Announcements

Check out any important announcements from Student Group Services that don’t fall under other categories — all in one place.

Student Group Policy Changes

Originally published August 12, 2026 in the Student Group Services Newsletter

Earlier this summer, we announced changes to student group related policies via our biweekly newsletter. SGS is excited to provide you with more updates, information, and guidance!

Recognition 

As of May 2026, the University of Alberta's Student Groups Procedure (SGP) has been rescinded and the UASU's Bylaw 5100 has been replaced by Bylaw 220. A new Student Group Operating Policy (SGOP) has been introduced to replace SGP.

Groups that meet the previous requirements for recognition under SGP and Bylaw 5100 will continue to be recognized through Fall 2026. New recognition requirements will be enforced as of January 2027. Conduct concerns will currently be addressed under the new requirements whenever possible.

What does this mean for you?

For most groups, this change won’t impact their operations in Fall 2026. Most groups with UASU recognition will continue to have UASU recognition, as requirements have not changed significantly. If your group only has U of A recognition or doesn’t meet the new requirements for UASU recognition, though, Student Group Services will reach out to you in September 2026 to explain your options.

Training and Resources 

Staff are still working on making updates to Group Leader Orientation, Event Organizer Training, and other resources. By January 2027, all content will be up to date, and training from before 2027 will not count towards registration as of January 2027.

What does this mean for you?

Groups completing registration in 2027 and beyond will need to meet UASU student group recognition requirements and complete the newest versions of GLO and EOT to ensure they have the most up-to-date information about student group policies and expectations.

Event Review 

Since January 2026, Student Group Services has started gradually taking over event reviews. As of August 2026, our team is responsible for reviewing the majority of events for undergraduate students.

The Student Affairs Team will be reviewing more complicated undergraduate events, and all graduate student group events. SGS will be reviewing almost 90% of event submissions as of January 2027.

What does this mean for you?

The event submission process is still the same, but who you talk to about events will change! If you have event related questions, take the guesswork out of things—email clubs@uasu.ca. SGS will pass on emails to the Student Affairs Team if necessary.

Please refrain from reaching out to specific staff that previously reviewed your events, since they might not be your contact in the future.

If you have questions about any of these changes, please emails clubs@uasu.ca and we would be happy to assist you!

Meet the SGS Coordinators - Winter 2026

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Published February 25 2026

Student Group Services supports student life at the University of Alberta by providing programming and administrative assistance to student-run clubs and organizations on campus. While the team is led by a permanent staff member and includes full time staff, we have multiple part time student staff who collaborate to support student groups on campus. Curious about who is behind the scenes? Read on to learn about our team, the student groups that they've been involved in, and what they love most about groups and working with them!

About the Coordinator Role

The SGS Coordinator role is built with students in mind, working full time in spring and summer and part time in fall and winter. Coordinators support student group administration, including registration, training, and physical space allocation in the Students' Union Building, and have a strong focus on advising and project work as well. It's a highly collaborative position with lots of opportunities to learn, and staff have the chance to leverage their existing student group experience to make campus more vibrant by supporting fellow student leaders.

Student Group Services hires Coordinators throughout the year, with roles starting in May and October.  If you're interested in applying, head to uasu.ca/jobs to check for postings from us and other departments within the University of Alberta Students' Union!

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Sania

My university experience was just as much about personal growth as it was about academics, and student groups played a profound role in that journey! I first got involved with student groups through Campus UNICEF as part of the events committee, followed by serving as VP Events for two years before stepping into the role of President. I additionally spent two years with Women Empowering Women, got to teach cool experiments to kiddos as part of Science Fundamentals, and became acquainted with some incredibly sharp minds through Chess Club!  Each of these opportunities allowed me to see firsthand how passionate students can take a simple idea, nurture it through dedicated efforts, and watch it grow into something that positively impacts campus life. Helping things move from brainstorming to reality, from intangible to tangible, is still one of my favourite parts of student leadership, except now I get to do this from the staff end of things!

