Terminology
The language of student groups can be overwhelming at times! This page can be used to gain a deeper understanding into the niche terms used for student groups at the University of Alberta, as well as the Rubric platform. Please note this page is subject to to alteration alteration - so ensure you check the last updated date.
A
Active - Equivalent to the affiliated status, this term was historically used when Student Group Services utilized the BearsDen platform for student group management.
Annual Elections - A A student group's yearly elections to democratically select their incoming officers. These are held during the group's election month.
Annual General Meeting (AGM) - A yearly meeting hosted by a student group on campus. A large portion of voting members attend in order to go over the major discussions required for the operations of the group. Including but not limited to finances, executive teams, events, and general statistics.
Advising - A service offered by Student Group Services. Either scheduled or drop-in (with in-person and online options), a staff member of SGS will be able to provide guidance and advice at a student group's request.
Affiliated - The status of a student group that has submitted annual registration and met all the requirements of recognition, resulting in the approval of their registration. These groups are able to access all available features on Rubric and all the privileges of student group recognition. This is equivalent to the historically used active status.
Appointment - A non-democratic process used to select leadership within a student group. An individual is given a position through methods including but not limited to interviews, selection by a single individual, mentorship priming, etc. This should only be used for non-executive positions.
Amendment - A A process where a group makes alterations to their constitution. Any changes must be approved by SGS and then voted in favour by the group's general membership before being implemented. More information is available here.
B
Byelections - A A process utilized by student groups in the case of a vacant position within their leadership structure. This process is outlined in the group's constitution, and can be implemented at any point during the year.
Bylaws - Additional governing documents for a student group. Bylaws allow an organization to expand on concepts outlined in their constitution. All bylaws must be in compliance with a group's constitution, and a group may choose to allow the executive committee to amend bylaws as needed.
Bad Standing - The status of a member on probation in a student group. Specific reasons for and consequences of bad standing are outlined in a group's constitution, but this status generally limits the member's rights/benefits within the student group.
C
Campaign (feature) - A A feature on Rubric accessed through the the navigation bar by users with executive permissions. Allows for mass-messaging to members through either text or email. More information is available here.
Club - A less common term used to refer to a student group.
Club Account - The official account of a given student group on Rubric.
Club Account Email - The official account email of a given student group on Rubric. Using the club portal, an individual may login and access access all features of a club account. This should only be used by the student group's President or an SGS staff member.
Clubs Fair - An event hosted by Student Group Services in both Fall/Winter to help student groups recruit more members. These events are the largest gatherings of active student groups on campus, and are marketed to the general student body. Student groups sign up for a designated shift and are provided a space (table) to interact with attendees in order to promote their organization.
Club Files (feature) - A A feature on Rubric accessed through the the navigation bar by users with with executive permissions. Allows a group to store a variety of files, including past submissions or or constitutions.
Club Portal - A A login portal on Rubric that can only be used if you have the club account email and password.
Club Management Page - The main landing page for a student group account. This is accessible either by logging in as a student group officer or through the the club account email.
Conditional Approval - The approval of a student group's registration with additional requirements, communicated by a SGS staff member. Groups that receive conditional approval are temporarily granted provisional recognition. The requirements must be completed by an assigned deadline, or affiliation will be revoked.
Constitution - The highest governing document for a student group, a constitution is a written record of a student group's fundamental principles and established precedents. This document describes the policies and procedures of the organization’s operations and governance, including the group's mission, goals, terms of membership, elections process, officer roles, committees, financial management, meetings, and dissolution procedures. This document is required for all groups and must comply with local and federal law, University of Alberta policies and procedures, and Students’ Union or Graduate Students’ Association’s policies and procedures, as applicable. Any amendments must be approved by all members of the group.
D
Deactivated - The status of a student group that has been disaffiliated for over a year following their registration deadline. The group's account will no longer be accessible as it will be archived in Rubric, and they will not be eligible to reregister.
Disaffiliated - The status of groups that fail to obtain an approved registration by their deadline. The group will have little-to-no access to Rubric's features until they obtain approval of their registration. This is equivalent to the historically used frozen status.
E
Election - A democratic process used to select leadership within a student group. An individual assumes a position as a result of the group’s decision, with eligible members voting majority in favour, rather than against or abstaining. To be recognized, all groups must select their executives through fair and democratic procedures.
Elections (feature) - A A feature on Rubric accessed through the navigation bar by users with with executive permissions. Allows a group to host their (annual or by) elections on the platform. More information is available here.
