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 Workshop & Key Dates Calendar

  For events, you can RSVP for all events on Involve@State 

  RSO Help Office Hours have ended for the 2021-2022 year. 

• RSO Registration 2022-2023

   Timeline: (This does not apply for New RSOs)

  *Please note there has been a change to the Affiliated Fraternity and Sorority Life Chapter Registration date. 

  • 1 May
    • Marketing for Registration and Reminders will begin to go out
  • 1 June
    
    • Affiliated Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • Affiliated Major Governing Organizations:
        • ASMSU, COGS, RHA, OGA, UACOR, IFC, PanHel, NPHC, MGC
      • Affiliated CoRES, CoPS, Class Councils and Other Governing Orgs:
        • CoRES Groups, CoPS Groups, the four (4) MSU Class Councils, Impact Radio, Council of Medical Students, James Madison College Student Senate, Telecasters, The State News, Women's Council
      • Affiliated Club Sports:
        • https://recsports.msu.edu/clubsports/clubdirectory/index.html
    • Registration Process: Review the Registering a RETURNING RSO in the RSO Handbook
  • 1 July
    • Returning Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • All other RSOs who were registered for 2021-2022
    • Affiliated Fraternity and Sorority Life Chapters:
      • IFC, PanHellenic, NPHC, MGC Chapters
    • Registration Process: Review the Registering a RETURNING RSO in the RSO Handbook
  • 1 August
    • New Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • All organizations who have not registered for the 2020-2021 year or never been registered
    • Registration Process: Review the Registering a NEW RSO in the RSO Handbook
  • 16 September 
    • All Affiliated and Returning Registered Student Organizations DEADLINE
      • Returning RSOs who do not register by this date will lose access to their benefits
  • 1 January
    • All Affiliated and Returning Registered Student Organizations Registration Opens
      • This is for anyone who has not registered for the 2022-2023 year yet.
  • 31 January
    • All Affilitated and Returning Registered Student Organizations Registration DEADLINE to reinstate benefits
    • Registration Closes for the Year

   

  Registration Support Resources:

  Review the Registering a RETURNING RSO in the RSO Handbook

• Starting a New RSO

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

  NOTE: No new RSOs will be able to be formed between 15 April 2022 and 31 July 2022 as the RSO Team prepares for the 2022-2023 year.

  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
  • To check out organizations that are currently inactive check out the List of Inactive RSOs

   

  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

  • • This will be facilitated by the Student Involvement and Leadership RSO Team. The Team will reach out after you are approved as an RSO.
• 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 (.pdf)

RSO Events