officer for the student organization.
    • Officer positions must be filled by current students of Thomas Jefferson University.
    • If the student organization’s membership eligibility is listed as “All Jefferson Students” or “All Members of the Jefferson Community,” then the Executive Board should be interdisciplinary (officers should not all be from the same College).
    • Each organization must have a designated President and a designated Treasurer. The other two officer positions may be determined by the student organization, but may not be duplicate positions (e.g., each student organization may only have one President at a time). 
    • Students may not hold more than one officer position within a single student organization and may not hold more than two officer positions across student organizations.
  • At least six members in addition to the officers.
  • A current Jefferson faculty or staff advisor.
• Complete the online Student Organization Registration Form, which includes a roster of the organization’s officers, members, and advisor, and contact information for each individual.
• Have all officers successfully complete the online Student Organization Officer Training (this entails viewing the presentations, documents, and other information, and obtaining a 90% or higher on each quiz).
• Have a current constitution/bylaws on file in the Office of Student Life & Engagement.

Part B. Additionally, Student Organizations Must…

• Adhere to the policies and procedures in the Student Organization Manual.
• Notify the Office of Student Life & Engagement of any changes in student organization leadership within one week of the change (this includes Executive Board transitions prior to the end of May, loss or addition of a student organization officer, and loss or addition of a student organization advisor).**
• Hold at least two meetings per semester.
• Contribute to campus life or the community through at least one activity, event, or program per semester (fall and spring). 
  • Note: Fundraising events with the intention to raise monies to benefit the student organization itself do not qualify.
• Submit the Mid-Year Progress Report by December 31 and the End of Year Report by May 31. The reports will provide information on the semester activity of the student organization (meetings, events, fundraising, etc.) and how the organizational purpose was supported. Student organizations can access the reports in the “Forms” section of the Student Organization Link in Blackboard Learn. The forms will be open beginning December 1 and May 1, respectively.
  

NOTES: When reviewing student organization registrations for the academic year, a student organization’s status will be determined based upon whether they completed the above requirements during the prior academic year.

Student Organization Status

The following categories will be used to designate student organization status:

1. Active Organizations (Existing Organizations Meeting Requirements)
   • Organizations must meet the stated minimum requirements to receive active status for the current academic year.
2. Developmental Organizations (New Organizations)
   • Any student who is interested in starting a new student organization must go through the Office of Student Life & Engagement for approval. See the “Starting a New Student Organization” section of the Student Organization Manual.
   • Proposals for new organizations will be accepted once a semester.
   • The fall semester deadline for proposals is October 15. Approved proposals will be granted developmental status for the spring semester of that academic year.
   • The spring semester deadline for proposals is May 1. Approved proposals will be granted developmental status for the next academic year.
   • If the developmental organization does not complete the student organization minimum requirements by the end of the academic year, it will be deemed inactive.
3. Probationary (Existing Organizations Not Meeting Requirements or Not Adhering to Policies and Procedures)
   • Probationary status will be given to:
     • Student organizations that complete Part A but do NOT complete Part B of the student organization minimum requirements.
     • Student organizations originally designated as Active or Developmental from the annual registration process, but who during the academic year fail to adhere to the policies and procedures of the Student Organization Manual.
   • Probationary status may be assigned for a semester or for the academic year.
   • Student organizations with a probationary status will have some restrictions to the standard student organization privileges.
   • The President or their officer designee must meet with the Office of Student Life & Engagement at least once in order to develop a plan of action for regaining active status for the next academic year. Depending on the reason for probations, one month after the meeting they may be required to submit an update report to the Office of Student Life & Engagement, discussing their progress in implementing the plan of action.
   • Probationary organizations must complete the student organization minimum requirements, or they will be given a status of inactive for the next academic year.
   • Student organizations that complete Part A but do NOT complete Part B of the student organization minimum requirements.
   • Student organizations originally designated as Active or Developmental from the annual registration process, but who during the academic year fail to adhere to the policies and procedures of the Student Organization Manual.
4. Inactive
   • Student organizations that do not complete Part A of the student organization minimum requirements will be given a status of inactive for the current academic year.
   • Organizations may come off inactive status by completing the Part A requirements by September 30; they will then be given a probationary status for the current academic year.
   • Student organizations that were on probationary status for the previous academic year and did not meet the student organization minimum requirements will be given a status of inactive for the current academic year.
   • Student organizations with an inactive status will not be recognized and will lose all privileges. 
   • If there is interest in reactivating an inactive student organization, students should follow the process for starting a new organization.

