Student Organizations

Participation in a SHP Student Organization provides opportunity to get involved outside the classroom and enhance the holistic and individual student experience. Students have the opportunity to create their own student organization, apply to become a student leader for a student organization, or join current student organization and be involved in fun/informative events, charitable fundraisers, and other student activities.

If you have any questions about student organizations or if you would like to get involved with the SHP Student Government Association, please email osa@shp.rutgers.edu.

Please visit our student organizations page often as we will be adding information about our current student organizations as soon as applications are completed.

The SHP New Student Organization Guide provides instructions and steps students need to complete to create their own official SHP Student Organization. The guide explains how to complete your statement of purpose and constitution, which includes the rules and procedures for your organization.

Please fully review the guide before starting or submitting the following to asc@shp.rutgers.edu:

  1. Your student organization constitution
  2. Your statement of purpose
  3. Your roster
  4. National Affiliation Approval Letter (If Applicable)

If your student organization will be tied to an official national or state-based organization, then you will need an approval letter from this parent organization confirming that you have permission to create a student organization with the same name or with an affiliation to their organization.

If you have questions about the guide or about the application, then please contact SHPSGA@shp.rutgers.edu.

SHP Student Organizations Directory

Summaries and contact information student organizations will be posted as organizations are approved.

The Student Dietetic Association (SDA) works to promote the Rutgers School of Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics Programs and share nutrition concepts campus-wide and throughout the community through awareness and involvement. 

The SDA aims to provide opportunities for professional development/ networking among members, promote evidence-based nutrition practices and recommendations, and provide a space for both distance nutrition students and local nutrition students to interact and engage.  The SDA hosts virtual guest speakers, participates in National Nutrition Month events, and is involved in local dietetics-related functions.

The Prideful Future of Healthcare (PFOH) is a student organization with the mission to provide visibility, advocacy, and education regarding LGBTQIA+ healthcare to Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP). The student organization connects SHP students, staff, and faculty to the LGBTQIA+ community to highlight the role healthcare plays in the lives of those who identify under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.

PFOH celebrates LGBTQIA+ healthcare professionals and patients through panel events, guest speakers, educational tabling from LGBTQIA+ nonprofits and organizations, and monthly SHP-wide events for all SHP community members.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

Multi-I.D.E.A is a student organization focused on prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity initiatives (DEI). As the next generation of health professionals, we want to focus our goals upon the healthcare professions to amplify cultural competency in the workplace, and to create an inclusive, respectful, and equal environment. In addition, we hope to create a safer environment for all students to express hardships and seek out support. We will be collaborating with organizations within and outside of Rutgers to effectively spread our cause and assist all health professions with DEI initiatives.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

This organization works to provide mentorship and professional development for students in the doctor of physical therapy program interested in pelvic floor physical therapy. Members will be actively involved in pursuing the specialized practice through guest speakers, journal readings, pelvic floor physical therapy advocacy, and mentorship from RUDPT graduates practicing pelvic floor physical therapy. Students will have the opportunity to network and prepare themselves for the specialization practice, residencies, and clinical rotations for pelvic floor physical therapy.

The Rutgers SHP Sports Medicine Journal Club aims to cultivate and nurture the minds of fellow students who have the passion and curiosity to pursue a career in sports medicine. By discussing evidence in current literature, we aim to embody best practice to serve our patients at the highest capacity. Our goal is to educate, but also give rise to new questions that guide us in our search to learn more and fuel our curiosity. We hope to create a path that guides fellow students toward sports physical therapy and bring light to what that truly means.

Please visit our webpage for more information.

Advisor: Bianca Thompson-Owen, Associate Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Success

The Rutgers School of Health Professions Student Government Association (Rutgers SHP SGA) was created in 2017 with the objective of meeting students’ professional, social, and academic wants, needs, and concerns. We intend to improve student life by assisting and overseeing the development of student interest organizations, which can be of academic, social, athletic, cultural, or community service nature. Our goals include, but are not limited to creating student leaders, creating a united community for both our online and on-campus students, and assist in enhancing the student experience while enrolled in our academic programs.

