Frequently Asked Questions

COSO stands for the Committee on Student Organizations and we are a group of students dedicated to helping new student organizations become established as well as providing current student organizations with the training and tools to be successful on campus. Some of COSO’s well-known events include Canefest, the Spring Involvement Fair, and the SOAR awards. COSO members have an office in the Shalala Student Center Student Organization Suite, Room 210H, and have someone present to help answer questions daily Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. during the academic year.

Students interested in starting a new organization on campus should first refer to COSO Guidelines found here.

A potential organization should meet the following criteria (note this is not a complete list; complete criteria are located under COSO Guidelines)

• Students who are interested in starting a new student organization should review the New Student Organization Interest packet on COSO’s Engage portal.
• A roster of 25 prospective undergraduate members with full names, C numbers, emails, and handwritten signatures must be uploaded to the New Student Organization Interest Packet on Engage. Advisors, faculty and staff members, graduate students, COSO delegates, and SAFAC delegates will not count towards the 25 undergraduate member requirement. The roster template can be found in the New Student Organization Interest packet.
• All organizations are required to have a full-time faculty or staff member as an advisor. Graduate students are not eligible to become advisors to an organization, and the advisor cannot be on a leave of absence or sabbatical from the university.
• Organizations must not infringe on the safety, health, and welfare of the University community and the order of campus operations, must be compliant with stated policies, procedures, and laws as well as the University of Miami Student Organization Handbook and the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
• Student organizations must be comprised of at least 75% undergraduate members.

Some of the benefits include the ability to….

• Promote themselves at COSO events such as Canefest, the Spring Involvement Fair, and other leadership programs and initiatives;
• Apply for annual awards through the Student Organization Awards and Recognition(SOAR) Awards Ceremony;
• Reserve meeting/event space in the Student Center Complex (Whitten University Center and Shalala Student Center) and use designated equipment (A/V, tables, etc.) at no charge;
• Access Engage and maintain an organization portal;
• Apply for office and/or storage space in the Student Center Complex through the Student Center Complex Advisory Council’s application process;
• Request SAFAC funding in accordance with stated SAFAC policies and procedures;
• Utilize University accounts to manage organization finances;

You can read more about this on our COSO website under “Starting A New Student Organization”.

Engage is a networking tool for all student organizations. You can access it by going to https://miami.campuslabs.com/engage/. It is a great resource for finding out what events are taking place on campus, posting messages to your organization, as well as browsing through any of the 305+ student organizations currently recognized by COSO.

As a first-semester student, you cannot start a new organization until your second semester at the University. COSO believes that your first semester should be dedicated to getting to know the 305+ student organizations as well as focusing on your academics before you take on the task of leading a student group.

Seniors are not allowed to start an organization during their last semester at the University.

Your COSO liaison can be found under our website “Find Your COSO Delegate”.

Once a year we ask all current student organizations to confirm their interest in continuing to be recognized by COSO through a registration process. Registration will open in the Spring Semester. We ask all new presidents for the upcoming academic year to complete the re-registration form. The form can be accessed from the database by clicking on the Forms Tab located on your Engage profile. Please be prepared with the name, C number, UM email address, and phone number for the president, treasurer, as well as your advisor.

Organizations that fail to register by the Spring Semester deadline will be deactivated and lose the ability to table for Canefest the following semester along with the many benefits of being COSO recognized. If you are having problems with the system it is the organization's responsibility to meet with their COSO liaison before the assigned deadline or email COSO_chair@miami.edu.

Both registrations for Canefest as well as the Spring Involvement fair can be done through a form located on our Engage page. Questions about either Canefest or the Spring Involvement Fair can be directed to the COSO Co-Involvement Chairs at coso_involvement@miami.edu. 

Mercy Lavado can be reached at m.lavado@miami.edu.

If you have any additional questions, please contact COSO_chair@miami.edu.