Currently, there are approximately 450 student groups at MIT. When recognizing new student groups, the ASA looks to recognize groups that will bring something novel to MIT student life in the long term.

In particular, the ASA looks to recognize groups that will be long-term sustainable, rather than to give legitimacy to particular projects. The group recognition process can be slow, and projects which are seeking immediate status and use of the MIT name and resources will be disappointed. While different for every group, the process usually takes at least several weeks, and can take up to a few months or (in extreme cases) half a year or more.

While considering applications, the ASA primarily looks for a unique purpose and at the student group’s anticipated use of resources. Students interested in starting a new group are advised to consider whether their purpose can be acheived within an already-recognized group; frequently, students will be told to talk to a similar-seeming group before the ASA makes a final decision about recognition.

The recognition process goes as follows:

1. Determine the type of group you would like to start
2. Send an application to the ASA Board before one of the four Application Deadlines (also listed below).
1. The application includes writing up a Constitution for your group; see here for a sample.
3. Meet with the ASA board - the ASA will contact your group to schedule this meeting sometime after the Application Deadline.
4. ASA Board votes on your application
5. Upon preliminary approval, group writes up and sends in necessary documents
1. Anti-Hazing form
2. Startup form
3. Membership Confirmation
6. Once these forms and any additional requirements have been satisfactorily completed, the group is fully recognized. A database entry, Athena locker (for a group website or other purposes), and email lists are created

New Group Application Deadlines

New group petition deadlines for the 2012-13 school year will roughly be:

• Friday, October 5, 2012, 11:59pm EST
• February 15, 2013, 11:59pm EST
• April 15, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST.

Finalized dates will be posted here soon. Email asa-groups with questions.