Student Org Advisors

Your role as an advisor

Advising student organizations at IU Bloomington is an important and impactful opportunity. Your role engages with common challenges, strategies for student relationships, institutional alignment, and the joys of celebrating the successes that empower students to achieve their goals.

Advisor functions include:

  • Resource liaison
  • Consultant
  • Mediator
  • Mentor
  • Historian
  • Motivator
  • Policy interpreter

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Consistent and committed support is key

There may be times when you will be asked to offer more guidance than you had expected, and there may be times when you wish that students had consulted you before making a big decision. This is all part of the learning and development process. Despite the situation, being available when students want to talk and being there when they don't realize they need you is what makes someone a great student organization advisor.

This webpage is designed to help prepare you for many of the common situations student organizations find themselves in, and to provide you with answers for many of the questions you will be asked. No matter how your student organization engages with you, Student Involvement and Leadership is here to help. Please reach out with any questions you have, knowing that we are ready and eager to help you in your role as student organization advisor.

Overview of student groups and organizations

These organizations are formed by Indiana University to fulfill specific functions or provide unique opportunities for students. They operate as units or agencies within IU’s administrative and fiscal structure and adhere to all university policies. USO status is determined by the Vice Chancellor for Student Life and the Campus Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, with final approval from university administration. Factors influencing USO designation include funding sources, IU staff involvement, risk management, integration with university operations, and the organization’s historical and reputational ties to IU. 

Two questions SIL factors into decisions regarding the support or formation of University Student Organizations: 

  • Do you see this organization serving as a necessary function of your office?
  • If this organization lost active membership, would you work to support or assure its continuation?

SGSOs are student organizations that are not University Student Organizations. They are considered separate from Indiana University and must agree to and operate under the Self-Governed Student Organization Agreement (“SGSO Agreement”) in order to use university facilities and services and receive benefits associated with the Indiana University name. SGSOs that have received permission to use “Indiana University” in the organization’s name must do so only in a locational sense (i.e. “The XZY Club at Indiana University”).

As students are free to assemble and associate in areas of the campus that are open to them as students of the university, IU deems organized groups of students as Non-Registered Student Organizations. Non-registered groups will not receive the privileges and benefits accorded to SGSOs or USOs, and Student Involvement and Leadership does not track nor manage anything related to their gatherings or structure. These groups are welcome to reserve campus space for their events under the same terms and conditions as other third-party groups.

Overview of advisor expectations

Indiana University requires that every registered student organization has a faculty or staff advisor who is employed at IU Bloomington.  

  • Temporary/part-time employees cannot serve as advisors
  • Undergraduate students, external individuals, alumni, or individuals working with an entity affiliated with IUB do not qualify to serve as the required faculty or staff advisor
  • The Dean of Students reserves the right to remove any advisor in cases of misconduct

According to STU-01 language, graduate students or Ph.D. candidates who are working for IUB can serve as organization advisors, but it is not recommended practice.

Relationship with your student organization

Ideally, student organizations and their advisors have regular, constructive, and structured interactions. Student organization advisors provide guidance when needed, contribute to the development of student leaders, and help organizations meet their intended missions. It is important to note that there is a distinction between USO and SGSO advisor expectations—that is discussed below.

Student Involvement and Leadership asks SGSO advisors to accept terms and conditions when organizations re-register, yet the student organization advisor and student organization officers may agree upon specific duties and additional expectations that are not included in the terms and conditions. So long as those do not contradict the duties outlined below or jeopardize the independence of the student organization, it is allowed.

Re-registration is a great time of year to check in with the organization you advise to discuss roles within the organization and to review or establish mutual expectations.

Terms and conditions of Self-Governed Student Organization advisors

The duties of a SGSO advisor include:

  • Serving as the student organization’s Campus Security Authority 
  • Providing support and guidance as needed, while recognizing that the control and operation of the SGSO remain with the students 
  • Assisting the student organization in abiding by all IU and Student Involvement and Leadership policies and procedures 
  • Maintaining regular contact with the student organization 
  • Being familiar with the goals and activities of the student organization
  • Helping the student organization locate and utilize available resources

The SGSO advisor does not:

  • Supervise, direct, or control the activities of the organization 
  • Perform student responsibilities, such as: 
    • Managing finances or bank accounts 
    • Making room reservations 
    • Editing organization rosters 
    • Re-registering the organization

Note: Recruiting or replacing an advisor is the responsibility of the SGSO, not the advisor.

