EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND

In 2012, Lumin reviewed Victoria University support to clubs and made recommendations under a range of high level headings including: strategic alignment, spaces and places, club services, supporting sustainability.

The purpose of this 2016 review was to:

• Assess the current needs of clubs and club officials
• Measure the effectiveness of the existing support model in place for clubs
• Recommend any improvements that will enhance the club experience
• Look at opportunities to enhance VUWSA’s role in supporting clubs.
• Findings from this review will help inform the club’s support delivery model.

AREAS OF PROGRESS

Victoria University’s clubs continue to contribute to the student experience, allowing them to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes that reflect the University’s graduate profile, and are a key feature of the co–curriculum. Student clubs are integral to achieving the University’s own vision and implementing its strategies.

The process of review included an online survey of University clubs, interviews with club executives, stakeholder interviews with University and VUWSA personnel, a review of literature regarding clubs and models of delivery and national investigation into approaches other universities are using to support clubs.

The results from the 72 clubs (46% return rate) represent 6,865 members, or 38% of all club members. Of those clubs that responded, 42% of members participating regularly;; half of all clubs meet weekly. Half of all responding clubs have increasing membership with only 14% indicating that they were experiencing a decline in membership. Almost half of all clubs were affiliated to organisations outside the University.

The most valued services and support were:

• meeting and activity spaces in the Student Union, recreation centre and elsewhere enabling the club to offer a range of activities and conduct its business;;
• access to the student sponsorship funding that supports the club activities;;

·       event and tournament planning and management;;

• the availability of resources and support both in person and online that improve the effectiveness of the club in particular financial advice;;
• the website.

A number of areas of progress were noted including a maturation of the university club model, with resulting benefits;; increased resourcing and professional advice, including access to online resources.

Nonetheless nearly two thirds of all clubs had sought advice to assist in the running of their club, and risk and reputation management were amongst some of the identified challenges.

In addition, there are new issues that have emerged including:

• Tertiary Sport replacing the old university tournaments, and requiring professional planning and event management by the VUW Club personnel
• Athlete support for those students involved in high performance sport
• Gold Awards established for non–sporting clubs.

CLUB THEMES

The online surveys and interviews identified some themes that will be addressed in more detail in the report.

• A dynamic club ecosystem involving a proliferation of clubs and the work required to support their establishment and development.
• Recognition that Victoria increases its mana through a unique, high quality student experience, and that clubs are a key contributor.
• The role of VUWSA and the Clubs Council is to make sure the student voice is heard;; this in particular with respect to clubs and events.
• Some university staff are engaged and support clubs
• The purpose of each club needs to be clear, and this should guide the levels of service provided by the Clubs personnel.
• Clubs present a range of risks – both in terms of health and safety and reputation. Risk assessment is already embedded in some aspects of clubs services, and could be extended in a number of ways.
• The nature of university students provides challenges for member recruitment and retention.

ALLOCATION OF PRIORITIES

The current club personnel have club demands beyond their resourcing. An analysis of these demands using impact and resource requirements identified some areas for change.

Interventions that have high impact and require low level of resources are:

• tools for clubs
• club days
• changing communications systems.

The work that requires a high level of resources but also has a high impact on clubs includes:

• sponsorship process
• venue bookings
• promotion and recruitment of clubs to the student cohort.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is clear that the next areas of focus for developing clubs and providing clubs support should be in the following six areas:

• Leveraging the strategic value of clubs to the University and its mana, strategic direction and aspirations.
• Continuing to enhance the student experience, particularly student engagement and the development of leadership capabilities and wider civic engagement.
• Provision of support to ensure on-–going club strength. Targeting support to ensure that there is a diverse range of emergent clubs that reflect the future student cohort. In addition, finding ways of Increasing faculty engagement in clubs.
• Contemporary spaces and services that enhance the efficiency of clubs’ service delivery and the effectiveness of clubs.
• Supporting and enabling the student voice through responding to student interest in club creation, getting ongoing input and feedback through the Clubs Council, and partnering with VUWSA and the Clubs Council through the sponsorship, clubs week events and other club promotion mechanisms.
• Collaborating across the universities to develop and make available online clubs resources that support club establishment and effective development and success.

The following recommendations are divided into three areas of focus: Victoria University, Clubs Support and VUW Clubs.

Recommendations for Victoria University

1. Continue to raise the mana of VUW through leveraging the strategic value of clubs to the University and its strategic direction and aspirations.
2. Improve the student experience, particularly student engagement and the development of leadership capabilities and wider civic engagement through the club experience, improved faculty involvement and strong connections with the VicPlus and careers programmes.
3. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of Clubs Services, Clubs Council, VUWSA and VUW to ensure strong student voice.
4. Plan for and deliver contemporary spaces .
5. Investigate the feasibility of developing additional technical spaces (eg sport, arts) and large event spaces to meet the needs of clubs.

Recommendations for Clubs support

• Continue to support a diverse range of clubs, and tell stories of these clubs in a range of different contexts.
• Review the Club Sponsorship process, to reduce the compliance for low end, low risk clubs, and increase the capacity for clubs to apply throughout the year.
• Build additional capacity in Clubs personnel recognising the increased demands of additional clubs and the expectations and responsibilities regarding risk, health and safety and reputation.

• Investigate the feasibility of developing additional technical spaces (eg sport, arts) and large event spaces to meet the needs of clubs.
• Develop contemporary, easy to access mechanisms for managing venue bookings

that free up the personnel currently engaged.

