Registered Student Organizations

Welcome to the home for the over 1000 Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) at Michigan State University (MSU)!

RSOs are a great way to make friends, build community and to journey with through your college experience!

An MSU RSO is a volunteer group of enrolled students organized to obtain certain goals and objectives. The goals and objectives of these organizations are met through education, social, cultural, religious or philanthropic activities. These activities enhance and support MSU students, the university and the community. Engaged participation in student organizations benefits students’ growth and education while attending the university.

The RSO Team leans on four (4) key theories to ground our work with Registered Student Organizations; Astin's Student Involvement Theory, Tinto's Model of Student Departure, B. Magolda's Theory of Self-Authoriship, and S.R. Komives' Social Change Model of Leadership Development. For more information on these check out this resource: MSU RSO Key Theories. 

This website is a resource for both RSOs and students searching for ways to be involved! Check out all the info below!

For more information, questions or assistance please feel free to email us at involve@msu.edu!

• Involve@State

  Involve@State is Michigan State University’s Engagement Portal for students, staff, faculty, registered student organizations, major governing organizations, and University departments. The goal of Involve@State is two-fold;

  1) To connect you, the student, to become engaged in co-curricular and educational opportunities; and

  2) To be utilized by RSOs to manage operational functions such as roster and officer reporting, annual registration, event requests and more!

  Click here to get to Involve@State 

   

• RSO Annual Renewal

  Timeline for RSO Annual Renewal:

  • May 1^st
    • • College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Human Medicine, and College of Veterinary Medicine
        • These Colleges can also register new RSOs at this time, no other units are eligible at this time.
  • June 1^st
    • Affiliated Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • Affiliated Major Governing Organizations:
        • ASMSU, COGS, RHA, OGA, UACOR, IFC, PanHel, NPHC, MGC
      • Affiliated CoRES, CAMS, Class Councils and Other Governing Orgs:
        • CoRES Groups, CAMS Groups, the four (4) MSU Class Councils, Impact Radio, Council of Medical Students, James Madison College Student Senate, The State News
      • Affiliated Fraternity and Sorority Life Chapters:
        • IFC, PanHellenic, NPHC, MGC Chapters
      • Affiliated Club Sports:
        • https://recsports.msu.edu/clubsports/clubdirectory/index.html
  • July 1^st
    • Returning Registered Student Organizations Renewal Opens
      • All other RSOs who were registered during the previous academic year
      • If the RSO did not renew during the previous academic year their account is frozen. To open the RSO for renewal, email involve@msu.edu.
  • August 1^st
    • New Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • These are organizations that have never been registered.
  • September 30^th
    • All Returning Registered Student Organizations DEADLINE
      • All non-renewed RSOs will have their accounts frozen and not be allowed to host events or function as an RSO.

   

  Registration Support Resources:

  • RSO Renewal and Registration
  • RSO Renewal Presentation
• Starting a New RSO

  To start a new RSO or reactivate an old RSO on campus please follow the four (4) steps below:

  Step 1: Research if there is already an RSO that exists

  • If there is, we encourage you to join that RSO rather than start another similar organization

   
  Step 2: Complete the following:

  • First, consult with the RSO Team (email: involve@msu.edu)
    • You will have a introductory meeting to discuss the club, its goals, the New RSO process and resources available to you as your start your club
  • Second, you will need to work on the following:
    • Have an RSO Constitution
      • Sample Constitution: TEMPLATE
    • Must have four (4) student members
      • ONLY MSU students may be members of the organization
      • Staff, Faculty, Alumni and Community Members may participate in the organization's activities
    • Must have an MSU faculty, staff or graduate student Advisor
      • RSOs open only to undergraduate students may have an advisor who is a MSU faculty member, staff member, or graduate student.
      • RSOs open to undergraduate and graduate students or only graduate students must have an advisor who is a MSU faculty or staff member.
    • Review the RSO Expectations Video:

       

  Step 3: Submit your Registration Form

  • • If you are creating a new RSO, and have all the above criteria met, check out this step by step resource on how to register your new RSO: Registration for New RSOs .
    • If you are reactiving an old RSO, and have all the above criteria met, email the RSO Team at involve@msu.edu to reactivate the RSO which will allow Involve@State to allow you to register the organization. 

   

  Step 4: Schedule and attend your New RSO Orientation Meeting

  • • Register for an orientation by selecting one of the available workshop dates via Zoom. This orientation will guide you through how to efficiently use Involve@State and valuable resources for success.
• Other RSO Resources

   

  Managing your I@S Page Videos

  • Managing Your Page for RSOs
  • Department Registration and Set-Up
  • Manage your Department Page      

   

  Information for Registered Student Organizations

  • Campaigning, Canvassing, and Petition Drives Guidelines

  • Student Activism at Michigan State University

RSO Events