Can't find a group you are interested in? Do you have an idea for a new club or group at UTM? It is easy to start a new group! Follow the steps below for more information.
Is this a new group?
The first step is to see if a similar group already exists. If so, you may want to email the group through their public contact information to learn more about their events and steps to membership. You may also ask about opportunities for growth, especially if you would like to step into a leadership role in the future.
If UTM does not currently have a group that meets your interests, your first step is to find at least five other students who would like to start a brand-new group.
"Being President for the 2nd year in a row for UTM STEM Fellowship is an exhilarating experience. Seeing the club grow as well as the talented executives really adds value to our academic experience here at UTM. Additionally, making friends with the people you work so closely with is unparalleled, especially because we work meaningfully to provide more inclusive opportunities for STEM students here at our campus. It makes the biggest difference when you have an amazing and motivated team who shares the same vision of the work we do."
-Pooja Dey, UTM STEM Fellowship President
First steps when starting a group
Once you have found five UTM students who are interested in starting a group, you can begin getting to work. Here are some initial steps to assist you:
Log on to the SOP using your UTORid and password
- Have at least five (5) University of Toronto members create the club. Out of the 5 members, at least two (2) members will become the two (2) signing officers of the group. You can have more than 2 signing officers if you'd like, but you will need at least a primary and secondary contact.
- The main contact/group leader can log on to the SOP with their UTORid to apply for Campus Recognition. Under the “Student Group Recognition” (in the menu bar at the top), and past the instructions, you can apply for student group recognition.
- Note: If you are an alumnus of the university, you may need to request an alumni email account. To do so, please visit the Alumni website.
Read through and understand the University policy
- Read through the University’s Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups - found on the “Student Group Recognition” page. The policy can also be found on the University of Toronto Governing Council’s website.
Create a student group constitution
- Leaders must submit or upload a digital copy of their group’s current constitution in an appropriate format (e.g. pdf, rtf, txt, doc, docx) that follows the guidelines provided by our office.
Gather the group's general information, including the following:
- Contact Information: Include the full name and contact information (UofT email address and phone number) for your group's two (2) signing officers, one of whom will be the main contact person. In your application, you may also include the names and contact of the group's executive members. Insufficient contact and signing officer information on the online application will cause delays!
- Who are the Primary & Secondary Contacts? They can be any executive on the team but tend to be the President and Vice President. It is ultimately up to your group to decide, but they will serve as the main contacts with us and will have room and table booking access.
- The number of members: provide the number of group membership in the organization, including the current number of members and an estimate of anticipated group members. Groups are only required to have a minimum of two U of T members, who would be the two signing officers of the group.
- General Information: Provide a mailing address with postal code, phone number, website, and so on, so students know how to contact your group.
Submit your application!
- We will do our best to process SOP applications as quickly as possible, with renewing groups receiving priority during the beginning of term. Applications are reviewed in sequence of submission date.
- Please note: A high volume of applications is received during the August-September rush, which may result in a delayed response time. During this peak time, applications can take up to ten (10) business days to be reviewed. Please be patient - we will contact you when your application is under review.
Meet with a member of the Centre for Student Engagement team
A member of the Student Groups team will be in contact for a short meeting to discuss your application. We will review the following:
- Review of the group constitution
- Confirming the contact information for the group
- Highlighting the policies and guidelines for student groups
- An opportunity to discuss the services and resources available to your executive
- Learning about getting your group recognized on the Co-Curricular Record (CCR)
Inquiries
For all questions regarding Student Groups at UTM, please contact:
Student Groups Team
- UTM Hello Desk & Student Group Hello Desk tabling (Find us on a map here!)
- Tuesdays and Thursdays (10-12pm), Wednesday and Friday (1-3pm)
- Email: studentgroups.utm@utoronto.ca