This document discusses challenges facing clubs at the University of Ottawa and proposes solutions to improve communication between clubs and the student federation (SFUO). It identifies issues with the current funding and reimbursement systems, inefficiencies in the SFUO clubs department, and difficulties clubs face in promoting opportunities to students. Solutions proposed include implementing an advanced funding system, increasing staff support for the clubs department, creating a detailed online directory of clubs, and providing clubs with education on outreach strategies. Campus Vibez, the organization that authored the report, offers to assist the SFUO by volunteering staff and sharing the clubs database they have already created.

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Clubs and Communication: Improving
uOttawa’s Clubs System
A Report Presented To the Incoming 2015-2016 SFUO Executive by:
Campus Vibez uOttawa
March 9, 2015
Introduction
We, the student members of Campus Vibez uOttawa, have created this report to bring to
light a number of challenges clubs, societies, teams, and other student groups are currently
facing, and to suggest solutions that will improve extracurricular activities at the University of
Ottawa on the whole. The main focus of this report is improving communication between

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extracurricular groups and the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), as well as
communications between extracurricular groups and students. We have also included some
suggestions to improve the clubs system in general, which we present based on our
communications with clubs and their executives. The ideas we have proposed reflect the spirit of
cooperation that we carry out in our regular operations with the thirty-five uOttawa
extracurricular groups currently working with us as of this report’s creation.
In addition to this report, Campus Vibez uOttawa offers the SFUO our services in
meeting the challenges we have outlined, and we would like to collaborate with the SFUO in
promoting clubs on campus in the coming years.
Part 1: Funding
Clubs at the University of Ottawa have benefitted from SFUO funding, yet we believe the
system can be amended to make the process of funding and reimbursement more efficient to
offer clubs greater support while saving the SFUO money and resources.
TheChallenges
University of Ottawa students on club executives are finding it difficult to request
funding because it often requires them to use existing club funds, or in some cases, their own
money to pay for their expenses until they can be reimbursed by the SFUO. Not only does
personal financial sacrifice defeat the purpose of an extracurricular activity, but the
reimbursement process is extremely inefficient, as an executive member of one of the clubs we
work with informed us of an instance where a club executive was not reimbursed for six months
after the club requested funding, which cost the individual a considerable financial burden. Many
clubs cannot afford to pay for an event in the first place, which makes reimbursement
inaccessible for the clubs who are most in need of funding. Only the clubs that have extensive
funds to work with can truly benefit from the current system.
The parameters of SFUO funding are also a cause for concern. The current system does
not fund clubs’ equipment, which restricts the ability of clubs to function. A hypothetical
example of this is a club where student members meet regularly to practice their soccer skills.
Since the SFUO does not fund equipment, and if the students have no extra money to contribute
to the club, the club would not be able to even buy a soccer ball, which would render it
impossible for the club to operate. As a result, this club would most likely be forced to fold. For
clubs to be successful in their endeavours, some sort of funding option needs to be established
for clubs’ equipment.
Solutions
In order for the SFUO to allocate funding that helps clubs most in need, we propose that
an advance funding system for clubs be added to the existing system as an alternative option, or
replace the existing reimbursement system altogether. An advanced funding system would allow
clubs to operate without requiring large amounts of pre-existing funds, and it would limit the

