Hoos in Charge: A How-To Guide

Hoos in Charge

How to Start a CIO

by Belen Osman

I've told about a bunch of ways to get involved in the great student organizations we have here at the University but let's you get here and realize we don't already have a club or organization you're interested in joining- what do you do? Well fear not, we have a solution! UVa allows students to start their own CIOs, which are Contracted Independent Organizations. A CIO exists and operates independently of the University and manages its own affairs. So lets say you arrive at the University and realize we don't have an organization for Netflix lovers, you can start the Official Netflix CIO and enjoy binge watching with your fellow Netflix addicts. 

So how exactly do you start a CIO? The Office of the Dean of Students advises that you first note and consider the following things before creating a new CIO:

• Do other organizations currently exist that might address similar interests or a similar purpose which you hope to achieve with your new CIO?

• The organization’s main officer as well as at least 51% of the members of the CIO must be full-time, fee paying University students.

• Each CIO must maintain a constitution and save it on atUVa. A constitution template is provided in the registration if you do not have one prior to the submission process.  

Once you've done that, here are the very easy steps to start your new CIO:

• Visit atUVa to submit your organizations information

• The Vice-President of Organizations for Student Council and the Office of the Dean of Students will review your submission. *Club sports require a third review from the representative of Intramural-Recreational Sports.

• The Vice-President of Organizations for Student Council will meet with the organization to discuss the CIO.  After meeting with the organization, the VPO will present the organization to the Representative Body of Student Council for approval. * The time for this process can vary depending on meetings, constitutional corrections, use of the University’s name, and meeting with the VPO.

• Once a CIO has been approved, the President will be notified via atUVa messaging system.  CIOs will need to attend a Treasurer’s meeting and HOO’s In the Know? New CIO Workshop.  *Emails will be sent out to new CIOs about meeting times.

Then you're all set! For more information, visit the Student Activities Webpage! 

Hoos in Charge: College Council

Hoos in Charge

College Council

by Belen Osman

College Council Trick or Treating on the Lawn

I already told you a little about Student Council and Class Council, but I definitely can't forget about College Council! While Student Council serves the entire student body and Class Council caters to the specific needs for each individual Class, College Council serves the entire student body of the College of Arts and Sciences, across all of its majors and across all years. College Council works with faculty and administrators to provide the best academic experience possible for all College students through programs, academic advising, and funding. The Council works to serve as peer academic advisers, foster student/faculty relations, strengthen College identity, and solidify relations between the College of Arts and Sciences and its alumni. 

College Council Event for 1st years

They hold events like the International Career Resources Information Session for students interested in international jobs and internships, "Life After Politics" to showcase potential career paths for Politics Students, and a S'mores Social to ease students of midterm study stress. To get involved in College Council, you can apply to be a department representative and represent your major within the Council or simply just apply to join the Underclassman Committee during your first or second year.

More to come soon!

Hoos in Charge: Student Council

Hoos in Charge

Student Council

by Belen Osman

StudCo Organizational Diagram

In my last post, I told you a little about Class Council and how each Council works to increase unity and spirit within their respective Class, planning fun and useful class-wide activities/events. That might have piqued your interest, but what if you want to get involved on a much wider level? While each Class has its own individual Class Council, which solely caters to the needs of that Class, Student Council represents and caters to all students from all years and all colleges, including undergraduate and graduate students. 

Track Your Trash event

Student Council (StudCo) strives to “protect and improve the rights, opportunities, and quality of life of every student at the University of Virginia”. It’s comprised of several different boards, commissions and task forces that come together to create the best student experience for all those at the University through innovative projects, events and initiatives. StudCo does a variety of things; for example, it provides funding for CIOs, distributes scholarships to the student body, promotes student safety and wellness, represents student interests to members of local governments and creates initiatives to improve the diversity of the University.

