Ratification for Existing Clubs
What is Ratification?
Club ratification means having an official agreement between BUSU and your club to become a recognized entity of BUSU and Brock University. Active clubs must re-ratify every year.
What Do I Need to Do Before I Ratify My Club?
Review the Clubs Handbook , Clubs 500 Policy and Policy 501 - Clubs Funding yearly to stay up to date on policies, rules and guidelines.
Undergraduate Clubs
- Have a minimum of 3 executives (president, vice president and treasurer)
- A minimum of 10 members (including the 3 executives)
- 80% of club membership must be current Brock University students (20% can be community members or Brock alumni)
- Executive members must be undergraduate students
- Offer services that are different than the clubs that currently exist (no duplicate clubs)
- Adhere to the rules and regulations in the Clubs 500 Policy
- Reviewed the Club Summit Training Materials on the BUSU website before submitting a ratification package
- Participate in club elections (only applicable to re-ratifying clubs)
Graduate Clubs
- Have a minimum of 3 executives (president, vice president and treasurer)
- A minimum of 10 members (including the 3 executives)
- 80% of club membership must be current Brock University students (20% can be community members or Brock alumni)
- Executive members must be graduate students
- Offer services that are different than the clubs that currently exist (no duplicate clubs)
- Adhere to the rules and regulations in the Clubs 500 Policy
- Reviewed the Club Summit Training Materials on the BUSU website before submitting a ratification package
- Participate in club elections (only applicable to re-ratifying clubs)
- Must have the word “graduate” as part of the club name to identify as an entity associated with the GSA
When is Ratification?
Clubs who wish to re-ratify for the 2025 - 2026 academic year submit their ratification form between March 3, 2025 - March 23, 2025.
If you are a new club wishing to ratify, please visit this page.
Documents Needed for Ratification
- Membership list (first + last name and Brock email of each club member)
- Club email and social media pages
- Executive names and Brock emails
- Club guide
- For re-ratifying clubs, most recent monthly Scotiabank statement
Elections
Club elections take place every February to select the next club executive team.
Importance of Club Elections
Club elections are held to ensure that members are democratically elected to positions that are required to operate the club. Correctly running an election allows the members to vote for the students they believe are best suited to the role, which can result in the club operating more professionally and remaining active and engaging on campus.
Elections are also important for longevity of the club. Having an annual election will ensure that your club will be able to grow and prosper after you finish your time at Brock.
What Are The Rules Around Elections?
The all rules are outlined in the Clubs 500 Policy
How Do I Run Club Elections?
Elections are run on the BUSU website. Each club member and executive is required to join thier club via the BUSU website in order to vote in club elections.
Each club is required to have an election coordinator who is meant to answer any basic questions that club members may have about the election process.The person who is the election coordinator can not also be running in the election themselves.
Once the election coordinator is picked, they are required to attend the virtual election coordinator training to prepare for the upcoming elections. Further details regarding this training will be sent to club executives.
Once training is complete, club executives and members are able to nominate themselves on the BUSU webiste for various club positions like President, Treasurer or Social Media Coordinator.
Once nominations are complete, club executives and members are able to vote over a two day period as to who should be thier club's incoming executives for next academic year.
Election Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Post/tell club members about open positions and their requirements
- Be clear about the responsibilities of the positions
- Set clear deadlines for applications, campaigning, and election periods
- Send out instructions to club members (how to apply, where to apply, etc.)
- Be present for your members: monitor direct messages and emails for any questions they may have
- Once your election concludes, you can start training your newly elected executives
Don’t:
- Do not delay the election to ensure it is complete done on time
- If possible, don’t run an election in person
- Don’t make voting public; all election votes should be anonymous
- Don’t recruit new members at the last minute for the sake of voting. This is against club rules and is not allowed.
Club Executive Transition Template
Please see the resource below to help with transitioing the incoming club executives.
Club Executive Transition Template
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I run?
Holding an executive position is a great way to develop soft skills and leadership skills for the future. It can also make a great addition to your resume!
We recommend running for a position in a club that you have been a part of for at least one semester as your previous experience could help you in your position.
How are new executives elected?
New executives will be elected through a voting process. All club members will place thier vote on the BUSU website. If you are in multiple clubs, you will be able to vote for each club you participate in. Only active members are allowed to participate in elections.
The positions that are mandatory to be elected are: President, Vice President and Treasurer, all other positions can be determined by the executive team on an as needed basis.