How do I start and organization on the Texas State campus?

To start an Organization on the Texas State campus, you need ten interested members, a faculty/staff advisor, and three officers (president, vice president, and treasurer) with a GPA of 2.25 or better. Then you will need to obtain an application from the web or the Office of Campus Activities (4-2.1 LBJ Student Center).

Once my Organization is established, what are my responsibilities?

1. Registered Student Organizations must file all Student Organization Registration forms with Campus Activities by April 30th of each year and keep a current officer roster updated and on file.
2. A minimum of two leaders or designated representatives of each Registered Student Organization must attend the Texas State Leadership Exchange Conference in the Spring of each year.
3. Each Registered Student Organization is accountable for the conduct, safety and general welfare of its members and their guests whenever they represent the organization or are participating in organizational activities.
4. Hazing, at any level of membership in the organization, is strictly prohibited at Texas State. For further definitions and policies regarding hazing, refer to the Texas State Code of Student Conduct, Appendix A in the Texas Stateexan.
5. Registered Student Organizations must be in compliance with Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which requires membership and activities to be open to all persons regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. Student Organizations whose national organization is exempt from Title IX must furnish proof by letter from the national office. Organizations are exempt from Title IX requirements only as they relate to their status as single-sex organizations.
6. Registered Student Organizations must adhere to all university policies and all local, state, and federal laws, and must also adhere to their own approved constitutions (current copy must be filed in appropriate office).
7. Registered Student Organizations must have a student emphasis.

What are the responsibilities of the faculty/staff advisor?

1. Provides continuity with the past activities of the organization
2. Facilitates the development of the organization and its members through providing opportunities to develop individual skills (assertiveness, time management, budgeting) and group skills problem solving, conflict resolution, decision making)
3. Provides assistance, ideas, and expertise with tasks to be accomplished by organization – planning a program, running a meeting, holding an election, and publicizing an activity
4. Provides knowledge of university policies and procedures that affect the organization.

   An advisor may perform all these functions at once or in any combination at a particular time in the life of the organization, there may be a need for the advisor to be extremely active, where as at another time the advisor is a passive observer. The determination of what is the appropriate advising style is based on the skill of the advisor, the level of development of the group, and the context in which the group functions. As you work with a group, becoming more familiar with how it operates, and as you develop your skills as an advisor, your advising style may change. As the group with which your work matures, your advising style may change. Most important in determining your advising style is negotiating your role with the members of the organization.

Who can be a faculty/staff advisor?

• Any faculty/staff at Texas State University-San Marcos that is willing to adhere to advisor contract.

Does my organization have to register every semester or once a year?

• Each registered student organization must register with the Campus Activities Office at the end of each spring semester. This annual registration consists of four forms; Diversity Statement, Hazing Agreement, Role of an Advisor, and Registration form.