Arc Clubs Handbook
The Clubs Handbook is your go-to guide for all your Club needs when it comes to starting a new Club or running an existing one.
We have included information about things you might do all the time (including signing up members, booking rooms for your events, running Executive meetings and printing), things that might only happen once a year (running elections, submitting your reaffiliation application, completing compulsory training for Executives), and sticky situations to avoid altogether (including the consequences, strategies avoid them and what to do if they happen).
The Clubs Handbook is extensive but has been conveniently broken into several sections that should answer most of your club related questions. Whenever we update this handbook, we will let all Clubs know via the Arc Clubs Newsletter.
If you cannot find the answers you are looking for in this handbook, your first point of call for all general enquiries should be the Clubs Team. In busy times we will recommend that you book yourself a consultation so we can ensure we have enough time to talk.
About Arc@UNSW
Arc@UNSW is run by students, for students, and its sole mission is to provide services to its members. We provide and facilitate a huge range of services and facilities to our members and UNSW students in general, including:
- 300+ Clubs & Societies (that’s you!)
- Parties & Events
- 30+ Volunteering Opportunities
- Student Publications (Blitz, Tharunka, UNSWeetened)
- Arc Sport (Clubs, Unigames and Social Sport)
- Legal & Advocacy Services
- Wellness Initiatives
- Innovation Support
- On-campus venues (The Roundhouse, The Grad Shop)
- Student Representation (SRC & PGC)
Arc Membership is free for current UNSW students and comes with plenty of benefits. Head to the Join page for more information on how to join us.
The Arc Clubs Team
The Arc Clubs Team are the key Arc staff tasked with supporting Arc affiliated Clubs, and it is made up of four full-time staff and three student Clubs & Grants Officers (CGOs).
The Clubs & Grants Officers are tasked with processing all your Clubs Grants, as well as offering general administrative assistance and support for Clubs. This includes membership audits, financial reviews, sending Clubs Newsletters, managing the storeroom as well as assisting with enquiries.
In the Clubs Space you will either find a full-time member or a CGO at the front desk. They are responsible for resources, bookings, processing affiliation documents and answering enquiries. The Clubs Manager oversees the team, as well as looking after the policies and procedures that the team operates under.
The Clubs Space
The Clubs Space is located on Campus and it is where you can find Club Staff working, access Clubs Resources, use your secretarial allowance for printing services, or access the Clubs Storeroom.
Arc Communication with Clubs
A key part of running a successful Arc-affiliated Club is keeping up to date with news and important information from the Arc. In general, important information will be announced through the Arc Clubs Newsletter and the Compulsory Club Briefings, however depending on the situation, we may also contact you by email or phone. Make sure to add clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au to your email’s address box so that the emails don’t end up in your junk mail!
Arc Clubs Newsletter
The official method of communication between the Arc Clubs team and affiliated Clubs is via email in the form of the Arc Clubs Newsletter. The newsletter is published weekly during term (and on an as needed basis outside of term), and includes information such as key upcoming dates, reminders, announcements, opportunities, consultation times and changes to policies.
Current Executives and club emails will be subscribed to this list to ensure that all relevant information is notified to all Executives. If you would like to receive our weekly club newsletters, sign yourself up on Mailchimp.
Arc Staff Club Consultation
When it comes to some more complex aspects about Club management, a proper consultation can be extremely helpful and can save you a lot of time and effort. Our Clubs team have a range of executive experience and can provide you valuable guidance on a variety of areas. These areas include:
- Club Admin Advice
- Event Planning/Ideas
- Time Management
- Constitution Guidance
- SCDG Information
- Club Grants
- Reaffiliation Information
- Presenting/Facilitating at Events
- Constitution Guidance
- AGM/EGM Guidance
- Grievance Management Support
- Marketing and Branding advice
- Social Media engagement
- Digital Platform engagement
- Team management/culture
You can use consultations to ask about complicated issues, find out what options you have and improve your understanding of your situation. Consultation bookings run for 15 minutes and are held in the Clubs Space. You can book via Setmore or email us at clubs@arc.unsw.edu.au to organise a time to speak with the team
Compulsory Club Briefings
Occasionally Arc may run compulsory briefing sessions that must be attended by at least one representative from each Club, who is responsible for relaying the relevant information to the rest of their Club Executives. These briefing sessions will be used to inform Clubs of deadlines, requirements and other key information. At most, these will be held once before each term and once during the term. Requirements and dates will be published in the Clubs Newsletter.
Executive Training
Arc provides training to Club Executives to heighten their awareness of the responsibilities and liabilities of their roles. This training is comprised of a live face-to-face session and online modules.
New executives will be provided a reasonable amount of time to complete ALL the required training. Training is mandatory for all executive positions in your club. However, anyone else who helps with your club’s running such as sub-committee members are welcome to attend training sessions and access the online modules.
In-person training sessions will be offered on a regular basis for new executives and new clubs. Where a Club has one or more of these Executives fail to attend a training session by the provided deadline, the Club’s affiliation may be suspended until the requirement has been met (additional training sessions will be offered for this purpose).