1. Use a triage system to focus Clubs personnel on high impact and high risk clubs,
2. Revise and refresh online resources to reflect the sophistication of students and their learning and reference needs, using a collaborative approach across universities and/or with the sport and recreation sector.
3. Continue to provide a range of resources to clubs.
4. Provide contemporary and efficient communication mechanisms to regularly inform clubs of opportunities, services and support.
5. Review the mode of training and development opportunities reflecting contemporary practice and other options available, for example through SportNZ.
6. Refresh the approach to club recruitment and communication strategy that dovetails with the University’s recruitment and orientation strategies.
7. Continue working with clubs to support their club continuity issues including AGM planning, succession planning and executive handover.
8. Engage actively with a range of stakeholders that have an investment in or benefit from high–functioning clubs including faculty, Leadership Awards, strategy leaders for Co–curriculum and Student Experience, and Victoria Alumni.
9. Actively engage with the Clubs Council to seek student input and feedback on priority sevices for clubs
10. Partner with VUWSA and the Clubs Council to co–host clubs week events and other forms of club promotion and member recruitment.

Recommendations for VUW Clubs

• Recognise that significance of being associated with Victoria University and its mana, and consider this when engaging in commercial partnerships, building profile and offering experiences that enhance (or otherwise) the university’s reputation.
• Actively link with the university to provide opportunities for student leaders to develop capability, achieve confidence, foster relationships with academics/faculty, and participate in programmes such as VicPlus.
• Partner with the university to host national events such as tertiary sport, national conferences and gatherings.
• Actively engage in roles that enable the student voice to be heard and influential, including responsibilities associated with the Clubs Council and VUWSA.

In summary, clubs require integrated and well–developed strategies, systems and support by VUW to ensure that they providing an unparalleled student experience. Continued tailored support from increased professional personnel and well–developed and contemporary strategies will ensure that they have access to professional services and support that ensure their sustainability and maximise the contribution of a rich student club experience to the University’s vision.

THE PROJECT

In 2012, Victoria’s Joint Student Union Board (JSUB) commissioned a review of how best to support and develop clubs. The project, undertaken by Lumin, resulted in changes to staffing and the portfolio of services and support provided to clubs. For the past 5 years Recreation Services have supported clubs, and this developmental review focuses on the current club support and structure, and identifies areas for improvement and development.

The purpose of this club support review is as follows:

• Assess the current needs of clubs and club officials
• Measure the effectiveness of the existing support model in place for clubs
• Recommend any improvements that will enhance the club experience
• Look at opportunities to enhance VUWSA’s role in supporting clubs. Findings from this review will help inform the Clubs Support delivery model.

METHODOLOGY

The review involved:

• Stakeholder interviews and focus groups including current clubs’ personnel, eight university and VUWSA stakeholders, and 13 clubs from across the various club types.
• Online survey of clubs sent to 153 clubs with a response from 72 clubs using questions consistent with the 2012 review, enabling a comparison.
• Review of data available from the Clubs Services relating to clubs, services offered and areas of concern and opportunity.

The stakeholder interviews explored the current support of clubs and assessed the quality and model of service, service gaps and potential options for delivery.

The return rate for the survey was 46%. There was a balance of responses across the club types: sport, cultural, ethnic, faith, political and academic, and the membership represented by these clubs was 38% of the total club membership recorded by the Clubs personnel. A list of responding and non–responding clubs is included in the appendices.

The process used in this project was designed to:

• Ensure high levels of engagement across the wide variety of Sports and Cultural Clubs (with a target of half of all Victoria Clubs engaged) balanced across the 12 club categories
• Reflect the collaboration between the University and VUWSA
• Includes an analysis of models and practices employed in club support, both national and international examples.

A list of those consulted is included in the appendices.

AREAS OF PROGRESS

Victoria University’s clubs continue to contribute to the student experience, develop skills, knowledge and attitudes that reflect the University’s graduate profile, and are a key feature of the co–curriculum. Student clubs and their ongoing support and development are integral to achieving the University’s own vision and implementing its strategies.

The process of review included an online survey of University clubs, interviews with club executives, stakeholder interviews with University and VUWSA personnel, a review of literature regarding clubs and models of delivery and national investigation into approaches other universities are using to support clubs.

The results from the 72 clubs (46% return rate) represent 6,865 members, or 38% of all club members. Of those clubs that responded, 42% of members participating regularly;; half of all clubs meet weekly. Half of all responding clubs have increasing membership with only 14% indicating that they were experiencing a decline in membership. Affiliation to organisations outside the University was also high, (45%).

The most valued services and support were:

• meeting and activity spaces in the Student Union Building, Recreation Centre and elsewhere enabling the club to offer a range of activities and conduct its business;;
• access to the student sponsorship funding that supports the club activities;;

·       event and tournament planning and management,

• the availability of resources and support both in person and online that improve the effectiveness of the club in particular financial advice
• the website.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of clubs had sought advice to assist in the running of their club which is an increase since 2012.

There has been a maturation of the university club model, with more clubs, a wider range of club offerings and overall an increased number of participants. In addition, the clubs are recognizing that they are more stable, with attention being paid to sustainability and succession planning.

Increased resourcing of clubs through VUW Sponsorship, professional advice and online resources has supported clubs and their effectiveness.

There are increasing demands from clubs for support, and enhanced expectations of clubs regarding risk, health and safety, and reputation management.

In addition, there are new issues that have emerged including:

Tertiary Sport replacing the old university games, and requiring professional planning and event management by the VUW Club personnel

• Athlete support for those students involved in high performance sport
• Gold Awards established for non–sporting clubs.

There are further opportunities for development in these areas of work, and the chance to build a programme of faculty games.

CLUB INFORMATION

CLUB TYPE NUMBER OF CLUBS MEMBERS Sports 40 3,052 Cultural 18 1,577 Faculty based 12 2,430 Miscellaneous 12 811 Pasifika 11 507 Media/Film/Music 10 497 Politics 9 3,130 Religion 9 418 Performance 8 313 Rep Groups 8 4,008 Business 5 466 Global Issues 5 216 Maori 4 410 Public Speaking 2 64 All clubs 153 17,899

The Clubs team manage a comprehensive database of club information including membership totals and types. There are a wide range of clubs across the 14 categories, with the largest proportion of students belonging to rep groups and faculty based clubs. The clubs with the lowest proportion of students are political. Alumni are members of many clubs.

There are currently 153 clubs of which 142 are registered and therefore eligible to apply for sponsorship support.

