If you’d like to start a new club on campus and would like funding from the SAFC, you must request a charter from the Student Organizations Oversight Committee. The SOOC will provide charters to groups based on the amount of interest from the student body, the functioning costs of the club, and the logistic ability for the campus to support your needs (practice space, storage space, etc). For example, if a club proves to have very little interest from the student body and an extremely high cost-per-student, it is unlikely that we can provide your club the support it needs without sacrificing our support of other already-chartered clubs. If you’d like to begin the chartering process, please take the following steps to apply:
Step 1: Review the club requirement guidelines
In order for your club to be considered for a charter, it must:
- Admit all students regardless of race, religion, age, ethnic or national origin, gender, physical ability, or sexual orientation
- Abide by the Bowdoin Social and Academic Honor Code (click here to review this Honor Code)
- Abide by the listed SOOC Guidelines that are located in the club manual.
- Have a mission distinct from all other clubs on campus
- Provide a leadership structure that will ensure the continuity of the club from year to year
- Benefit the Student Body
Step 2: Find interested people
Develop a roster of interested students and include their email aliases and class years. This is best done via advertising on class groups on Facebook or at the Student Activities Fair that occurs each semester. Please maintain this list in an Excel file to upload it into the Proposal Form later.
Step 3: Find an advisor
Select a potential faculty/staff advisor for your organization who truly cares about the goals and aims of the group. An advisor may be excused by the SOOC on a case-by-case basis, but is often necessary to ensure leadership continuity from year to year.
Step 4: Complete the Proposal Form on CampusGroups
And that’s it! If you have any questions or concerns regarding the process, please don’t hesitate to email the SOOC chair. Their contact information can be found in the “About” and “Executive Board” tab above.