NUPSA Constitution First Draft

Constitution of the Union
This constitution shall take effect from 04th June 2011 and invalidates all former constitutions of
this Union. This constitution shall be subject to review by the General Council and the Board of
Governors at least every two years, in accordance with the Education Act 1994
© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

Recognition of Founders:
This Union recognises Basit Kirmani (University of Cambridge) and Tahir Mansoori
(University of Oxford) as the Founders of the National Union of Pakistani Students and
Alumni. This Union was founded in 2007 by the Pakistani societies of the University of
Cambridge and the University of Oxford.
Recognition of Constitution Committee:
The Constitutional Committee which drafted this constitution consists of:
Chair of the Committee: Mishal Saeed (University of Salford)

_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Recognition of the Ratification:
This Constitution has been ratified by the Pakistani Societies of the following Universities on
04th June 2011:
University of Salford:
University College London:
School of Oriental and African Studies:
University of Manchester:
Leicester University:
Brunel University:
Northumbria University:
University of Reading:
Cardiff University:
University of Oxford:
University of Cambridge:
St. Georges‟ University of London:
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
Note: If you wish for your University‟s Pakistan society to be on the list of those societies
who wish to attend the constitutional AGM and debate/ratify the Constitution, then please
send an email to info@nupsa.co.uk before 3rd June 2011.

Part II of the Education Act 1994 requires institutions to „take steps as are reasonably
practicable to secure that any students‟ union for students at the establishment operates in
a fair and democratic manner and is accountable for its finances‟.
The corporation recognises the “National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni” as a
democratically run organisation, committed to serving and representing Pakistani students
and alumni in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.
The constitution is a legal document that sets out the activities and procedures of the union.
It provides a framework for the operation of the union by:
• Defining what the union can or cannot do

• Indicating how the executive can act on behalf of union members
• Outlining how members can air their concerns
The constitution is made up of three sections:
Section 1 – The Articles
This section defines the aims and objectives of the union as well as setting out what can or
cannot be done.
Section 2 – The Schedules
This section gives further operational details in relation to how things get done.
Section 3 – The Appendices
This section includes other regulations that the union has to follow.

CONTENTS
Section 1: The Articles
Paragraph Heading
1.0 Name and Status

2.0 Aims and Objectives
3.0 Membership of the Union
4.0 Union Structure
5.0 Executive Committee
6.0 General Council
7.0 Board of Governors
8.0 Affiliates
9.0 Complaints Procedure
10.0 Union Finance
11.0 Minutes
12.0 Amendments
13.0 Indemnity
14.0 Referendum
15.0 International Chapters
16.0 Code of Conduct
17.0 Interpretation
Section 2: The Schedules
Schedule One Election Regulations

Schedule Two Affiliates
Schedule Three Meeting Regulations
Schedule Four Finance Regulations
Schedule Five Job Descriptions
Section 3: The Appendices
Appendix One Opting Out

Appendix Two Disciplinary Procedures
Appendix Three Code of Practice

1.0 Name and Status
1.1 There shall be an organisation in the name of the “National Union of Pakistani
Students and Alumni” (for the rest of the document the organisation will be referred
to as „the Union‟) The Union is an unincorporated association with exempt charitable
status and will obey the rule and regulations, ethics and values and code and
discipline set out in this Constitution and shall obey its Aims and Objectives.
2.0 Aims and Objectives
2.1 To promote Student Unity
2.2 To promote Student Support and Welfare
2.3 Provision of Funds to Charities in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistanis
2.4 Provision of a united voice for Pakistani Students to any relevant body.
2.5 Serve and protect the interests of Pakistani students in the UK.
2.6 To build bridges between current students and Alumni and to provide Alumni with
opportunities to network with other Alumni.
3.0 Membership of the Union
3.1 Any student or alumnus, who wishes to become a member of the Union, shall pay an
annual/lifetime subscription fee (determined by the Executive) to the Union.
3.2 Any officer shall be a full member of the Union

.
3.3 All members shall be entitled to use the facilities of the Union and take part in its
educational, social, sporting and cultural activities. Members shall be allowed to
speak and vote at Union meetings and referendums, to nominate, to stand and to
vote in Union elections, and to hold office in clubs and societies.
4.0 Union Structure
4.1 The structure of the Union shall be made up of the following categories:
i) The Executive
ii) The General Council
iii) The Board of Governors

4.2 All Union meetings shall be conducted according to Schedule Three (Meeting
Regulations) of this constitution.
5.0 Executive Committee
5.1 The Executive committee of the Union shall run the Union on a day to day basis
according to the terms of this constitution, its schedules and appendices, relevant
legislation and the decisions that have been made by General Council and by
referendum.
5.2 The Executive shall be made up of the following major Union officers, elected by a
ballot that is open to all members of the General Council
i) President
ii) Vice-President
iii) General Secretary
iv) Treasurer
v) Chairperson of the General Council
vi) Publicity Officer
vii) Events Officer
viii) Webmaster
ix) Media Spokesperson
x) Alumni Officer
5.3 The Executive shall be elected in April of each year according to the regulations
contained in Schedule One (Election Regulations) of this constitution. They will serve
as members of the executive committee from May 1st of that year to March 31st of
the following year.
5.4 The role of the Executive committee shall be to:

i) carry out the decisions made by General Council and by referendum
ii) act in the absence of the General Council
iii) act as a channel of communication between members of the Union, the Affiliates,
the General Council and other organisations
iv) be responsible for the direction of the Union through the implementation and
development of the Union strategic plan
v) establish working groups, where relevant, and to receive any reports from working
groups
vi) liaise with and offer relevant support to any Affiliate bodies.
vii) fulfil specific responsibilities as laid down in Schedule Five (Job Descriptions) of
this constitution
5.5 Executive committee meetings shall be called by the General Secretary and shall
meet at least once every term. Further meetings may be called by a written request

of a majority of committee members to the General Secretary. The chair will be the
President. In case of the President being absent, the chair shall be taken by the Vice-
President or General Secretary. In all other circumstances, the chair shall be elected
by the committee members present. The chair may only vote in the event of a tie.
5.6 Executive meetings shall only take place if there is at least 50% of serving
executive committee members present throughout the meeting.
5.7 Any member of the executive committee who fails to attend three consecutive
meetings of the executive committee or General Council without giving apologies to
the General Secretary, and does not provide satisfactory reasons acceptable to the
Executive, shall be considered to have resigned.
5.8 All Executive positions are strictly voluntary and no payment shall be received by
Executive committee members for their services.
6.0 General Council
6.1 The General Council shall be the supreme legislative and governing body of the
Union, except for decisions that are made in a referendum. It shall also raise
issues that are of concern to the Board of Governors.
6.2 The General Council shall consist of the Presidents of affiliated bodies of the Union. If
the President of an Affiliate is elected into the Executive Committee, then the
next top-most executive officer (Vice-President/Secretary) of the Affiliate Society
shall take his/her place in the General Council.
6.3 The General Council shall be made up of the following major Union officers, elected
by a ballot that is open to all members of the General Council
i) Chairperson of the General Council
ii) Commissioner of the General Council
6.4 The functions of General Council shall be:

