SG Constitution, Code of Conduct and Code of Practice Policies

Contents:

  1. Terminology
  1. Opening statement
  1. SG Constitution
  1. Aims and Objectives
  2. Memberships
  3. Committee
  4. Meetings
  5. Miscellaneous Provisions
  6. SET & SGA
  7. Affiliation & Suspension
  1. Code of Conduct
  1. Code of Practice Policies
  1. Group behaviour policy
  2. Health and safety and emergency procedures policy
  3. Financial procedures and external affiliation policy
  4. External visitor policy
  5. Social media policy
  6. Training policy
  7. Storage and equipment policy
  8. Equality policy

1.Terminology:

ADC – Activities Development Coordinator

AGM – Annual General Meeting

AO – Activities Officer

BUCS – British Universities and Colleges Sport

MRA – Master Risk Assessment

NUS – National Union of Students

SAS – SG Award Scheme

SDM – Student Development Manager

SET – SG Executive Team

SGs – Student Groups

SGA – Student Group Assembly

SU - Students’ Union

UA – Union Activities

UOL – University of Leicester

2. Opening statement:

As an affiliated SG with the UOL SU, we agree to abide by and operate within the following constitution, code of conduct and code of practice policies.

The act of submitting this document provides the bind to this agreement.

We will ensure that all committee members are familiar with the contents of this document and when requested make it available to our members.

3. SG Constitution

*Please complete all sections highlighted in yellow*

1Aim and Objectives:

1.1 The name of the SG shall be Leicester University SU (SU) Name of group, hereafter referred to as the SG.

1.2 The aims and objectives of the SG shall be: - (3 aims 3 objectives)
1.2.1 Aims of SG – 1
1.2.2Aims of SG – 2

1.2.3 Aims of SG – 3

1.2.4 Objectives of SG – 1

1.2.5 Objectives of SG – 2

1.2.6 Objectives of SG – 3

*Please detail all your SG specific additional constitutional components here and highlight them yellow for UA’s attention*

2 Memberships:

2.1 All members shall be required to pay a group membership fee decided by the committee, unless the group has a free membership.

2.2 All members shall be entitled to the relevant Membership Privileges.

2.3 Any member may be suspended or expelled from any or all of the privileges of the SG if found to have violated the policies and/or SU constitution, following investigation by the SU.

2.4 Full Membership may be granted to current students at the UOL who are members of the SU, and they shall be entitled to privileges 2.9.1 to 2.9.5 inclusive.

2.5 Associate Membership may be granted to other students, subject to the approval of the SG’s committee and they shall be entitled to privilege 2.9.1 only. Associate members shall not be entitled to vote and shall not count as members for the purpose of assessing the SU grant.

2.6 Honorary Life Membership may be granted to a person that the SG wishes to honour for services to the SG and they shall be entitled to privilege 2.9.1 only.2.7 The AO is by proxy a Member of the SG and shall act as signatory to the SG’s cash office mandate.
2.7 Refunds can be given at the group’s discretion. Refunds should be considered within the first month of membership only unless there are exceptional circumstances.

2.8 Committees should keep an overall updated record of memberships both online and offline. This should be sent toUA by the requested date.

2.9 Membership Privileges
2.9.1 To attend all meetings.
2.9.2 To vote on all questions of policy within the SG.
2.9.3 To propose or second candidates for election to the SG committee.
2.9.4 To vote for such officers as are nominated for election.
2.9.5 To hold office on and stand for election to the SG committee.

2.10 Expulsion and Suspension

2.10.1 The committee of the SG can expel or suspend any member of the group so long as there is good reason and the committee have reached a unanimous decision.

2.10.2 The SG committee shall notify UA of any expulsions or suspensions.
2.10.3 Expelled or Suspended members may submit a written appeal to the ADC.
2.10.4 The SG committee shall be notified of the appeal and may submit a written explanation of their decision within ten working days.
2.10.5 If no explanation is received within ten working days of notification, the appeal shall proceed.
2.10.6 A simple majority vote by the SET shall decide the appeal and, in the event of a tie, the Chair shall have the casting vote.

3 Committee
3.1 The committee shall consist of three Core Officers: A President/Captain/Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, plus any Additional Officers required.
3.2 Officers must be full SG members who are also a current student of the UOL.
3.3 Committee Duties
3.3.1 To attend Committee Meetings.
3.3.2 To ensure the SG’s SU webpage, notice board and, if applicable, own website, are maintained.
3.3.3 To ensure the good running and proper financial running of the SG.
3.3.4 To inform any suspended or expelled member of their rights of appeal through SU structures.

3.3.5 To work in partnership with UA, submitting information where requested, e.g. event documentation and SG information.

3.3.6 To function as a group in accordance with this constitution, the policies and the SU constitution.

3.4 Committee Powers
3.4.1 To manage the SG on behalf of its members and in accordance with its stated aims and objectives.
3.4.2 To suspend or expel any member from any or all privileges of the SG, including membership of it, for any period, subject to appeal.

3.4.3 Committee members are volunteers and will not be paid for their roles.

3.4.4 A committee member or any member of a group shall only receive payment if this is for delivering a skill they are fully qualified for, e.g. teaching; conducting; coaching. This shall be agreed at the start of term by all committee members and signed off by the treasurer. Should the treasurer be receiving payment for a service they are qualified to deliver, two other core committee members must sign this off.
3.5 Core Officers
3.5.1 Core Officer Duties
3.5.1.To attend the AGM.
3.5.1. b To be a signatory of the SG’s Finance Office account.
3.5.1. c To ensure a committee member from the group attends the SGA.
3.5.1. d To complete required committee training within the specified dates.
3.5.1. e Failure to fulfil these duties may result in a motion of no-confidence and removal of office.
The Core Officers shall be:-
3.5.a President/Captain/Chair
3.5.a.1 The President/Captain/Chair should organise and oversee the running of the SG.
3.5. a.2 The President/Captain/Chair should chair Committee Meetings.
3.5. a.3 The President/Captain/Chair should produce an annual report.

3.5. b Secretary
3.5.b.1 The Secretary should maintain membership records of all the SG’s members.
3.5. b.2 The Secretary should produce agenda documents for all meetings.
3.5. b.3 The Secretary should maintain written record/minutes of all meetings.
3.5. b.4 The Secretary should maintain an up-to-date copy of the SG constitution. If amendments are made, these must be sent to UA to be ratified by the AO.

3.5. c Treasurer
3.5.c.1 The Treasurer should be responsible for the finances of the SG.
3.5. c.2 The Treasurer should maintain an up-to-date record of their group accounts in addition to the record kept by the SU Finance Office.

3.5. c.3 All funds should be held and processed through the group’sSU back account. No money should be held in personal bank accounts. This will be deemed as theft.

3.5. c.4 Cheques and cash should not be kept on committee members. This should be deposited in the group bank account as soon as possible. Insurance does not cover money that is not deposited in the SU Bank account.
3.5.c.5 The Treasurer should submit grant funding applications to UA.
3.5. c.6 The Treasurer should produce a termly report and yearly budget.
3.5. c.7 The Treasurer should submit a detailed statement of accounts for the year to the SG’s AGM.
3.6 Additional Officers
The Sample Additional Officers section is an example. SGs may add or remove as many Additional Officers as required.>
The Additional Officers shall be:-

3.6.a Events Officer
3.6.a.1 The Events Officer should organise events for the SG.
3.6. a.2 The Events Officer should publicise all SG events.
3.6. b Equal Opportunities Officer
3.6.b.1 The Equal Opportunities Officer should be the contact point and representative for minority groups.
3.6. b.2 The Equal Opportunities Officer should assist with the recruitment of minority group members.

3.6.c Welfare Officer

3.6.c.1 The Welfare Officer should be the point of contact for any issues or general concerns that a member of the group wants to bring up

3.6.c.2 Each Welfare Officer shall have the responsibility of welfare between members and committee with the aim of resolving issues of concern and reporting all violations of the codes of conduct to the Committee

3.6.c.3 Welfare Officers should complete the Wellbeing online training module to enable them to have the basic knowledge to signpost accordingly to any relevant services.

*Add additional officers and detail their responsibilities here *
3.7 Elections and Handovers
3.7.1 Elections shall take place during the specified period by UA. These can be held offline at AGM’s or a similar alternative method, or online via UA.
3.7.2 Candidates for positions on the SG committee must be a current full member of the SG.
3.7.3 Notification of opening of nominations shall be at least ten working days before the date of the AGM.
3.7.4 Nominations shall open at least five working days before the date of the AGM.
3.7.5 Newly elected SG Committee members must complete the Committee Introduction Period shadowing current committee and officially take over one the last day of term in June.

