RMIT University Student Union. For Students, By Students.
- rusu@rmit.edu.au
RMIT University Student Union. For Students, By Students.
This guide is your one-stop resource for running a successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a RUSU Club.
Inside, you’ll find all you need to know about planning, booking and implementing your AGM including timelines, managing roles and responsibilities, running elections, and understanding procedures. We’ll also walk you through what to do on the day and the follow-up steps required to fully affiliate your club compliant and continue being active.
Whether you’re organising your first AGM or just need a refresher, this guide will help your club run a transparent, democratic meeting and set the stage for a strong year ahead.
Any specific information or circumstances pertaining to your AGM can be outlined in the AGM booking form. Your Clubs Officer will reach out to provide further guidance.
Before planning your meeting, make sure you know which meeting type is relevant to your club and its current needs. Each meeting type (AGM, IGM, or SGM) has a specific purpose, process, and set of requirements. Understanding the differences will help ensure your club stays compliant and gets the most out of the meeting. If you’re unsure which one applies to your situation, check in with your RUSU Clubs Officer for guidance.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Every RUSU-affiliated club must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year to stay active and re-affiliate for the following year. The AGM is a key meeting that brings members together to reflect on the year’s achievements, present financial reports, elect the new Executive Committee and essential to handing over the club bank account. It’s also a great opportunity to boost engagement and set the club up for future success.
A well-run AGM ensures your club remains transparent, democratic, and compliant with RUSU requirements, making it an essential part of your club’s ongoing operations.
Inaugural General Meeting (IGM)
The IGM is the very first meeting held by a new RUSU club. It’s where the club officially launches, adopts its Constitution, confirms its aims and objectives, elects its first Executive team, and sets up the bank account as the foundation for future operations. The IGM is a requirement for clubs seeking full affiliation with RUSU and must meet specific criteria.
Special General Meeting (SGM)
An SGM can be called any time during the year to address urgent matters that can’t wait for the next AGM. Examples include filling vacant roles or making urgent constitutional amendments. SGMs must follow AGM procedures, including notice periods and quorum requirements, but are limited to specific agenda items.
AGM Registration Deadline:
AGM Delivery Deadline:
Executive Handover:
If your club needs an extension, email rusu.clubs@rmit.edu.au
Assigning clear roles in advance ensures your AGM runs smoothly and meets all requirements:
Chairperson
The Chairperson leads the meeting, follows the agenda, and ensures everything stays on track. This role is usually filled by the current President or another experienced committee member. The Chairperson must remain neutral throughout the meeting and manage time effectively to cover all agenda items.
Returning Officer (RO)
The Returning Officer oversees the election process and must not be running for a position to remain impartial. Their role includes confirming eligibility, managing nominations, ensuring a fair process, counting votes, and announcing the results. This role is often taken by an outgoing executive member.
Section 5 of this guide outlines simple steps for Returning Officers. If your club expects a more complex election, just let us know in your AGM booking form and RUSU will assign a Clubs Officer to help and a more comprehensive RO guide can be provided.
Minute Taker
The Minute Taker uses the RUSU AGM Agenda & Minutes Template to accurately record discussions, decisions, and election results. This role should not be held by the Chairperson or Returning Officer, as they are already managing other tasks during the meeting. This role is usually carried out by the current or incoming Secretary.
Presenting the Annual Report
This is a chance for the Executive team to share what the club has done over the past year including events, achievements, challenges, and highlights. It’s usually led by the President or Vice-President, and RUSU provides a template to help you put it together.
Presenting the Financial Report
Usually the Treasurer gives a simple summary of the club’s spending, income, and current balance. This helps keep everything transparent. Use the RUSU Financial Report Template to make it easy.
Greeter (Optional)
The Greeter welcomes attendees, manages the attendance sheet, helps track quorum, and helps explains the process to new members.
Below are the documents required for your AGM. For guidance on using the minutes template, refer to the instructions at the top of the document. Details about annual report requirements can be found in the subsection below.
Introduction
As club leaders prepare for their club’s Annual General Meetings (AGM) and the end of their elected term of office, they need to prepare at least two (2) Reports to present to their members at the AGM.
Why Are Reports Required?
The Reports are a vital tool for a Club’s elected leadership team. They share achievements with members & ensure organisational knowledge is preserved. They hold the leadership team accountable, demonstrate effective club management, & provide insight into past & future development for the club.
