The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) supports the academic and community explorations of students by providing an environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency and partnership in co-creating their optimal CBS experience. OSA seeks to deliver a transformational experience, inside and outside of the classroom, by helping students connect to faculty, each other, and the greater CBS community.
The New Student Club application collects the required information, documents, and endorsements for proposing a new student club at Columbia Business School. Please review all eligibility rules, deadlines, and policies before starting. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed.
This process is designed to ensure that your proposed club fills a unique need, has a sustainable leadership structure, and aligns with CBS policies and values.
Before starting the application, please review the eligibility guidelines, requirements, and deadlines. If you have any questions, please reach out to Nicole Buckley (Associate Director of Student Life and Engagement in the Office of Student Affairs) or Abhinav Bhardwaj (VP of Clubs for the Student Government Executive Board).
Fall Application Window (Second-Year Applicants)
- Application opens Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- All meetings and endorsements must be completed by Friday, October 9, 2026
- Application closes Friday, October 30, 2026
Spring Application Window (First-Year Applicants)
- Application opens Friday, January 29, 2027
- All meetings and endorsements must be completed by Friday, February 26, 2027
- Application closes Friday, March 26, 2027
Please note that OSA and it's administrative partners reserves the right to turn down interest meetings if they are not scheduled within a reasonable timeframe prior to the established deadlines above.
Eligibility to Apply or Serve on the Founding Board
Academic and Semester Eligibility
Students are subject to eligibility windows based on their academic timeline regardless of academic program. To ensure that founding student club leaders are fully integrated into the CBS community but also present to oversee the club's criticial probationary semester and first full year, the following parameters apply:
- Students are not eligible to apply for or serve on the founding board of a new club during their first academic semester at CBS, regardless of their specific academic program.
- Students are not eligible to apply for or serve on the founding board of a new club during their final academic semester at CBS, regardless of their specific academic program.
Sustainable Leadership Eligibility
To prevent leadership over-commitment and ensure that long-term operational sustainabilty of both existing organizations and newly proposed ideas, the following paramters apply:
- Single- Proposal Limit: A founding club officer may only be listed on one active new club application per application cycle. You cannot serve on the prospective founding board of multiple proposed clubs simultaneously.
- Dual- President Conflict: Students who have been elected, selected, or currently serving as a Club President (or Co-President) of an existing CBS club for the upcoming academic year are ineligible to serve as President/Co-President of the founding board of a new club.
Required Roles on the Founding Board
Each proposed club must include a founding executive board with the following positions:
- President
- VP of Finance
- VP of Events
Additional criteria for founding executive board includes:
- New clubs may not have more than two Co-Presidents
- New clubs may not have more than 5-7 founding executive board members
- At least one club member of the founding board must have previously served as an AVP for an active CBS club.
- Review your eligibility to apply for a new student club.
- Review all current student organization policies and procedures outlined on the Student Leader Resource site.
- Schedule an initial meeting with Abhinav Bhardwaj, the Student Government VP of Clubs to discuss your club’s subject matter, ideas, and feasibility.
- With VP of Clubs approval, schedule required meetings with OSA and/or CMC advisors.
- With OSA approval, submit your completed New Club Application by the deadlines listed prior, including all required forms of support.
- The Student Government VP of Clubs will schedule your pitch date where members will vote on club eligibility.
- Club name, type, mission, goals, and three sample events
- Completed founding board roster with required roles
- At least one board member with prior AVP experience
- Peer benchmarking (Top Business Schools) and comparison to existing CBS clubs
- Completed club charter (template provided)
- Two statements of support from current CBS club presidents of a similar organization, such as by interest, industry or region
- Advisor endorsements from OSA, Career Management Center (CMC), and/or Faculty, depending on club type
- Final acknowledgment of process, policies, and expectations
- How is this student organization unique? Will it duplicate efforts set forth by other student organizations and/or CBS departments, academics or centers? Can this student organization’s focus be implemented in other current organizations on campus?
- Is this student organization sustainable? Will you be able to easily recruit students to take on leadership roles for next academic year?
- Does this student organization represent an in-demand industry, need of the general community or just personal interests?
- Does your student organization require space? Does your organization require membership fees to conduct activities?
- Would this student organization meet all required policies and procedures as stated on the CBS Student Leader Resources website? Would this organization’s focus/content potentially be a liability to CBS or Columbia University?
New clubs that are approved by CBS administrative partners and voted on by Student Government to become recognized student organizations benefit from exclusive access, support and resources.
Note that certain benefits will only become available to student clubs after the probation period is complete.
