School Ends Student Organization Recognition in Spring Semester

In an email to the student body on Feb. 10, Director of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEL)  Torshia Maxwell announced that recognition of new Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) will now only take place during the fall semester, with an indefinite pause on recognition during the spring. Students can begin submitting RSO proposals at the start of the next fall. 

The timeline change was announced as part of a series of revisions to the RSO recognition process that SEL plans to implement throughout the current spring semester. “These changes are meant to make [the process] more efficient and standardized, reducing potential issues and confusion we have commonly seen within the process over the years,” Maxwell wrote in an email to The Student. 

Part of these revisions is the development of a new “transparent rubric” to more explicitly clarify the criteria for RSO recognition. This would not involve any change to the requirements currently in place, according to Maxwell. 

“The rubric takes guesswork out of the requirements for students and gives staff clear guidance to streamline and more effectively approve RSOs,” Maxwell said. “Items within the rubric may include required documentation, clarity of mission, and alignment with [the college’s] policy.”

Alongside the rubric, SEL will provide a checklist that potential RSOs can follow when preparing their applications. 

The Hub — the college’s online platform used for RSO organization and student event registration — will also be revamped as part of SEL’s revisions in order to increase accessibility to information, RSO pages, and necessary forms. 

Maxwell emphasized strengthening the long-term continuity of student RSOs as a major goal behind the changes. By shifting the RSO recognition period to just the fall semester, student leaders can spend more time building their proposed organization, and SEL can provide more efficient support for any applications submitted during the spring. 

Another part of this, Maxwell said in the original email announcing the revisions, is the expansion of resources for RSO onboarding, as well as more support for leadership transitions and handoffs. Maxwell and Student Leadership Development Coordinator Maria Grove are set to host a “Spring Leadership Development Series” for RSO student leaders throughout the semester. The open sessions will include a range of leadership skill-building workshops, including conflict resolution, public speaking, and emotional intelligence. 

Maxwell assured students that SEL will share each revision once finalized, so students have a clear understanding of what the process looks like once the next recognition cycle begins in the fall.