Forming a New Student Organization

Do you and other students have common interests and want to create a forum in which you can express and share those interests? Then forming a student organization could be the way to go! Starting a new organization requires time and dedication, but it will be worthwhile. Student organizations at the George Washington University provide students with an opportunity to explore interests, sharpen skills, and learn about themselves and others while enhancing the academic mission of the university.

Tabling at the Org Fair, students from Women in Business

Step 1: Attend an Information Session

To begin the new student org process, all interested students must attend a Student Involvement Information Session. In this session, you will explore Engage, learn about the 500+ student orgs, and meet with the New Organization Committee to guide you through the new student org process. All students MUST attend an information session to begin the new student org process.

Here are the dates and times of the Information Sessions. Click on the dates below to RSVP on Engage:

Students interested in re-activating an inactive student organization can find a public list of inactive student orgs. Reach out to the New Org Committee with any questions about this process.

Step 2: Submit an Application

The application for the Spring 2025 semester will open from February 1st to March 1st. Complete the registration application via Engage using the steps outlined in Registration for a New Student Organization (PDF). In order to submit your application, you must have completed the following:

Attend an Information Session to learn more about the new organization process.
Submit a roster of at least 10 currently enrolled students to be members. Two of the members must be an officer and one of these officers must be a student who is not graduating during the current academic year.
Draft a Constitution that aligns well with your stated mission and goals and includes GW’s four required clauses. Refer to the Constitution Guide (PDF) for requirements and examples. Other than the required clauses, the document is a guide and does not need to be copied verbatim.

Note: A potential new organization that falls within the constituency of a graduate umbrella organization must receive approval from the appropriate umbrella organization before submitting an application. These organizations include:

Student Bar Association (Law School)
Medical Center Student Council (SMHS)
Graduate Business Association (GWSB)
Public Health Student Association (MISPH)
GSEHD Student Association (GSEHD)
Elliott School Graduate Board (ESIA)

Constituent organizations are not considered fully registered until they have received approval from BOTH their umbrella organization and the Office of Student Life.

Step 3: Application Review & Appeals

The New Organization Committee, which is comprised of GW students and staff will review your application on a rolling basis. The NOC Committee will verify the information submitted in the application to ensure all requirements are met to be an active student organization. The NOC Committee will verify the new student org proposal has 10 active members, 2 officers (President and Financial Officer), the 4 required clauses in the Constitution, and any additional information regarding national organizations and faculty advisors.

Once the application fulfills all the requirements, the NOC will utilize the New Student Organization Rubric (PDF) to review the application. The New Organization Committee, in consultation with the Office of Student Life, will deliberate to approve or deny your application to become a registered student organization. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

More information about the Appeals Process will be released by soon.

Dates & Deadlines

Fall Deadlines: The application must be submitted sometime between October 1st to December 1st. Students will have one semester to complete the steps of the new organization process. Make sure to communicate with Org Help and the NOC if you are unable to complete the process in a semester.

Spring Deadlines: The application must be submitted sometime between February 1st to March 1st. Students will have one semester to complete the steps of the new organization process.

The sessions of the Student Org Information Sessions are subject to change based on the availability of the Student Involvement Team.

"When I felt that there was not enough spaces on campus for conversations about African development and ways to get more involved in my field of study, the idea of starting a new org for students with similar interests came without a second thought. I've learned that being proactive and taking initiative on a daily basis will enable you to create opportunities for yourself and others that weren't there before."

Ayooluwa Akintayo
President of The African Development Initiative

Next Steps

Once an organization is approved for recognition by the New Organization Committee, the organization will be required to complete a Student Organization Officer, Student Org Finance & Title IX Orientation Training. Engage portals for each new organization will not be activated until after the trainings are completed. Most new organizations will be advised by Org Help, our centralized advising team offering email and walk-in (or virtual) office hours. Reach out to the New Org Committee with any questions about this process.