Skip to main content

Semester Activity Plan (SAP)

In order to prepare for each semester during the school year, societies are asked to fill out Semester Activity Plan (SAP) forms and submit them to your Student Life Advisor. Fall SAPs are due June 15 and Winter SAPs are due December 1. If you have questions during the planning process, reach out to your Student Life Advisor. It is much better to involve them in the planning process to find out if something is feasible. They might even have some suggestions to expand upon your ideas. 

Semester Activity Plan (SAP) template can be downloaded here.

A SAP form needs to be completed for all activities, events, and initiatives. You must also include a SAP for each of the mandatory ‘Get Involved! Be Informed! Fairs’. Fairs are held during Orientation, in September, and in January. For this year’s dates, review the Annual Calendar for Society Executives. 

At the fairs, each society will be provided with a table (or may share a table with another society due to the size of the fair), a tablecloth, and at least one chair. You are responsible for bringing any promotional materials, posters, handouts, sign-up sheets, pens, giveaways, etc. At least one representative from your society (an executive member or volunteer) must be present at all times during the fair. You can expect to interact with anywhere from 25-100 students during the fair.

Consider the following when completing all sections of the SAP form:

  • Date(s): When planning a tentative date, it is important to check course schedules for the semester, other events happening on campus, and the official UofGH calendar of dates. Society events should also not take place during the exam period.

    Duration & Time: It is also important to look at course schedules to find the best time of day to schedule an event. Planning an event that starts immediately after a class often means that it’s easier to convince students to head straight there after class with their friends. Will your event be a drop-in time period, or have a set start and end time? You don’t need to have your event time set in stone when you fill out the SAP, but at least include a good estimate of what timeframe makes sense for your proposed event.

  • Audience: Not all of your events need to be directed to all students in your program. It’s okay to host an event for a specific year, like a welcome mixer for new first-year students, or a networking event with industry professionals for third and fourth-year students. This also makes planning easier because you can pick a time that is either right before or right after a core class for that cohort of students.

  • Proposed Budget: Outline specifically what the money will be used for. For example, if you are requesting money for refreshments, provide an outline of what type of refreshments you would like to provide, along with how many participants you anticipate will attend, and an overall estimate. In support of campus-wide sustainability initiatives, Student Life does not provide funding for bottled water. If you have obtained quotes for things, include the various options and quote information here. Remember that societies are not permitted to handle cash, so selling “tickets” to an event to cover the cost is not an option.   

    Pre-approved budget items

  • $20 for supplies for each Get Involved! Be Informed! Fair (Orientation, Fall, and Winter)

  • $20 Cineplex gift cards for prizes and giveaways (ex. social media contest)

  • $45 for refreshments (ex. coffee and donuts) for a workshop

  • $0 for guest speaker gifts; these are provided by Student Life and can be requested using the Supply Request Form

  • $0 for society T-shirts; these are provided by Student Life and can be requested using the Supply Request Form
     

 

Example of budget breakdown:

Workshop Event Off-Campus Conference

  • Anticipated number of participants = 30

  • We anticipated around 40 students will register for our event, and maybe 30 will participate. Of these, not all will want a drink. We would like to request 2 "Take 12 Packs" of beverages from Tim Hortons, along with a 50 pack of Timbits for a snack for participants.

  • $45 total budget request

  • Anticipated number of participants = 8

  • Students will register to attend XX Conference, happening in Toronto. The cost per student to register is $100. We are requesting that Student Life subsidize the cost of each student's registration fee by $50.

  • 8 students x $50 each = $400 total budget

  • Other: Are there any additional important details that have not yet been captured in the above sections?