FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ sections

Starting a Student Group
Existing Student Groups
Student Group Operations
Student Group Events

Starting a Student Group

How do I start a student group?
Check out our New Student Group Guidebook for more information on what you’ll need and the steps you’ll take to get your new student group up and running!

Is there a deadline to submit a proposal for or register a new group?
Yes! Proposals must be submitted within the first month of the semester, and if approved, the group will need to complete their registration by the end of the semester. You can find more information about timelines in the New Student Group Guidebook.

Please note that student group registrations, whether they are applications for a new group or a an application to renew a student group’s status on campus, are processed in the order in which they are received. Rushed review requests will not be accepted.

Okay, I've submitted a proposal. Why isn’t my student group showing up when I search them on BearsDen?
New Organizations will not show up on BearsDen searches until the registration has been approved. If your new student group has been approved, and is not showing up in BearsDen searches or on the Organization list, please contact us! It is likely a clerical error with switching your group’s organization type in the database.

How can I tell if my group’s registration has been reviewed/ accepted/ denied?
Log into BearsDen and go to click on your initials – Submissions – Organization Registrations. There, you should be able to see the status of your registration submission.

Note: “In progress” means that you can still edit the form, and it hasn’t been submitted. “Pending” means SGS has received your form and it has not yet been reviewed!

You can also track it through our live tracking sheet on our website under Student Group Status Tracking sheet.

Why hasn’t my group been approved yet?
SGS receives hundreds of registration packages every year and we review them in the order that they were submitted. We ask for two weeks to complete the initial review. If you haven’t heard from us in 2 weeks, make sure you have indeed submitted your application (see the last answer) and then send an email to clubs@su.ualberta.ca!

If my group’s registration has been denied, what can I do?
Usually, you just have to fix the registration problems as outlined by SGS, and then re-submit the application! We try to be very detailed if changes need to be made in our comments to you. Double check that you have changed all of the requested sections of your registration application and re-submit it! SGS will indicate whether you should re-submit the application in the message sent to you when we deny the registration form.

Existing Student Groups

START HERE. Then come back if your question hasn't been answered: it's probably below!

Recognition and Student Group Privileges
Why should I register my student group for recognition from the University/Students’ Union, etc? There are a ton of perks and privileges your club can get by being recognized by the University, Students’ Union, and/or Graduate Students’ Association. Check out our Registration page for all the details!

Does registering my club with the University mean that my club is a charity or registered non-profit organization?
No. There are some student groups that are affiliated with charities recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and some student groups that are, themselves, charities that are recognized by the CRA, but registering for club recognition does not grant charitable organization status.
For more information on how you can register your club with the Alberta Societies Act, click here; for information on how to get your club recognized as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency, click here.

I'm trying to reduce waste and make my group's operations more sustainable. Any tips?
Definitely! Our fellow Students' Union Service, Sustain SU is a great resource for your group. Sustain SU can provide you with information on sustainable practices, tips on waste reduction around campus, and reusable dishes for your events. Contact Sustain SU for more tips and tricks.

Can I get a website or email address for my group?
Once your group is registered for the current year, please visit this IST support article for information on Student Group CCID/email address and how to request one.

What do i do if my group’s “Re-register” button isn’t showing up?
If it’s the month of your election and you cannot see the button, contact SGS.

How do I find out my group’s election month or the status of our registration?
SGS has a live tracking spreadsheet that can tell you when your election month is and the status of your application in general. You can find it on our website under Student Group Registration- “Student Group Registration Status Tracking”.

I’m not an executive on my group’s BearsDen page. How do I register my group?
Contact the person who is an executive on your group’s BearsDen page and have them add you. If this isn’t possible, you’ll need to send SGS an email which include the meeting minutes or some proof of your executive statue, before they can add you.

What happens if I miss my group’s registration deadline?
Your group will be frozen, and you will be unable to book rooms, book equipment, host events on campus, or book tables during Clubs fair. You must submit your registration in order for these privileges to be restores. Talk to us if you aren’t sure what to do!

I have no idea what I'm doing.
That's totally okay. Send us an email and we (along with our good pals at InfoLink) will be able to guide you! If you have no idea how to access your group's website, we'll help you out. If you've lost your 45-page constitution to some demon-virus on the internet, we'll help you get a new one going. If SGS can't help you, we'll be able to find someone who can - so don't hesitate to send us an email, give us a call, or book an appointment!

Student Group Operations

How do I book rooms and other spaces on campus?
To book rooms in SUB, use the Horowitz Event Centre Booking Request Form! The meeting rooms are in the lower level and can be set up in a variety of ways depending on your group's activities. To book rooms elsewhere on campus, submit a request through the Registrar's Office via their website. The RO will also be able to tell you about room capacities such as projectors, computers, tables and chairs depending on the type of event you are hosting, so don't be afraid to ask!

I can’t access or set up a user account on BearsDen.
Please contact Student Group Services (clubs@su.ualberta.ca) and describe the error message you are receiving.

How do I save a form when I've already started it?
BearsDen is great, and will auto-save all of your forms and applications for you! When you want to leave, make sure you LOG OUT completely - this means exiting the browser window, too!

All forms, including club registrations and other applications (for grants, volunteering, etc.) will appear in your profile when you are logged in. To access forms that you have started:

  1. Log in to BearsDen
  2. Click on the icon that has your profile picture or first initial (a circle) in the top right-hand corner
  3. On the menu, you should see a tab marked Submissions. Your forms will be organized into different categories depending on what they are (Forms, Elections, Organization Registrations, or Events). We think you can take it from there, but if you need more help, let us know!

This feature will save all form submissions you create on your account, including your student group registration, volunteer applications, grant applications, event approval applications -- you name it!

How do I know that I have successfully submitted a form?
Easy peasy! Follow the same steps as above, and then look for the Status of your submission. Under the Status column on each page, you should see one of the following statuses:

  • In Progress: this means that your form has not been submitted yet. You can still edit the form at this point, by clicking on the eye icon.
  • Pending: This means you have submitted the form, and the group receiving it will have it in their review queue. (ie: It went through!) You will not be able to make edits to the form if it is in this status.
  • Denied: This means the receiving organization has reviewed your submission but has not approved it. You will be able to edit the form by clicking on the eye icon. Usually there will be a message attached to the form as well sent to your BearsDen inbox.
  • Approved: This means the form has been received and accepted by the receiving organization. You will not be able to edit the form, but you should be able to download any attachments you uploaded (eg. Executive roster, constitution, etc.).

Why isn’t my Officer List (or Executive Roster) up to date on BearsDen?
Make sure that your club's registration is up to date: did you or someone on your current executive complete registration after elections? No? Please complete your registration.

If your registration has been submitted, but has not yet been approved, please give us at least 2 weeks to review your application.

If your registration has been approved, then the executives you inputted into the registration application (under 'Organization Roster') will have been added to the Officers list on BearsDen. If there are still issues, you can edit it manually.

To manually edit the Executive Roster:

  1. Log into BearsDen
  2. Click on the grid in the top right-hand corner; click "Manage", then the box with the name of your student group on it.
  3. Click on the three lines in the top left corner
  4. Click on "Roster"
  5. Edit positions by clicking on the blue pencil icon beside someone's name

If it has been more than a week since your registration has been approved, ensure that your executive members update their profile privacy settings. You can send them these handy instructions (copy + paste; we won’t tell anyone!).

To change your BearsDen Privacy Settings:

  1. Log in to BearsDen
  2. Click on your photo/initial in the top right-hand corner; click "Settings"
  3. Click on Privacy Settings
  4. You should see a list of the organizations of which you are a member. Click on the "Show" switch. If "Show" is blue, then you will appear on the public officer roster.

If your officer list is still inaccurate after these steps have been taken, please contact us at clubs@su.ualberta.ca and we will help you.

I want to add my own titles to my executives. How do I change them?
We've created titles for the Executives (for example 'Executive 1 - President') so SGS can contact those officers with specific positions directly through BearsDen. If your Executives have different titles (such as 'CEO' or 'Club Chair') you can also manually add those.

To manually edit Executive titles:

  1. Log into BearsDen
  2. Click on the grid in the top right-hand corner; click "Manage", then the name of your student group
  3. Click on the three lines in the top left corner
  4. Click on "Roster"
  5. Edit titles by clicking on "Manage positions", you can add custom titles from this page

I am an executive for my student group, but I don't appear on the Officer List. Help!
You likely have to change your privacy settings! To change your BearsDen Privacy Settings, see the previous FAQ. Note: Your privacy settings will also affect your eligibility to submit events for approval on behalf of your organization, so make sure you set them to 'public'!

My officer list has changed because we had a by-election or an officer stepped down. Can my group roster be changed even though it's not my election month?
Yes! You can follow the FAQ above on "How to manually edit the Executive Roster" to make the changes yourself.

My student group updated our constitution at a meeting that was not our Annual General Meeting. Do we have to tell SGS?
Nope! You should upload your newly updated constitution to your group's BearsDen page, but we do not have the capacity to review constitutions outside of our regular 3 year review cycle. If you've made any changes that end up going against UASU or U of A policy, please note that the most recently SGS-approved version of your constitution will be held in force, rather than a new one.

Why isn’t my student group showing up when I search it on BearsDen?
If your group is not showing up in the search or Organizations list, it is likely that the page has been Frozen. To access the page, click on the grid beside your name in the top right, then choose "Manage". This will take you to a page that should list all of the organizations of which you are a member. To access your frozen BearsDen page, click on the student group name.

If your group is not showing up in searches, and does not appear on your Action Centre, please contact us. It is possible that the group page was set to “Inactive,” which happens when a group’s registration period has past by 6 months without application.

For more on why your student group page might be Frozen, click here.

Can I get a website or email address for my group?
Once your group is registered for the current year, please visit this IST support article for information on Student Group CCID/email address and how to request one.

My group needs money to host our events! Where can we get some?
The Students' Union offers grant money through the Student Group Granting Program. Visit the Granting page for more information.

If grants aren't the way to go for your group, just contact our office! We can give you sponsorship and fundraising tips that'll be sure to help you start to amass your very own Scrooge McDuck gold pile.

Student Group Events

My group wants to have a barbecue or bake sale to raise money. Where do we start?
For all things event related start with the "Event Planning" section on the side menu.

My group wants to throw a massive alcoholic event. Do I need to worry about anything?
Yes, yes you do. If you're looking into options for an alcoholic event, or midway through planning it, or even if it's tomorrow night - contact the Student Life Coordinators at sgevents@ualberta.ca. They can help you get through the event safely.

You will need at least two members of your group who have completed Event Organizer Training, which includes an online component (ProServe). While you're waiting for an answer to your email or phone call, check out our "What are high-risk events?" page under Event Planning.

Where can I hang posters to advertise my student group and events?
Most buildings on campus have cork boards and other places where you can advertise for recruitment, fundraisers, and anything else your student groups get up to! Safewalk even has a service that will hang your posters for you if your group doesn't have the people-power to canvas our wide main campus. For restrictions on where you can post your signs freely, and where to go for poster permissions, check out Safewalk's resource guide here!

How to Submit an Event:
The event submission button has moved! Now as an officer for your organization, all of your management needs will be found in the Action Centre. Access it by following these steps:

  1. Log in to BearsDen with your CCID credentials.
  2. Click on the grid icon in the top right-hand corner. Then click on the Manage (gear) button.
  3. Find the organization for which you would like to create an event. Click on its name to be brought to its management home.
  4. Click on the three-bar icon in the top left-hand corner, then click on Events. This will bring you to a list of all events hosted by this organization, and the Create Event button will be on the right-hand top corner.
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Contact

Phone

780-492-9789

Email
clubs@su.ualberta.ca

Hours

09:00am - 5:00pm
Monday to Friday

Address

Student Group Services Office
0-81 Student Life Central
Students' Union Building
University of Alberta
8900 - 114 Street NW
Edmonton, AB
T6G 2J7