Step 1: Will it be different?

Ask yourself is your student group different than what the USPU currently offers? If you are unsure please take a look at our Browse Student Groups webpage. We also have some societies which are currently placed up for restarting and waiting for a new group of students to take over. Go to the Restart a Society webpage and take a look at the societies up for restarting.

If you are still unsure about your student group idea, please get in touch with the Sports or Societies department to ask our teams. 

Step 2: Appoint your committee

Great, you have decided to move forward with your idea for your student group. Next you will need to appoint your committee. All student groups need to have four core committee members*:

Chair, Secretary, Health & Safety Officer and Treasurer. You may also opt to have some non-core committee roles to help run your student group as well.

*If you consider a student network you will only need to have a Chair, Treasurer and Health & Safety Officer.

step 3: gain interest in your student group

To prove that your student group is something that students want at the University of Plymouth, you will need to get 20 names and student ID's of students interested in your idea. You can include your four core-committee members in this as well! Here is a useful names and numbers template form for you to store this information on.

step 4: complete your student group paperwork

For your student group to be considered we need to know about your student group and what you plan to do if you are successful. You will need to complete these downloadable documents below.

Please note: sports clubs and societies have different development plans. Please make sure to select the right student group documents when completing.

Step 5: Set up a meeting

Once you have emailed accross your student group paperwork a member of staff will get in touch with you with some questions about your proposed student group and schedule a meeting to get to know the committee and explain the benefits of becoming an UPSU affiliated student group. From this meeting you will be informed if your student group has progressed to the approval stage. 

Your society will need to have submitted all paperwork and had a meeting with the department by the 25th of each month for you to move onto stage 6. If you fait to meet this deadline then your society will need to aim for the next month for approval. 

Step 6: department society approval meeting

After your meeting with the department, the department will meet and discuss all of the new societies aiming for approval for that month. The decison date on whether your society has been approved will be given to you by the end of the day on the 1st of every month*

*this is subject to change for weekends, holiday periods and bank holidays, if the decision date falls on a weekend, bank holiday or holiday period your student group will be informed on the next working day. 

Step 7: congratulations you have been approved

You are now ready to start your student group and start gaining members. Your student group will be given a webpage and a bank account to get yourself started. If you are restarting an old society you may also have some money in that account to get you started. Please remember to keep in tough regularly with your department so we can assist you. We provide online training for all new committee's and are at hand to explain anything further if you need.

Perhaps consider a network (*society only)

If you are finding it difficult to get 20 members interested in your society idea, please speak to us about becoming a student network. Get in touch with societies@su.plymouth.ac.uk