Create a New Student Organization

Process to Start a New Student Organization

Thank you for your interest in starting a student organization at Villanova University!

The following is an outline intended to provide students with resources and information on how to effectively become a recognized student organization at Villanova University.

• Complete the petition to start a recognized organization.  Due to COVID-19, OSI is allowing digitial signatures for new student organization petitions. Email studentinvolvement@villanova.edu for the online New Student Organization Petition. 
  • Student organizations must be initiated, organized and run by current matriculated Villanova students.
  • Obtain 12 names, email addresses, and signatures (digitial are permitted due to COVID-19) of interested members.
  • Only faculty, staff, and registered students shall be eligible for active membership status in student organizations. Only full-time students shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers in registered student organizations.

Note: In order to serve as an officer of an organization, students must be fully enrolled in classes on campus.  They cannot serve if they are participating in an internship or studying abroad.

• Create a one-page proposal highlighting the mission and goals of your student organization. Please attach this to your petition. Become familiar with the Villanova University mission statement and Student Involvement’s mission statement, so that the purpose of your organization will be congruent.
  
  
• Schedule a meeting with OSI to discuss the new student organization petition. Your advisor is welcome to attend this meeting. Please email: studentinvolvement@villanova.edu to set up a meeting time. Here you will talk through your new organization request with a Student Life staff member. If the missions are congruent and there is no further follow up questions regarding the mission and purpose of the new student organization, OSI will then assist in setting up a meeting with the Student Government Association (SGA) and OSI to hear a presentation on the mission and goals of the new student organization.
  
  
• Before your proposal with SGA, prepare a short presentation explaining your new student organization’s mission, purpose, goals, anticipated membership size, and proposed events and activities. During this presentation also include your proposed budget to assist in carrying out the mission of your new student organization. SGA has a suggested outline to follow for your presentation which will be provided to you prior to your scheduled presentation time.
  
  
• Subsequently, and in private, OSI will discuss SGA’s recommendation for the new student organization request.
  • If the student organization petition is approved by OSI, the student organization will then be an Associated Student Organization which have all the privileges and expectations of registered student organizations for a set period of time determined by the OSI. During this Associated Student Organization status, student organization leadership will have a budget through tOSI, set up the student organizations VU Groups account, and work through their Constitution and By-Laws. During Associated Student Organization Status, student organizations are not permitted to host campus programming open to the University community.
     
• After the trial period Associated Student Organizations must set up a meeting with the OSI. During this meeting Student Involvement will collect the Constitution and By-Laws, which will be reviewed during the meeting.
  
  
• After a meeting with the Director of Student Involvement, a letter will be sent to the student organization leadership and advisor updating their status as a recognized student organization status.