Student Organization Privileges

Student organizations have the following privileges, based upon their status:

* Organizations starting the academic year with a probationary status for the fall semester only may apply for funds during annual budget allocations, but those funds will only be made available during the spring semester provided the organization has been moved from probationary status to active status.

Student organizations must complete the Annual Registration Process for each academic year. As outlined in the aforementioned Student Organization Recognition Policy, a student organization’s status will be determined based upon completion of the student organization minimum requirements.

The Annual Registration Process consists of three components:

• Student Organization Registration Form
• Student Organization Officer Training
• Advisor Acknowledgement Form

Complete the Student Organization Registration Form

Where: Form available on "Student Organization" Canvas course (enrollment information provided in step 2).

Who Should Do This: Any current officer of the student organization for the 2022-23 academic year (please coordinate among the officers to ensure that only one form is submitted).

The form will ask for the following information:

• Student organization name.
• Membership eligibility (e.g., Is the organization open to all Jefferson students or only those in one specific college?).
• Membership dues or fees (annually).
• Directory information:
  • In advance of filling out the registration form, please review your student organization’s directory listing in the 2021-22 Student Organization Directory, then please list your desired description for 2022-23 on this form. Your Student Organization Directory listing will be updated with the information on this registration form. If there is no change to the existing description in the Student Organization Directory, please type in “NO CHANGE.” All descriptions are subject to approval from the Office of Student Life & Engagement.
• Student organization officer information, including: first name, last name, campus key, college, anticipated graduation year, phone, Jefferson email, and officer position within the student organization.
  • If you have more officers than the space provided on the form, please email the information to StudentLife@jefferson.edu.
• Note: As stated in the student organization minimum requirements, student organizations must have at least four officers. Officer positions must be filled by current students of Thomas Jefferson University. If the student organization’s membership eligibility is listed as “All Jefferson Students” or “All Members of the Jefferson Community,” then the Executive Board should be interdisciplinary (officers should not be all from the same college). Each organization must have a designated President and a designated Treasurer. The other officer positions may be determined by the student organization, but may not be duplicate positions (e.g., each student organization may only have one President at a time). Students may not hold more than one officer position within a single student organization and may not hold more than two officer positions across student organizations.
• Annual Executive Board Transitions:
  • Please list the time of the year that your student organization transitions the Executive Board. NOTE: This is not necessarily when elections are held, but rather when the new officers officially take over. Please enter a month and some additional qualifying information, if needed (e.g., late April).
  • Please explain why the annual Executive Board transitions take place at this time of year.
• Advisor information, including: first name, last name, campus key, position at Jefferson (title), department/office, campus address, campus phone, and Jefferson email.
• Student organization member information, including: first name, last name, campus key, and college.
  • Note: As stated in the student organization minimum requirements, student organizations must have at least 10 members, with at least four of the members serving in the role of officer for the student organization. In this part of the registration form, you will provide the information for the other six members. If you have additional members beyond the six you list on this page, we do not require that you provide any information on them.
• Certification:
  • That the individual listed as the 2022-23 student organization advisor on this form has agreed to serve in the capacity of advisor for the period of August 15, 2022, through July 15, 2023, and is aware of all information being submitted on this form.
  • That a current constitution/bylaws are on file in the Office of Student Life & Engagement.
    • Note: If current constitution/bylaws are not on file, the student organization must email a current copy to StudentLife@jefferson.edu prior to completing the registration form.
  • That you understand that the annual registration process is not complete until all of your student organization officers have successfully completed the Student Organization Officer Training in Canvas, for which the deadline is August 15, 2022.

  Complete the Student Organization Officer Training In Canvas

  Where: Canvas Course "Student Organization Link" (see instructions below).

  Who Should Do This: All officers.

  In order to ensure delivery of the important information student organizations need, the Office of Student Life & Engagement has created an online training for officers.

  • Each student organization officer will need to successfully complete the Student Organization Officer Training annually in Canvas, which consists of viewing online training modules and taking corresponding quizzes for each.
    • Student organization officers must receive a passing score of 90% or higher for each quiz in order to successfully complete the training.