Among the things I love most about student groups is the opportunity they create for growth. Not only organizational, but inner growth too! I’ve watched myself and fellow executive members learn how to lead meetings and delegate responsibility, and (just as importantly) recover from mistakes! Student groups are one of the few spaces where you get to practice leadership and learn a lot about yourself before stepping into the “real world” after graduation.

Working at Student Group Services feels very full circle to me, and one of the things I enjoy most about it is how much I continue to learn from the high-achieving people around me. Whether it be productivity tips and different approaches to problem solving, or sharing humour that makes a busy day lighter, my team continually inspires me to evolve. On top of that, no two student groups are completely the same, and I love collectively brainstorming through unique questions and scenarios that come our way!

One thing I’d like students to know is that SGS is here for them! Leadership comes with a learning curve, and our staff are here for you to ask questions to gain clarity, and utilize our student resources to strengthen the foundation of your group so that it lasts!

Sania first joined the SGS team in August 2024 on a 1 year contract, and returned in January 2026. She recently graduated from the University of Alberta in June 2025 with a Specialization in Psychology. Sania enjoys baroque architecture, volunteering, and checking out new shows recommended to her by her friends.

Athena

I've been involved with multiple groups on campus, like the Stollery Youth Committee or the Italian Club, but my main contributions were always given to the Delta Gamma Women's Fraternity and Panhellenic Council. I was able to help with member education, recruitment, our mentor-mentee program, and eventually became President of Panhellenic during the 2024 year.

Being in a Student Group gave me life to campus that was missing, and the camaraderie that is often lacking in science-based programs. Fresh into a hybrid school system after COVID, I needed a way of making connections, and the classmates sitting next to me in CHEM 101 weren't exactly forthcoming in terms of friendship. Joining clubs on campus allowed me to apply my niche interests and skillsets to a community of like-minded women that truly changed my life for the better. If it weren't for clubs, I don't think I would know as much as I do about our lovely campus, or feel as strongly connected to the UofA as I am now.

I held many jobs before my time at Student Group Services: clinical workspaces, administrative office work, and more. Stepping into this space, the environment was completely different in all the right ways. Everyone here is truly dedicated to upholding the fairest, highest efforts towards supporting students on campus who simply want to see their dreams become a reality. Nothing is more self-fulfilling than seeing a student overcome their adversities and grow into a successful leader, which I get to see on the daily, through the efforts of my hardworking co-workers.

If I had to say one thing to summarize Student Group Services - its knowledge. We have over 500+ groups on campus, and know the ins-and-outs of what works, what doesn't, what's trending, what's repetitive, and so on. The resources we develop, the news we share, the programs we update and the policies in place are to create the most self-sustaining environment for these independent organizations to exist and thrive. But that doesn't mean that you're alone in your endeavours, if you visit us with earnest want to learn to be a leader, we'll help you get to where you need to be.

Athena joined the SGS team in November 2024 and will be finishing her contract at the end of April 2026. She is in her final year of a double major in Biological Sciences and Psychology, and will graduate in June 2026. Athena loves taking on new hobbies—she's well versed in fibre arts, writing, pilates, video games, and much more!

Yanela

I’ve been involved in the Pharmacology Students’ Association (PSA) since my second year, when I started as a 2nd Year Representative. For the past two years, I’ve served as the VP Social, handling all the social media and marketing aspects while trying to build community within our program. Outside of the PSA, I’m the President of the Happy Faces Foundation, a charity club that raises money for children and young adults born with cleft palate or cleft lip. A cause that is very close to my heart. I also previously served as Director of Handbooks for the Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society (ISSS), where I helped design the Science Student Handbooks that communicate academic resources and opportunities to undergraduate students across the Faculty of Science.

The best thing that being in a student group has given me is the people, 100%. Student groups provide the opportunity to make friends from different backgrounds and areas of study, but with a similar mindset or goal. I’ve made so many meaningful friendships and connections through simply getting involved in student groups, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to work alongside such passionate and driven individuals. It makes campus feel a lot smaller (in the best way).

