The Office of Undergraduate Student Life (OSL) and the Student Government Association (SGA) conducted interviews last week for the 16 clubs that applied to become new Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs). Eight clubs that applied have progressed to Step Two of the process.
At the start of every semester, students are invited to fill out the New Organization Process (NOP) application released by OSL and the SGA. Any full-time undergraduate student at Stevens is allowed to apply to start a new RSO.
Nina Ioanis, SGA Vice President of Student Interests, represented the SGA in these meetings. She could not give too much information about the potential clubs; however, she describes those which applied as falling under the “Professional Societies, Culture, Electronics and Gaming, Recreation, and Special Interests Subcommittees.”
Danielle Maxson, the Student Life Advisor, represented OSL at some of these interviews. OSL advises and provides support to Stevens’ 110+ student organizations, including the SGA, all RSOs, and the Entertainment Committee.
Maxson and Ioanis agree that determining which clubs move on in the NOP is difficult. “We can definitely feel how passionate groups are about what they do,” Ioanis said. While both Maxson and Ioanis support a wide range of organizations that are “befitting of everyone’s interests,” they understand that running an RSO can be tough due to the high credit load many Stevens students take. The two still look for a decent amount of interest in the organization. They want to make sure that all clubs are sustainable, including the organizations currently on campus. If it seems a potential club is overlapping with a pre-existing RSO, Maxson and Ioanis encourage the groups to connect before beginning again.
Luckily, groups which did not pass are more than welcome to reapply the following semester. Individuals are free to apply as many times as they want; OSL and the SGA will happily meet with an organization no matter how many times they apply. The decision of whether or not these clubs make the cut is run on a case-by-case basis. Ioanis encourages applicants to make “sure [they] have a solid game plan for what [their] organization’s partnership with the SGA and Student Life could look like.” This will definitely give groups an advantage when applying. In the past, successful organizations have passed this stage of the NOP with a number of events planned and executed on their own. Though this does not guarantee success, it is a helpful tip.
There are some needs currently unmet on campus, so students have an opportunity to fill in some of these gaps. OSL has seen a common trend in students who want a more hands-on experience among students. Maxson has also noticed a desire for “expanded space for discussion or debate, and a generally more diversified perspective.” Additionally, Maxson believes that there is a need for more programming related to the arts and critical discussion, though this does not mean another CAL class, just simply another opportunity for students to “reach out beyond the bubble of the Stevens niche.”
Stevens students can fill out the New Organization Request Form for only one week per semester. Stay tuned for the new organizations coming soon!
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