Classifications of Student Organizations
Clubs
A club is a group of 10 or more current students who have joined together for a common
social, educational, social justice, religious or cultural purpose. A charter granted by the
Senate and the Association President that is approved by the Dean of Students or designee,
establishes a campus club. Clubs select for themselves faculty or staff advisor(s) that are fulltime employees of the University. Clubs shall be operated by their student members and
elected leadership to plan and conduct their own activities within the guidelines set by the
Senate and the University. They are entitled to receive Association funding, but are not
guaranteed to be completely financed by the Association. Clubs are also given Association
resources by the Senate and the Association President, including: general supplies, copying,
banner paper and paint, and/or the use of any Club Space rental items as well as access to
request Special Request Funding and an annual budget allocation from the SGA Financial
Affairs Committee.
The Office of Student Involvement shall supervise and enforce University policies and
procedures related to campus clubs. In addition, Clubs are required to complete a Mid Year
and End of Year Report with the Office of Student Involvement.
All clubs shall maintain their rights to exist and be recognized so long as they maintain an
active membership, are sufficiently different from all other Clubs, are consistent with the goals
and mission of the University as a Jesuit, Catholic institution, and are of merit under the
provisions of the Association Constitution.
Clubs are categorized into one of the following categories: Academic, Cultural, Honors,
Music/Performing Arts, Service/Social Justice, Special Interests and Spiritual.
Subordinate Bodies
A Subordinate Body of the Association is a student organization that serves an official function
on behalf of the student body by governing a select number of clubs or hall councils existing
on campus. Subordinate Bodies primarily govern smaller programming organizations and
must have a faculty or staff advisor chosen by the group or appointed by the University to
serve in an advising capacity to the group. They are responsible to the Association President
for their areas of official function and are eligible to receive Association funding. One of the
most common functions of a Subordinate Body is to directly distribute a dedicated pool of
Association funds to the groups which they oversee. Subordinate Bodies may be given special
authorities, granted by the Senate or the Association President related to their oversight of
other organizations and the interest or needs of the student body. When a Subordinate Body
is serving their function of governing other clubs and organizations, rules established by the
body may not supersede existing policies, procedures and University regulations that already
apply to the clubs and organizations.
The Office of Student Involvement, along with other departments with whom the Subordinate
Body is associated, shall supervise and enforce University policies and procedures related to
campus clubs. In addition, Subordinate Bodies are required to complete a Mid Year and End of
Year Report with the Office of Student Involvement.
A club or organization petitioning to be a Subordinate Body must complete the Subordinate
Body Recognition Process. The completed application must then be approved by a majority
vote of the Senate. Subordinate Bodies are eligible for some of the resources granted to Clubs
by the Senate and Association President, including: general supplies, copying, banner paper
and paint, and/or the use of any Club Space rental items. These resources do not include any
additional funding beyond the initial allocation, such as a Special Request from the SGA
Financial Affairs Committee.
University-Affiliated Organizations
A University-Affiliated Organization (UAO) is an organization of students whose function is
very similar to a Club, but they have a special, elevated relationship with a University
Department or Office. Their function serves a role larger than a club which provides a greater
student need on behalf of the University. One of the major differences between a club and a
University-Affiliated Organization is the level of support and non-financial resources that the
UAO receives directly from an office, namely in the human resources of advising as well as
space given to the group by an office or department for use. These groups also have a
dedicated advisor or supervisor whose University role or job description directly includes the
advising of this group. University-Affiliated Organizations are made up of 10 or more current
students who join together for a common purpose and receive similar recognition to other
Clubs – through chartering with the Senate and Association President as well as the Dean of
Students or designee. UAOs shall be operated by their student members and elected
leadership to plan and conduct their own activities within the guidelines set by the Senate and
the University. University-Affiliated Organizations are eligible for any resources granted to
Clubs by the Senate and Association President, including: general supplies, copying, banner
paper and paint, and/or the use of any Club Space rental items as well as access to request
Special Request Funding. Their classification affords them to receive priority funding (a line
item of funds in the Association Budget) each year during the club funding process, receiving
at least a $10,000 operating budget from the Association. Their budget is determined through
the Association Budgeting process and is a line item of the Association’s club funding area.
The Office of Student Involvement shall primarily supervise and enforce University policies and
procedures related to campus University-Affiliated Organizations with a shared supervision
taken on by the sponsoring department or office for this group. In addition, UAOs are
required to complete a Mid Year and End of Year Report with the Office of Student
Involvement.
A club may be officially considered a University-Affiliated Organization if the organization
meets all of the following criteria:

A campus office or department agrees to provide an elevated level of support to the
organization, including the specified responsibility of advising this club in the advisor’s
job description or duties.

