Campus Activities has placed a pause on any student applications to become a recognized student organization this spring. In an email sent to all applicants on Jan. 5, the University wrote that the pause was necessary “to ensure that RSOs — which currently number over 900 at USC — are both supported and fulfilling the important role they play in our campus community.” Although the email said that the pause was initiated in Fall 2023, they released an application in October for new RSOs.

RSOs are typically formed by a group of students seeking to create a space surrounding shared interests or goals. The typical process for an application requires several steps: creating a constitution and bylaws, finding a roster of at least 10 students, contacting and approving a faculty advisor, and attending workshops and trainings through a software called Rise, which is meant to teach students how to successfully run their organization.

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Becoming an RSO comes with wide-ranging benefits, including student government funding, departmental collaboration and access to a variety of event spaces throughout campus at no cost.

Grace Zhang, a senior majoring in American studies and ethnicity and a leader of USC Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, was one of the students who had their RSO application rejected. She said that having access to physical spaces on campus is vital for the organization’s success in community building and political change. Additionally, Zhang said having RSO status is important for legitimizing the work they do among the student and administrative populations.

Emily Sandoval, associate vice provost for student development and engagement, said since the return to campus after the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a large increase in student interest towards fostering community. Because of this, campus professionals have been spending more time ensuring that RSOs receive ample support and training.

“When we were looking at the work that needs to be done this semester to prepare to launch again for fall, [we decided] that a pause would be best to make sure that we are doing right by all of our student organizations, that the training is solid, that the expectations are clear, and more importantly, that the structure is there to actually support students in the operation of their RSOs,” Sandoval said.

Beyond that, Sandoval said this pause will allow her and her team to more closely watch how other universities of comparable size approach their RSO programs, review what works and what doesn’t, and consider what changes they want to make moving forward.

Although typically, the fall semester is only for RSO re-recognition and the spring semester is when new ones are registered, Campus Activities currently plans to contact applicants who were affected by the pause and invite them to apply this fall.

Organization leaders were frustrated by the policy, particularly the lack of administrative transparency. Zhang alleged that her organization, which was previously an RSO, received an email in the fall saying they hadn’t completed their training and wouldn’t be re-recognized.

Zhang said throughout the semester, SCALE sent follow-up emails and allegedly received confirmation that re-recognition was happening on a rolling basis and that they would be registered in the following weeks. Later in the semester, she asked Campus Activities for an update, and they responded, saying SCALE hadn’t completed the necessary trainings and couldn’t be registered, she alleged.

“We were so confused because why wasn’t that communicated with us the moment that they knew and the moment that we had continuously sent updates about our status?” Zhang said. “They said we have to reapply for Spring [2024] and then we did everything we needed to do, got it in on time, and then they said, ‘Sorry, we’re not initiating new ones.’”

Zhang also said even when SCALE was registered, it was extremely difficult to get funding.

“They promise us that they’ll help us and then say they reach their capacity,” Zhang said. “Their reason for not recognizing, re-recognizing RSOs doesn’t make sense to me because it seems like they already don’t do what they’re promising to do.”

Zhang and other members from SCALE are planning to meet with Campus Activities next week to clarify the confusion and share the specifics of the re-recognition process, but she said their overall expectations are low.

Alyssa Leifer, a junior majoring in intelligence and cyber operations, and Allie Vasquez, a junior majoring in architecture, are the president and chair of marketing, respectively, of technology fraternity Kappa Theta Pi. Leifer and Vasquez have been trying to register their organization since February when Campus Activities told them to wait until the fall. Since then, they have worked to ensure that they have all the necessary paperwork. 

They were further disappointed when they discovered that the application would not open until October, meaning they wouldn’t have a table at the Involvement Fair, Vasquez said. She said finding advertising and recruitment is important for their organization, so securing that spot at the fair was the primary reason they wanted RSO status.

Nine months after the club’s initial founding, KTP submitted their application for registration on the day it opened.

“I sent them six emails over winter break and before break being like, ‘I know you guys are going to leave the office soon, please just let me know if there’s an update. Are we going to be an RSO? Can we go to the Involvement Fair in the spring?’” Leifer said. “They didn’t respond to any of them.”

Vasquez said since the email on Jan. 5, she and Leifer have been turned away from Campus Activities multiple times. She has been frustrated by the lack of communication and transparency throughout, along with the office’s unwillingness to reach a compromise despite multiple attempts on her end, she said.

“My biggest question with this policy is why is this the only solution they could have picked,” Leifer said. “The clubs are for the student body, and if the student body wants new clubs, they should be able to exist.”