Get Approved

Read the SGRC Charter.

This application is intended for student group recognition through the USG. For Pace Center groups, please apply directly to the Pace Council for Civic Engagement. Religious Life and Pace Center groups should reach out to Joanne Sismondo at sismondo@princeton.edu and Geralyn Williams, respectively, after they have been approved by the SGRC. The Student Groups Recognition Committee (SGRC) works in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS) to help groups of motivated students find their niche on campus. Group recognition gives you the ability to apply for Projects Board Funding and the eligibility for a Princeton Listserv.

Scheduling Change: Students will no longer be permitted to schedule a meeting via Calendly prior to the submission of the required club documents. These documents must be submitted to the SGRC Chair at least one week before the scheduled monthly meeting date. Upon receipt of the documents, students will be provided with a Calendly link to schedule a meeting.

Steps to get your club approved by ODUS, SGRC, and USG senate :

1. Submit the completed club documents to the SGRC Chair, Arosheny Puvanenthirarajah (arosheny@princeton.edu), at least one week prior to your intended meeting date with the committee. In your email, please specify the month you wish to present and use the following subject line: SGRC (insert desired month) Club Approval Documents.

2. Schedule a meeting with the SGRC committee. After the club documents have been received, you will be provided with a link to schedule a meeting with the SGRC committee.

3. Attend the scheduled meeting with the committee, prepare to present your club, and address any questions the committee may have. While the committee prefers to meet with the prospective club President and Treasurer, we are also open to meeting with another representative/s who is well-versed in the club's details.

The following are the general requirements for student groups applying for approval by ODUS, SGRC, and USG Senate:

1. The club must address a distinct niche that is not already covered by an existing club on campus.

2. The verbal presentation during the meeting with the committee should demonstrate the club's level of planning and organization. Clear goals should be outlined, along with, if applicable, plans for future projects.

3. Prospective projects should be planned in advance and should not be the same projects that are regularly carried out by existing clubs. The projects should be unique.

4. All proposed projects should be well thought out. The students presenting the club must be able to articulate the rationale and methodology behind the execution of these projects.

5. If the club intends to involve any on-campus resources, such as a program or faculty member, the relevant parties must be contacted before the submission of the documents to the SGRC chair.

6. If the proposed club is a chapter of a non-profit organization, the objectives of the non- profit must not overlap with those of existing campus clubs. Even if the individual projects proposed by the prospective Princeton chapter are unique, the overarching goals of the non-profit should not conflict with the aims of other established campus clubs.

In order to submit a completed application for your prospective student group, you must complete the following steps:

1. Prepare the Petition (link for virtual sample petition) with a minimum of 25 undergraduate student signatures, Student Group Constitution, and SGC Questionnaire.

2. Send a PDF copy of the Petition, Student Group Constitution, and Questionnaire to Arosheny Puvanenthirarajah at arosheny@princeton.edu

3. Review the document Sample SGRC Meeting Questions to help you prepare for your meeting. These questions should give you a good idea of what to expect the Committee to ask you at your meeting with us.

Please note: The Orientation Sessions are mandatory for ODUS groups only. Pace and Religious Life groups should be in touch with Elsie Sheidler and Joanne Sismondo respectively for the next steps after approval. Additionally, due to the volume of applications received as well as the time required for the review process, late applications cannot be considered until the next application cycle.

Kindly note that agreement with the aforementioned criteria does not ensure approval, as all clubs are evaluated and approved on a case-by-case basis. The specified requirements represent the general expectations for all proposed clubs.

After successfully completing the application, please make an appointment through email:

1. Select time and date for meeting.

2. SGRC meets monthly, on the first Wednesday of every month, from 4:30 to 6:45 pm ET. Upcoming meeting dates for 2024- 2025 are:

   -September 4th

   -October 2nd

   -November 6th

   -December 4th

   -February 5th

   -March 5th

   -April 2nd

3. In your email, please include your full name and the name of the proposed club.

For groups registering with the University through ODUS, there will be new group orientation sessions held shortly after the SGRC meetings. Attending a new group orientation is a requisite step in the registration process. During the session new groups create their ODUS directory listing, netID, and ListServ. Groups will also review policies and procedures, and use of the University’s financial system. If you have any questions. Please contact ODUS Program Coordinator Melanie Ibarra at mi7497@princeton.edu.