Ratification for Societies
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact dsusocieties@dal.ca or dsuvpi@dal.ca.
Do not know where to start or what societies are all about? Check out our useful infographic below for a condensed and summarised version of everything you need to know to join or start a society with your Dalhousie Student Union!
start a New society:
Can’t find a society you’re looking for? Why don’t you start your own?
Email the Societies and Programming Coordinator (dsusocieties@dal.ca) with the name and description of your proposed society.
The Coordinator will check that there is not already an existing society with that same purpose.
If your society is unique, you will be sent a ratification form with further instructions!
Returning societies:
Welcome back! Are you an existing society looking to re-ratify for the 2022-23 year?
For returning societies:
Email our Societies and Programming Coordinator at dsusocieties@dal.ca to ask for a re-ratification form for your society.
Fill out and submit the re-ratification form within the ratification period.
Looking to revive
an inactive society?
Email our Societies and Programming Coordinator at dsusocieties@dal.ca to inquire on the status of the society.
If the society has been inactive for more than three years, you will be sent a ratification form to fill out
(see: new societies).If the society has been inactive for more than one but less than three years, you will be sent a re-ratification form to fill out
(see: returning societies).If the society is already in the process of becoming active again, you will be directed to the appropriate people to talk to.
The Coordinator will also inform you on all the information the DSU may have about the society (e.g.: who was in the last executive team, if the society had a netID, etc.)
Past Ratified Societies
After submitting the form:
Approval: Our Member Services Assistants will go through your application to see if there’s any missing information.
If yes, you will be emailed for additional information.
If no, your form will be sent to the Vice President, Internal for approval, who will then ratify your society. You may find your application’s status here.
Required Society Training
The President needs to complete Anti-Oppression training. You will be sent instructions on how to access online Anti-Oppression training with your ratification confirmation email.
(For Constituent, Faculty and Levied societies only) The Treasurer/person responsible for your Society’s finances needs to take Treasurer Training.
At least one person in your executive team needs to go through Primary Event Organizer (PEO) training to host events.
Future steps:
To open a bank account or to change signing authorities on an existing society bank account, you need a bank letter to show your banking provider. You can find the bank letter request form found here. You can find further information about society finances on this page.
If you want to create a Dal email for your society or request a web domain, you can submit a request form.
Check out other resources on the DSU website, or email the Vice President, Internal at dsuvpi@dal.ca if you need help.
Read the DSU Society Policy and the DSU Equity Policy. All societies are governed by these policies and their constitutions and members must abide by them.