RESULTS

The following section contains data collected from the online survey which 72 clubs completed and information generated through 13 individual and group interviews. Quotes are included in italics.

There was a spread of responses that reflected the spread of club types, with sports clubs

over–represented, and political clubs not responding.

CLUB SURVEY

Club membership 2016

Of the respondents, 56 clubs provided membership data reflecting a membership of 6,865 (38% of all club members). Respondents assessed their active membership (described as those participating monthly) as 2,871 (42%). The composition of clubs responding to the survey is as follows:

• VUW students         4,798
• Alumni                          684
• Other                            701

In the main, club membership is either increasing or steady:

• 50% of clubs that responded said membership was increasing
• 36% of clubs that responded said membership was steady
• 14% clubs said membership was decreasing.

Club activity

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Proportion of survey respondents by club type

% clubs       % of all responses

VUW CLUBS SURVEY 2016 2012 Clubs invited to respond 153 113 Survey responses 72 65 Total membership 6,865 7,602 Active membership 42% 39% Club membership increasing 50% 51% Steady membership 36% 46% Decreasing membership 14% 3%

The frequency of club activities varies depending on the club’s purpose, but half of the clubs that responded to the survey meet weekly, and a further quarter meet monthly. The club committee or organising group also meet frequently:

• 32% meet weekly
• 27% meet monthly
• 16% meet every two months
• 20% meet infrequently.

In summary, clubs and their committees are active, with frequent meetings throughout the semester.

Registration and Affiliation

Most clubs are registered with the university, with the primary reasons being:

• to gain access to support from the University in the form of funding (41% of respondents)
• access to venues, club week and other support from the Clubs team
• to be able to use the University’s name (30% of respondents).

Nearly half of the responding clubs (45%) were also formally affiliated or connected with another organisation.

Club registration We are registered to Victoria University to receive the benefits that they can provide for us. This includes financial support and support in other means. Because we get access to club spaces, tables at club days, and funding. It seemed the best thing to do so the University was aware of us and other people could find us.

In the main, external affiliation occurs because it is compulsory (for example affiliation to a national sporting body) or because it enables access to

grants and services. Examples of external affiliation include:

• National sport and recreation organisations (Cricket Wellington, New Zealand Debating Council, Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club)
• National and international cultural, business or political organisations (Plastic Diet Incorporated, African Community Council)
• Local and national faith groups (Equippers Church).

Valuable clubs services

Respondents were asked to value the range of services that are currently available to student clubs. The chart on the following page shows the spread of responses.

·       The red bar indicates services that are highly valued

• The black bars are services that are of some value.

Some services are not used by all clubs, but are highly valued by those that use them. For example, event management support and club management advice.

Advice                           

The current clubs personnel comprises a Clubs Manager and Clubs Administrator, and part of their role is to provide advice to clubs

regarding their establishment and operation. Clubs were asked if they had sought advice from the Clubs Services:

Nearly two thirds (63%) of had sought advice (an increase of 8% since 2012). Fifty–one groups provided comment on the type of information requested from the Clubs team.

Advice from the Clubs staff was also sought on the topics of:

• Advice on starting a club, club management, recruitment
• Organising events including hireage, contracts, tournaments, conferences
• Financial information and support including sponsorship
• Access to services (advice, venues)
• Organising events including hireage, contracts, tournaments, conferences
• Health and safety policies and procedures.

 Clubs management staff A good relationship with Clubs Manager’s Office would sustain the club very well. Currently, the clubs Manager is doing a fantastic job. She is very kind and helpful.   Satisfaction with Clubs’ services

There were high levels of satisfaction with the range and quality of support provided by the Club Management personnel.

Interviews with stakeholders valued the professionalism and skill of the people providing club management support.

CLUBS SPONSORSHIP 2016 2012 Respondent who had applied 61% 57% Successful 91% 91%     Club Sponsorship

Club sponsorship To be clear, we were successful as a group but not as individuals this year. Our club has exceeded the budget so individuals could not get funding themselves for their activities. [Sponsorship Group] believed our budget was insufficient and we had the funds ourselves. We reapplied and were successful. We didn’t get anywhere near the level of funding that we expected, nor deserved.

In 2012 there was a significant change to the way clubs were supported through a sponsorship programme, with periodical funding rounds and decisions made by a panel comprised of staff and students. Since then, the proportion of survey respondents who had applied and been successful was remarkably similar. There were still concerns about why some clubs had not been funded.

The clubs survey identified grants as one of the most valuable services provided to clubs.

Feedback from both the survey and interviews suggests that there is still discontent with the grants process.

SPONSORSHIP DECISIONS 2016 2012 Students only 35% 22% Majority students, minority staff 18% 35% Balance students and staff 39% 32% Minority students, majority staff 4% 8% Staff only 5% 3%

Interviews also indicated need to move faster with a reduction in time between the application and decision, provide more flexibility, communicate results and reasons for turning down applications more clearly, fairer distribution and clearer and more equitable criteria for non–sports clubs.

Sponsorship decision making

Sponsorship decision making A balance is good, so you get different insights, and biases can be balanced out.

There is still a mix of opinion about the balance of students and staff on the sponsorship decision making group. Clearly there are expectations that a mix of the two is of value, but the proportion is not clear. However, this is one way for the student voice to be strongly heard.

Only four groups commented on this question and the majority believed a balance of staff and students was required to remove any bias.

Clubs were asked about any future grants process, and who should be involved. The general perspective was that there should be both staff and students involved in the process, with a weighting toward students.

 Financial sustainability Financial support is the big one. Funding is getting harder to access and the club more expensive to run. Financial stability for next year’s club. We would like to leave the bank account as we found it at the start of this year but the Clubs funding application process has made this difficult and we are working on a very tight budget.   Financial Management and support

The two key challenges for clubs are:

• maintaining continuity between each year and each executive
• achieving a good financial outcome given their financial position and cashflow.

