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RUSU CLUBS & SOCIEITIES INFORMATION - Basic info – 2011
How to set up a new RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) affiliated student club.
NOTE: RUSU supports academic, social, political, cultural and academic RMIT Student clubs. RMIT LINK supports sports and arts clubs.
Some basic info about setting up a RUSU affiliated RMIT Student Club through RUSU:
1. The RUSU Constitution allows RUSU to affiliate compatible RMIT Student groups through the RUSU Clubs & Societies Department. This
process and the Department are administered on a day to day basis by the C&S Officer who is a RUSU staff member. An elected Student
Clubs & Societies Officer represents the C&S Department at the RUSU Council.
2. A RUSU Affiliated Club must be a not for profit, unincorporated entity.
3. A RUSU affiliated Club will have access to RUSU C&S Financial Grants. These grants are subsidies intended to support increased quality of
student life on campus. The aim of these subsidies is to increase cultural, recreational and political level of discourse on campus for students
within and between programs. RUSU C&S Grants cannot be used for curricular needs such as textbooks, lecture notes, clothing and computer
equipment. Clubs cannot use RUSU grant money to pay its’ Office Bearers or Member’s incentives like expense accounts, fees, wages or one
off amounts.
4. Most Grants are paid as reimbursements - they are paid after the Club event. This requires careful planning, particularly around budgeting.
Clubs need to provide receipts of spending and, if the Grant is for a function, signed Attendance Lists. Grant Applications must be lodged at
least 48 hours BEFORE the event and require the Club to include their estimated function budget (projected expenses and income). Receipts
and Attendance Lists must then be lodged within 48 hours AFTER the event. The Grant is then processed if it is approved.
5. Grants are paid on a “first come, first served basis” – Clubs & Societies Grant funds are limited and cannot be guaranteed.
6. Any monetary sponsorship to a club from external sources must initially be paid to RUSU which will then transfer the funds to the Club account.
This enables the sponsors to claim the donated amount as a tax deduction and the clubs to avoid having to pay GST on the donation. Clubs
must sign a letter requesting RUSU draw up the invoice. This is coordinated by the C&S Officer.
7. A RUSU affiliated Club must have at least 10 founding members willing to include their details and signature on the members list in the Clubs
& Societies Affiliation Pack. This list of 10 founding members must include the four students nominated/elected as the Club’s Office Bearers.
8. A RUSU affiliated Club must adopt a Constitution acceptable to RUSU - most clubs adopt a Model Constitution which is available from the C&S
Department. The Constitution sets down the aims and the rules of the Club.
9. RUSU cannot affiliate two clubs with the same aims and objectives. The RUSU C&S Officer can assist proposed clubs determine if a similar
club already exist and how to address any problems around this.
10. The Club must elect or appoint four (4) Office Bearers (OB's) - a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. At least two of those OBs
must be financial members of RUSU before the Club can be affiliated to RUSU and be eligible for RUSU Grants. RUSU Membership info is
available on our web page.
11. The Club must decide which two OB's are to be signatories to the Club bank account (a Society cheque account).
12. When the above actions and the Affiliation forms are completed, the Club must then make an appointment to meet with the C&S Officer. The
Club’s bank account signatories must attend this meeting at which the C&S Officer will check the Clubs' aims to make sure they are not the
same as any existing Club and that the Club’s aims are consistent with RUSU’s aims and objectives. Other RUSU requirements including the
RUSU Financial membership of least two of the Clubs OBs are also checked at thismeeting.
13. Once the Club meets with the C&S Officer and all requirements are met, the C&S Officer will sign the required banking forms and send the
Club’s bank account signatories to the bank to arrange the Club’s Society cheque book account. Accounts are to be opened at the RMIT
Branch of the Commonwealth Bank. The signatories must have 100 points of identification in order to open the account and be listed as
signatories.
14. Once the bank account is established, the Club returns the original Affiliation documents to the C&S Officer and provides details of the Club’s
bank account. A copy of the Affiliation documents is made for Clu’s own records and the initial Establishment Grant of $50 is placed in the Club
account.
15. The C&S Officer then works with the Club to set up its' section on the RUSU web page including a logo, contact details and web links the Club
wants to include etc..
16. Affiliation is valid from for a year from November to November regardless of which month a club affiliates. Clubs must complete the Affiliation
Pack yearly which will involve changing signatories to the Club bank account if new Office Bearers are elected or appointed.
 This document should be read in conjunction with the RUSU C&S Affiliation Pack, Model Constitution and Grant information.
For further information, please email Jacqueline Out, the RUSU C&S Officer (Staff member) on
jacqueline.out@rmit.edu.au
RMIT Building 8.3 Swanston St Melbourne