Month: November 2025

Spring Winter Involvement Fair (We all know January isn’t Spring. We’ve rebranded!)

The Winter Involvement Fair is a chance for RSOs to display information about their group and recruit new members. This year, our Winter Involvement Fair will be on January 8th from 12pm-3pm in the MUB. We have limited space so sign ups are first-come first-served. You can sign up here. The registration deadline is midnight on December 17th.

Tax-Exempt Meeting Link

If you were not able to make it to the RSO Tax-Exempt Info meeting, or wanted to reference the information, the slides are available to view here, on the RSO Officers Training Canvas page, and on our website. We were originally going to include a recording of the presentation but our microphone stopped working…yay technology. We have updated the slides to include additional information discussed in the question and answer time.

Husky Motors Council Notes

Interested in our latest RSO Council meeting with Husky Motors? You can look over their presentation and important updates here.

RSO Constitution Audit

Student Leadership and Involvement has established a new requirement for RSOs to audit their constitution to ensure that they are up to date with common practices and with SLI’s constitutional standards. Every RSO will have to audit their constitution every three years, with different groups completing the audit in different academic years. The audit groups are created alphabetically with the RSO’s name. Currently, the audit groups are:

• RSOs starting with A-E, Academic Years 2025-2026
• RSOs starting with F-O, Academic Years 2026-2027
• RSOs starting with P-Z, Academic Years 2027-2028

RSOs who are listed to complete the audit for an academic year will not be allowed to re-register for the next year until they have completed the audit and amended their constitution, if necessary, or notified our office.

When it is your RSO’s turn to audit their constitution, you will be notified shortly after RSO re-registration closes. You can still make amendments to your constitution, even if it is not your year to audit your constitution. During that amendment process, we will require that you amend each part of your constitution that does not meet the requirements set in our Sample Constitution.

Winter Break Purchase Requests

Does your organization need a Reimbursement / Advancement before this year’s Winter Break? Please submit any Purchase Requests to Involvement Link using USG’s online guide before Wednesday, November 19th and reach out to usg-treasurer@mtu.edu to ensure your request gets processed in a timely manner. 

In addition, there are only 3 more slots remaining in the Fall Semester for Opportunity / Reserve Fund requests. Please see the digital guide on how to submit a request. Organizations may begin signing up for Spring Semester hearing slots following Fall Break.

Involvement Insider

Interested in promoting your RSO on the SLI Instagram? Let us know and we will make a quick video about your RSO! This unique marketing opportunity is a great way to spread awareness about the awesome things your RSO does as well as where and when to find you. Each “short” video will involve a brief interview with one or more members and a demonstration of the activity. An example of a shoot we did with Ridge Roamers. You can sign up here to be on Involvement Insider. 

Essential Education Experience

Do you want your community service to count toward your Essential Education Experience? There will be two courses in the spring semester that might peak your interest. You can learn more in the attached flyer.

LeaderShape Institute

As a student leader, are you looking to improve your leadership skills? The LeaderShape Institute is a 4-day leadership retreat that helps individuals identify their values and develop a vision for something they care about through self-assessment, small group discussions, team building challenges, and more. This year’s Institute will be held December 13-16, 2025 at the Ford Center. You can apply for the LeaderShape Institute here. The deadline to sign up is November 18th.

RSO Taxes

As shared in the annual Registered Student Organization (RSO) training, the vast majority of student organizations registered with Michigan Tech are considered separate entities that are responsible for their own decision-making, liability, and finances. Many organizations, therefore, have their own Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), bank accounts, and legal obligation to file taxes annually. 

Many RSOs would be eligible for tax-exempt status. A tax-exempt entity is an organization that is exempt from paying federal and state taxes. This includes groups such as religious organizations, educational institutions, charitable organizations, and social clubs. To be considered tax-exempt, an organization must meet certain requirements set forth by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and apply to be recognized. RSOs are not exempt through the university and do not have that status unless they have sought and received it on their own. Tax-exempt organizations must still file an annual information return or notice with the IRS.

Please note that groups closely affiliated with the university, such as SBGs, housing associations, and some academic groups, operate within the university structure. If your primary funds are through a university index, this is likely the case for your organization. Please respond to this email if you are unsure if this applies to your group. 

Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) and Undergraduate Student Government (USG) recognize that applying for tax-exempt status and filing annual returns on behalf of your organization can be intimidating and difficult to navigate. Over the last year, we have worked together to help identify a solution to support our many dedicated student organizations in managing these processes. 

We are pleased to formally announce that we have contracted with Omega Fi to assist organizations in addressing these concerns. Through our contract with Omega Fi, they will provide:

• A tracking dashboard for SLI to view RSO’s tax-exempt and filing statuses
• Professional support hours to assist RSOs in filing for tax-exempt status, filing for reinstatement if their status has been revoked, and completing annual filings
• Discounted rates to file taxes through file990.org, a platform similar to TurboTax, specific to tax-exempt organizations. 

The professional support hours will be available at no cost to registered groups. Our current contract spans four years, so it is important to note that we will only be able to assist a small portion of organizations each year. Groups will be selected in priority order based on their annual revenue and expenses and their current tax status in consultation with Omega Fi.

Thank you to Undergraduate Student Government for supporting this initiative!

Next Steps:

• Have Questions or Want to Learn More? Attend the RSO Tax-Exempt Info Meeting

To help onboard RSOs to this process, SLI is hosting a meeting to talk about the steps and timeline for the process. There will also be a Q&A time for you to ask your questions. The meeting will be on November 13, from 4:30–5 pm in EERC 103. This meeting will also be recorded and shared with RSO officers.

• INFORMATION NEEDED: RSO EINs

To fully understand the needs of each organization, we need your organization to share your EIN by completing this form. An EIN is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and other entities. If your RSO opened a bank account, you have an EIN. If you do not know your EIN, you may call your bank and request this information or reference the IRS website for recovering your EIN. Providing your EIN will allow us to know your organization’s current status, track your status over time, and provide timely advice. It will also allow your organization to benefit from the reduced filing fee through file990.org. If you have shared your EIN during re-registration or via email, you do not need to complete the form again. 

Upcoming RSO Council Meetings

• Presentation/Q&A with Catering

Monday, November 3rd, from 4:00–5:00 PM. Catering staff will be available to answer your questions and provide guidance. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and get the support you need for a successful semester. Location: MUB Superior Room (Basement)

• Presentation/Q&A with Husky Motors

Wednesday, November 5th, from 4:00-5:00 PM. Husky Motors and SLI Staff will share important policy changes and answer any questions. Location: EERC 100