CLARION, Pa., April1 – Student Senate officially voted March 1 to change the allocation policy for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs), which moved a selection of current RSOs into a new division called Recognized University Organizations (RUOs), which will officially take effect on July 1.
RUOs are organizations that serve a broad spectrum of students and are advised by administrators who are compensated by the university as it serves as part of their job description, according to Shawn Hoke, interim director of Campus Life.
RSOs are for students and run by students and do not necessarily have a compensated adviser.
“RUO designation have been classified as such because their operations have been deemed critical to the mission of the university, the university provides and or funds an adviser for the organization, the organization provides extensive service to the university and or community and or the organization is comprised primarily of students but requires extensive faculty and or staff involvement to successfully operate,” according to a memorandum sent to entities who now fall under this classification.
Hoke said the major change and difference between RSOs and RUOs is that for many years Student Senate operated under the “purview” of the Clarion Students Association (CSA).
RUOs will now receive direct funding from CSA, while RSOs will continue to receive their funding at the discretion of Student Senate.
Instead of pulling from one pot to fund all organizations, RUOs will be ensured funding that is completely separate from the funding provided to RSOs.
The process for this division started under former Student Senate President Brian Perkins last year.
Hoke said that some of the senators who worked closely with Perkins kept the ball rolling throughout this academic year.
“Perkins and I started pulling ideas together about who would qualify as an RUO and why,” said Vice President of Student Senate Peter Baschnagel.
“We had realized that several organizations being called RSOs didn’t really qualify as student organizations, but were critical to the university.
Perkins researched what other universities were doing with similar groups, and we formulated a list of potential RUOs.”
The advisers of each of the potential RUOs were contacted and asked for feedback, and Hoke and CSA devised the final RUO policies, and CSA voted on them this spring, Baschnagel said.
However, not all those affected by the change were satisfied with the amount of feedback they were able to provide.
“I wish representatives of the RUOs were able to meet as an ad-hoc committee and discuss how they would like to see the changes and what to expect,” said University Activities Board President-Elect Chris Myers.
Hoke said there were some communication barriers that made the transition somewhat confusing.
He noted the spring break and timing of the RSO Roundtables this spring, where the idea was mentioned, but not voted on or approved.
However, a memorandum noting the change was sent to the student leaders of the organizations effected and their advisers.
The following is a current listing of those organizations with RUO status:
The Clarion Call, Club Sports, Fraternity & Sorority Affairs, Interhall Council, Leadership Programs, Minority Student Services Leadership Council, Speech & Debate Team, Student Senate, University Activities Board, University Athletics, University Bands, University Choir and University Theatre.
To find out the exact policy regarding RUOs, visit The Clarion Call online at www.clarioncallnews.com.
