The Clubs & Societies Committee is comprised of members of the USU Student Board and Student Experience staff who meet monthly to discuss student matters, including new club applications.

USU is incredibly proud of our diverse and vibrant C&S program, with student-led clubs playing a crucial role in creating connections, building communities and enriching campus life for many. While in an ideal world we would love to accept all new club applications, it is essential that we ensure long-term sustainability in providing the best support to our club executives and members. USU needs to maintain its capacity to dedicate the attention, resources and guidance that every one of our clubs deserve. This criteria has therefore been consolidated for increased transparency and to ensure consistency in the standards that are being applied to each application.

No, the criteria is not weighted evenly, nor numerically scored. Ultimately, the consideration of new club applications will depend on the criteria being considered in line with the current capacity of the program and the C&S Committee’s discretion.

This new criteria is intended to reset our approach to new club applications. It marks a departure from past precedents and practices, which provided no guidance on consistency and relied more on past decision-making. The C&S Committee will aim to use this criteria as a reference with less reliance on previous practice going forward. This will ensure a fairer, more transparent process that reflects the needs of the present student community and C&S team.

USU remains committed to fostering an inclusive and dynamic C&S community, and we are keen to continue supporting new and existing clubs in ways that are both impactful and sustainable.

Please note that this criteria is merely a guide, and fulfilment of the criteria does not necessarily guarantee that your club application will be accepted. There are many circumstances in which the C&S Committee may reject an application despite it fulfilling certain criteria. Instances may include administrative capacity restraints, the club’s longevity and ability to cater to a wider audience long-term, or having too many clubs with similar aims or purposes.

To clarify, a rejection does not necessarily suggest that your application is not worth accepting. Rather, in light of current C&S context and capacity, the Committee has prioritised the acceptance of other applications which have further fulfilled the criteria or address a ‘gap’ in the current Clubs program.

If an application is rejected, applicants may submit an appeal in accordance with the published process:

First Stage Appeal
Applicants may submit a written appeal addressing the decision, limited to one page or 500 words, to the Student Communities and Leadership Manager or Director of Student Experience via emailing [email protected], clearly outlining the grounds for appeal.

Second Stage Appeal
If the first stage appeal is unsuccessful, applicants may request escalation to the USU Board for further review. The Board will consider the appeal alongside the Committee’s original decision and rationale.

Please note that Committee and Board meetings are scheduled periodically throughout the year, and appeal outcomes may therefore be subject to processing timeframes.

Appeals should only be considered where one or more of the following grounds can be demonstrated:

Procedural Error
– The application was not assessed in accordance with the published process or criteria
– Relevant information provided in the application was not considered
– A conflict of interest or procedural irregularity occurred during assessment

Factual Inaccuracy
– The decision relied on incorrect factual information
– Material information was misunderstood or overlooked

New Material Information
– Significant new information became available after submission
– The information would reasonably have been expected to materially affect the original decision

Appeals should not be used as an opportunity to strengthen, rewrite, or resubmit an application that was appropriately assessed under the published criteria.

Applicants whose applications are unsuccessful should generally be encouraged to submit a stronger application in a future intake rather than seeking review of the original decision.