Registration Process

(according to the President's Board Resolution of 31 March 2020)
 

Basis

According to §§ 35-37 of the Student Regulations of the University of Basel, an association can register as a “University of Basel student association” as defined in Art. 60 ff. CC. Associations are active in areas such as culture, sport, the environment, politics and religion, and contribute to the social life of the university. They have the right to be listed in university directories, call themselves a “University of Basel student association” and receive privileged access to university rooms.

To register as a student association at the University of Basel, the association must apply to the President's Board. The following information sheet provides details of the formal and content-based requirements and the registration process.
 

Associations that meet the following requirements can apply to register:

• Membership is only open to students at the University of Basel or University of Basel alumni.
• The purpose of the association serves the university.

The President's Board considers the association’s purpose to serve the university if it actively contributes to university life. In addition, student associations must adhere to the principles set out in the University Statutes (of 3 May 2012) regarding respect for human dignity and the dignity of living beings, the freedom of teaching and research, gender equality, cultural and social diversity and sustainability. The purpose of the association may therefore not stand in opposition to a respectful, tolerant and diverse university life, as described in the university’s mission statement. If the President's Board does not feel that the association meets the requirements, or if it has justified concerns that it would interfere with the proper running of the university, it may reject the application. The President's Board also reserves the right to reject an application if the topic of the association does not relate to the university as a place of academic teaching, research and services.
 

Application

A short, written application statement, an up-to-date version of the association’s statutes and the minutes from the last general meeting must be submitted to the General Secretariat. A non-binding template for association statutes can be found on this website. The association should have about 20 members who are students enrolled at the university when the application is made.

The documents should be sent to the following email address:
generalsekretariat@unibas.ch

The General Secretariat will confirm receipt of the application and conduct a formal review of the statutes. In the event of any doubt, it will consult the Legal Service. If any adjustments are necessary, these will be discussed directly with the person who submitted the application. If no issues are found during the review, the General Secretariat will pass the application on to the President's Board, which will decide whether the association should be recognized.

Applicants will receive written notification of the President's Board’s decision to approve (possibly under certain conditions) or reject the application. If the application is successful, the General Secretariat will enter the association in the list of official registered student associations and publish it on the University of Basel website. The association must provide the General Secretariat with the names and addresses of the board members and a short description of the association for this purpose. The General Secretariat must be informed of any changes of address.

A registered association has the right to call itself a “University of Basel association”. The use of university logos is not permitted. In addition, registered associations may also make use of university rooms and enquire about availability via the University of Basel’s “Room reservations” database. Rooms can be used for university-related purposes free of charge. However, the university must be reimbursed for any additional costs incurred. The use of rooms for academic, cultural, charitable or other purposes will only be approved if there is no concern that this might interfere with university operations or pose a threat to the security of university activities or spaces. Events with a commercial purpose and propaganda events are not permitted.

Registered associations are required to inform the General Secretariat without delay of any changes to their statutes. If these changes affect the registration requirements according to § 36 of the Student Regulations, a new registration application must be submitted to the President's Board. The General Secretariat must also be informed if the registered association is dissolved. In addition, registered associations are required to provide the General Secretariat with a short annual report (max. one page) with an invitation to the annual general meeting (including the agenda) attached. Associations that are no longer active will lose their status and be removed from the list of registered associations.