What it Takes to be a Registered Student Organization

Basic Requirements for Starting an RSO

To start a new RSO on campus you'll need:

A Clear Unique Purpose

Check the list of other groups on campus listed on CrimsonConnect to make sure a similar group does not already exist.

It is important for each RSO to serve a unique purpose on campus so that similar groups, initiatives, and ideas are not asked to split resources to accomplish the same goals. If the idea you have for an organization is similar to something that already exists, USG or the Student Engagement Team will connect with you to see if perhaps your group would be better served to connect with the existing resource on campus.
A DU Faculty or Staff Advisor

Every RSO must have a university faculty or staff member who serves as the RSO Advisor.

If help is needed with finding an RSO advisor, touch base with the Office of Student Engagement by sending an email to: studentengagement@du.edu

RSO Officers and faculty/staff advisors are required to sign an annual RSO-Advisor Agreement form to ensure they have a mutual understanding of the RSO/Advisor relationship heading into each year.
An RSO Constitution
Student Organization Advisors, the Student Engagement Team and the USG Student Organizations Committee are resources to assist and provide feedback on the constitution before submission as part of the application.

A sample RSO constitution can be found at: crimsonconnect.du.edu/OSE/helpful-links-documents

The constitution must have the following components:
- Official Organization name
- Organization's purpose or mission statement
- Any affiliations (national, regional, or honors organization your group is affiliated with)
- The organization's requirements for active membership including any dues required and any membership "quotas" that must be maintained
- The roles and responsibilities of organization officers
- The requirements for voting on organization issues
- The structure and timing for officer elections and transitions
- The requirements for amending the constitution
- A list of amendment dates and other important certifications or milestones for the group
Additionally, all RSOs must agree to uphold the following:
- Statement of Non-Discrimination
- Statement of Non-Hazing
- Statement of Compliance with Campus and Legal Regulations
Finally, it is highly encouraged that RSO Constitutions also include components related to:
- Member removal processes
- Officer removal processes
A Roster of Current Officers and Active Members
Your roster must include at minimum the following 3 officers:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- And 7 additional members. All should be current undergraduate students at the University of Denver and in good standing with the University.
Additional members and officer positions can be included as well, and full rosters uploaded during RSO Registration and the Annual Re-Registration should be up-to-date with all current "active members" at the time of registration/re-registration.

Organization "contacts" can be listed on your roster as well, if there are students, former members, alumni, etc who wish to stay informed of your organization's events and initiatives even if they are not currently considered "active" members.

For details on managing your member list in CrimsonConnect, see this helpful article: https://help.campusgroups.com/en/articles/1105805-managing-group-contacts-and-categories-as-an-officer

If you would like to keep the list of members of your group private, see this helpful article: https://help.campusgroups.com/en/articles/1106057-how-to-manage-group-member-s-privacy

New RSO Registration Procedures

Once you have the required pieces, you can apply for "registered" status with USG and the Student Engagement Team.

Applications are submitted through CrimsonConnect by following these steps:

Log into CrimsonConnect

Navigate to the "Groups" List

Use the "+Register new Registered Student Organization" button at the top of the page to access the application

In some cases, new RSO applications may be denied if:

The mission stated does not serve a unique purpose on campus, in which case introductions to existing groups, departments, or resources will be made

The organization would be better housed under a different "umbrella" (for example: club sports, Fraternity & Sorority Life), and following that unit's processes is required

The stated mission of the organization presents substantial risk to the University or directly contradicts or violates a University Policy

Student Engagement Team Review

The Student Engagement Team will be the first team to review a new RSO application. They will reach out with any requests for edits, and, as needed, may also connect with additional campus partners for further review.

USG Student Orgs Committee Review

Once approved by Student Engagement, the application will move to Undergraduate Student Government's Student Organizations Committee for review and approval. This committee may also reach out to seek clarification or request edits to the application.

Creation of Financial Account

Once approved by Student Government, the Student Affairs Business Office will be notified so that an on-campus financial account can be created for the RSO. This can sometimes take several weeks. Once this account is established, the USG Finance Committee will determine the appropriate "base allocation" of funding to transfer into the account based on the time of year the new organization was approved.

RSO is Official

Officers of the new RSO must complete the RSO Officer Checklists, including reviewing the Org 101 training modules, before the organization can plan any events, spend funds, or apply for additional funding.

Annual Re-Registration Procedures

During Spring Quarter each year, all RSOs are required to apply for Re-Registration. RSOs are still able to continue meeting, planning, and hosting events while the re-registration window is open.

When Planning for Re-Registration, the Student Engagement Team recommends the following timeline to ensure smooth officer transitions from one academic year to the next:

1

Elections (Week 3)

If new officers are selected through an elections process, you can host your elections on CrimsonConnect using your organization's Surveys & Forms tool. Learn more with this helpful article: https://help.campusgroups.com/en/articles/1105986-running-elections-for-your-group
2

Officer Transitions (Week 4)

Once new officers have been selected, it is highly encouraged that outgoing officers spend a week (or more) training new officers in their roles. New officers should attend any regular meetings with advisors or important partners and should spend one-on-one time with the outgoing officer they will be succeeding so they can learn the role.
3

Re-Registration (Weeks 5-8)

Any listed member of the organization is eligible to submit the RSO Re-Registration application. It is particularly helpful for officers who will be serving in their role in the upcoming year to be the ones to fill out and submit the application, as the re-registration process is what updates this information for the Student Engagement team.

When the Re-Registration window is open, currently listed RSO officers will receive detailed information about how to re-register via the RSO Newsletter.

To Re-Register your RSO on CrimsonConnect, follow these steps:

Log into CrimsonConnect

Navigate to your group page

When the Re-Registration Window is open, you will see a blue banner at the top of the "Officer Dashboard" indicating it is time to re-register with a button that says "+Re-Register the Group"

Click that button and follow the steps laid out in the application

Previously populated fields (like your RSO name, RSO mission) will be maintained year-to-year so you don't have to find that information anywhere.

It will be up to you to update the following for each new year:

RSO Constitution

RSO Roster of officers & members

RSO Officer/Advisor Agreement

RSO Harm Reduction Requirement