Student Organizations and Activities - Office of the Dean of Students

The vice chancellor of student affairs is responsible for student life on campus and has delegated the responsibility for coordinating and implementing non-academic university policies and regulations affecting student life, student organizations, and student activities to various offices. Student organizations are responsible and governed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Behavior (Code).

The Office of Campus Life has the responsibility of coordinating the activities of all student organizations.

Student Organizations

There is a wide variety of student organizations and clubs representing many fields of interest registered at the university. These groups offer opportunities for leadership and student development experiences; recognize scholarship and leadership achievements in broad fields of education, departmental fields, or recognition in specific fields of professional education at either undergraduate or graduate level; provide social experiences and opportunities to promote their common interests in such areas as religion, philosophy, ethics, social action, politics, recreation, hobbies, and other areas. For a complete list of registered student organizations contact the Office of Campus Life.

Social Greek Fraternities and Sororities

Social Greek fraternities and sororities are private organizations, national in scope and membership, with localized chapters. There is a reciprocal responsibility between the national organization and the local chapter whose charter legalizing its name and functions has been granted in good faith by the national fraternity or sorority to the chapter as custodians of the founding principles and purposes. Fraternities and sororities, while functioning as free agents on the university campus, are based on the premise that they provide an experience for an individual which is compatible with and complementary to the mission and educational goals of the university.

The university’s expectations, regulations, and relationship to fraternities and sororities vary from traditional student organizations, e.g., expansion procedures, membership selection requirements, advisors, and university expectations such as academic achievement, leadership development, service to others, social contributions, development of the individual, etc.

Students interested in joining a social Greek fraternity or sorority and/or in establishing a local or national fraternity or sorority should contact the Office of Campus Life.

Regulations Governing Student Organizations and Student Activities

General Statement of Purpose, Benefits, and Types of Student Organizations

The university recognizes:

The importance of organized student activities as an integral part of the total educational program of the university and that the acquisition of knowledge is not confined to the formality of the classroom.
College learning experiences are enriched by student organizational activity.
Student organizations provide a framework for students within which they may develop their own special talents and interests.

Inherent in the relationship between the university and organized student groups is the understanding that the purposes and activities of such groups should be of significant value to the student as a member of the university community and should demonstrate that the group has as its purpose(s) to broaden the scope of general living, to extend knowledge of specialized areas, or to serve the professional, cultural, social, or recreational interests of the university community, consistent with the educational goals and objectives of the university.

The term “registration” is used to mean the granting of official status by the university to a group of students; such status permits them to function on the campus and to use institutional facilities, services, and benefits (specified) in the pursuit of their extracurricular activities. Registration of a student organization does not imply that the viewpoints of the organization are those of the university. A registered student organization does not become an agent of the university unless its specific purpose includes such a relationship with the university’s administration.

Registration by the university is accomplished by the formal registration process. The university has established certain criteria which the student group must meet, e.g., submitting a registration form, officers’ names, address, and telephone numbers, five (5) currently enrolled members, faculty/staff advisor, constitution and bylaws, etc. Any organization that meets these criteria obtains registration. Registration occurs once during the academic year at the beginning of the fall semester.

Types of Student Organizations and Benefits

Registered student organizations may receive the following benefits:

Use of university facilities within the established guidelines of university policies and regulations;
Listing in appropriate university publications;
Use of mailboxes allocated to student organizations; use of the business office for organizational accounts; eligibility to apply for student organization office space;
Permission to conduct fund-raising activities as outlined in university rules and regulations; use of the university’s name in accordance with the established regulations; sponsorship of events and activities within the university policies and regulations; and
Eligibility to apply for student activity fee money in accordance with the established procedures and guidelines. There are many types of student organizations which may be registered to operate on campus which include:
1. honor recognition, and professional fraternities and sororities;
2. social fraternities and sororities;
3. governing bodies;
4. departmental clubs;
5. special interest groups, e.g., political, religious, cultural, recreational, etc.; and
6. others.

Groups such as the Student Government Association (SGA), University Program Council (UPC), The Forum, Equinox, National Intrafraternity Council, Inc. (NIC), National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC), and National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), are advised by a designated faculty or staff member, by virtue of his or her expertise, and are responsible to an administrative official or office. Such groups must abide by university rules, regulations, and policies for student organizations.