Election Month - The month month when a student group hosts their annual election. This month is recorded by SGS, and is outlined in the group's constitution, and determines when the group's s annual registration is due.
Election Supervisor - A person who is in charge of running a student group's election. The duties of this role include but are not limited to ballot counting, rule setting, timeline management, enforcement of election rules, etc.
Event - Any student function organized by a student group for its members and their guests, on or off campus, including but not limited to, social events, demonstrations, events involving alcohol, travel, fundraising, guest guest speakers, physical activity or events involving the issuance of a gaming gaming license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (eg. raffle, 50-50 50 draw, casino).
Events (feature) - A A feature on Rubric accessed through the navigation bar by users with with executive permissions. Allows a group to submit events for review. To host and market an event, groups must have their submissions approved through this feature. More information is available here.
Executive - Officer roles with with executive-level power power over a student group. These positions must be be elected and includes, but is not limited to, those with access to the group's finances, the power to vote on behalf of the group's general membership, access to confidential information, or the responsibility of acting as a liaison/representative on the group's behalf.
Executive Role and Permissions (feature) - A feature on Rubric that allows a group to create officer roles according to what is outlined in their constitution. These roles can have unique executive permissions that give an assigned individual access to specific Rubric features. They can also be assigned to multiple individuals. More information is available here.
Executive View (feature) - A A feature on Rubric that allows student officers to access the club management page page by logging in through the Student Portal.
Event Organizer Training - A required training issued by Student Success & Experience. Through self-enrolment, a student can learn a variety of topics related to event planning, event submissions, marketing and more.
F
Frozen - Equivalent to the disaffiliated status, this term was historically used when Student Group Services utilized the BearsDen platform for student group management.
Forms (feature) - A feature on Rubric that allows a group to access forms offered by the University of Alberta Students' Union. Accessed using the the navigation bar, it includes registration forms, storage space applications, verification letters, information update requests, and more. You can also see see past submissions that were approved, denied, or are still pending.
Founder - A A term used to describe an individual who proposes a new group on campus. They are responsible for ensuring the the new group process is completed, and for developing foundational principles to ensure the longevity of a new group.
G
Good Standing - A A term used to describe a member with full access in a given student group. The specifics are outlined in a group's constitution, but the member has full rights/benefits (e.g. the right to vote, the right to participate in all group functions).
Graduate Students' Association (GSA) - The organization that represents graduate students and oversees GSA group recognition at the University of Alberta. Their staff work alongside Student Group Services to ensure groups are supported and meet student group recognition requirements.
Group Leader Orientation (GLO) - A A required training issued by Student Group Services. Through self-enrolment, a student can learn a variety of topics related to student groups, including but not limited to policies, finances, conflict management, and team collaboration.
I
Incoming Officer(s)/Executive(s) - Individuals Individuals recently elected or appointed appointed into their officer position.
Initial Registration - The second stage of the new group cycle. A full registration form must be completed and approved in order for a group to be recognized.
L
Liability Forms - A series of documents required for registration. Depending on the type of recognition a group is seeking (UofA, UASU, GSA) - different documents must be signed, and are required to contain the signatures of specific executives. More information is available here.
Link in Bio (feature) - A feature on Rubric that hosts a student group's public landing page. When the group is affiliated, this page can be seen by students, executives, and staff at the University of Alberta. Hosts a variety of information concerning the group, including memberships, events, officers, and news updates. More information is available here.
M
Majority - A A term used to describe the the threshold of voters greater than (minimum) 50%. In most cases, it is referring to a majority favour, where most of the voters vote in favour of a decision.
- Simple
MajorityMajority - greater than (>) 50% - Substantive
MajorityMajority - greater than (>) 66% - Super
MajorityMajority - greater than (>) 75%
Membership Types (feature) - A feature on Rubric accessed through the the Memberships page. Allows a group to have different tiers of membership that regulate their access to the group, including event ticketing, election votes, newsletters, etc. More information is available here.
Members - Individuals who are officially involved in a given student group for, at most, a year. At the bare minimum, membership information required for registration (email, full name, enrolment status) must be provided by each member.
N
New Group Cycle - The timeline that encompasses the process of becoming a recognized student group on campus. There are are two new group cycles in a given year, with given deadlines and requirements to complete the process.
New Group Proposal - A A term used to describe the first stage of the new group cycle. The proposal outlines the basics of a new group, including the mandate and scope of the group, plans for financial management and events, and a membership petition. It is reviewed by SGS staff members, and must receive a passing score in order to proceed to the next stages.
