Recognition

Approval Process

If you are looking to start a new club on campus, there are a few pre-emptive steps to take in order to make the process as smooth as possible:

Research the groups that are currently recognized and see if any of those 230+ groups are close in mission and purpose to the type of organization you are trying to start.
Make sure you have at least 14 other students who are interested in starting this organization.
Research the list of Responsible Employees through Title IX to see who would be eligible to be an advisor for the organization.
Email startagroup@tcnj.edu to get the process started with Student Government.
If your organization has been approved by the Governmental Affairs committee and the General Body of Student Government, you will be required to attend an onboarding session in order to start being active the following the semester. Failure to attend the onboarding session will result in your organization being placed on hold until the following semester’s onboarding session.

Approvals can take varying lengths of time, depending on how quickly the members of the potential organization are able to gather information, communicate with the VP of Governmental Affairs for Student Government, and present their materials to the Governmental Affairs committee.

If you are and have been recognized, it is your responsibility to ensure the following:
- 1. Re-registration is completed each semester by a member of your organization. Advisors are not permitted to complete re-registration for their advised organizations.
- 2. Complete all Canvas Course requirements, depending upon your individual position within your organization.
- 3. Send at least one (1) member to attend the Student Organization Summit (SOS), held each September on campus. Failure to complete any or all of these requirements will result in your organization being placed on Inactive status.
If your organization is on Inactive status, you will be required to attend an appeal meeting with Student Government the following semester. Appeals are not held over summer or winter breaks. Inactive organizations are ineligible to participate in the following semester’s Involvement Fair, will have any SFB funds on hold, will lose locker/cage privileges for at least 1 semester, will not be eligible to utilize Book It or hold any type of event which requires approval, and will not be able to update email delegates.
Failure to attend your appeals meeting by the established deadline will result in your organization being de-recognized. De-recognition will result in everything outlined for Inactive status, in addition to a complete removal of the organization’s @tcnj.edu email account. The organization will have to re-start again, following the Approval Process.
Spring Re-Registration is sent out to all RSO @tcnj.edu emails on the second Wednesday of November, and Fall Re-Registration is sent out on the second Wednesday of April, unless otherwise noted. All RSOs have at least four weeks to submit their re-registration. As previously noted, the responsibility of completing re-registration is that of the members of the organization, NOT the advisor. Any re-registration submitted by an advisor will not be accepted.
As previously mentioned, RSOs are required to send at least one member to the annual Student Organization Summit (SOS) each Fall. The program takes place on-campus, and has multiple breakout sessions in order to provide each attendee with information to help their organization start the year on a successful path. Since this is a mandatory event for all RSOs, failure to send a representative will result in the organization being placed on Inactive status, and losing all privileges until an appeal has been held. If an organization is already on Inactive status, it is strongly encouraged that they send a representative to SOS.
In addition to re-registration and the Student Organization Summit, all RSO leaders are added to the Recognized Student Organization Online Resource Canvas Course each semester. While all leaders are added, only the President and Treasurer are required to complete the assigned modules by the established deadline. The course has helpful information, as well as pertinent policies and guidelines by which all RSOs are required to adhere. Failure to complete the course will result in the organization being placed on Inactive status.

Student Organization Privileges and Responsibilities

Each student organization is required to follow the guidelines found in the Student Organization Privileges and Responsibilities set in place by The Office of Student Conduct and Off-Campus Services.
If the Office of Student Conduct and Off-Campus Services receives notification of any violations of student organizations, the organization president will receive an email notification and will be asked to meet with the Assistant Director for Student Conduct. Failure to adhere to the items found in the Student Organization Privileges and Responsibilities document can result in loss of student organization recognition.