Bye Laws of

Bucks Students’ Union:

ATHLETICUNION

February 2016

2

ATHLETIC UNION

Athletic Union Council

1. There shall be an Athletic Union Council (also known as “AU Council”), which shall be the governing body of the Athletic Union.

2. The Athletic Union Council shall be accountable to Union Council.

3. The Athletic Union Council shall comprise of:3.1. Vice President Student Involvement (non-voting)3.2. Sports Development Assistant [AU] (Secretary)3.3. The Chair of each team or, in the case of the Chair being unable to attend,

another member of that team’s committee (ideally the Secretary)

4. The Athletic Union Council shall:4.1. be responsible for the administration and coordination of all affiliated

student sports teams at Bucks New University4.2. make and agree changes to the Code of Conduct4.3. provide an opportunity for sports teams to collaborate on projects4.4. approve the affiliations of new Athletic Union teams into Bucks Students’

Union4.5. elect a student chair in the first or second meeting of a new academic year.

5. The Athletic Union Council shall meet monthly during University term time.

6. The quorum shall be 50% plus one of the clubs affiliated to the Athletic Union at that time.

7. Failure to send a representative of a team will result in your team being fined £10 which will be deducted from your fundraising account. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings will result in your team being suspended.

Affiliation

8. Any sports team may be considered for affiliation by the Athletic Union Council provided that the team presents a constitution including:8.1. The name of the team8.2. The purpose of the team8.3. Regulations relating to membership eligibility8.4. Provision for the election of a committee of officers (only full members of

the Union may hold such posts)8.5. The responsibilities of the committee of officers8.6. Provision for any General Meetings of all members of the team8.7. Provision for an Annual General Meeting at which accounts shall be presented.

9. Any sports team seeking affiliation must also have:9.1. Provided a Code of Conduct9.2. Completed a risk assessment

3

10. Sports teams being considered for affiliation should meet the following criteria:10.1. it is a BUCS Championship sport and/or allows its members to represent the

University 10.2. it is felt by the Vice President Student Involvement that the team’s aims and

objectives are best fulfilled within the Athletic Union

11. Any team failing to meet criterion [10] may still seek affiliation by submitting a written request to the Vice President Student Involvement detailing:11.1. Why the team should be allowed to form without the required competitive

element11.2. What actions are to be put in place to increase membership11.3. How they would ensure the team’s longevityThis request will then be submitted to the Athletic Union Council.

12. If the sports team does not fulfil both criteria [10.1] and [10.2] then they should consider affiliation as a society.

Affiliated Athletic Union Teams

13. Membership shall be open to all members as defined in Clause 12 of Bucks Students’ Union Constitution:13.1. each and every student who has not opted out by notifying

Buckinghamshire New University of his or her wish not to be a Member of the Union; and

13.2. the Sabbatical Officers of the Union.

14. All playing team members must obtain both a Student Involvement card and an Online membership for their chosen sport, no later than two weeks after trials otherwise they will not be allowed to play until they have both.

15. All social team members must obtain both a Student Involvement card for the teams social and an Online membership for their chosen social sports team.

16. All team and social members will adhere to the policies as laid out in the Athletic Union Handbook, available from the Students’ Union receptions or Online.

17. Constitutions of Athletic Union teams shall be subordinate to the Students’ Union Constitution and Bye-Laws.

18. Student Activities Committee will ratify constitutions which have been approved by clubs and societies. Constitutions may be approved or revised by a [simple] majority at a team’s Annual General Meeting. Student Activities Committee will hold the power to require amendments where rules and regulations specified in club and society constitutions breach the Union’s policies or procedures. Clubs and Societies will have a right to appeal in these instances, with appeals being heard by the Union’s Trustee Board.

4

19. A copy of each constitution shall be available for viewing from the Students’ Union.

20. Sports team elections will be held in accordance with the Students’ Union Elections Bye Laws.

21. Teams must give due consideration to the health and safety implications of their activities. Where activities present significant level of risk to participants or others, they must produce a separate risk assessment.

22. A team’s Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Captain must attend compulsory committee training and complete all compulsory documents.

Team Accounts

23. All team accounts are to be held with the Students’ Union. No other accounts (e.g. bank) shall be held by a team.

24. All income received on behalf of the team shall be paid into its account with the Students’ Union. No team shall obtain a loan from any source other than the Students’ Union.

25. All expenditures on behalf of the team shall be paid out of its account with the Students’ Union. All expenditures shall be agreed with the relevant member of Students’ Union staff and spent to further the aims of that team.

26. All the equipment purchased by the team remains the property of the Students’ Union.

27. Details of any sponsorship deals being negotiated by a team should be notified to the Vice President Student Involvement before any contract is entered into. The Athletic Union does not permit sponsorship from pubs, nightclubs or day time eateries.

