New clubs now have only a six-week window to apply for Student Association (SA) recognition — between Nov. 1 and the end of the fall semester — in what SA President Becky Paul-Odionhin called a “blackout period.” Previously, new clubs could form at any time in the fall and spring semesters.
The resolution passed at Friday’s SA Senate meeting, with nine senators in favor and four abstaining, meaning the policy change will take effect this semester.
New clubs have six business days to apply for recognition before the fall semester ends on Dec. 11. If they do not apply by that time, they will need to wait until Nov. 1, 2024.
The policy will shift some of SA’s workload to a less-busy time in the semester, allowing SA to better support both new and existing clubs, and reduce competition for limited funds, SA Treasurer Unnati Agarwal said.
In their first year, clubs must find 10 undergraduate members and hold two meetings and one event. Agarwal said the new timeline ensures clubs will have enough time to meet first-year requirements.
Forty-eight new clubs applied for recognition this semester, which strained SA’s ability to serve existing clubs, Paul-Odionhin said.
“Focusing so much time on getting these new clubs through means that when existing clubs come in with questions, we don’t have time for it,” she said.
Agarwal said the policy aims to reduce the number of new clubs.
Communication between SA and clubs has been a sticking point for the current SA executive board, and Paul-Odionhin described it as one of SA’s most significant issues during a town hall meeting Wednesday.
Sol Hauser is a news editor and can be reached at sol.hauser@ubspectrum.com
