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!

Applications for the Semester 2, 2025 New Club Application Round will open from Monday 21 July 2025.

To collect or be emailed the 'Starting a Club - Part 1' Booklet and Initial Application Form, please make a 15-minute appointment with either of the below C&S staff members: 
C&S Coordinator - Ngan Booth - https://calendly.com/ngan-booth
C&S Development Officer - Alison Robins - https://calendly.com/alison-robins

The Part 1 documents will only be available during business hours (9.00am - 4.00pm) from Monday 21 July - Friday 1 August, 2025 inclusive. This is Week 0 and Week 1 of the University's standard semester dates.

During the appointment the Lead Applicant, or any representative(s) from the Applicant group (this being 4 Clayton campus enrolled students/MSA+ members) can pick up the New Club Application Form. This time is also an opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback.

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 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 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.