i) set the policy of the Union
ii) amend the constitution and schedules as appropriate.
iii) instruct and hold accountable the Executive on their work
iv) monitor and discuss the events and decisions of the Executive to raise concerns
of members to the Board of Governors.
v) elect delegates to appropriate conferences and councils
vi) approve reports from committees, working parties and the Executive.
vii) approve financial reports from the Executive.
6.5 The first meeting of General Council shall be held in June and chaired by the
Chairperson. This meeting shall also:

 approve the Union‟s annual budget and accounts
 approve the Union‟s annual report
 confer recognition on affiliate societies
6.6 An Annual General Meeting shall be called at least once per year by the
Commissioner of the General Council.
6.7 An Emergency General Meeting may be called to discuss a particular issue.
7.0 Board of Governors
7.1 The Board of Governors of the Union shall be responsible for constitutional and
disciplinary affairs of the Union and shall ensure that the Executive is working in line
with the constitution.
7.2 The Board of Governors shall have no role in the day to day operations and will have
no governance or legislative power.
7.3 The Board of Governors shall ensure that the constitution of the Union is enforced
and implemented in its true spirit and recommend action to be taken in case of any
breaches.
7.4 The Board of Governors shall consist of three members, who shall all be alumni and
shall be elected every two years according to the requirements set out in Schedule
One (Election Regulations).
7.5 The Board of Governors shall be chaired by a member known as the High Steward.
7.6 The role of the Board of Governors shall be to:

i) ensure that the Union operates in line with the UK government law.
ii) to hear appeals or references against the Executive.
iii) prepare the union‟s annual report detailing the activities of the union, the union
finances, including any donations made to external organisations, and any other
information required under current legislation
7.7 Any member of the Board of Governors may only be dismissed via:
i) A 2/3rd majority in a quorate meeting of the Executive AND a 2/3rd majority in a
quorate meeting of the General Council
OR
ii) A simple majority in a referendum of the members of the Union.

8.0 Affiliates
8.1 Pakistan Societies may be recognised by the Union as Affiliates provided that they
meet the requirements set out in Schedule Two (Affiliate Code) of this constitution
and do not breach the Union‟s aims and objectives.
8.2 The General Council of the Union shall be informed of all new affiliations. The notice
shall include the name of the Pakistan Society being affiliated to.
8.3 Details of all affiliations with Pakistan Societies, including the names of the societies
and joint events hosted, shall be included in the Union‟s annual report which shall be
made available to all members of the Union.
8.4 In the event of an objection to a current affiliation to any particular external

organisation, a petition signed by at least 10 General Council members must be
presented to the President. A referendum shall be held on the issue. The
referendum shall be carried out in accordance with clause 14.0 (Referendum) of this
constitution. A further referendum on the same affiliation cannot be called in the
same academic year.
9.0 Complaints Procedure
9.1 Complaints about an Affiliate Officer, the Executive, the Board of Governors, or any
member of General Council shall be dealt with under the complaints procedure
contained in Appendix Three (Code of Practice) of this constitution.
10.0 Union Finance
10.1 The Union shall receive appropriate funds from its sponsors to enable it to effectively
pursue its aims and objectives. This annual allocation of funding shall be decided by
the General Council at the last meeting of the financial year, on presentation of the
Union‟s estimates for the forthcoming academic year.
10.2 The Union, acting through the Executive, shall be empowered, in pursuit of its aims
and objectives, to open bank accounts in the name of the union, lend monies, invest
monies, borrow monies, offer its material assets as security and do all other such
things as are necessary for the prudent conduct of its financial affairs as though it
were a legal person. The Executive in exercising these rights shall be subject to no
other restrictions except those contained in clause 6.0 and Schedule Four (Finance
Regulations) of this constitution and any which may be imposed by General Council.
10.3 The Executive shall supervise all union finances and ensure that proper books of

account are maintained and that these books shall be audited annually by a person
qualified to undertake audited accounting.
10.4 The Executive shall be responsible for ensuring that the annual budget, amendments
to the budget, audited accounts and all other short-term financial reports and
financial proposals are discussed and approved by General Council.
10.5 A copy of the Union‟s budget and the audited accounts shall be made available to all
the Union‟s members and public observers.
10.6 The Union shall not accept funding from controversial or political sources as
determined by the General Council.
10.7 The organisation of the Union‟s finances and systems of control shall be contained in
Schedule Four (Finance Regulations) of this constitution.
11.0 Minutes
11.1 At all meetings of the Union, minutes shall be taken which shall be circulated and
any necessary corrections made, at the next appropriate meeting. Confirmed
minutes shall be filed and made available to all members.
11.2 A copy of the constitution, including any amendments, a copy of the annual report
any plans for the Union‟s activities, including the budget, shall be made available to
all members.
11.3 All meetings of the Union shall be considered open to all members of the Union.
However, the members of the meeting may vote to hold a specific meeting or an
item of a meeting as a closed session.
11.4 The regulations for the organisation of union meetings shall be contained in Schedule
Three (Meeting Regulations) of this constitution.
12.0 Amendments
12.1 The General Council shall be the only body permitted to amend the constitution and
schedules. All amendments will be subject to the approval of the Board of Governors
before they can be implemented.
12.2 The Board of Governors may only intervene in blocking an amendment if the
proposed amendment is contradictory to the basic rights of the Union‟s member or if
the amendment is a violation of UK law. All decisions blocking a proposed
amendment must be made unanimously by the Board.

12.3 Amendments to Articles 1-4 of this constitution shall not be permitted under any
circumstances.
12.4 Any amendments to the constitution (apart from Articles 1-4) or schedules shall
require the support of a minimum of two-thirds of the General Council members
present and entitled to a vote at a quorate meeting of the General Council.
12.5 The constitution shall be reviewed by the Union at least every 2 years from the date
of the current document‟s implementation and approved by the Council.
13.0 Indemnity
13.1 Every Union officer and person approved to make decisions of behalf of the
Union shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the assets of the Union against all
losses or liability which she/he may incur in or about the execution of his or her
office or otherwise in relation thereto; and no officer, appointee or member of staff
shall be liable for any loss, damage or misfortune which may happen to or be
incurred by the Union in the execution of the duties of his or her office or in relation
thereto; However, they shall remain fully liable for the consequences of any
negligent or unlawful act on their part.
14.0 Referendum
14.1 A Referendum, in which all members will be allowed to vote, shall be held on any
issue, if either:
i) General Council decides by a simple majority to call a referendum.
ii) Executive decides by a simple majority to call a referendum.
iii) Any member of the Board of Governors decides to call a referendum.
iv) Petition by at least 100 members of the Union to call a referendum.
14.2 After the internal vote is held, the Referendum will thereon be announced by either
the:
i) Chairperson of the General Council (if it is called by the General Council)
ii) President (if it is called by the Executive)
iii) General Secretary (if it is called by the Members)
iii) Any member of the Board of Governors
14.3 The Referendum shall be held according to the regulations contained in Schedule
One (Election Regulations) of this constitution.
14.5 The result of a Referendum will take priority over any existing Executive, Board of
Governors, or Council decision

15.0 Expansion: International Chapters
15.1 Each new international chapter must have its own Executive committee, General
Council and Board of Governors.
15.2 The structure of the General Council will be identical to NUPSA UK including the
elections of its Union officers.
15.3 Each chapter shall be develop and be run by its own constitution and shall have
autonomy in its decision and policy making.
15.4 Each chapter shall have voting rights only for their own officer positions and may not
vote for any other chapter.
15.5 All new chapters will be required to maintain communication channels

with NUPSA UK.
16.0 Code of Conduct
16.1 The Executive shall draw up a Code of Conduct which must be approved by the
General Council and the Board of Governors.
16.2 All members of the Union shall be required to adhere to this code, particularly when
on union premises, or attending events organised by the Union or its Affiliates.
16.3 The Code of Conduct may include restrictions up to and including the unlimited
suspension of any or all of the rights of Union membership.
17.0 Interpretation
17.1 In the event of a challenge to the interpretation of any part of this constitution, the
ruling of the Executive shall be sought.
17.2 In the event of a challenge to the president's ruling, following legal advice, the
decision shall be taken to General Council.
17.3 If a member of the Union remains unsatisfied with the ruling of General Council
they may appeal to the Board of Governors. The ruling of the Board of Governors
shall be final.

Schedule One
ELECTION AND REFERENDUM REGULATIONS
This schedule outlines what to do for all elections for all positions in the Union. It also
outlines the procedure to follow if a vacancy occurs in any position.
1.1 Election Commission
i) The Election Commission shall consist of three members to be appointed in March

annually by General Council and shall serve their duties till March of the next year.
These three must be consist of an independent (whose independence status shall be
determined by the General Council) and one member each from the General Council
and Board of Governors.
ii) The Election Commission shall be responsible for the good conduct and
administration of all Union elections and referendums and shall have the sole
interpretation of the election regulations. The Election Commission may invite
observers to monitor the election procedure.
ii) The Election Commission shall dissolve the outgoing Executive on 1st April every
year. The outgoing Executive is bound to hand over administrative control of NUPSA
resources which are requested by the Election Commission to hold elections. Failure
to hand over control to the Election Commission will result in disciplinary action
against the Executive in line with Appendix Three (Code of Practice) of this
constitution.
1.2 Officers Election Schedule
i) The Election Commission shall ensure that election of the Executive committee takes
place before the end of April each year.
ii) The Election Commission shall ensure that dates of elections for Executive committee
members, a copy of the election timetable and a copy of the election regulations
shall be made available to all Union members at least fourteen working days before
the elections.
1.3 Officer positions
i) The members of the Executive committee shall be:

a) President
b) Vice-President
c) General Secretary
d) Treasurer
e) Chairperson of the General Council

f) Publicity Officer
g) Events Officer
h) Webmaster
k) Media Spokesperson
l) Alumni Officer
ii) All members of the Union are eligible to stand for any of the following Executive
committee positions:
a) President
b) Vice-President
c) General Secretary
d) Treasurer
e) Publicity Officer
f) Events Officer
g) Webmaster
h) Media Spokesperson
iii) Only Alumni members may be eligible to stand for the position of Alumni
Representative.
iv) The officers of the General Council shall be:

a) Chairperson of the General Council
b) Commissioner to the General Council
v) Only General Council members may be eligible to stand for the position of
Chairperson and Commissioner.
vi) Reopen nominations (RON) shall be a candidate in all Union elections.
vii) Nomination forms will be available from the Election Commission on the NUPSA
website. The nomination form shall contain a copy of the description of the role of
each position in the election. It shall also contain information on the facilities the
Union will make available to each candidate.
viii) Members of the Union may stand for election upon completion of a nomination form
by the candidate and at least one seconder.
ix) Nomination forms must reach the Election Commission no later than a nomination
deadline appointed by the Election Commission.
1.4 Election of the Board of Governors
i) The Board of Governors shall be elected in a special election arranged by the Election
Commission in October every two years.

ii) The Board of Governors shall have three members only and the chairperson of the
Board shall be known as the High Steward.
iii) All candidates for the any position in the Board of Governors must be alumni and
must not be current or ex members of the Union Executive or the General Council.
iv) Any candidate for the position of High Steward must be legally qualified.
v) The High Steward and other governors shall be ineligible for re-election in any Union
position after the end of their tenure.
vi) The Board of Governors shall only be elected via an open ballot.
vii) Any candidate for a Governor position requires both of the following conditions to
be fulfilled for any election into the Board of Governors:
2/3rd majority vote for the candidate in the General Council
2/3rd majority vote for the candidate in the Executive
vii) Dismissal of any Board member shall only take place according to clause 7.6 of this
constitution.
1.5 Publicity about the Election
i) The Election Commission shall produce a list of candidates (together with the
seconder) which shall be displayed on the Union website within 48 hours of the close
of nominations. This must be done at least seven clear days before the
commencement of elections.
ii) Candidates may produce a manifesto and a poster to a specification to be

determined by the Election Commission, which must be handed in with the
completed nomination form.
iii) On receipt of a valid nomination form, the Election Commission shall provide the
candidate with an electronic election campaign pack.
iv) The contents of the election campaign pack shall be determined by the Election
Commission in conjunction with the General Council.
.
1.6 Campaigning
i) Candidates may commence campaigning at the close of nominations.
ii) Hustings and „question time‟ session shall be held on at least one main site, at a time
and date to be determined by the Election Commission. Any candidate absent from

hustings in person may be available online through Skype or any similar
communication platform. The length of speeches and responses by candidates to
questions shall be determined by the Election Commission which shall act as chair.
iii) Candidates cannot use any communication materials that are not sanctioned by the
election campaign pack.
iv) There shall be no campaigning after commencement of elections.
v) The returning officer shall publicise the location and arrangements of the question
times and elections, at least 7 clear days before voting.
1.7 Election Voting procedures
i) The Election Commission shall ensure that all members of the Union have access to
vote no matter their place or time of study.
ii) All members of the General Council shall be able to vote for the positions as outlined
in 1.3.
iii) All members of the Union may vote on production of a current union membership
card or appropriate identification as decided by the Election Commission.
iv) Votes by proxy shall only be accepted in a procedure which will be announced by the
Election Commission at least 7 working days in advance of the elections.
1.8 Counting and declaring votes
i) The Election Commission shall inform the candidates of the time and venue of the
count. The candidate or their appointed representative may, if they so wish, attend
the counting of the votes as observers only.
ii) Once the votes have been counted they should be kept for a period of one month in
case of appeals against the result.
iv) Results of the Election shall be declared by the Election Commission when the count
for each post has been completed and any complaint has been resolved to the
satisfaction of the Election Commission.
v) A list of successful candidates will normally be posted on the official website within
one working day of the declaration of results. The Election Commission should send
a copy of the result to General Council and Board of Governors.

