Office of Student Life at USC Upstate

Office of Student Involvement

Involvement and Leadership Development

When you attend USC Upstate, you are making an investment in yourself. During your time here, we want you to maximize the potential return on that investment so that, upon graduation, you are fully prepared for the next step in your career path. The classroom experience and your academic work are at the core of that preparation but you are able to do so much more while attending Upstate.

The Office of Student Involvement exists to provide and support a plethora of student engagement opportunities.  In other words, we help get you connected to the University, to other students and to the community while providing opportunities to have fun, build relationships, gain marketable experience and develop the soft skills that employers are searching for.

So, what are you waiting on, a formal invitation?  Well, here you go, we invite you to look around and find out how you are going to GET INVOLVED here at USC Upstate.

Students on campus

Get Involved!

Browse our over 70 student organizations to find something that matches your interests.

Students on campus

What’s Going On?

Check out some of the great upcoming events on and off campus to attend.

Students on campus

Add a Chapter to your Story…

Explore our nationally affiliated Fraternities and Sororities.

Students on campus

Diversity is a Fact, Inclusion is an Act!

Celebrate and explore cultural diversity or connect with similar students through Intercultural Education and Engagement (IEE).

Students on campus

Lead and Serve

Discover ways to build your leadership skills and find opportunities to give back through community service. Visit Leadership Programs.

As you explore the possibilities that we currently offer at Upstate, please feel free to reach out if you have questions or need additional information. If by chance, you don’t see what you are looking for in terms of a club, organization, or other engagement opportunity, just send us an email. We would love to talk with you about starting a new student organizations or connecting you with one of our amazing colleagues across campus.

The Office of Student Involvement has three main goals. We exist to ensure that:

  1. Students will experience a sense of belonging and connection to the University; being more likely to persist and graduate.
  2. Students will engage in experiential learning opportunities that facilitate the cultivation of a more complex and accurate understanding of their own intersectional identity development.
  3. Students will develop professional and interpersonal skills through involvement in student organizations, leadership experiences, service opportunities, workshops, and other experiences.

Student Involvement Awards — Celebrating our Students, Organizations and Advisors

Each year, at the annual Student Affairs Awards banquet, the Office of Student Involvement recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the many Upstate registered student organizations, their leaders and advisors. 

Nominations for Student Involvement Awards open in early Spring. Registered Student Organization (RSO) officers that are listed on the organization's Agora (Presence) roster page will receive an email announcing that nominations are being accepted. 

Below are the winners of the the various awards sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement. 

2020 Student Involvement Awards 

2020 Student Involvement Awards 

Award

Winner

Award Description

 

 

Organization Officer
of the Year

 

 

Antonio Tanner
(NAACP)

This award is intended to recognize an officer in a registered student organization who exemplifies service, commitment, and strong leadership qualities while supporting their organization. The student recognized will have made significant contributions to their student organization, by way of enriching the strengths of their student members through integrity and enthusiasm while taking initiative towards carrying their organization to new heights.

 

 

Emerging Leader
of the Year

 

 

N/A

This award is intended to recognize a member of a registered student organization who has established themselves as an invaluable member. This student will have served their organization with intense passion and infectious enthusiasm while supporting their organization to excel and create a positive impact on USC Upstate’s campus community.

 

Organization Advisor
of the Year

Ron Patane
(SPECTRUM)

&

Dr. Marilyn Izzard
(Real Men are Teachers)

The Advisor of the Year Award is designed to recognize an advisor who has made a significant contribution to both the student members and the organization as a whole. The Advisor of the Year Award will recognize an individual for their service, dedication, mentorship, compassion, consistency, and wisdom.

 

Outstanding University Program
of the Year

 

Black History
Month Festival
(NAACP)

This award recognizes a USC Upstate student organization‐sponsored program or event that demonstrated excellence in planning and implementation, a commitment to the organization’s purpose, innovation, and dedication to enhancing the quality of student programs at USC Upstate.

 

Spirit of Fraternal
Excellence Award

 

Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc.

The Spirit of Fraternal Excellence Award recognizes the social fraternal organization that rises to the top. The winner lives up to the values and purposes of fraternal organizations by excelling in all categories of the USC Upstate Standards of Fraternal Excellence program during the previous calendar year.

 

Spartan Spirit
of Service Award

 

Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity, Inc. 
(Community Service)

The Spartan Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize student organizations that have demonstrated excellence in serving the greater community through the performance of volunteer hours or giving of donations.

 

Leon E. Wiles
Humanitarian Award

 

Antonio Tanner

The Leon E. Wiles Humanitarian Award is awarded to the Upstate student who advocates for diversity and inclusion through participation in campus activities or organizations, community groups, volunteer work or other forms of involvement or action.

 

 

Intercultural Program
of the Year

 

 

Intersectional
Feminism Series
(Strength in Numbers)

The Intercultural Program of the Year Award is presented to the Upstate office, department or student organization that engages its members and the campus community in educational activities that promote awareness, understanding and the appreciation of diversity of people, cultures, and backgrounds that this campus holds. In the spirit of Interculturalism, priority given to a group that hosted programming that featured awareness of more than one culture in a single program.

 

John C. Stockwell
Chancellor's Cup
(Organization of the Year)

 

 

Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc.

 

This award recognizes a registered student organization that has demonstrated consistent activity, creativity, and initiative; has made meaningful contributions to the campus community; and has had a significant impact on the quality of the student experience at USC Upstate throughout the academic year.

