Societies Executive
Constitution
1.0 Name
1.1 The name of this body shall be the
Societies Executive.
1.2 The Societies Executive shall be
recognised as being a committee in
accordance with Kent Union’s Constitution.
1.3 The Societies Executive Shall act as
a sub-committee of Union Council.
2.0 Aims & Powers
The Societies Executive shall exist;
2.1 To promote student involvement in Societies
as to enhance the experience of students
who study at the University of Kent.
2.2 To represent the interests of Societies and
Society members at Union Council, as well
as at RaG Committee and Volunteering
Committee meetings.
2.3 To review the aims and objectives of
proposed new societies and to approve, or
reject, their membership to the Society
Council and forums.
2.4 To ensure and commend diversity in activity
and prevent duplication of groups.
2.5 To approve budgets for applications to the
Development Fund, up to £500.
2.6 To approve budgets for applications to the
Start-Up Fund.
2.7 To offer recommendations to the Board of
Trustees regarding extraordinary events
when total expenditure exceeds £500.
2.8 To discuss policy relating to Societies and
put forward proposals to Union Council, as
well as Societies Council and Forums where
appropriate.
2.8 To send items to an all Societies Members
Vote.
2.9 To advise the Vice-President (Activities)
about and conduct disciplinary proceedings
related to society affairs.
3.0 Governance
3.1 All governance of Societies Executive
shall be in accordance with this constitution
and rules, and Kent Union’s constitution
rules.
3.2 The Societies Executive shall meet at least
every two weeks during the Autumn, Spring
and Summer Terms.
3.3 Members of the Societies Executive shall
be mandated to attend Union General
meetings (Including AGM).
4.0 Finance
4.1 All financial matters shall be dealt with in
accordance with Kent Union’s financial
procedures.
5.0 Amendments
5.1 The sole bodies able to change the
Societies Executive Constitution and rules
shall be (in order) Referenda, Union general
meetings, Union Council, All Society
Members Vote, and Society Council.
5.2 Union Council shall be notified of any
approved amendments.
5.3 The Constitution shall be reviewed together
with any review of Kent Union’s
constitution.
6.0 Interpretation
6.1 In the event of any dispute as to any part
of the constitution, the ruling of the Union
Chair shall be sought.
6.2 In the event of a challenge to the Union
Chair’s ruling, the decision of Union
Council shall be final.
7.0 Membership
7.1 The Societies Executive shall consist of the
following members;
- Vice-President (Activities)
- Five (5) Societies Members
Representatives
- Five (5) Society Council Forum
Representatives
7.2 Societies Members Representatives shall act
as a representative of all Societies Members,
and not just for any individual society they
may be personally associated with.
7.3 Society Council Forum Representatives shall
act as representative of all Societies within
their Forum, not just for any Society or
Societies they may be personally associated
with.
8.0 Meetings (General)
8.1 A staff member will usually attend in an
advisory and secretarial capacity.
8.2 Meetings shall ordinarily be chaired by the
Vice-President (Activities).
8.3 The Societies Executive may, in case of the
Vice-President (Activities) absence, appoint
an alternative chair by simple majority vote.
8.4 Only members of the Societies Executive
may vote in meetings.
8.5 The Vice-President (Activities) may only vote
in the event of a tie.
8.6 The Vice-President (Activities) shall ensure
the agendas are circulated at least one (1)
calendar day before the meeting is due to
start.
8.7 Items for discussion must be received by the
Vice-President (Activities) at least two (2)
days before the meeting at which the items
are due to be discussed.
8.8 The Vice-President (Activities) will ensure
that minutes are made available as soon as
practical, and at least within ten (10)
working days.
8.9 Any member of a society may attend and
speak at a meeting, provided they have
sought permission from the Vice-President
(Activities) in advance.
9.0 Meetings (Quorum)
9.1 Quorum for Society Executive meetings will
be 50% plus one (1) of voting members.
9.2 Quorum check must take place at the start
of each meeting.
9.3 If the meeting is found not to be quorate,
the chair may dissolve the meeting.
10.0 Meetings (Agenda)
10.1 The agenda of meetings will normally have
the following structure unless the
Executive agrees to change the structure;
- Apologies for absences
- Minutes of the last meeting
- Matters arising from the last meeting
- New Societies for ratification
- Applications to the Development Fund
- Application to the Start-Up Fund
- Items for discussion
- Any other business
11.0 Meetings (Extraordinary Meetings)
11.1 Extraordinary meetings of the Societies
Executive may be called by the
Vice-President (Activities).
