Setting up an association
Criteria
An association meeting the following criteria can submit its statutes to the UNIL Directorate:
- Be an association within the meaning of Art. 60 and following of the Civil Code.
- Respect the UNIL Charter and its principles.
- Be composed primarily of active members of the university community*
- Be managed by a committee composed primarily of active members of the university community*
- Be active on the UNIL campus and address the campus community
*Active members of the university community are defined as students registered at UNIL, potentially at EPFL, and staff members under contract with UNIL, potentially EPFL.
Submission of articles of association to UNIL management
The following documents are required for submitting the statutes of your association to the UNIL Directorate:
- a letter (approx. 1 page)
- that presents the goals and activities of the association
- that explains the interest of the members in submitting the statutes to UNIL and the benefit that UNIL would gain
- that includes the sender's address and an email address
- dated and signed by the president and a committee member
- the list of committee members and their roles within the association as well as each member's affiliated institution (UNIL/EPFL/External)
- the statutes of the association
- that ensure the association and its committee remain primarily composed of active members of the university community. Example wording: "Anyone interested in the goals of the association can become a member, provided that the association and its committee remain primarily composed of members of the university community (students registered at UNIL, potentially at EPFL, and staff members under contract with UNIL, potentially EPFL)."
- dated and signed by at least two members
This file should be addressed to:
Marc de Perrot
Secretary General
Unicentre Building
CH-1015 Lausanne
associations@unil.ch
Once the file is received, the General Secretariat will acknowledge receipt. The documents are then reviewed by the General Secretariat, the Legal Service, and in some cases by the relevant faculty dean's office. The file is then submitted to the Directorate, which decides whether or not to accept the request. It takes one to two months to receive a response.
The association's articles of association have changed. What should I do?
Simply send the new articles of association to associations@unil.ch, making sure to indicate what changes have been made to it.
Changes to the Articles of Association will not automatically lead to renewal for a further 3 years.
After 3 years: renewal
Submitting an association's statutes at UNIL is granted for a three-year period, provided that the association does not undergo any significant changes in its membership or statutes during this period..
After three years, associations must renew this procedure by sending a dated letter, duly signed by the president and a member of the committee, to General Secretary Marc de Perrot, or to associations@unil.ch:
The Chairman and a member of the Committee will be asked to sign the letter.
- confirmation that the association is still made up of active members of the university community
- the new articles of association dated and signed by at least two members, if these have changed since the last decree
- the list of committee members, their function within the association and the institution to which each member is attached (UNIL/EPFL/External)
Legal basis
Law on the University of Lausanne - Art. 16 Right of Assembly
- Non-profit university associations that have submitted their statutes to the Directorate have the right to hold meetings in University premises.
Regulation for the Application of the LUL - Art. 10 University Associations
- University associations are those that are primarily composed of members of the university community and whose goals or activities align with the missions and Charter of the University and the principles it must uphold.
- Associations submit their statutes, as well as any modifications, to the Directorate.
- The possibility of holding meetings in University premises is granted based on availability and is limited in time. It may be renewed.
FAQ
The following websites offer information and advice on setting up a non-profit association in Switzerland and provide models of statutes:
Yes, the association may include members from outside UNIL, as long as the majority of its members are active members of the university community (students registered at UNIL, possibly at EPFL, and employees under contract to UNIL, possibly EPFL).
In keeping with campus logic, EPFL members are, to a reasonable extent, considered to be part of the university community when counting members.
No. UNIL alumni are not considered part of the university community (according to art. 13 of the LUL).
However, such an association can contact the Alumnil network, which brings together the alumni associations of the University of Lausanne.
An association that exists at the national/international level and whose members wish to develop the activities of UNIL may not submit its articles of association to the Management unless it is composed of a majority of members of the Lausanne university community.
However, it is possible to set up a local branch (for example: "Association XYZ - section UNIL") in the form of another association whose articles of association meet the criteria required by UNIL.
In this case, if membership of the local section implies membership of the parent association, the members must be informed and this must be stated in the local section's articles of association.
The exclusion of the profit motive does not prevent a commercial activity from being carried out by an association, provided that this is not its primary purpose.
Financial income must be used for the operation of the association, in particular to finance its non-economic purpose, and not for the enrichment of its members or the accumulation of capital.
The provisions on data protection also apply to associations.
Members’s personal data (addresses and other individual notes) may be collected only if they serve the pursuit of the association’s purpose. It may only be passed on to third parties with the prior consent of the members concerned. Each member also has the right to be informed about the use of his or her personal data by the Association.
Source: vitamineb.ch
Yes, an association can have its headquarters at UNIL. It can also receive its mail in the letterboxes located in the Espace Associations (see the page on services offered).
The Management does not offer fixed premises to associations.
However, the Espace Associations offers the possibility of reserving work rooms and a locker for storing the association's documents and equipment. Associations can also book rooms on campus to carry out their activities (see the page on services offered).