Training Workshops

TYPE OF TRAINING % Club financial management 24 Running a club 13 Setting up a club 13 Leadership development 7 Running events 6 Recruiting volunteers 2 Conduct 0 Legislation 0 Not attending workshop 59

Of the 14 clubs who responded the main benefit from attending workshops was improved financial and club management skills (36%) followed by helping to obtain sponsorships and funding (14%). Some of the respondents indicated that the main reason for attending was general interest and to check that club management and knowledge was heading in the right direction (21%). Other respondents identified impacts as:

• Attending club days, getting new members
• Gaining information on how to run a club
• Financial performance and management of their club.

Impact of training We’ve been able to budget and state our finances clearly and set up networks which ensures that 2017 will flow better. Our financial guidelines are up to date and we are now very aware of the limits of club boundaries. In regards to the financial side of things, we now ensure that all reimbursements are confirmed by the committee before going ahead.

Thirty two clubs responded as to why they didn’t attend workshops. The majority of them indicated that they did not attend workshops because:

• They were not aware of them
• Workshops were poorly advertised
• Notices of the workshops were received too late
• A few clubs indicated there was no benefit from attending the workshops.

Training and resources Leadership management training is one of the critical factor that is missing in my club which should be of value in the long run. The big challenge for a club of our size is the significant administration workload done by volunteers. Tools or support to ease this (eg funding an accounting tool such as Xero to clubs to use or providing some admin support) would be useful.

Other reasons for not attending included busy with assignments;; not enough reminders about the workshops;; well organised club so no interest;; club run by Alumni members who don’t need the information.

Many clubs are likely to get their development needs met through personalised advice provided by the club’s membership. This is clearly valued by the clubs who receive the support, and evidenced in the interviews.

Continuity and Sustainability

Forty–five (45) clubs commented on the help and support they would like to manage the issue of continuity. The two most significant areas that help is required in is:

Club sustainability Financial support is the big one. Funding is getting harder to access and the club more expensive to run. The main sustainability issue is the quick overturn between Exec members. And the lack of students to take up exec positions.

Funding and sponsorship opportunities (28%)

• Membership — numbers, lack of engagement, maintaining motivation (19% of respondents).

Other areas of assistance suggested included:

• Promotional support to build better recruitment of members and continued engagement

Managing growth Currently our club is in a growth. This is a challenge as, at times, the board team has spread itself quite thin. We would be keen to explore any assistance that can help us maintain the growth, but keep control of the future path of our club too.

Maintenance of databases and websites and a permanent online storage facility for club documents

• Standardised general elections of clubs and standardised period for clubs to hold elections
• Support from Clubs team to new executive members through emails from Club Manager to new executive to ensure they are Ok with new roles;;

Making the job easier More consistency with promotion so we can build up a consistent member base who will stay on year after year. Providing clear, easy-–to-–use, and simple help for how to take minutes at meetings. Then at least the recording of meetings will maintain consistent. Somewhere permanent (online) to store our important documentation.

Clubs team to attend new executive meeting so

there is face–to–face contact, and providing easy instructions, templates etc on minute taking to ensure consistency

• Biannual check–ups by Clubs personnel
• Seminars with other club leaders
• Having a VUW staff member on committee
• Monitoring club reports and records
• Storage for sports equipment.

Club continuity continues to be an issue, reflecting the nature of university clubs, ‘short term’ involvement of most students, and the periodic nature of study with the third trimester having a significantly lower level of student enrolment.

Continuity of leadership The main sustainability issue is the quick overturn between Exec members, due to the most qualified people being elected onto our Exec but then those people often only being able to stay in their role for a year or two due to finishing university or having to prioritise other commitments as they are talented individuals in high demand.

Focusing on the tactics to increase volunteers and support systems that improve continuity will address this. Options include:

• Online documentation held in a centrally accessible location to enable incoming volunteers to be ‘up and running’
• Improved suite of online tools and templates that can be easily downloaded and adapted
• Support from an academic department to support continuity across student cohorts

Club and new leader support I think there should be new clubs/new leaders’ packs for all clubs/new executive members starting out. They should outline everything we have access to. Greatly appreciate all the templates given online!

Small kick start grant for the beginning of the year when set up expenses and promotional events are highest plus additional funding throughout the year.

OTHER ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY CLUBS

Issues facing clubs 2016454035302520151050         Critical issue       Important

Of the 43 clubs that responded to this question, the other issues facing clubs are:

• Venue spaces: cost and availability of venue hire and storage especially lecture theatre, seminar rooms and training spaces, and having access to

easily located venues as some members are easily put off when they cannot find the venue (6% of respondents)

• Club management: either an inexperienced executive, stress on the executive, or a lack of new people prepare to take on executive positions (6% of respondents).
• Amount of administration by volunteers: tools or support to reduce workload such as access to Xero, administration support by Clubs would be helpful
• Attracting skilled members who can train and coach others

Attracting and retaining members Our issue is connecting law students on Kelburn and Pip. Thus it would be helpful to have some sort of cross campus advertising or communication. Frequent problems are low membership and turnout rates at weekly meetings.

Conflict with another club offering similar experience on the same night – this will negatively affect membership and the ability to attract new members

• Having an office space on campus would provide tools for sustainability – reducing the need to meet community organisations off campus
• Growing too big too quickly — losing control of direction due to growth

Venues and booking Room hire costs! Easier venue booking system around campus. Hard to find rooms to have academic events in. No ‘home base’ at Pipitea, Kelburn’s vibe and sense of community is completely opposite to Pipitea’s. At Pipitea, it’s non–existent. Ensuring that all clubs have access to easy–to–find rooms that people don’t need instructions to find would be incredibly helpful for attracting new members.

Connecting students between Pipitea and Kelburn Campus – cross campus advertising/communications

• Lack of a sense of community at Pipitea Campus which results in students not staying around, attending meetings etc.

·       Low advertising of events

Club diversity valued Clubs management should be CLUBS management. There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of sense in and around the fact that ‘Victoria Recreation’ manages the non–sporting clubs.There feels like there is a real bias towards sports teams at Vic, in both funding and venue access.