What I enjoy most about working for SGS and the UASU is the environment. Everyone is genuinely kind and supportive, and I love that my role allows me to connect with so many different student groups. It’s kind of like getting a behind-the-scenes look at all the amazing ideas happening on campus. At the same time, I’ve gained valuable administrative experience that I wouldn’t typically obtain through my pharmacology degree, which is a huge bonus.

One thing I really want students to know is just how many resources are available to support them. Through SGS and the UASU as a whole, there are so many guidebooks, outlines, templates, tools and services to help guide you at any stage of your student group journey. Sometimes it’s just about asking a question or reaching out when you’re unsure. A quick conversation can save you a lot of stress and help you feel more confident moving forward. You don’t have to figure it all out alone!

Yanela joined the SGS team in October 2025 on a 1 year contract, and will be continuing with the team through spring and summer. She is in her fourth year of Honours Pharmacology, and will graduate in June 2026. Most of Yanela's days are spent learning about receptors and drug mechanisms, but she also enjoys being involved outside of the lab, photography, and music.

SGS Wrapped 2025

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Published December 23, 2025

And with that, the 2025 season comes to an end! Student Group Services had a busy year, and we’re so excited to share all of our updates with you. So grab a mug of hot cocoa or masala chai, get cozy, and read on for an overview of everything the SGS team (and our collaborators) have done over the past 12 months.

New and Returning Groups Rejoice: Clubs are Flourishing!

Over the course of the 2025 year, we received 170 new group applications, and 69 were approved. Wondering how that stacks up compared to 2024? Well, in 2024, we had 81 submissions come through, and 36 of them were approved. It’s clear that students are looking for new and innovative ways to get involved, and we’re excited to see how 2025’s new groups grow in 2026!

At the end of 2025, we’re going strong with 427 clubs currently affiliated on Rubric, and a total of 3302 students are serving as executives. There are an additional 66 groups that aren’t affiliated in the system right now due to missed registration deadlines, and 34 new groups that are working towards registering, but SGS is working hard to get in touch with them to bring everyone onto the new platform and get groups (back) up and running. What’s that add up to? 527 total groups in the system!

Wondering what all of those groups got up to? Well, 1533 events were hosted on Rubric in 2025. That breaks down to about 56 events per week from when we started using the platform! Some more quick stats for you: 63 groups stopped by for drop-in advising, 108 booked with us in advance, and we received over 4000 emails and helped over 1500 different people who reached out to clubs@uasu.ca. 94 groups joined us for Winter Clubs Fair 2025, and 222 participated in Fall Clubs Fair 2025. 

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New Platforms and Processes

In May 2025, SGS announced that we would finally be leaving BearsDen behind and moving to a new home for student groups: Rubric! Over the course of the summer, 30 student groups helped us test out new features and processes on the platform, and we officially launched Rubric in June for new group applications to be submitted. Previously recognized groups were welcomed onto the platform in July. As of August 2025, we also moved the Group Leader Orientation modules from eClass to Canvas, and we already have over 560 executives enrolled! Our most popular Skills course? Conflict Management & Resolution.

With the shift from BearsDen to Rubric, SGS has been working hard on fine tuning our administrative processes to make sure that we’re taking full advantage of the tools available to us via Rubric. Groups can sell memberships that have different features and expiries, run their elections, send communications to members, and much more. SGS is taking advantage of new features such as a document generator to give your group official documents for registration approvals, which you can share with other offices and organizations as proof of your group’s recognition for the year.

One of the biggest changes that Rubric has given us is the ability to set groups’ affiliation to automatically expire if their registration isn’t approved by their deadline. This has freed up capacity in our department to add new administrative steps in, like giving groups verification letters as part of registration. We are also working on moving our bi-weekly newsletter over to Rubric, which will let us send it out to all student group executives so you never miss an important update. We’re always looking for new ways to make registration and group operations easier for groups, so keep an eye out for more improvements in the new year!

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Clubs Fair Facelift

Remember the lineups for check in at Clubs Fair? Well, in 2025, we worked on cutting down all of that standing around to give you more time to chat up potential members. SGS rolled out a self check-in process during Winter Clubs Fair 2025 and brought it to Fall Clubs Fair 2025 as well, giving groups the opportunity to set up at their tables as soon as they arrived instead of waiting to check in at our table. Groups still had to come by to pick up tabling materials such as lanyards and their Perks QR codes, but the whole process was quicker than previous years. 