vi) The results will become official 48 hours after they have been posted provided that
no complaint has been lodged with the Election Commission within 48 hours. In the
event of a complaint being received by the Election Commission, the results shall be
suspended until the complaint has been resolved.
1.9 Complaints
i) Any challenge or complaint concerning the administration and good conduct of the
election will be heard and determined by the Election Commission within 72 hours of
such a complaint being lodged by any candidate or his/her nominee.
ii) Any complaint against the conduct or administration of the election should be
received by the Election Commission before the start of the count.
iii) A challenge or complaint during or following the count, must only relate to the
conduct of the count, and be lodged with the Election Commission who shall resolve
the complaint within 72 hours of it being lodged.
iv) In determining a resolution to the complaint, the Election Commission after hearing
all the appropriate evidence may not uphold the complaint; or may halt elections for
specified post(s) or disqualify specified candidate(s) if, in their view, a candidate(s)
has breached election regulations. The ruling of the Election Commission on any
complaint shall be final, subject only to a successful appeal in a referendum, in
accordance with clause 3.9.4 of the complaints procedure, contained within the Code
of Practice (Appendix Three) of this constitution.
i) If any post on the Executive committee or General Council falls vacant then a by-
election shall be arranged by the Election Commission. Nominations shall open no
later than seven working days after confirmation of the vacancy arising. All
other election regulations apply.
1.10 Referendum Regulations
i) A Referendum, in which all members will be allowed to vote, may be held on any
Union issue, including any of the following:
 Dismissal of any Executive, Council or Board member
 Blocking any constitutional amendment
 Changing any policy of the Union
 Suspension of any Affiliate
ii) Only one issue shall be voted upon in a referendum and a referendum may not be
held more than once every term.
iii) All parties shall have the right to submit cases for and against the motion to the
Election Commission, on which it is binding to publicise uncensored and unedited
cases for and against the motion, to the Union members at the start of the
referendum.

iii) All members of the Union (including officers) shall have the right to vote in the
referendum.
iv) A Referendum shall only be called if any of the following conditions are met:
 A simple majority via open ballot in a quorate meeting of the General Council
calls for a referendum.
 A simple majority via open ballot in a quorate meeting of the Executive calls for a
referendum.
 Any member of the Board of Governors calls for a referendum.
 Petition by at least 50 members of the Union to call a referendum.
v) After the internal vote is held, the Referendum will thereon be announced by either
the:
 Commissioner of the General Council (if it is called by the General Council)
 President (if it is called by the Executive)
 General Secretary (if it is called by the Members)
 High Steward (if it is called by any Governor)
vi) It is binding upon the Election Commission to hold the referendum within 14 working
days of the announcement of the referendum by the relevant Union officer as
mentioned in 1.11(iii)
vii) The minimum quorum for a referendum to be valid is at least 52% or 100 members
of the Union (whichever is greater) taking part in the referendum.
viii) A simple majority of the voters in the referendum shall be required for the motion
raised in the referendum to be passed.
ix) The rules and regulations applicable for Publicity, Voting, Counting and Complaints
for a referendum shall be the relevant regulations as mentioned in sections 1.5, 1.7,
1.8 and 1.9 of this Schedule with the electorate now being the “Union membership”
rather than the “General Council”

Schedule Two
AFFILIATES
2.0 There shall be Affiliates of the Union which are Pakistan Societies of Parliament
recognised universities in the United Kingdom.
i) A Pakistani society from an institute awarded the status of University either by a

Royal Charter or an act of the Parliament of the UK is eligible for membership to the
Union.
ii) The Pakistani Society must be democratically run and be official recognised/approved
by its University or its relevant student union.
ii) Such a society on membership shall be known as an “Affiliate”
2.1 Affiliate protocol
i) No Affiliate may receive funds from the Union or use Union facilities without
recognition in each academic year by General Council
ii) To be considered for recognition, the Pakistan Society must fill in a binding
Affiliation Agreement which shall be drafted by Executive and may be subject to
approval by the General Council.
iii) No Affiliate will be recognised if its objects conflict with those of the Union or if its
executive is not democratically elected.
.
2.3 Responsibilities of Affiliates
i) No one from an affiliate Pakistan Society may commit the Union to any expenditure
without prior authorisation through the Union‟s budgetary control system.
ii) The executive head of the club/society shall be responsible for the smooth running of
any social events and activities arranged by the society and shall be responsible for
convening of general meetings.
iii) Ensure that they are adequately represented in the General Council and raise any
concerns with the Commissioner to the General Council.
iv) Affiliates will be bound by the latest version of the Affiliation Agreement between the
affiliated society and the Union.
v) Failure to abide by these regulations and the Union constitution may result in
suspension of the club or society by the executive committee.

Schedule Three
MEETING REGULATIONS
Meeting regulations shall apply in full to all General Council and Executive meetings. They
shall apply to all committee meetings of the Union in terms of conduct of meetings.
3.1 General Council
i) The business of General Council shall be divided into two parts:
 Affiliate business: to discuss any matters relating to members of the affiliates

associated with their society issues.
 Union business: to discuss all other issues of interest to members of the union.
3.2 Who can attend General Council meeting?
i) All members of the General Council (see clause 6.2 of the articles of the
constitution) will be expected to attend all meetings of General Council. Any
member of General Council who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without
giving apologies to the Chairperson of the General Council, and does not provide
satisfactory reasons acceptable to General Council, shall be considered to have
resigned.
ii) All members of the Executive will be expected to attend all meeting of the General
Council, unless the General Council explicitly wishes to meet without the presence of
the Executive. If the General Council wishes to exercise this right, then an internal
General Council vote must be arranged in advance of the meeting by the
Chairperson of the General Council.
iii) The Board of Governors may only attend a General Council meeting if the
General Council explicitly wishes for them to be present. If the General Council
wishes to exercise this right, then an internal General Council vote must be
arranged in advance of the meeting by the Chairperson of the General Council.
iv) Any full member of the Union may attend General Council meetings in accordance
with Clause 3.4 of the articles of the constitution though they must be seated
separately from General Council members and do not retain the right to
speak/question unless permitted by Article 3.3 of this Schedule. Any individual/s
who are not members of the Union who wish to attend must receive permission
from the meeting by submitting a request to the Chairperson. The Chairperson
shall then take a vote on whether the individual/s may attend.
3.3 Who may speak at General Council Meeting?
i) Any full member of General Council or Executive may speak at a General Council
meeting. Any Governor may speak only if the Board of Governors has been invited to
the meeting.
ii) Any full member of the Union may attend a General Council meeting and speak with
the permission of the Council. Any other individual may attend and speak as a
guest, if invited to do so by the General Council.

