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Student Activities and Integrative Learning  

Starting a New Organization

Once you have gotten together a group of students, who collectively think that they have something to offer the campus and its community: read this document to explore your possibilities for becoming a recognized student organization.  

Before completing an official Student Organization Recognition Form, we suggest discussing and clarifying your goals. By holding an informal meeting to hear everyone’s thoughts and opinions about your ideas, a consensus can be formed. A consensus ideally should be reached on the mission and the goals of the organization before any paperwork is filled out.  

Recognition | 5 Easy Steps| Constitution/Statement of Purpose | Organizational Structure | Delegation | Tips | Advisor 

Recognition

The University of North Carolina Asheville is committed to a policy of open access to organizations; and so, any such organization that wishes to apply for use of university meeting space, use of the university’s name, use of UNC Asheville as an address, or to apply for Campus Commission funds, must first seek recognition through the Office of Student Activities.

In order to receive recognition, the organization must be open for full membership and participation by any student without regard to race, religion, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and, except where allowed by law, gender.
All of this must be typed and submitted in person to the Student Activities office whenever you make changes to your Organization or its leadership. 

Please keep in mind, all student organizations must submit a new recognition form at the beginning of each academic year.

How to Become Recognized in 5 Easy Steps:
  1. Fill out the Application for Official University Recognition which can be found here.
  2. Find at least five members and decide the roles of all of your members
  3. Find an advisor
  4. Create a Constitution (detailed below)
  5. Ensure that all requirements are met for active status

Constitution/Statement of Purpose

This document may be in whatever format/wording that you so choose. It must contain, however, the following:
  • Your organization’s purpose, or mission statement.
  • How your organization chooses and/or elects executive officers; the process and the timeline.
  • How your organization removes officers.
  • The role(s) of your executive officers. While we want to leave the formation and structure of your organization up to you, we do ask that you submit, the responsibilities for all of your leadership positions.
  • The role of your advisor; how you want him/her to help the organization.
  • Your meeting schedule; how often you meet, time, date and location.
  • The non-discriminatory statement clearly stating that no person will be turned away from your organization based on race, religion, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and, except where allowed by law, gender.

Organizational Structure

The system you use to create an executive system is up to you, as long as Student Activities has a reliable primary contact and all executives are currently enrolled UNC Asheville students. Below are examples of potential officer roles, however, the system that you choose to set-up should meet the needs and goals of your organization. For more information on executive roles, click here.

President/Chair:

As a president or chair of a student organization, you have many responsibilities. First and foremost is the overall leadership of the organization. This includes being responsible for the direction and the manner in which you guide your organization.

Vice President/ Vice Chair:

Your role as VP can be challenging and active. You can be a prime moving force in your group’s program.

Secretary:

Your role as secretary is to assist the President and Vice President, and to act as the historian for the organization.

Treasurer:

to be a treasurer, we ask that you be responsible for the budget and learn basic bookkeeping skills, including basic debit/credits.

A Word on Delegation

  • Delegating to group members will help them build their own leadership skills and confidence,
  • Think about who the people in your group are. What are the strengths of each and what tasks could they handle well?
  • When you delegate, clearly explain the project and ask them to repeat the instructions back for clarity,
  • Write down what was delegated and to whom it was delegated. 

Things Every Officer Should Know

  • Depending on the type of meeting, we suggest having an agenda for each official meeting. An agenda saves time and keeps a meeting on track and also lets members know what will be discussed,
  • Speak clearly and loudly
  • If a member asks for and is given the floor, it is up to the chairperson to be sure that the member can speak and be heard. Sum up what the speaker said to ensure clarity of content,
  • It is a chairperson’s duty to remain neutral, it is best to let the organization make the decision,
  • At the end of the meeting, check to see that all members feel that their issues have been adequately covered. While the purpose of the meeting is to make decisions, it is the job of the chairperson to be sure that the decisions are sound and just. 

Advisor Responsibilities

The advisor must be a UNC Asheville faculty or staff member, or he/she must be preapproved by the administration. For any questions with approvals, please contact Robert Straub in Highsmith Union (HU) 245, rstraub@unca.edu or (828) 251-6998.

In selecting an advisor, an organization will want to take great care in choosing a person who possesses the right mixture of traits, skills, interests, and motivation. The best-fit adviser has the ability to enhance the organization’s potential and purpose. Though the officers in the organization are transient, the advisor should be constant. A strong advisor will provide continuity, stability and a sense of tradition to the organization.

  • To maintain the existence of the organization and to assist in achieving its goals by: providing a continuance of the traditions and history of the organization, assisting in the development of positive community relations, making sure the group is aware of university guidelines and helps the university hold the organization accountable, providing advice when called upon.
  • To provide activities teaching the techniques and responsibilities of good leadership by: coaching the officers in the principles of good leadership and organization practices, teaching the elements of effective group operations, helping the group develop procedures and plans of action, keeping the group focused on its goals, helping to keep the atmosphere of the group positive, healthy and constructive.
  • To provide an atmosphere for individual members’ growth in group socialization process by: being aware of individuals’ needs and reasons for joining the group and by helping the officers to be aware of those individual needs, being available to discuss individual problems within the context of the group, creating a learning atmosphere for the growth of the members, helping the individuals become effective members of the organization and community, encouraging the growth of personal leadership skills among the members.
  • To point out new perspectives and directions to the group by: initiating new programs and new program ideas, stimulating discussions from different points of view so that the group develops new levels of awareness and methods of function.
  • To attend all of the Advisor Trainings

Last edited by ccdrummo@unca.edu on August 17, 2011