Office of Student Activities



OSA_logo

Mission Statement:


The Office of Student Activities provides leadership opportunities furthering MSUM students' development and builds community through programs, activities, and student organizations.

The 7-step recognition process is outlined on the following page.  The entire process can take a few months because approval is required from the Student Organization Advisory Council (SOAC), Student Senate, and the president of the university.  It pays to be prepared and to keep in contact with the Office of Student Activities and the Assistant Director for Activities and Organizations regarding your organization's status.

The good news is that once you submit the "Intent to Organize" form and it receives approval from the Assistant Director, your organization is granted certain privileges.  Therefore, you can start actively recruiting new members, publicizing your organization, and reserving University facilities.

Maintaining Recognition

Recognized organizations assume both privileges and responsibilities.  In order to maintain recognition status, all organizations must register within three weeks of the start of the Fall Semester every year.  Changes in officer status should be reported to the Office of Student Activities when they occur. 

Organizations failing to register within this time period will become defunct, losing all privileges of a recognized student organization at Minnesota State University Moorhead.  Defunct organizations are eligible to apply for re-admission.  The re-admission process for defunct student organization will be the same process as for new organizations.             

Recognition Process

Step One:

The first step to form a recognized student organization on the Minnesota State University Moorhead campus is to complete an "Intent to Organize" form.  This form can be found online at www.mnstate.edu/osa.  There must be at least five interested MSUM students in order to begin this process.  Completion of this online form will grant pending status to groups awaiting formal recognition.  This will give the organization the following privileges for 30 days:          

  • The right to reserve university facilities for the purpose of holding initial organizational meetings.
  • The right to publicize group meetings.
  • The right to invite membership.

Step Two:

Within 30 days of completing the "Intent to Organize" form, the organization will complete the remaining requirements for recognition:

Step Three:

Return all information to the Office of Student Activities (CMU 229) for review by the Assistant Director of Leadership and Organizations.

Step Four:

The Assistant Director of Leadership and Organizations submits request for recognition to the Student Organization Advisory Council (SOAC).  SOAC reviews the request for compliance with local, state, and federal laws and university policy.  SOAC recommends acceptance or rejection to the Student Senate.

Step Five:

The Student Senate then reviews the request for recognition and forwards their written recommendation to the University President.

Step Six:

The President of the University confers formal recognition of the organization.

Step Seven:

Official campus recognition is an honor and recognized organizations assume responsibilities and privileges.  This is an organizational status and must be maintained.  All organizations must re-register within 3 weeks from the beginning of Fall Semester each academic year.  Upon recognition, organizations have the following privileges:

  • Use of University facilities, equipment and services (within MSUM policy guidelines) for purposes relative to organization goals.
  • Permission to conduct fundraising that will benefit members.
  • Right to request funds from the Student Activity Budget Committee (SABC) or to access previously allocated SABC funds.
  • Right to participate in all University events.
  • Use of the University name, mailing address and mailbox.
  • Establishment of an agency account with the MSUM business office for financial transactions.
  • Use of desk or storage space in the Activities Resource Center and the organization boards in the Comstock Memorial Union.