O
Officer(s) - A A term used to describe any individuals with a leadership position in a student group, including but not limited to presidents, vice presidents, directors, coordinators, etc.
Organization(s) - A A term used to describe a student group, service, or sponsor in a given circumstance.
Outgoing Officer(s)/Executive(s) - A term used to describe individuals individuals completing their officer term.
P
Provisional Recognition - Recognition of a student group with additional requirements and deadlines, which are established with the group and officially documented. A group receives provisional recognition when their registration is conditionally approved.
Q
Quorum - The minimum number of members from a group required to be present to discuss business (e.g. vote). For example, a group of 100 members with a 50% quorum would require 50 members to attend a meeting in order to conduct a vote.
R
Recognition - The acknowledgement of a student group for receipt of specific benefits. In order to receive recognition, a group must have submitted annual registration and continue to meet all the requirements of recognition. Recognition is awarded on a yearly basis and must be renewed annually. Groups that are recognized are given full benefits, including but not limited to event submission, room bookings, granting, and more. Recognized groups are considered active/affiliated.
Recruiters - A person representing a group for the purpose of engaging with or recruiting new members. Typically, this term is used to refer to group members who participate in Clubs Fair on a group's behalf.
Registration - The process by which a group requests student group recognition. Registration must be completed completed annually by a student group, and is completed on Rubric using the Forms feature.
Resubmission - A form that was denied, modified by the submiter, and submitted again for reassessment.
Rubric - The official platform for student group involvement and management at the University of Alberta.
Rubric Support Team - The developers that oversee the Rubric platform's functionality and programming.
S
Showcase - An event hosted by Student Group Services in Winter to help student groups recruit more members. Presented on stage, student groups are given the opportunity to perform in front of the student body and feature a key element of their student group, as an alternative to tabling.
Signing Authority(es) - Individuals with access to a student group's bank account and the authority to make deposits to, withdrawals from, and administrative changes to the account. This power is reserved for executive officers, with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 authorities at any given time.
Soliciting - Any type of unwanted or unrequested communication, either written or verbal, that is used by an individual in order to promote their student group.
Student Affairs Advisors (SAA) - Staff members who are part of a team in the University of Alberta's Student Success & Experience portfolio that oversee student group events and insurance. They work alongside SGS to ensure groups are supported and meet student group recognition requirements.
Student Group - A group of students at the University of Alberta, united by a core mission or purpose, and recognized by Student Group Services via the registration process. Groups may be defined in a variety of ways, according to, for example, a shared program of study, a commitment to service, a common activity, philosophy or background or particular perspective. Less commonly referred to as a club, and rarely as a society on the Rubric platform.
Student Group Services (SGS) - The team in the University of Alberta Students' Union that oversees student group recognition, advising, resources, clubs fair, and more. They work alongside a variety of external departments, including the Student Affairs Advisors and Graduate Students' Association, to ensure groups are supported and meet student group recognition requirements.
Student Life Central - The UASU InfoLink desk located in the lower level of the Students' Union Building (SUB). Staff at this desk work alongside SGS to provide frontline advising support to student groups, book spaces, rent out equipment, accept payments, and much more.
Student Portal - A A login portal on Rubric that allows students to view student groups as members, or switch to a club account to manage their student group.
Student Success & Experience (SSE) - Formerly known as the Dean of Students' Office, they provide accessible support to students that allow them to succeed academically, professionally, and in community. Further information can be found on their official website.
T
Tabling - A method for recruiting members, promoting an event, disseminating information, or otherwise representing an organization.
Term - The length of time an individual remains in an officer role, which can last for up to one year.
Trademarks & Licensing (T&L) - The The official University of Alberta department which protects the reputation, brand and image of the University of Alberta. They work with SGS to ensure groups are properly utilizing any any University of Alberta branding, and issue issue Licensing Agreements with student groups who wish to utilize any University of Alberta trademarks.
Transitions - The process through which outgoing officers train and support incoming officers to make sure they have the proper tools and resources for their upcoming term.
U
University of Alberta Students' Union (UASU) - The organization that represents undergraduate students at the University of Alberta. We’re here to advocate on your behalf, improve your experience as a student, and make sure you’re getting the support you need. Your UASU is filled with services, businesses, events, perks, resources, and job and volunteer opportunities to help you make the most of your student experience. Student Group Services is a department of your UASU.
V
Verification Letter - Formal documents that can verify information on the behalf of a recognized group, including transferring signing authority of a group's bank account, confirming a group's recognition, opening a new bank account, etc. SGS can issue verification letters to recognized student groups.