This week, ASG announced changes made to the recognition process for student groups. Alex Van Atta, vice president for student groups, explained that the new process would clarify and simplify the steps needed to start a student group on campus.
In previous years, Center for Student Involvement was "very underdeveloped and understaffed," unable to adequately supply students with the necessary resources and structure to start student groups as quickly as possible.
"We thought that there really needed to be a single process for getting recognition on campus," Van Atta said.
The future state now consists of a "more streamlined process," Van Atta said. In order to start a new student group, students must talk to CSI directly and no longer have to undergo a waiting period. Students will be sent to the most suited place to get the necessary source of funding for their ideas.
"Up until two years ago, we didn't even have a process that recognized student groups on campus," said Natalie Furlett, associate director for CSI. Furlett emphasized CSI's goal to try and cut down overlapping student groups and streamline the process and the number of groups on campus.
To form a new student group, members will need to apply through CSI to form an initial committee of their prospective group. CSI will also determine the legality and risk management for specific groups to exist on campus, granting the student groups to then work with ASG or other funding sources on campus.
The new process will not affect current T-status groups, which receive ASG funding through the Student Groups Committee. All current T-status groups are "grandfathered" into the current ASG student group recognition process. Senate hopes to finalize the process before Thanksgiving once senators approve the guidelines.
ASG also welcomed Weinberg senior Taylor Billings, the Northwestern Community Development Corps co-chair, who gave a brief presentation about NCDC's role on campus and the work the committee has done thus far this year.
Billings mentioned NCDC's upcoming Project Pumpkin event, which brings children from the Evanston and Chicago areas to Norris for a safe and fun environment to trick-or-treat and play games at booths presented by student groups.
"We want to make engagement more accessible throughout Northwestern and interactions between student groups more casual and friendlier," Billings said. "NCDC is just getting student leaders talking to each other, and collaboration is a really important part of that."