Center for Student Engagement: Registered Student Organizations

Starting an Organization

Starting an organization on campus is a rewarding commitment! It is a great way to leave your legacy at NKU, develop your leadership skills, and create community. However, it is a lot of responsibility and we want to make sure you are set up for success! We have put together a New Organization Guide to make sure that all new organizations have a lasting impact at Northern Kentucky University!

Who Can Start a New Organization?

Any student who has at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and is enrolled in at least six (6) credit hours is eligible to start an organization. For more information on how NKU defines a student, please refer to the Registered Student Organizations Handbook.

Graduating seniors in their last semester are not able to start new organizations to ensure longevity of the group.

When Can I Create a New Organization?

In order to ensure adequate time to market, recruit, and gain funding for organizations, students are only allowed to propose new organizations during certain time periods in the Fall and Spring semesters.

• Fall Semester
  • Application period opens on September 1^st and closes on October 1^st
• Spring Semester
  • Application period opens on February 1^st and closes on March 1^st

How Do I Start an Organization?

We have laid out a simple process for creating a new organization. While it may seem like a lot of steps, we do all of this to ensure longevity, diversity in programming, and student commitment to the organization.

1. Submit a New Organization Request Form on Presence during one of the registration windows.
   1. In this form you are required to give us the names and contact information of your potential advisor and at least 5 interested members.
2. Once your request form is received, someone from the Center for Student Engagement will reach out to schedule a meeting with you and your potential advisor. This will be our time to discuss the organization, walk you through the Constitution process, and go over advisor expectations.
3. You will create a Constitution for your organization and submit it to us for review.
4. The organization will get official notice of approval or denial from the Center for Student Engagement by October 18^th or March 21^st, depending on the application date.
5. Once approved, you must pay the $35.00 student organization fee, and then you will be given access to your Presence page!