Club Obligations

Survival Seminars

This is a mandatory annual information session that aims to educate clubs about the resources available to them (including how to book space, access funding, etc.) and their responsibilities (primarily the importance of club insurance, Pro-Serve/ASIP, the Master Event Agreement, waivers, and Annual Reports). Two survival seminars are held every year (one at the beginning of each of the Fall and Winter terms) and clubs are expected to send two representatives to one of these sessions every year.

Risk Management: Event Proposals, Insurance and Waivers

• Event Proposals

  All of your events (except for small executive meetings) MUST be approved by the Studentsí Union

  In order to have your event approved, please submit the Event Proposal Form to the CSO at least two weeks prior to the event date. This will allow the CSO sufficient time to determine whether or not your event may proceed, and what additional requirements (such as waivers) your club may need to fulfil. The vast majority of events are approved, and the penalties for us discovering that you have run events without permission are severe, so it simply doesnít make sense to not fulfil this requirement.

• Insurance Fee

  Did you know that you could be liable ñ could be sued ñ for any incident that happens at one of your club events if you don't have insurance? Further, many bars and banquet halls will no longer allow clubs to host events in their venues without liability insurance. By becoming an SU-sanctioned club, you are automatically covered under our insurance policy. Note, however, that this is not travel insurance.

  At the beginning of each year, each club must complete an Insurance Fee Form and submit it to the CSO.

  To be covered by the SU insurance policy, a club must pay a fee to cover the cost of purchasing the policy. This is a requirement of both the SU and the University of Calgary. The cost of the policy depends on what type of event (alcohol or non-alcohol related event) the club will sponsor, and whether the event will be held on- or off-campus. Insurance rates are as follows:

  • Alcohol related events, on- or off-campus - $50/year
  • Non-alcohol related events, off-campus - $25/year
  • Non-alcohol related events, on-campus - no charge

  
  All clubs must complete and submit an Insurance Fee Form, even if they will be not holding off-campus or alcohol related events. Failure of a club to submit the Insurance Fee Form or pay the fee will result in the club having all its privileges with the SU suspended and de-sanctioning may result.

• Waivers

  If your group is planning to travel outside the city (to conferences, tournaments, etc.) or have an event that involves a physical risk you must inform the CSO and have your participating members sign a waiver. Waivers are crafted and issued by the CSO for each individual event. Even if you have old waivers from past years, you cannot re-use them.

  Each participant in an event must sign a waiver. This signing must be witnessed by an Executive member of the club who has received waiver administration training. This training takes very little time, and can be accessed by contacting the CSO.

  Waivers must be submitted to the CSO before the end of the year. The waivers will be stored by the SU for two years.

  Failure of a club to notify and submit all of the above information to the SU prior to holding an off-campus event will result in a suspension of club privileges and may lead to the club being de-sanctioned.

• Alcohol Functions

  Before hosting any event where alcohol will be served, clubs must:

  • have paid their $50.00 insurance fee, and
  • have had at least two members of their Executive Pro-Serve/ASIP certified. These members must be present and sober at the event.

  
  Further, if the event is being held off-campus, the venue must be contacted and asked to list the following as additional insurers on the venue's liability insurance policy for the date of the event:

  • Your club
  • University of Calgary and The Board of Governors of the University of Calgary 2500 University Drive N.W. Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
  • The University of Calgary Students' Union
    251 MacEwan Student Center
    2500 University Drive. N.W. Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

  
  A certificate of insurance demonstrating that these additions have been made must be submitted to the CSO no less than 48 hours (2 days) before the event. Venues such as bars and banquet halls are asked to do this all the time, and so you shouldn't worry about requesting it. If you encounter any problems, the CSO will be more than happy to help you out.

  Club-sponsored alcohol related events cannot be held in venues that are unlicensed or that do not have sufficient liability insurance. For this reason, house parties where alcohol will be served cannot be organized or advertised as club events.

  Finally, all club events must adhere to the University of Calgary Use of Alcohol Policy. The policy can be viewed here: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/departments/RISK/riskmgmt/riskmgmt/alcoholpolicy.html. If you plan on having events where alcohol will be served, you should familiarize yourself with it. Note especially that this policy explicitly prohibits all pub crawls.

Pro-Serve/ASIP

All clubs that plan on hosting events where alcohol will be served must have at least two members of their Executive Pro-Serve/ASIP (Alberta Server Intervention Program) certified.Certification involves taking an online course and then writing a multiple choice exam. The whole process takes about four hours, and can be worked on at your leisure over a six week period. It is offered free-of-charge to all members of SU-sanctioned clubs.

In order to register, send the names and email addresses of the Executive members you would like certified to proserve@ucalgary.ca. You will receive an email directly from Pro-Serve/ASIP with your registration code.

Once you have been certified, be certain to make a photocopy of your completion certificate and submit it to the CSO. We will not consider an Executive certified unless we have a copy of their certification.

Annual Report

All clubs must submit an annual report each year at the end of April. An annual report is a record of a clubís activities, financial information, contact information, and Executive and membership lists for the last year.

The submission of a complete annual report means the club has acknowledged that they were an active club in the past year and wish to continue their sanctioned status with the Studentsí Union. Failure to submit an annual report is interpreted by the Clubs Committee as a desire to no longer be a SU-sanctioned club. Consequently, the Clubs Committee will de-sanction your club for failure to submit an annual report by the deadline.

What do I need to include in my club's annual report?