  To Access the Training, Please Follow the Instructions Below:

  Part One (Enroll in the Organization)

  1. Click on this link to request to be added to the "Student Organization Link" course on Canvas.
  2. Enter your username (campus key) and password in the appropriate boxes.
  3. After entering your login information, you will receive a confirmation message at the top of your screen stating, “Thank you for registering. Enrollments are sent to Canvas on an hourly basis."
  4. Your enrollment request will be processed automatically by the system. Please note the following timelines:
     • a. If you already have a Canvas account, you should be enrolled in the Jefferson Students Online University Orientation within a few hours. However, in some instances, it may take longer.
     • b. If you do NOT already have a Canvas account, one will be created for you automatically during the daily account creation batch process each morning. In this instance, you may need to wait up to 24 hours before you will be enrolled in the JStudent Organization Link. In the Organization Search box on the top left of the screen, type “Student Organization Link” and click Go.

  Please be patient as your enrollment request is processed. It is an automated process run through institutional systems external to our office. Please only contact our office if you have followed all of the above steps and still not received access after 24 hours.

  Part Two (View Presentations and Take Quizzes)

  1. Once you have been enrolled in the Jefferson Students Online University Orientation course, you will go to Canvas.
  2. Next click on “Campus Key Login” and then enter your Jefferson campus key and password.
  3. Once you are logged in, you will see your Canvas “Dashboard” that will display any courses you are enrolled in.
  4. Click on the “Student Organization Link (SOL)” course. This will take you to the home page of the course, from which you should read the information and then begin to progress through each training module. All components of the training must be completed in order to satisfy your student organization officer training requirement.
  5. There are four components to the training:
     • Student Organization Manual
     • Officer Certification
     • Presentations
     • Quizzes
  • Start by reading the 2022-23 Student Organization Manual.
  • Once you are finished reading the manual, complete the Officer Certification statement.
  • After the Officer Certification is complete, view the "Operating as a Student Organization" module and complete the corresponding quiz. Please note that you must review each presentation in order to access its corresponding quiz. Once you have completed the "Operating as a Student Organization" quiz and received a score of 90% or higher, continue on to the "Event Management" presentation and quiz. Please note that the "Event Management" quiz will not be made available to you until you have received a satisfactory score on the "Operating as a Student Organization" quiz. After you have completed the "Event Management" quiz and received a score of 90% or higher, continue on to the "Financial Management" presentation and quiz. Please note that the "Financial Management" quiz will not be made available to you until you have received a satisfactory score on the "Event Management" quiz. Once you have completed the "Financial Management" quiz and received a score of 90% or higher a "complete" message will appear at the top of the training page. This means you have successfully fulfilled your student organization officer training requirement. If you do not receive a "complete" message, this means you have not passed the "Financial Management" quiz and you must retake it to fulfill the officer training requirement.

  The Office of Student Life & Engagement will review your scores and record your completion of this requirement.

  Please note that these trainings will remain available to you throughout the academic year, so anytime you want to reference the information contained in each, simply log into Canvas and access the information in the "Student Organization Link" course.

  Complete the "Advisor Acknowledgement" Form

  Where: "Student Organization Advisor Link" Blackboard Page.

  Who Should Do This: Student Organization Advisor(s).

  The "Student Organization Advisor Link" on Canvas is also self-enrolling The process for advisors to enroll in the course is identical to that of the students leaders enrolling in the Student Organization Link (follow instructions above using the link to request access to the Student Organization Advisor Link Course). For guidance or support in enrolling in the course, advisors can email studentlife@jefferson.edu. Advisors must sign an electronic statement certifying that they have received and reviewed the Student Organization Manual and the Clery Act.

  Once you have successfully completed all of the above, you will be done with the annual registration process. The Office of Student Life & Engagement will reach out to you confirming your student organization status for the academic year and provide you with any additional information needed.

What should you do if there isn’t a student organization at Jefferson that you feel is the right fit for you? You can start your own! Starting a new student organization may seem daunting at first, but it is a great way to connect with your fellow students over a shared interest while contributing to the Jefferson community. You and other interested parties will work together to develop the foundation for the new student organization.

Throughout the process of starting and implementing a new student organization, you’ll likely encounter many opportunities for personal and professional growth, while helping to create and foster this new community for like-minded individuals on campus. We’ve put together some important information, including timelines and specific steps, to help you get started in creating a new student organization.

