Registering a New Organization | Center for Student Engagement

Thank you for your interest in starting a new student organization at the University of Tennessee. We are proud to sponsor more than 450 student organizations on campus! Please review the procedures to register your new student organization. There is no deadline to submit new registrations as the Advisory Committee on Student Organizations meets monthly to review registrations. Below you will find information on the requirements and procedures to start a new organization.

Hilltopics – Rules and Regulations for Student Organizations

Meeting

All students interested in starting a new organization are required to meet with the Graduate Assistant for Student Organization Support. This meeting will introduce students to the registration process, policies and procedures for being a registered organization, resources available for student organizations, and an overview of VOLink.

To schedule a meeting, please email Brittney Wright, Graduate Assistant at bwrigh37@vols.utk.edu to set up an appointment.

Registration Form

To begin the registration form, you must log in to VOLink (if this is your first login, it will prompt you to fill out some biographical information). Once you have logged in, click “Organizations”, and the button to register a new organization will be on the left side, underneath the directory. Or, you can go directly to the registration form.

Please note: to complete this registration form, you must have the following ready to submit:

An advisor that is a full-time staff or faculty member of UTK.
Minimum 10 interested members (you must have their NETids)
President or acting president listed on roster
Constitution (Constitution Checklist )

FYI: If you have started to register a new organization and not completed the form, you can always go back to your original registration form by clicking on your Name tab on the top right corner, selecting “My Involvement”, then “Submissions”. Then select “Organization Registration”.

Advisory Committee on Student Organizations

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Student Organizations. The Advisory Committee will meet on the first Thursday of each month. Upon approval, your student organization will become a recognized student organization at the University of Tennessee effective 10 days after the decision is made.

Appeals Process

If you would like to appeal a decision made by the Advisory Committee on Student Organizations, you must submit a formal letter to the Advisory Committee stating the reason for your appeal and why the committee should approve your student organization. In addition, you must have a letter of support from your Advisor. Please submit this letter to go@utk.edu. The letter will be sent out by email to all members on the Advisory Committee. A response will be sent 10 days after the letter has been received. There is no appeal process for a decision made by the Office of the Dean of Students.