Starting a New Club
Do you want to start a new student organization on Harvard’s campus? Here’s how it works:
Fall Approval Process
BEFORE YOU APPLY: Note that there are currently over 500 organizations at Harvard. Please take the time to thoroughly research the organizations currently active on campus before creating your own. This research may lead you to discover that the project you have in mind will fit within the jurisdiction of another organization, that your idea can be made a branch of an existing organization, or at least help you defend your application during the process.
Online application
The first step to starting an organization at Harvard is filling out the application form hosted by the Dean of Students Office (DSO). That form will go live and be sent out around early September and will remain open for a little over a month. As you fill out this form, you will be asked to list the name of your faculty/staff advisor, the minimum of ten students who are a part of your organization, and more information about how your organization is distinct from others at the college and your plans for the coming year.
Staff Interview
Once the application window has closed, your application will be sent to the appropriate staff member and you are given a short window of time to book an interview with them. They have expertise on the area of your club at the college and will be able to analyze whether or not your club can be successful. They are also a great resource for questions/tips/etc!
HUA Interview
If you successfully complete your staff interview, your application will go to our Extracurriculars Team. We will schedule interviews to ensure that your organization is distinct from others at the University. As a team, they will decide based on your interview whether or not you meet the qualifications to be a recognized student group.
Committee on Social Life
All HUA decisions will then be forwarded to the Committee on Social Life (CSL). They will review the Extracurricular Team’s decisions and issue the status of the organization.
AS YOU APPLY: Applying to be a new organization is a semester-long process. At the end of that process, once your leadership has gone through the Leaders Forum at the start of the Spring Semester, your organization is given PROVISIONAL status. After two semesters, there is an additional interview to asses wether or not your organization was able to reach its goals and has a future. After the successful completion of that interview and approval process, your organization is given OFFICIAL recognition at the college.
Please also note that whether your organization is provisionally or officially recognized impacts the kind of HUA funding you’re eligible to apply for, though we do fund both provisional and officially recognized orgs. We do not fund organizations or individuals before the completion of this process.
For questions, concerns, or suggestions, please reach out to extracurriculars@thehua.org.