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need for students who are dedicated to uOttawa’s extracurricular community to front the costs of
clubs themselves.
Of course, advance funding would require a number of specifications to prevent clubs
from running up the SFUO’s budget. We believe this can be done effectively by having clubs
justify the reasons for funding, and providing detailed financial information in regards to costs in
addition to handing in receipts after. Another option would be for the SFUO to make the
purchases themselves in certain instances, such as booking venues and catering services for
events. Reasons for funding could be reviewed by an SFUO committee1 or the Clubs
Coordinator, yet the former could make the process slower and the latter could overburden the
Club Coordinator, which is why we believe the best option would be increasing the staff that
deals with clubs, be it by hiring them or accepting volunteers, so funding requests can be looked
at individually within a competent organizational structure.
The alternative to advanced funding would be to make the reimbursement process more
efficient. Though this would still prompt students to spend their own funds, at least they will be
reimbursed within a short time, say in one month instead of six. This can be done by expanding
the staff helping the Clubs Coordinator as discussed above. However, less wealthy clubs will still
have trouble getting funding.
To meet the need for clubs to have equipment funded while not costing the SFUO
considerable funds, we believe that a differentiation has to be made between necessary and
supplementary funding. Necessary funding would be like the soccer ball in the example we used
above, for without it, the soccer club would not be able to fulfill its basic operations.
Supplementary funding would include resources like a popcorn machine for fundraising, or a
fifth ball for the soccer club. Allotting clubs funding for necessary equipment will allow clubs to
operate with greater efficiency that will enrich the overall extracurricular community at the
University of Ottawa. However, we would also like to point out that since each club is allotted a
certain amount of funding each year, they should be able to use that funding on both necessary
and supplementary equipment, but greater priority should be placed on necessary funding so
clubs can meet their basic functions without having students taking on the financial burdens.
Supplementary funding, while not as crucial, is still greatly beneficial as it allows clubs to build
their infrastructure in order to increase the effectiveness of their activities.
If equipment is funded, we would also like to make evident our ideas about how the
SFUO can save money in the long run while retaining some of their investments in clubs. This
would involve making a regulation that everything the SFUO purchases for clubs becomes
property of the SFUO. This would make more sense in an advanced funding system, yet
regardless, it would allow the SFUO to retain and reuse some of the equipment it purchases. For
example, if the soccer club decides to fold five years after its founding, it would return all of its
funded equipment to the SFUO, and the equipment would be stored until another club needs it.
Having the SFUO take ownership of the equipment it funds will also prompt clubs to take utmost
care with their funded resources so they can be returned to the SFUO in good condition. The
SFUO could also reallocate its retained club resources to help out in its own events and
1 This is done to a degree in the current system, but it is only in emergency circumstances,and clubs
working with us have informed us that this process is extremely inefficient.

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operations. This regulation would save the SFUO, and therefore students, money by fostering the
reuse of funded equipment.
In summary, we believe an ideal funding system for clubs would include advanced
funding, a larger staff, funding for equipment, and SFUO ownership of resources it funds for the
purpose of reinvesting these resources back into the extracurricular community. These solutions
will alleviate, or at least substantially limit the inability of less-wealthy clubs to receive funding,
and the necessity of students taking on clubs’ financial burdens.
Part 2: Efficiency
We maintain that an integral part of effective communication with clubs requires an
efficient SFUO clubs department. In this section, we outline efficiency-related challenges
currently facing clubs, and propose ideas that will help make the SFUO clubs department operate
more smoothly, which will greatly benefit both clubs and the SFUO.
TheChallenges
Perhaps the most serious challenge facing the current clubs system’s efficiency is its
untimely nature. Clubs have become increasingly frustrated with communications that have
taken much longer than necessary, and many of their queries have not been answered at all. This
is a recurring theme with many of the clubs we work with, and while we have alluded to this in
our above suggestion to increase the staff of the clubs department, the situation is much broader
than funding, for it encompasses everyday relations between clubs and the SFUO, from
submitting the initial documents to become an official club, to constitution reviews, funding, and
general questions. From the clubs we work with, we have heard a repetition of similar stories
involving unanswered emails, misplaced documents, delayed recognition of official club status,
and even little things like clubs not being mentioned in the SFUO website’s clubs directory. In
order for communication in the clubs system to improve, this challenge has to be addressed.
We understand that the role of the clubs department is vital to effective communication
between clubs and the SFUO, and we believe that the current SFUO staff tasked with managing
the clubs system faces a great burden of work that is impossible for a single university student to
tackle. In the current system, a Clubs Coordinator is hired under the leadership of the Vice
President, Equity to manage virtually the entire clubs system. Even though the Clubs Assistant
position has been added this school year, it becomes obvious why the clubs system is so
backlogged, because two people are in charge of the entire department. An example we like to
use to describe this challenge is the ratification of club constitutions. Club constitutions range
from upwards of three pages each, and must be analyzed carefully to check for discrepancies.
Every year, new clubs send in their constitutions for ratification, and existing clubs resend theirs
in ensure the SFUO has an up to date copy. It is important that these constitutions be reviewed
fairly quickly, so new clubs can be recognized and existing clubs can renew their club status.
This means that the two people in the clubs department are barraged with three hundred
constitutions every September. If each constitution takes a half hour to analyze in detail, this

