A SSMU Club is a student-run group, officially recognized by the Students’ Society of McGill University, that each consists of 25 or more McGill University student members.
PLEASE NOTE:
Applications are currently closed due to extenuating circumstances. The Board of Directors of SSMU has approved an Interim Provision to the Internal Regulations of Student Groups and the Clubs Committee Terms of Reference to stop review and approval of Interim and Full status club applications until October 31st, 2024. This was communicated at Legislative Council on March 21st, 2024.
With the current financial deficit, the SSMU is not in a position to increase the Club burden, considering that Clubs are given many resources including accounting support, banking access, room booking privileges, advertising privileges, and other support that requires time and work from our employees. Currently, all our employees are either at capacity or over capacity and are not able to support additional clubs.
The Clubs Committee will focus on reviewing currently existing SSMU clubs in an attempt to optimize resource allocation and create room for new clubs to be formed with the necessary support needed to operate. Clubs Committee will also review the current application process for interim and full status clubs.
The form will reopen when Clubs Committee is in session in the Fall 2024 Semester. If you have any questions, you can reach out to the Clubs Coordinator at clubscoord@ssmu.ca.
As an Interim or Full Status Club you are eligible to apply for the following resources:
There are a number of requirements your SSMU Club must meet to be considered for Interim Status:
For more information on the conditions surrounding your Club’s Interim Status, please visit the Interim Status Club Approval Rubric
Applications are currently closed due to extenuating circumstances. The Board of Directors of SSMU has approved an Interim Provision to the Internal Regulations of Student Groups and the Clubs Committee Terms of Reference to stop review and approval of Interim and Full status club applications until October 31st, 2024. This was communicated at Legislative Council on March 21st, 2024.
With the current financial deficit, the SSMU is not in a position to increase the Club burden, considering that Clubs are given many resources including accounting support, banking access, room booking privileges, advertising privileges, and other support that requires time and work from our employees. Currently, all our employees are either at capacity or over capacity and are not able to support additional clubs.
The Clubs Committee will focus on reviewing currently existing SSMU clubs in an attempt to optimize resource allocation and create room for new clubs to be formed with the necessary support needed to operate. Clubs Committee will also review the current application process for interim and full status clubs.
The form will reopen when Clubs Committee is in session in the Fall 2024 Semester. If you have any questions, you can reach out to the Clubs Coordinator at clubscoord@ssmu.ca.
Get in touch with the Club Administrative Assistant (clubadmin@ssmu.ca) to confirm whether or not any overlapping Clubs are already in existence.
You can also check the SSMU Club Directory to see if similar groups are currently listed.
Become familiar with all the rights and responsibilities of Clubs as outlined in the Internal Regulations of Student Groups.
We recommend that you read this document before submitting your application.
Prepare the following documentation to submit in your application:
Before you start recruiting and operating as a SSMU Club, there are a number of administrative steps that you are required to take. These must be completed in order for you to retain your Interim Status. However, keep in mind that Interim Status is only temporary. If you wish to continue operating long term as a SSMU Club, you will need to apply for Full Status within 3–5 academic months or your status will automatically expire.
Clubs that do not apply for Full Status by the 5-month deadline, or do not apply for an extension of their Interim Status, will lose all official status and the privileges associated with being a SSMU Club, including room bookings and access to Club funding.
In order to activate your membership and start receiving communications from the SSMU, please follow these 2 steps:
Please visit the Maintaining Status page for a complete list of administrative procedures and regulations to maintain your Club’s status.
After 3 academic months have passed since your Club was granted Interim Status, you can begin applying for Full Status! (Note that if 5 months have passed since being granted Interim Status and you have not yet submitted an application for Full Status, you will lose Interim Status.) The application process for Full Status is the final step in starting your Club. Like the Interim Status Application, the Full Status Club Application requires the submission and completion of a number of components, all of which will be reviewed based on a standardized Full Status Club Approval Rubric.
When you have completed filling out the Full Status Application Form, please submit it electronically. When filling out this form, you will be required to provide information about how you fulfilled your mandate during the Interim Status period, how you contributed to the SSMU community, and what plans you have to ensure the longevity of your Club if you are granted Full Status. You will also be required to submit a Club budget (Club Annual Budget Template), a list of at least 25 members (Member List Template), and information about three events you have hosted.
The approval of a Full Status Application follows the same procedure as Interim Status Applications.
After your initial submission to the Club Commissioner via the online form, the application will be taken first to the Club Committee for review, then to the SSMU Legislative Council for approval, and finally to the SSMU Boards of Directors for ratification.
In the case where your Club is not granted Full Status following the submission of the Full Status Application Form, you may submit an appeal through the Full Status Appeal Form. You will be able to provide information on circumstances that prevented the Club from meeting the standards outlined in the approval rubric. However, please keep in mind that the Club Committee is under no obligation to consider or grant appeals.
SSMU Clubs, Services, and Independent Student Groups are all different designations that the SSMU gives to student groups based on their operations and their structures.
Clubs are interest groups, representing a wide variety of hobbies, interests, and causes, all of which are run entirely by other undergraduate students. While the commitment level varies, the involvement of members in any given Club can range from attending weekly meetings and volunteering on a regular basis to attending an event once or twice a semester. Clubs allow students to customize exactly how they want to be involved and how much time they want to devote to student life.
Services provide a wide range of services and resources to the entire McGill student body. Unlike Clubs, where students sign up to become members of a particular group, Services operate without formal membership lists because any McGill student is able to access the resources provided. SSMU Services offer countless opportunities to volunteer and serve the student body.
Like Clubs, Independent Student Groups (ISGs) are groups that centre around a specific interest or topic. However, they differ in that they are legally distinct, not-for-profit organizations and typically much larger than Clubs.
In order to be considered active and to remain in good standing, SSMU Clubs must fulfill the following requirements outlined in the Club Processes:
If a Club does not fulfill the criteria outlined above, or they misuse the services provided by the SSMU, sanctions may apply. Consequently, such activity may lead to the loss of Club status.
If a Club loses their Interim Status, they cease to be a SSMU Club and lose all the privileges associated with being one. Among other things, this means that the Club will no longer be included in the SSMU Club Listings, they will no longer be able to access the SSMU Club Fund, their SSMU bank account will be terminated, and they will not be able to book rooms in the University Centre or table at Activities Night for free.
In certain cases, Full Status Clubs may be moved to Interim Status where they will need to abide by all the necessary procedures in order to return to their former status.
We do our best to ensure the site is as up to date as possible, but new developments in Club processes may take time to go live. Please take note that the information listed above may not reflect the most recent changes.