New clubs may start at any time during the year. Only currently registered Rice students can establish a club. The registration process begins by composing a constitution which must include the following:
- name and purpose of the club
- requirements for membership
- definition of officers/governing body and process by which they are selected
- statement of who has authority to spend club money
- method for selecting a faculty or staff sponsor
- procedure for amending the constitution
NOTE: A Rice chapter of a national organization needs only to ensure the Rice portion of the constitution meets the above requirements.
A Sample Constitution is available here. All new constitutions (or any changes in the constitution) must be submitted to the SA for approval, or the GSA in the case of graduate clubs.
New undergraduate clubs should complete the Club Approvals Brief. This brief will be provided to members of the SA Senate before voting. The guidelines considered for club approval are:
1. Whether the goals of the club foster the potential for enrichment and leadership development through academic, professioinal, cultural, literary, social, athletic, or student governance.
2. Whether the status of "official recognition" and the resources and privileges granted to recognized organizations will further the mission of the club.
3. Viability of the club as a sustainable and active part of student life.
4. Clarity of the objectives and goals of the proposed student organization.
5. Potential conflict with University policies.
Once you have completed the constitution and the club approvals brief if required, follow steps 1-4 of the Registration Process. Then submit the forms and two copies of the constitution and club approvals brief to the Student Activities Office (RMC Cloisters) for SA or GSA approval. You will then be contacted by the SA or GSA Parliamentarian after (s)he reviews your forms and constitution. (S)he will inform you of whether your club has fulfilled all of the SA's requirements on club formation and when your club is scheduled to go before the Senate. You are expected to send a representative to that Senate meeting to give a brief presentation about your club and answer any questions the Senate may have. If you do not send a representative to the meeting, your club approval will be postponed until you arrange with the Parliamentarian a subsequent club approval date that your representative can attend.
