Start a Club

Why Start a Club at CSI?

The College of Staten Island encourages students to form clubs to design and implement programs, events, and activities which support, enrich, extend and amplify the goals of the CSI educational mission.
Involvement in these types of groups presents students with the opportunity to broaden their learning, obtain leadership and interpersonal skills, and develop a commitment to service.  Student clubs should strengthen campus-community relations and improve inter-institutional communications, and facilitate students’ acquisition of skills, which will be transferable to other areas of their lives.

Some of the benefits and privileges afforded through recognition include:

  • The use of CSI facilities and services
  • The right to use the College name
  • The opportunity to request weekly meeting space
  • The opportunity to use the Club Room in the Campus Center
  • The ability to plan and host events on campus
  • Eligibility to apply for funding through the Student Government Club Commission

Starting a Club

The following guidelines apply to organizations and activities conducted and controlled by students and are not required of any organization or activity administered or supervised by CSI offices or departments as part of their educational or administrative function. To charter with Student Government and gain recognition with the Office of Student Life, a new student club must:

  1. Have a mission statement and purpose that exhibits a clear relationship with the educational mission of the College of Staten Island.
  2. Have a minimum of ten (10) currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate CSI students. Only members of the CSI community are eligible for participation in a student club at CSI.
  3. Elect officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer). Club Officers must have a 2.0 GPA or better and must be in good standing with the College. No student may serve as an officer in more than one club, or hold more than one officer position within the club.
  4. Appoint a faculty or staff advisor. Advisor must be faculty or full-time staff at the College of Staten Island. Advisor should be someone who is available to attend club meetings and programs, and be willing to support club development and initiatives.
  5. Develop a constitution for the club (sample constitution).

CUNY Bylaws require that all new student organizations be chartered by the Student Government. Once a club has been chartered by the Student Government, they must be recognized by the Office of Student Life. Upon recognition by the Office of Student Life, a club becomes eligible for all of the benefits afforded student groups at the College.  

Step 1: It is recommended that you review the process for starting a student group. You may set up an appointment with the Associate Director for Student Life/Activities to have any questions you may have answered. Contact 718.982.2816 to schedule an appointment or email your questions to debi.kee@csi.cuny.edu

Step 2: Develop an agenda for your interest meeting.

Step 3: Develop a draft of the Constitution for the group. Copies of past club constitutions are available in the Office of Student Life. (Sample Constitution)

Step 4: Schedule an official meeting for your club. You can reserve space in the Office of Student Life (1C-201). You must file a meeting notice for your official meeting a minimum of 48 hours in advance of the meeting.  Promote the meeting. You will need a minimum of 6 student members present to conduct business. Note: The advisor does not count towards quorum and cannot vote. 

Step 5: Designate someone to take minutes. Minutes are written documentation of the action items from the meeting.  Minutes should include:

  • club name
  • date of meeting 
  • the full name of those in attendance with CUNY ID#
  • motions made and # of votes per motion (yes/no/abstain).  A motion is a proposal made for the club to consider, such as electing officers, approving events and budgets. It is a formal way for the group to make decisions regarding actions the group would like to take. Examples of actions to record: election of officers, approval of constitution, event and budgetary decisions.

Step 6: To submit an application for a new club Log In to CSI CONNECT. Once you are logged in on the system (you log in with your CIX email and password), go to the Organizations link and “Register a New Organization”. If you have trouble accessing CSI CONNECT or have questions about the forms for registering a new organization, please contact debi.kee@csi.cuny.edu

Step 7: Upon receipt of submission for a new group:

  • The Associate Director of Student Life will review the charter papers including the constitution, minutes and roster. 
  • The Office will verify eligibility of officers and members.
  • The Office will send all elected officers an email with information on how to complete Title IX training (SPARC). As per NYS Legislation as part of the Enough is Enough Program, all student leaders and officers must complete Title IX training (training on domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault prevention) prior to be receiving recognition. 
  • All officers will be required to submit a position form with their uploaded completion certificate for SPARC

Step 8: If the paperwork is in order and all officers have completed their position forms, the Associate Director of Student Life will forward the charter request to Student Government for review and approval.  

Step 9: Upon charter by Student Government, the Office of Student Life will grant recognition.  Clubs will receive a formal letter via email and mail regarding their recognition status