Managing a group

An executive is a President [PDF 134KB], Treasurer [PDF 123KB] or Secretary [PDF 157KB] of a student group and makes up the 'management' or 'executive committee' of a student group.

Executive teams serve as the official representatives of the society, bridging the communication gap between the society and the university. Students in executive roles shoulder a range of responsibilities and tasks that require fulfillment. Importantly, participation in an affiliated society's executive team is acknowledged by the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) as a recognised co-curricular activity. This not only provides valuable leadership experience but also contributes toward meeting your AHEGS requirements.

Let Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging (SEIB) know who your executives are and what position they hold, especially if you've had a change in leadership. You'll need to also include the AGM or EGM minutes clearly stating who was elected into which position when you put in your position request.

While your student group has the flexibility to incorporate additional roles and sub-committees, we recommend beginning with a streamlined structure and expanding as your membership grows.

As an executive team, you should also ensure that the governance of your student group is in order, such as:

• having an up to date Terms of Reference
• recording membership details, and
• Enhance the enjoyment and participation in your society's events by incorporating fun activities that engage with your members!

End of year reports

Each executive is required to complete an end of year report which gives us an overview of how well your student group operated and engaged with students throughout the year.

Access to end of year reporting will be made available to all students groups who have met the membership requirements . The President's Report and Secretary Report will require some documentation to be uploaded (such as meeting minutes, membership lists and Terms of Reference). The Treasurer should be keeping track of your student groups finances and noting what money is coming in (income) and what is going out (expenditure). Copies of receipts should be filed away electronically so that they can be included in the Treasurer's Report, which shows Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging how you have spent your funds for the year. The Missing Receipts Declaration can help you if you have lost some of your receipts.

There are many different types of events and activities that student groups can run, and knowing how to plan and manage [PDF 140KB] them is a good foundation for having a successful year.

Booking spaces

Our Student Engagement Officer is here to help book things like rooms, campus spaces, equipment (eg BBQs, tables, speakers) and any other resources you may require for your events.

Please have a read of the Outdoor Spaces Booking Policy and Stall Etiquette Guidelines [PDF 104KB] prior to  booking a space. Please don't  forget to  clean up after and return the space  to how you found it. We recommend you take photos of the space before and after your event as a record to be provided if needed. As we work with different stakeholders and rely on all to keep the spaces booked in good condition.

All official student group events at Macquarie must be booked through an Events/Activities Request form and with three to four weeks notice – the earlier you put in your request, the more likely your event or activity will be approved with ample time for you to organise!

COVIDSafe compliance

We want to ensure that all student group activities on campus adhere to COVIDSafe practices and to comply with government and Macquarie University regulations. Please refer to the COVID-19 rules detailed on the NSW Government website to ensure that your event follows COVIDSafe guidelines.

Budgeting

Before the commencement of each session, executives should strategically outline the schedule for their student group. Incorporating events, activities, workshops, and socials into the plan will contribute to effective session management.

Having a budget [PDF 101KB] outlined will show where you need to raise money and to think about how to come across those funds.

Throughout the year, the Treasurer should be keeping track of your student groups finances in the Income Expenditure Report, and noting what money is coming in (income) and what is going out (expenditure).

Copies of receipts should be filed away electronically so that they can be included in the End of Year Treasurer's Report, which shows Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging how you have spent your funds for the year.

Bank access

To include new executives as signatories for your Student Group bank account, you must submit an Authorised Representative Form to the FYE team, requesting the update to the executive role.

Funding

To enhance student experience and involvement both on and off campus, the University is providing student groups with the opportunity to request funding. The FYE Team will assess each application for funding and results will be communicated within approximately four weeks.

To apply for funding please submit the funding request form. The link is available for managing Executives through the Student Group iLearn module, and will be launched after Kickstart for Session 1 2024. Before submitting the form, you will need to familiarise yourself with the SSAF funding guidelines. You will need to consider these SSAF guidelines and ensure that the information included in your funding application align with these guidelines.

If you have any questions about funding, please email studentgroups@mq.edu.au

There are many spaces on campus that can be used by student groups – simply state on your Event/Activities Request form which of these you'd like to use for your event or activity, and our Student Engagement Officer will make the booking for you.

• Classrooms and Lecture Theatres
• Function Rooms
• Ubar
• Outside of 18 Wally's Walk
• Lakeside
• Some parts of Central Courtyard

For more information about the events booking process, please visit the Student Group iLearn page (available to current executives only).

Affiliation process

Affiliation is the process of becoming officially associated with Macquarie University and we know there are lots of student groups out there operating unaffiliated and we don’t mind. Some student groups don’t need support from the uni as they are able to do things independently of us.

However the student groups who are affiliated receive resources and support from the uni. Procedural and administrative requirements are also required before you can be approved as an affiliated group.

For more information about applying to become an affiliated group, please email studentgroups@mq.edu.au

Meetings

Many student groups have casual meet ups but formalised meetings are a way for your student group to document and track the progress of your group throughout the year! There are many types of meetings [PDF 103KB] so make sure you're across them all.

Recording the minutes of each meeting is a formal way for you to keep on track of how your student group is progressing throughout the year.

Sponsorship

Sponsorships and partnerships with external parties are a great way to supplement finances for your events and activities, and to build relationships with companies in industry. We have a handy Sponsorship Agreement template that you can use, as all sponsorships need to be signed by Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging.

Posters

Posters must also contain the 'student organisation of Macquarie' logo [JPG 79KB] on your posters for us to print them, so that they can be distinguished by staff and students as an event that is run by your student group! If posters do not have the logo or are placed in an unofficial area, they do run the risk of being removed. Please have a read of the Poster Guidelines [PDF 198KB] prior to submitting your poster for approval.

The following are considered official locations to put up your posters:

• the noticeboard in the middle of Wally's Walk
• Noticeboard near Student Group Lockers
• Noticeboard outside 18 Wally's Walk facing Central Courtyard
• snap frame poster boards in Ubar (with permission from Ubar manager)

New Executive Guide

Has your student group been around for a while but you did not get the handover that you had hoped for from the previous executives of the group? Not to worry! The First Year Experience and Peer Program team have created a New Executive Guide to help you get started in your new executive role:

• Authorised Representative Form
• Event Request Form

Once you have submitted your Authorised Representative Form, our team will assess your eligibility to become a managing Executive of the Student Group and we will update you in due course. If your request is approved, we will enrol you into our iLearn unit 'Student Group Executive Training and Resources'. There, you will be able to access a range of resources to manage your Student Group.