This blog is brought to you by your UASU's Student Group Services team!

Welcome (back) to campus! We are so excited to be bringing back Fall Clubs Fair -- in real life -- as part of your UASU’s signature Week of Welcome programming.

What can you expect if you decide to explore the Fair with us in person? How can you make the most of this experience to find just the right club(s) for you? Keep reading to find out! 

What you can expect at Fall Clubs Fair 2021 on the Main Quad

A selection of current clubs will be posted up at a collection of tables on the lawn. They will be loosely organized into the following categories: 

• Culture and Faith-Based: Homesick? Seeking a spiritual boost? Clubs in this category create communities out of tradition and belief systems. 

• General Interest: How it sounds! Clubs based on a mutual interest in a particular topic or cause. Definitely the most “grab bag” of the available categories. 

• Greeks: Fraternity and sorority organizations. These are the local chapters of international fraternal organizations, as well as some that were founded right here at the University of Alberta! These organizations are social clubs that also focus on values-based philanthropy, academics, and excellence. 

• Interdisciplinary: Find groups of other students in the same faculty or department of study! This category will contain groups that are part of the greater student governance system, as well as clubs dedicated to practical application of all that good stuff you’ll learn in the classroom. 

• Sports: Ready to move? Clubs in this category include opportunities to join casual and competitive groups alike, based on various games and activities like dancing and playing ball, among others. 

Chances are, if you find one club that you’re interested in, something similar-but-different will be nearby! There will be enough space between tables that you should be able to have a conversation with the representative(s) of each group at their table, and get to know them better.

Staff and volunteers will be available throughout each day to help with directions and any other general questions you have about the goings-on in the Main Quad. Keep an eye out for them in branded UASU Week of Welcome shirts and gear if you get lost or need help!  

In addition to clubs, you’ll also be able to meet a few services from your UASU (like Student Group Services!) and the University.

How to Prepare 

Get ready to spend some time in the sunshine on the Quad: bring a water bottle, some SPF, and make sure you have what you need to be following the University's COVID-19 guidelines. Don’t forget to have a backpack or something else handy to carry things in -- many groups will have swag and info cards to give out to help you remember them by! (Free pens, anyone?). It may even help you to bring your own notebook or other way to remember the groups that stand out to you the most after your visit. 

Not sure where to start with questions to ask club recruiters? Here are a few of our best suggestions! Practice saying them out loud or paraphrasing to make it sound like yourself. 

• If I join, how much time commitment will be expected of me? (per week, per month, per semester?) 

• What would I get to do in the club? 

• Does it cost $ to join? How much? 

• When/where/how often does your club get together? 

• What kinds of leadership opportunities are there? 

Something to remember as you work your way through all the organizations vying for your attention on the Quad is that signing up for a mailing list doesn’t obligate you to anything! If you’d like to take some time to learn more and think about it, often you can do so and follow up with an organization about joining later. 

Last -- and certainly not least -- visiting Fall Clubs Fair in person will give you the chance to earn UASU Perks points! Bring your phone, start earning Perks Points, and redeem them for free stuff from your UASU. 

With more than 400 student groups on campus, your UASU's Student Group Services can direct you to groups with similar interests, help you start your own group, or provide your group with helpful resources.