- Find Others: A student organization is defined by the people who comprise it more than anything else. Especially when an organization is being formed, having a dedicated group of individuals who will dedicate their time and energy to the organization is absolutely crucial. Before you can do anything else, you need to find a group of 2-5 students (including yourself) who will make a serious effort to start the organization.
- Develop a Mission Statement: To be effective, the purpose of your efforts and organization must be clearly laid out so you all know what you are working towards. The culmination of the discussion of why you want to start a student group should be a mission statement for the organization that all activities are measured against.
- Come Up With a Name: Once you have established the mission of your organization, you should tailor the name to what you wish to accomplish. The name of the organization is how you will be known from here out so choose the name wisely.
- Learn Your School’s Procedures: To effectively run an organization on campus, you must know how to maneuver through your school’s bureaucracy. Learn how to reserve rooms, access university funding, gain school recognition, etc. Become as knowledgeable as possible on how student organizations function within your school.
- Ratify a Constitution: The Constitution of a student organization formalizes the organization’s existence and lays out the rules for how the organization shall operate. Take time in drafting this document and ratify it according to your school’s guidelines to make sure it will meet the approval of administrators.
- Develop a Strategic Action Plan: With the establishment of your organization, you should agree on tangible goals for the upcoming semester/year and develop a strategy for achieving these goals. The document that summarizes this information is your Strategic Action Plan.
- Set Up a List-Serve: Every organization needs a list-serve. Use this to send information to all students about what your organization is doing and keep in touch with members about what direction they would like to see the organization head in.
- Hold Events: Hold regular events around campus that are open to the school community and advertise them heavily. An organization is about holding events and doing activities that accomplish your mission, so make sure to hold them often.
- Get School Recognition: To make your organization official and institutionalize it, you should seek school recognition. Once you have school recognition, your organization will receive many benefits from the school that will help ensure its continued existence.
- Train New Leadership: The final stage of starting a student organization is to ensure its long-term survival and make sure the organization is more than just its founders. Training younger students to take over the organization is crucial to turning a project of several individuals into an established organization.
Continue to Step 1: Find Others
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