Middlebury Handbook

B.4.a. Start a Club

The Student Council and the Office of Student Services encourage student clubs and activities that promote the mission of the Institute.

If you are interested in starting a student club or organization at the Institute, everything you need to know about the process is included on this page. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Office of Student Services.

Before filling out the Student Club Application, please read through the guidelines, criteria, and rules for establishing a club below.

How to Start a Club

The following steps are mandatory for all clubs (new or continuing) at the beginning of the fall semester and new clubs at the beginning of the spring semester:

  1. Review the club membership guidelines and student club criteria (below) and identify a club president and treasurer (club officers).

  2. Participate in the Club and Community Resource Fair to recruit _at least _10 interested members.

  3. Once you have participated in the Club Fair and obtained a list of at least 10 interested members, complete the Student Club Application, which includes space to upload your member interest list from the Club Fair.

  4. Club officers will be notified by email with confirmation of provisional approval status.

  5. The president and vice president of approved clubs will be required to attend a mandatory Club Leader Training.

Continuing Club Process (Spring Semester)

For clubs that were approved and active during the fall semester and have met all requirements to continue into the spring semester:

  1. The club president should submit a club update form
  2. Any new officer who did not attend the mandatory Club Leader Training in the fall mustattend the spring Club Leader Training in the spring, date and time TBD.
  3. Club officers will be notified of club approval and operational status.

Criteria for Club Approval

  • Mission and activities must adhere to the overall mission of the Institute.

  • Club must maintain at least 10 active student members.

  • Organizational structure must consist of at least two officer positions—one president and one vice president.

  • The president and vice president of each club must attend a mandatory Club Leader Training in order to learn how to operate as a club, how funds are allocated to clubs, how to manage club budgets, event planning rules, and more. Attendance at this orientation is required for final club approval status.

  • Clubs must fit into one or more of the following categories:

    • Academic
    • Awareness and Issue-Based
    • Culture and Language
    • International and National Organizations
    • Sports and Recreation

  • Each club must host a minimum of two meetings, events or activities, open to all MIIS students, per semester to remain in good standing. These meetings must be approved through the club event request system. The meetings should be advertised and open to the Institute community.

Membership Guidelines

  • Student clubs are defined as organizations whose membership is made up of Middlebury Institute students and whose activities are open to Institute students—irrespective of their academic divisions. Membership in student clubs may also include Institute staff, faculty, and alumni. However, staff, faculty, or alumni cannot be in a leadership role.
  • Student club members must be registered Institute students and must have paid the current academic year's student activity fee.
  • Student clubs must have an active membership of at least 10 students.
  • All clubs must have a president and a treasurer that are identified to Student Services prior to the mandatory Club Leader Training. The two students in these roles must actively hold their positions throughout the entire semester.
  • Clubs are not required to have a faculty or staff adviser. However, if a club chooses to do so, the name of the club advisor must be provided to the Office of Student Services at the beginning of the term.

Additional Rules and Guidelines

  • Clubs will be approved at the beginning of the fall and spring terms, after the mandatory Club Leader Training.
  • Club applications will be reviewed and approved by the Assistant Dean of Student Life.
  • Clubs that have existed and followed the rules in previous semesters will receive priority screening for approval as long as they have met the requirements and have submitted the application by the due date.