USF needs to be more accommodating to student organizations in the future. ORACLE PHOTO/VIOLET VASQUEZ PIMENTEL

Student organizations are one of the most important parts of a fulfilling college life.

Attending activities hosted by on-campus organizations provides students with a higher sense of belonging, in turn leading to enhanced academic and personal motivation, according to a 2024 study from the National Library of Medicine.

In my experience, attending events tailored to my interests has been some of the most fun I’ve had on campus and has allowed me to meet so many amazing people.

USF offers over 600 student organizations, many of which host regular events, according to the university.

Organizations can reserve over twenty rooms in the Marshall Student Center for these social events without charge, according to the MSC Plan and Market Events FAQ.

But unfortunately, members of student organizations have recently encountered issues using the room reservation process.

Contradictions between the deadlines for reserving and cancelling rooms should be addressed to smooth complications for organizations looking to hold events. 

Related: OPINION: When USF club funding drops, connection does too 

Prior to December 2025, student organizations were allowed to cancel a room reservation up to three days before the corresponding event without incurring fees, according to an older version of the MSC’s Policy and Guidelines.

However, new policies state organizations must now give at least seven days of notice, according to the updated document.

The MSC’s Policy and Guidelines state that while the first failure to comply with these policies simply incurs a warning, the second failure incurs a $50 fee and a $100 fee for any subsequent violations.

Matt Marshall, the director of the MSC, said rule changes aren’t inherently a negative thing.

Marshall said these new policies were created to increase the “availability and quality of space” for groups that hold events at the MSC.

Overall, the new rules are important for allowing time for the MSC staff to set up for events, and the university still provides plenty of leeway to student organizations.

Still, there remain some issues making reservations more difficult than they need to be. 

Katya La Costa is a sophomore nursing and public health major, as well as president of the Alpha Omega Campus Ministry.

La Costa said cancellations used to be more flexible prior to the policy change. Still, she said the updated rules make sense and are fair.

“They encourage accountability and help prevent last-minute cancellations that disrupt scheduling,” she said.

However, La Costa said some of the rules surrounding the room reservation process are contradictory.

La Costa’s concerns stem from “a discrepancy” between the reservation and cancellation deadlines, she said.

Student organizations must provide at least 10 days’ advance notice to book a room, according to the MSC’s Policies and Guidelines.

“This means that even when a space opens up due to a cancellation within a week of the event date, other student organizations are unable to use that space,” La Costa said. 

This problem should be addressed in keeping with Marshall’s described commitment to increasing the “availability and quality” of rooms. 

Related: USF’s Marshall Student Center to reduce hours amid budget constraints 

La Costa said a possible solution would be to allow bookings up to one week in advance to better align with the seven-day cancellation window.

I believe this would certainly be better than leaving a one-week gap where student organizations can cancel rooms but not reserve them. 

Despite the complications caused by the room reservation rules, La Costa said she feels overall positive about the room reservation process.

“In general, I do believe the rules around reserving and canceling rooms in the MSC are fair to student organizations,” she said.

And the occasional stress is worth struggling through, she said, because of the community her organization provides.

“We consistently have around 60 members attending our events, which contributes to the challenge of finding appropriately sized spaces,” La Costa said. “But despite the difficulties, I wouldn’t trade it because the people and community are amazing.”

Student organizations are invaluable to social life on campus, and it’s great that we’re at a school that offers so many.

Hopefully, with a few small changes to the room reservation rules, USF’s student organizations can thrive even further.