28. At year end each team should have £150 in their account which is either fundraising or sponsorship for use at the start of the next academic year. Any unspent grant money will be returned to the Students’ Union.

29. Operational details for team’s accounts will be updated regularly in the Athletics Union Handbook, available from Students’ Union offices or online.

Suspension

30. A team will be classed as “suspended” if:30.1. their committee has not completed all the compulsory paperwork by the

deadline given (before their first fixture)30.2. the team has failed to send a representative to three consecutive meetings

of Athletic Union Council

5

30.3. the club has failed to hold an Annual General Meeting in the past 12 months

30.4. members of the team are found to have departed from the Code of Conduct (as laid out in the Athletic Union Handbook) or contravened the Team or Union Constitution or any Bye Laws.

31. Suspension for either reason prohibits any team from running events or activities in the Students’ Union name.

32. When a team is suspended, the Students’ Union accepts no responsibility for any events that this club holds.

33. Suspension of a team will impose the following penalties:33.1. The accounts of the team in question will be blocked. This means that no

withdrawals can be made from their account33.2. Union services will be stopped for this team, including the hiring of buses,

the use of equipment, and the booking of rooms33.3. Any promotion usually undertaken by the Students’ Union will be stopped

for that team33.4. The team in question cannot use the Students’ Union name

on any publicity.

34. Suspension under the terms of [30] may also lead to any or all of the following disciplinary actions:34.1. Fines to individuals or the club to cover costs34.2. Expulsion from the Athletic Union of an individual and/or team34.3. Suspension or expulsion from your team34.4. Withdrawing individuals or the team from BUCS/relevant league34.5. Banned from playing34.6. Banned from the venue and other Union activities/facilities34.7. Cancellation of fixtures leading to walkovers and points penalties34.8. Withdrawal from competitions34.9. Withdrawal of privileges e.g. ‘Takeovers’, ‘Tour’ etc.

35. In the event of evidence of [30] being made available to the Sabbatical Officers, Chief Executive Officer or a Senior Manager the following procedure shall be followed:35.1. The President shall notify the committee of the team concerned;35.2. The President shall invite the committee of the team to speak at at a panel

consisting of a member of the Senior Management Team, one Student Trustee, the Vice President Education and Welfare, one External Trustee and the HR Manager where the matter is to be discussed;

35.3. The panel as laid out in [35.2] shall make the decision and impose any or all of the actions in [34].

35.4. The panel as laid out in [35.2] shall report their findings and any disciplinary actions to Athletic Union Council.

6

35.5. In the instance that the team do not agree with the action, they should follow the complaints and appeals procedures.

35.6. The Trustee Board, excluding the Trustees who were part of the original decision, will have the final decision

36. The Sports Development Manager will notify all relevant parties (students and staff) of the status of suspensions on a regular basis.

37. A team’s full status will be re-instated when all training and paperwork is completed or the disciplinary action has run its course.

Disaffiliation of Clubs

38. A team will automatically be deemed disaffiliated after having been suspended for one academic year unless the provisions laid out by the panel [35.2] are longer, in which case they will be deemed disaffiliated at the end of the provision.

39. If the club or society have not complied with the findings of the panel [35.2] the Vice President Student Involvement may recommend a club for disaffiliation.

40. Athletic Union Council will vote on this recommendation.

41. In the instance that the team do not agree with the action proposed, Trustee Board, excluding the Trustees who were part of the original decision, will have the final decision.

42. If a club has been disaffiliated, restarting it will be treated as affiliation of a new club.

End

43. The Sports Development Manager will notify all relevant parties (students and staff) of the status of suspensions on a regular basis.

44. A team’s full status will be re-instated when all training and paperwork is completed or the disciplinary action has run its course.

Disaffiliation of Clubs

45. A team will automatically be deemed disaffiliated after having been suspended for one academic year unless the provisions laid out by the panel [35.2] are longer, in which case they will be deemed disaffiliated at the end of the provision.

46. If the club or society have not complied with the findings of the panel [35.2] the Vice President Student Involvement may recommend a club for disaffiliation.

47. Athletic Union Council will vote on this recommendation.

48. In the instance that the team do not agree with the action proposed, Trustee Board, excluding the Trustees who were part of the original decision, will have the final decision.

49. If a club has been disaffiliated, restarting it will be treated as affiliation of a new club.

End

Bucks Students’ Union

Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 2JZ

Tel: 01494 601 600 Email: union@bucks.ac.uk Website: bucksstudentsunion.org

Bucks Students’ Union is a registered charity – no. 1144820 VAT Reg. No. 669 0980 87