How to Affiliate a Club

Reasons to start a club are vast and varied; it may be as simple as contributing to the University community, meeting like-minded people or receiving funding from UMSU for events. Some of the benefits of affiliation to UMSU include:

  • representation and support from the UMSU C&S department
  • financial grants
  • free or discounted use of UMSU and University facilities and resources
  • participation in the UMSU C&S promotional expos
  • discounted training in Safe Food Handling and Responsible Service of Alcohol
  • public liability insurance cover

If you are intending to affiliate to the GSA and UMSU, or if your club is already affiliated to the GSA please read our UMSU and GSA Requirements for joint affiliation.

The club affiliation process is straightforward and you can always contact the Clubs & Societies Office for help. 

Affiliation timeline and 2025 key dates:

Step 1: Application and initial approval

Online Application is due by 9 am Monday Week 3 (Monday March 17 / Monday August 11)

  • Online Application form is at the end of this page.
  • Any late applications received in Semester 1 will be held until Semester 2. Late Semester 2 applications will be rejected and may apply again in the next year.
  • In Weeks 3 & 4 the C&S Committee considers all new club applications and you will be advised of the outcome.
  • Grounds for rejecting the application can be found in C&S Regulation 4.2.b. Decisions of the C&S Committee are final.
Step 2: Writing the club constitution & Recruiting members 

Constitution must be approved by C&S staff by 4.30 pm Friday Week 6 (Friday April 11 / Friday September 5)

  • You will be provided with a draft constitution by the C&S Department.
  • The draft will prepared using the Standard Constitution (C&S Regulation Appendix 1) and the club Name and Aims that were submitted in your original application / approved by the C&S Committee.
  • If you wish to amend it you must meet with a C&S staff member in Week 5 or 6.
  • Special application can be made to adopt a non-standard constitution. 

Membership: group must recruit 30 ordinary student members by 9 am on Monday Week 7  (Monday April 14 / Monday September 8)

  • Only memberships signed up through the UMSU website are valid.
  • Upon initial approval you will be invited to submit details and UMSU will set up a page on our website where your memberships will be offered.
  • The group is responsible to advertise and recruit 30 University of Melbourne Student members by the deadline
  • If you do not have 30 members, or there is a 40% overlap with another single affiliated club (excluding Faculty clubs) your application will be forfeit and any membership fees will be refunded
Step 3: Inaugural General Meeting (IGM)   

Compulsory IGM information session on Tuesday Week 7 (Tuesday April 15 / Tuesday September 9)

IGM must be held by 7 pm Friday Week 12 (Friday May 30 / Friday 24 October)

  • One or more of the Contacts must attend the information session.
  • After attending the session you will organise the IGM in consultation with the C&S Office as a representative of C&S must attend the IGM to conduct the elections.
  • Meeting Papers must be submitted to C&S within 2 weeks of the IGM date using a checklist and templates provided by C&S.
Step 4: Affiliation
  • The C&S Coordinator will review the papers and make a recommendation to the C&S Committee at their next meeting.
  • The C&S Committee will formally affiliate or deny affiliation to your club and you will be advised of the outcome.
    • If affiliated you will be invited to collect an information pack from the C&S Office and all the rights and responsibilities of affiliation apply immediately. You will be required to open a club bank account and establish a club email account within 2 weeks of Affiliation.
    • If you are denied affiliation you will be advised of the reason. If there is time to reconvene the IGM in the academic year the group may try again.

Apply Here

2025 applications are open from 9 am Monday February 24 until 9 am Monday August 11. Semester 1 applications are closed. To make a Semester 2 application, complete the survey below before 9 am August 11.

Please log in to complete this survey.

How do I affiliate a club? How do I contact a club?