Register Your Returning Student Organization

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FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025: RSO REGISTRATION OPENS ON JULY 1, 2024

Organization Advising & Student Involvement Services (OASIS) is the official department on campus for recognizing returning Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). In order to best serve our students, we ask that you carefully read through the instructions for registering your returning student organization.

Being an RSO gives your organization official recognition by UC Berkeley while you are on campus. RSOs are separate entities from the university and their programs, events, and activities do not represent the university. The only way to become an RSO is to register annually with OASIS (RSOs are not the same as registering with an academic department, finding a faculty advisor, setting up a DeCal, etc.).

The perks of being registered:

  • Funding through a variety of sources.
  • Ability to reserve spaces on campus.
  • Eligibility to recruit members by posting fliers on campus and announcements on specified campus calendars.
  • Advising from professional staff who specialize in supporting specific campus communities.
  • Free insurance coverage for most on-campus events, based on risk.
  • The ability to apply for a groupname.studentorg.berkeley.edu web address.
  • The opportunity to build community and make Berkeley feel like home.

Note: Interested in starting a NEW registered student organization? Please find more information on our New Organization Program page here.

Important Registration Dates & Deadlines

  • Monday, July 1, 2024 – RSO Registration opens.
  • Friday, September 13, 2024 @ 11:45PM – RSO Registration closes. All registration items due by this date.

2024-2025 | RSO Registration Requirements

  1. Four Signatories complete the OASIS Signatory Training on bCourses 
    • The course is linked at Callink/Events and opens on July 1, 2024 and is due by September 13, 2024 at 11:45 pm.
    • 4-8 students who serve as the authorized representatives of your RSO to the University must complete this training annually.
    • bCourse content includes a signatory’s administrative and ethical responsibilities and important University policies for leading a registered student organization. to accept the Signatory Terms & Conditions (T&C). Please wait for this email as it is not instantaneous and can take up to 5 business days.
  2. List Your Organization(s) in the Signatory bCourse Module 9 
    • In module 9 of the Signatory Training bCourse, the same 4-8 students will be asked to identify the organization(s) for which you will serve as a signatory.
    • You will need your organization’s CalLink Organization ID Number. If you cannot locate the number, please find that number here.
  3. Accept Signatory Terms & Conditions via CalLink
    • OASIS staff will upload your 4-8 signatories onto your RSO’s CalLink roster. Please note, OASIS staff will be conducting weekly uploads. It may take several business days for you to be added as a signatory to your group’s Callink page.
    • Once we upload you onto your RSO’s CalLink roster, you will receive an email from CalLink with instructions to accept the Signatory Terms & Conditions (T&C). Please wait for this email as it is not instantaneous and can take up to 5 business days.
    • Please review the CalLink User Guide FAQs for instructions on how to accept the Terms and Conditions.
  4. Student Org Registration Form & RSO Constitution on CalLink
    • Beginning on July 1, 2024 one member can find the organization’s Callink Re-Registration form by navigating to your group’s page on CalLink:
      • Click into the “Manage Organization” on the top right hand corner of the page.
      • Click the blue “re-register this org” button – Due September 13, 2024.
      • NOTE: The blue “re-register this org” button will disappear as soon as one person has hit “submit.”
    • Upload your organization’s current constitution including all required constitution clauses.
    • OASIS staff review submissions for approval. If your submission is denied, we will offer an opportunity to resubmit until approved.
    • Please note OASIS staff will process registrations on a rolling basis, first come, first served. Please plan accordingly to complete your registration action items before the deadline.
    • To optimize processing time and avoid delays, please do your best to complete all registration steps as soon as possible.
  5. Check your Org’s Registration Status for Requirement Completion
    • RSOs can check the progress of their org’s registration requirement completion at the RSO Registration Progress Tracker.
    • OASIS conducts weekly uploads to CalLink rosters during registration. Again, signatory status is not instantaneous and may take up to 5 business days to be assigned.
    • If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to [email protected] or your assigned OASIS Advisor.

REMINDERS

SIGNATORY STATUS & FINANCIAL AGENT POSITIONS

Two important positions within a student organization are your signatories and your financial agents. These are two separate positions and both are cleared from all members annually on June 30. This is how we ensure everyone is properly trained and that we have current contacts each academic year.