 

2021 Student Involvement Awards

2021 Student Involvement Awards 

Award

Winner

Award Description

 

 

Organization Officer
of the Year

 

 

Jakiyra Hambright
(A. Bevy)

This award is intended to recognize an officer in a registered student organization who exemplifies service, commitment, and strong leadership qualities while supporting their organization. The student recognized will have made significant contributions to their student organization, by way of enriching the strengths of their student members through integrity and enthusiasm while taking initiative towards carrying their organization to new heights.

 

 

Emerging Leader
of the Year

 

 

Scout Hoffmeier
(Student Government Association)

This award is intended to recognize a member of a registered student organization who has established themselves as an invaluable member. This student will have served their organization with intense passion and infectious enthusiasm while supporting their organization to excel and create a positive impact on USC Upstate’s campus community.

 

Organization Advisor
of the Year

 

Victoria Lockhart
(Univerity Business Society)

The Advisor of the Year Award is designed to recognize an advisor who has made a significant contribution to both the student members and the organization as a whole. The Advisor of the Year Award will recognize an individual for their service, dedication, mentorship, compassion, consistency, and wisdom.

 

 

Outstanding University Program
of the Year

 

 

Service Saturday: Sock Puppet Event
(IMPACT)


This award recognizes a USC Upstate student organization‐sponsored program or event that demonstrated excellence in planning and implementation, a commitment to the organization’s purpose, innovation, and dedication to enhancing the quality of student programs at USC Upstate.

 

Spirit of Fraternal
Excellence Award

 

O.W.L.S. in C.U.S.

The Spirit of Fraternal Excellence Award recognizes the social fraternal organization that rises to the top. The winner lives up to the values and purposes of fraternal organizations by excelling in all categories of the USC Upstate Standards of Fraternal Excellence program during the previous calendar year.

 

Spartan Spirit
of Service Award

 

Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity, Inc. 
(Community Service)

The Spartan Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize student organizations that have demonstrated excellence in serving the greater community through the performance of volunteer hours or giving of donations.

 

Leon E. Wiles
Humanitarian Award

 

N/A

The Leon E. Wiles Humanitarian Award is awarded to the Upstate student who advocates for diversity and inclusion through participation in campus activities or organizations, community groups, volunteer work or other forms of involvement or action.

 

 

Intercultural Program
of the Year

 

 

Diversity and Inclusion
Series Programming
(Housing and Residential Life)

The Intercultural Program of the Year Award is presented to the Upstate office, department or student organization that engages its members and the campus community in educational activities that promote awareness, understanding and the appreciation of diversity of people, cultures, and backgrounds that this campus holds. In the spirit of Interculturalism, priority given to a group that hosted programming that featured awareness of more than one culture in a single program.

 

John C. Stockwell
Chancellor's Cup
(Organization of the Year)

 


Black Student Leaders

This award recognizes a registered student organization that has demonstrated consistent activity, creativity, and initiative; has made meaningful contributions to the campus community; and has had a significant impact on the quality of the student experience at USC Upstate throughout the academic year.

2022 Student Involvement Awards

2020 Student Involvement Awards 

Award

Winner

Award Description

 

 

Organization Officer
of the Year

 

 

TBA
(TBA)

This award is intended to recognize an officer in a registered student organization who exemplifies service, commitment, and strong leadership qualities while supporting their organization. The student recognized will have made significant contributions to their student organization, by way of enriching the strengths of their student members through integrity and enthusiasm while taking initiative towards carrying their organization to new heights.

 

 

Emerging Leader
of the Year

 

 

TBA
(TBA)

This award is intended to recognize a member of a registered student organization who has established themselves as an invaluable member. This student will have served their organization with intense passion and infectious enthusiasm while supporting their organization to excel and create a positive impact on USC Upstate’s campus community.

 

Organization Advisor
of the Year

 

TBA
(TBA)

The Advisor of the Year Award is designed to recognize an advisor who has made a significant contribution to both the student members and the organization as a whole. The Advisor of the Year Award will recognize an individual for their service, dedication, mentorship, compassion, consistency, and wisdom.

 

Outstanding University Program
of the Year

 

TBA
(TBA)

This award recognizes a USC Upstate student organization‐sponsored program or event that demonstrated excellence in planning and implementation, a commitment to the organization’s purpose, innovation, and dedication to enhancing the quality of student programs at USC Upstate.

 

Spirit of Fraternal
Excellence Award

 

TBA
(TBA)

The Spirit of Fraternal Excellence Award recognizes the social fraternal organization that rises to the top. The winner lives up to the values and purposes of fraternal organizations by excelling in all categories of the USC Upstate Standards of Fraternal Excellence program during the previous calendar year.

 

Spartan Spirit
of Service Award

 

TBA
(TBA)

The Spartan Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize student organizations that have demonstrated excellence in serving the greater community through the performance of volunteer hours or giving of donations.

 

Leon E. Wiles
Humanitarian Award

 

TBA

The Leon E. Wiles Humanitarian Award is awarded to the Upstate student who advocates for diversity and inclusion through participation in campus activities or organizations, community groups, volunteer work or other forms of involvement or action.

 

 

Intercultural Program
of the Year

 

 

TBA
(TBA)

The Intercultural Program of the Year Award is presented to the Upstate office, department or student organization that engages its members and the campus community in educational activities that promote awareness, understanding and the appreciation of diversity of people, cultures, and backgrounds that this campus holds. In the spirit of Interculturalism, priority given to a group that hosted programming that featured awareness of more than one culture in a single program.

 

John C. Stockwell
Chancellor's Cup
(Organization of the Year)

 

 

TBA
(TBA)

 

This award recognizes a registered student organization that has demonstrated consistent activity, creativity, and initiative; has made meaningful contributions to the campus community; and has had a significant impact on the quality of the student experience at USC Upstate throughout the academic year.