Clubs, Collectives & Associations

FUSA’s Clubs and Student Communities program remained strong in 2022 thanks to our passionate volunteer community. More than 400 executive and hundreds of extended committee members volunteer their time every year towards engaging the Flinders student community. They make an enormous contribution to campus culture, creating much of the colour, vibrancy and energy associated with Flinders. These volunteers contribute to the planning and execution of a wide variety of student-driven events including balls, competitions, academic presentations and workshops, cultural and spiritual activities, excursions, sport and recreational activities, performances, awareness campaigns, environmental and charitable projects, and much more.

Unfortunately, Clubs and Student Communities were unable to participate in Semester 1 Orientation in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This severely disrupted their ability to engage with commencing students, as Orientation is the flagship event each year for clubs to build their membership, encourage strong attendance at launch events, and maintain their committees. Although FUSA ran a successful Clubs Fair in the first week of May, the absence of an Orientation presence would go some way to explain the reduced numbers of registered events/activities and reduced estimated registered activity attendance. Despite this decrease, the Clubs and Student Communities program continues to be an incredibly cost-effective method of engaging the Flinders University community, costing FUSA an average of $186 per activity and $5.40 per attendee in 2022.

A total of 93 Clubs and Student Communities were affiliated with FUSA in 2022. There were 22 new applications for affiliation over the course of the year, which represents a slight increase in applications compared to 2021. Of these applications, 19 successfully affiliated with FUSA. While the overall number of Clubs and Student Communities remains stable, roughly a quarter of all affiliates are refreshed each year. These inactive clubs are replaced with new affiliates representing a broad range of interests and activities.

Clubs and Student Communities are continuing a reconstruction process following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebuilding institutional knowledge and improving handover processes between outgoing and incoming committees, many clubs have re-established their presence on campus. FUSA’s affiliated cultural clubs, which were particularly affected by border closures, have organised a significant increase in activities since the easing of border restrictions over the course of 2022. Of those 19 new Clubs and Student Communities affiliated in 2022, 6 were cultural or international student clubs. Overall, clubs have increased their uptake of available grant funding. Access to General Funding and Pool Funding were both in high demand in 2022, and FUSA distributed more than $110,000 in 2022 to support Clubs and Student Communities with both existing activities and new projects.

In 2021, FUSA was provided management and significant infrastructure funding to refurbish the McHughs building. Over the course of 2022, the building was converted into a multipurpose student and club community space, with various facilities including a kitchenette, meeting room, projector and AV system, booth seating, and moveable tables and chairs. Plus, some of the best views on campus can be experienced from the balcony. Construction works were completed late in the year, and the McHughs Community Space officially opened for student and club use in

December 2022. The building is the second largest function space on campus and has already become a de facto home for several Clubs and Student Communities who use the space regularly.

A major goal for the program in 2023 concerns investing resources and staffing into developing a more community-oriented program. Our affiliated Clubs and Student Communities have significant membership and engage with a wide range of students; however, they have anecdotally expressed difficulty reaching and connecting with the broader student community. 2023 will see the launch of a dedicated Clubs and Student Communities Instagram presence, which will provide students with a welcoming space to learn more about clubs, events and the students who run them. Broadly, we intend to improve our reach with the broader student community and facilitate improved promotion and marketing of clubs and their events and activities.