Speak Up UVA day

The different components of StudCo each have their own purpose and agenda to improve the overall student experience, so that gives you the opportunity to join one that fits your personal interests/goals. For example, if you want to pursue a marketing career in the future, you can join the Marketing & Communications Committee and work to promote and market Student Council and Student Council events to the student body. If you’re interested in web design, you can join the Technology Committee and help UVa administration improve their websites to be easily accessible and more user-friendly. There’s a little something for everyone in Student Council and no matter what aspect you choose to get involved in, it’s a great feeling to know that your efforts will benefit the entire student

Hoos in Charge: Class Council

Hoos in Charge

Class Council

by Belen Osman

"Class Dinner Series"

In high school, were you the President, Secretary or Treasurer of your Class? And even if you weren’t, did you ever have any plans or ideas on how to make your graduating class the class to be? If you answered yes to either of these questions, Class Council may be the perfect way for you to get involved in UVa’s rich history of student self-governance! Each Class at UVa, from 1st to 4th, has its own individual Class Council. The Class Council for each Class works to create and strengthen class unity and spirit by planning fun and useful class-wide activities/events. 

"Halloween HOOps"

A few examples of these events include Sushi and Karaoke Night, Cookies and Goodies for Nurses Bake Sale, Lululemon Yoga Night and Dumpling Cooking Class. These events bring the entire class together while also raising money for a great cause, informing students about prevalent issues or simply demonstrating a cool dance routine or delicious recipe (not to mention, they’re a great way to meet new people).  Each Class Council had an Executive Committee with a Class President, Vice President and Secretary, in addition to several specialized committees pertaining to Academic & Career Development, Community Service, Entertainment, Dinner Series, and Social Technology & Communications.  In other words, TONS of opportunities to get involved!  These different committees have their own responsibilities but they all come together to share ideas and plan some great events.

"Dumpling Cooking Class"

If Class Council isn’t your cup of tea, worry not, I have plenty in store for you. More to come in my next post!

Hoos in Charge: Word of the Day: Student Self-Governance

Hoos in Charge

Word of the Day: Student Self-Governance

by Belen Osman

If you Google "UVa", you’ll see it; if you take a tour of our Grounds, you’ll hear it; during the numerous presentations you’ll sit through on your first few days, I promise it’ll pop up on at least 2 PowerPoints. So what exactly is student self -governance?

Members of the Honor Committee conducting their weekly meeting

 Student self-governance, a core tradition here at UVa, means that students have ample freedom and power to have a say in how their university runs. From first-year living to community events to violations of the Standards of Conduct, students hold the power to decide what needs to be done and how to do it. For example, as a member of Student Council, you could take part is determining how money in distributed to our numerous student organizations or represent University students’ interests in the Virginia state government.  Many schools have faculty members as the ultimate overseers of these decisions but at UVa, we trust that our students have the knowledge, skills, creativity and accountability to assume these important responsibilities. In other words, you got this!

The Welcome Back Dinner coordinated by 2nd Year Council

So if you’re chock full of ideas on how to better our University or just want a platform to voice your opinion, join one (or seven) of our student organizations and become a part of that student self-governance you’ll hear so much about. Don’t know any organizations? No worries, in my next post I’ll be giving you a look at one I’m super passionate about, the University Judiciary Committee, and many more after that!

Introducing: Belén Osman

Introducing: Belén Osman

2014 Office of Admission Summer Intern Bio

Year: Third
Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major(s): English & Government
Minor: Economics
Blog: Hoos in Charge

Hey guys! My name is Belên Osman and I'm a rising third year in the College of Arts and Sciences with a passion for politics, traveling, maxi dresses, Netflix binges and snacking at 2 AM. I'm super excited to be interning here at the Office of Admission and writing an academic blog that students will actually want to read. I'll be giving you a look at what student self-governance means here at UVa, how it impacts our community, and the different ways to get involved. I promise not to just spout monotonous facts and give you a very personal look at this important aspect of UVa.

Favorite UVA memory...

I stated volunteering at a day care center through Madison House during my first year. On my first day, I missed the downtown bus (twice), I got lost going to the day care, dropped the bagel I was eating and spilled my tea while trying to open a door. All this happened even before I got to the day care to start my shift so I was already in a horrible mood. But when I finally managed to get there, being around all these excited, playful, smiling kids and forgetting all about my morning and just coloring and playing tag for 2 hours was such a relaxing and rewarding experience that it really reminded me not to sweat the small stuff.

More information and blog posts...

Belén's Admission Survey

Coming soon!

Belén's Blog Posts

1. 6/5/2014: Word of the Day: Student Self-Governance
2. 7/3/2014: Class Council
3. 7/17/2014: Student Council
4. 7/31/2014: College Council
5. 8/14/2014: How to Start a CIO