As a Recognized Student Organization (RSO), a multitude of resources are available to you. We offer a wide range of supplies and resources virtually, as well as, in the OSI office suite to assist student organizations with promoting and organizing events.
Our Resource Reservation Catalog displays a wide range of supplies from board games to chalk A-frames, requests can be made through our Resource Reservation Request Form.
Additional resources available are spaces throughout our office. RSOs are able to request up to one shelving unit and limited floor space of storage located in the OSI suite, which are given on a first-come, first-served basis. We also have several rooms available that RSOs are able to reserve by checking availability on the OSI Calendar and emailing us at osi@cnu.edu
- Brainstorming Space (8 people maximum)
- Conference Room (20 people maximum)
- Escape Room (6-8 people maximum)
- Multicultural Student Lounge
As an RSO, you can request to have a financial account through CNU. Another option, may be to have an off-campus bank account. More information on the guidelines for both can be found on the RSO Financial Forms Drive.
SGA Small Grant Fund
RSOs are eligible to receive funding through small grants from Student Government Association (SGA) for any events, activities, and student-led programs and initiatives that will contribute to the quality of campus life at CNU. Once approved for funding, the applicant will receive the funding with an award letter accompanied by instructions and a designated OSI staff member that will be of assistance throughout the process of the specific program or event. Another form of funding from SGA is their limited financial funding for off-campus conferences. More information on the requirements of this type of funding can be found in the RSO Manual and requests can be made through the SGA Small Grant Application and the SGA Conference Funding Request Forms on The Compass.
As many RSOs have events they host around campus for the student body, it is the responsibility of the organizations at Christopher Newport to follow the policies for event planning, found in the RSO Manual and Student Handbook. The Student Programming Calendar is a great source of seeing events being held on campus. Our office provides support for organizations as they are planning events, booking spaces, and marketing events. Additional event planning resources can also be found in the RSO Resources Folder.
RSOs are eligible to reserve space on campus for events, meetings and event promotion. Up to two people per organization can access the Virtual Event Management System (VEMS). To request access, the organization's president must fill out the VEMS Request Form. Once access has been granted, the members will be able to reserve space on campus using their CNU credentials on the VEMS website.
There are various ways to promote your events and organization, such as campus announcements, table tents and painting the benches around the JR Court. Campus announcements are a digital way to promote your events, and they are sent out every Monday and Thursday through email. Table tents are a visual way to promote your events weekly in locations such as Regattas, The Commons and Einstein's Cafe. These are approved on a first come first serve basis as there are only 3 slots available each week, but you are welcome to advertise more than one event on them. The benches around the JR Court are a perfect way to broadcast your event/organization. Bench space is allocated biweekly on a first come, first serve basis. More information on the guidelines can be found on the Paint the Bench request form.
In addition to these options, we also offer the following in our office suite: copier/printer, large rolls of banner paper, die-cut machine with stencils, paper cutter and a button machine.
RSO Town Hall meetings are held during the academic year on a monthly basis to provide RSO leaders with important information and training. At each meeting, an OSI staff member provides important updates and reminders, answers questions, and discusses that month’s featured training topic(s). These meetings are also used as an opportunity for RSOs to share upcoming events and collaborate with other organization leaders in attendance. Any executive board member of an RSO is welcome and encouraged to attend. Details regarding the date, time and location can be found on the Student Programming Calendar.
Effective leadership transitions are crucial to the success and sustainability of RSOs. Organization leaders should be intentional about providing up to date transition materials, shadowing opportunities, position-specific training, and team building opportunities for incoming leaders in order to ensure seamless operations. More detailed information regarding student organizations transitions can be found here.