Membership Recruitment Opportunities
- Required participation in Fall & Spring semester Club Day.
CBS Brand & Space
- Allowed use of Columbia Business School logos and branding approved by OSA
- Allowed use of Columbia Business School spaces (classrooms and event spaces) and tabling, as well as access to Columbia University managed venues.
- Permission to promote club sponsored events on TV screens across Kravis and Geffen Halls.
- Permission to participate in competitions, inter-collegiate and inter-Business School events as representatives of Columbia Business School.
CBS Technology Resources
- CampusGroups portal which hosts memberships, e-mail functionality, website builders, elections & more.
- Official club e-mail that is provided to all club officers.
Financial Funding & Support
- Use of a Columbia University chartstring/club account for club dues and event deposits and payments through the Financial Planning Office.
- Start Up funding provided by OSA
- Eligibility to apply for OSA Community Grants and other Columbia University funding opportunities.
Access to World-Class Staff, Faculty, Alum & Speakers
- Assigned an OSA club advisor.
- Eligible to have a CMC advisor as deemed appropriate.
- Ability to request faculty participation in club events.
- Ability to request dean's participation in signature club events.
- Permission to solicit alumni & external speakers as per the Student Event Speaker Review Policy
After successful review and joint approval by the Student Government and CBS administrative partners, all new clubs enter a mandatory one-semester probationary period. This probationary framework serves as an incubation phase designed to test operational sustainability, validate student demand, ensure compliance with Columbia University and CBS policies, and establish strong working relationships with institutional stakeholders.
Mandatory New Club Probationary Milestones & Deliverables
To be eligible for transition to full club status, the founding executive board must successfully execute and document the following milestones by the designated end-of-semester deadline:
Compliance and Onboarding Checklist
- Leadership Training: Completion of the mandatory OSA Student Leadership trainings and resource review by all executive board members.
- Portal Infrastructure: Full set-up of the club’s CampusGroups portal, including, mission statement and goals.
- Stakeholder Alignment Meetings: Completion of applicable mandatory introductory meetings with critical CBS administrative partners as deemed appropriate by OSA
OSA Club Advisor Oversight
Every new club will be paired with an OSA club advisor upon approval. The board is required to meet with their advisor at least three (3) times during the probationary semester (Initial Alignment, Mid-Semester Review, and End-of-Probation Evaluation).
Programming & Engagement Benchmarks
New clubs must plan and execute at least three events during their probationary semester, inclusive of the following required criteria:
- Club Kick-Off: One on-campus club kickoff and welcome event must be hosted within the first four (4) weeks of the semester.
- Collaborative Programming: At least one event must be officially co-hosted and co-marketed in collaboration with an existing CBS student organization.
- Attendance Tracking: Tracking of attendance is mandatory for all events via CampusGroups.
Probationary Restrictions & Boundaries
To ensure low risk and financial transparency during the probationary period, probationary clubs are prohibited from the following activities:
- Dues Collection: Charging mandatory or voluntary membership dues of any kind.
- Purchasing Alcohol: Utilizing OSA-provided startup funds to purchase alcohol.
- First-Year Large-Scale Programming & Travel: New clubs are prohibited from hosting large-scale or high-risk events (e.g., retreats, treks, or school-wide socials) and organizing any club-sponsored travel during their first full academic year. While a club may successfully clear its probationary status after one semester, permissions for institutional travel and large-scale programming remain deferred until their second academic year.
- Conferences: New clubs are prohibited from applying to host a new conference at CBS during their first three academic semesters (one full academic year + an additional semester). New clubs may also not be named as co-host or partner for any existing Columbia, CBS, national or international external conference during that timeframe.
End-of-Semester Performance Review & Status Determination
At the conclusion of the probationary semester, the founding board will participate in an End-of-Probation Review Meeting with their OSA Advisor. Status determination will be decided by the Office of Student Affairs based on probationary factors mentioned above, full compliance of CU and CBS policies and input from both student and administrative stakeholders.
Successful Completion The club has fulfilled all milestones, demonstrated strong student demand, and maintained perfect policy compliance. The club is granted permanent status and may begin collecting dues the following semester; however, they remain subject to the First-Year Scaled Progression Rule and cannot organize travel or large-scale events until their second academic year.
Extended Probation (One-Semester Extension): The club demonstrated potential but fell short of specific operational milestones such as required meetings, programming requirements or policy compliance. Additional requirements will be determined and communicated by the Office of Student Affairs.
Ineligible to Continue: The club failed to meet foundational requirements, violated probationary spending/event restrictions, or failed to demonstrate baseline student interest. The organization is immediately dissolved, and the portal is deactivated.