How to apply

To start a new Student Association:

• Check our Student Association Directory and ensure a similar Student Association does not already exist.
• Review the Student Association Handbook before submitting an application form to see what services are available.
• Review the Student Associations Regulations by which the Student Association is bound to follow, go to the Student Union Regulations at the following link. Scroll down to the Table of Contents and click on the Student Association Regulations, it will take you directly to the pertinent pages. All executives and members of the Student Association are required to know and follow the rules and regulations. Please refer to these regularly, as they get updated as new regulations are ratified by the Students’ Union Okanagan Board of Directors.
• Next, fill out a Student Association Registration Form (new one coming before August 1):
  • The first page must provide a Student Association name, the aims and purposes, a minimum of three executive members and a general Student Association email address. You can have more than three executive members; however, the minimum is 3 (President, VP Finance, VP Events).
  • Personal emails cannot be used for a Student Association.
  • Working with a Faculty advisor is optional.
  • The second page is the names and signatures of the three signing authorities (President, VP Finance and other executive of choice). Your signing authorities will oversee and approve the spending of Student Association funds and must also be executive members. There must be no more or less than three signing authorities.
  • Pages 3 & 4 is the membership list and there must be a minimum of 32 General Members.
• Create a Student Association portal on our Rubric online platform, complete the online registration form and upload the completed Student Association Registration Form.
  • Please note: You must use the same email address to create the online account that is listed on page one of the Student Association Registration Form.  There must be an email address specific to the club, it cannot be a personal email address or the application will be denied.
• The potential executives and members may want to create personal student accounts on Rubric as well, using their personal email addresses.  If the Student Association is ratified, the executives will be able to access the SA portal from their personal account.
• Based on Student Association Regulation VIII. 5, we only accept new Student Association applications between August 1 and the first Friday of October in term 1. In term 2 we accept registration forms between January 1 and the first Friday of February.
• We will email the Student Association email address on page 1, confirming that we have received the application.

The application is reviewed by the Student Association Oversight Committee. If we have questions or want to set up an in-person interview, we will reach out to you. Once the Student Association is confirmed to not duplicate existing associations and has a purpose that can function within the Student Association Regulations, it is presented to the Board of Directors at a monthly BoD meeting to be ratified.

If the new Student Association is ratified by the Board of Directors, an email will be sent to the Student Association email address with important information including how to apply for new Student Association funding. The funding application must be submitted within 10 days of receiving the ratification email. Don’t miss the opportunity or deadline.

***Please note: If the Student Association is ratified, all members listed on page 3 and 4 of the registration form will need to join the club portal membership once the portal is affiliated with the SUO.

If the Student Association is not ratified by the board, the SUO VP Internal will email to inform if the application is denied or put on hold due to changes or questions requested by the board.

The application process usually takes approximately 3-6 weeks from the date of submission.