What are societies?

 

Societies support students who want to participate in a range of activities, whether it be performing arts, social, religious, cultural, political or academic. Societies are part of the Union's dedication to providing students with an inclusive and diverse community whilst also providing some of the most exciting and unique activities available.

 

There are a huge range of different societies to get involved with, so to help you understand, we've broken them down into the following categories:

 

Physical Activities:

If it's a sense of adventure you're after, or you simply like to keep fit, develop some skills and have lots of fun – then taking part in a physical activity could be just for you! Physical activities accommodate people of all abilities and exist primarily for recreation not competition.

Faith:

Passionate about your beliefs? Take part in or witness the experience offered by our vibrant community of religious societies. Our faith based societies are for believers and nonbelievers alike. Read the bible but still not sure? Tried the Koran and not convinced? We will be running debates throughout the year that will put religion into the spotlight so you can discuss its main themes and make up your own mind.

Cultural:

If you're missing a slice of home and feel like you want to relish in your culture then joining a cultural society is for you! From traditional music to home cooked meals there's an extended family in Portsmouth waiting for you. We guarantee you won't feel alienated as Cultural Societies exist for you to meet people that understand you and willing to share their experience and knowledge about where to go and what to do at University. You don't have to be African to join the African-Caribbean society or a woman to join the Feminist society, all our culural societies are welcoming so that you can feel comfortable about learning about other cultures and beliefs.

Political:

You've heard it all before, but its true, University really is the place where you'll discover what you really believe. Our political societies cover most of the political spectrum, so if you want to get involved with campaigns to eliminate extreme poverty, save the environment or right some wrongs, our political societies will make you think and question the people who make rules and run offices. We will be running debates through our Politics and Debating Society, so that all students can get involved in debates around issues they are passionate about and come away feeling they have learnt something new.

Activities:

Anime, Bell Ringing, Chess, Cinema, Computer Games, Creative Writing, Drum And Bass, Hip Hop, Hug, Links – First Aid, LGBT, Motorcycling, Music And Drama, New Music, Neosoul Poetry, Poker, Pool, Renegade, Road Trip, Rock, School Of Rock, Science Fiction, SSAGO, Unsigned Act, UPRAW, Wall Art... There's absolutely no way of describing our activities so we just thought we'd list them all for you!

Academic:

Being part of an academic society is a fantastic way to gain the most from your studies, but that's not all they offer, it's a brilliant way to network with people at all levels of your course. The atmosphere is one where you can share ideas and thoughts on your work, go on field trips not offered by your course, or even lobby the University on issues you are unhappy about. There's no doubt that joining an academic society will be beneficial to your CV and allow you to see your course from a new angle.

Societies Resources

 

Visit the document store to find all the information you need to run your society effectively. 

 

You can download and print off the comprehensive Societies Guidebook, contact the VP Activities for a hard copy for your group, or just download the sections you need to find something out. You'll also find all the forms you'll need to fill out, as well as the Societies Handbook and you can check our Quick FAQs if you have a specific question.

 

And if your query still isn't answered, please contact the VP Activities or Sports and Societies Co-ordinator for more information on Society Development.

 

Societies Kit

 

Union societies are lucky enough to be able to have customised kit made featuring the University crest. This is exclusively available through the Union Shop and can be ordered online at www.upsu.net/customkit. Prices start at £25 for a crested Polo Shirt and £35 for a Hoody.

 

No one else is licensed to produce the crest and this exclusive to the Union Shop.

 

Group buying

 

If your group wants to get together an put in a bulk order of 20 or more items we're please to be able to offer an additional 10% off your order. Pop in to the Union Shop to complete a form with your order.

 

Customisation

If you'd like to put a society logo on your items rather than just text printed across your back you'll need to pay a one-off £20 fee (per colour) to set up the screen print system and an then it'll cost just £34 per hoody and £24 per polo. This is only available to bulk purchases over 20 items.

 

If you've got any queries please speak to someone in the Union Shop.

The Societies Executive

 

The Students' Union regards democracy as an important factor in how it is run. Therefore any decisions, motions or ideas must be debated and voted on at our Societies council. The Societies council is made up of a representative from every society, enabling everyone to have their input heard and have a vote on any decisions to be made. The Societies council sits once a month and dates and minutes are available online at www.upsu.net/docs.

 

Societies internal structure

Due to the large number of societies and the huge range of diverse activities societies are separated into 6 different categories:

 

Activities
• Common Interests
• Cultural
• Physical Activities
• Political
• Faith

 

Each grouping of societies meets up once a term with an elected representative to talk about issues with their society, information about societies as to upcoming events and deadlines for administration and development work. The workshops also vote in new societies to that category. The representative from the workshop will take the raised points of interest from that meeting to a meeting with the other society representatives and other elected students - this committee is known as the Executive. It is compulsory for all societies to send a representative to these meetings, normally the President.

Societies Executive Committee (Soc Exec)

Societies Executive is formed of students elected from the societies membership to represent the members at meetings with the VP Activities. They vote on whether societies receive extra grants or not to run projects or events. They also hold the VP Activities to account, ensure that societies are being effectively represented in the Union and ensure that joint society events are well run.

Elections for these positions are held during the Societies AGM.

The Societies Executive Chair also sits on the Student Council, the main decision making body of UPSU. The Student Council votes on motions and directions of the UPSU and is hailed as the student voice.

If you encounter any issues with your society, you can contact your rep at one of the following email addresses:

Societies Chair – societieschair@upsu.net
Physical Activities – physicalsocs@upsu.net
Common Interests – commoninterestsocs@upsu.net
Cultural – culturalsoc@upsu.net
Faith – faithsocs@upsu.net
Academic – academicsocs@upsu.net
Political – politicalsocs@upsu.net