In Winter 2026, we’ll be upping our game even more to eliminate the need for your group to come to us at all (if you have a pre-scheduled shift, of course). Staff will come bring you everything you need to table, remind you of the rules, and even help with setup if you’re missing tape or scissors! It’s like ordering delivery on a busy night of studying! Plus, Winter Clubs Fair 2026 will be hosted in University Commons, so even more groups can table with us this year. Groups can still do walk ups this year, of course, so come hang out in our new space!

Get Some Change to Make a Change

2025 saw some significant changes for the Student Group Granting Program, which is currently managed by the UASU's Governance department and hands out over $100,000 to UASU-recognized student groups each year! The application window for Round 1, which was open for applications in May, was extended by a month to give more groups the chance to apply for funding for their Fall events. 134 different groups applied for grants in Round 1 and 2, and 47 of those successfully received funding in Round 1; Round 2 grants are still being finalized so keep an eye on your inbox if you applied in September!

As of May 2025, the UASU’s Finance Committee Standing Orders were updated to place additional restrictions on which groups could apply for funding. Ineligible groups previously included groups not registered with the UASU and groups in bad standing as defined by Student Group Services, but this was expanded to include Student Representative Associations receiving a Student Representative Association Membership Fee and entities receiving a Dedicated Fee Unit. This was done to help more diverse groups access funding. So if your group doesn’t reliably get funding from a fee, you’ve got a better chance to score some cash from the granting program now!

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A Home For All Our Resources

In early 2025 we started updating our resources and moving them onto Docs.SU, the University of Alberta Students’ Union’s online repository for bylaws, help articles, and much more. We’ve created sections to go over all of the details on student group recognition and registration, walkthroughs for navigating Rubric, an overview of the handbooks and templates that live in our resource drive, and, our pride and joy, the Student Group Resource Hub. 

The Resource Hub is a running list of all resources available to registered student groups, based on registration level. There are so many resources available on campus, and it can be challenging to remember who offers them, and how many are offered! Our hope is that this list can help introduce your group to all the perks, supports and resources available to you, and help clarify how to access them.

Right now, we’re working on a terminology list to help you better understand all the terms and concepts that apply to student groups. We’re also developing more Rubric walkthroughs, both in text and video form, to help you get the most out of your group’s Rubric account.

It’s All About Space

In September 2025, we officially launched the Student Group Flex Spaces in lower level SUB, in partnership with InfoLink and the Horowitz Events Centre, two other services brought to you by your UASU. This space contains a lounge as well as a variety of different meeting rooms. If you are having small gatherings of 4 to 10 people, you can book a Student Group Flex Space meeting room. Some common uses of the space include meetings, interviews or student group related work functions.

In October 2025, we also released a convenient resource to help you find your next tabling location thanks to the hard work of our Research & Advocacy department! You can find table booking forms and location details for North Campus, South Campus, Campus Saint-Jean, and Augustana Campus by checking out the Resource Hub. We're always working on creating and updating more resources, such as our postering sheet, to help you figure out how to make the most of physical space on campus!

Mix and Mingle

In Fall 2025, Student Group Services joined forces with the UASU’s Governance department to host Club Cafe, a low-pressure, high-payoff chance for you to meet with UASU staff and peers and learn more about running a student group on campus. In Winter 2026, we’re taking it up a notch and bringing you our first student group & campus stakeholder networking event to help give your group a well-deserved glo up. More information will be announced in the new year in our newsletter!

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No More Constitution Confusion

Ever wondered how your group’s founders made your constitution? Well, as of Fall 2025, new groups are receiving extra support from SGS in the form of a constitution template and an easy to use Google Form to put it all together. So far, founding students have said it’s made their lives easier so they don’t need to worry about navigating the complexities of governing documents on their own!

