TCU students are creating new organizations to fill gaps in existing campus resources and build communities around shared interests. The steady demand for new organizations reflects how students are responding to the needs they see on campus.

TCU adds between 55 and 60 new student organizations each year, according to Rylea Dunlap, the assistant director of student activities for student organizations. This semester alone, Student Activities received 30 to 35 applications from students interested in starting organizations.

But creating a new organization requires more than just an idea. Students go through a six-week cohort process led by Student Activities, meeting for an hour each week to learn about leadership, executive positions, student organization conduct, university policies and procedures, finances and organizational goals. Through the process, students develop the structure and plans needed to turn their interests into functioning campus organizations.

Student Activities also considers whether a proposed organization is different from groups already on campus. If a similar organization exists, students must explain what would make their group different. 

“I want them to bring their passion to campus,” Dunlap said. 

By the end of the process, organizations must have at least 10 members and a TCU faculty or staff advisor to be approved. First-semester students and students in their final semester are not eligible to start an organization, Dunlap said. 

For Women in Law, creating a new organization came from the founders’ experiences navigating the law school process. 

Junior environmental studies major Anna Claire Lindow, a co-founder of Women in Law, said she and senior psychology major Mika Kovacs, the organization’s other co-founder, are first-generation aspiring lawyers who struggled to find clear information about preparing for law school and pursuing a legal career.

Lindow said existing resources provided information about law school but did not always explain the practical steps students needed to take, including LSAT preparation, application timelines, personal essays and networking. 

“We decided that an organization with everything a student would need all in one place is exactly what this campus needed,” Lindow said. 

Lindow said other pre-law organizations, including Mock Trial, Moot Court, Speech and Debate and Model United Nations, provide extracurricular and competitive opportunities for students. Women in Law focuses on helping students understand and navigate the process of preparing for and applying to law school. 

Lindow said she and Kovacs wanted to create a community for women interested in entering the legal profession. She said connecting with women who have experience in the legal field can help students build confidence as they prepare for their careers. 

The founders of Be Well,  Lauren Sullivan and Anna Rosenberg, both sophomore strategic communication majors, created their organization after identifying what they saw as a gap on campus. 

“I wanted to create a wellness club because I realized we didn’t have a place where people could come together on the weekends to reset, de-stress and slow down,” Sullivan said. 

Be Well offers activities including group walks, yoga, meditation, journaling and other wellness events. 

Sullivan said the organization encourages students to take time for themselves while also giving them opportunities to meet people with similar interests.

“It’s not only about physical wellness, but more importantly about creating connections and supporting your overall well-being,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan had been thinking about creating Be Well for about a year before starting the organization with Rosenberg. The organization hopes to eventually offer nutrition classes, speaker events and partnerships with local businesses.

Dunlap said students who start organizations often recognize something they want to have at TCU and decide to create it themselves.

For Sullivan and Rosenberg, that meant creating a space where students can prioritize their well-being while building connections with others.