At Imperial College Union, we have 370+ Clubs, Societies & Projects which we often refer to as 'CSPs'.
All 370+ CSPs are grouped into what we call 'Management Groups', or in some cases, 'Constituent Unions'. These are made up of similar interest groups, for example Arts & Entertainments or Sports, and provide support from experienced volunteers with a knoweldge base tailored to your CSP.
Why group Clubs, Societies & Projects this way?
- It creates a knowledge base and forum for sharing ideas and refining good-practice among CSPs of similar aims and activities
- It creates a crucial network for peer-to-peer support
- It creates a clear pathway for communication between volunteers, relevant staff and your elected Officer Trustees (OTs)
In this article we will cover:
- What does my Management Group* do?
- How do I know which Management Group* I fit into?
- What does a Management Group look like?
- What does a Constituent Union look like?
- Management Group VS Constituent Union structure
- Management Group meetings
*This also includes Constituent Union Clubs & Societies teams
What does my Management Group do?
The role of a Management Group is to:
- Be your first point of contact for advice, information and support outside of the Training Hub
- Provide a forum to discuss ideas and issues, and vote on matters affecting you
- Approve all expenditurefor your CSP that is above £50
- Support your CSP to submit an Annual Budget
- Represent your CSP when the allocation of Union Grant is made, based on your Annual Budget
- Represent your interests at the Clubs, Societies & Projects Board (CSPB), Union Council and generally within College and the Union
- Holds ‘MG Meetings’ a forum for you to discuss and vote on issues affecting your CSP
- Give final approval for constitution and committee structure changes.
How do I know which Management Group I fit into?
The easiest way to find out is to login to eActivities. Here you will find an acronym in front of your CSP name.
For example:
AED BELLY DANCING (149)
AE = Arts & Entertainment D = Dance (Arts & Entertainment sub-group)
(149) = CSP budget code
If your CSP falls under a Constituent Union, this will be reflected in the acronym.
For example:
RSM NETBALL (644)
RSM = Royal School of Mines
(644) = CSP budget code
You can find a full list of Management Group/Constituent Union abbreviations in the Common acronyms & terms collection. To contact your Management Group or Constituent Union Committee visit the Key contacts for volunteers collection.
What does a Management Group look like?
There are six Management Groups.
Each Management Group (MG) represents a chunk of our 370+ Clubs, Societies & Projects, and is made up of groups of similar interests, aims and activities. MGs are further broken down into'Mini Management Groups' (MMGs).
Because we have so many Clubs, Societies & Projects at Imperial, MMGs exist mainly to take some pressure off of the MG Chairs, however they also provide you with a key point of contact for your CSP.
Each MMG is looked after by a volunteer in the role of 'Vice-Chair'. By looking after a smaller group of CSPs, your Vice-Chairs is better placed to provide you with tailored advice, information and support.
What does a Constituent Union look like?
There are six Constituent Unions. In respect of Club, Societies & Projects, each Constituent Union supports its own CSPs. These are typically either Departmental Societies; linked to their respective College Department, or anything else.
For example:
Imperial College School of Medicine Students' Union (ICSMSU) - one of six Constituent Unions - has ~57 Clubs, Societies & Projects, including:
- ICSMSU BioMed
- ICSMSU Neuroscience
- ICSMSU Surgical Society
- ICSMSU Tennis
- ICSMSU Yoga
Management Group VS Constituent Union structure
The structure of a Management Groups differs from that of a Constituent Union.
Management Group meetings
Practically speaking, most Management Groups will hold monthly forums or meetings to discuss:
- Important information from the Union including deadlines, policy changes and events which may be of interest to your CSP
- Annual Budgeting: helping your CSP to write an effective budget and application for Union grant funding
- Approval of any changes in a Club, Society or Project constitution, for example, new committee positions
- Common problems affecting your group which need to be addressed by the Union
When? Once a month
Who attends? At least one representative, usually the Chair, but this can be another officer
Remember: It is the Club, Society or Project, not the CSP Chair or President, who is a member of the Management Group. Therefore, if more than one representative from a Club, Society or Project attends, there will still be one vote per Club, Society or Project.
Do you need help?
Management Group Committee/ Constituent Union Committee: Your MG Chair/CU Committee is trained to help you with this topic. Please find your relevant contact here
Union Email Contact: activities@imperial.ac.uk
Contact: Student Opportunities and Development Manager
121 Session: Available for this topic, book here
