Put simply, we won't approve any societies which replicate the objectives of an existing student group, or any service provided by BCU or BCUSU. You can read more about what that means in our guidance document.

One of the main purposes of joining a society is to make friends and share common interests and, in some cases, representing the voice of your community. However what we may be able to do is to work with you and an existing society to incorporate your area of interest into what they already do.

Our guidance document also outlines the application of the term 'significantly different' in relation to our faith, culture and academic groups. As an example, rather than running a number of smaller faith societies, we bring together denominations, churches etc as part of our wider faith communities.

If you feel that the group you want to create might be too similar to another, you can always contact us by emailing activitiesandrepresentation@bcu.ac.uk and we can discuss how we may be able to make your idea come to life in different ways - either as part of an existing group or seperately.

To start a society, you'll need four committee members and a further ten interested, current students to show there's interest from the student body. The four roles we require, and their responsbilities are listed below:
 

President

The President is the figurehead of the committee and society and will ensure that everyone is working well as a team. They will oversee the signing of the society constitution and chair the monthly committee meeting. They will be instrumental in delivering the committees vision for the society. They are also required to attend the Student Members Meeting. When it comes to making decisions for the group, all committee members have an equal say, but in the case of a split opinion, the President has the deciding vote.

Secretary

The Secretary acts an administrator for the society, organising monthly committee meetings and ensuring minutes are taken. They make sure committee members knows the tasks they’ve been allocated and will take the lead when contacting the reception team to book rooms, order merchandise etc. They will be the person who submits risk assessments for events amongst other tasks.

Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for checking how much money is in your group's account at the start of the year and maintaining records throughout the next twelve months to ensure the society remains solvent. They will plan how money can be spent across the year and will decide if the group will need to raise more money to achieve the group's goals. They’re also the person who will countersign any reimbursements or other expenditure from the societies account and should endeavour to make sure that there is some money left at the end of the year, ready for the next committee to take over.

Participation and Inclusion Officer

The Participation and Inclusion Officer makes sure that everyone feels welcome in your group and ensures everyone has the same opportunities within the society. They are the main point of contact for members to give feedback to, so that you can plan activities that allow as many students to participate as possible. This individual should keep themselves updated on inclusion issues.