3.7.6 Current committee members must ensure a full handover is provided in the committee induction period specified by UA, the current committee members remain in post until the end of the academic year.
4 Meetings
4.1 UA may, at its discretion, send an observer to any Meetings.
4.2 If any member proposes a motion of no confidence in the Chair, a vote can be taken immediately amongst members.
4.3 If a motion of no confidence in the Chair is passed, a new temporary Chair will be elected by the meeting. Following an agreement of the committee and retraining, this committee member can resume the position of Chair at a later date.
4.4 Voting shall be by show of hands unless a secret ballot has previously been requested, and decisions will be made by simple majority.
4.5 No member shall have more than one vote.

4.6 Committee Meetings
4.6.1 The time, date and location of Committee Meetings must be posted on the SGSU webpage or a member accessible web source, at least two working days in advance.
4.6.2 Committee Meetings shall be open to all members of the SG.
4.6.3 The agenda for Committee Meetings should be made available at the start of the meeting.
4.6.4 The quorum for all Committee Meetings shall be two thirds of all officers, or three officers, whichever is greater.
4.6.5 The minutes of any decisions made at the meetings must be displayed on the SU webpage or a member accessible web source, once ratified as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

4.7 Annual General Meeting
4.7.1 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held within 395 days of the previous AGM.
4.7.2 Notice of the AGM must be posted on the SGSU webpage or a member accessible web source, at least ten working days in advance.
4.7.3 The agenda for the AGM must be posted on the SGSU webpage or a member accessible web source at least five working days in advance.

4.7.4 The order of business shall be:-
4.7.4.a President’s/Captain’s/Chair’s report
4.7.4.b Financial report
4.7.4.c Constitutional Amendments
4.7.4.d Elections
4.7.4.e Any other business

4.7.5 The quorum for the AGM shall be one third of all the full members.
4.7.6 If an AGM is declared inquorate, it must adjourn to be reconvened within ten working days.
4.7.7 If a reconvened AGM is declared inquorate, the SG shall report this to UA.
4.7.8 The SG must submit the full agenda and minutes of their AGM to UA, if requested by UA.
4.7.9 Ratified minutes shall also be provided at a later date if there are any amendments.

5 Miscellaneous Provisions

5.1 Constitution
5.1.1 The interpretation of this constitution is the responsibility of the SG committee.
5.1.2 In case of dispute over a particular interpretation of this constitution, the SET shall be the final arbiter.
5.1.3 The assets or liabilities of the SG shall remain with the SG regardless of any changes to committee, group structure or constitution.
5.1.4 The SG shall be a constituent part of SU and thus subject to the rulings of Union Council.
5.1.5 In the event of dissolution or abolition of the SG its assets will revert to SU. Any assets that have been purchased by individual members that can provide evidence of this can be retained by that member.
5.1.6 Constitutional Amendments
5.1.6.1 Constitutional amendments may be approved by an AGM of the SG.
5.1.6.2 Constitutional amendments contravening or significantly altering the SG Sample Constitution must be submitted to the AO for approval.

5.1.6.3 If constitutional amendments contravening or significantly altering the SG Sample Constitution are not submitted to the SET, such amendments shall be invalid.
5.1.6.4 Proposed constitutional amendments must be published in the agenda for the appropriate General Meeting and cannot be moved under ‘Any other business.'
5.1.6.5 Constitutional amendments shall come into effect immediately once approved by the AO unless otherwise stated in the motion.
5.2 Administration and Finance
5.2.1 The SG finances and accounts shall be under the ultimate control of the group and the SU.
5.2.2 The SG must produce within 24 hours, a detailed statement of accounts to UA if requested by UA or the SET.
5.2.3 The Core Officers shall accept full administrative and financial responsibility for the SG.
5.2.4 Committee members may not receive financial payment or profit as a result of their position on the committee.
5.2.5 Committee members may be reimbursed for any expenditure on behalf of the SG only after submitting a receipt for previously agreed purchases to the Treasurer.
5.3 Cash Office
5.3.1 The SG shall have a bank account with the SU Finance Office only.
5.3.2 At least two Core Officers’ signatures (treasurer plus one other core committee member) shall be required to make payments from the SG account.
5.3.3 The SG shall keep full, up-to-date accounts of its finances through the SU Finance Office.
5.3.4 SU Grant Funding allocated to the SG can only be spent on what has been specified on the grant funding application form within the specified time frame. Unspent grant fund money will be returned to the grant fund pot if six weeks after the event the funds have not been claimed.

