Starting a New Club

Student clubs and organizations can be formed and recognized by Student Engagement. A group of students wishing to form a club must:

1. Complete a Petition for Formal Recognition

    • Available at https://www.plu.edu/clubs/documents/file-group/starting-a-club/
    • Proposed groups that have the same or substantially similar purposes as an existing recognized student club/organization generally will not be recognized;
    • Proposed groups that are formed for commercial purposes or primarily for the financial benefit of an external corporation or organization will not be recognized;
    • Proposed groups that are formed for the purpose of sponsoring a singular campus event generally will
      not be recognized;

2. Write a Club Constitution

Following receipt of the Petition for Formal Recognition and preliminary approval of the group by Student Engagement, three organizational meetings may be held for the purposes of recruiting members and drafting the constitution and by-laws. A model constitution is available on the Clubs and Orgs website.

      1. Constitutions do not necessarily need to follow the model exactly, but are expected to include all sections present.
      2. All honor societies must receive written approval from the department with which they are affiliated and have it submitted to Student Engagement.
      3. Obtain final approval from Student Engagement.

3. Complete the Advisor Agreement

4. Register your Club online

Once your constitution is submitted, it will be reviewed by Student Engagement. If approved, club officers will be contacted to schedule a training to review, discuss, and answer any questions regarding policies, procedures, and expectations of the student organization. At the conclusion of this meeting, the club/organization will be informed that the University officially recognizes it.