Start a New RUSU Club for 2022

RUSU is proud to represent the needs of a unique, ever-changing, and diverse student body at RMIT. Our Clubs and Societies (C&S) Department is dedicated to helping students explore their social, professional, political, spiritual, and cultural identities by supporting a wide array of campus clubs.  Starting and running a club can be challenging - but it is worthwhile. And, it can also be a lot of fun and a great way to develop a range of skills and make a long-term contribution to the RMIT student experience - some of our clubs are over 50 years old!

Introduction

• Affiliation to RUSU is how a RUSU category club becomes recognised as an official RMIT club and accesses the resources and support that comes with being a RUSU Club. Affiliation lasts for one year/two semesters. 
• Timelines do apply - see the final section of this page for the timeline*. 
• After an initial informal assessment, if the new club idea is supported, it will be offered the opportunity to apply for "Provisional Affiliation" (PROV). This gets the new club "on the books", gives it the right to use "RMIT" in its' name and the time & support to sign up the minimum number of members required to call and hold its Inaugural General Meeting (IGM). See the "PPOV APPLICATION PROCESS" below for details. 
• For new club ideas that will be linked to external organisations, the assessment will include a review of how the club will be linked to the organisation and whether the external organisation's rules and requirements for the club will be consistent with RUSU's requirements. 
• Four (4) continuing RMIT students must put their names to a PROV application and there are restrictions on final year students applying to start new clubs.
• If the PROV is approved, the PROV must sign up at least 20 Full Members (these will be enrolled RMIT students although some clubs will have extra conditions for Full Membership). IMPORTANT - Sign-ups must be taken electronically and gather some key info about members. RUSU Clubs will provide detail to PROV leaders about this. 
• Only enrolled RMIT Students who are Full Members of their club may hold elected leadership positions in RUSU Clubs, vote on club decisions, etc. 
• With PROV approved and at least the minimum 20 Full Members membership signed up,  the PROV may call its Inaugural General Meeting (IGM). It is at the club's IGM that the new club formally establishes itself. The RUSU Clubs Department provides the templates & instructions required. 
  • The IGM involves voting to approve the club Name, Aims, Constitution (which includes the Membership & Board of Management structures), Membership Fee structure, the election of the inaugural Executive Members of the Board of Management, the set up of the club bank account & the club's activity plan for the year (outline of what it will do). 
• A PROV club becomes "Fully Affiliated" when it has held its' IGM & the newly elected club leadership team provides RUSU Clubs Dept with a signed copy of the Minutes (written record) of the IGM, attendance list and approved Constitution, etc.  The elected Executive leadership team also needs to complete some online forms (the "Affiliation Document").
• The Clubs Department then assists the Fully Affiliated Club to set up its' official club bank account, get an RMIT email, be included on all the relevant lists so it can access a range of University & RUSU resources, facilitate the club leaders' access to training & information & much more! 
• Towards the end of the final affiliation semester, each club leadership team must call & hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for their club. At RUSU Club AGMs, the outgoing leadership team presents annual reports, the RMIT Student members attending elect the club's leadership team for the following affiliation cycle and approves the club's next annual activity plan (the plan of what the club is going to do - its' events and activities), etc.
• General Meetings (meetings to which all members of a club must be invited) must be held during the academic year. For RUSU Clubs purposes (slightly extended due to the impact of COVID-19), the academic year is defined as between the first day of Higher Ed (University) Orientation and the Friday after the release of Semester 2 final results. Clubs must provide their members with at least one week's notice (by email to student email accounts) of IGMs and 2 weeks for all other General Meetings. 
• IMPORTANT: There is a range of reasons why RUSU may not accept a new club application or re-affiliate a previously affiliated club. Please refer to Section 4.10.6 (page 26) of the RMIT Student Union Regulations for further detail - https://rusu.rmit.edu.au/regulations
• *PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Timelines and processes may change so please always check this page to make sure you keep up to date. 

PROV APPLICATION PROCESS

1. If you haven't already, please read through all sections of this "Start a Club" page. 
2. Make sure your new club idea isn't already a club or sits with the RMIT's Sports and Creative clubs - you can link to all three categories of clubs through https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/life-and-work-opportunities/clubs-and-societies  If you do this and are still unsure, please contact us at rusu.clubs@rmit.edu.au for advice.
3. Familiarise yourselves with the RUSU Regulations about Clubs (Section 4.10 starting on Page 20) - the "Basics" are outlined on this webpage but the full Section has greater detail https://rusu.rmit.edu.au/regulations
4. Read through the RUSU Clubs Model Constitution paying particular attention to the membership options and the Board of Management structure and responsibilities - if your club idea is supported, you will need to make some decisions around these. A copy can be found here 
5. Make sure all members of the PROV applicant group have read the RUSU Clubs Code of Conduct and agree to follow it. You will find a copy here. 
6. If you believe your idea sits with RUSU,  would meet RUSU's requirements and you and your team are willing to do your best to establish this club in line with all requirements, please email the RUSU Clubs Department at rusu.clubs@rmit.edu.au to introduce yourselves (team of four) and give a basic outline of your new club idea - its' aims,  what it would do (its' events & activities), and how it would benefit RMIT students. 
7. The Clubs Department will review your information and confirm if RUSU can support your new club idea (screening process). You may be asked to clarify and refine your ideas -  this can take several weeks. 
8. If RUSU can support your new club idea, you will be invited to begin the formal process of starting a new RUSU Club. This involves: 
   • 1) Making a formal application for PROV (via an online form). The link to the online form is provided directly to the applicant group by the RUSU Clubs Department Staff Member assisting.  Info provided in the formal PROV application reflects the new club information initially provided to and (where needed) refined in collaboration with the Clubs Department. If it is approved, and in line with the minimum membership requirements and the timeline (below),  the PROV will proceed to: 
   • 2) If the PROV is approved, and in line with the minimum membership requirements and the timeline (below),  the Clubs Department will assist the PROV to complete its' Inaugural (first) Full Affiliation process (calling & holding the IGM, etc). 

• If a PROV is not approved, the Clubs Department will provide feedback and, where possible, assist the students to make another application. 
• Previously existing clubs that have not maintained their annual affiliation (lapsed clubs) may also need to follow the new club process to re-activate the club. Email us at rusu.clubs@rmit.edu.au to find out. 
• Please note that new club capacity to operate in a COVID-19 safer environment and meet ongoing safety/risk management approvals is part of the assessment process for new/returning lapsed clubs

New Club Timeline

• The formal online Provisional (PROV) application form must be submitted by the end of each month. They will be considered by key Student Council members the following week (except for applications received in December - these will be deferred until February).
• The last round for calendar year PROV applications each year is the end of March of that year (for consideration in April). Supported new club inquiries not ready to submit their PROV form for that intake are supported to be part of the midyear intake (open April to July) or for the following calendar year intake (beginning September).  
• Club General Meetings must be held during the Higher Education (HE) academic year. For RUSU Clubs purposes (slightly extended due to the impact of COVID-19), the academic year is defined as between the first day of Higher Ed (University) Semester 1 Orientation and the Friday after the release of Semester 2 final results. 
• New clubs that (for example), managed to hold their IGM in October to become registered for next year, could become active immediately. However,  the club's inaugural elected leadership team must be continuing enrolment at RMIT next year and the club might not receive any RUSU funding until the new year begins. 
• Only fully affiliated clubs may participate in University and RUSU events such as Orientation/Welcome Week, Clubs Days, etc (whether the events are online or in-person)