iii) Any member wishing to speak must raise their hand. The Chairperson shall
decide the order of speaking.
iv) The Commissioner to the General Council shall maintain complete minutes of any
meeting and they should be circulated among all General Council members
within 2 working days after any meeting.
3.4 Who may vote in a General Council meeting?
i) Only members of General Council who are present in person at the meeting may
vote. For extraordinary cases, votes may be allowed by the Chairperson for members
who are present through any VOIP software.
ii) The Chairperson of the General Council may not vote unless the vote is tied, in which
they may have the casting vote.
3.5 How to get things done
i) All items for debate shall be submitted to the Commissioner to the General Council
five working days before the meeting. Proposals for amendments to the constitution
and schedules must be submitted at least seven working days before the start of the
meeting.
ii) All requests for debates shall require the online signatures of at least two General
Council members. These shall be known as the proposer and the seconder(s).
iii) The Commissioner to the General Council shall be responsible for the announcement
and publication of details of all General Council meetings at least ten working days
before the meeting.
iv) Proposals of changes to debates may be submitted by any member of the General
Council and must be approved by the rest of the General Council.
3.6 Who runs the meeting?
i) The Commissioner to the General Council shall be responsible for the agenda and
publicising the meeting.
ii) The Chairperson of the General Council shall take the chair of any Council meeting
and the Commissioner to the General Council shall act as co-chair.
iii) In the event of any situation arising not being covered by meeting regulations then
the Chairperson shall rule on the procedure to be adopted. Such ruling shall be
subject to the approval of General Council.
iv) In the event of the chair being in conflict or alleged to be in conflict with the item
under discussion, the chair should be resigned for the duration of the item under
discussion to the deputy chair.

3.7 What is talked about and decided at meetings?
i) The agenda of meetings shall normally be taken in the following order:
a) Affiliate business:
 Welcome from the chair
 Checking the minutes of the previous meeting for accuracy
 Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting
 Reports from the Affiliate Executives.
 Management question time
 Education issues
b) Union business:
 Reports from the Executive
 Reports from the Board of Governors
 Other reports (including financial ones)
 Executive question time
 Debates
 Discussion groups
 Any other business
ii) The meeting will have the right to table the following items collectively as a consent
agenda provided that written reports and minutes are distributed online in advance:
 Reports from the Executive
 Reports from the Board of Governors.
iii) Any member of the General Council may request that any item be discussed in full,
provided that notice is given in advance of the meeting.
iv) All debates shall be run as follows:

 the proposer of the debate shall make a speech
 any changes to the debate will be raised according to clause 3.8 of these
regulations
 the chair will invite a speech against the debate
 the chair shall balance the number of speeches for and against the debate
 the chair shall invite any questions and statements relating to the debate
 the proposer of the debate shall have the right to sum up
 the vote shall be taken.
3.8 Changes to the debate shall be run as follows:
 any changes to the debate will be raised after the proposer has spoken
 the chair shall invite and take a speech against the changes
 the chair shall attempt to balance the number of speeches for and against the
changes
 the chair shall leave time for questions and statements before the vote

 when all changes have been voted upon, the main debate shall be discussed and
voted upon.
3.9 General rules
i) Every debate shall have a proposer and a seconder.
ii) Any motion may only be withdrawn with the consent of the Council.
.
iii) Debates shall require a simple majority to be decided except where otherwise
specified in the constitution.
iv) Emergency debates may only be discussed if they deal with matters that have arisen
since the date for submission of debates, and if a two thirds majority vote for the
discussion of this debate. The debate should be submitted in writing to the chair
before the start of the meeting.

Schedule Four
FINANCE REGULATIONS
4.1 Bank Accounts
i) There shall be a bank account held in the name of the Union. There shall be four
signatories to the account:
 The President
 The Treasurer
 The Chairperson of the General Council
 The High Steward
ii) Cheques shall be signed by either the President or the Treasurer, and either the
Chairperson of the General Council or the Treasurer.
iii) In the case of either the president or the finance officer not being over 18, the
Executive shall elect new signatories from amongst the members of the Executive
or General Council.
4.2 The collection of all money due to the Union shall be the responsibility of the
Treasurer, under the supervision of the Executive, which shall be notified promptly of
all money due to or owed by the Union.
4.3 Limits on payments
i) All expenditure on student activities over £100 shall be approved by the Executive.
Any expenditure over £500 should be approved by the General Council.
ii) The Treasurer shall have the power to authorise expenditure on activities, goods or
services up to £100 provided that such expenditure is ratified subsequently by the
Executive.
iii) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the operation of the petty cash account and
shall present an online record of transactions once a month to the Executive and
General Council. Original bank statements may be requested by the General Council
at any time of the year.
iv) All invoices for sums over £100 must be approved by the Executive before
they can be paid and invoices for sums over £500 must be approved by the General
Council before payment.
4.4 Contracts
i) No financial agreement (e.g. a leasing contract) may be entered into which involves
a financial commitment beyond the term of office of the Executive and/or
exceeds a total value of £500 unless authority is given by the General Council.
ii) All contracts shall have two signatories. Contracts shall normally be signed by the

President and the Treasurer. Any contracts exceeding a value of £500 shall be
signed by either the President or the Treasurer and either the Chairperson of the
General Council or the Treasurer.
iii) No contract should be signed without the approval by the Executive.
4.5 Budgets and Financial statements
i) Budgets shall be drawn up for all areas of proposed expenditure in June. These
areas shall be determined by the Executive, before final approval by the General
Council.
ii) The Treasurer, under the direction of the Executive, shall provide the General
Council and the Union members with a verifiable financial statement once a term.
4.6 Loan agreements
i) No loan agreement may be entered into which involves a financial commitment

beyond the term of office of the Executive and/or exceeds a total value of
£500 unless authority is given by General Council.
ii) All loan agreements shall have two signatories. Contracts shall normally be signed by
the President and the Treasurer. Any contracts exceeding a value of £500 shall be
signed by either the President or the Treasurer and either the Chairperson of the
General Council or the Treasurer.
iii) No loan agreement should be signed without the approval of the Executive.
4.7 Security and insurance
i) The Union shall be responsible for maintaining proper security at all times for all
stock, stores, furniture, equipment, cash etc, under its control.
ii) The Executive shall inform the General Council in any case where security is
thought to be defective or where it is considered that special security arrangements
may be needed.
iii) The Executive shall be responsible for ensuring that proper insurance cover is
undertaken, including fire risks, theft, damage and loss etc. of property and
employers‟ liability.
4.8 Events
i) All events undertaken or provided by the Union must be costed and budgets
prepared.
ii) Annually, the Events officer, in consultation with the President and the Treasurer and
under the direction of the Executive, shall draw up a proposed events budget,
subject to ratification by the General Council. This shall form the basis of all
events expenditure.

iii) Records of all expenditure for events shall be kept. The Treasurer shall advise the
Executive when the limits laid down in the budget set are likely to be exceeded. The
Events Officer is responsible, under the direction of the Executive, for ensuring that
agreed budgets are not exceeded, unless the necessary approval has been given
before the proposed expenditure.
4.9 Expenses to Union members
i) Any member of the Executive committee may receive expenses for costs incurred
whilst on Union business.
ii) Expenses must be authorised by a member of the Executive, who shall not be the
person claiming the expense.
4.10 Petty cash
i) The petty cash limit shall be £200.00. The Treasurer, under the direction of the
Executive, shall ensure that petty cash stays at or below this limit and that a
record is kept of all advances and expenditure.
4.11 Donations
i) The Union shall not make donations or affiliations to any organisation outside the
aims and objectives of the Union. The Union may allow for its facilities to be used for
special events which raise money for a specific charity or cause. Only the net profit
from such events may be passed to the charity.
4.12 Any member of the Executive committee under the age of 18 shall not sign any
contract or financial agreement, authorise any expenditure, take responsibility for
any budget, sign cheques or make any financial decisions.

Schedule Five
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
5.1 The PRESIDENT,

who shall be a member of the Executive Committee, shall:
i) be the prime representative of the Union and seek to involve as many students in
the Union as possible
ii) lead delegations to national or regional conferences and other events related to the
Union and report back to the Executive and General Council.
iii) be a cheque signatory to the Union bank account, if over the age of 18.
iv) compile a report on his/her activities for consideration at the General Council.
v) participate fully in Executive committee meetings
vi) arrange training for the incoming Executive committee following their elections.
vii) ensure that all officers of the Union compile a written report for each meeting of
the General Council and for wider circulation.
viii) ensure that an annual report is presented to the General Council on the activities of
the Union over the previous year. After approval this should be submitted
to the Board of Governors for further approval.
ix) be accountable to the Executive and General Council and ensure that the decisions
made are implemented.
x) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.2 The VICE PRESIDENT,

i) in the absence of the President, be the prime representative of the Union.
ii) lead delegations to national or regional conferences and other events related to the
Union and report back to the Executive and General Council.
iii) be the prime representative of the Union to liaise with any Affiliate over any matter.
iv) compile a report on his/her activities for consideration at the General Council.
v) participate fully in Executive committee meetings
vi) arrange training for the incoming Executive committee following their elections.
vii) ensure that all officers of the Union compile a written report for each meeting of
the General Council and for wider circulation.

viii) be accountable to the General Council and ensure that the decisions made are
implemented.
ix) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.3 The GENERAL SECRETARY,

i) be the main point of liaison between the Executive and other bodies within the
Union.
ii) be responsible for publicising all Executive committee meetings, receiving debates
and changes for discussion and circulating agendas and minutes to members of the
meeting.
iii) be the prime representative of the Union to liaise with any Affiliate over any matter.
iv) notify the Board of Governors of any changes to this constitution.
v) compile a report on his/her activities for consideration at the General Council.
vi) meet with the Election Commission and ensure that elections happen in accordance
with the Union constitution; notify the General Council of the resignation of any
Executive officer and ensure the General Council decides appropriate action.
vii) maintain all legal documentation relating to the Union, including the constitution,
instrument and articles of government, the Union code of practice and all legal
advice.
ix) participate fully in Executive committee meetings
x) be accountable to the General Council and ensure that the decisions made are
implemented.
xi) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.4 The TREASURER

who shall be a member of the Executive Committee, shall, under the direction of the
Executive:
i) regulate expenditure of the Union in such a way as to maximise Union activities.
ii) be responsible for ensuring that the Union draws up and approves an annual budget.
iii) be responsible for the gathering of information on discounts and promoting these
to students.
iv) be responsible for petty cash, and present a record of petty cash transactions to
each Executive committee meeting.

v) present relevant reports to the Executive committee.
vi) present an update of income and expenditure to each meeting of the General
Council.
.
vii) be a signatory to the Union account, if over the age 18.
viii) in conjunction with the President, ensure that all financial transactions are
legitimate, and the necessary paper work and receipts are kept for all transactions.
ix) ensure that the Union accounts are audited annually, and that they are presented to
the General Council and Board of Governors.
x) be responsible for the banking of any money received, and ensure that no more
than £200 in petty cash is kept in the Union office at any time.
xi) be responsible for paying bills promptly, and for sending out relevant invoices for
money owed to the Union.
xii) in conjunction with the Chairperson of the General Council, allocate grants to affiliate
societies and monitor their expenditure.
xiii) provide guidelines to all budget holders on financial control and planning.
xiv) carry out other duties as laid down by the Executive committee and General Council.
xv) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.5 The PUBLICITY OFFICER,

i) be primarily responsible for the promotion of the Union and its activities and events
for its members and the public.
ii) be responsible, along with the Treasurer, sponsorship deals and funding for the
Union.
iii) develop new clubs, societies and sports teams
iv) liaise with appropriate external bodies for promotion and sponsorship of
the Union
v) ensure that all Union resources are fairly allocated to all Affiliates
vi) be responsible for the production of any official Union magazine or newsletter.
vii) present relevant reports to the General Council
viii) carry out other duties as laid down by the Executive committee and the General
Council

ix) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union
5.6 The MEDIA SPOKESPERSON,

i) be primarily responsible for officially liasing with media outlets for the purposes of
the Union and its events.
ii) assist the Publicity Officer in publicising events and arranging sponsorships.
iii) act as a point of contact on all media related issues
iv) responsible to portray a positive image of not just the Union but also its all the
associates, sponsors and societies affiliated with the Union.
v) present relevant reports to the General Council
vi) carry out other duties as laid down by the Executive committee and the General
Council required
vii) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union
5.7 The ALUMNI REPRESENTATIVE,

i) develop and build an alumni network of those with interest in Pakistan and the
Union.
ii) responsible to liaise and guide students graduating or looking for graduate jobs
within the United Kingdom
iii) working towards increasing the social interaction between students and alumni
iv) present relevant reports to the General Council
v) carry out other duties as laid down by the Executive committee and the General
Council required
vi) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union
5.8 The EVENTS OFFICER,

who shall be a member of the Executive Committee shall:
i) organise and publicise a variety of entertainment and other social activities to

reflect the interests of all sections of the student and alumni body.
ii) establish and maintain contact with relevant clubs, societies, companies and
organisations to the advantage of students.

iii) establish and maintain contact with relevant officers in Affiliate societies.
v) be responsible for the sale and distribution of tickets and the collection of monies
for activities, under the direction of the Treasurer and the Executive.
vi) in conjunction with the Treasurer and under the direction of the Executive
committee, ensure that all money from ticket sales is banked as soon as possible.
vii) meet and coordinate with the Affiliate officers to ensure that all social activities are
well publicised to all students on all sites.
viii) consult with Union members at the beginning of the year and design an events
programme, in conjunction with the President and the Treasurer, for the whole
of the year on the basis of information received.
ix) meet with local businesses to secure reductions for Union members on leisure
activities.
x) present relevant reports to the Executive committee.
xi) carry out other duties as laid down by the Executive committee and General Council.
xii) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.8 The CHAIRPERSON OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL,

who shall be a member of the Executive Committee AND the General Council shall:
i) be the prime representative of the General Council and seek to involve as many
Affiliates in the Union as possible
i) be primarily responsible for liasing between the General Council and the Executive.
ii) chair meetings of the General Council and be answerable only to the Council.
vii) meet with the Election Commission and ensure that elections happen in accordance
with the Union constitution
iii) be a cheque signatory to the Union bank account, if over the age of 18.
xii) ensure that an annual report is presented to the General Council on the activities of
the Affiliates over the previous year.
xiv) be accountable to the General Council only and ensure that the decisions made are
implemented.
xvi) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.

