New Student Organizations

Missouri S&T has over 220 Recognized Student Organizations (RSO) that contribute greatly to the campus community. Every RSO provides a unique opportunity for students to be engaged outside of the classroom and develop strong bonds with their peers. Student Involvement is always looking for students interested in expanding the diverse population of student organizations on campus. There is a four-step process that students who seek RSO status must proceed through to gain the privileges of recognition.

To start the process, those who want to start an organization must meet with a Peer Involvement Advisor. Please review the Steps to RSO Recognition document on the right for a detailed look at the New RSO process.

Recognized Student Organization Requirements

Official recognition for a student organization is officially granted based on authorization from the Chancellor through the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Department of Student Involvement (University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations 250.010). A student organization in existence or being proposed must satisfy the following conditions for recognition:

• A recognized organization cannot have any constitutional, ritualistic, or selective restriction that shall deny membership to any student for the reason of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, ancestry status, or veteran status. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or military organizations associated with the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

• A recognized student organization must abide by all applicable University policies and campus regulations; federal, state, and local laws

• A new organization must have ten (10) full-time Missouri S&T students as active members before it will be recognized

• A currently recognized student organization must maintain at least five (5) full-time Missouri S&T students as active members

• Each officer of a recognized student organization must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) class hours per semester; all officers must be in good academic standing with the University

• A recognized student organization must maintain an advisor who is a full-time (75% FTE) faculty or staff member of Missouri S&T

• A recognized student organization must annually update recognition forms, officer positions, and membership rosters with Student Involvement within the first three weeks of the fall and spring semesters.

In addition to the institutional requirements, the Office of Student Involvement expects potential RSOs to meet the following:   

• The recognition process has strict deadlines throughout the semester. Failure to meet these will result in restarting the process the following semester.

• It is suggested to recruit a wide range of students for your organization and avoid recruiting all upperclassmen so that your organization is sustainable long term.

• Is there a current RSO on campus with a mission or purpose that is very similar to the organization that you are proposing? If so, you are encouraged to consider options for involving your group with the existing RSO, to prevent duplication.

A recognized student organization must maintain a current copy of its constitution with Student Involvement. This will be done through annual RSO re-registration submissions through MinerLink.