ECONOMICS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION OF ECONOMICS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE (FOUNDING) CAMPUS

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1 CONSTITUTION OF ECONOMICS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE (FOUNDING) CAMPUS As of 21/09/2013

2 Contents Article 1 Name Article 2 Statement of Purposes Sub-Article 2.1 Non-for-profit status Sub-Article Dissolution clause Article 3 Student Union Affiliation Article 4 Membership Article 5 Executive Article 6 Responsibilities of the Executive Article 7 Rights Article 8 Finances and Sponsorship Article 9 Meetings Article 10 Elections Article 11 Amendments Article 12 Impeachment Article 13 Agency Clause Article 14 Expansion Article 15 - Board of Advisors

3 Article 1 Name The club s official name will be Economics Student Society of Australia. This will be abbreviated to ESSA. No other name will be used in the advertisement or representation of the club. Article 2 Statement of Purposes a) To provide guidance for Economic students in choosing their study paths and their career pathways. b) To assist our members in creating a personal relationship with the broader economics community and then upon this, developing a professional relationship and network. c) To assist in the development of the economics skills set and equip budding economist with the tools to succeed in the workforce. d) To provide an outlet for economic students to engage in real world economics with their peers in stimulating discussions and forums. e) Foster an environment of respectful debate and discussion amongst student populace on economic issues of importance. f) Illustrate economics unique multidisciplinary appeal, ability to spark passionate debate and its relevance and importance in modern day society. g) To facilitate the generation of an economics community, both online and on campus whereby students and professionals alike can engage in broader economics discussions. Sub-Article 2.1 Not-for-profit status The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely in furtherance of its abovementioned objectives and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as bona fide compensation for expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation. Sub-Article Dissolution clause - In the event of the organisation being dissolved, the amount that remains after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar purposes which is not carried on for the profit or gain of its individual members. If no such organization exists the money should be transferred to the C&S Committee of UMSU. Article 3 Student Union Affiliation a) This club is affiliated to UMSU Inc (UMSU) and anything in this constitution that conflicts with the constitution of UMSU or with the Clubs & Societies Regulations shall be null and void. In all matters not specifically dealt with herein, the Constitution of UMSU and the Clubs & Societies Regulations shall apply. b) During the course of affiliation with UMSU this club shall comply with any requirements of the Clubs & Societies Committee of UMSU for the provision of records and documents and shall be under a duty to apply any grant monies received from the Clubs & Societies Committee in accordance with any conditions imposed by such body. 1

4 Article 4 Membership a) Membership shall be open to all students of the University of Melbourne b) Associate membership shall be open to any other persons who subscribe to the aims of the club. c) A person shall be considered a member having: I. Paid a membership fee exacted at the committee s discretion; and II. Completed a membership form as prepared by the committee. d) End of membership occurs at the end of each academic year, and can be renewed for the following year. e) Membership to the Society may be offered in conjunction with other professional memberships, at the discretion of the President, Vice President and with approval from the committee by way of a majority vote at a general committee meeting. f) To show that a club is maintaining its minimum membership requirements (thirty University of Melbourne students), it must submit a membership list by the 15 th of March every year. g) Membership lists must always be submitted containing the information and using the format stipulated by a motion of the Clubs and Societies Committee. This information will at a minimum include names, student numbers and courses. Clubs that fail to submit the membership list in the specified format will receive no funding until such time as they submit the membership list in the correct format. h) 66% of club membership must be drawn from the University of Melbourne student population. Article 5 Executive a. The committee shall have the following members: I. An executive consisting of: i. the President, who shall be a Melbourne University ii. the Vice-President, who shall be a Melbourne University iii. the Education Officer, who shall be a Melbourne University iv. the Secretary, who shall be a Melbourne University v. the Finance Director, who shall be a Melbourne University vi. the Events Director, who shall be a Melbourne University vii. the Marketing Director, who shall be a Melbourne University viii. the Publications Director, who shall be a Melbourne University ix. the IT Director, who shall be a Melbourne University student x. the Sponsorship Director, who shall be a Melbourne University student II. Non-executive members consisting of at least three general 2

