Clubs and Organizations – WPI Student Government Association

Prelude

WPI clubs and organizations are arranged in a series of 7 categories or classifications. These each come with their own sets of rules and regulations for their respective clubs. All information on the purposes for these rules, as well as details on the classifications can be found further below. These excerpts are from the SGA Bylaws.

Directly below is a link to Campus Labs Clubs and Organizations page. This page lists all the current clubs formally recognized by the Student Activites Office (SAO):

Campus Labs Organizations List

The Classification Structure and Purpose

There are seven (7) organizational classes into which each recognized undergraduate student organization, with the exception of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, are classified.
Each Recognized student organization shall be classified by the Financial Board with approval of the Senate.
All organizations recognized by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute shall be considered Undergraduate Student Government Association member organization, eligible to apply for Undergraduate Student Government Association funding one (1) year after the date of official recognition.
The Undergraduate Student Government Association shall not be classified into any of the seven (7) organizational classes, as it is responsible for creating and maintaining this fiscal structure.
In order to receive funding from the Undergraduate Student Government Association, an organization must also have fulfilled the requirements of the Student Organization Council (SOC) and the Student Activities Office (SAO).
The requirements for the SOC recognition shall be determined by the SOC.
The requirements for SAO recognition shall be determined by the SAO.

The Classes

Class I – Special Interest
1. These organizations will be open to all Worcester Polytechnic Institute undergraduate students.
2. All organizations of this class are eligible to apply for a yearly operating budget and funding requests (FR) as outlined within the Bylaws.
3. Those organizations that receive a yearly operating budget from a national, international, regional, state or local organization, will not receive a yearly operating budget from the Undergraduate Student Government Association.
4. All budgets awarded to Class I organizations will be allocated out of the funds collected through the Undergraduate Student Life Fee.
5. Monies allocated toward the budgets of these organizations will not go towards paying personal dues to international, national, regional, state, or local organizations.
6. All organizations within Class I will be placed into the following subcategories based on the following guidelines:
  1. Professional Societies
    a. These organizations will be a local chapter of a nationally/internationally recognized professional society.
    b. The general activity of these clubs will be focused on professional development.
  2. International/Diversity Organizations
    a. These organizations will be focused on enhancing cultural awareness among its members and campus.
  3. Hobby Interests
    a. These organizations will include all those dedicated to the appreciation and practice of a particular hobby interest.
  4. Political/Social/Religious Groups
    a. These organizations will have core political, social, or religious values as their fundamental purpose. They will be focused on increasing awareness of their cause and/or providing a forum for political/social/religious ideas to be openly shared.
  5. Community Outreach
    a. These organizations will be focused on community outreach and enhancing awareness of this outreach. These organizations are not directly affiliated with any national Greek/service-based fraternal organization.
Class II – Club Sports
1. Those organizations open to all Worcester Polytechnic Institute undergraduate students and classified as club sports by the university are members of Class II.
2. Class II organizations which are not funded by the Athletic Department will be eligible to apply for a yearly budget and funding requests as outlined within this Title.
3. All budgets awarded to Class II organizations will be allocated out of the funds collected through the Undergraduate Student Life Fee.
4. Class II organizations must abide by all rules set forth by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Director of Club Sports.
5. All organizations in Class II will be placed into the following subcategories according to the following guidelines:
  1. Competitive
    a. These organizations compete in scheduled games, matches or contests against outside organizations or teams. They will be associated with a recognized collegiate league or conference and have a coach approved by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Director of Club Sports.
  2. Instructional
    a. These organizations exist to provide basic levels of participation and instruction. They must have a coach approved by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Director of Club Sports.
  3. Recreational
    a. These organizations will have no affiliation to a league or conference and are not permitted to compete with outside organizations or teams. They must have an advisor approved by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Director of Club Sports.
Class III – Campus Wide
