Student Organizations

orghelpgwu [dot] edu (orghelp[at]gwu[dot]edu) • University Student Center, Room 433A
By Appointment or Drop-In Hours: Weekdays 12-7 pm*
*Hours and availability may vary during holidays, breaks, and finals.

Student organizations provide students with an opportunity to explore interests, sharpen skills, and learn about themselves and others while enhancing the academic mission of the university. GW's 500+ student organizations offer students opportunities to get involved and create community. You can access information about any student organization at GW, find out about events and activities on campus, manage your organization’s communications and finances, and stay up to date with life outside of the classroom on GW Engage, our online platform.

Visit Engage & Start Exploring!

Pathways

Pathways is an organization classification system that customizes your student organization's experience based on the actual needs of each organization. There are four different paths that organizations can take; some organizations will be pre-assigned directly to a path, while others will have the opportunity to self-select their path. It's all based on factors including funding, domestic and international travel, contracts, major events, space reservations, and more.

Annual Policies & Resources

The Student Organization Handbook is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know for running your organization, including university expectations, requirements, and resources. Org Leaders should refer to the Handbook when making decisions and reach out to their Staff Advisor or Org Help with any questions. The Handbook is regularly reviewed and updated, so please bookmark this page to ensure you are operating with the most up to date version.

Student Organization Handbook (PDF)

 Org Policy Training

Required For: ALL Organizations

Format: Online module through Comevo. Two organization officers must complete the module. Check back soon for the link!

Available now on Comevo!

Due: December 10th 

Org Finance Seminar

Required For: ALL Organizations

Format: Hosted via Zoom. Two officers must attend one session - one of the officers must be a Financial Officer.

Dates: If your organization did not attend one of the Zoom sessions, you will now have an opportunity to make up the missed Org Finance Seminar asynchronously. Please review the Org Finance Training presentation

Note: Click on the Student Org Finance Requirement Quiz located on the last slide of the presentation.

Due: December 10th

Title IX Training

Required For: ALL Organizations

Format: Online module through Comevo. Two organization officers must complete the online session. 

Dates: If your organization did not attend one of the Zoom sessions, you will now have an opportunity to make up the missed Title IX training asynchronously. Access the Title IX training.

Note: Your organization is still required to complete the training by the specified due date.

Due: December 10th

Excellence in Leadership Sessions (ELS)

Required For*: Blue (2 sessions), Orange (2 sessions), and Silver (1 session) Line Organizations

Format: In Person and online sessions.

Dates: Available sessions may be found on the Excellence in Leadership Sessions Engage. New sessions will be added soon!

Due: February 28th

Advisor Meetings

Required For: Red (4x/semester), Blue (1x/semester), and Orange (1x/year) Line groups with advisors assigned

Format: May be virtual or in-person based on discussion between you and your advisor.

Due: December 10th for initial meeting

Events with Alcohol

Required For: Red, Blue, and Orange Line groups who wish to host an Event with Alcohol

Format: Online training now available through Comevo!

Due: Prior to your first event with alcohol. 

International Travel

Required For: Red and Blue Line groups who wish to travel internationally

Format: Training required with the Student Involvement team. Reach out to david [dot] bonillagwu [dot] edu (david[dot]bonilla[at]gwu[dot]edu) to request training.

Due: Before making arrangements for international travel. 

Engage Support

Check out articles about some of the most commonly-asked Engage questions in our Engage Support Box Folder. Got a question about something not in the folder? Check out Engage's Support website!

Event Documents & Event Requirements

Easily access templates and guidelines for hosting Student Organization Events, including using the GW logo, Guide to Protest Activities, and the Contract Information Sheet in our Event Documents and Requirements Box Folder.

Finances and Fundraising

Hosting a Profit Share? Requesting an SGA Co-Sponsorship? Guides and helpful forms can be found in our Finances and Fundraising Box Folder. Have other questions not available here? Reach out to the Org Help Finance Team at orghelpfinancegwu [dot] edu (orghelpfinance[at]gwu[dot]edu).

