SG Admin & Operations
Training and Reporting
To remain an active student group in good standing, groups must complete all required training and reporting throughout the academic year. These requirements help ensure executives understand their responsibilities, comply with university and SAMU policies, and maintain accurate records of their group’s activities.
Student Groups Orientation
To ensure student groups understand their responsibilities and have the information they need to operate successfully, the President and Treasurer of each group is required to complete either the in-person Student Groups Orientation or the online Student Groups Training modules annually.
Student groups may not organize activities, hold meetings, book space, or apply for grants until one of the required training options has been completed.
Both training options cover:
- Executive roles and responsibilities
- Important policies and procedures
- Annual updates and available resources
In-Person | Online |
The in-person Orientation occurs at the beginning of the Fall Semester in the SAMU Lookout. The Orientation lasts approximately 2-3hrs. RSVP information will be emailed to groups by mid-August.
| Groups who did not attend the in-person orientation or who were approved AFTER the Fall Orientation must complete the online Student Groups Training modules.
Executives can access the online training via: samued.ca with the course named Student Groups Training. |
Post-Event Reports
Student Groups are required to submit a Post-Event Report after their events. These reports help the Student Groups Department understand how events went, identify any safety concerns or recurring issues, and provide support to groups when needed.
The reports also create a record for both SAMU and your group, making it easier to plan future events, stay organized, and keep accurate event information on file. You can find the Post-Event Report in the Forms section of Student Groups Connect.
Watch this video to learn how to submit the post-event report.
When to Submit a Post-Event Report
without Alcohol or Incidents | Involving Alcohol | Involving an Incident |
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Year-End Report
Groups are required to submit the annual Year-End Report/Renewal form by April 30th of each year. When the report opens on April 1st, groups will be able to access it on Student Groups Connect.
The Year-End Report overviews the group’s involvement in the past year. Failure to submit this report can result in group closure, suspension, penalties or loss of privileges, and ineligibility for grants or support.
The first five (5) ELIGIBLE groups who submit their year-end report will RECEIVE one of fifteen (15) $100 prizes into their Regular Group Account. all other submissions will be entered to win a $100 into their regular group account.
Group Compliance Checklist
For a full breakdown of all the requirements needed to stay in compliance, see this list.
Watch this video to learn how to navigate Student Groups Connect!
Contracts
Groups may enter many kinds of contracts. To ensure contracts are appropriate and properly reviewed, all agreements must adhere to the requirements below.
Contract Requirements
- Contracts must be approved by the Manager of Student Groups BEFORE signing. Submit the unsigned contract via email or as an attachment to an Event Approval Form.
- Allow a minimum of five business days for the review.
- After approval, groups sign the contract and send the final copy to the Manager of Student Groups.
IMPORTANT: Any contracts signed without first being reviewed by the Student Groups department will solely be the responsibility of the person who signed, not the responsibility of SAMU or the Student Group.
Service Hours
Student Experience Record (SER) is an official MacEwan document that students can use to track their involvement in campus activities. Students can use the SER to enhance resumés and applications.
Each executive and member is responsible for submitting their own hours. Any time that is spent on group activities can be submitted as Service Hours.
Logging into MacEwan Student Life for the First Time
- Sign into MacEwan Student Life with your student account.
- Join SAMU Student Groups
- Select the “Groups” tab and type “SAMU Student Groups” in the search box.
- Select the group and select the “Join Group” button to join the group.
Lockers
Student groups may access free lockers in the Student Groups Space (SA-214N) for equipment and supply storage.
Locker rules
• Lockers are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis through the Locker Request Form on Student Groups Connect.
• Groups must use the approved lock provided by the Student Groups front desk.
• Unauthorized locks will be removed and may result in loss of locker privileges.
• SAMU is not responsible for items stored in the lockers.
Inactive or closed groups must empty their locker and return the lock within one week. Any remaining items become property of the Student Groups Department.
Please Note: SAMU is not responsible for items stored in the lockers.
conducting Meetings
Meetings are an essential part of running an influential group on campus. Meetings allow groups to make democratic decisions, gather information, report to members, coordinate actions, create accountability, and maintain transparency. It is challenging to stay coordinated and keep members involved without input or everyone on the same page.
Groups are required to have at least one meeting per semester to remain an active student group.
Tips and Meeting Minutes
Tips for Running a Successful Meeting:
• Decide who needs to be at the meeting.
• Choose an appropriate time, place, and date.
• Prepare an agenda.
• Start on time and end on time.
• Have a person taking minutes.
• Encourage participation.
• Control interruptions.
Meeting Minutes
Student Groups are encouraged to take minutes for their Student Group meetings. Minutes can help groups keep a historical record of discussions, decisions, and long-term planning.
Minutes should be uploaded as a final PDF copy to Student Groups Connect in a group’s document section so all members can read what happened in previous meetings.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK A STUDENT GROUPS SPACE ON QRESERVE.
Food at Meetings
Student groups may provide food or drinks for their members at their meetings. Groups must follow all catering rules when providing food at meetings.
If the group meeting is held in MacEwan, the food and drinks at student group meetings must be catered by Aramark or purchased from an on-campus vendor. If the meeting is held in SAMU, there are no food restrictions., and the only beverage restriction is that groups cannot promote or sell any drinks that are not Coca-Cola brand.
SAMU Student Groups Space
The SAMU Student Group Space (SA-214) has various meetings, collaboration, and multimedia rooms available for student groups. Students can book SAMU Student Groups rooms through QReserve.
MacEwan University
To book a MacEwan classroom for a group meeting, students can use the Meeting Room Request Form. Classroom requests must be made five business days in advance. Students will receive an email confirming or declining their request within five business days.
Booking a samu student group room
Managing Conflicts
Despite best efforts, occasionally, conflict may arise within student groups. When this happens, it is important that executives approach the matter carefully and responsibly.
how to manage conflicts
Alternative Dispute Resolution | Removal of Members or Executives |
When issues arise within a student group, groups should first try to resolve the issue internally, before escalating the issue to the Manager of Student Groups. Within the constitution, groups should determine who is responsible for receiving complaints and how complaints are to be handled. Alternative dispute resolution can include:
If mediation is required, groups must outline who the mediator is and what is expected of them to ensure the mediation process is fair, equitable, and transparent. This only applies to minor Student Group Handbook or Code of Conduct violations; any moderate/major violations, or policy/procedure violations should be brought to the Manager of Student Groups through submission of the Non-Event Related Incident Report Form on SG Connect.
| If a student group member or executive behaves in a way that violates the Student Groups Handbook or Code of Conduct, the group should first try to address the issue through corrective measures, such as additional education or training. If the behavior continues or escalates, the group MUST report the issue to the Manager of Student Groups by submitting a Non-Event Related Incident Report Form through SG Connect. Once the report is submitted, the Manager of Student Groups will work with the group to determine the appropriate next steps. Actions taken will follow the Student Groups Procedure and may include:
Group executives are not permitted to discipline members for violations of the Student Groups Policy, Procedure, Handbook, or Code of Conduct. Enforcement responsibilities belong to SAMU and the Student Groups Department.
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