Most students at Hopkins assume that forming a student group is a long and difficult process that involves much bureaucracy and paperwork. Hopkins has 252 registered student groups, however, so it must not be that complicated. It turns out that it isn't; just follow the steps outlined in the infobox on the left and you'll find yourself with a club in no time.
Key Players
The main administrative players involved in student groups include the Office for the Dean of Student Life, the Office of Student Involvement (OSI), the Student Activities Commission (SAC), and the Center for Social Concern (CSC).
The role of groups on campus is to provide Hopkins students with activities and opportunities that fall outside their academic fields of study. "It is a vital component of student life," says Susan Boswell, Dean of Student Life. "Involvement in some kind of area outside of the classroom is essential for success, both in life and in academics."
Depending on what kind of a group the student organization is, it will either have to register with CSC if it is a service organization or SAC if it is a cultural, performing arts, political action, publication, recreation and hobbies, religious, special interest or sports group.
The CSC is committed to volunteering and has great concern for the community, which is why it has groups like Habitat for Humanity, Teach Baltimore and Student Global AIDS Campaign under its auspices.
Original Ideas
Sophomore Mike Liu just recently started his own student organization, ASPECTS, which stands for Autistic Spectrum Public Education for Comprehension, Tolerance and Support. Currently he is in the process of registering with the Center for Social Concern (CSC) since the club is planning on doing much community service and advocacy.
"Once we get approval from CSC," he says, "we will apply to register with OSI," a step that needs to be taken by all aspiring student organizations.
When asked if he has run into any problems, Liu admits that "there has been a lot of bureaucracy, and having to sell the idea to people who will be amenable to it is difficult. However, CSC has helped me along with it all," he continues.
"As long as you have the right idea, you should be okay to form a group on campus," he responds, when asked how difficult it is to form a group on campus.
The SAC, which has 116 registered groups, is considered a committee under the Student Council and plays two main roles in student organizations. First, it is in charge of allocating funds to them, whether on a budgetary yearly basis or a case-by-case one. Second, it is the first stop in approving new ones.
When asked what is needed to form a student group, senior Alice Li, Chairperson of SAC and Treasurer of the Student Council, advises the following: "Come up with a great original idea. That's all you need. And then get people who love it too and come to us."
Funding
Each year the SAC is given around $100,000 in funds to allocate to student groups as it sees fit. However, because there is often money left over at the end of the year and there is also the money that clubs are given but don't end up using, this year the SAC has almost $300,000 in funds.
Li comments, "We're begging for people to come to us and ask us for money . . . we want the campus to be filled with events and activities." She admits that proposals need to be filed and there are technicalities, but she maintains that the SAC works with groups to get them the funding they need, even if the requests are last minute. "That's what we're here for: to help you guys." Li herself is an active member of three other groups on campus.
Responsibilities
Another common misconception concerns the responsibilities that are then required by the SAC. There are really only two things that need to be done in order for the group not to be "frozen." One of these is to have one to two active members of your group attend the General Assemblies that take place once a month. These meetings are used for elections and delivering up-to-date information that needs to be known by student groups. The second requirement is that one financial workshop needs to be attended every year by the financial officer(s).
The Homewood campus is very varied in its organizations and groups, providing a diverse palette of choices when it comes to participation and activities. The school seems committed to helping students continue to widen the range of events and opportunities that are offered, and by following the steps outlined students can now find out for themselves what it is like to form a student group.