Forming a New Student Organization

Do you and other students have common interests and want to create a forum in which you can express and share those interests? Then forming a student organization could be the way to go! If you and other students want to start a new student organization, make sure to attend one of the three in-person Information Sessions offered during the beginning of each academic semester in September (fall) and January (spring). To sign up, visit the Org Help Engage page and RSVP for events titled “Student Organization Information Sessions." For more information, check out our FAQs below or reach out to newstudentorgsgwu [dot] edu (newstudentorgs[at]gwu[dot]edu).

Register for a New Student Organization Info Session

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if I am unable to attend the Student Org Information Session? 

Students can send another officer to attend one of the Student Org Information sessions. If another officer is not available, students will have to wait until the next semester. 

How can I restart a student org that has gone inactive? 

Students can restart an inactive student org based on the public list of inactive student orgs (PDF). To learn more about the process, students must attend an Information Session.

How can I draft a Constitution? 

Students can refer to the Constitution Guide (PDF) for requirements and examples. Other than the required clauses, the document is a guide and does not need to be copied verbatim. If you have questions, email orghelpgwu [dot] edu (Org Help) a copy of your Constitution for review. 

How can I submit my application on Engage?

Students can refer to the steps outlined in Registration for a New Student Organization (PDF).

If you are reactivating an inactive student organization, refer to the steps outlined in Register for an Inactive Student Organization (PDF). 

What are the deadlines for submitting an application?

You will have one semester to attend a Student Org Information Session and submit an Engage application. You will have to submit the Engage application by the deadline mentioned at the Student Org Information Session. You will have anywhere between one month to two months to submit an Engage application. The NOC Committee will not accept late applications and extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. 

How will the New Organization Committee (NOC) review our application? When will the NOC Committee release their decision?

The New Organization Committee will verify the information in the application and score the application based on the New Organization Commitee Rubric (PDF). The NOC Committee will review the applications on a rolling basis.

What decisions will the New Organization Committee make? 

The New Organization Committee will accept or deny your application. If accepted, your proposal will become an active student organization. If denied, your proposal will not be an active student organization. 

If my proposal is approved, what are the next steps to becoming a new student organization? 

Once an organization is approved by the NOC Committee, two officers will complete the Student Organization Officer, Student Org Finance & Title IX Orientation Training. Engage portals for each new organization will not be activated until after the trainings are completed. If these trainings are not complete in ten business days, the proposal is denied with no possibility to appeal the decision. Most new organizations will be advised by Org Help, our centralized advising team offering email and walk-in (or virtual) office hours.  

If my proposal is denied, can I appeal the decision? 

Students can appeal the decision within 10 business days of receiving email notification of the denied decision. If the appeal is granted, you will become an active student organization. If the appeal is denied, the proposal will not be an active student organization. You will have to wait one academic year to reapply. 

How are Pathways determined?

Based on the factors above and the student organization's re-registration application, the Student Involvement team individually reviews each organization's total profile each summer and notifies organizations of their assigned Pathway for the upcoming year, in addition to their related requirements to renew their organization's status each year.

Can my Organization change our Pathway classification? 

Once an organization’s Pathway is determined, it is set for the upcoming academic year.

Conduct Violations

The Office of Student Life shares student organization conduct records to increase transparency, promote responsible behavior, and inform potential members about an organization's history of violations. For potential members, this information can be used to inform their choice for involvement in the community, promote discussion about the group's current culture and orientation toward campus policies, and protect them from potential risks.

This publication includes all incidents which resulted in a finding of responsibility for student organization violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Information on this page is updated each semester and will remain posted for four semesters following the date of the finding or completion of sanctions (whichever is longer) to show an organization's history and identify an organization's work towards changing the culture of the group. 

In addition, this page aligns with the Virginia Anti-Hazing Law (also known as Adam's Law), which requires institutions to post student organization hazing violations and related information. The law is named after Adam Oakes, a Virginia Commonwealth University freshman who died from alcohol poisoning following a fraternity initiation in 2021. The first table provides information about all violations except hazing. The second table provides information about hazing violations in accordance with Adam's Law. 

List of Student Groups and Organizations with Conduct Violations (PDF)