Grad Group Guidance
Below we have detailed important information about Grad Group administration, organisational procedures, and guidelines for organising events and activities.
GSA requirements
GSA loves working with student groups and supporting you in the amazing work you do. To ensure SSAF funding is spent correctly and that groups are aligned with GSA’s values, there are a number of requirements Grad Groups must meet to affiliate and remain affiliated.
Events
Events are a key part of Grad Group life and GSA can support you in taking your events to the next level!
Equipment hire
GSA has AV, catering and general events equipment available for Grad Groups to hire free of charge for use within the GSA Building and, where applicable, the Parkville campus. All equipment hire is subject to availability and health and safety requirements, as set by GSA.
Health & Safety
All activity must be risk assessed and registered with us, to ensure you can get funding and be covered by our Public Liability Insurance. Read our tips for keeping events safe below, along with the requirements of our Public Liability Insurance.
Running your own events Insurance requirements
Finance
GSA Funding
Providing funding to Grad Groups is one of our key streams for supporting and empowering students to create and maintain their communities and have ownership of their university experience.
GSA Grad Groups are funded by Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) and so all GSA funding must be used towards the following core SSAF values:
- Communication and outreach to students
- Developing student communities
- General administration and meetings
- Skills for study assistance
- The student voice
GSA provides Grad Groups with the funding through:
- Upfront funding
- Annual funding (via reimbursements)
- Training funding
- Special grants
You can learn more about what funding can and cannot be spent on, what Grad Groups are entitled to and how to apply below.
Learn more about GSA Funding Find out about Special Grants
External sponsorship
Sponsorship from other organisations can provide amazing support for a Grad Group. Sponsorship can be financial or non-financial, with benefits such as venue access, equipment or even staff expertise. Sponsors will often request some type of recognition in return, such as thanking or mentioning the sponsor, or giving the sponsor a branding presence.
Tips for managing external sponsorship
Governance
Meetings
Meetings are a key tool for managing your Grad Group, keeping everyone on the same page and ensuring your Group keeps on track with its goals and aims. There’s really no other way to put this: for your Group to succeed, you’re going to need meetings. Meetings can take many levels of formality and it’s important to follow the requirements of your Group.
For some of you, this may be the first time you’ve managed formal meetings, so we have put together this guidance with commonly-used terms and the basic things you need to know about planning and running your meetings.
Annual General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting (usually referred to as an ‘AGM’) is a meeting that takes place, as the name suggests, annually. It is traditionally a meeting for your whole Grad Group to meet – the committee, members and any stakeholders – to discuss your Group’s activities of the past year and make plans for the future. An AGM is a key tool for your Grad Group’s transparency, communication and sustainability.
Coordinating your Annual General Meeting
Elections
Elections are a key part of governing your Grad Group and it is important that they are run fairly, democratically and transparently. It’s important to check your Constitution and ensure your election activity is compliant with any rules set out.
Check out our Elections section for guidance on running your elections, from nominations to voting methods and Returning Officers to campaigning, below.