Improve the range and information about online resources for clubs: Development of policies especially concerning areas of misconduct when clubs internal measures fail, information packs for new clubs and new executives detailing access to club support and resources

Club culture

Of the 17 respondents to this question, six comments were positive and commenting on the good work carried out by the Clubs team including specific to the templates available to the clubs. Other comments related to specific issues such as:

• Improved communication and marketing of clubs to new students to reflect that club culture is valued within the university overall
• Promoting cultural exhibitions among students to identify cultural diversity.
• All clubs should be valued the same regardless of the type of club in terms of access to funding and venue access, with funding for training not just covering sports clubs.

There is still a perception that the Clubs team and its policies and priorities favours sports clubs. There was unusual demand in 2016 to establish the Tertiary Sport and there is a large cohort of sports clubs that require time and energy. A continued broad focus across all club categories and clear crtieria that enables all clubs to be supported, funded and promoted is crucial. This may require a review of policies to ensure an equitable club policy framework.

Recommendations for change aligned well with a focus on supporting clubs. Respondents proposed creating more of a VUW club culture that involved lifting the profile of clubs, recognising successful clubs, acknowledging club involvement, making club day more of an event with a stage and all clubs participating have stage time to present their club.

CLUBS SERVICES WORK PRIORITIES

Club Services Work Priorities identified by both Clubs staff  Stakeholder engagement  Resource development  Club establishment  Club development  Risk management  Events  Funding/Sponsorship  Venue bookings & management 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Mid Year        Start of the year

The following chart illustrates the estimated percentage of time the Clubs’ team spend in different areas of work, both at the start of the year and mid–year. The focus on events is reflective of this year’s inaugural Tertiary Sport. The challenges of a centralised booking system drives the use of the bulk of one person’s time.

Areas for development clearly sit in the work programmes that are currently receiving little attention: stakeholder engagement within the university, club development and resource development.

Allocation of priorities

The current club personnel have club demands beyond their resourcing. An analysis of these demands reviewing level of impact and resource requirements identified some areas for change. Analysis of the impact of interventions and the resources required is in the following table.

High impact
Quick wins	Longer term gains
tools for clubs	sponsorship process
club days	venue bookings
changing communications systems	promotion clubs to student cohort and and recruitment of members
Low resources	High resources

There are some areas of work that have a low impact, in that they effect a small number of clubs and their members, but require high resources, and this is primarily financial recovery in the event of fraud.

Focusing on interventions that have a high impact and afford quick wins should be a priority for the Clubs team.

CLUB THEMES

The online surveys and interviews identified some themes outlined below.

Volunteers Ability to attract and retain quality and dedicated volunteers for the committee As this is our first year, I, as president, have definitely taken on the load to keep it going. It has been somewhat unsustainable for the long term for me, but we’ve begun delegating work to our other team members as we have solidified and feel more settled with our club culture and curriculum.

A dynamic club ecosystem involving a proliferation of clubs and the work required to support their establishment and development. More clubs means increased competition for students, resources and spaces.

• Recognition that Victoria increases its mana through a unique, high quality student experience, and that clubs are a key contributor. The university needs to continue its investment in club health, and to tell the stories of clubs as part of its ongoing internal and external marketing and communications.
• The role of VUWSA and the Clubs Council is ensuring a student voice, and this is particularly with respect to clubs and events. Clarifying and strengthening the role of both will ensure that the student voice is loud and clear.
• Some university staff are engaged and support clubs and their effectiveness. This could be leveraged through internal communications, staff news, and aligning faculties and their support with faculty clubs and groups.
• The purpose of each club needs to be clear, and this should guide the levels of service provided by the Clubs personnel. A system of assessment of impact and risk will help to tailor services to the appropriate level, and ensure a tactical approach to resource allocation.
• It seems timely to review the club categories and ensure that these are aligned to the services and funding policies and processes.

• Clubs present a range of risks – both in terms of health and safety and reputation. Risk assessment is already embedded in some aspects of clubs services, and could be extended to include: health and safety, reputational risk, activities off–campus, travel, some activities unfamiliar to international students, activity types for example outdoor, alcohol), financial risks, sponsorship including contracts with outside sponsors and events. A health and safety audit has been conduced, identifying the key clubs that present risks.¹
• The nature of university students provides challenges for member recruitment and retention. Building repeat opportunities to recruit members beyond the initial first flush of the academic year will strengthen the student experience and impact on club sustainability.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT:

A large number of students are members of clubs, with an active group who participate regularly;; half of all clubs meet weekly. About half of all clubs have increasing membership. Many clubs have affiliations beyond the university.

The most valued services and support were: grants, room and space bookings, the clubs A–Z, event and tournament support and the website. More than half of clubs had sought advice.

In future clubs would like:

• A clearly valued role and strategic support of clubs within the university
• Increased support to new clubs as they develop
• A funding process that has clearer criteria, easy to us, on–line, and more responsive
• Student voice more clearly present in the Clubs ecosystem
• Modern communication systems with clubs and between clubs and potential members
• Club promotion and member recruitment campaigns throughout the year
• Clear roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
• Increased awareness of Victoria’s relationships and reputation as an extension of clubs and their work.

HALLS OF RESIDENCE SURVEY

A survey undertaken by the incoming VUWSA Clubs Officer of 77 Halls of Residence students², revealed opportunities for improving communication about clubs to first year students. In particular, of the students surveyed:

• Most have little or no knowledge of clubs at Victoria (91%)
• Most are not part of a club (70%)
• Most do not know how to join a club (34%) or are not sure how they would join a club (39%).

1. Clubs Health and Safety Audit – July Update, 2016, Karl Whalen.
2. VUWSA Clubs Officer Halls of Residence Survey.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

MEETING ROOMS AND ACTIVITY SPACES

Having access to spaces and places to meet, perform the activity of the club and hold occasional events are still the top priority for clubs.

