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► Joining FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully the information below will help you with any queries you have about student groups. If you still have any questions, please just ask us and we’ll try to help. Student Groups are supported by the Student Development department, which is on the lower ground floor of the Guild, so just pop in and we’ll try to help. Our information desk is open from 11am until 5.30pm Monday-Thursday, and 11-4.30pm on Fridays. During holidays, we have reduced hours (normally 12-3pm), so emailing or phoning might be more convenient. Phone us on 0121 2512424 or email studentgroups@guild.bham.ac.uk (for any general queries) or volunteering@guild.bham.ac.uk (for queries relating specifically to volunteering).

I’ve missed the societies fairs, can I still join a group?

Why should I join student groups?

How can get more information about a student group?

How much does it cost to join a group and what does that cover?

Why do I need to fill out a membership form?

How much time commitment do I need to give?

Where do student groups meet?

Who runs student groups?

Who oversees student groups?

What should I do if I have a complaint or think something might be wrong?

How many people are in student groups?

How can I start a new student group?

Q. I’ve missed the societies fairs, can I still join a group?

A. Definitely! Although many people do join student groups in October, you should be able to join any of them at any point during the year – just come along to one of their meetings or activities and you should be fine, many groups are quite small and are always keen to get new people involved. If you’re not sure, give it a go, you won’t need to make any commitment straight away.

Q. Why should I join student groups?

A. Joining a student group is a great way to meet new people and to try new activities, or develop an existing interest. With over 200 groups to choose from, there should be a group that fits at least one of your interests, and even if not, why not try something new – you just might like it. You can learn some interesting or useful skills, and make the most of your time at university.

Q. How can I get more information about a student group?

A. Look at the page for each miniforums and see if they’re got a website or Facebook group listed. If not, email the group and ask them for details and they should get back to you in a few days. Alternatively you could leave a note for them in their pigeonhole in the Student Development department of the Guild.

Q. How much does it cost to join a group and what does that cover?

A. The price depends on the activity that the group does, as some groups need to cover more to cover equipment, insurance, publicity or other overheads. All student-led volunteering projects and the liberation associations are free to join, and most other groups charge £3-£5. Sporting groups tend to charge more, and you may also need to join the Sports Centre.

Why do I need to fill out a membership form?

The contact information on the form is mostly used by the group committee so that they can tell you what activities are coming up. They need to know any medical conditions or disabilities so that they can take any necessary precautions and the emergency contact details are just in case something goes wrong. You also agree to follow Guild of Students policy and the constitution of the group. You’ll also receive a Members Charter, which outlines your rights as a member and your responsibilities. All of your details will be kept confidential by the Guild of Students and the group committee.

Q. How much time commitment do I need to give?

A. As much as you want! It’s up to you how often you take part in student group activities, and the type of activity will affect how often they meet and how long for. Some groups might meet a couple of times a week while others only once a fortnight. There shouldn’t be any pressure to attend unless you want to.

Q. Where do student groups meet?

A. It depends on the group and the sort of activity, but most groups meet in the Guild of Students itself in one of the rooms on the first floor of the building. If you think a group are meeting but don’t know the time, you could ask the Guild Reception desk to check if they’ve booked a room and they’ll be able to direct you to it. Where groups do meet off-campus, they’ll usually meet somewhere convenient first before travelling together.

Q. Who runs student groups?

A. Student groups are, as the name suggests, run by students. The committee is elected at an Annual General Meeting and fulfil their roles for a year. Any student who is a member of a group can stand for election – you’ll need to make a short speech and be prepared to answer some questions from the other members. The committee members receive training from the Guild and are fully accountable to the members. Most groups have three or four committee members, but the larger or more active groups can have over a dozen people helping to coordinate the group.

Q. Who oversees student groups?

A. The Guild of Students has legal obligations to ensure that student groups are acting in the best interests of their members and meeting both Guild policy and their own constitutions. The Student Development staff team are on hand to provide support to committee members, meet with them regularly and ensure that they are meeting criteria set by Guild Council. The Vice-President Student Activities is a member of the Guild Officer Group elected by cross-campus ballot that supports and oversees all student group activities. In addition, the Student Groups Committee meets regularly to discuss any issues, including allocating grant funding, approving new groups or disciplining groups where needed. All student groups are fully accountable to their members through their committee, Vice-President Student Activities and Development, Student Groups Committee and ultimately, Guild Council.

Q. What should I do if I have a complaint or think something might be wrong?

A. The first thing to do is to try to talk to the student group committee members to see if there is anything that they can do, or if they can explain something you’re not sure about. If that doesn’t help, talk to the Student Development department and they’ll be able to help you, they might refer you to the Student Groups Committee or to the Vice-President Student Activities and Development, who’ll look into the issue. If you wish to make a formal complaint, the Vice-President Student Activities and Development will convene a formal meeting into the conduct of the group or of individual committee members.

Q. How many people are in student groups?

A. Most groups have between twenty and forty members, with around half that number turning up for a specific activity. The biggest group we have (Carnival RAG) has around a thousand members, although they’re pretty unlikely to all turn up at the same time. On average, around five thousand people tend to join student groups each year, although a lot more come along to give an activity a go or are affected in some other way, from people reading Redbrick or getting help from the ARC to freshers in Halls being supported by their Residents Associations.

Q. How can I start a new student group?

A. It’s a simple process, as long as you’ve got a good idea and have some other people interested as well. The first step is to contact any similar groups that already exist to see if they could expand to include your activity or if they have any comments or advice – the Guild tries not to approve new groups that are too similar to existing ones. Talk to your friends or maybe set up a Facebook group to see if there is enough interest in your group, or anyone that might want to help you run the group. Once that’s done, pop along to the Student Development department to pick up a start-up pack, which has a lot more information about what you might want to think about. You’ll be asked for the objectives of your group and some examples of what activities you want to do, and you’ll need to get twenty people to sign to say they’d be interested in joining, to show that there is demand. After you submit the form back to Student Development, you’ll be invited to a meeting of the Student Groups Committee, who’ll talk to you and decide whether to approve your group or not.