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means these two individuals will have to spend seventy-five hours reviewing club constitutions.2
While the clubs department staff are already busy meeting with club executives, communicating
with clubs through email, and handling funding and other relevant documentation, it would
naturally take them months to complete constitution reviews. The fact that the clubs department
is understaffed directly contributes to the communications related problems of the clubs system.
Solutions
To increase the efficiency of communication between the SFUO and clubs, as well as to
improve the clubs department in all other areas, we believe that the clubs department staff has to
be enlarged to meet the immense demands the department requires. We suggest that a team of
ten hardworking students would be able to handle the task. There are many ways to go about this
increase in personnel, for the extra staff could be hired and paid for their services, or volunteers
could be recruited, paid not with money but with hours that count toward their extracurricular or
co-curricular record, and recommendation letters from the VP Equity. A third approach would
involve giving volunteers tuition credits. A team of ten people would condense the time spent on
reviewing constitutions to be seven and a half hours each instead of seventy-five, which would
make the process much more efficient.
This staff will have to put a major priority on maintaining effective communication with
clubs. This would include timely, same day responses to clubs’ emails. We also include forms of
indirect communication in this idea, such as routine weekly updating of the SFUO clubs
directory, as well as detailed folders recording all interactions between each club and the SFUO
if it is not already done so, for these aspects of efficiency let clubs know that the SFUO is
looking out for their interests and values their contributions to the extracurricular community.
Phone calls and physical meetings between SFUO staff and club executives have to be
informative, transparent, and positive. Staff members should have access to each club’s files so
they can realize clubs’ situations and propose effective solutions. Clubs should not be turned
away from the clubs office because the staff is too busy, but the office should always be a
welcoming and helpful place for all uOttawa clubs.
We also believe that clubs should be able to file formal complaints to the SFUO if they
are unsatisfied with the clubs department staff and services. This form of documentation is a
critical form of communication between the SFUO and clubs that needs to be established, as it
would build trust between the two parties and would ensure that efficiency is being maintained.
If a substantial amount of complaints are filed, the SFUO could decide which action to take.
Clubs need to be clearly informed of their option to file complaints, and complaints should not
go to the clubs department staff to maintain confidentiality. Above all, instituting a complaint
option for clubs would allow the SFUO to use complaints as feedback to continuously improve
the clubs system.
In terms of volunteers, Campus Vibez uOttawa gladly offers its services in assisting the
SFUO with this process. Our members work with clubs on a regular basis and we understand the
challenges clubs face. We would be able to maintain timely communications with clubs, as we
2 This is calculated on the assumption of three hundred clubs beingin existence at the University of
Ottawa.