The challenges identified in this review are:

• Availability of spaces that meet the diverse range of needs, particularly ‘technical’ spaces (eg courts, fields) and large event spaces
• The cost of accessing some facilities – both on and off campus
• The process for booking spaces which is time consuming and inefficient.

SUPPORTING AND RESOURCING CLUBS

The availability of professional advice both in person and online is highly valued. Current personnel are providing high quality and impactful advice that is making a difference to the club leaders and the effectiveness of their clubs.

Online resources, while available require refreshing and updating allowing for easy download and adaptation to meet club needs. Otago University Students Association and Massey University Wellington have good models that are available for review on their websites³.

While the effectiveness of personalised engagement with clubs is high, the current clubs landscape with more than 150 client clubs makes a one size fits all approach inefficient. Consideration should be given to assessing clubs and their needs, and assessing the service levels that would be most appropriate. Clearly areas where there is high risk, or high impact are those likely to require most involvement by the Clubs personnel.

This system will only be effective if clubs are able to access online resources including training options that will reduce the demand for personalised approaches.

COMMUNICATION WITH CLUBS

Since 2012 the information available about clubs has improved, is comprehensive and is primarily in one space. There are always going to be challenges associated with the turnover of club leadership.

The student cohort are electronic communicators, but are more likely to use modes beyond email for some of their communication. Keeping current with this cohort is an ongoing challenge for the Clubs team, and will require ongoing advice and feedback from the Clubs Council about the most appropriate mechanisms.

Making it easy for clubs to communicate with students is also critical, and consideration of a relationship management system that the clubs can link to, or leverage off the university communications systems (eg blackboard) might also be worth investigating.

3 http://www.ousa.org.nz/recreation/clubs/club–resources/ and http://www.mawsa.org.nz/clubs/#.WB066CR5U3g

MULTI–PRONGED RECRUITMENT AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

The current recruitment focus for clubs is during Clubs week. Whilst being highly effective at signing up people for communication, it does not always translate into membership in part because for many students there is too much ‘noise’ in their early engagement in the year. Having subsequent waves of club promotion through the year will enable clubs to springboard of a wider campaign:

• Seasonal campaigns for sports codes
• Beginning of Trimester 2 for students to accommodate new study programmes and new students
• Linking to key ‘weeks’ like Maori Language Week to give the appropriate groups profile.

As with recommendations from 2012, there need to be some key elements of the recruitment and communication strategy:

• Up to date and accurate online presence that is consistent through all portals
• Support for use of noticeboards – both physical and electronic
• Publication of club profiles and contact details using a range of channels
• Maximising face to face promotion of clubs through Clubs Week, club presentations in courses and public recruitment events.

STAKEHOLDER CONNECTIONS

Clubs are a key mechanism for students and the university to engage with others – both internally with students and university staff, and more importantly externally. This brings both benefits and potential risks.

The University should be working to maximise the benefits through supporting these connections on a local, national and international level. This is consistent with Victoria being a global university.

There are however risks associated with the engagement of external funders and sponsors with clubs run by volunteers, and the Clubs office can be instrumental in supporting clubs in this sphere including expectations of event delivery, student engagement and University branding associated with the club.

SUMMARY

In summary, the key themes and issues that need addressing if clubs are to thrive are:

• Sponsorship funding
• Financial management and support
• Ongoing provision of suitable meeting rooms and activity spaces and development of technically appropriate spaces
• Supporting and resourcing club establishment, management and development
• Training and development both in person, in groups and online
• Recruitment and communication strategies
• Addressing continuity issues
• Stakeholder connections.

NATIONAL COMPARISONS

As part of the project, investigations were conducted to identify comparative delivery structures in other tertiary environments and best practice club servicing and support nationally and internationally.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A review of recent literature was conducted to identify themes relevant to university club servicing and support. There is limited material available although the role and function of student clubs, and the inherent student leadership development that lies within these was well researched.

As was a common theme in the previous research, it is clear that clubs can:

• support ‘service learning’ which occurs through partnerships with community bodies
• this promotes student attainment (McIlraith, 2016;; Thompson, 2013)
• relationships between students’ participation in community service and the resultant impact on their sense of belonging on campus (Soria, 2012)
• the value of clubs as part of the student experience (Lillyman & Bennett, 2013;; Rubin, 2012;; Chan, 2014)
• sociocultural adjustment of international students, under–represented minorities, and working class students, who need a more structured way of creating and engaging with friends, and the role university structures including clubs play
• institutions can increase the likelihood that students engage in key academic experiences through involvement in academic clubs.

Ongoing and active support of student engagement and leadership of clubs is critical, and needs valuing by all facets of the university. There are still unrealised opportunities to link club engagement with leadership development through the VILP and VicPlus programmes.

COMPARISONS AND BEST PRACTICE

Emails or phone calls were made to all New Zealand University Students’ Associations and Recreation Services with a request for a description of current services provided to clubs and the model of service delivery. Feedback was received from:

• Auckland University
• AUT
• Lincoln University (website review only)
• Massey Albany
• Massey Manawatu
• Massey Wellington
• Otago University
• University of Canterbury.

While there were clubs available on all campuses, Victoria was the most deliberate in supporting club performance and as far as could be ascertained, had experienced the greatest club growth in recent times. Clubs management structure varied from University to University –sometimes managed by Student Associations and sometimes by Recreation Centres or Faculties. Some interviewees noted the difficulty of finding an appropriate and strong working structure to provide the best service for clubs.

Across the institutions a similar range of services were offered, although the most integrated model appears to be at Victoria. In addition, Victoria’s clubs were also responding to change and growing in number more than other universities.

