Start a Society

Becoming a society on Saint Mary's University allows student groups to:

• Operate on campus
• Use the name of the University or the Association
• Solicit funds, membership or clientele from among the members of the Association
• Use any of the facilities of the University or the Association.

All new societies must be ratified by the Board of Directors (BOD) before they begin operating on campus. Societies that have been inactive for an extended period of time do not require to be ratified again. If you are thinking about starting a new society, please visit the SMUSA Society Coordinator to check whether your society requires ratification.

To ratify a society, please provide notice to the Society Coordinator at least five days in advance of the next scheduled BOD meeting. A student group must provide the following to gain ratification:

1. An executive board formed of at least four members of the Association (SMUSA). These position must be equivalent to:

a. President
b. Vice President
c. Secretary
d. Treasurer
2. Contact information for each member of the society executive including Name, Student Number, E-mail address, and contact phone number.

3. A Society Constitution consistent with the Constitution and by-laws of the Association. A template constitution can be found in the Forms / Funding section of this website.

4. A page containing the Names, Student IDs, and Signatures of at least 20 members who are interested in joining the society.

You can learn about the status of your society request for ratification on the Monday immediately following the BOD meeting by contacting the Society Coordinator. Once you have been ratified, you will need to open a new bank account in the name of the society. You can visit the Bank Accounts section of the Society Handbook for information on how to open and maintain a Society bank account.