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(1) This Procedure details the process by which: (2) HESF: 7.2 Information for Prospective and Current Students (3) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth) (5) This Procedure does not apply to: (6) Affiliation: A formal recognition by Victoria University that allows Student Groups to access resources, funding, and institutional support. Examples include but are not limited to Clubs, College Societies, and Student Associations. (7) Club: a group of people who share a common objective, interest or involvement in an activity. These types of groups may be categorised as Religious & Spiritual Groups, Academic Groups, Hobby & Special Interest Groups, Cultural Groups, Community Groups (8) College Society: A Student Group dedicated to representing students enrolled in a particular college of the university. (9) Executive members: Office holders of Student Groups who have been elected to Executive positions in accordance with their relevant Student Group’s Constitution. (10) General Committee Positions: Office holders of students groups who have been appointment to a general role to support the Executive Committee in the operation of the club which may have specific duties determined by the Executive. (11) Student Association: a Student Group which represents students belonging to a particular cohort connected to their enrolment. (12) Student Group members: the VU Students, Staff, Alumni and General Public who have filled in the official Student Groups Membership form. (13) Student Groups: VU associated groups of students and/or VU-affiliated groups (VU Clubs, VU College Societies, and VU Student Associations). All types of these organisations will be defined as “Student Groups” and will be typically chartered to provide an opportunity for students to be involved in leadership activities, engage with their fellow students and other members of the University community. They are intended to advance the education and/or student experience. (15) Prospective Student Groups should contact the Clubs Officer in the Student Life & Leadership Team to express their interest in establishing an affiliated Student Group. The Clubs Officer will advise if there is already an affiliated Student Group that services the purposes of the proposed VU Club, VU College Society or VU Association. (16) Prospective Student Groups will need at least ten currently enrolled student members to be eligible for affiliation. (17) The Clubs Officer will support the prospective Student Group to set up and run an Inaugural General Meeting. (18) Quorum for the IGM must be at min 6 of the members. Any student who wishes to be nominated for an executive position must be present at the meeting or represented by a proxy person. (19) In order to be eligible for affiliation or re-affiliation, a Student Group must: (20) The Clubs Officer or VUSU General Secretary will consult with the applicant group if further information is required to consider the application. (21) Once all necessary information has been received, the Clubs Officer or VUSU General Secretary will, on behalf of the Manager, Student Life and Leadership, determine whether the affiliation criteria has been met. The Clubs Officer or VUSU General Secretary will refer applications to the Manager, Student Life and Leadership for determination where it is unclear whether the affiliation criteria have been met. (22) The Student Group must complete an Inaugural General Meeting to: (23) The Clubs Officer will advise the Club about their affiliation outcome via email within 10 days once completed application and supporting documents being received. The VUSU General Secretary will advise College Societies and Student Associations of their affiliation outcome within 10 days via email once completed application and supporting documents being received. (24) Unless renewed prior, affiliation of the Student Group will end on 1 December each year. (25) Executive and General committee members of affiliated Student Groups must attend the compulsory Student Group induction training held by the Student Life & Leadership Team, as well as undertake any relevant additional training modules as prescribed by VU. Failure to complete the compulsory training will disqualify the Student Group from receiving funding or running approved events and activities. (26) Student Groups must run at minimum 4 member events across the academic year, Student Groups who affiliate after Sem 2/Block 1/Week 1 must deliver a minimum 2 member events in the academic year. (27) Clubs must register their activities with the Clubs Program in accordance with the Clubs Guide Handbook. (28) An online registration platform must be used to register participants details prior to the event or on the day of the event. This list must be made available to the Clubs Officer/VUSU General Secretary and VU Security upon request. The registration platform must record at minimum participants name, membership type, and contact number. These details cannot be shared beyond the Student Group Executive or other parties named above. (29) In the event of a vacancy in an Executive position, or if Executive members are swapping positions after affiliation or re-affiliation has already occurred for the year, the Executive committee will be required to hold a Special General Meeting (SGM) to elect a student into the vacant position, or to ratify the swapping of positions until the next AGM is held. If the nominated student is uncontested, they will be automatically appointed to the position. If more than one student is nominated for the position, a ballot vote (secret or otherwise) will take place and a majority vote will decide. The vacancy must not be left open for more than six weeks, otherwise the Student Group’s affiliation status will lapse. (30) Affiliated Student Groups must include the unmodified VU and/or VUSU logo and the SSAF statement in all communications and material produced by the Student Group, and all Student Group collateral using the VU Brand must be approved by the Clubs Officer or VUSU President before publishing. (31) Affiliated Student Groups must create a dedicated