There would however be advantages of collaborating with other universities to share and perhaps co–developing resouces and systems for the benefit of all university clubs management teams. Areas that Victoria University could particularly benefit from learning and in some cases collaborating on include:

• annual health checks (undertaken by Auckland Univeristy)
• online club information resources
• on–line systems for registration, booking and grants
• on–line communication and promotional channels and systems with and for clubs
• blended learning systems (on–line and off–line) training and development for clubs – while none exist at present, most universities provide face–to–face training with limited uptake.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is clear that the next areas of focus for developing clubs and providing clubs support should be in the following four areas:

• Leveraging the strategic value of clubs to the University and its mana, strategic direction and aspirations.
• Continuing to enhance the student experience, particularly student engagement and the development of leadership capabilities and wider civic engagement
• Provision of support to ensure on-–going club strength. Targeting support to ensure that there is a diverse range of emergent clubs that reflect the future student cohort. In addition, finding ways of Increasing faculty engagement in clubs
• Contemporary spaces and services that enhance the efficiency of clubs’ service delivery and effectiveness of clubs.
• Supporting and enabling the student voice through responding to student interest in club creation, getting ongoing input and feedback through the clubs council, and partnering with VUWSA and the Clubs Council through sponsorship, clubs week events and other mechanisms.
• Collaborating across the universities to develop and make available online clubs resources that support club establishment and effective development and success.

The following recommendations are divided into three areas of focus: Victoria University, Clubs Support and VUW Clubs.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VICTORIA

1. Continue to raise the mana of VUW through leveraging the strategic value of clubs to the University and its strategic direction and aspirations
2. Improve the student experience, particularly student engagement and the development of leadership capabilities and wider civic engagement through the club experience, improved faculty involvement and strong connections with the VicPlus and careers programmes.
3. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of Clubs Services, Clubs Council, VUWSA and VUW to ensure strong student voice.
4. Plan for and deliver contemporary spaces
5. Investigate the feasibility of developing additional technical spaces (eg sport, arts) and large event spaces to meet the needs of clubs.

In summary, clubs require integrated and well–developed strategies, systems and support from VUW to ensure that they provide an unparalleled student experience.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLUBS SUPPORT

• Continue to support a diverse range of clubs, reviewing club categories and ensuring all systems (eg funding, registration, health and safety) reflect these categories
• Review the Club Sponsorship process, to reduce the compliance for low end, low risk clubs, and increase the capacity for clubs to apply throughout the year. Reviewing criteria and timing of funding rounds, creating on–line processes and improving feedback systems
• Build additional capacity in Clubs personnel recognizing the increased demands of additional clubs and the expectations and responsibilities regarding risk, health and safety and reputation
• Investigate the feasibility of developing additional technical spaces (eg sport, arts) and large event spaces to meet the needs of clubs.
• Develop contemporary, easy to access mechanisms for managing venue bookings

that free up the personnel currently engaged

1. Use a triage system to focus Clubs personnel on high impact and high risk clubs, and establish a service level expectation for clubs that relates to their position in club life–cycle (emerging, established, in–growth, in–decline) and risks (health and safety, fraud).
2. Revise and refresh online resources to reflect the sophistication of students and their learning and reference needs, using a collaborative approach across universities and/or with the sport and recreation sector.
3. Continue to update club information, training and resources so that they are interactive, easy–to–use and continuously updated
4. Provide contemporary and efficient communication mechanisms to regularly inform clubs of opportunities, services and support,
5. Review the mode of training and development opportunities reflecting contemporary practice and other options available, for example through SportNZ.
6. Refresh the approach to club recruitment and communication strategy that dovetails with the University’s recruitment and orientation strategies, and tell stories of these clubs in a range of different contexts
7. Continue working with clubs to support their club continuity issues including AGM planning, succession planning and executive handover
8. Engage actively with a range of stakeholders that have an investment in or benefit from high–functioning clubs including faculty, Leadership Awards, strategy leaders for Co–curriculum and Student Experience, and Victoria Alumni.
9. Actively engage with the Clubs Council to seek student input and feedback on priority sevices for clubs
10. Partner with VUWSA and the Clubs Council to co–host clubs week events and other forms of club promotion and member recruitment.

In summary, clubs require tailored support from increased numbers of professional personnel and well–developed and contemporary strategies to ensure that they have access to professional services and support, This will ensure their sustainability and maximise the contribution of a rich student club experience to the University’s vision.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VUW CLUBS

• Recognise the significance of being associated with Victoria University and its mana, and consider this when engaging in commercial partnerships, building profile and offering experiences that enhance (or otherwise) the university’s reputation.
• Actively link with the university to provide opportunities for student leaders to develop capability, achieve confidence, foster relationships with academics/faculty, and participate in programmes such as VicPlus.
• Partner with the university to host national events such as tertiary games, national conferences and gatherings
• Actively engage in roles that enable the student voice to be heard and influential, including responsibilities associated with the Clubs Council and VUWSA.

In summary, clubs are a reflection of the interests of the student cohort, and are opportunities to develop competencies, capabilities and attitudes for life. The partnership model of club support and operation is strengthened by a clear student voice.

REFERENCES

Chang, Mitchell et al, , What matters in college for retaining aspiring scientists and engineers from underrepresented racial groups, 2014, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.21146/full

Drake, Marlon, Clubs Consultation Survey, 2016

Lillyman, Sue & Bennett Clare, University Worchester, UK, A lit review: The sociocultural adjustment trajectory of international university students and the role of university structures: A qualitative investigation, 2013, http://jri.sagepub.com/content/11/1/87.short

Liu Jianxin;;Li Chengming, College of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology;; Peer Academic Counseling Clubs and Societies Help Improve the Style of Study in Colleges and Universities, 2015,

McIlrath, Lorraine, Ireland, Community Perspective on University Partnership — Prodding the Sacred Cow, 2016, http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137074829_9#page–1

Rubin, Mark, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia, Working–class students need more friends at university: a cautionary note for Australia’s higher education equity initiative, 2012, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2012.689246?journalCode=cher20

Soria, Krista et el, University of Minnesota, Reaching out, connecting within: Community service and sense of belonging among college students, 2012, https://works.bepress.com/krista_soria1/9/

Thompson Leanne et al, Lancaster University UK, ‘It’s just like an extra string to your bow’: Exploring higher education students’ perceptions and experiences of extracurricular activity and employability, , http://alh.sagepub.com/content/14/2/135.short

