YU Unveils Major New Club Guidelines; Limiting Most Student Activities
The Office of Student Life announced a new framework on Aug. 27 for all undergraduate student organizations, requiring every club to reapply for approval. In an email sent to student leaders, OSL stated that the policy is part of “Project Yamim,” a new initiative to gather feedback from students and faculty.
Starting this semester, “Student organizations will be thoughtfully curated to ensure that the experiences we offer our students are of exceptional quality and educational value,” the email stated. Application criteria include learning outcomes, community impact and alignment with YU’s values. Additionally, all undergraduate clubs will be overseen by Torah mentors to “provide genuine mentorship and leadership training from our trusted Torah leaders and faculty.”
Under the new guidelines, clubs can no longer partner with outside organizations, and all students seeking to lead a club must complete preparatory leadership courses in the spring semester before applying for club status in the fall. For Fall 2025, YU is offering accelerated preparatory courses. The guidelines also dictate that students who apply for approval must have good academic and behavioral standing and should demonstrate a history of leadership.
“Before student organizations are initiated under the new framework, all undergraduate programming will be expertly coordinated by the Office of Student Life in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Torah Studies and Torah and Spiritual Life,” the email stated.
“Our Fall 2025 undergraduate student organization visionary framework, which was a collaborative effort between Student Life leadership and undergraduate campus leaders, is consistent with the goals and purposes of Project Yamim: to ensure that all our student organizations have opportunities for mentorship and leadership training,” Dean Cypess said in a statement to The Commentator.
Cypess clarified that “undergraduate campus leaders” refers to administrators from the Office of Student Life and administrators of the undergraduate schools and programs.
“Although what is going on with the clubs is out of our control as student government, we are working closely with different departments on campus including OSL to ensure events are still happening on campus,” BCSG President Betty Khirman (SCW ‘26) told The Commentator. “Ultimately, it is our top priority to ensure that everyone is having a smooth school year.”
“From my understanding, clubs right now are not approved, so any event that is happening is through BCSG or OSL,” Khirman continued. “It’s not that clubs are on hold, it’s that they haven’t been reapproved yet and due to the new system there is a hold up with this process. If students have an idea for an event or initiative, please contact BCSG.”
YC President Sruli Friedman (YC ‘26), told The Commentator that the student government was not consulted either prior to the release of the club guidelines.
“As far as I know, student government was not consulted on any elements of the new club guidelines,” Friedman told The Commentator. “This is disappointing, especially because some of the requirements pose significant problems that could’ve been easily pointed out by student leaders.”
The adjusted club framework falls under the scope of Project Yamim, an initiative Dean Cypess announced on Aug. 22. According to the email, the project will gather feedback from students, faculty and stakeholders and “will use the ideas we gather as a springboard to strengthen our educational vision.”
“Project Yamim is a year-long initiative that will engage the entire undergraduate community – students, faculty, Roshei Yeshiva and rabbis, staff, and beyond – in discussions about a wide range of issues related to our undergraduate programs,” Cypess said.
These revisions follow periods of tension between the administration and Hareini, the successor to the YU Pride Alliance. The Commentator had previously reported that the settlement between the two parties had fallen through. The YU Pride Alliance had previously partnered with and received funding from JQY, an outside organization working with Jewish queer youth. The YU Active Minds club is a member of the Active Minds Organization, a mental health group founded at the University of Pennsylvania. The club’s status remains unclear.
“We had some really great ideas for the Rocket Science Club. Then I got an incredibly long and confusing email from OSL,” YU Rocket Science Club President Yehuda Rothschild (YC ‘27) told The Commentator. “Now I'm not even sure our club will exist this year. I don’t know if my club fulfills the new criteria or not.”
The Office of Student Life did not respond to a request for comment.
Photo Caption: Yeshiva University
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
