Creating a community of leaders
The Student Life Office supports students in dozens of student organizations where people connect, get involved, develop leadership skills and learn more about specific fields. It provides support, engagement and networking opportunities to students in the college.
Resources for Student Org Officers
Support and resources are available to students interested in starting organizations and for science-based organizations whose focus and activities benefit CNS students through leadership experience, outreach and networking.
Registering Your Organization
To be eligible for CNS registration, your org must first be registered with Student Activities and the majority of your membership (over 60%) must be undergraduate students majoring in a discipline housed in CNS.
You do not need to re-register if your org was previously registered with the college,
If your org has not been registered with CNS before, please fill out the CNS New Organization Registration Form and email cnsstudentlife@austin.utexas.edu after submitting it.
Requesting Event Support
CNS Student Life helps to fund many aspects of events for registered CNS Student Organizations during the fall and spring semesters.
- If your CNS student org is hosting an event that needs funding, please complete the request form by our deadlines below. Events must have a minimum of 50 expected attendees and your request must be submitted at least 2 weeks from your event date. If your event is in the Spring but you want to request funding now, you can! We award funding on a case-by-case basis after review.
- Please email cnsstudentlife@austin.utexas.edu as soon as you submit your funding request. You will hear from our office within 3 business days of your email.
Lunch with the Dean
During the fall and spring semester, the leaders of our registered student organizations are invited to a semesterly lunch with our CNS Student Dean and the CNS Student Life team. These lunches are a great way for organization leaders to connect with each other as well as college administration. We will also invite student organizations to chat monthly with our CNS Student Dean for afternoon sweet treats and Boba tea.
Marketing Your Event
We want to know what your organization is up to and so do our students! To have a large event be considered for placement in the CNS Student Dean's weekly student newsletter, please email cnsundergraded@austin.utexas.edu Thursday at 10am (to be added to next week's newsletter) of each week to be included in that week's newsletter to Texas Science students. Other ways to spread the word are here.
Websites to Bookmark
Student Activities Center FAQ: Official UT Student Organization information (making reservations for events, travel guidelines, resources, etc)
Leadership and Ethics Institute – Open Virtual Workshops: Request in-person custom leadership trainings for your group or attend the Longhorn Leadership Lab individually
Event Planning Resources: Official UT guidelines and policies for student organization meetings and events
Campus Services: Links, hours, and operations for various UT facilities and services (Center for Students in Recovery, CMHC, UHS, etc)
Longhorn Resources: Virtual platform for students with academic support resources, financial aid information, career guidance, and virtual campus resources
Leading Successful Organizations: Resources/information for student organization leaders on various topics (building constitutions, officer transitions, goal setting, recruitment, elections, etc)
Student Activities Center Resources: Art supplies, poster printing, storage space, permits and forms
Additional Support Options
Funding requests for events and needs may also be submitted through the following:
- University Unions Student Event Center Events Cosponsorship Committee
- CNS Dean’s Office Student Resource Requests are infrequently given with oversight from the Dean’s Office staff member Blanca Martinez for amounts of $1,500 or less where there is a one-time need and where students can clearly articulate a benefit to the college that helps more than one individual. Decisions are made semesterly with deadlines of Sept. 15, Feb. 1 and June 1, though emergency, short-turnaround funding is occasionally possible. To submit a request, please use this form.
Planning for Food
Some companies offer profit sharing or donations to student organizations.
- Jason’s Deli may give 15% back; it will usually only approve events expected to have 50+ participants - must show proof of 501(c)3 tax exemption
- Plucker’s (2222 Rio Grande St. Ste 116) offers food and gift card donations. Contact manager by phone (512) 469-WING or in person
- Best to go in person during non-meal times when they are less busy
- Does not include alcoholic drinks
- Sign-up for a Wednesday Trivia Night and Plucker's will allow teams to sign-up under your organization - charge $5 per person per team and triple your profit!
- Panera Bread throws out their leftover baked goods for the day at their closing hour and will sometimes give them out to students. They also offer profit sharing!
- Chipotle offers profit sharing and has a donation form you must complete 12 weeks in advance.
- HEB has a form you must complete 8 weeks in advance. Must show proof of 501(c)3 tax exemption
- Central Market has a form you must complete at least 8 weeks in advance; fill out a Community Partnership application online, or you can do so in person at the store
- Cabo Bob's offers profit sharing and gift card donations.
T-Shirts
The following work with CNS student organizations: