Committee Responsibilities
SU Constitution & Policies Governing Your Club/Society
Constitutions
Each Club / Society has their own constitution to help guide them from year to year. These are derived from the Students' Union Constitution which governs all Clubs and Societies. If you do not have a copy of your individual constitution, just drop the Clubs and Societies team an email. If you are re-writing your constitution or starting a totally new one, please use the template we've created.
The overall SU Constitution is linked below. Rule 8 is the most important section for Clubs and Societies:
Policies
In addition, all Queen’s Clubs and Societies members must abide by the Student Conduct Regulations and any relevant policies set out by Queen’s University Belfast, including:
-
Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy - more helpful info for Clubs and Societies here
Clubs and Societies must also abide by the policies and procedures of the Queen’s Finance Directorate. This is covered in committee traiing and you can refer back to the the relevant guidance here. Failure to comply will result in a punishment for the Club/Society depending on the severity of the offence.
In your capacity as a Club / Society member, you are expected to treat all SU and University staff with respect and courtesy when you use the Students' Union building on Elmwood Avenue, the Speakeasy Bar on the Lisburn Road, and any other facility across campus. Aggressive or abusive language will not be tolerated, nor will any other inappropriate or threatening behaviour. If you are asked to moderate your behaviour or leave the area, you should cooperate with these requests immediately. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, you may raise this issue in writing to the Clubs and Societies team.
For Club / Society events involving alcohol, committees must act as responsible event organisers and take extra care. While the consumption of alcohol by over-18s is not forbidden by any policy, it is a high-risk activity and can be a contributing factor in medical emergencies, antisocial behaviour, and other forms of violence. If you are organising an event involving alcohol, you must submit a Risk Assessment to the Clubs and Societies Coordinator. We also encourage committees not to provide alcohol free of charge (especially spirits) and to assign event attendees into 'buddy' pairs to ensure that no-one is left alone to find their way home after consuming alcohol. Remember that under-18s are not legally permitted to consume alcohol in Northern Ireland. Please come and speak to the Clubs and Societies team if you have any questions around alcohol.
Remember that you are not permitted to bring your own alcohol into any space on campus, including the SU and the Speakeasy. This means that you can't run 'BYO' events. Alcohol is not permitted at all in SU Elmwood, but you can organise the provision of alcohol for on-campus events via Campus Food and Drink by emailing hospitality@qub.ac.uk.
Please note that 'initiation ceremonies' (sometimes known as 'hazing') go against Queen's policy as well as the SU Constitution. If you have any knowledge of this kind of activity occurring, please speak with the Clubs and Societies team.