A new year, a new student council, and a new approach to clubs at UNIS. Unlike some years, however, this year’s Student Council has been highly involved. Since November Student Council has been enforcing new standards for clubs in order to ensure the legitimacy and productivity of all clubs. All club leaders are now required to keep track of attendance, and to report all projects and events to the Office of Student Activities. These standardized requirements signify a substantial change in UNIS club governance; in the past, clubs were fairly independent of the student body, and were autonomously run.

The Student Council is aiming to completely streamline the planning of all student-run events. T3 StuCo representative Kresten Due pointed out that “historically, organizing an event required the navigation of UNIS’s bureaucracy.” Through the implementation of certain practices, Student Council hopes to make this process less strenuous.

The sudden implementation of new rules and regulations for student-led clubs has raised eyebrows in the UNIS student community. Some fear that the new arrangements put in place might hinder the club experience for both club leaders and members. However, representatives for Student Council have assured the student body that “this should not be viewed as an attempt to police clubs or make life difficult, but to ensure that that excellence is properly rewarded.”

With the new regulations already in place, only time will tell whether the new provisions will work for the better or worse for UNIS clubs.