What is Affiliation?
Affiliation is the process of becoming officially associated with Arc. We require that Clubs meet certain criteria before we are able to accept them as an affiliated Club. Once these procedural and administrative requirements are met and the Club has been approved by the Arc Clubs team, the Club will be deemed to be affiliated with Arc. This gives Club’s access to Club resources.
In general, Arc stipulates a minimum standard that Clubs must meet, including (but not limited to):
- that your Club is run in a democratic fashion
- that all Club finances are being used solely for the benefit of all Club members
- the aims, objectives and activities of your Club must contribute to UNSW student life
- there are no other existing Clubs, programs or initiatives which have a similar name aims and objectives, activities or purpose currently affiliated with Arc
The affiliation process involves the Club demonstrating to Arc that they meet all the minimum requirements.
Why affiliate with Arc?
Arc exists to ensure that student life at UNSW is dynamic, vibrant, and exciting, and active Clubs and societies are an important part of that! We provide Clubs and societies with administrative and organisational support and a framework for Clubs to flourish. We supply our affiliated Clubs with a range of resources, including access to grants and funding, printing and secretarial supplies, training and support for Executives, on-campus booking access (Arc Rooms, CATS Rooms, and Outdoor spaces), some on-campus storage for Club equipment and fee-free bank accounts.
Arc also provides access to stalls for UNSW-wide events like O-Week, International Markets, Games Galore and Welcome Week, which are huge opportunities to increase your Club’s exposure.
In general, we aim to do as much as we can to ensure your Club is successful, and we are always here to provide you with assistance each step of the way!
How do I affiliate with Arc?
To help you out we have created an entire Section of the Clubs Handbook with details on the process. Check out Clubs Handbook Section 3 (Starting a Club).
What is a Suspended Affiliation?
Suspension is when your Club’s affiliation is put on hold either temporarily or permanently, if the issues are not resolved. It usually occurs when Club management issues are identified or a breach in affiliation conditions occurs.
How would I know my Club is suspended?
If your Club’s affiliation with Arc is suspended, the Club Executive will be notified by email. Please remember this is different to issues with affiliation and being suspended does not mean that your Club’s affiliation has expired or that you need to re-apply for affiliation.
Why would my Club be suspended?
For the most part, a Club’s affiliation is suspended because Arc has identified some issue/s with the management of the Club which need to be addressed. If your Club’s affiliation is suspended, you will not have access to Club resources, including grants, printing, and copying services, room and space hire, as well as equipment. Suspensions are at the discretion of Arc Clubs staff and there are a variety of reasons why a Club’s affiliation might be suspended. This is a brief list of these issues, and the corresponding solutions to restore your affiliation:
-Taking resources without a correct booking
- Damage or non-return of equipment
- Missing equipment or equipment returned after the deadline
- Personal use of club resources- Failing to acknowledge income (including sponsorship) in grants -Unnecessary spending
- Spending that is not for the benefit of the whole Club or consistent with the aims & objectives of the Club
- Spending without the approval of the Club Executive
| Examples | Misuse of Clubs Resources | Failure to attend Compulsory Clubs Briefing | Club Exec attends a meeting with the Clubs manager (or delegate) to discuss Club operations and strategies for meeting minimum requirements. |
| Holding events in spaces (CATS, Outdoor, Roundhouse) without a booking, misuse of a booked space or violation of booking agreements | Misuse of Club funds | Conduct that reflects poorly on Arc or brings Arc into disrepute | See Clubs Handbook Section 20 (Complaints & Grievances)and Clubs Handbook Section 21 (Incident Reporting). |
| Financial documents, membership information, Club records and meeting minutes | Abuse of Executive privileges | See Clubs Handbook Section 20 (Complaints & Grievances) and Clubs Handbook Section 21 (Incident Reporting). | |
| Chalking on main walkway or undercover, postering outside of designated poster boards etc. | Any criminal or illegal activity conducted by the Club | See Clubs Handbook Section 20 (Complaints & Grievances)and Clubs Handbook Section 21(Incident Reporting). | |
| Failure to follow safe working practices or holding dangerous/risky events | Bullying or harassment | See Clubs Handbook Section 20 (Complaints & Grievances) and Clubs Handbook Section 21 (Incident Reporting) |
The table above only provides a guide, and issues that result in suspension or the method required to reverse this suspension may vary. Clubs can be suspended for issues not on the list at the discretion of Arc Clubs staff.
What do I do if my Club is suspended?
When a Club is suspended, they will be contact via email and with details of the suspension including why and how to reverse it. If you are unsure on how to enact the solution or what it means, please talk to us.