The organization receives at least $10,000 in annual funding from the Association for
their initial budget

The operations of the organization are unique and critical to the mission of a
University department or the needs of the student body, as deemed by the Senate,
that if they were to no longer exist, the loss of programs or services would create a
significant negative impact on the campus community.
A University-Affiliated Organization often begins as a club whose programs or services to the
student body grows and expands to a point where students may not be able to solely manage
their group needing a greater level of University support or intervention to help the club
continue successfully. To become a UAO, a club must complete the UAO Recognition Packet
and must meet with the Senate Club Relations Committee. Once approved, the Senate and
the Association President must review and approve the application, granting UAO status to the
club. UAOs are required to submit quarterly progress reports to the Association President,
updating the Association on their progress as an organization for the year.
All UAOs shall maintain their rights to exist and be recognized so long as they maintain an
active membership, are sufficiently different from all other organizations, are consistent with
the goals and mission of the University as a Jesuit, Catholic institution, are of merit under the
provisions of this Constitution, and continue to meet the three determining criteria to maintain
their UAO classification.
Student Working Groups
Student Working Groups are student organizations who are not chartered as clubs, but are
formed as a student group by an office or department to fill a specific need or function on
behalf of that department or office. Student Working Groups may exist to execute programs
and activities on behalf of a department or may serve the office in an advisory board capacity.
Student Working Groups are not affiliated with the Student Government Association but may
work in connection with Association bodies, although they are not eligible to receive any
funding from the Association. As groups that are a programmatic or advisory student-arm of
a department, they are not bound by Association decisions but are subject to the same
protocol, policies and procedures as the office or department itself and of the university.
Student Working Groups are eligible to participate in Club Day but are sanctioned to the
Department/Office section within Club Day, as they are not clubs. Student Working Groups
may be granted an OrgSync portal with approval from the Office of Student Involvement.
Through their affiliated department, Student Working Groups are eligible to reserve space,
advertise on campus, hold a University email account or webpage within a larger departmental
site, and utilize the University funds and budgeting system by the department requesting
appropriate access on their behalf.
Interest Groups
An interest group is a semi-organized group of current students who have joined together for
a common purpose, often social or recreational. The group is not considered a club and
cannot receive any type of funding from the University or from the Association. The Office of
Student Involvement is responsible for registering interest groups and enforcing all University
policies and procedures with said groups. The group must host all activities on campus and is
eligible to reserve space and to advertise their activities, but does not receive any other
resources given to other student organizations such as the ability to fundraise, hold a
university email or financial account, or travel on behalf of their group. In order to register
with the Office of Student Involvement, the Interest Group must have a University faculty or
staff member agreeing to serve as an advisor and must submit a copy of their mission
statement/intended goals of their interest group. Their mission shall not be in conflict with the
mission of the University and should be positively supporting the culture of student life at
Xavier. Interest Groups are not required to complete a Mid Year or End of Year Report.
Club Sports
Club Sports are competitive team groups that provide structured competition for student
members who are non-intercollegiate athletes. Teams compete against other clubs and
sometimes varsity teams from universities throughout the Midwest. Many of the Club Sports
play in organized leagues and can compete for a national championship. Some Club Sports
exist solely for recreational purposes. All Club Sports provide a learning experience through
involvement in the organization and administration of the club activities as well as the
development of sports skills. There is no minimum skill level necessary to be involved in a
Club Sport. Club Sports are recognized and governed by the Club Sports Council, a
Subordinate Body of the Association, and are supervised by the Recreational Sports
Department.