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Seton Hall University
Student with a poster for the SASA club at the Involvement Fair.

Starting a New Organization

Are you interested in starting a new organization at Seton Hall? With 130+ Registered Student Organizations, we have a wide variety of student organizations on campus but understand that there is always room for growth. We encourage all students to explore established student organizations through Engage. If you don’t find what you're looking for, we'll help you start your own through our Student Organization's Advisory Committee (SOAC). SOAC meets once per academic year.

  1. Explore– Check out our active student organizations on Engage to see if you can find what you are looking for.
  2. Develop - When you establish that your idea is unique, develop it with other interested students. Think about the organization's mission and purpose, activities and events, and why students would want to join. We recommend that you meet with Student Government Association representatives or an administrator from the Office of Student Engagement to get feedback and assistance. All student organizations must:
  • Support the educational mission of the University and meet its policies and procedures.
  • Open membership to all currently enrolled students at the University.
  • Not be a duplicate of an already existing organization and its programs.
  • Be of general appeal to the University's student body.
  • Have a plan that ensures sustainability of the organization for three years or more.
  • Not be a part of any for-profit entity.
  • Athletic groups recognized through our office may not compete outside of the University. Additionally, no contact sports are permitted.
  1. Apply | Fill out an application via Engage. The application will be reviewed by the SGA Executive Secretary and the SGA Senate.
  2. Show Support |In the materials you submit, you will need to include a roster of at least 15 active members (including 4 executive board members), a letter of support from a faculty, staff, or admin advisor, and letters of support from campus ministry (if the organization is religious in nature) and a national organization (if an affiliation exists).
  3. Present | Each prospective organization is required to present a brief presentation to the committee. The following must be included in the presentation:
  • The mission and purpose of the organization are clearly stated and defined.
  • A provisional calendar list of activities, events, programming ideas, and meetings.
  • The club roster. The roster must include four members who agree to serve in Executive Board roles (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and must maintain at least 15 total active members.
  • An identified advisor who has agreed to serve in this role for the academic year. The advisor must be a full - time administrator, staff, faculty member, or graduate assistant. Adjuncts are also permitted to serve as advisors.
  • Any other information that explains how the newly formed organization is different and unique from other currently active organizations on campus and will benefit the current student body.

6. Get Approved! | If recommended by SOAC, the Assistant Vice President of Student Services will review and notify the organizations of the final approval and their recognition as an organization under the Student Government Association.

2024-2025 Timeline:

  • Monday, August 26 | SOAC Application Opens
  • Friday, October 11 | Completed application must be submitted by midnight
  • Week of October 21 | You will receive an e-mail with your SOAC presentation appointment
  • October 28, November 4, November 11, November 18, November 25 | Time: 7pm | SOAC presentations will take place during SGA Senate Meetings
  • All organizations approved will begin active status in the Spring 2025 semester

To Apply or Re-Register an organization (any of the categories listed below), please do so here: https://shu.campuslabs.com/engage/register

Other Information regarding SOAC:

  • Organizations on Tier III status for over one academic year must reapply for recognition through SOAC to remain recognized by SGA.
  • While we will do our best to accommodate your time preference, based on your application, we cannot guarantee a specific time. Preference will be given to the order the applications were received.
  • If none of the student members from the proposed club can attend the presentation appointment, you may submit a paper or video copy of your presentation and all supporting materials. The presentation will be read to the committee by the SGA Secretary on your behalf.
  • Members of the SGA Senate will vote by majority to make a recommendation regarding the club's Provisional Status. All members have an equal vote.
  • The SGA Secretary will forward the recommendations of the SOAC Committee to the Office of Student Engagement. All final decisions are made by the Office of Student Engagement.
  • Applicants will receive an e-mail with the final decision on the status of their application via e-mail from the Office of Student Engagement.