Student Organization Recognition Process

What is Recognition?

Recognition (previously referred to as "Chartering” is the process in which a student organization becomes actively recognized by the University. As a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) your club or organization has access to the following benefits: 

  • A mailbox in the Student Involvement Office on the 2nd floor of the Student Center

  • Police Services for on-campus events with more than 100 guests

  • Banking services through Associated Students

  • Access to Grant funding through Associated Students

  • Reserving space on campus for free

  • Participation in campus-wide student engagement events (Involvement Fairs, Big Nite, Student Org Showcase, Seawolf Decision Day, etc.)

All student organizations are required to complete the Recognition Process on an annual basis in order to maintain active status and in good standing with Sonoma State University. Your organization will be contacted by Student Involvement via email when it is time for your organization to complete Recognition. Please contact the Student Involvement office at studentinvolvement@sonoma.edu or come visit us on the 2nd Floor of the Student Center for more information. Please utilize the step-by-step guide below to help you complete the Recognition Process. 

Next Steps:
Recognition Overview

If you have been involved with a student organization previously, you might be familiar with the term "charter" or "chartering." This was the annual process in which your organization filled out Authorized Signer paperwork, updated your constitution, completed the online chartering module, and resubmitted your online portal on SonomaSync. However, in an effort to update our Student Involvement practices to make sure they are inclusive, student-focused, user friendly, and in line with all CSU and SSU policies, we are now going to refer to the process in which your student organization becomes a "recognized" student organization at SSU as the "Recognition Process" instead of the "Chartering Process". It makes more sense to us and we hope that it makes more sense to you as well. Please keep in mind the following minimum requirements for Recognition Before Continuing with the rest of the process:

  • All Presidents and Treasurers are required to maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA, be enrolled in at least 6 units (undergrad) or 3 units (grad), and must NOT have completed more than 150 units (undergrad) or 50 units (grad) per CSU Minimum Qualifications for Student Office Holders.

  • Student Organizations should have at least 5 members in order to be recognized

  • Student Organization's membership must be comprised of at least 80% currently enrolled Sonoma State Students. You are allowed to have up to 20% of your organization to be non-SSU students. EXCEPTION: 100% of the membership in Sports Clubs, Fraternities, and Sororities are required to be currently enrolled SSU Students. 

1: Download and Print your Recognition Packet & Access Training

Download and Print your Recognition Packets:

New Student Org Recognition Packet

Existing Student Org Packet

To access the training sessions, you must be signed in to Engage@SSU. Steps to complete in order to be fully recognized: 

  • President Engage Training

  • Treasurer Engage Training

  • Advisor Engage Training

  • Engage Page Registered with constitution attached.

  • Trust Form completed (Once your President, Treasurer, and Advisor trainings are complete, the trust form will be sent electronically).

If you have questions about the recognition process you can email or schedule a meeting with the appropriate Student Involvement Advisor. Contact us for more information.

2: Create/Update Your Student Organization Constitution 

Please refer to the Constitution Quick Reference Guide found in your Recognition Packet

  • This constitution is a starting point for your student org and its policies, don’t forget the required statements and personalize it to reflect your specific Organization.
  • If you are working on an updated constitution for an existing org, you should review the constitution that was submitted previously and update it accordingly to the newest Quick Guide regulations. 
3: Update your Organization’s Profile on Engage@SSU

  • Your Engage@SSU is Connected to your MySSU account information. Clicking on the “Sign in With Campus ID” will prompt you to use your Sonoma Username and Password.

  • Registering Your Organization on Engage@SSU

    • Login to Engage@SSU. If this is your first time logging in, it will prompt you to create your Individual Account. After that, it will direct you to the homepage. 

    • From the Engage@SSU homepage, click on the Organizations Tab at the top of the Page.

    • Click the 'Register an Organization' button on the left side of the page underneath the Search Bar.

    • Existing Organizations: Search for your Organization in the Search Bar, then click the Blue "Re-Register" Button.

    • New Organizations: Click the Blue 'Register a New Organization" button at the bottom of the page.

    • Complete the registration form in its entirety. Please note that you will need your updated constitution and emails of your organization members in order to add them to your portal. Each Organization is Required to have at least 5 active members to meet the minimum standards set forth in Executive Orders 1068 and the Minimum Qualifications for Student Office Holders by the California State University system and Sonoma State University.

  • Engage@SSU Student Leader Training Video

4: Complete Online Training on Engage@SSU 
5: Authorized Signer Form

  • Fill out the Associated Student Trust Account Form included in your Recognition Packet which serves as your Bank Agreement as well as your Authorized Signature Form. If you do not have a club account number (i.e you are a new registered student org/club), you can leave that space blank and a number will be assigned to you and included in your Recognition Letter. 

  • The Authorized signer form requires original wet (nonelectronic or copied) pen signatures. 

  • Both sides of the form must be signed by the President, Treasurer, and Advisor. 

Recognition 

  • Once you have completed every step for this process, you will turn your completed Recognition Packet into Student Involvement at the Student Activities Front Desk. 

  • We will check: 

  • GPA and Enrollment of President and Treasurer and verify your Advisor is a staff or faculty member. 

    • All Presidents and Treasurers are required to maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA, be enrolled in at least 6 units (undergrad) or 3 units (grad), and must NOT have completed more than 150 units (undergrad) or 50 units (grad) per CSU Minimum Qualifications for Student Office Holders. 

  • All appropriate information is updated on Engage@SSU

  • This process can take up to a week and may require edits on your end. Please check your Sonoma Email Daily for updates. 

  • If all the information is complete and correct, Student Involvement will send a Recognition Letter via email verifying your status of a registered student organization.