What Time Frame Do The Reports Cover?
Reports cover from the day after your club’s last AGM to the day of the club’s upcoming AGM.
Who Must Receive Your Reports? How and When?
What Reports Are Required?
Executives can combine the 2 Reports into one document if preferred.
What Support Does RUSU Provide to Help With These Reports?
About the Annual General Report
About the Annual Finance Report
Basic components:
This guide is designed to help Returning Officers and club leaders understand the key tasks involved in running a straightforward club election. If you think your club’s election may be more complex, a detailed guide is available—just indicate this when you fill out the AGM booking form.
What is a Returning officer (RO)
The RO oversees elections, manages nominations, and ensures fairness and transparency during the meeting. Your RO is the person in charge of running the election and counting the votes in an anonymous manner. They cannot vote, nominate candidates, or run in the elections. They are usually an outgoing executive member who is not running for any current positions. The RO will need to be appointed before you announce your AGM.
Troubleshooting
Key Definitions
This is a simple, condensed checklist for Returning Officers (ROs) supporting a club AGM.
Please contact RUSU if you’d like the comprehensive RO guide.
Code of Conduct:
By attending your Clubs AGM, you are hereby adhering to the RUSU Affiliate Club Members code of conduct and will uphold respectful behaviour and promote an ethical, respectful and inclusive environment for all to participate.
Coming Soon.
AGMs can sometimes feel confusing or overwhelming, so we’ve put together answers to the most common questions to help guide you through the process.
An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a yearly meeting required for all RUSU-affiliated clubs. It keeps your club active and compliant by electing new leaders, presenting financial and annual reports, and engaging members in the club’s future. Without an AGM, your club cannot re-affiliate or access RUSU resources.
Every AGM should have the following roles assigned in advance:
The RO is responsible for running a fair and transparent election. They:
Quorum is the minimum number of Full Members needed for the AGM to be valid. 10 or one-third of the club’s members (whichever is less). Only those who were members before nominations opened can vote or be elected.
Clubs must hold their AGM once per year to stay affiliated:
To register your AGM, submit the AGM Booking Form via Rubric or the RUSU website. You’ll need to provide key details such as date, time, venue, and your Returning Officer’s name. Once submitted, RUSU will review your information, confirm your AGM, and send you all the required templates and further instructions. Don’t announce your AGM or open nominations until you’ve received this confirmation.
All required templates—including agenda, minutes, nomination forms, and report templates—will be sent in your AGM confirmation email from RUSU after you submit your AGM Booking Form and it’s approved. Tip: Always use the latest templates provided in the confirmation email—using old versions can cause compliance issues. If you can’t find your templates, contact your Clubs Officer.
The RO manages nominations and voting. Elections must be fair and transparent. If a position has only one nomination, they’re elected unopposed. For contested positions, vote by secret ballot, show of hands, or online poll. The RO announces results.
No. Changes must be discussed and approved at a Special General Meeting (SGM) before the AGM, and with your Clubs Officer’s support. You cannot introduce new rules at the AGM itself.
Yes, you can hold a social or club event after your AGM—many clubs choose to do this to celebrate and encourage participation. If you are running an “after-party” or additional activity, make sure you allow time for the AGM and the handover process first. Important: If your post-AGM event is on campus and involves alcohol or is larger in scale, you must submit an Event Risk Management Approval (ERMA) form and may need to apply for RMIT Security support. Always check with your Clubs Officer and submit the ERMA form well in advance.
Alcohol is permitted at AGMs only with prior approval. If you plan to serve alcohol, your club must complete an ERMA (Event Risk Management Approval) and comply with all RMIT policies regarding alcohol on campus. Off-campus AGMs with alcohol also require approval.
Non-members may observe (with approval), but only Full Members can vote or stand for election. The RO should check the membership list before the meeting.
Contact your Clubs Officer immediately for support and guidance. President, Secretary, and Treasurer roles must be filled.
Proxy voting (voting on behalf of someone else) is not allowed at RUSU Club AGMs. Only Full Members who are present (either in person or in the official online meeting) and were members before nominations opened are eligible to vote. If you suspect illegitimate votes or proxies:
After the AGM, your club needs to complete a few important steps to finalise re-affiliation and ensure a smooth transition:
Your dedicated RUSU Clubs Officer is your main contact for support before, during, and after your AGM. Don’t hesitate to reach out, especially if: