Register Your Organization
Thinking about launching a student organization at UC Santa Cruz? Or returning to lead an existing one? You’re in the right place. This page is your go-to guide for managing a Registered Student Organization (RSO)—including how to register, complete training, maintain leadership, and keep your group in good standing.
Whether you’re building community, starting a movement, or sharing what you love, SOMeCA is here to support your journey.
Welcome to SOMeCA
At UC Santa Cruz, student organizations register through the SOMeCA office, offering specialized advising and support in leadership, advocacy, community building, budget management and more!
Once your organization is officially registered through SOMeCA, you’re considered a Registered Student Organization (RSO) and gain access to advising, funding, event space, and more.
Student Organization registration is an annual process. All student organizations—whether continuing or new—must complete registration in the fall for each academic year to remain active and eligible for campus resources.
Register your student organization
The process to register your student organization will vary slightly depending on whether you’re a continuing student organization or starting something new.
Continuing student organizations
If your organization was active in the previous academic year, you’ll complete the continuing student organization registration process. Registration for continuing student organization begins September 22, 2025. The deadline to register is December 5, 2025.
To re-register, continuing student organizations need to:
- Confirm your four Authorized Representatives
- Stop by the SOAR Office or meet with your SOMeCA advisor
- Complete an Application to Register Your Organization
- Select Pathway for Academic Year
- Upload most recent constitution
- Complete the SOMeCA online orientation and quiz
- SOMeCA Office will email you to confirm completion of Basic Registration
- If you’ve selected Path A or Path B, please see additional requirements below
Path A Student Organizations
Path A is for student organizations who are clear on their purpose, host complex activities, and fully utilize all SOMeCA resources.
- SOAR:
- Unlimited small-scale events
- Up to 6 mid-scale events per year
- Up to 3 large or major scale events per year
- Student Media:
- Unlimited small-scale events
- Up to 3 mid-scale productions per year
- Up to 1 large or major scale production per year
- Expectations & Responsibilities
- Meets with SOMeCA advisor at least 4 times per quarter
- Maintains regular communication with SOMeCA Advisor
- Understands and inquires about university policies and procedures
- Completes Fall & Winter Leadership Trainings
- Regularly requests and reviews student organization ledger
- Submits all financial transactions within agreed upon timelines
- Manages multiple budgets and complex financial transactions
- If an organization does not meet the requirements for Path A, it will be reassigned to a Path B that aligns with the organization’s eligibility.
- SOMeCA Resources:
- Leadership Development & Mentorship by SOMeCA Staff
- Network & Mentorship Opportunities with SOMeCA alumni
- Access to meeting spaces, funding and campus resources
- Guidance on navigating university policies and procedures
- Support in overseeing financial transactions, expenses and ensures compliance with university policies
- Guidance in complex event planning
- Collaborates to develop complex timelines, manage logistics, upholds risk management and coordinate with campus partners
Path B Student Organizations
Path B is for student organizations that engage with their mission, plan to host moderately complex activities, and utilize the resources SOMeCA offers.
- SOAR:
- Unlimited small-scale events
- Up to 4 mid-scale events per year
- Up to 1 large-scale/major-scale event per year
- Student Media
- Unlimited small-scale events
- Up to 3 mid-scale productions per year
- Expectations & Responsibilities
- Meets with SOMeCA advisor at least once a month
- Maintains regular communication with SOMeCA advisor
- Understands and inquires about university policies and procedures
- Completes Fall Leadership Trainings
- Semi-regularly requests and review student organization ledger
- Submits all financial transactions within agreed upon timelines
- If an organization does not meet the requirements for Path B, it will be reassigned to a Path C that aligns with the organization’s eligibility.
- SOMeCA Resources
- Leadership Development & Mentorship by SOMeCA Staff
- Network Opportunities with SOMeCA alumni
- Access to meeting spaces, funding and campus resources
- Guidance on navigating university policies and procedures
- Provides insight in managing financial transactions, expenses and ensures compliance with university policies
- Provides guidance in event planning
- Collaborates to develop timelines, manage logistics, upholds risk management and coordinate with campus partners
Path C Student Organizations
Path C is for student organizations who plan to hold only small-scale events and meetings, and/or are in their formative stages. Any new student organization that registers during the 2025-26 academic year is ineligible to register as a Path A/B and must register as a Path C.