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already do with the thirty-five we currently work with, and our experience would ensure a
smooth transition from the current clubs system to whatever new form it takes. Campus Vibez
uOttawa’s direct participation in the clubs system could render the need for a Clubs Coordinator
obsolete, which would allow the SFUO to invest the money that would have been spent on the
Clubs Coordinator’s salary directly into the clubs system to increase the quality of the clubs
department. We would also be happy to work with or under a Clubs Coordinator, although we
believe this would be unnecessary since we could directly report to the VP Equity. We can be a
direct link between the SFUO and students that is dedicated to improving communication
between the two parties, just like we do with clubs and students. We would not only be able to
implement the roles of the clubs department efficiently, but we will also bring to the table our
experience and skills in working with clubs and promoting their initiatives to students, which we
will discuss in more detail below.
Part 3: Clubs and Students
We will now outline the challenges that prevent clubs from informing students of the
extracurricular opportunities available to them. We believe the SFUO can provide effective
solutions to many of these challenges, and we have a number of ideas on how this can be
achieved. This area is one Campus Vibez uOttawa is most focused on improving through
promoting clubs’ activities on campus.
TheChallenges
A key challenge affecting communication between clubs and students is that there is no
single source with detailed information on all clubs. Though the SFUO website lists clubs’
names and contact information, there are no descriptions of what each clubs does. Students
looking for extracurricular opportunities will have to engage in communications with the clubs
they are interested in, which can take great lengths of time as clubs vary in their response time to
emails. Also, not all clubs have websites or are active on social media, which makes finding
information on them difficult. It takes students a considerable amount of time to research clubs,
and as they are already busy with courses, this daunting task discourages them from getting
involved. Though Clubs Weeks are a good way to engage students, there needs to be a resource
students can access any day of the year.
Another challenge is the varying ability of clubs to implement outreach initiatives. Clubs
who are in danger of folding due to lack of membership have trouble organizing events to recruit
new members. Many clubs’ are primarily equipped to conduct their defining activities, as the
soccer club from the example above would be primarily designed to conduct soccer games and
practices, yet it may not be as proficient in hosting networking events or reaching out to potential
club members. Clubs need to be educated in ways of basic operations pertaining to outreach, and
if this is so, it is likely they would be able to benefit from education in other aspects of club
management and organization. Clubs that are unable to conduct sufficient outreach will end up

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folding, which will restrict the diversity of extracurricular opportunities at uOttawa, not to
mention causing all kinds of confusion for the SFUO clubs department.
Solutions
In regards to a single source students can access to become informed on the opportunities
uOttawa clubs offer, the SFUO can update its online clubs directory to include detailed
descriptions for each club. Links to multiple social media outlets can also be included. This way,
the SFUO website will be more catered to encourage students to join clubs, and it will save them
a great deal of time in research. This will be the equivalent of giving someone a manual instead
of a phone book to find the information they need. We at Campus Vibez uOttawa have already
begun making this kind of database on our website for clubs working with us, since we fully
recognize the need to effectively inform students about extracurricular opportunities.3 Since we
have already put considerable effort into creating a clubs database, we would be happy to
collaborate with the SFUO to transfer the information about clubs to the SFUO website. We also
include relevant media on our clubs pages, such as pictures and videos, which we suggest would
be a good idea to include on the SFUO website as well. A detailed clubs directory will work
wonders to improve communication between clubs and students, and both parties will recognize
the role played by the SFUO in making the information accessible.
In terms of helping clubs improve their outreach initiatives, we encourage a two-faceted
approach of providing both instruction and infrastructure to clubs. We believe that brief tutorials
should be available for clubs, be it comprising of a clubs department staff member teaching a
class of club executives, or a detailed video outlining important strategies. Clubs should be able
to apply for a spot in these classes at any point during the school year, or at least have some sort
of ready resources available. Another benefit of classes will be that they will increase the club
department staff’s knowledge of the clubs system, which will enable them to solve problems
more effectively and give detailed answers to clubs’ questions. Though there may be some
semblance of this idea already in place, individuals of the clubs we work with have told us that
the methods are not always standardized, but are brief and informal. We belief that a standard
curriculum needs to be developed to ensure clubs receive professional instruction that will allow
them to fulfill their mandates and operations from an outreach and administrative standpoint as
well as their primary functions.
In addition to classes, we strongly suggest that a welcome package be given to each new
and existing club each year in order to equip clubs with the necessary resources they will need.
While many things can be included in these welcome packages, we believe that two components
must be mandatory: a handbook and a list of relevant contact info. The handbook needs to be
extensive, providing a detailed framework of all processes related to the clubs system, strategies
to help clubs with outreach, fundraising, promotion, and other important aspects of club
management, so clubs can look at the ideal steps to follow in certain situations. Though the
SFUO does have an existing manual for clubs that does address a number of challenges like
fundraising, SFUO processes, and other useful tips, albeit a current version has not been issued
yet for the 2014-2015 school year, it does not cover the topics of outreach, promotion, and day to
3 Our databasecan be viewed at ‘http://uottawacampusvibez.wix.com/club#!member-clubs/csp9’.

