Recognition Categories

Recognition Classification

All recognized organizations are required to file appropriate paperwork with the Student Activities Center in order to be considered active at Iowa State University. There are two recognition classifications: campus organizations and student organizations. Organizations are classified according to who may serve as the officers and who their primary members are.

Campus Organizations

Campus organizations are voluntary special interest groups organized for educational, scholarship, social and service purposes. All campus organizations must be recognized by the Student Activities Center in order to function within the university and exercise the privileges of recognition. Membership is open to university community members (faculty, staff, students, spouses/partners of these persons, and/or retired faculty) and non-university community members (alumni, Ames and surrounding community residents). Non-university community members may participate in the activities of campus organizations and act as voting members, provided at least 50% of voting members belong to the university as defined in this section. The president, treasurer, and adviser, as well as the majority of the officers of a campus organization, must be members of the university community.

Student Organizations

A recognized student organization at Iowa State University is any group whose primary membership consists of students currently enrolled at Iowa State University; formed in order to contribute to the students' personal development; and properly recognized by the Student Activities Center within the Division of Student Affairs. All student organizations must be recognized by the Student Activities Center in order to function within the university. The officers of the organization must be students. Membership in a student organization must be mainly composed of students (minimum 80% student membership) and be controlled and directed by students. Non-students may participate in the activities of student organizations as nonvoting members. Officers must be currently enrolled and not on temporary enrollment.

* For the purposes of this policy, community college students who have been accepted into the Admissions Partnership Program who have chosen to pay the optional student activities fee shall be considered ISU students. Admissions Partnership Program participants who do NOT pay the optional student activities fee shall be considered non-university community member

For More Information on Student Organizations Tiers Click Here

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