Start a Group

 

Start a Group

Can't find a group you are interested in? Do you have an idea for a new club or group at UTM? It is easy to start a new group! Follow the steps below for more information.

"Being President for the 2nd year in a row for UTM STEM Fellowship is an exhilarating experience. Seeing the club grow as well as the talented executives really adds value to our academic experience here at UTM. Additionally, making friends with the people you work so closely with is unparalleled, especially because we work meaningfully to provide more inclusive opportunities for STEM students here at our campus. It makes the biggest difference when you have an amazing and motivated team who shares the same vision of the work we do."

-Pooja Dey, UTM STEM Fellowship President

 

First steps when starting a group

Step 1

  • Identify the purpose of your new group 

Step 2

  • Search the Student Organization Portal (localized UTM) to see if there is a similar group that already exists.
  • If there is a group that is similar in name and purpose - how will you differentiate your new group from this?

Step 3

  • Start building out your group:

Step 4

  • Create a Student Group Constitution
  • Leaders must submit or upload a digital copy of their group’s current constitution in an appropriate format (e.g. pdf, rtf, txt, doc, docx) that follows our group requirements and guidelines.
  • Visit our website for our constitution template and group guidelines. 

Step 5

Step 6

  • The main contact/group leader can log on to the SOP with their UTORid to apply for Campus Recognition. Under the “Student Group Recognition” (in the menu bar at the top), and past the instructions, you can apply for student group recognition.
  • Note: If you are an alumnus of the university, you may need to request an alumni email account. To do so, please visit the Alumni website.  

Step 7

  • Gather the group's general information, including the following:
  • Contact Information: Include the full name and contact information (UofT email address and phone number) for your group's two (2) signing officers, one of whom will be the main contact person. In your application, you may also include the names and contact of the group's executive members. Insufficient contact and signing officer information on the online application will cause delays!
    • Who are the Primary & Secondary Contacts? They can be any executive on the team but tend to be the President and Vice President. It is ultimately up to your group to decide, but they will serve as the main contacts with us and will have room and table booking access.
  • The number of members: provide the number of group membership in the organization, including the current number of members and an estimate of anticipated group members. Groups are only required to have a minimum of two U of T members, who would be the two signing officers of the group.
  • General Information: Provide a mailing address with postal code, phone number, website, and so on, so students know how to contact your group.

Step 8

  • Submit your application!
  • We will do our best to process SOP applications as quickly as possible, with renewing groups receiving priority during the beginning of term. Applications are reviewed in sequence of submission date.
  • Please note: A high volume of applications is received during the August-September rush, which may result in a delayed response time. During this peak time, applications can take up to fifteen (15) business days to be reviewed. Please be patient - we will contact you when your application is under review. 

Step 9 

  • Keep an eye out for any emails with questions or concerns regarding your application.

Step 10

  • Once we have finished reviewing your application/resolved any issues we will invite you for a virtual final recognition meeting.
  • -A member of the Student Groups team will be in contact for a short meeting to discuss your application to review:
    • Confirm contact information
    • Explain how to access space booking and funding resources
    • Answer any and all questions 

Inquiries

For all questions regarding Student Groups at UTM, please contact:

Student Groups Team