Has your group been operating for a while? Hoping to update your constitution? We now have an information update request form on Rubric that lets you submit your constitution amendments to SGS for review! Over the past few years, we’ve pushed pause on annual constitution review for groups, and we know it’s been tough to ensure your group’s constitution is in compliance with SGS requirements. We’re ready to take a look and provide you with feedback though! Keep an eye out for requests from staff to take a closer look at your constitution to make sure it’s serving your group and reflects the reality of your operations, all while sticking to the rules.

SGS: Your One-Stop-Shop for Everything

For years, SGS has been your go-to support for everything student group related, EXCEPT for event approvals. Our colleagues in Student Success and Experience, previously known as the Dean of Students Office, currently handle reviewing your event submissions and giving you all the feedback you need to run successful and safe events. Starting in January 2026, though, SGS will be taking over event approvals in UASU-managed spaces like SUB, Room at the Top, and Dewey’s. This would not have been possible without student feedback and advocacy. We can’t wait to get a closer look at your operations from this angle and work on ways to make the event planning and approval process even easier for student groups!

And That's a Wrap!

With 2026 looming closer and closer, our team is taking a much needed break before the Winter term begins. We're excited to welcome you back with Winter Clubs Fair, new resources, and new opportunities to engage with us as we all work together to create a campus enriched by student group involvement. As always, you can reach us at clubs@uasu.ca with any questions, feedback, or comments you might have.

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Written by Selen Erkut, Program Lead, Student Group Services. Graphics created based on a template provided by Slidechef.

 

BearsDen Offboarding

Published: August 11, 2025

 After many years of hard work and research into our options, we’re excited to announce that student group management will be moving from BearsDen to a new platform: Rubric! As of September 30, 2025, our contract with Anthology, the company that provides the BearsDen platform for student group management, will end.

Getting Started on Rubric

All eligible groups have now been moved over to Rubric, using the organization email that was set on BearsDen at the time of import. Please check this spreadsheet to confirm which email address was used for your club. Please do not set up an additional account for your group. If you do not have access to the email address listed for your group, please contact us immediately to have the email address changed.

If your club is listed as unaffiliated on the import spreadsheet, you will need to complete a full registration on Rubric. Please follow these instructions to gain access to the registration form:

  1. Login to Rubric on the clubs portal via your club account. Click here for instructions.

  2. Ensure your society settings are correct and that your club has a category assigned. Click here for instructions.

  3. Add your executive team and grant them appropriate permissions by setting up executive roles. Click here for instructions.

  4. Log in to Rubric via your student account on the students portal to submit the registration form. Click here for instructions.

You can find more information about the registration form and what is required for submission by clicking here. We encourage you to complete the registration form as soon as possible to ensure your group is recognized in a timely manner. If your registration is not submitted and approved on Rubric by December 19, 2025 your group will be deactivated and your page will be deleted.

Once your registration is approved and your group is affiliated, you can start exploring other features on Rubric! Please ensure the following tasks are completed before the Fall term:

  1. Set up your profile picture.

  2. Set up your Link In Bio homepage.

  3. Set up membership tiers and upload your existing members.

  4. Submit events for approval ahead of the Fall term.

We’ve created instructions for these tasks on our resource hub! Click here for more details.

What if we weren’t transferred to Rubric?

The UASU believes it is important to provide a space to Student Groups to promote their clubs and events. At this time, only registered Student Groups and Club Sports have access to Rubric. Deactivated Student Groups and Engineering Project Groups were not transferred over, nor were University of Alberta units and services, as these organizations do not fall within the scope of Rubric’s use at this time.

If you are interested in establishing a deactivated Student Group on Rubric, you will need to submit a new group proposal in October. You can find more information about the new group process on our resource hub.

Leaving BearsDen

Organization pages are no longer available for public view on BearsDen, but you still have time to access your organization page and export any information you would like to keep! You can download any previously uploaded documents (including constitutions), your membership roster, photos, and more. Please also ensure you accept or deny any/all form submissions if your organization uses forms, and transfer these processes elsewhere. 

You will need to remove any reference to BearsDen from your organization’s social media accounts and internal documents, and replace them with Rubric. Student groups’ Rubric pages are available via the “Link In Bio” tab, and you can find instructions for using the platform at helpcenter.hellorubric.com and on our resource hub.