• Contact information
• Outgoing Executive (names, student ID numbers, phone numbers and email addresses)
• Incoming Executive (names, student ID numbers, phone numbers and email addresses)
• Financial Statement (which includes an annual income statement, cash balances for all club accounts, and a list of outstanding debts)
• Sanctioned Agreement Form for the upcoming year
• Membership list (names and student ID numbers)
• Club constitution

If you are required to submit an annual report to your faculty or parent organization, feel free to submit this report to the SU (just ensure that all the above information is included).

Advertising and Signage Policy

One of the main ways for clubs to communicate their events to students is through posters and banners. There are many places in MacEwan Hall where your club can hang posters and banners, but it is important that these spaces be used respectfully and equitably. SU-sanctioned clubs will manage their own event or awareness banner campaigns once they have reviewed and acknowledged in writing their agreement to comply with the provisions of this policy with the SU Coordinator, Student Organizations.

In order to ensure this, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Club posters can only be affixed to designated club bulletin boards, public boards or in the Clubs Display Case. Designated boards within the building are identified by a header on the board. The Clubs Display Case can be booked by contacting the CSO.
• Banners may only be posted in designated areas:
  • north and south stairwell hand rails in the MacEwan Student Centre, and
  • north and south courtyard railings when associated with an event being conducted in the courtyard area or an SU-sanctioned club awareness campaign.
• All posters and banners advertising club sponsored events must clearly display the clubís name and the function date. Posters and banners cannot be hung more than 21 days prior to this date and must be removed within two days of the event. Awareness campaign banners may be posted by SU-sanctioned clubs in designated areas on a first come, first served basis for no longer than 14 days.
• Off-campus club sponsored events must confirm insurance and receive approval from the CSO prior to being posting. No material shall advertise or promote pub crawls.
• The SU reserves the right to refuse any material that is deemed offensive or of a sensitive nature in accordance with the SU Acceptable Display Procedure (a copy can be obtained from the CSO).
• Posters cannot be larger than 11 x 17 inches in size. Banners cannot be larger than 24 square feet with a length to width ratio not exceeding 3 to 1.
• Post only one poster per bulletin board. Use staples rather than tape or pins. Do not cover any part of any other poster on the board.
• Only one banner is permitted per location, with each stairwell being considered a separate location. Banners must not be placed over other banners or they will be removed. Use only masking tape to post banners.
• Do not affix posters or banners to glass surfaces, wood or painted walls.

MacEwan Hall is a sticker-free zone.

Within MacEwan Hall, handbills may only be distributed from tables booked through the MacEwan Conference & Events Centre.

Sandwich boards are prohibited within MacEwan Hall unless pre-approved by the SU Facilities department.

All advertising materials distributed in violation of this policy will be removed and destroyed without prior notice. The Students' Union and the University of Calgary reserve the right to charge a fee for removing posters that violate the poster policy, or for physical damage resulting from improper placement.

Exclusivity Contracts in MacEwan Student Centre

In order to maximize the services it can offer to students, the Studentsí Union has entered into a series of exclusivity contracts with the following firms:

• A & W
• Molson
• Pepsi

As SU-sanctioned clubs, you are expected to abide by these arrangements within the confines of MacEwan Hall. In other words, no club can advertise or promote any immediate competitor of these firms, nor can a club distribute the products or services of such competitors. This rule supersedes any sponsorship deal between the club and the company in question.

Further, if you would like to enter into a sponsorship arrangement with a media outlet, such as a radio or television station or newspaper, you must get explicit, written permission from the relevant campus media competitor (CJSW, NUTV, The Gauntlet) before you advertise or promote them or distribute their products.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact the CSO for clarification.

Diversity

The Studentsí Union values all students and is committed to providing them with a positive environment for all aspects of the student experience. This includes the clubs area. Discrimination and harassment are prohibited by law and by university policy and will not be tolerated. Any kind of behaviour that threatens a fellow club memberís dignity and worth is unacceptable. It is everyoneís responsibility not to harass others and to help create a harmonious atmosphere in the clubs area.

Discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional, is unfair, differential treatment of individuals and groups based on prejudice, stereotypes, ignorance, and fear, for which there is no bona fide or reasonable justification and which imposes burdens, obligations, or disadvantages on individuals or groups.

Harassment is a form of discrimination, which involves unsolicited and unwelcome attention from a person who knows or reasonably ought to know that such behaviour is unwelcome. Such unwelcome comment or conduct is intimidating, threatening, demeaning, or abusive and may be accompanied by direct or implied threats to grades, status or job. Harassment has the impact or effect of creating a hostile or poisoned work or study environment and limits individuals in their pursuit of education, research or work goals. Harassment can be discriminatory, sexual or personal in nature.

Consistent with the Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act, the University of Calgary prohibits discrimination and harassment on the following grounds: race, religious beliefs (includes Native Spirituality), colour, gender (being male, female or transgender), physical or mental disability, age, marital status, family status, ancestry, place of origin, source of income, sexual orientation or political beliefs.

If you feel you are being harassed, donít ignore the situation and hope that it will go away. Instead, take appropriate action at an early stage to resolve the issue and prevent it from escalating.

1. Communicate your Concerns. If you can, tell the offending party that his or her behaviour is unwelcome and ask that it stop. This can be done in person or by writing a letter.
2. Seek Help. If you feel unable to communicate your concerns directly or, when talking to the other person is not an option or has not been successful, seek help. There are many resources available to you: talk to the CSO. The Universityís Sexual Harassment Office is located in MC 375 and the Sexual Harassment Adviser is available on a confidential basis for advice and assistance in dealing with concerns about all forms of discrimination. The Advisor can be contacted at 403-220-4086.
3. Keep a Record. Write down the details of any incidents and how they were handled.