1. Those organizations open to all Worcester Polytechnic Institute undergraduate students, unaffiliated with and not receiving a yearly operational budget from an international, national, regional, state, or local organization and whose primary purpose is to provide programming, publications, and/or services open and available to the entire undergraduate student body will be members of Class III.
2. Programming for the entire undergraduate student body will be defined as programs which educate, entertain, and/or expose students to the arts.
3. Class III organizations will be eligible to apply for a yearly budget and funding requests as outlined by this Title.
4. All budgets awarded to Class III organizations will be allocated out of the funds collected through the Undergraduate Student Life Fee.
5. All organizations in Class III will be placed into the following subcategories according to the following guidelines:
  1. Campus Wide Programming
    a. These organizations will be focused on providing campus-wide programming open to all WPI students.
  2. Campus Wide Publications/Media/Services
    a. These organizations will have as their primary purpose at least one (1) of the following activities:
    i. Providing print and other communications media for the students of WPI.
    ii. Providing production-related services for any of the organizations or individuals at WPI.
    iii. Performing Arts
    a. These organizations will be focused on performing arts, including, but not limited to: music, drama, or comedy.
    b. Performances by these organizations will be open to the entire undergraduate student body.
Class IV – Selective Membership
1. Those organizations open only to certain segments of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute student body will be members of Class IV. These organizations include, but are not limited to honor societies, as well as Greek organizations not falling under the classification of a Class V organization.
2. Selective membership is defined as any organization that may define membership based on, but not limited to a new member education process, an initiation rite, or an academic eligibility requirement.
3. Class IV organizations are entitled to approach the Senate for funding for services or programming that benefits the entire undergraduate student body. Programming for the entire undergraduate student body will be defined as programs which educate, entertain, and/or expose students to the arts
4. Class IV organizations will be eligible to apply for funding requests as outlined by this Title.
Class V – Greek Life
1. Any organization classified as a part of Greek Life by the University’s Office of Greek Life Programs will be a part of Class V.
2. Only Class V organizations, with the approval of the Office of Greek Life
  Programs, are allowed to hold bank accounts outside of the University’s
  Accounting Office.
3. Class V organizations are entitled to approach the Senate for funding for services or programming that benefit the entire undergraduate student body. Programming for the entire undergraduate student body is defined as programs which educate, entertain, and/or expose students to the arts.
4. Class V organizations will be eligible to apply for funding requests as outlined by this Title.
5. All Class V organizations will be placed into the following subcategories according to the following guidelines:
  1. Greek Councils
    a. The organizations will be focused on representing their constituent Greek organizations.
    b. These organizations will have at least one (1) representative from each of their constituent Greek organizations.
  2. Greek Chapters
    a. These organizations will be a local chapter of a nationally recognized fraternity or sorority.
Class VI – Provisional
1. All organizations recognized by the SOC who have not yet applied for reclassification will be classified as a Class VI organization.
2. Organizations in this class may apply for reclassification after twelve (12) months from the date of recognition by the SOC.
3. If after eighteen (18) months there has been no application for reclassification of the organization submitted to the Financial Board, then the organization will become a Class VII organization. The Treasurer will make it known to the Senate at the next available meeting.
4. Any Class VI organization looking to reclassify must submit a completed
  “Reclassification Request Form” on Techsync to the Undergraduate Student Government Association. The organization looking to reclassify must appear before Financial Board to present their case for reclassification. The organization will be able to request money as specified by this Title following their Senate approved reclassification status.
5. Class VI organizations will be eligible to approach the Senate for funding for funding requests.
Class VII – Non-Funded
1. All organizations who have not yet applied for reclassification after eighteen (18) months after recognition from the SOC will be classified as a Class VII organization.
2. Organizations in this class may apply for reclassification
3. Any Class VII organization looking to reclassify must submit a completed
  “Reclassification Request Form” on Techsync to the Undergraduate Student Government Association. The organization looking to reclassify must appear before Financial Board to present their case for reclassification. The organization will be able to request money as specified by this Title following their Senate approved reclassification status.
4. Class VII organizations will be ineligible to approach the Senate for funding.