Advisor: Frank R. Giannelli, MS, PA-C, Lecturer, Physician Assistant Program

The mission of RUPASS is to foster the personal and professional development of physician assistant students in the state of New Jersey, encourage educational excellence, and to advocate for students and professional issues. RUPASS is organized and shall be operated exclusively for education and scientific purposes which are beneficial to medical care. To represent physician assistant students so as to maximize the benefit of their services to the public as medical professionals.

Advisor: Ruth Perez, Clinical Coordinator, Lecturer for Medical Laboratory Sciences

The purpose of this organization is to educate prospective college students (High School students) as well as students who are attending a 4-year college or university on the exciting career path of Medical Laboratory Sciences. This organization will also allow current MLS students to be involved in a professional organization and encourage involvement in the Medical Laboratory Sciences community.

Advisor: Dr. Kirsch, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor & Program Director

The purpose of the organization is to provide a structured student-run organization for each Rutgers (SHP) Doctor of Physical Therapy North class that will serve as a representing body for each respective class. Each class council will serve as the primary liaison between students and faculty and will be responsible for relaying and communicating class matters, events, and scheduling to ultimately augment and enrich the student and faculty experience throughout the program. Please visit the Rutgers DPTNCC webpage for more information.

Advisor: Kelly Ann Pena, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD, CBIS, NSSHLA Faculty Co-Chair, Clinical Educator, Assistant Professor

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is a national student organization for students interested in  communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The Rutgers NSSLHA chapter focuses to encourage professional interest among university  students in the study of CSD. This chapter will provide continuity to the dissemination of expert information regarding the field of CSD/SLP in the community of Newark. It shall also provide a vehicle for a multicultural, gender diverse student representation in matters of professional concern, with an emphasis on social justice.

Advisor: Dr. Taylor Sivori, OTD, OTR/L

As the first Student Occupational Therapy Association at Rutgers University, it is our mission to understand and identify the needs in our community to aid in service opportunities; expand our professional and educational development to drive students to become international leaders in a holistic and dynamic health care system, and to provide a just and inclusive space for students to gather.

Please click the Student Organizations tab above for information on how to start your own student organization.

SHP Student Organizations are managed by the Office of Student Affairs and the SHP Student Government Association. Please refer to the drop down menus below for student organization event forms, budget requests, suggested vendors, banking, tax exempt status and fundraising. If you have any questions, please email osa@shp.rutgers.edu.

Student Organization Administration Information

End of Year Report – Every official student organization must submit an End of Year Report to the Office of Student Affairs by June 25th each year. This report must include information on the student organization’s succession plan for the executive board, roster, events, financial transactions, and accomplishments for the year. For assistance with your End of Year Report and to acquire the End of Year Report template, please contact Michael Canzano at mc1767@shp.rutgers.edu.

Student Organization Yearly Survey – All student organization members must complete the Student Organization yearly survey.  The survey should be completed towards the end of the academic year.

Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP) Office of Student Affairs requires all official SHP student organizations to independently manage and take responsibility for their finances, bank accounts, and tax filings. Official SHP student organizations are required to operate as non-proft organizations that do not generate income for individuals and/or the organization itself. Official SHP student organizations must comply with applicable federal and state tax laws. Rutgers’ School of Health Professions tax exempt status does not extend to its student organizations. Our office is available to advise our official student organizations on these matters. Below we have outlined suggestions and guidelines for our official student organizations regarding banking and tax exempt status.

Managing Finances without a Bank Account
If your organization does not directly receive funds, then you should not need a bank account. Funds raised for charities or funds for events could go directly to the charitable organization or event venue involved. With this method, your student organization will not require a method of holding funds.

Opening a Bank Account
Many student organizations take in funds from fundraising efforts, whether to raise funds for the student organization’s activities or for charity. Because of this, organizations may need to open a bank account to house those funds. To do so, you must obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS .

