Manage a Student Organization

Get your organization organized

Managing a student organization is one of the most rewarding challenges you can take on during your time at Indiana University Bloomington.

Carefully follow student organization policies, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Student Involvement and Leadership offers advising by appointment and during walk-in hours. For additional tips on managing an organization, and related announcements from the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, sign up for the Student Organization Scoop newsletter using the form below.

Promote your student org

Review these guidelines before you promote your organization or next event.

Fund your student org

Review IU policies for fundraisers, auctions, raffles, membership dues, product sales, and other funding.

Plan travel

If your organization plans to go overseas or just a few miles in your own car, review the relevant policies and plan ahead.

Nominate your student org for an award

Student organizations are awarded each year for event planning, community service, leadership, diversity, collaboration, and overall excellence.

Request tech support

Request an email address, website URL, event attendance ID scanner, print credit, or other technical support for your student org.

Register your student org

Annual re-registration is required in order to maintain your access to student organization benefits. Re-registration opens in March.

2022-2023 Student Organization & Student Group Activity Summary & Guidance

For the 2022-2023 academic year, the following guidelines and best practice recommendations have been put in place to help promote safe and healthy student organization activity. Student organizations must follow the Indiana University Event and Conference Guidance. These guidelines are subject to change and will be updated as necessary by IU. When necessary, notice will be provided to student organizations in order to provide sufficient opportunity to comply.

Student organization activity includes meetings, events, travel, tabling, and gatherings with food.

  • Physical distancing is not required for student organization and group activity with IU students, staff, and faculty.
  • Masks are optional indoors at IU beginning March 4, 2022. Individuals who are more comfortable wearing a mask in public spaces should feel free to continue wearing them.
  • Those choosing to wear a mask in public should wear the best mask possible. A surgical mask provides better protection than a cloth mask and a KN95 mask provides better protection than a surgical mask.
  • Student organization events held at an off-campus venue should follow the same protocols as events held on campus, and any additional COVID-19 protocols required by the off-campus venue.
  • Practice frequent hand hygiene and proper respiratory etiquette.

  • All events on and off campus with 50 or more planned attendees must be submitted to the University Event Review Committee (UERC) no less than 10 working days prior to the event or program as outlined on the Events and Conferences Page. All events must be confirmed by the UERC prior to taking place.
    • Events are considered gatherings among members and guests for activities outside of routine day to day operations. Examples include social events, athletic or gaming tournaments, performances, fairs or festivals, philanthropy or fundraising events, and recruitment events. Regular business meetings are not considered an event and do not require event registration.
  • Student groups are encouraged to host large in-person events outside if possible.
  • Additional guidance on student organization events, including space reservation processes and approval timelines, can be found at https://studentaffairs.indiana.edu/get-involved/plan-event/index.html.

  • Tabling indoors and outside is allowed.

  • Domestic travel is permitted; however, other means of conducting business, such as video conferencing, are strongly encouraged. Domestic travelers must follow local restrictions and CDC guidance for domestic travelers.
  • International travel related to student groups requires approval from the IU Office of Overseas Study. International travel continues to pose greater challenges due to stress on local health systems and the emergence of new variants of concern. International travelers undertaking approved travel should follow all health precautions recommended by the CDC.
  • Travel outside of Monroe County involving 50 or more people requires travel event submission through the University Event Review Committee.
  • IU Funding Board will again fund travel for student organizations according to their guidelines, assuming any necessary travel approvals have been secured by the organization.
  • Learn more about IU’s Interim Travel Guidance here. (IU Login required).

  • Individuals and/or student organizations may be held accountable under the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct for failure to comply with these guidelines. Depending on the nature and occurrence of the violation, failure to comply with these guidelines may include: a written reprimand letter from SILC/OSFL with steps that must be completed to be able to host a meeting/event again, charges under the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, loss of privileges, and/or Suspension from the University.

  • Consider providing virtual options for meetings or events. By providing virtual options, students who do not feel well or do not feel comfortable having face-to-face contact are provided an opportunity to connect virtually.
  • Consider distributing handouts or giveaways through contactless methods.
  • Consider using signage and/or QR codes to share detailed information.
  • When tabling, provide the ability for hand hygiene (handwashing stations or hand sanitizer with 60%+ alcohol content) and use sanitizing wipes or disinfectant spray and paper towels to clean tables and any items.
  • For food distribution, consider using individually and commercially pre-packaged and labeled items.
  • Student organizations traveling should maintain a list of all trip participants (first name, last name, and IU email address) and may create an “event” for the trip in beINvolved to help facilitate this best practice.

Sign up for The Student Org Scoop

Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter for student organization leaders.