Procedure for Registration Of Religious Group/Clubs
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
CAMPUS LIFE: UNIVERSITY CHAPLAINCY SERVICES
REGISTRATION OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS WITH USP
And
COVID SAFE PROTECTION PLAN AND RULES FOR ACCESS TO AND THE USE OF USP FACILITIES FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES
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A. REGISTRATION OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS WITH USP
All USP student and USP staff religious faith- based organizations which are wishing to have access to and use USP facilities and hold religious activities on any campus of USP must be registered and approved annually.
Documentation and information required:
1. Formal letter addressed to USP Chaplaincy c/o Campus Life requesting formal registration
2. Full title of student/staff organization
3. Student/staff leaders, USP Identification numbers and contact information.
4. Statement of Purpose of the organization and where applicable a copy of a constitution
5. Affiliation to USPSA if applicable
6. Name of religious faith-based organization affiliation outside of USP if applicable
7. Copy of Fiji Government legal registration of organization named in 7 above.
8. Name and contact information of spiritual leader/pastor/priest
9. A signed statement indicating that the leaders have read, understood and will comply with Section B Religious Groups Officially Registered With USP of this document (see below).
B. RELIGIOUS GROUPS OFFICIALLY REGISTERED WITH USP.
Access to and the use of USP facilities (where available) are generously made available to registered religious groups for prayer, worship and religious study only, and your cooperation in observing the following rules are requested:
1. The facilities of the University are made available to USP students and USP staff of officially registered USP religious groups only.
1.1 All groups must adhere to and comply with instructions issued by the University’s OHS team from time to time.
1.2 Individual clearance from the Chaplain’s office is required if these Facilities are to be used for events which involve the wider Suva Community (these might be allowed, but on a paying basis).
1.3 Facilities are made available for prayer, worship, study of the holy books, formal rituals, religious choir practice, religious seminars- gatherings of a purely social and celebratory nature (with eating and drinking etc) should be directed to the Common rooms. Lecture rooms booked for religious prayer, worship and study MUST NOT be used for the consumption of food and drinks; that is standard University policy.
2. Once a group is approved by the Chaplain’s Office room bookings are done through the appropriate office in Estates and Infrastructure or office of the Campus Director. In booking rooms for religious purposes, a group may only book for a maximum of two (2) hours on the day only. Submissions may be made to the Chaplain for very special and one-off, cases, where it may be necessary to book the room for the little longer and where this will not conflict with any normal use of the room by the University. The Chaplain may also need to limit the number of days requested within the week, should the requests cause difficulty with rooms and university schedules.
3. After use of the facilities (rooms etc.) please leave the place clean and tidy. If furniture is moved about, please ensure that all items are returned to their correct place afterwards. Any items (e.g. media equipment) left in the room for other purposes must not be touched.
4. Please report any breakages etc., immediately to the Office of Estates and Infrastructure.
5. Loudly amplified singing and music are not permitted. It must be remembered that other students might be using nearby rooms for personal study, or other religious groups also engaged in worship.
6. University facilities as described above may only be booked within the periods of the official academic teaching weeks of the semesters (Weeks 1- 14).
Please appreciate that the University is not under any obligation to provide access to and the use of rooms and facilities for religious activities at any time, or for any group, however since its inception it has done so willingly and as far as it has been able. Students and staff must appreciate also that there are currently many Religious groups that desire a USP facility for worship, and the Chaplaincy wishes all to be fairly treated with equal opportunity. It is also highly advisable for USP religious groups to frequently worship and pray within their faith-based organizations in the wider Suva community.
Prepared 02 December 2020 for the 2021 Academic Year