The Difference Between a Club and an Organization

Clubs

A club is a group of students with a designated purpose who are not specifically regulated by a department other than Student Leadership & Engagement. Because the management of the club is intended to be a student learning experience, the day to day functions of the club are carried out by student members, although clubs must contract with an advisor. The advisor may or may not have an affiliation with the group and is chosen by club members. All clubs must complete the recognition process (membership list, registration form, constitution, and advisor contract) in order to be recognized by the institutions. Once recognized, clubs have access to the staff, resources, and services of Student Leadership & Engagement are eligible for funding from the Co-Funding Board (for joint non-sports clubs only)and for general coverage provided by institutional insurance. Clubs must be open to all students, must register on an annual basis and must abide by institutional policies in order to maintain these privileges.

Organizations

An organization is a group that is closely tied to a department on campus, and  has the oversight of that department rather than oversight by Student Leadership & Engagement. It is often in the job description of a department member to advise the group. Frequently, some funding from the department goes towards the group, although it is not always the case. Organizations cannot be funded by the Co-Funding Board. An organization does not have to go through the club recognition process, nor are they required to have a constitution. Organizations are asked to submit an annual registration form with a list of members, an advisor contract and a constitution (if one exists) to Student Leadership & Engagement each academic year for the purposes of record keeping. All students and student groups must abide by the policies in the Bennie Book and the J Book.