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day administration of clubs, to name a few. We believe that the clubs manual should be amended
to include these topics, as well as including options and contact information not only on campus,
but in the local community and across Canada. These contacts would include professional
fundraising organizations, communications firms, and grants clubs may be eligible for. In
addition, we would request that our free promotional services for clubs be added to the manual
and contact directory. We would also be in favour of more specificity in some instances, such as
listing local businesses and national companies that have cooperated with clubs in the past. In
terms of format, we believe the manual needs to be rewritten to be more reader friendly, more
like the structure of this report or a textbook instead of a list of technical bullet points. More
welcoming wording will greatly improve communication between the SFUO and clubs because
the information will be presented in a positive and encouraging fashion, which will reinforce for
clubs the fact that the SFUO is made up of caring people and is not just a faceless organization.
We at Campus Vibez can help create an effective clubs package. Our club members are
very familiar with the clubs system, and we have writers in French and English who can
definitely convert the bullet points of the current clubs manual into an engaging and helpful work
of writing. Our members would be definitely capable to lead tutorials for clubs, or to make
helpful videos. We are also more than willing to do the necessary research to create a more
detailed list of contacts stretching beyond the University of Ottawa campus, in order to help
clubs in their abilities to come up with new and creative initiatives that will make a positive
impact on our society and the world. We would prefer to take on these tasks by becoming a
permanent part of the clubs department, yet we are also open to alternative ways to contribute. In
summary, in this section we voice our belief in the need for a detailed database of club
information, as well as effective club tutorials and a welcome package for clubs consisting of a
revamped clubs manual and a larger list of helpful contacts.
Part 4: Sports Teams and School Spirit
In addition to clubs, Campus Vibez uOttawa has had the opportunity to work with a
number of sports teams on campus. From our interactions with different factions of teams and
athletics related clubs at the University of Ottawa, we have become aware of a number of
challenges facing sports teams, as well as school spirit as a whole on campus, and we have come
up with a number of ideas to improve communication between sports teams and students in a
way that can increase school spirit and support for sports teams on campus.
TheChallenges
While some sports teams have received tremendous support from students, other teams
find it challenging to promote games and bring out large numbers of spectators. While it may
seem that the University of Ottawa takes some sort of action to promote all sports teams’ events,
we have recently been working with a sports team that is having trouble recruiting new athletes.
This team needs two more athletes to compete at the national level, and if the number is not
reached, questions will probably be raised as to whether the team should be discontinued. Sports

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are an amazing extracurricular opportunity on campus, and we believe it is more likely that
students are unaware of the opportunities available on teams rather than being uninterested, for it
is logical to assume that of the forty thousand students at the university, there must be two that
are interested in a position on a sports team. With this being said, we believe sports teams need
to be provided with more instruction and infrastructure in regards to promotional and
administrative aspects of their operation.
In addition to the need for communicating the opportunities of available sports team
positions to students, there is also a need for encouraging students to cheer on their sports teams
at games. Though some sports teams have a considerable turnout at games, some of the teams we
have been in communication with have expressed that they would like to see more students
coming out to support them. We do not have access to data on fluctuations in ticket sales over
the past decade, yet compiling such data would give a more accurate picture that we believe will
give cause for these teams’ concerns. Though it may not be a direct role of the SFUO to promote
and support teams on campus, we believe that some sort of effort should be offered both to
express that the SFUO supports teams, and to inform students about sports related events
happening on campus or involving athletes from uOttawa.
Solutions
To help inform students about the athletic opportunities available on campus, we believe
that the SFUO needs to take an active role in promoting teams that are not being adequately
supported by the university. This can be done by recognizing them as similar in organization as
clubs and therefore allowing them access to the resources at the clubs department. We would
suggest the services be open to all teams all the time, yet if it is important to have teams be
separate from the clubs system, perhaps teams in need of support could be given temporary club
status so they can have access to tutorials and staff support. It would be ideal if the clubs
department and/or the SFUO could take a direct role in helping teams at risk of folding, be it by
organizing promotional events or using the means at their disposal to get the word out to
students. This way, athletes can focus on playing sports without having to worry about the
administrative procedures of their team as an organization.
We also believe that there are many ways to improve efforts to inform students about
upcoming sports games, especially home games. A good way to do this would be if the
university or SFUO took an active role in establishing a fan base. Promotional events like pep
rallies, tailgate parties, and social events before and after games are a good way to engage
students while garnering support for the garnet and grey. Perhaps faculty associations could
collaborate during such events, or a committee of student volunteers could be established to
organize them. One notable idea one of our members came up with was to make large banners
that go on the outside of buildings to announce important upcoming games, meets, tournaments,
and championships. Another way to engage students would be to invite some student musicians
to play in halftime shows, which would make the games cater to a wider range of student
interests. A number of well-promoted social events before and after games, or even social events
with the athletes, would do much to get students excited about sports on campus.