Please remember: 

  • The control and operation of the SGSO must remain with the students
  • SGSOs must have outside bank accounts and the students control those funds
  • Despite being a separate entity, SGSO members must still adhere to state and federal law, Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, and IU Licensing and Trademark rules 

As a USO is seen as a functioning and necessary unit of a university department, the USO Advisor ensures:

  • The USO meets the mission of the supporting department
  • Adherence to all university policies and procedures
  • Administrative and financial oversight for the organization
  • The affiliated IU campus, school, or department controls the funds, advising, risk mitigation, travel, and training for a USO

Additional USO advisor considerations:

  • While student leaders are encouraged to submit annual USO registration, it is the ultimate responsibility of the USO advisor to ensure completion of this process. As such, re-registration submissions from the advisor may be accepted.
  • USO advisors may submit event/space requests on behalf of the organization through beINvolved

 

Student organization structure

Student organizations, be they USOs or SGSOs, have the same structural requirements. To register a new organization or to re-register an existing organization, a roster must include a minimum of five members who are enrolled students at the IUB campus, as well as at least one faculty or staff advisor.

In addition to a roster of six organization members—five students and one advisor—there are three leadership roles that are required of the students (this policy is new for the 2026-27 re-registration cycle): 

  • President 
  • Treasurer 
  • Event Manager

There are specific trainings designed to support students who serve in these roles and specific information that these students need to know in order to perform their duties effectively. The SIL Student Leaders Summit hosted each fall semester assures that student leaders have the information they need to be successful. 

Note: The president and treasurer roles must be held by different students. 

An organization president can simultaneously serve as the event manager, as can the treasurer. However, a president cannot also serve as the organization treasurer.

Key considerations in policy compliance, regulation, and risk management

This section outlines key university policies to be aware of as you advise and support your student organization. Student organization leaders are made aware of these policies, and it is good practice to remind them to review compliance with these policies and procedures as they plan meetings, events, and activities. 

All of these policies are governed or inspired by Indiana University’s Student Organizations policy (STU-01).

Key policies

  • SGSO advisors cannot submit event and space requests on behalf of the organization
  • USO advisors can submit event and space requests on behalf of the organization
  • For gatherings of up to 99 people, we recommend you submit a request 3 days in advance to allow time for processing
    • 50 or more people requires UERC approval
  • Gatherings of 100+ with a space reservation require a request placed at least 5 days in advance
  • Events with temporary structures and/or mass physical objects require a request placed 7 business days in advance

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, Student Involvement and Leadership implemented a more structured timeline for organization registration and re-registration. This new approach assures each process receives full attention from SIL staff and provides a shorter turn-around time for student organizations as they are going through the process.

New Organization Registration (SGSO): 

  • There are two annual new student organization registration windows for SGSOs:
    • MLK Day–March 1
    • Labor Day–October 31 

Re-registration (USO and SGSO):

  • There is one annual window for reregistration:
    • Presidents’ Day–August 1 
  • On June 1, organizations who have not re-registered will be frozen until they re-register.
  • Organizations who fail to complete the re-registration process will be “frozen” and need to go through the New Organization Registration process to regain active status.

Annual Student Leaders Summit: 

  • To maintain registered status, all student organizations are required to complete the Student Leaders Summit.
  • This applies to re-registered organizations.
  • New organizations will go through an onboarding process that will include this information and additional information. They are welcomed but not required to attend the Student Leaders Summit. 

An organization’s “status” is a pre-programmed label that is assigned to student organizations in beINvolved. A status is determined based on registration, training participation, and student involvement. A change in status adjusts the organization’s beINvolved page visibility and user access. 

  • Active – Applied to groups who have registered for the current academic year and who are current with training requirements.
  • Frozen – Groups that are no longer registered or who have not completed required trainings.
    • Frozen organizations do not have publicly visible profiles, but organization members are still able to access the beINvolved profile, which has limited functionality.
  • Inactive – Organizations who have remained frozen for more than one calendar year are assigned the inactive status. 
  • Locked – Organizations who are no longer registered or “on campus” (applies to OSFL organizations).