About Student Organizations

All Student Organizations are classified, or grouped, based several criteria:

Their function for the student body
Their relationship with a department or office and/or the Student Government Association
Their relationship with a university staff or faculty advisor
Their access to various university resources
Their level of risk posed from their activities to the university.

Each group that is classified as a Club is then assigned a category based on their mission statement. These categories include: Academic, Cultural, Honors, Music/Performing Arts, Service/Social Justice, General Interest and Spiritual.

DEFINING ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATIONS

Clubs: Defined as 8 or more current students who have joined together for a common social, educational, social justice, religious or cultural purpose and are formally given recognition by the Student Government Association. Examples of a club would be Physics Club or Sign Language Club.

University-Affiliated Organization (UAO): An organization of students whose function began as a club but they now have a special, elevated relationship with a University Department or Office and are formally given recognition by the Student Government Association. Examples of a UAO would be Black Student Association or X-treme Fans.

Subordinate Bodies: A student organization that serves an official function on behalf of the student body by governing a select number of clubs or hall councils. Subordinate Bodies are formally given their authority by the Student Government Association. Examples of Subordinate Bodies would be Club Sports Council or the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).

Club Sports: Club Sports are competitive team groups that provide structured competition for student members who are non-intercollegiate athletes and compete against other clubs and sometimes varsity teams from universities throughout the Midwest. Club Sports are granted their recognition through the Club Sports Council (subordinate body) and receive resources and support from the Recreational Sports Department. Examples of Club Sports would be Dance Team, Men's Rugby or Softball.

Student Working Groups: Student organizations that are formed by an office or department to fill a specific need or function on behalf of that department or office, such as executing programs and activities or serving in an advisory board capacity. Their recognition comes directly from an office or department and they are not affiliated with the SGA. Examples of Student Working Groups would be BRAVE and SWAG (Student Wellness Advocacy Group).

Limited Affiliation Group: (formerly Interest Groups) An informal group of current students who have joined together for a common purpose, often social or recreational, who register as a group with the Office of Student Involvement in order to reserve space on campus, advertise their activities following university policies and procedures, but do not receive any other resources granted to a student organization. Examples of a Limited Affiliation Group would be Just Dance Xavier.

DEFINING ORGANIZATION CATEGORIES

Arts: Arts organizations support creative interests from the student body either through visual art or performance. These organizations include groups like Acabellas, Don't Tell Anna, and Art Society.

Business: Business organizations support student interest in advancing their knowledge and experience in all areas of business. Many of these organizations represent various majors and areas of study, others draw in students from across disciplines who want to advance their experience with business. Business organizations include groups such as Women in Business, Delta Sigma Pi Professional Fraternity, and the American Marketing Association at Xavier.

Club Sports: Club Sports organizations represent the competitive sports offered through the Club Sports Council and Department of Recreational Sports. These sports can be either co-ed or single gender, including Running Club, Club Swimming, and Women's Club Soccer.

Education: Education organizations support student interest in advancing their knowledge and experience in all areas of education. Organizations may directly support classroom instruction experience, working with children/youth or networking in the education community. Examples of these organizations include American Choral Directors Association, Exceptional Student Association, and the National Association for Music Education.

General Interest: General Interest organizations give students with a shared interest the opportunity to engage with one another. These groups often draw students of various majors and areas of study together that share a common interest. Examples of general interest clubs include Commuter Activities Board, In The Loop, and Outdoor Club.

Health Professions: Health Professions organizations support student interest in advancing their knowledge and experience in the various health professions. Organizations often help to network and connect students with professionals in the field and encourage collaboration across disciplines. Examples include Pre-Medical Student Association, Student Nurse Organization, Psi Chi Psychology Club, and Exercise Science Club.

Honors: Honors organizations support student interest in academic excellence throughout their college career. These organizations include Mortar Board and Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society.

Identity: Identity-based organizations often unite underrepresented populations, students with similar ethnic background or a group of individuals identifying with a specific nationality or culture. Examples of Identity organization include Hispanic Organization for LatinX Awareness, LGBTQ+ Alliance, and ASIA.

Language and Culture: Language and Culture organizations support student interest in exploring the language and history of various cultures. Several of these organizations are supported by academic programs where language and culture are taught within a discipline. Examples of these organizations include Spanish Club, Sign Language Club, and French Club.

History, Law and Politics: History, Law and Politics organizations support student interest in advancing their knowledge across these interconnected disciplines. Many of these organizations are directly connected with an academic major. The organizations in this category include History Club, Pre-Law Society, and Criminal Justice Society.

Publications and Media: Publications and Media organizations work to produce media and publications for their fellow students at Xavier. These organizations include Xavier Newswire and The Clocktower Review.
Service and Social Justice: Service and Social Justice organizations seek to offer students with opportunities to serve others, either through direct community service participation and philanthropic fundraising, or to support social justice causes by promoting a deeper understanding of an issue, igniting activism. Examples of these groups include Muskies for Life and Colleges Against Cancer.

Spirituality: Spirituality based organizations engage members of a shared faith tradition with one another as well as members of multiple faith communities to celebrate their beliefs and to deepen their spiritual lives. Examples of spiritual clubs include Athletes in Action, Coalition of Christian Organizations (CCO), and Life After Sunday.

STEM: STEM organizations include those connected with the studies and promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These organizations include the advancement of experience and learning in this growing field (STEM). Examples of these organizations include Biology Club, Minorities in STEM Succeeding Together, and Physics Club.

Student Governance: Student Governance organizations serve to support the student body through oversight of organizations and advocacy for the student body. This category is limited to the Student Government Association.

Wellness: Wellness organizations serve to connect students with similar interests embodying wellness. Many of these organizations assist with bettering the student body through programming, advocacy and opportunities for educating others around health issues. These organizations include SWEAT and Empower XU.