email account from which they can communicate with their members. The email address must show association with VU (for instance: ‘vuclubname@gmail.com’ or ‘vucollegesocietyname@gmail.com or ‘vuassociationname@gmail.com’). (32) Student Group members’ details can be provided to the Clubs Officer, but not be provided to anyone else without the individual’s express consent. When emailing Student Group Members, the bcc function must be used. (33) Affiliated Student Groups must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in accordance with their relevant Student Group’s Constitution, and resolve to apply for re-affiliation prior to 1 December, otherwise affiliation will lapse. (34) Following the AGM, Student Groups must record the executives’ details on the Student Executives Registration Form, adopt and sign the constitution and submit this, the list of members details for the next Student Groups term and the AGM minutes, to; the Clubs Officer for Clubs; or VUSU General Secretary for College Societies and Associations; within 10 business days to complete the re-affiliation process. (35) For Clubs, the President and Treasurer must make an appointment with the Club Officer to change over the bank signatories. For College Societies and Student Associations, the executives must make an appointment with the VUSU Executive Officer. (36) All executive and general committee members of Student Groups must register for the annual clubs training session. (37) If a Student Group does not apply for re-affiliation prior to 1 December, affiliation will lapse and they will be considered to have disaffiliated from that date, unless they have contacted the Clubs Team prior and received an extension. (38) For Clubs, the Clubs Officer will email the Executive members to notify them that affiliation has lapsed. For College Societies and Student Associations, the VUSU General Secretary will email the Executive members to notify them that affiliation has lapsed. (39) Where an affiliated Student Group breaches a condition or conditions of affiliation, they may be disaffiliated by VU. (40) Where an affiliated Club has breached or appears to have breached an affiliation condition, the Clubs Officer will meet with the Executive members to seek their response(s) in relation to the alleged breach. Where an affiliated College Society or Student Association has breached or appears to have breached an affiliation condition, the VUSU General Secretary will meet with the Executive members to seek their response(s) in relation to the alleged breach. (41) Depending on the nature/severity of the alleged breach, and the response from the Executive member(s), the Clubs Officer or VUSU General Secretary may: (42) If the Manager, Student Life & Leadership or VUSU President is satisfied that a breach has occurred, they may disaffiliate the Student Group and must provide written notice of this decision to the Executive members of the Student Group. (43) The Executive may seek a review of this decision within 10 business days by contacting the Chief Student Officer, Student Services and Administration. The Chief Student Officer will consider the matter and provide their response within 10 business days. (44) Where a Student Group is disaffiliated, it must meet with the Clubs Officer/VUSU Executive Officer as soon as practicable to ensure that the following occurs within 10 business days: (45) Once disaffiliated, the Student Group must not hold itself out to be connected to VU. (46) College Societies and Student Associations funding is allocated through the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) Consultative Committee and managed by a Funding Agreement between VUSU and VU. (47) VUSU will determine the allocation of funds to College Societies through the mechanisms outlined in the VUSU Constitution as adopted by the VUSU Board. (48) College Societies and Student Associations will only be eligible to receive funding through VUSU, not from Student Life & Leadership . Funding will be subject to the VUSU budget for the allocated year. (49) As part of the affiliation process for College Societies and Student Associations, the VUSU Executive Officer will assist the Executive members to set up an approved bank account. The bank account must list an approved VU staff member as an administrator and all funds received by the College Society or Student Association must be deposited into the approved bank account. (50) As part of the re-affiliation process for College Societies and Student Associations, the VUSU Executive Officer and the outgoing Executive members will assist the incoming Executive members to update access to the College Society or Student Association bank account. (51) As part of the training/induction process for newly affiliated Student Groups, the Clubs Officer will assist the Executive members to set up an approved Student Group bank account. The VU Student Group’s bank account must list the Clubs Officer as an administrator and all funds received by the VU Student Group must be deposited into the approved Student Group bank account. (52) As part of the re-affiliation process for Clubs, the Clubs Officer and the outgoing Executive members will assist the incoming Executive members to update access to the Club bank account. (53) There are three main types of funding that VU Clubs may receive from VU: (54) Funding will be subject to the Student Life Student Group budget for the allocated year. (55) For Clubs, funding may be requested via the Activity Registration form, email, or Special Event Funding Grant Application. Participation funding will be distributed directly to the clubs account post the participation event. (56) The Clubs Officer will determine whether to grant the funds in full or in part within 5 working days of receiving the request. (57) If approved, the funds will be deposited into the VU Clubs nominated bank account as soon as reasonably practicable and generally within 10 working days from the date of the decision. (58) For College Societies or Student Associations, these groups must complete a VUSU Motion form and attend a VUSU Board Meeting to present the Motion and discuss their proposed