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Starting a Club

Purpose

Getting started in creating or renewing your organization? Start here!

Eight Steps to starting or renewing a club

  1. Contact the Office of Student Engagement: Meet with the Coordinator for Student Engagement to receive guidance throughout the process as needed. It is recommended that new clubs work with the coordinator in the early stages.
  2. Find the required minimum officer and advisor roles:
    1. The three required Officer positions are President, Treasurer, and Secretary 
      1. Officers must meet the following criteria: 
        1. Must have a semester AND cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater 
        2. Enrolled in at least 1 credit at CWI 
        3. Must be in good conduct standing with CWI
    2. Club Advisor
      1. Club Advisors must be employed directly by CWI
  3. Complete and submit the following paperwork during the Club Open Enrollment Period: 
    1. Application to renew or start a new Student Club or Organization. Access this form by  
      1. A complete application will include
        1. Full names, CWI emails, and phones numbers for club officers
        2. Full name and CWI email for advisor(s)
        3.  A club constitution.  
          1. A template is located in Appendix A or a word document can be provided when requested from Student Engagement at clubs@cwi.edu
  4. ASCWI Club Recognition
    1. Clubs are recognized annually by ASCWI. 
    2. ASCWI will have a standing action item on their agendas for at least the first five weeks of each semester that includes Club Recognition.
    3. Each new and returning club must present on their organization to ASCWI. The presentation should not exceed 5 minutes and allow for up to 5 minutes of questions. The presentation should address the following questions:

      1. Is your club new or a renewal of a previously existing club?

      2. What is the purpose of your club? What do you hope to achieve by forming this club? 

      3. Who are the members of your club? What are their interests and goals? 

      4. What activities do you plan to hold? How will your club benefit the student body? 

      5. How will you promote your club? How will you reach out to potential members? 

      6. What are your plans for sustainability? How will you ensure that your club remains active in the long term? 

      7. What are your club's policies on membership? What do students have to do to be considered an active member? To run for an officer position?

      8. How will you handle conflicts within the club? 

      9. What are your club's financial goals? 

      10. How will you measure the success of your club? 

    4. Following each presentation, ASCWI will ask questions, discuss, and then vote on a club’s renewal or first-time recognition.
      1. This will also include a requirement that the club officers and advisors complete their required club training within 10 business days, or they will need to return to ASCWI and request an extension. 
  5. All officers and advisor(s) must complete the organization tests available through blackboard:
    1. Everyone will be added to the portal once the coordinator has acknowledged that the club application is complete and will notify the organization via email. 
    2. Clubs who have not had officers and advisors complete the training are not able to request funds, spend funds, or hold official events. 
  6. Once the club has become active by completing the organization test then the club should submit the information, they want included on the club website by completing the  . The minimum following information for updating the club web page includes:
    1. Club description
      1. How students can get in contact with the club (email, interested form, etc.)
    2. Any officer information that you want to be available(advisor is automatically included) 
    3. Officer Profile Photos: 125x125 pixels 
      1. Names, Positions, Emails(optional)
    4. Club Web Page Images (with artist permission included):
      1. Header: 880x200 pixels 
      2. Icon/ Logo: 100x100 pixels 
  7. Establish a Club Facebook Page:
    1. Facebook pages will be established through the Office of Student Engagement through the following steps: 
      1. Determine who will oversee the management of the page and which officers will have access 
      2. Coordinate a time to have the officer who manages social media and the advisor to meet with the Coordinator of Student Engagement & Programs. Please make sure you have your passwords to your facebook and your associated email available for the meeting.
        1. Schedule an appointment here: 
  8. In order to sustain an active status, the club must continue to meet the following requirements: 
    1. Meet at once Monthly 
    2. Send a club representative to Student Leadership Circle Meetings on the first Thursday of each month at 4:30 PM during the fall and spring semesters. These meetings occur in conjunction with ASCWI Senate meetings. 
      1. A club representative is considered a student who is involved with the organization and can deliver a report.
        1. The representative must only be representing one club at a single student leadership circle.
        2. The student representative must be able to provide a knowledgeable report and be able to respond to any questions from ASCWI or other clubs.
      2. If a representative is not able to attend, then the club should send a report of what they have been working on and anything upcoming to clubs@cwi.edu.

 

Club Application renewal is only required once an academic year. Club activation from Fall semester is valid through June 30 the following calendar year. Club activation in spring semester is valid through June 30 of that academic same year. 

Clubs that were active in the previous academic year are considered active through the end of the fall  open enrollment period on a contingency basis. Clubs that have funds available will be allowed to request purchases for recruitment and outreach efforts to be supported. 

  • Clubs will not be able to plan for events that occur following the open enrollment period if they have not completed the steps for activation for the current academic year 

Club Renewal

Clubs that were active in the previous academic year are considered active through the end of the fallopen enrollment period on a contingency basis. Clubs that have funds available will be allowed to request purchases for recruitment and outreach efforts to be supported. 

  • Clubs will not be able to plan for events that occur following the open enrollment period if they have not completed the steps for activation for the current academic year 

Privileges

Recognized Student Clubs & Organizations enjoy the privileges listed below: 

  • Use of the name of the college in the organization title (marketing guidelines apply)
  • Use of college facilities such as: meeting rooms, event space, bulletin boards, and digital display advertising
  • Requests for funding from the Associated Students of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø (ASCWI)
  • The use of the Business Office for financial advising and banking services
  • Assistance from the Office of Student Engagement
  • Inclusion in the online Directory of Student Organizations
  • Maintenance of a web page attached to the college’s website (related guidelines apply)

Organizations may be established within the college for any legal purpose. Organizational focus may be religious, political, educational, economic, or social. 

As a general rule, membership in a recognized college organization must be open to all students. A student may not be denied the rights of access to and participation in any college-sponsored or college-approved activity because of race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, or disability.

Organization types

Department

Student Engagement

 All student organizations are classified, or grouped, based on several criteria: 

  • Their function for the student body 
  • Their relationship with a department or office and/or the Student Government Association 
  • Their relationship with a college staff or faculty advisor 
  • Their access to various college resources 
  • Their level of risk posed from their activities to the college 

Each group that is classified as a Club is then assigned a category based on their mission statement.  The Office of Student Engagement oversees the club categorization process. These categories include Academic, Competitive, Cultural, Honors, General Interest, and Spiritual. 

Open Enrollment

This period of time is considered a temporary/grace period. During this time student organizations may limited student club & organization privileges while they complete the annual registration process. Student organizations failing to complete the Open Enrollment registration process should do so the following semester. If a student organization is able to demonstrate reasonable progress, then ASCWI may grant extensions to the deadline at its discretion. 

  • Open Enrollment date for Fall 2024: 

    • Monday, Sept. 23

  • Open Enrollment date for Spring 2025: 

    • Monday, Feb.24  

 

Clubs that were active in the previous academic year are considered active through the end of the current Fall open enrollment period on a contingency basis. Clubs with funds available will be allowed to request purchases for recruitment and outreach efforts to be supported. 

  • Clubs will not be able to plan for events that occur following the open enrollment period if they have not completed the steps for activation for the current academic year