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Another method of engaging student fans would be to develop a perks system. There are
many ways this can be constructed, yet we imagine a system where students get points for going
to games, which can earn them prizes if they earn certain amounts. Prizes could range from Gee-
Gees hats, t-shirts, and other memorabilia, to coupons for food at games or local food outlets, or
even to more cost effective alternatives like signed athlete or team photos, or a photo with an
athlete or team of a student’s choice. Fan perks will give students an incentive to attend sports
games, which would supplement the social events discussed above, while also having the
possibility of increasing ticket sales.
Campus Vibez uOttawa can take an active role in promoting sports teams on campus. If
we are able to have a direct role in the clubs system, we can ensure that sports teams receive
support similar to clubs if need be. We can also take a leading role in organizing events to
promote sports teams on campus before and after games as discussed above. As for the perks
system we have outlined, this would ultimately be a decision for the SFUO or the university to
decide, yet we would be willing to do whatever we can to help. We strongly believe that these
solutions will greatly improve the promotional capabilities of sports teams on campus, as well as
increase school spirit and enrich the student experience in terms of its athletics.
Conclusion
In this report, we hope to have conveyed the message that there is much that can be done
to improve communication in the current clubs system, and also that improving communication
is vital to the success of University of Ottawa’s extracurricular community. While we have
outlined the challenges the current system faces, we have suggested solutions to these
challenges, in which we hope to show, if anything, that it is possible for the system to be
amended to better serve the students of this university. In addition, we have backed up the ideas
we have suggested by offering to implement them ourselves by collaborating with the SFUO and
other necessary groups on campus. It is our hope that these ideas will be considered and acted
upon.
To give a final summary, our proposed solutions to the current club system’s challenges
fit together to form our organization’s distinct vision on this matter. We believe in a clubs system
with advanced funding, available funding for equipment, and SFUO ownership of resources it
funds. We also stand for an enlarged clubs department staff that is timely in all of its
communications, as well as the option for clubs to submit formal complaints to the SFUO if their
experience with the clubs department is unsatisfactory. We recognize the need for a detailed
clubs database on the SFUO website that caters toward engaging students, frequent and detailed
tutorials, as well as a welcome package for clubs including a more detailed clubs manual and list
of helpful contacts. We believe that the SFUO needs to take an active role in helping sports
teams at risk of folding by informing students of athletic opportunities and by providing these
sports teams with the same support as that allotted to clubs. We expect that SFUO organized
events before and after sports games, in addition to a perks system for students who attend sports
events, will provide clubs with greater support while raising school spirit on campus. Campus
Vibez uOttawa is dedicated to seeing that these solutions can be enacted, and we sincerely look

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forward to collaborating with the SFUO to improve communication, which we believe would be
done most effectively if Campus Vibez uOttawa were to become an integral and permanent part
of the SFUO clubs system.
Contributors
The following individuals were part of the Campus Vibez uOttawa initiative to figure out
ways to improve communication in the SFUO clubs system, and who through their collaborative
efforts, established the framework for this report.
 Rylee Currie
 Nikki Banwait
 Diyyinah Jamora
 Elin Fan
 Shayna Lewis
 Justin Patrick (writer)
We would also like to thank all of the clubs working with us for providing their thoughts
and sharing their experiences. For confidentiality purposes, these clubs remain anonymous in this
report, and while their feedback has helped formulate the ideas we express, this report does not
attempt to represent their views on communication in the SFUO clubs system.