Arc & UNSW Events
Occasionally, Arc representatives may contact your club about opportunities to contribute to Arc or
UNSW facilitated events. These opportunities may also be presented in the Arc Clubs Newsletter.
These events are, but not limited to, the following:
Orientation Week (O-Week)
When: the week prior to the commencement of each term
What’s involved? Clubs can run a stall during O-Week that is aimed at sharing information about your club and recruiting the new student cohort. O-Week sees thousands of students attend over the week and is a great way to promote your club.
How to get involved? O-Week stall applications generally open towards the end of Term 3 the year before, and close around November/December that same year. Late applications may be accepted, but since the scale of the event is so big and there are a lot of different aspects to consider, there is no guarantee that spaces can be allocated to late applicants. We advise you to check your emails regularly and follow the instructions in the Newsletter to secure a stall well before the deadline.
Welcome Week
When: during week one of each term
What’s involved? Similar to O-Week, Welcome week runs during the first week of term and is a great opportunity to promote to new students and students who may not have been able to come onto campus prior to term. Clubs can access an information table to promote their club and is completely free to participate. Clubs can also run introductory activities for students to get a “taste” of what it’s like to be a part of your club. They are activities that should go beyond providing information or publicity. Most often, Arc assists with booking and setting up your space, and activity resources and supplies are often reimbursed up to 100%.
International Markets
When: one event each term, roughly mid term
What’s involved? The Night Markets are a great opportunity for clubs to showcase their culture, amazing food and of course make a bit of extra money to help fund your other events and activities. You don't have to be a cultural or international club to participate, you just need to cook up and serve a tasty meal!
Club Spotlights:
When: ongoing throughout the year
What’s involved? Club Spotlights are a great opportunity for you to get some extra publicity and promotion for your online club activities. Spotlights happen through live streams and videos of your activity on the Arc Facebook page. These activities need to involve something that viewers can participate in or learn about (for example a dance class, workout session, cooking demo, skills workshop, etc.).
Other events such as: International Markets, Games Galore or other event collaborations. These spots are limited in availability and may fill up prior to any expression of interest deadlines.
Most of these events will require a monetary deposit to be paid on time in order to secure your stall. Depending on the event, the amount for the deposit may vary. This deposit will be refunded directly to your Club’s bank account after the event. Alternate refund arrangements may be made in special circumstances (generally only if your Club is still in the process of setting up its bank account), however be aware that there may be a deadline to collect deposits, after which you forfeit your deposit to Arc.
There will be terms and conditions that you will need to abide by if booking a stall or participating in an event. These will include general responsibilities such as keeping your stall and surrounding area clean and damage -free, arriving on time to the event, packing up in a timely matter, and ensuring good behaviour is always displayed by all Club representatives. All relevant details will be clearly communicated to you via email. By paying your deposit, you verify that you have read the terms and conditions and will abide by them. Any breach of these conditions will result in some or all of your deposit being forfeited to Arc.
FAQ
Are you open during the holidays / uni break?
Arc is open throughout the year except for about 2 weeks over Christmas/New Year when UNSW is closed. The Arc Clubs Space is currently open during term (10am - 4pm), and available by appointment during other times of the year. Arc Reception is open 9am-5pm during the term, stuvac and the exam period. Check the Arc Website for most up to date opening hours.
How should we get in contact with the Clubs Team?
You are best to contact us via email, phone or visit us at the Club Space (located on campus, just off the Basser steps). You can find our direct details at the end of the handbook.
Where can I find the Clubs Handbook?
The Handbook is publicly stored on the Arc Website. You can head to the ‘clubs’ section to access or download each section.
Where can I find relevant links and forms?
We store all our Club Forms, and important links (books, grants, insurance, risk assessments etc) on our Clubs Files & Forms page. This section can be found on the Arc website under “Club Admin”.
Can I get recognition for being a club executive?
Yes! Eligible Club executives may be able to get AHEGS Recognition. AHEGS is an official documentation of your achievements outside of your academic transcript. All eligible commitments, experiences and development opportunities you have undertaken during your time at UNSW are AHEGS Recognised so you can easily represent your achievements in an accessible format when you venture out on your first steps in your professional career. You can find relevant information on AHEGS on the Arc website, under Forms & Files.
Who do we contact to advertise or put Club information in the Arc Clubs Newsletter?
Send an email to the Arc Clubs team at least 3 weeks before your event. Decisions about including Club events in the Newsletter are made on a case-by-case basis. Preference is given to events that have a broad appeal and large capacity.
How do I unsubscribe from the Arc Clubs Newsletter?
To unsubscribe, click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the Newsletter email that you have received in your inbox.
Who do we contact if we have questions about our Club?
The Clubs & Grants Officers have consultation hours when you can meet with them for extended conversations about Club matters. For any urgent enquiries, call, email or visit the Arc Clubs Space to organise a time to chat with the team.
