2. How (nearly) everything works
i. The Oversight Committee
The Clubs and Societies Oversight Committee is made up of the following:
Students’ Union Clubs and Societies Officer
2 other Students’ Union Officers, including the President
3 Class Reps, elected at the first Class Rep Council every year
The Oversight Committee is responsible for reviewing and overseeing clubs/societies, and allocating their funding. They monitor club/society spending and activities, and make sure they are fulfilling their obligations.
One member of the Clubs and Societies Council is allowed to sit in on Oversight Committee meetings, for the purposes of transparency, if requested.
Following the close of the applications deadline, the Oversight Committee will meet and review applications and decide what proportion of the overall budget each club/society will get for the year, as well as whether they will be deemed recognised, probationary, or unrecognised by the committee.
After this, each committee will be informed of their result, which may be a number of weeks following the close of applications. In this email, the process for receiving the funding will be explained.
ii. Clubs and Societies Council
The Clubs and Societies Council is a semi-autonomous body of the Union, responsible for representing the members of Clubs and Societies on club and society matters.
It meets at least 4 times a year, but generally more often, where the representatives from clubs/societies can meet and discuss issues relevant to them.
In cases where a vote is taken, each club/society has one delegate (voting member).
In order to change the policy outlining the Clubs and Societies Council, which also contains most regulations surrounding clubs/societies, amendments must be approved bi-laterally by the body itself and the Students’ Union Class Rep Council.
iii. Rights and Responsibilities of Clubs and Societies
Clubs/Societies are expected to adhere to the following responsibilities:
Carry out activities, events, and/or meetings, on a regular basis, which enrich the college community.
Have a functional committee, made up of at least 3 students, each of which have an active role in the management of the Club or Society.
Follow all Union policy in regards to spending and engagement.
Keep track of all spending throughout the year, and provide complete per-semester accounts including bank statements and receipts to the Oversight Committee.
Provide its members with the ability to elect its committee, at least once per academic year.
Ensure the wellbeing of its members at all events and meetings
Have a constitution or terms of reference for its members as approved by its members
Complete any mandatory trainings or procedures as determined by the Oversight Committee
Clubs/Societies have the following rights explicitly outlined:
May remove any atteendee from events/meetings in the interests of their or other attendees’ welfare
To spend its budget or seek reimbursement from its budget
To store property in the designated storage space
To request an appeal to decisions of the Oversight Committee
iv. Key advice for running a Club or Society
While IADT has significantly less resources for clubs/societies than other colleges, there are 2 key facilities committee members can take advantage of:
Clubs and Societies Storage Room
The storage room is on the left when you enter The Chapel, and can be unlocked on request by one of the Students’ Union officers. It is very small and used by most clubs/societies, so care must be taken to keep it tidy and clean, for the purposes of both safety and hygiene.
Clubs/societies are each entitled to a box, which must be labelled, and kept free of non-shelf stable food. Bigger items can be stored too, but it should be cleared with one of the officers first.
Students’ Union Clubs and Societies Officer
The Clubs and Societies Officer is elected to represent and assist clubs/societies. They’re there to answer questions, give you a hand, or put you in contact with the right person.
This is an unpaid role that is occupied by a full-time student, so please be nice to me… I mean them. :-)
If the Clubs and Societies Officer is unavailable or hasn’t responded in a timely manner, just check in with the Students’ Union full-time officers during office hours.
v. Booking Rooms and The Chapel
If you want to book a room in the college, email Sandra Newell (sandra.newell@iadt.ie). She will respond within 1 to 3 working days.
If you want to book the Chapel, contact the Students’ Union full-time officers by email (info@iadtsu.com) or swing by the office.
Make sure to get bookings in as soon as possible, as both Sandra or the Students’ Union officers receive a lot of correspondence and occasionally miss emails. Additionally, they do not work weekends, so if you reach out on Friday, you will not get a response until Monday.
Recurring bookings need to be renewed each semester.