General Student Organization Requirements

Student organizations must comply with the following registration requirements. Organizations are reviewed by the Student Organization Review Board to determine classification level.

  1. Name of the organization (Cannot include "GVSU, Grand Valley, Lakers, GV, etc.") unless the name was established prior to Fall 2021.
  2. Each group must have an advisor who is a full-time faculty, staff member, or CSAL graduate student at Grand Valley State University.
  3. New organizations may register at any time during the year but must complete the process within 30 days of submitting the request. It is understood that information provided in the registration process will be treated as public information and distributed to the university community as needed. Once an organization is approved by the Student Organization Recogition Board, they must complete their on-boarding before gaining approval on LakerLink and recieving Registered Student Organization benefits. 
  4. The Office of Student Life defines an organization as a group of four or more members. Organizations must have four members in order to be approved. A president, financial officer, Vice President/Risk Manager, and a membership officer must be designated on LakerLink. Groups with less than four members may meet with the Assistant Director of Student Organizations to discuss membership issues. Temporary approval may be granted if a membership plan is established, but membership numbers must reach four within 2 semesters or the organization will be unregistered. Groups with less than four members will have limited privileges determined by the Office of Student Life.
  5. Officers for RSO's must be in good academic and judicial standing as well as registered for at least six semester hours of credit at GVSU during their term of office. A staff member in the Office of Student Life will review academic progress each semester. Officers not maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum of 6 credit hours will forfeit their position upon notification from the Office of Student Life. The organization advisor will also be notified regarding the status of the officer.
  6. The officers of RSO's are responsible for familiarizing themselves and all members with all university procedures pertaining to the organization's activities. Each organization shall be responsible for the individual and collective conduct of its members in all of its group-sponsored activities and functions.
  7. The Office of Student Life will not recognize organizations with a mission statement that does not reflect the mission of GVSU. A student organization's constitution and bylaws may not be in conflict with the regulations of the university or local, state or federal laws.
  8. The Office of Student Life will not recognize organizations that require or encourage international travel as a major piece of their organization's identity.   
  9. Grand Valley State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all of its programs, and the use of its facilities. It is committed to protecting the constitutional and statutory civil rights of persons connected with the university. Unlawful acts of discrimination or harassment by members of the campus community are prohibited. In addition, even if not illegal, acts are prohibited if they harass or discriminate against any university community member(s) through inappropriate limitation of access to, or participation in, educational, employment, athletic, social, cultural, or other university activities on the basis of age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or weight. Limitations are lawful if they are: directly related to a legitimate university purpose, required by law, lawfully required by a grant or contract between the university and the state or federal government, or addressing domestic partner benefits.
  10. In the event that a request for the establishment of a second organization with a similar mission to that of an existing organization, the Student Organization Recognition Board will review the request and determine if a second organization with a similar mission is needed. Generally, two organizations with the same or similar mission will not be recognized separately (i.e. two volleyball clubs will not be recognized).


Page last modified May 15, 2023