Timelines

New student organization proposals will be reviewed by the Office of Student Life & Engagement Advisory on a rolling basis. Please see the timelines below.

Fall Semester Timeline (for spring developmental status)

• Informational Meeting with the Office of Student Life & Engagement – Reccommended Deadline: October 1.
• Draft Proposal submitted to Office of Student Life & Engagement – Required Deadline: October 15.
• Final Proposal submitted to the Office of Student Life & Engagement – Required Deadline:  November 15.
• Approved proposals will be granted developmental status for the spring semester of that academic year.

Spring/Summer Semester Timeline (for fall developmental status)

• Informational Meeting with the Office of Student Life & Engagement – Reccommended Deadline: April 1.
  
• Draft Proposal submitted to Office of Student Life & Engagement – Required Deadline: May 1.
• Final Proposal submitted to the Office of Student Life & Engagement – Required Deadline: June 1.
• Approved proposals will be granted developmental status for the spring semester of the current academic year.

Steps to Starting a New Student Organization

1. Informational Meeting
   • Set an Informational Meeting with the Office of Student Life & Engagement. Please come to the meeting prepared to discuss the idea you have for the new student organization. We’ll review some important information with you and let you know what you need to do to get started. To schedule the Informational Meeting, please email StudentLife@jefferson.edu with the subject “Starting a New Student Organization.”
2. Draft Proposal
   • Following the Informational Meeting, you’ll put together a draft of the following two documents, which will comprise your new student organization proposal.
   • A cover sheet that includes the following information:
     • Student Organization Name
       • Please note, new student organizations may not utilize “Jefferson” or any variation (e.g., “Jeff”) as part of their student organization name. Student organizations already in existence prior to the 2015-16 academic year were grandfathered into the new Jefferson trademark policy and may continue to use the Jefferson name.
     • Student Organization Officers (at the present time)  Student organizations must have at least four members serving in the role of officer. 
       
     • Each organization must have a designated President and a designated Treasurer. The other two officer positions may be determined by the student organization.
     • You must include the following information for each officer:
     • Officer Position
       
     • First and Last Name
       
     • College
     • Jefferson Email
     • Student Organization Advisor
       • The position of advisor is strictly voluntary, there is no financial compensation. The advisor is selected by consensus of the student organization officers and/or membership, and must be a current Jefferson faculty or staff member.
       • We encourage you to select an individual that supports the intended mission of the student organization and who is willing to serve as a resource to the officers and members. You may wish to share the "Student Organization Advisors" section of the manual with anyone that you are considering for the role. Please ensure that you have received confirmation from the individual that they will serve as advisor before listing them on your proposal.
       • You must include the following information for the advisor:
       • First and Last Name
       • Position at Jefferson (title)
       • Department/Office
       • Jefferson Email
     • Disclosure of Affiliation With External Group
       • Student organizations may be affiliated with a “parent” group or external group (as is typical for professional associations) if the student organization discloses that affiliation in this section AND in the bylaws. You must certify that the conditions for affiliation with the “parent” or external group do not conflict with the standards of the university.
       • Additionally, you will need to provide a copy of the constitution and/or bylaws of the “parent” or external group. This should be submitted as an appendix to the cover letter.
     • Goals
       • In this section, you’ll state:
       • Why you think there is a need for this new student organization.
       • What you would like the organization to accomplish – this can include both short-term and long-term goals.
     • Bylaws for the New Student Organization
       • Please see the “Sample Organizations Bylaws” segment in the Student Organization Manual for a template.

   Once you’ve completed the above, submit the draft proposal to StudentLife@jefferson.edu. Our office will review the information and reach out to you if there’s any additional information, suggested edits, or clarification needed.

3. Final Proposal
   Once you’ve heard back from the Office of Student Life & Engagement about your draft proposal, please make any final edits or updates and then submit the final proposal to StudentLife@jefferson.edu. This is the document that will be reviewed for status assignment by the Office of Student Life & Engagement Programming Team.
4. Office of Student Life & Engagement Programming Team
   The Programming Team will review the proposal. Approved proposals will be granted developmental status for the next fall or spring semester of that academic year. The Office of Student Life & Engagement will contact the proposed new student organization with their status and other relevant information after the meeting.
   
   Student organizations receiving developmental status will need to complete the Annual Registration Process as outlined in the Student Organization Manual before they may start operating.