SIGNATORIES are the authorized representatives of your organization. They are trained through the Signatory Training bCourse. Signatories learn about administrative responsibilities like university policies & procedures as well as ethical responsibilities including bystander intervention, SVSH prevention & response, hazing prevention, and how to host safe events. They are expected to identify themselves to their student org members and share the info from the bcourse training at a Fall meeting. In turn, signatories are able to book classes and event space on behalf of their organization. They are also allowed to sign up for activities like Sproul tabling, Calapalooza, and Cal Day. An org is required to have 4 signatories.

FINANCIAL AGENTS are the financial approvers of your organization’s funds in CalLink. If your org receives funding from the ASUC, Graduate Assembly or any campus grant (SOF, Wellness, Big C, etc.) those funds will be deposited into your CalLink account. In order to access & approve CalLink purchase requests on behalf of your organization, you need to be ASUC sponsored and you need to become a financial agent. To do this, please take the 24-25 CalLink Finance Agent Training bCourse (Find current Agent Finance Training at home page of Callink.berkeley.edu). We recommend that you have at least two agents in your organization. You can prepare by studying the CalLink Finance Training Slides – they have all the answers!

UPDATE YOUR RSO’S MEMBERSHIP ROSTER & CALLINK PAGE

New students are looking at your CalLink page to learn more about your org and to possibly join. Keeping your RSO’s CalLink page up to date is an easy way to recruit new members. You can do this by clicking on the “Manage Organization” link on your RSO’s CalLink page. Check out this resource for more information on keeping your roster up to date.

Student Organizations that are Frozen or No Longer Active

If you are trying to register an organization that is frozen in CalLink and you are unable to access the CalLink page (including the RSO’s roster and documents page), please email [email protected] so that we may add you to the roster and give you access to register the organization. You may also find a link to a Frozen/Dormant page by searching for the org name on the Registration Tracker. On the other hand, if you are with an organization that is choosing to be inactive this academic year, please inform us by emailing [email protected].

Processing Time for RSO Registration Requirements

As a friendly reminder – we have roughly 1,200 student organizations and over 6,000 signatories that register annually! OASIS processes all registration requirements on a weekly basis both during and after the February registration deadline.

Please note that signatory status does not automatically update on your organization’s CalLink roster(s) once you complete both the Signatory training and accept the Signatory Terms & Conditions. Depending on when you complete the Signatory Training bCourse, the Signatory Position will be updated to your student organization roster in CalLink within 5-7 business days. Please keep confirmations of your signatory requirement completions and email us at [email protected] if you do not see the position on your CalLink roster after ONE week.

After the September 13, 2024 registration deadline, OASIS needs time to process all your registration submissions in addition to reviewing and meeting with all new student organization applicants. If there are issues with your registration submissions, we will contact you to inform you what needs to be amended. It is critical that you make the required amendments and re-submit in a timely manner.

Approval of Registered Student Organization (RSO) Status

If all registration requirements are submitted by the September 13th, 2024 deadline and approved, your organization will have university recognition for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. Your organization will officially become a Registered Student Organization (RSO) visible to the public in CalLink and is granted all the campus privileges and benefits of RSO status. This includes: 

  • Ability to apply for space and funding on campus
  • The privilege of hosting events on campus
  • Access to RSO event insurance coverage
  • Ability to table on campus
  • The ability to recruit new members on campus.

Important Reminders

OASIS will not deny or delay RSO status to applying organizations on the basis of their statements of purpose or uniqueness, mission statement, or other viewpoint expressed in its application. 

If the description of a new student organization in a statement of purpose or uniqueness is duplicative of one or more existing RSOs, OASIS may encourage, but not require, the applicant organization’s signatories to confer and collaborate with similar RSOs. OASIS may also ask that the group’s signatories discuss this potential duplication during the required meeting with a OASIS staff member. This meeting provides a valuable opportunity for OASIS staff to help student signatories think through ways their organization can make a unique, positive contribution to the University’s RSO community.

Registration FAQs

What does it mean to be a Registered Student Organization? Why should we register?