6 SG Executive Team and SG Assemblies

6.1 SG Categories

6.1.1 SGs will be grouped into the following categories during the affiliation process by UA:

  1. Academic
  2. Campaigning & Charity
  3. Common Interest
  4. Faith, National & Cultural
  5. Media
  6. Medicine
  7. Performance & Sport
  8. Team Leicester

6.2 SG Assembly

6.2.1 The main purpose of the SGA is as follows:

  1. To provide information and updates to societies
  2. To ratify new society applications
  3. To ratify on potential society disaffiliations
  4. To provide a forum where committees can question the UA

6.2.2 The SGA will be chaired by the ADC or AO who will have a casting vote only should it be required at the meeting.

6.2.3 SGA will be open to all elected society committee members.

6.2.4 The meeting will take place a minimum of once per term and a maximum of two times per term. The schedule for each meeting will be published on an annual basis before the start of the academic year.

6.2.5 No voting shall take place unless forty per cent of the affiliated societies eligible to vote at the SGA are represented.

6.2.6 Any vote taken will pass with a simple majority unless the vote is to make changes to this document, when a two-thirds majority will be required.

6.2.7 The agenda for each SGA will be published a minimum of five working days before the meeting.

6.3 SG Executive Team (SET)

6.3.1 The main purpose of the SET is as follows:

  1. Discussing and voting upon new society applications
  2. Discussing and voting upon society suspensions
  3. Discussing and voting upon UA policies and procedures
  4. Discussing and voting upon grant funding applications
  5. Discussing and deciding which house new societies should be assigned to
  6. Act as an advisory board to UA

6.3.2 The SET will be chaired by the AO who will have a casting vote only should it be required at the meeting.

6.3.3 The SET will be formed of one representative from each SG category.

6.3.4 SET will meet a minimum of twice per term and a maximum of three times per term. The schedule for each meeting will be published on an annual basis before the start of the academic year.

6.3.5 No voting shall take place unless fifty per cent plus one of the membership of the SETis present.

6.3.6 Any vote taken will pass with a simple majority.

6.3.7 The agenda for each meeting will be published a minimum of five working days before the meeting.

7. Affiliation and suspension for societies:

7.1 Affiliation:

7.1.1 In order to become an affiliated SG of the SU the proposed SG will need to complete an application form available from the Union website. This should be completed and emailed to UA.

7.1.2 The SET will consider the application based upon the following six principles.

7.1.3 In order to be affiliated the application must:

  • Be best supported through the UA department rather than the Sports and Recreation department.
  • Have clear aims and objectives that do not directly duplicate another SG or SU department.
  • Demonstrate that the SG is a feasible and sustainable venture.
  • Demonstrate that the SG does not encourage behaviour likely to be deemed as misconduct as defined in the SU Members’ Group Behaviour policy.
  • Demonstrate that the SG will operate under the Union’s Equal Opportunity policy.
  • Demonstrate that the SG does not contravene any ‘No Platform Policy’ approved by the membership and in place at the time of application.

7.1.4 The SET will vote to either:

  • Accept the application without amendment
  • Accept the application with amendments
  • Decline the application on the basis that it does not fulfil the criteria above.

7.1.5 The decision of the set will be communicated to the lead contact within five working days of the decision being made, including a commentary on the discussion held.

7.1.6 Should the decision be to accept the application without amendments or with amendments (which are in turn accepted by the lead contact), the decision will then be forwarded to the next SGA for ratification.

7.1.7 Should the SET decide to either accept with amendments or decline the application, the lead contact will have the right to appeal this decision in writing within five working days of the notification being sent, by emailing UA.

7.1.8 In the event of the Union’s Executive Committee refusing the application, any application for a similar SG will not be considered within a four-month period.