Bye Laws of

Bucks Students’ Union:

CLUBS &SOCIETIES

August 2014

2 3

CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Societies Council

1. There shall be a Societies Council which shall be the governing body of clubs and societies.

2. Societies Council shall be accountable to Union Council.

3. Societies Council shall comprise of:3.1. Vice President Student Involvement (non-voting Chair)3.2. Societies and Volunteering Assistant (Secretary)3.3. The Chair of each club/society or, in the case of the Chair being unable

to attend, another member of that society’s committee

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

student clubs/societies at Bucks New University4.2. elect representatives to Societies Funding Committee4.3. provide an opportunity for clubs and societies to collaborate on projects4.4. consider the affiliations of clubs and societies into Bucks Students’ Union

5. Societies Council shall meet monthly during University term time.

6. The quorum shall be 50% plus one of all societies.

7. Failure to send a representative of a club/society will result in your club/society having their room booking privileges suspended. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings will result in your club/society being suspended.

Affiliation

8. Any club/society may be considered for affiliation by the Societies Council provided that the club/society presents a constitution including:8.1. The name of club/society8.2. The aims and objectives8.3. 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. Responsibilities of the society committee members8.6. Provision for any General Meetings of all members of the club/society8.7. Provision for an Annual General Meeting at which accounts shall be

presented

9. Any club/society seeking affiliation must also have:9.1. A list containing the name and ID number of at least 10 Students’

Union members who have signed to indicate they are prospective members of the club or society

10. Any club/society failing to submit the details outlined in [9.1] may still seek affiliation by submitting a written request to the Vice President Student Involvement detailing:10.1. Why the club/society should be allowed to form without the required

10 members10.2. What actions are to be put in place to increase membership10.3. How they would ensure the club/society’s longevityThis request will then be submitted to the Societies Council for approval or rejection.

11. Societies Council may refuse affiliation of a club/society to the Student’s Union if:11.1. a student group affiliated to the Students’ Union with broadly similar aims

and objectives already exists and Societies Council judges that the new club/society would merely duplicate activities already available

11.2. The Sabbatical Officers believe that there are other substantial reasons for doing so (these reasons must be reported to Societies Council and accounted for)

11.3. The club/society meets the criteria for affiliation as an Athletic Union team.

Societies Funding Committee

12. The procedure for allocating funds to recognised Societies shall be consistent with the Education Act 1994.

13. The Union’s Trustee Board will determine the grant available for allocation to student societies as part of its annual budget setting exercise.

14. The Societies Funding Committee, which shall be a sub-committee of the Union’s Finance & Staffing Committee, will allocate grants to student societies based on a set of criteria agreed annually by the Finance & Staffing Committee.

15. The Societies Funding Committee shall comprise of:15.1. Vice President Student Involvement (Chair)15.2. Two members of Union Council who do not sit on Athletic Union or

Societies Council15.3. Two representatives from the Societies Council15.4. Societies and Volunteering Assistant (Secretary)15.5. Volunteering and Societies Coordinator (advisor)15.6. Membership Services Manager (advisor)15.7. Student Union’s Finance Manager (advisor)15.8. President

16. The quorum of the Committee shall be half plus one of the voting members. The meeting shall not be considered quorate if a senior member of Students’ Union staff is not present.

4 5

17. The committee will consider budget requests from student clubs and societies as part of a fully documented and clearly timetabled annual process which is easily available and understood by students.

18. Details of all grants allocated shall be published by the Union and recorded in the minutes of meetings.

Affiliated Clubs and Societies

19. Membership shall be open to all members as defined in Clause 12 of Bucks Students’ Union Constitution:19.1. 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

19.2. the Sabbatical Officers of the Union.

20. Membership will also be available to non students, though they may not hold office within any club or society.

21. All club/society members must be issued with a Student Involvement Card and will adhere to the policies as laid out in the Societies Handbook, available from Students’ Union receptions and online.

22. Constitutions of societies shall be subordinate to the Students’ Union Constitution and Bye-Laws.

23. Constitutions may be changed by a [simple] majority at a club/society’s Annual General Meeting.

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

25. Clubs/societies must hold an Annual General Meeting, at which it’s committee members shall be elected under the supervision of a member of Students’ Union staff, each year, normally in the Summer term (except at the discretion of the relevant member of the Executive Committee). Only full members of the Union may hold office as a committee member.

26. Clubs/societies 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.

27. A club/society’s Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer must attend compulsory committee training and complete all ‘Working Towards Bronze’ paperwork.

Club/Society Accounts

28. All club/society accounts are to be held with the Students’ Union. No other accounts (e.g. bank) shall be held by a club/society.

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

30. All expenditure on behalf of the club/society shall be paid out of its account with the Students’ Union. All expenditure shall be spent to further the aims of that club/society.

31. All the equipment purchased by the club/society remains the property of the Students’ Union.

32. Details of any sponsorship deals being negotiated by a club/society should be notified to the relevant member of Executive Committee before any contract is entered into. The Students’ Union does not permit sponsorship from pubs, nightclubs or day time eateries.

33. At year end, any funds remaining within the club/society account will be carried forward to the next year.

34. Operational details for club/society accounts will be updated regularly in the Societies Handbook, available from Students’ Union offices or online.

Suspension

35. A club/society will be classed as “suspended” if:35.1. their committee has not achieved ‘Working Towards Bronze’

accreditation by the deadline given (stated during committee training)35.2. the club/society has failed to send a representative to three consecutive

meetings of Societies Council35.3. the club/society has failed to hold an Annual General Meeting in the

past 18 months35.4. members of the society are found to have contravened the Society or

Union constitution.

36. Suspension for any reason prohibits the society from running events or activities in the Students’ Union name.

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

6 7

38. Suspension of a society will impose the following penalties:38.1. The accounts of the society in question will be blocked. This means that

no withdrawals can be made from their account.38.2. Union services will be stopped for this society, including the hiring of

buses and equipment, and the booking of rooms38.3. Any promotion usually undertaken by the Students’ Union will be

stopped for that society38.4. The society in question cannot use the Students’ Union name on any

publicity

39. Suspension under the terms of [28.2] may also lead to any or all of the following disciplinary actions:39.1. Fines to individuals or the society to cover costs39.2. Expulsion from the Students’ Union of an individual and/or society39.3. Banned from the venue and other Union activities/facilities39.4. Withdrawal from competitions39.5. Withdrawal of privileges e.g. ‘Takeovers’, ‘Tour’ etc.

40. In the event of evidence of [28.2] being made available to the Executive Committee the following procedure shall be followed:40.1. The President shall notify the committee of the Club or Society concerned;40.2. The President shall invite the committee of the Club or Society to speak

at the Executive Meeting where the matter is to be discussed;40.3. The Executive Meeting shall report their findings and any recommended

disciplinary action to Societies Council for discussion and approval.40.4. In the instance that Societies Council do not agree with the action

proposed, the Union Council will hold the final decision.

41. The Volunteering and Societies Coordinator will notify all relevant parties (students and staff) of the status of suspensions on a regular basis.

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

Disaffiliation of Societies

43. A club/society will automatically be deemed disaffiliated after having been suspended for [3] years.

44. The relevant member of the Executive Committee may recommend a club/society for disaffiliation.

45. Societies Council will vote on this recommendation.

46. In the instance that Societies Council do not agree with the action proposed, the Union Council will hold the final decision.

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

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