About RSOs
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) offer a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved! RSOs provide learning environments for students, preparing them to live in a multicultural society and work in a global community. Our student organizations are also responsible for many of the programs and events held on campus each year including social events, lectures, special events, cultural events, and conferences. Our RSOs help create a welcoming, vibrant campus environment. And, most importantly, they offer you an opportunity to get involved.
Benefits of Registration
By registering as a Registered Student Organization, you and your organization will have access to benefits from Student Involvement and Mason that other students on campus do not have access to.
General Benefits of being an RSO
- Eligibility for startup funding for campus-wide events serving the entire student body from Student Funding Board
- RSO Lead Team media outlet access for advertising
- Eligible to receive a Bench (on Sub 1 Quad)
- Eligible to receive a Distinguished Quill Award
- Ability to participate in organization fairs throughout the academic year
- Access to space on campus at discounted or no cost (dependent on Tier) on 25live.
- Access to use TV monitors for advertisement, kiosks, table tents etc.
- Use of George Mason University’s brand / logo and name (only for internal organization use)
- Training and guidance on how to use campus resources
- University Organization account to use
- Financial and budget support
- RSO Fairs:
- Get Connected Fair: This is Mason’s largest organization fair of the year! Join Academic Departments, Club Sports, Service Offices, Fraternities and Sororities and a large portion of the Registered Student Organizations to tell new students about your organization and how they are able to join!
- Fall Premiere: Yardfest: In partnership with Admissions, registered student organizations are invited to greet and talk to possible students during Fall Preview. This event is in the middle of October and the perfect opportunity to show others what your organization is doing and encourage them to come to Mason!
- RSO Spring Get Connected Fair: This event is the in the first week of the Spring Semester! Held in the Johnson Center, organizations talk to new students about their organizations and how they can join during this new semester
- Spring Preview: The last organization fair of the year, similar to Fall Premiere, this event is in partnership with Admissions for prospective Mason students!
- Distinguished Quill Awards:
- The Distinguished Quill Awards is an opportunity for members of the Mason community, including students, faculty, and staff, to recognize our hard working student leaders, organizations, and their advisors. This event is hosted by the Student Involvement and the RSO Leadership Team.
- Bench Painting:
- Bench painting is a both a tradition and also a way of honor and market organizations here at George Mason University. Each year, the RSO department allocates the available benches to the organizations that apply and are reviewed on the timeliness of their application, completion as well as academic and leadership-based merits. Typically held in the Spring.
RSO Categories & Expectations
- Academic
- A community of organizations centered around a class, special interest, as well as for almost all of the academic disciplines.
- Arlington Campus
- This community of organizations are based in the Arlington Campus can indicate this as one of their RSO Categories.
- Campus Spirit
- This community of organizations promote a sense of identity and community shared by members of the George Mason University campus.
- Club Sports
- A club sport is a recognized student organization, which exists to promote and develop interest in a particular sport of physical activity. These interests can be competitive, recreational, or instructional in nature. Clubs may represent the University in intercollegiate competition or conduct intra-club activities such as practice, instruction, social, and tournament play.
- Computer/Technology
- This community of organizations explore the hardware, software and gaming aspect of computers and technology.
- Fairfax Campus
- This community of organizations are based in the Fairfax Campus can indicate this as one of their RSO Categories.
- Graduate Student Organization
- This community of organizations promote professional development and personal development for Graduate Students.
- For more assistance, please contact the Office of Graduate Student Life: https://gradlife.gmu.edu/.
- Health/Wellness
- This community of organizations seek to achieve awareness through choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life through physical, mental, and social well-being.
- Honor Society
- Main purpose is to recognize the attainment of scholarship of superior quality. There are honoraries for each class, special interest, as well as for almost all of the academic disciplines.
- International/Multicultural
- This community of organizations’ primary purpose is the creation of opportunities that explore cultural, social, and service aspects of various cultural and international groups.
- Mason Korea Campus
- This community of organizations are based in the Mason Korea Campus can indicate this as one of their RSO Categories.
- Performing/Visual Arts
- This community of organizations primary purpose is to use their voices, bodies and creative outlets as a message to express feeling, emotion, opinion or taste. Can include dance, vocal expression, photography, painting, etc.
- Political/Activist
- Mission is to further the interest of a particular political group or issue.
- Religious/Spiritual
- Mission is to further the interest of a particular church, sect, denomination, or beliefs in a deity, divine power, or super natural entity, whether or not such activity is consistent with the precepts of an organized religion or denomination. May limit membership or leadership positions to students who share the same beliefs toward religion or sexual conduct, but may not discriminate in membership or leadership on any on any other prohibited basis (i.e.race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status or genetic information).
- Social Greek Letter Organizations
- Private, national, or international Social Greek Letter, voluntary associations which meet all of the following criteria:
- The sponsoring bodies are legal corporations.
- They have organizational goals which are social/service/fraternal rather than honorary, professional, religious, or political. The emphasis of these groups is the personal development of members. Membership in more than one such fraternal organization at once is not permitted.
- They may select members according to subjective criteria consistent with the nondiscriminatory polices of the University. They may be entitled to gender expression if they meet the provision of Section 86.14 of the regulations promulgated under Title IX of the U.S. Education Act Amendment of 1972.
- They are recognized by their respective local governing body at The University of Arizona: Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Panhellenic Association, or United Sorority and Fraternity Council.
- Private, national, or international Social Greek Letter, voluntary associations which meet all of the following criteria:
- Special Interest
- This community of organizations offers students opportunities to get involved in a variety of activities not generally offered in any other category.
- Sports
- This community of organizations offers an opportunity to get involved with a sports activity, however, these groups are not considered as affiliated teams of George Mason University for competitions.
- STEM
- This community of organizations offer opportunities to get involved in academic disciplines within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
- Volunteer/Service
- This community of organizations provide learning opportunities for students in the areas of community service and volunteering – locally, regionally, and nationally.
Mason Accessibility Statement
George Mason University is committed to providing access to all programs and services to people with disabilities. This includes access to electronic information and services. All official Mason web sites must meet Mason’s web accessibility standards. These standards are based on the Web Accessibility Standards specified in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. We are actively working towards this goal. If at any time you have trouble accessing any information or service on this site, please contact rso@gmu.edu. We will address the accessibility issue in a timely manner and provide reasonable accommodations to ensure access to these services or materials in an alternative format. For more information about our commitment to accessibility at Mason please visit http://www.gmu.edu/accessibility/
- https://si.gmu.edu/rso/#about