General Policies on Student Organizations

A student organization may not conduct any activity on the university campus unless official registration has been granted by UA Little Rock.
Student organizations shall not deny membership to any person on the basis of age, race, sex, religion, handicap, or national origin, although social fraternities and sororities may restrict membership by sex.
Student organizations shall not engage in or condone any form of hazing, including but not limited to physical abuse, harassment of any person by assigning unnecessary, disagreeable, or difficult work, by banter, ridicule, or criticism, or by abusive or humiliating acts. (Refer to Student Violations: Hazing)
Student organizations shall be vicariously responsible and liable for the conduct and actions of each member of the organization while acting in the capacity of a member, guest, invited guest, or while attending or participating in any activity of the organization.
Student organizations shall not serve as a conduit through which non-university groups, organizations, or persons may seek the use of university facilities.
Only university departments and agencies of the university may use the name or seal of the university as a part of its name, however, a student organization may identify the campus unit, e.g. on the campus at UA Little Rock.
A student organization or university group holding a fiscal legal relationship with the university is subject to university policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to such organizations.
All student participants and officers of organizations must meet the requirements of its constitution and bylaws. Officers must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 at the time of election and/or appointment, maintain the cumulative GPA of 2.00 while holding office, and must not be on disciplinary probation. The officers and the advisor of the organization are held responsible for seeing that these conditions are met.
A student organization must have a faculty or staff advisor with the exception of national fraternities and sororities. National fraternities and sororities must have a faculty/staff advisor and an alumnus/alumna chapter advisor. Contact the Office of Campus Life for more information.
A student organization must keep the advisor informed of all activities of the organization.
The organization must provide for the distribution of all funds and assets in the event of dissolution.
When a student organization has been inactive for one academic year, the group must follow the procedure for forming a new organization. (Refer to the Office of Campus Life for fraternities and sororities.)
The university assumes no responsibility for financial or contractual obligations associated with the organization. However, the university expects each organization to anticipate and meet promptly its financial/contractual obligations, and to have the approval of the faculty/staff advisor. Student organizations are urged to arrange for annual audits.
No organization may use the same name or a name which is misleading and similar to the mane of a currently registered organization.
A student organization must keep its officers’ reports, constitution, and bylaws current.

Criteria for Registration of an Organization

Any proposed student organization shall be open to all students of the university who meet membership requirements. Normally, membership in the organization shall be limited to currently enrolled students although organizations may include faculty and staff of the university.
A proposed organization must represent the interests of the members and the control of the organization must be within the local campus group. The organization must not have a knowing affiliation with an organization possessing illegal aims or goals with a specific purpose to further those illegal aims and goals. List any affiliation with a national group and submit the constitution and bylaws. In addition, submit a local constitution and bylaws which include the name of the organization, purpose, goals and objectives, eligibility requirement(s) for membership, selection process and procedures of membership, name of officers or equivalent, and an amendment clause.
The proposed organization must agree to comply with all policies, regulations, and procedures established by the Board of Trustees and the university, UA Little Rock Student Handbook, and all federal, state and local laws.
The proposed organization must not:
1. Have illegal aims and goals;
2. Propose activities which would violate regulations of the Board of Trustees, the university, federal, state, and local laws and regulations, or materially and substantially disrupt the work and discipline of the university; and/or
3. Advocate incitement of imminent lawless action which is likely to produce such action.
No group will be recognized if their primary function is to serve as a subservient support group or auxiliary branch of another organization. Auxiliary groups to national fraternities and sororities are banned at UA Little Rock.
The proposed student organization must have:
1. A faculty or staff advisor (name, address, telephone number);
2. Five (5) charter student members who are currently enrolled and whose interest in the purposes of the organization is sufficient to afford registration on a long-term basis (semester);
3. At least two (2) officers or representatives (names, addresses, and telephone numbers);
4. Constitution and bylaws (refer to number 2); and
5. Submitted the forms for new organizations:
  1. Student Organization Registration Form.
  2. Student Organization Origination Form.
  3. Nondiscrimination Form.

In the event there is not sufficient interest to warrant long-term registration, the university may grant a short-term registration to an organization. In some cases a group will organize with some short-term goal or purpose in mind, i.e., one which can be accomplished in less than a semester, such as passage of some legislation, particular cause, or event. The organization’s registration will expire on the date indicated on the registration form. Request for an extension of short-term registration may be made to the official who registers student organizations. Groups petitioning for short-term registration must adhere to the Criteria, Nature and Conditions of Registration, and General Policies on Student Organizations (a constitution and bylaws may be waived in lieu of the student organization registration form).