APPENDICES

STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

• Jonathan Gee, President, VUWSA
• Tori Sellwood, Clubs and Activities Officer, VUWSA
• Raewyn Clarke, Clubs Manager, Victoria
• Roselle Usherwood, Clubs Administrator, Victoria
• Karl Whalen, Manager Victoria Recreation, Victoria
• Liz Medford, Manager, Careers and Employment, Victoria
• Jane Fletcher, Victoria Plus Co–Ordinator/Assistant Manager, Careers and Employment, Victoria
• Associate Professor Hon. Luamanuvao Winnie Laban Assistant Vice–Chancellor (Pasifika) Victoria
• Gail Ah Hi, Executive Officer to Winnie Laban, Victoria
• Steve Keig, Functions Coordinator Vic Venues, Victoria
• Clive Toase, Campus Safety, Victoria
• Marlon Drake, Incoming Cluns and Activities Officer, VUWSA.

CLUB INTERVIEWS

Club interviews occurred through the Clubs Council, individually or as part of consultation meetings.

• Aleksa Djorovic, Handball, Sports
• Ashleigh Fedorenko, Victoria Sign Language Club, Cultural
• Carissa Corlett, Misfits VUW, Misc
• Charlotte Wilkinson, Ignite Consultants – Victoria, Business
• Geneveine Wilson, Ngai Tauira, Rep Groups
• Friedrich Heng and Dein Tio, Singapore Student Club, Cultural
• Gabrielle Groupe & Fayez Shahbaz, Wellington Community Justice Project (Law), Faculty
• Jaesen Sumner, Old Boys University Rugby Club (OBU), Sports
• Kimberley Savill, Debating, Public speaking
• Madeline, Palmer, Vic Rowing Club, Sports
• Richard Boag, Rugby, Sport
• Ruby Meagher, Debating, Public speaking
• Saleima Samuelu, Pasifika, Rep Groups
• Sarah Jackson, Rowing, Sport
• Tayla Cook, Te Hohaeiti o te reo Maori/The Maori Language Society, Maori
• Wiliiame Gucake, Pasifika Law Students Society, Pasifika

SURVEY RESPONDENTS

African Students Association Asian Law Students Association Capoeira Resistencia

Chinese Student Association Christian Law Student’s Society Gecko

I Engage

Ignite Consultants Wellington (Victoria) International Taekwon–Do Club

Lian Wu Tang Chinese Kung Fu School Misfits Club

Niuean Association Old Boys University

Operation Christmas Child — VUW

Pacific Island Commerce Students’ Association

Papua New Guinea Students Association Pasifika Law Students Association Plastic Diet At Vic

Revolution YA Sci–Fi Club

Singapore Students Association

Te Hōhaieti O Te Reo Māori Ki Wikitoria Uniq Victoria

Veg Vuw

Victoria Ancient Theatre Society Victoria Anthropology Society Victoria Debating Society Victoria E–Sports Association

Victoria International Exchange Club Victoria Students’ Psychology Society Victoria University Athletic Club Victoria University Canoe Club Victoria University Cheerleading Victoria University Hockey Club

Victoria University Hunters Rugby League Club

Victoria University Netball VUW Italian Society VUW Sailing Club

VUW Swords Club

Victoria University Rowing Club Victoria University Table Tennis Club Victoria University Toastmasters Club VUSSC — Vic Uni Snow Sports Club VUW Cricket Club

VUW Dragon Boat Team VUW Futsal

VUW German Club VUW Handball Club

VUW Melanesian Students Association VUW Sign Language Club

VUW Taekwondo VUW Tennis Club Vuwfish

VUW Golf

Wellington Community Justice Project

SURVEY NON–RESPONDENTS

Ableton Live Acapella on Campus AIESEC

Aikido Badminton Baha’I Club Basketball

Basketball — American Pick Up Beta Alpha PSI (Victoria Chapter) Business Investment Club (BIC)

Cambodian Students Association (CamSA) Chiasma Wellington

Conservation Biology

Cook Islands Students Association Dance Fusion

Deconstructing Paris Initiative Dragon Boats

Engineering Club Eskrima

Film Photography Club Flying Disc

Football French Society Futsal

Gecko

Generation Zero — VUW Branch Geology Society

German Club

Global Leadership Interlink Campus (GLI–C) Greens @ Vic

Hockey

Human FM Radio

Indonesian Students Association (recess) International Socialists Club

Iranian Club

Jewish Students Association Just Speak on Campus KaiFiji

Knitting and Needlework Club Korfball

Latin American and Spanish Club Malaysian Students Organisation Media Studies Club

Melanesian Students Association Myanmar Student Association Nga Rangahautira Inc — Maori Law

Nga Taura Umanga — Maori Commerce

Ngai Tauira

Partners for Burma on campus Pasifika Christian Fellowship Pasifika Students Council

Post Graduate Students Association Prolife

Red Cross

Refugee–Background Students’ Drop–in Centre Role Playing and Board Games Club

Samoan Students Association Saudi Arabia Club (Tentative) Schola Cantorum — Youth Choir Science Fiction Films

Science Society Snowsport Club

Society of Philosophy and Culture Squash

Student Life STUDIO

Surf Club

Taiwanese Student Association

Te Namo Tokelauan Students Association The Politics Society (VUWPOLSOC) Tongan Students Association

Tramping Club UNI–Q

Vic Anime

Vic Commerce Vic Criminology Vic Film Society

Vic International Development Society (VICIDS)

Vic Labour

Vic Students for Sensible Drug Policy Victoria Business Consulting Club Victoria Entrepreneurship Club Victoria Law Students

Victoria Theatre Students Society (VUWTSS) Vietnamese Students Association

Ving Chun Kuen & Ba Qua Club VU Christian Club

VU Students for Liberty VUW Chess Club (in recess)

VUW Society of Change (Bell) Ringing

VUWSA International Students’ Association (V–ISA)

Wellington Timor–Leste Students Society Yoga Lounge