starting a New Club

 

Are you and your friends interested in starting a club? Is your club different from any other clubs that are currently on offer at Clayton campus? MSA Clubs & Societies support, fund and resource over 100 clubs on campus so if you can't find a club that interests you - why not consider starting your own!

The New Club Application Round for Semester 2, 2025 has now closed.  We thank all those potential clubs who showed an interest in becoming part of the MSA Clubs & Societies family. 

Applications for the Semester 1, 2026 New Club Application Round will open in February 2026 and further information will be made available via this page. 

What's Involved
Starting a new club takes nearly a whole semester. This includes the time taken for the club purposes (aims and objectives) to be submitted and approved; for the club constitution to be written; the names of 40 (minimum) Clayton enrolled Monash students to be collected via an 'Expression of Interest' form; the convening of an Inaugural Meeting; and new club committee training to be completed.  Each year we receive a large number of applications and whilst we can't start them all, C&S is always looking for new and fresh groups to affiliate. 

We encourage interested groups to become familiar with the process by taking a look at the New Club Checklist (below) and referring to the C&S Affiliation Regulations for further information.

New Club Checklist
If you are interested, here is a simple checklist/overview:

  1. Check that you are eligible: Only students enrolled in courses administered at the Clayton campus can apply to start a new club. Students based at other Monash campuses are ineligible. 
  2. Check that your idea is unique: If your new club would be similar to the activities of an existing club/society or an MSA Department, the application won't be able to progress. Contact the C&S Coordinator or C&S Development Officer to discuss your idea.  They will be able to advise of any foreseeable issues. 
  3. Check that your idea meets other criteria: There is a range of criteria set out in the C&S Affiliation Regulations which includes setting out that the new club must not breach any provision of the C&S or MSA constitution, must not be purely social or commercial in nature, and must benefit Monash Clayton students. Again, the C&S Coordinator or C&S Development Officer can advise you of any foreseeable issues. 
  4. Find other Clayton students who are interested: Four Clayton campus enrolled students are needed to submit an application for starting a new club, and they must all be a current MSA+ members.  It is important that all students in the Applicant Group are equally passionate about establishing the new club, so don't just get un-interested friends to sign the application form for you.
  5. Collect a Part 1 Application Form: Make an appointment to speak with the C&S Coordinator or C&S Development Officer to collect the application form. These forms are only available between Week 0 and Week 1 of each semester. At this stage, you will be advised of the application process, have the opportunity to ask any questions and be given feedback.
  6. Submit your form: Application forms are only accepted, by appointment, during Week 2. At the appointment, it is important that all members of the Applicant Group are present. 
  7. Wait for the outcome: Once your application has been lodged, including the written responses to the selection criteria, it will be assessed by the C&S Executive. They will make the final decision on which applications are accepted to progress to Part 2 of this semester-long application process.

Starting a new club is a big task, but once affiliated day-to-day support is available via the C&S Staff and Executive.  Any interested groups are encouraged to make contact with the C&S Coordinator or C&S Development Officer from the beginning of each semester only to discuss your options and the formal application process further. 

Note: should any interested group make contact prior to the beginning of each semester, it is the C&S policy that we provide very minimal information/feedback regarding the process or your idea. This is to ensure that all interested groups have an equal opportunity.