5.9 The COMMISSIONER TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL,
who shall be a member of the General Council shall:
i) be the secondary representative of the General Council and seek to involve as many
Affiliates in the Union as possible
ii) assist in liasing between the General Council and the Executive.
iii) be responsible for publicising all General Council meetings, receiving debates and
changes for discussion and circulating agendas and minutes to members of the
meeting.
iv) act as co-chair for all General Council meetings and hold the Chairperson
accountable for his/her actions in the Executive.
v) look after the interests of the affiliate members and arrange a referendum if
requested by the Council.
vi) notify the General Council of the resignation of any Union officer and ensure the
General Council decides appropriate action
vii) be accountable to the General Council only and ensure that the decisions made are
implemented.
viii) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union.
5.10 The HIGH STEWARD,

who shall be a member of the Board of Governors shall:
i) act as the chair and the primary representative of the Board of Governors.
ii) along with other Board members, have no say or role in the operational, governance
or legislative decisions of the Union.
iii) be an alumni who is legally qualified.
iv) along with other Board members, ensure that the Union operates in accordance with
UK law
v) ensure that any proposed constitutional amendments do not violate the fundamental
rights of any Union member.
vi) ensure constitutional accountability of the General Council and arrange referendums
for constitutional issues raised by Board members.
vii) act reasonably and prudently in all matters, and in the best interests of the Union

Appendix One
OPTING OUT
1.1 Every student or alumnus shall be able to relinquish their right of membership of the
Union.
1.2 Any student or alumni who opts out of the Union shall not be able to participate in
the democratic and decision-making function of the union. This includes not being
able to stand for any officer or representative position, as contained in the Union
constitution.
1.3 Any student or alumni who opts out of the Union shall continue to have the right to
attend Union run events and participate in the activities of its Affilifates.
1.4 Any student or alumni wishing to opt out must indicate this in writing to the General
Secretary.
1.5 Any student or alumni who has opted out who wishes to become a member of the
Union shall fill in the online membership form and notify the General Secretary in
writing. If the application falls within twenty working days of nominations opening
for a Union election, then the member will not be eligible to take up the full
privileges of membership until the nomination period has closed.

Appendix Two
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
2.1 Affiliates and members of the Union shall be expected to abide by this constitution,
its schedules and appendices at all times.
2.2 The Union‟s disciplinary policy has authority over any premises managed by the
Union, any Union activities, including the activities of any Affiliate in any joint
venture, or any misconduct which takes place outside Union premises but is
connected with the Union and is likely to affect the reputation of the Union.
2.3 If a member or Affiliate is deemed to have breached the rules of the Union their
conduct shall be examined by a panel of three Union members known as the
Complaints Panel.
2.4 The Complaints Panel shall be chaired by a Governor, and have one member each
from the Executive and General Council.
2.5 The members of the Panel should be adjusted such that both parties have minimum
objection to its the composition.
2.6 The Complaints Panel shall be convened within twenty-one working days of the
alleged offence occurring. The offender shall be given written notification of the
time, date and place of the hearing, together with written notification of the alleged
breach, at least seven days before the hearing.
2.7 In cases involving the misuse of Union facilities or resources or behaviour likely to
cause potential danger or offence to students, staff or other persons, the member,
officer or Affiliate may be suspended from the use of particular Union facilities or
resources until the Complaints Panel has reached a decision.
2.8 No person shall sit on the Union disciplinary panels if they are a witness, potential
witness, the complainant or directly connected with the member or Affiliate being
charged.
2.9 The person bringing the charge or his/her representative shall call witnesses to give
evidence as appropriate. They shall ask questions of the witnesses. The defendant or
his/her representative may also ask questions of the witnesses.
2.10 The defendant or his/her representative may call their own witnesses to give
evidence and present any relevant documents to the panel. They may ask questions
of the witnesses. The person bringing the charge or his/her representative may also
ask questions of the witnesses.
2.11 The Panel may ask questions of any witnesses, the person bringing the charge or
their representative, the Affiliate body or their representative.
2.12 The Complaints Panel shall then deliberate on the matter and decide on the
appropriate action to be taken. The panel shall base its decision on evidence
presented and examined in the presence of the person bringing the charge and the
member or Affiliate being charged. Evidence of any earlier misconduct shall not be

presented until after the decision has been reached on the facts of the case, but
then may be admitted and considered in deciding on any punishment.
2.13 The Complaints Panel shall not have any direct power to apply penalties but will
recommend formal action to the General Council or Executive along with its written
findings. This may include dismissal of any officer or expulsion of a member from
the Union.
2.14 All decisions shall be kept in complete confidentiality unless the defendant wishes to
to publicise the decision. The prosecution shall not have the right to break
confidentiality and shall face disciplinary action in the Union in case any sensitive
information regarding any complaint is leaked.
2.15 The Union Complaints Panel may refer any matter to the Appeals Panel.
2.16 The Complaints Panel must inform the person(s) of their right of appeal and that any
appeal should be made in writing to the High Steward within seven working days.
2.17 If the defendant is unhappy they may appeal to an Appeals Panel made up of three
members appointed by the General Council. The appellant shall be notified in writing
at least seven working days in advance of the meeting.
2.18 The Appeals Panel shall hear the reason for the appeal and the rationale behind the
original decision. They shall also hear any new evidence that has emerged since the
disciplinary hearing. The matter shall be put to the vote and the decision shall be
final.
2.19 All hearings shall normally take place in private. However the subjects of any charge
may request that the hearing is held in public. All hearings shall be recorded and the
data shall be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The record
shall be kept for use in any Appeal. The decision of the Complaints or Appeals Panel
will be posted on a Union website if requested by the defendant.
2.20 The Union officers may be removed from office by:

i) a two-thirds majority vote at a quorate meeting of the General Council.
ii) a simple majority in a quorate referendum of the members of the Union.
2.21 General Council members can be removed from office by:

i) a two-thirds majority vote at a quorate meeting of General Council
2.22 Board of Governor members can be removed from office by:

i) a two-thirds majority vote at a quorate meeting of General Council AND a two-
thirds majority vote at a quorate meeting of the Executive.
2.23 The regulations for a ballot to remove a member of the Executive or General Council
or Board of Governors from office shall be determined by the Election Commission
within the limits of this constitution.

