How to Start a Club
1) Make sure your organization is a good fit for the TCU. If you're running a sports team, you'll be better off under the Athletics department (contact branwen.smith-king at tufts dot edu). If your organization is targeted at graduate students, you'll be better off under the Graduate Student Council (contact gsc at tufts dot edu). Finally, do your best to ensure that no existing groups serve the same purpose as yours.
2) Fill out a New Organization Registration Form (you can print it out or pick one up from the Office for Campus Life). Return the form to the Office for Campus Life, located on floor 2 of the campus center. There, you will sign up for a New Organization Information Meeting. These meetings are held in the FALL ONLY. This means that GROUPS CAN ONLY BE FORMED IN THE FALL SEMESTER.
3) Attend the Meeting. Once you do, the Judiciary's New Group Recognition Chair will contact you shortly with further information.
4) Hold a General Interest Meeting. Make sure to have a sign-in sheet, including at minimum name, year of graduation, and address.
5) Get Active on Campus. To get recognized, you'll need to show us at least 3 proofs of activity. A "proof of activity" can be absolutely anything - a flyer, a picture of a chalking, a Tuftslife ad, a Facebook event - as long as all three reference a different activity, none of which is your General Interest meeting. Please include a rough date (month and year is good enough) with each proof.
6) Write a Constitution. A (very rough) outline can be found here. Pay close attention to your mission statement; it will be taken seriously. Additionally, your Constitution must include the following: 1) Only Tufts Students paying the Student Activities Fee can become members of your club, and 2) All Constitutional amendments must be approved by the Judiciary before taking effect.
7) (Maybe) Get Other Materials. If you're starting a religious organization, you need a letter of approval from the Chaplaincy. If your club is a branch of a national organization, you need a letter from nationals saying that they're aware and approve of your efforts to start a chapter at Tufts.
8) Email the New Group Recognition Chair informing them that you've collected all materials and are ready to meet. They will get back to you with a time and place.
9) Meet with the New Group Recognition Chair. Bring all your materials (don't forget your General Interest Meeting membership list). They will review your materials, make sure everything is in order, and schedule you in at the next Judiciary meeting.
10) Meet with the Judiciary. Again, bring all your materials. Either email your constitution to your Judiciary contact and bring a physical copy or bring five physical copies. At the meeting, you will first talk about your club, your past activity, and the direction you want to take the club (should last roughly 3-5 minutes). You will then field questions from the Judiciary. The entire process typically takes around 15 minutes, but can vary. Before we adjourn at the end of the night, we will email you with results.
FAQ:
1) What are the possible results of a meeting with the Judiciary?
There are 4 possible results:
- Recognized. You're done. You can now head to the Senate to request funding, if you'd like.
- Recognized Pending. This means we have minor issues - often with your Constitution - that we'd like resolved, but your recognition status doesn't hang in the balance.
- Tabled Pending. This means we need more information before we can make a decision. You may or may not need to come back in.
- Not Recognized.
2) Does recognition mean we get funding?
Not at all. It means you can go to the treasury and request funding, but it doesn't by any means guarantee that they'll give you any.
3) Can we gather our materials out of order?
Sure. You can even get them before the informational meeting if you'd like.
4) Can our proofs of activity/consitution/membership list come from last semester?
Your proofs of activity and constitution can, but your membership list needs to be current. In fact, activity in past semesters will significantly help your chances of recognition, although if you come to us late in the semester we'll expect some more current activity.