Procedures for Forming New Student Organizations

Interested students should confer with a faculty or staff member who might be interested in advising the organization.
Interested students should advertise the organizational meeting. For the purposes of organizing, permission will be granted by the Office of Campus Life for planning and advertising the meetings on campus for a limited period of time. Petitioning fraternities and sororities must contact the Office of Campus Life prior to any activity on campus.
The proposed group can obtain the required registration forms for a new student organization from the Office of Campus Life. If there are questions regarding the criteria, general policies, or the nature and conditions of registration of new student organizations, groups should consult with the Office of Campus Life.
The proposed group must complete and submit the necessary registration forms and procedures required for new student organizations to the official responsible for registering new student organizations.
The official will review the organization forms and required documents to determine if the criteria for registration of a new organization have been met. The official will notify the group if it has or has not met the criteria for official university registration. In case the group has not met the criteria, the official will notify the group of the deficient criteria and inform it that forms and documents can be resubmitted at a later date.
Procedural requirements for colonizing a national Greek social fraternity or sorority on the campus are more rigorous and deviate from the standard procedures for most student organizations seeking university registration/recognition. Greek expansion procedures and guidelines will be followed as mutually determined by the university and either NPHC, NIC, or NPC. Inquiries pertaining to these organizations should be made at Office of Campus Life.
Male or female social groups interested in petitioning a national fraternity or sorority are not eligible for university recognition without prior approval from NPHC, NIC, or NPC, and the Office of Campus Life.

University Registration of Honor, Professional, and Recognition Societies

An honor society is an association of primarily collegiate members and chapters whose purposes are to encourage and recognize superior scholarship and/or leadership achievement either in broad fields of education or in departmental fields at either the undergraduate or graduate level.

A recognition society is an organization which confers membership in recognition of a student’s interest and participation in some field of collegiate study or activity with more liberal membership requirements than are prescribed for general and departmental honor societies.

A professional fraternity, e.g., Professional Interfraternity Conference, Professional Panhellenic Conference, is a specialized fraternity which limits membership to a specific field of professional education.

A proposed honor, recognition, or professional society/fraternity is required to have:

The approval of the appropriate college dean, and vice chancellor of student affairs;
If departmental, the dean and department chair; and
A faculty or staff advisor.

All such proposed organizations must comply with procedures unless otherwise stipulated in the UA Little Rock Student Handbook for forming new student organizations, i.e., general policies on student organization, criteria for registration, nature and conditions of registration, and all policies and regulations pertaining to student organizations.

Maintaining Active Status: Nature and Conditions of Registration

Registration of a student organization for other than a short-term period will be on a yearly basis. The Registration Form is due in Office of Campus Life by the end of the fourth week of classes for the fall semester. The organization is responsible for keeping the information on the registration form current.
Semester renewal of registration of an organization shall depend on the organization’s demonstration of compliance with the following:
1. Submit the Registration Form by the registration deadline.
2. Continue to meet all other criteria for registration of student organizations.

Termination of Registration

The Student Affairs Committee reserves the right to cancel registration or impose sanctions against any student organization which fails to observe the criteria and policies outlined in the section pertaining to student organizations. Furthermore, it shall be assumed that an organization no longer exists and its registration automatically shall be cancelled whenever it ceases to actively function as evidenced by:

Due notice of its dissolution,
or
Failure to submit the registration form, and/or
Failure to meet the general policies on student organizations or the criteria for registration of student organizations.

Group Responsibility

Student groups and organizations planning and carrying out their activities and conducting their affairs bear the responsibility for doing so in accordance with university regulations, the Code, and federal, state, and local laws. Failure to accept the responsibilities of group membership may subject the organization to permanent or temporary suspension of charter, cancellation of university registration and support, e.g., use of facilities, etc., probation, or other appropriate action.

Expectation

The group may be held liable when (a) sufficient prevention measures have not been employed, e.g., confiscation, non-admittance, removal, or other controls, and (b) action to refer individual cases to appropriate authorities or judicial boards is not taken by the group. This liability shall be tempered only by the extent and effectiveness of dealing with such violations during and immediately following the activity. Members and non-members of a group at the event or activity are included in the expectation of the group’s responsibility, and appropriate measures must be employed to prevent or deal with problems and violators.

Greek Governing Bodies Dealing with Group Infractions

The NPHC, NIC, or NPC Judicial Boards and chapter standards boards have the opportunity and are expected to deal with individuals or groups allegedly in violation of their governing body bylaws and policies, university rules and regulations, the UA Little Rock Student Handbook, or federal, state, and local laws.

Each group or organization is expected to refer such individuals or groups to the appropriate university authorities, i.e., the dean of students, for referral to the judicial system or the Department of Public Safety for removal, arrest, or judicial action. Should such judicial referrals appropriately fall to the major governing group’s judicial board, i.e., NPHC, NIC, NPC, the decision of the board is expected to be relevant to and consistent with the nature of the violations.

The group or organization must show good faith in dealing with the individual(s), especially their own members allegedly in violation of university regulations or laws. The degree to which the group or organization carries out this overall responsibility will influence the extent to which it may be held liable for the actions of the individual(s). (Refer to University Appeals Procedure and Operating Policies and Hearing Procedures for Nonacademic Offenses.)