2.24 Any member of the Executive, General Council or any other committee who has been
absent from at least three successive meetings, without submitting apologies to the
Chair of the meeting, shall automatically be deemed to no longer hold office.
2.25 Any resignation must be in writing to the chair of relevant committee. Resignations
shall take effect immediately, and be reported to the General Council.
2.26 In the case of any vacancy arising a by-election shall be held in accordance with
Schedule One (Election Regulations) of this constitution.

Appendix Three
UNION CODE OF PRACTICE
This Code of Practice is approved by the High Steward in accordance with the requirements
of clause 22(3) of the Education Act 1994 which requires that the corporation shall take
such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that the Union operates in a fair and
democratic manner and is accountable for its finances. The Code of Practice should be read
in conjunction with the constitution, schedules and appendices.
3.1 Constitution
3.1.1 The Union shall have a written constitution, approved by the High Steward and
reviewed by the High Steward at intervals of not more than five years. Any
amendments to the constitution shall be approved by the High Steward.
3.2 Elections
3.2.1 Appointment to major Union offices shall be by election in a secret ballot in which all
members of the General Council are entitled to vote, in accordance with clause 5 and
Schedule One (Election Regulations) of the constitution.
3.2.2 The High Steward shall agree the appointment of an independent Election
Commission to conduct the elections and shall satisfy itself that the elections to
major Union offices are fairly and properly conducted.
3.3 Sabbatical Officers
3.3.1 No person shall hold Executive office, or Governor position, for more than
three years in total.
3.4 Membership
3.4.1 Any student or alumnus who signs up for paid membership, shall be members of the
Union unless they choose to relinquish their rights of membership in accordance with
the optout regulations contained in Appendix 1 of the constitution. Members shall be
informed annually by the General Secretary of the opting-out procedure and of the
consequences of so doing. Any student or alumni opting-out of the Union shall not
be unfairly disadvantaged with regard to the provision of services or otherwise, by
reason of their having done so.
3.4.2 the consequences of opting out of membership shall be:

i) the person may not participate in any of the democratic processes of the Union
ii) the person shall not hold office in any club and society of the Union
iii) the person will not be represented by the Union
3.5 Finances
3.5.1 The financial affairs of the Union shall be properly conducted in accordance with
clause 10 and Schedule Four (Financial Regulations) of the constitution and include

appropriate arrangements for the approval of the Union‟s budget and the monitoring
of expenditure by the General Council.
3.5.2 The annual accounts of the Union shall be made available to the General Council and
to all members.
3.6 Allocation of resources to Affiliates
3.6.1 The procedure for allocating resources to Affiliates shall be fair in accordance with
clause 7 and Schedule Two (Affiliates) of the constitution and shall be made available
in writing to all members.
3.7 Affiliation to external organisations
3.7.1 Any decision to affiliate to an external organisation shall be published, stating the
name of the organisation and details of any subscription or similar fee paid or
proposed to be paid, and of any donation made or proposed to be made to the
organisation and any such notice shall be made available to all members, in
accordance with clause 8 of the constitution.
3.7.2 The Union shall, on an annual basis, publish a list of the external organisations to
which the Union is currently affiliated and details of subscriptions or similar fees paid
or donations made to such organisations in the past year, which shall be made
available to the General Council and all members.
3.7.3 The General Council shall approve annually the list of affiliations. At least 200
members of the Union may, at intervals of not less than one year, by a signed
requisition delivered to the General Secrerary, call for a referenfum of all members
on the continuation of affiliation to a particular organisation in accordance with
clause 8.4 of the constitution.
3.8 Freedom of speech
3.8.1 The Union and its members are bound to observe the Code of Practice in relation
to freedom of speech as required by section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act of 1986.
3.9 Complaints
3.9.1 The following complaints procedure shall be made available to all members or
Affiliates who are dissatisfied in their dealings with the Union or claim to be
unfairly disadvantaged by reason of their having exercised their right to opt out of
membership of the Union.
3.9.2 Any complaint about the Union shall be addressed to the President. In any
circumstances where the complaint relates to the president, it shall be addressed to
the Chairperson of the General Council. If it is believed that several parties are
complicit in the Executive or the General Council, then the complaint shall be
addressed to the High Steward.
3.9.3 The President or the relevant officer shall make a written reply within fourteen
working days.

3.9.4 If the complainant is not satisfied with the response then he/she may request for
commencement for disciplinary procedures under Appendix Two.
3.9.5 If the complainant remains unsatisfied with the decision of the Complaints Panel,
then the complainant may refer the matter to the Appeal Panel whose decision shall
be final.
3.9.6 Members who complain will also be referred to the mechanisms in this constitution to
remove officers and change the policy of the Union.

NUPSA Constitution First Draft

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

NUPSA Constitution First Draft

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Constitution of the Union

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

Recognition of Constitution Committee:

The Constitutional Committee which drafted this constitution consists of:

Chair of the Committee: Mishal Saeed (University of Salford)

Recognition of the Ratification:

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

It provides a framework for the operation of the union by:

• Defining what the union can or cannot do

The constitution is made up of three sections:

Section 1 – The Articles

Section 2 – The Schedules

Section 3 – The Appendices

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

Section 1: The Articles

1.0 Name and Status

Section 2: The Schedules

Schedule One Election Regulations

Section 3: The Appendices

Appendix One Opting Out

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

2.0 Aims and Objectives

2.1 To promote Student Unity

2.2 To promote Student Support and Welfare

2.3 Provision of Funds to Charities in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistanis

3.0 Membership of the Union

3.2 Any officer shall be a full member of the Union

4.0 Union Structure

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

5.0 Executive Committee

5.4 The role of the Executive committee shall be to:

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

6.0 General Council

6.4 The functions of General Council shall be:

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

6.7 An Emergency General Meeting may be called to discuss a particular issue.

7.0 Board of Governors

7.6 The role of the Board of Governors shall be to:

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

8.4 In the event of an objection to a current affiliation to any particular external

9.0 Complaints Procedure

10.0 Union Finance

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

15.5 All new chapters will be required to maintain communication channels

16.0 Code of Conduct

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

ELECTION AND REFERENDUM REGULATIONS

1.1 Election Commission

i) The Election Commission shall consist of three members to be appointed in March

1.2 Officers Election Schedule

1.3 Officer positions

i) The members of the Executive committee shall be:

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

iv) The officers of the General Council shall be:

vi) Reopen nominations (RON) shall be a candidate in all Union elections.

1.4 Election of the Board of Governors

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk

1.5 Publicity about the Election

ii) Candidates may produce a manifesto and a poster to a specification to be

i) Candidates may commence campaigning at the close of nominations.

© Copyright – National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni www.nupsa.co.uk