Being an RSO gives your organization official recognition by UC Berkeley while you are on campus. RSO’s are separate entities from the university and their programs, events, and activities do not represent the university. The only way to become an RSO is to register annually with OASIS (RSOs are not the same as registering with an academic department, finding a faculty advisor, setting up a DeCal, etc.).

The perks of being registered:

  • Funding through a variety of sources
  • Ability to reserve spaces on campus
  • Eligibility to recruit members by posting fliers on campus and announcements on specified campus calendars
  • Advising from professional staff who specialize in supporting specific campus communities
  • Free insurance coverage for most on-campus events, based on risk
  • The ability to apply for a groupname.studentorg.berkeley.edu web address
  • The opportunity to build community and make Berkeley feel like home

What are we responsible for as an RSO?

The Responsibilities:

What does it mean to have an approved name?

Because RSOs are separate and distinct entities from the university, they are not allowed to use University trademarks in the name of the student organization and in the nicknames of the student organization.

– Trademarks include (so these are not allowed in names/nicknames): UC Berkeley, Cal, UC, UCB, Berkeley Chapter, Berkeley Campus, Oski, Golden Bears, Go Bears, Bears, Names of Campus Buildings, etc.
– Not allowed: Using Berkeley or California at the beginning of the name
– Allowed: “Student Org at/of Berkeley” or “Student Org at/of California”

The University has granted the use of the name “Berkeley” or “California” to student organizations to be used only at the end of the student organization’s name or nickname(s) (“Student Org at/of Berkeley” or “Student Org at/of California”). If the student organization has received proper authorization from both the Office of Business Contracts and Brand Protection (BCBP) and OASIS, a student organization can use University trademarked terms in the name.

Please note that if Berkeley (or any other trademarked names) is approved for use in the name of the student org, the student org is required to use the trademark symbol on the word Berkeley and to use a licensee for all product needs.

As long as names fall within the above stated guidelines, they can be approved.

What’s the difference between a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Uniqueness?”

A purpose statement (or mission statement) defines what your organization wants to accomplish.

Your organization’s uniqueness statement provides OASIS with additional details about your organization beyond what you have stated in your statement of purpose. This is an opportunity to clarify how your proposed organization is different from other existing student organizations at UC Berkeley and how your group will have a positive impact on the university community.

OASIS will not deny RSO status to applying organizations on the basis of their statements of purpose or uniqueness.  Instead, the purpose of requiring these statements is to provide a valuable opportunity for OASIS’s staff to help you think through ways that your organization can contribute to the University’s RSO community.

What information do we need to put in our constitution?

A student organization constitution is the official statement of the organization’s purpose and how it intends to operate. It should serve as a guide for making leadership changes, running meetings, planning activities, and generally makes decisions about how to best achieve an Organization’s stated purpose.

  • All RSO constitutions must follow the format in the Constitution Template in order to be approved. While you may add articles or bylaws to the template, all of the articles in the template must be included. Additions to the document must adhere to the campus regulations as stated in the Berkeley Campus Regulations
  • Please note and include the sections highlighted in red exactly as written, as this language complies with university policy.
  • The ASUC and OASIS team have been working with OPHD, Title IX and Path to Care to incorporate Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) prevention and response efforts amongst Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). A new RSO Constitution clause is being introduced into Article III Membership: RSO SVSH Prevention and Response. We highly recommend RSOs be proactive in incorporating this clause into their constitution.
  • The sections highlighted in blue are required for all ASUC sponsored organizations and recommended for all RSOs
  • Approved constitutions are uploaded and stored in the organization’s document folder on CalLink

Do Signatories need to be students?

Each RSO must have 4-8 signatories at any given time. At least two of these must be currently enrolled students at UC Berkeley. The other 2-6 may be students, staff, or faculty members.

Signatory Issue Reporting Form

If you believe the Signatory membership on your organization’s Callink roster is incorrect or incomplete, please use this “Signatory Issue Reporting” form to report any issues so we may investigate. This includes issues like: not having received the signatory position on your organization’s roster ONE WEEK after submitting Quiz 5 of the Training bCourse and so on. Issues reported via this form will have priority processing over issues reported via email. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. 

We thank you for all you and your RSOs are doing to build community and support for our campus community. Your innovation, resilience, and energy is making a HUGE contribution to the virtual world!