Applying for CIO Status

ACCESS THE APPLICATION +

1. Go to [https://hoosinvolved.virginia.edu/][1]

2. Sign-in with you virginia.edu account.

3. Click the "Orgs" tab on the left-hand side.

4. Click the “Register an Organization” tab.

5. Scroll down and click "Register a New Organization."

6. Click on "Student Organizations" and follow the prompts!

Please read the information below before submitting your application to ensure you're familiar with the process and the criteria your organization must meet.

CRITERIA FOR RECOGNITION +

What your organization must demonstrate to qualify for CIO status.

STUDENT COUNCIL CRITERIA

• Members: The organization must have at least 10 committed, actively engaged student members who regularly attend its programming. Interest meeting attendees and listserv subscribers alone do not count.

• Sustainability: Organizations must demonstrate sustainability, unless their mission is inherently short-term, by hosting at least three mission-related meetings or programs regularly attended by their 10 committed members. Interest meetings and social gatherings do not count.

• Documentation and Planning: Organizations should retain evidence of qualifying programs, such as photos, agendas, or presentation slides. Student Council may observe a meeting during the review process. Organizations with privacy concerns may contact studco-orgrec@virginia.edu. Applicants should also be prepared to discuss their fundraising plans and intended expenditures.

• Leadership: The organization must have an established leadership team consistent with its constitution, including at least a president and financial officer or equivalent positions. All executive team members must be UVA students.**

• Constitution: The organization must submit a complete, up-to-date constitution that reflects its actual practices and outlines its mission, membership, officers, elections, meetings, finances, advisors (if applicable), and amendment process. It must be consistent with the application and interview responses.

• Click the "Constitution Template" to download a sample constitution.

• Non-Duplication: The organization must have a mission distinct from existing UVA organizations. Student Council evaluates constitutions, activities, @UVA listings, and annual CIO Census information when assessing overlap.

UNIVERSITY CRITERIA

Additional requirements established by the University for all CIOs.

• Membership composition: At least 51% of members must be students.

• Officer eligibility: All officers must be students enrolled on-Grounds at UVA.

• Organization name: Organizations using “University of Virginia” or “UVA” in their name must use the phrasing “at UVA” (e.g., “The Harry Potter Club at UVA”).

• CIO agreement: A signed CIO agreement must be on file with Student Engagement. This is completed through Hoos Involved during the application process.

• Constitution and nondiscrimination: An up-to-date constitution must be submitted to Student Council and include the following clause exactly as written:

“[ORGANIZATION NAME] does not restrict its membership, programs, or activities on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family or genetic information.”

THE APPLICATION PROCESS +

The organization’s president must submit a complete application through Hoos Involved during the designated application window, thoroughly demonstrating how the organization meets all CIO recognition criteria.

Applications are vetted on a rolling basis throughout the cycle, with the process expected to conclude within 2–3 weeks of the application window closing.

1. Preliminary Review: The Organizations Recognition Committee will review applications for completeness and eligibility. Applications lacking sufficient information or failing to meet CIO criteria will receive a temporary denial and be deferred for resubmission.

2. Committee Assignment: Applications advancing to further review will be assigned a committee member who will serve as the organization’s primary contact throughout the process.

3. University Compliance Review: The assigned committee member will check the application for compliance with University requirements. Any violations must be corrected before the review can proceed. The committee member may also seek supplemental information from the applicant organization. Please review all University requirements on this page before submitting.

4. Meeting Observation: A committee director may contact your organization to observe a meeting as part of the review process. Conduct the meeting as usual and be prepared to answer any follow-up questions afterward.

5. Final Recommendation: The VPO will conduct an unbiased final review of the application against CIO recognition criteria and recommend approval or denial to the Representative Body. If denial is recommended, the organization may withdraw and reapply later or proceed to a vote.

6. Representative Body Approval: The VPO will submit a bill with recommendations for each organization’s approval or denial. The VPO will notify organizations of the vote date and time. Attendance is optional unless requested, but organizations may speak during public comment. Denied organizations may appeal or reapply after one year.

7. Final Recognition: Following approval, Student Engagement will activate the organization’s CIO status on Hoos Involved, and the VPO will send an email with support resources and CIO Consultant contacts.

CLUB SPORT STATUS +

Any CIO wishing to gain first-time Club Sport CIO status must go through special steps:

• Be in good standing with the University (active status on @UVA) and eligible to use University facilities and services for a period of one academic year.
• Meet with the Director or Coordinator of Intramural & Club Sports for final approval.

Further questions should be directed to studentengagement@virginia.edu.

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS +

Greek-letter social organizations or societies must pursue Fraternal Organization Agreement (FOA) status to be in relationship with the University. They do not qualify for CIO status. Although not an exhaustive list, Greek-letter social organizations meet the following criteria:

• The primary purpose of the organization is social in nature, and may include a core component of cultural/identity connection.

• The organization is not primarily professional or academic in purpose, mission, or affiliation (i.e., professional or academic fraternities/sororities and honor societies).

• The organization utilizes a Recruitment/Rush/Intake process to select new members.

• The organization employs formal sisterhood/brotherhood (or equivalent) terminology when describing its individual members as well as its membership network.

• The organization is a member of a national governing body (e.g. fraternity/sorority national headquarters) and/or has a formally structured alumni organizational base (e.g., House Corporation Board)

In all cases, Student Council and the Office of the Dean of Students will make the final determination regarding a student organization’s classification as a CIO or FOA.