- SOAR:
- Unlimited small-scale events
- Expectations & Responsibilities
- Meets with SOMeCA Peer Advisors
- Understands and inquires about university policies and procedures
- Submits all financial transactions within agreed upon timelines
- SOMeCA Resources
- Mentorship by SOMeCA Peer Advisors to plan events
- Access to meeting spaces, funding and campus resources
- Guidance on navigating university policies and procedures
Not sure if your org counts as continuing?
A continuing organization is one that was officially registered with SOMeCA during the 2024–25 academic year.
New Student Organizations
If you’re starting a brand new student organization—or bringing back one that’s been inactive—you’ll complete the new organization registration process. The application process begins October 20, 2025. The deadline to register is December 5, 2025.
New organizations will need to:
- Complete New Student Organization Intake Questionnaire
- This form will be made available starting October 13, 2025
- Meet with SOMeCA Peer Advisors to review questionnaire
- If approved, identify four authorized representatives
- Draft and submit a new constitution
- Complete the SOMeCA online orientation and quiz
- Complete the Application to Register
If your student organization was previously registered with SOMeCA but did not register last academic year, it will be considered a Continuing Organization. To help us get to know your new leadership and reconnect, your organization is eligible to register as a Path C.
If you have questions about your organization’s status or want help getting ready to register, reach out to soar@ucsc.edu—we’re here to help.
To support Student Media and better assist our current media student organizations, we will not be registering any new Student Media organizations for the 2025–2026 academic year.
To help strengthen the Inter-Greek Council and better support our current Greek-Letter Organizations, expansion of new Greek-Letter Organizations is closed for the 2025–2026 academic year.
Become an authorized representative
To serve as an authorized representative for a student organization, you must complete SOMeCA’s online orientation and quiz. This ensures you’re fully prepared to take on your leadership role and support your org’s success from the start.
Here’s how to get started:
- Watch all four videos
- Take the quiz using your UCSC email
- Score 100% to become an authorized representative
A perfect score—100%—is required for all SOMeCA signers. This ensures you’re fully prepared to take on your leadership role and support your org’s success from the start.
This form will be made available starting September 22, 2025.
Register for leadership trainings
Every fall quarter, SOMeCA hosts the Leadership Training to help Path A and B student organizations succeed. As student leaders, you navigate a complex environment, and your organizations serve as learning spaces to tackle challenges. This engagement fosters skills needed now and for the future.
Path A student organizations will have an additional Leadership Training to attend in winter quarter. More information will be announced by the start of Winter 2026.
Please register for one of the available sessions listed below.
Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM
Sunday, October 26, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM
Sunday, November 16, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM
Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM
If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled trainings, please email your SOMeCA advisor with a brief explanation of your scheduling conflict (e.g. class, work, family obligation).
Create or update your constitution
Every student organization needs a constitution—whether you’re starting a new organization or updating an existing one. Your constitution outlines how your organization is structured and how decisions are made, and it’s a required part of the registration process.
- Constitution Guidelines – General guidance for student organizations
- Fill-in-the-Blank Constitution – A template that allows you to fill in key details for your organization’s constitution.
Reminder: A current constitution is required for registration and plays a key role in guiding how your organization functions. Keeping it up to date helps ensure smooth leadership transitions and keeps your org in good standing with SOMeCA.
Update your registration
Registered Student Organizations may have changes in leadership throughout the year. The information below will help your organization navigate how to remove and add an authorized representative after the initial registration period.
Change an authorized representative
To change an authorized representative:
- One existing Authorized Representative must email the organization advisor and soar@ucsc.edu with the request to initiate the change.
- The email must include the names and UCSC email of the students being removed and added as an authorized representative.
- The SOAR Office will initiate a Change of Authorized Representative Application via DocuSign.
- The Change of Authorized Representative application will prompt the outgoing signer to approve the change.
- The new Authorized Representative must:
- Complete the Change of Authorized Representative Application.
- Watch the Online Orientation videos above.
- Take and pass the Registration quiz with 100%.
- SOAR will verify the update to the registration and email the Authorized Representatives and organization advisor confirming the change has been completed.
Get to know SOMeCA
SOMeCA gives student leaders the guidance, tools, and connections to grow their organization, plan events, and make an impact. Discover how SOMeCA can help you lead with confidence and bring your vision to life.
