A student society, student association, university society, student club, university club, or student organization is a society or an organization, operated by students at a university, college, or other educational institution, whose membership typically consists only of students and/or alumni.
Early notable types of student societies include the medieval so-called nations of the University of Bologna and the University of Paris. Later Modern era examples include the Studentenverbindung in the German speaking world, as well as the evolvement of fraternal orders for students and Greek-letter student fraternities and sororities internationally.
Aims may involve practice and propagation of a certain professional hobby or to promote professional development or philanthropic causes. Examples of common societies found in most universities are a debate society, an international student society, a rock society, and student chapters of professional societies (e.g. the American Chemical Society). Not all societies are based around such a large area of interest and many universities also find themselves home to societies for many obscure hobbies such as a Neighbours society.
Student societies often have open membership, although some are invitation only including honor societies, secret societies, and certain traditional fraternities. Students typically join societies at the beginning of the school year when many societies present themselves in a societies fair and campaign to attract new members. The students may pay a membership fee to the society, while some may not. Since the societies are non-profit organizations this fee is often nominal and purely exists to cover insurance or to fund society events.
Student societies may or may not be affiliated with a university's students' union. Student societies often aim to facilitate a particular activity or promote a belief system, although some explicitly require nothing more than that a member is a present or former student. Additionally, some are not affiliated with a specific university or accept non-university students. Moreover, most student run organizations tend to depend heavily on collaborations with externals for their credibility and their success.
Examples
Typical examples are: Civil Societies - encourage polite behaviour among people. Debating societies - organise and promote debates and/or oratory. Ethnic, national origin, or cultural organizations Faculty societies or Academic discipline societies - unite students from one university faculty, constituent college, or interrelated academic disciplines. Film societies - display and discuss films. Hiking clubs - organise hiking trips. International student societies - introduce international students to one another and promote international cooperation. Martial arts societies, such as Taekwondo and Karate Music societies Regional societies - unite students from the same region or hometown; a student nation. Religious Organizations and Communities Science fiction societies Student wing - a subsidiary, autonomous, or independently allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support from students and focus on student specific issues. Political organizations and Political parties Labour and Trade unions Advocacy groups Social clubs Professional association Greek-letter student fraternities and sororities Service organizations
Student societies by location
Australia
In Australia, student societies play an important role in university life by bringing together like-minded students to engage in activities the society seeks to promote.
Belgium
Flanders
In Flanders, student societies play a unique role in student life. Student societies there have traditionally been politically active, and they played a significant part in the 1960s division of the Catholic University of Leuven into separate Flemish and Walloon universities.
A student society in Flanders is led by a praesidium. The head of the praesidium (and the society) is the praeses. Alternative spellings are presidium and preses. For most positions, Dutch names are used nowadays.
Other positions include: vice-praeses: assists the praeses where needed. Quaestor: takes care of the money. : the secretary of the student organisation. Cantor: Leads the cantus. Vertor: Organises cultural activities. Scriptor: Is responsible for creating a Magazine. Bacchus: Is responsible for alcoholic beverages. (Title taken from the Roman name for Dionysus) Dominus morum: Is responsible for keeping order at a cantus. Positions are flexible, and change to meet the needs of the student organisation.