Document Authority: Office of the Associate Vice-President (Academic) and Dean of Students

1. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to outline eligibility, application and review process, application requirements, criteria and guidelines, ineligible expenses and reporting requirements for the Undergraduate Student Engagement Fund.

2. Eligibility

The Office of the Associate Vice-President (Academic) and Dean of students prioritizes the financial support of undergraduate students, ratified MUNSU clubs and societies, and academic societies through the USEF across the following categories:

2.1  Events;

2.2. Individual Travel;

2.3.  Group Travel.

3. Application and Review Process

3.1. Applications must be submitted on or before the posted deadline through the online application form.

3.2 The USEF Allocation Committee is responsible for reviewing USEF funding applications and allocating USEF funds. The USEF Allocation Committee will meet once per semester to review and allocate funds for that semester.

3.3 The USEF Allocation Committee will notify applicants of their decision via email.

3.4 USEF funds will be dispensed to successful individuals/groups via electronic transfer. 

4. Application Requirements

Applicants wishing to secure funds from the Undergraduate Student Engagement Fund must meet the following requirements:

4.1 Applicants must be a MUNSU member (registered undergraduate student) or a ratified MUNSU club/academic society;

4.2. Applications must be for a specific event/activity/initiative;

4.3. A maximum of two applications per fiscal year (April 1^st– March 31^st) by a student group will be considered for funding (exception where a student group is holding a week/month long program or campaign, one application is to be submitted for the full campaign);

4.4. Events must adhere to all Memorial University’s Health and Safety Policy Guidelines. The safety and liability risks for all participating in the activity must be ensured where applicable;

4.5. Where applicable, events involving risk must be reviewed and approved by Risk Management with appropriate risk management protocols followed;

4.6. Applications must be received on or before the posted deadlines. Applications outside the posted deadlines will not be considered.

5. Criteria and Guidelines

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of their individual merits. Amounts allocated will be competitive depending on the number and quality of applications. Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate the following criteria:

5.1. new, and innovative co-curricular ideas which have not been previously explored of produced at Memorial University;

5.2. projects, events, or activities that are student focused, initiated or owned;

5.3. of significant educational or cultural value to the Memorial University community;

5.4. primarily of benefit to Memorial University students;

5.5. accessible and open to all Memorial University students;

5.6. individuals to attend a career or professional development conference.

 

The Allocation Committee will base approvals in accordance with the following guidelines:

5.7. the number of times funds have been granted to the same group over the past four years;

5.8. the amount requested;

5.9. the extent to which the individuals/groups involved have themselves raised or will raise funds for the activity (monetary and/or non-monetary contributions);

5.10. the clarity and completeness of the submission with respect to plans/details of the activity to be funded and a breakdown of the budget, including a list of sources of funds received and expected;

5.11. demonstration of the ways the event is environmentally friendly/sustainable;

5.12. consideration for the ongoing financial sustainability of the program or event;

5.13. demonstration of commitment to the success of the program or event.

6. Ineligible Expenses

The following expenses are considered ineligible for USEF funds:

6.1. Applications related to course requirements (e.g., internship, rotation, clinical or group work in a course);

6.2. Applications related to an event that is being facilitated by a faculty or department at Memorial University;

6.3. Applications to support a third-party organization;

6.4. Applications for an event or activity that occurred in a previous semester for a subsequent semester;

6.5. Applications to fund the purchase equipment, staff costs, grad dinners, formals, club nights or catering for club meetings;

6.6. Applications to fund employment.

7. Reporting

Successful applicants are required to submit the following:

7.1. a financial report (receipts, agendas, attendee lists, boarding passes, etc.) to confirm expenses;

7.2. a reflection on what recipients learned and how it will benefit them or other students in the future.

7.3. Failure to submit a report will disqualify future applications until the report is received.