Student Organizations

Student Activities is committed to helping students connect with one another and to facilitating involvement in a wide variety of activities. The Student Activities Team provides support for approximately 150 student organizations, develops student leaders, and advises students in producing dozens of programs a year. We are located on the second floor of the McCullough Student Center.

Join a Student Organization!

A full listing of all of our student organizations, as well as many other available engagement opportunities can be found on MiddPresence, Middlebury’s Student Engagement Platform! Membership in student organizations are open to all students.

Through MiddPresence you can:

• Learn about each organization
• See when and where they meet
• Connect with the organization’s leadership
• See events happening around campus
• and more!

Download the Modern Campus Involve App for MiddPresence on the go!  This app will help you check in to events, see what’s happening, and connect with organizations from wherever you are.

Discover the Exploration Fund!

The Exploration Fund is designed to help connect students to resources and support students’ ideas and initiatives without requiring registered student organization status. 

This is a great option for students with ideas for:

• one-time events/programs/gathering

• a series of events/programs

• a group looking to gauge interest and build recurring engagement from other students in hopes of later registering as a student organization. 

These can be events/programs/gatherings around a certain hobby, a special interest, an activity, or other ideas that enrich the student experience at Middlebury College.

Groups/Individuals using the exploration fund receive access to:

• space reservation on campus

• funding

• assistance with contracts, invoices, and purchasing

• event planning guidance and assistance

• publicity for the event/program

• sponsorship of the event/program

Applications for the Exploration Fund must be submitted in MiddPresence, through the Funding Request Form, at least four weeks prior to the proposed event. 

Starting a New Student Organization

Interested in starting a new organization at Midd?  The registration request period for new student organizations opens each year on October 1st and runs throughout the fall semester.  An outline of the full New Org Registration Process can be found on the Forms tab in MiddPresence.  There you will find all the details you need to get started in requesting to register your new organization!  Here is a brief overview of the process:

• Step One: Initial Request - students email SAO@middlebury.edu with the following information: the name of their organization, a description of their organization, and the reason they are looking to create this organization
• Step Two: Meeting with SAO - once we receive your email, we will set up an initial meeting with you to review the process and give you all the materials you need.
• Step Three: Submit your formal request via the New Organization Registration Form in MiddPresence
• Step Four: Meet with the Student Organization Registration Committee (SORC).  This meeting is not a presentation but a conversation between the committee and the prospective student organization.  
• Step Five: Activation (if approved by the SORC) with Student Activities

The Student Organization Registration Committee provides the following guidance to help prepare your group to take the step to become a registered student organization.  This is not a checklist or a list of all SORC’s requirements, nor does following this guidance provide an automatic approval:

• A group fulfills a unique need and does not currently exist on campus in a different iteration (you must provide something new to the student body)
• A demonstrated pattern of engagement of students spanning all classes
• A history of meetings/gatherings/events/programs and the impact of them
• A firm grasp on what entails being a student organization and outlined capacity of the proposed leaders to take it on
• A realistic proposed budget 
• A risk management plan if necessary
• Club Sports: this is a unique sport for which Middlebury does not have a varsity offering, and it is a non-contact sport
• If you have previously submitted a proposal, documentation showing your progress towards the requirements and goals provided to you by the committee in your decision letter.

If you have any questions about this process, or want additional information, please email SAO@middlebury.edu.