budget. (59) The VUSU Board will determine whether to grant requested funds in full or in part during the Board Meeting. The VUSU General Secretary will provide Board Meeting minutes including details of all tabled Motions to the VUSU Executive Officer. (60) If approved, the VUSU Executive Officer will deposit funds into the approved bank account as soon as reasonably practicable and generally within 10 business days from the date of receipt of the VUSU Board Meeting Minutes from the VUSU General Secretary. (61) Funding is conditional upon: (62) Affiliated Student Groups may charge their members an annual membership fee of minimum $5 per annum. (63) The annual membership fee, and the date on which it is due, will be set by the Student Group in accordance with their relevant Student Group Constitution. (64) The Student Group Secretary must keep a register of members’ details, which shows the date on which each member paid their membership fee (if applicable) and provide this information to the Student Group Treasurer and to the Clubs Officer and VUSU Executive upon request. (65) Student Groups may raise funds from external parties (e.g. corporate sponsorship) only with the prior written consent of the Clubs Officer and/or VUSU General Secretary. (66) In accordance with the Student Groups Leadership and Representation Policy, all members must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to seeking or obtaining external funding. (67) Student Groups must not engage in event sponsorship arrangements with any entity that is involved with any of the following: (68) In accordance with SSAF legislation and guidelines, Student Groups must not use club funds to subsidise non-member participation in events and activities. Non-members must be charged cost-price or greater for participation in club activities. In the circumstance that no club funding is used for an event, non-members must make a min of gold coin donation to attend the event or activity. (69) All funds (including membership fees) received by the Student Group must be paid into the Student Group’s approved bank account within 10 business days, with the exception of a maximum cash float of fifty dollars ($50) to be retained in the cash box provided by VU. (70) Receipts must be kept for each transaction, including membership fees. Receipt books will be provided to each Student Group to assist with record keeping. (71) Money must be immediately repaid/reimbursed to VU if the money: (72) The financial year for Student Groups is from November 1 to October 31 of the following year. (73) Each VU Student Group will be audited on dates set by the Clubs Officer/VUSU Executive Officer. This is to ensure the financial integrity of each affiliated VU Student Group at VU. Each Student Group must comply with any reasonable direction given to it by VU to enable this to occur. (74) The following will need to be provided to the auditors by the date set by the Clubs Officer/VUSU Executive Officer:Student Groups Leadership and Representation - Student Group Establishment, Affiliation and Funding Procedure
Section 1 - Summary
Top of PageSection 2 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
Section 3 - Scope
Top of PageSection 4 - Definitions
Section 5 - Policy/Regulation
Top of PageSection 6 - Procedures
Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
Roles
Responsibilities
Manager, Student Life & Leadership
disaffiliate a Club where a breach of affiliation conditions has occurred and give notice to Club Executive members
Clubs Officer
advise prospective Student Groups if there is already an existing Student Group that services the proposed purpose
VUSU Executive Officer
assist College Societies and Student Associations with setting up and managing bank accounts including timely processing of approved funding applications
arrange annual financial audits for College Societies and Student Associations
VUSU President
investigate and respond to alleged breaches of VU Policy and Procedures by College Societies or Student Associations
disaffiliate a College Society or Student Association where a breach of affiliation conditions has occurred and give notice to the Student Group’s Executive members
VUSU General Secretary
review College Society and Student Association affiliation requests
inform College Societies and Student Associations of the outcome of affiliation process
approve funding applications and requests to set up external sponsorship for College Societies and Student Associations
receive regular post-activity reports from College Societies and Student Associations
VUSU Board
authorise funding requests for College Societies and Student Associations through Motions at monthly Board Meetings
VUSU Grievance Officer
facilitate in the resolution of any College Society or Student Association grievance in accordance with the Student Charter Policy.
Part B - Establishment
Part C - Affiliation and Re-affiliation
Conditions of Affiliation
misconduct within the last 12 months;
Induction, Training, Events & Other Obligations
Student Group Communications
Renewing Affiliation
Disaffiliation
Lapsed Affiliation
Breach of Affiliation Condition(s)
Obligations upon Disaffiliation
Part D - VU Club and VUSU College Society Funding
VUSU College Society Funding
VU Clubs – Funding and Support from Victoria University
Membership numbers
Affiliation Funding
Up to 15
$200
Up to 25
$500
Up to 50
$700
Over 50
$1000
Status
100 % of allocated funding for next club term
90% of allocated funding for next club term
70% of allocated funding for next club term
50% of allocated funding for next club term
Current Club
Re-affiliated by Dec 1 X
Current Club
Re-affiliated after Dec 1 but before S1/B1/W4
X
Current Club
Re-affiliated after S1/B1/W4
X
New Clubs affiliated by S1/B1/W4
X
New Club
Affiliated after S1/B1/W4 but before S1/B2/W4
X
New Club affiliated after S1/B2/W4 but before S1/B4/W4
X
New Club affiliated after S1/B4/W4
but before S2/B2/ W1
X
Accessing Funding
Conditions of Funding
Fundraising from Other Sources
Membership Fees
Fundraising and Sponsorship
Funding activities and events for non-members
Part E - Managing Student Group Funding
Fund Management
Auditing