Organizing an Organization: How to start a club at Miami

Want to try your hand at parkour? There's a club for that. Looking to brush up on your Japanese drumming skills? There's a club for that. Ever felt the desire to become involved in professional jump roping? Well, there's about to be a club for that too.

There are over 700 different organizations listed on Miami University's HUB page, most of which are organized and run by students. Interests of all kinds are represented, from anthropology to zombie hunting. Odds are, incoming students will find their extracurricular needs fulfilled by a group found somewhere on campus.

But, what if, amidst the hundreds of clubs and organizations, a hobby is unaccounted for? For those truly passionate, Miami provides the chance to join the ranks of their extracurricular armies by starting a new student organization from the ground up.

Ally Astles is a first-year student at Miami. She's double majoring in mathematics and mathematics education and possesses a passion for jumping rope. A member of the Comet Skippers, a competitive jump roping team based in Mason, OH, for the last 12 years, jump roping has become a fixture in her life.

"Jump rope has been such a huge part of my life for so many years," Astles said. "It has given me so many opportunities to travel the world, learn leadership skills and make amazing friends."

She says she's hoping to bring the sport to Miami to give others the chance to experience her passion.

In order to take a potential club from idea to reality, interested individuals must ensure their organization is fleshed out enough to serve as an established entity. This requires first meeting with a peer mentor, someone who can evaluate the legitimacy and commitment of the club and its members.

After the peer meeting, Miami requires the club's members to fill out an official application form. To do so, clubs must have both a president and a treasurer, a full-time on-campus adviser and a constitution.

The process isn't simple and it isn't necessarily easy.

"It has been a fairly long process due to all of the steps that a student starting a club must go through," Astles said. "But these steps are crucial for the club's success and longevity."

For those willing to endure the ordeal, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. After the application is reviewed and approved by the Office of Student Activities, club members will attend a workshop that teaches them how to navigate the HUB and other logistics for operating and sustaining an organization.

With commitment and drive, anyone interested in crafting their own student organization can see their vision become a reality. Miami University is already home to a huge variety of unique organizations and as long as students continue to arrive, that number will likely continue to increase.