If your student organization must open a bank account, then we recommend you open an account with Rutgers Federal Credit Union. To do so, RFCU requires the following in order for a student organization to open an account.
1 – Obtain an Employer Identification Number through the IRS. Apply for an EIN
2 – Have a meeting with your organization to discuss opening the account. Provide meeting minutes (notes/summary) with signatures of your student organization board members.
3 – Provide a copy of your driver’s license or government IDs AND Rutgers student IDs for those that will have access to the account.
4 – Every student who will have access to the account must be present when the account is opened.
5 – RFCU will need a copy of your student organization’s constitution.

An RFCU account may be opened at one of their four locations.
– 326 Penn Street Rm 017J Campus Center, Camden NJ
– 98 College Ave, New Brunswick NJ
– 95 Davidson Rd., Piscataway NJ
– 249 University Avenue 3rd Floor of Blumenthal Hall, Newark NJ

RFCU Account Details (as of 6/1/2019)
– Checking accounts cost a $5/month fee (Checking Accounts come with a Debit Card).
– Savings accounts cost $1/month fee OR nothing if you choose to have electronic statements.
– Withdrawals may be made at STAR ATMs or any RFCU branch. Other ATMs will require a fee.
– To transfer ownership of a bank account the new account holders and old account holders must be present at one of the RFCU bank locations. In addition to ID’s you must also provide the meeting minutes from the meeting where the transfer of ownership was discussed.

Tax Exempt Status – Do you need to file for tax exempt status?
Student organizations at Rutgers SHP are expected to conduct all operations on a not-for-profit basis. Being affiliated with Rutgers School of Health Professions does not confer tax-exempt status upon your student organization. Student organizations are required to obtain tax exempt status independently of Rutgers School of Health Professions and required to obey state and federal taxation laws and filing requirements.

Organizations that have Gross Annual Receipts of Less than $5,000
If your student organization: has an Employer Identification Number, receives gross annual receipts of less than $5,000 per year, and you function on a not-for-profit basis, then you will generally be recognized as tax-exempt under IRS code section 501(a) without applying for non-profit status under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Please note that in this case you should still have an EIN from the IRS.

Organizations that have Gross Annual Receipts Greater than $5,000
If your student organization receives gross annual receipts greater than $5,000 per year, then you must file for tax exempt status under IRC Section 501(c)(3). If you do this, then your student organization will be responsible for managing the tax exempt status regarding the application and filing for taxes each year. Because of this requirement, the Office of Student Affairs recommends that all SHP official student organizations do not receive gross revenue exceeding $5,000 per fiscal year.

IRS.GOV Tax Exempt Status Links
For more information and instructions regarding Tax Exempt Status, please view the following links from IRS website.
– Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4220.pdf
– 1023-EZ Form Instructions: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1023ez.pdf
– Tax-Exempt Status for your Organization: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf

If you have any questions about student organization banking or tax-exempt status, then please email osa@shp.rutgers.edu.

Annual filing requirements 

If your student organization has acquired tax exempt status under IRC Section 501(c)(3), then your organization is required to file an annual return using the IRS Form 990-N, the Form 990-EZ or the Form 990, which are also known as the e-Postcard. The e-Postcard is due by the 15th day of the 5th month after the close of your organization’s tax year.. These forms are information returns and the specific form you should use is determined by your organization’s annual gross receipts and assets.

All Rutgers School of Health Professions are not permitted to raise more than $50,000 per year in gross receipts. If your student organization does not raise $5,000 or more in annual gross receipts, then your organization is still required to submit an e-Postcard. If it is the initial year your organization is submitting an e-Postcard, then you must first contact IRS Account Services prior to your initial e-Postcard filing to request the IRS to setup your organization’s account. After contacting the IRS Account Services, you may then file your e-Postcard.

Complete Information about the e-Postcard can be found on the IRS website at this link: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/annual-electronic-filing-requirement-for-small-exempt-organizations-form-990-n-e-postcard.

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