11.2 Extraordinary meetings of the Societies
Executive may be called by the 50% +1 of
the Societies Executive in writing to the
Vice-President (Activities).
11.3 At least two (2)working days notice must
be given for Extraordinary meetings.
13.0 Elections (General)
13.1 These election rules shall apply to all
Societies Executive member elections.
13.2 Kent Union’s Election rules shall apply
to all Societies Executive member
elections.
13.3 Kent Union’s Returning Officer shall
oversee the elections process and shall
appoint anyone to assist them in the
elections process.
13.4 Kent Union’s Returning Officer shall be
given (10) days in advance notice of any
election.
13.5 The Returning Officer shall be responsible
for conducting the count, and shall appoint
anyone to assist them with the count.
13.6 Kent Union’s Returning Officer shall notify
the Vice-President (Activities) of the results
within three (3) days of the close of voting.
13.7 The Vice-President (Activities) shall be
responsible for the announcement the
results
to all members within seven (7) days of the
close of voting.
13.8 Any challenge to the results must be made
within three (3) days of the announcement.
13.9 In the event of a tied vote, the Returning
Officer will arrange a ‘drawing of lots’
between candidates.
13.10 The Returning Officer shall be called upon
to settle any matters arising from the
elections.
13.11 If called upon, the decision of the
Returning Officer shall be final.
14.0 Elections (Societies Members Reps)
These election rules shall apply to all
Societies Members Rep elections.
14.1 The Vice-President (Activities) shall be
responsible for advertising election
seven (7) days in advance to all members,
including details of when nominations and
voting open and close.
14.2 All Full Members of any Society shall be
entitled to stand for nomination.
14.3 The vote shall be held by Secret Ballot open
to Full Members of any Society.
14.4 The voting shall be by conducted by Single
Transferable Vote, with a facility for
No Suitable Candidate and to Re-Open
Nominations (RON).
15.0 Elections (Society Council Forum Reps)
These election rules shall apply to all
Society Council Forum Reps elections.
15.1 The Vice-President (Activities) shall be
responsible for advertising the details of
any election seven (7) days in advance to.
15.2 Only the relevant Society Council Forum
Delegates shall be entitled to stand for
nomination, and or vote.
15.3 The voting shall be by conducted by Single
Transferable Vote, with a facility for
No Suitable Candidate and to Re-Open
Nominations (RON).
16.0 Removal of Executive Members
(Societies Members Reps & Society
Council Forum Reps)
16.1 The following are the reasons allowed for
initiating the removal proceedings against
an executive member:
- Failure to attend two (2) consecutive
Executive meetings without offering
apologies in advance to the VicePresident (Activities).
- 50% +1 of the Societies Executive
request from the Vice-President
(Activities) that removal proceedings are
initiated against an individual.
16.2 The process for removing an executive
member shall take the following process:
- The Vice-President (Activities) will
consult the individuals in question
outlining the reasons for an enquiry into
their position.
- The individual in question shall be given
an opportunity to address those queries
from the members of the Societies
Executive.
- A secret ballot will be held at a quorate
Societies Executive meeting with
members voting ‘Yes’ to keep that
Executive Member or ‘No’ to remove
that committee member, with the result
being found by a two-thirds majority.
17.0 Removal of Executive Members
(Societies Members Reps)
17.1 Removal proceedings against a Societies
Member Rep can also be initiated by a
secure petition of 150 Society Members.
17.2 In this event, an All Society Members Vote
shall be held by secret ballot with Society
members given the option to ‘Agree’ or
‘Disagree’ with the removal with the
Societies Members Reps, with result
being found by a simple majority. Quorum
for such a vote shall be 300 Society
members.
18.0 Removal of Committee Members
(Society Council Forum Reps)
18.1 Removal proceedings against a Societies
Council Forum Rep can also be initiated by
a petition of 50% +1 of the relevant Forum
Delegates.
18.2 In this event, an Extraordinary Forum
Meeting shall be called where, following an
opportunity for the individual in question
to address those queries from the
members of the Forum, a secret ballot will
be held at a quorate Societies Council
Committee meeting with members voting
‘Yes’ to keep that officer or ‘No’ to remove
that committee member, with the result
being found by a two-thirds majority.