What’s coming next?

Rubric will become our new home for all things student group involvement! Registrations, event approvals, and request forms will be done through the new platform. The general requirements will be the same as they were on BearsDen, but you will notice that forms and the interface of the platform are different. Training will be available to help you get comfortable with the new platform.

As groups adapt to the new platform, we will roll out additional features, resources, and expectations for groups. Further information will be communicated to groups throughout the process.

We are very excited to offer this new opportunity for groups to engage with the campus community, and we look forward to seeing how groups utilizes the myriad of features and resources available via Rubric. In the meantime, keep an eye on the newsletter for further updates, and reach out to clubs@uasu.ca with any questions.

Student Group Platform Transition

Published: May 23, 2025

After many years of hard work and research into our options, we’re excited to announce that student group management will be moving from BearsDen to a new platform: Rubric! As of September 30, 2025, our contract with Anthology, the company that provides the BearsDen platform for student group management, will end. We will be transitioning over to Rubric over the summer.

Timeline

In order to manage this transition, we’ve got some key milestones and dates for groups to be aware of.

May 31, 2025 - Standard registration forms on BearsDen will close to new submissions.

June 1, 2025 - New group proposals will open on Rubric. More details will be available in the Student Group Resource Hub.

Early June, 2025 - Beta testing of forms and functions will happen. 

June 30, 2025 - Resubmissions of standard registrations on BearsDen will no longer be reviewed after this date. Groups that have registrations in the queue will need to continue the registration process via Rubric.

July 2, 2025 - Hard launch of Rubric for all groups. Data will be transferred over based on information that has been submitted via registration forms. 

Early August, 2025 - All groups’ information should be imported to Rubric by this point in preparation for fall membership recruitment. Training sessions will be held for groups to onboard them onto the platform.

Beta Testing

The decision to move to Rubric was made with student groups in mind, and we want to make sure it works for you. We’d love for you to gain hands-on experience and provide feedback for the platform by participating in beta testing. This will allow us to understand and develop the processes that will best suit the needs and operations of student groups on our campus. 

During beta testing, we will be hosting in-person (and online) sessions in June for student group executives to try out the new platform with SGS staff. By participating in the beta-test, you will gain:

If you are interested, please fill out the application form below and SGS Staff will get in touch with you!

Apply here for beta testing!

What does this mean for groups?

Groups that hold elections in January - April, according to their constitutions, will still need to register via BearsDen if they have not done so following their most recent elections. A registration form must be submitted by May 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM. If this is not completed in time, your student group will be frozen and you will not be able to access a registration form until we have transferred to the new platform. Groups that have already made submissions will still be reviewed and can resubmit until the end of June if their registration is denied.

Groups that hold elections in May and June, according to their constitutions, will need to complete a preliminary registration form via BearsDen to update their executive roster and profile information. The preliminary registration form must be submitted by June 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM. If this is not completed in time, your student group will be frozen and you will not be able to access a registration form until we have transferred to the new platform. 

Groups that hold elections in July onwards, according to their constitutions, will complete registration via Rubric following standard timelines. All groups will be expected to shift to Rubric before the beginning of August.

You must not migrate your group over to Rubric independently. Student Group Services will manage moving basic group information such as the group name, president, treasurer (or equivalent), and organization email over to the new platform, at which point you will be expected to develop your group’s landing page, update executive roles, add members, etc. 

What’s coming next?

Rubric will become our new home for all things student group involvement! Registrations, event approvals, and request forms will be done through the new platform. The general requirements will be the same as they were on BearsDen, but you will notice that forms and the interface of the platform are different. Training will be available to help you get comfortable with the new platform.

As groups adapt to the new platform, we will roll out additional features, resources, and expectations for groups. Further information, including the timeline for event submissions to move from BearsDen to Rubric, will be communicated to groups throughout the process.

We are very excited to offer this new opportunity for groups to engage with the campus community, and we look forward to seeing how your group utilizes the myriad of features and resources available via Rubric. In the meantime, keep an eye on the newsletter for further updates!