Student Groups

A UTGSU Recognized Student Group is an organization led by University of Toronto students to improve the graduate student experience. Whether focused on professional development, social advocacy, or shared hobbies, Recognized Students Groups serve as a platform for leadership to promote a more inclusive and vibrant campus community. 

Are you a part of a student-run organization on campus? Your organization may be eligible for our flagship $800 Group Initiative Grant! This grant can be used to fund a single or series of events, or any other initiative that adds to the graduate student experience.

Becoming a Recognized Student Group

To become a Recognized Student Group, the first step is to register your student-run organization (SRO) on the Rubric platform at portal.hellorubric.com. Please register using the email address of your SRO, if you have one, or otherwise a personal email.

Next, you must register your executive team on the platform. The process to do this is detailed in the following Rubric Help Centre article. This will allow your whole team to manage your SRO without having to share the password to your main account with the whole team. They can simply login at campus.hellorubric.com and will see an option to manage their SRO next to their profile.

Finally, you must complete the recognition process within the Rubric platform. The necessary form can be found in the “Forms” module and is called “Student Group First-Time Recognition Form”. To complete the form, you will need to submit:

• A petition signed by a minimum of fifteen (15) graduate students requesting ratification. This petition should state each signee’s full name, University of Toronto email address, and student number.
• The governing documents of your SRO, which should include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • The name and mandate of your SRO;
  • Rights of members and associated membership fees, if any;
  • Organizational leadership and elections process;
  • Meeting structures and general timelines;
  • Financial responsibilities; and 
  • Provisions to amend the governing documents.

Templates for petitions and governing documents can be found here.

The UTGSU endeavours to review all applications promptly. Recognition is awarded to SROs based on the UTGSU’s available resources as well as the following criteria:

• Does it serve graduate students, as reflected in its mandate, activities, and leadership?
• Does its mandate reflect the mandate of the UTGSU?
• Does its mandate significantly overlap with the mandate of an already recognized Student Group?
• Does it demonstrate a strong likelihood of future membership and financial stability?