5 representatives. b. The committee shall have the following powers: I. Control over the finances of the club; II. Control over the activities of the club. c. The committee is at all times bound by the decisions of a club general meeting. Any committee decision may be overturned by a club general meeting. Article 6 Responsibilities of the Executive a) The President will: i. Oversee the other members of the executive in fulfilling their responsibilities; ii. Chair all meetings; and, iii. Have signing authority for the club. b) Vice-President(s): i. Assist the President in his/her duties; ii. Assume all powers of the President in his/her absence; and, iii. Be responsible for the co-ordination of ESSA branches iv. Have signing authority for the club. c) Education Officer i. Work together with University of Melbourne Student Union to maintain and strengthen relations; ii. Make sure the society is fulfilling its UMSU obligations iii. Attend UMSU relevant events; iv. Liase between the faculty and the club. d) The Secretary will: i. Assist the President in his/her duties; ii. Be responsible for recording the minutes of all meetings; iii. Have signing authority for the club. e) The Finance Director will: i. Be responsible for overseeing all financial dealings of the club; ii. Keep complete records of all financial dealings of the club; and, iii. Have signing authority for the club. f) The responsibilities of other executive members are decided upon by the President and Vice President in consultation with those members (this includes the Marketing Director, Sponsorship Director, Events Director, and IT Director). Article 7 Rights a. A member is entitled to: i. All the rights granted to students; ii. Be advised that members are calling a general meeting; iii. Take part in a request for the calling of a general meeting; iv. Receive notice of general meetings; v. Attend, speak and vote at general meetings; vi. Nominate and stand for election any available roles in the society that were not filled at the Special Committee Meeting (as outlined in Article 9 of this Constitution) at the Annual General Meeting; vii. Inspect the minutes, of any general meeting; 3

6 b. A sponsor is entitled to: i. Any benefits afforded them by the sponsorship package which they have subscribed to; the sponsorship packages are at the discretion of the executive committee and cannot be changed after they have been agreed upon by both participating parties, either formally or informally; ii. Inquire about the activities of the society at any time during their sponsorship of the society; iii. Equal treatment of their interests in the planning and holding of events, promotion or any other form of representation, to other sponsors subscribing to the same sponsorship package. Article 8 Finances and Sponsorship a) The executive will set a membership fee annually. i. Money gained through membership must be used to further the purposes of the society as outlined in Article 2 of this Constitution b) Sponsorship: i. Professional bodies are only to be approached for sponsorship upon the consensus of the sponsorship team, in close consultation with the executive committee ii. Money gained through sponsorship by professional bodies must be used to further the purposes of the society Article 9 Meetings a. There shall be one Annual General Meeting every calendar year, which shall be held during the academic period, but no later than the end of September. b. The club AGM must be held on the premises of The University of Melbourne, on an academic day 1. c. At this meeting: i. Written reports shall be presented by the President, Treasurer, Education Officer and any other pertinent persons; ii. Ratification of the club s constitution; iii. A full financial report will be presented for the financial year from the prior AGM to the present AGM; iv. Elections will be held for a new committee, to take charge of the club from the close of the meeting; v. Other moved motions may be discussed and voted upon, with preference going to motions of which notice was given before the meeting; vi. The club shall submit all the AGM documents to the C&S Administrator within two weeks of the AGM. d. The committee must appoint a Returning Officer for the AGM. The name of the Returning Officer must be provided to the C&S Officer(s) and/or Administrator with the written notice of the club AGM. 1 For all purposes herein, an Academic Day will be considered as a day in the teaching period of Semester 1 and Semester 2. 4

7 i. The Returning Officer may not be a nominated candidate. The Returning Officer may not nominate candidates or vote in the election. ii. The Returning Officer is not required to be a member of the club or a current University of Melbourne student. iii. The Returning Officer is responsible for the validity of the election. If any position for a committee is contested, the Returning Officer must conduct an election for the position. If a secret ballot is conducted, then all ballot papers must be signed by the Returning Officer, otherwise the ballot paper will be declared invalid. iv. The Returning Officer must keep all records of the election for one month after the date of the Annual General Meeting. v. If the requirements under this regulation are not followed, then the C&S Committee may declare the election invalid and may order a new election to be held within twenty academic days of the decision being made. vi. The C&S Committee may, on the recommendation of the C&S Officer(s), make a motion appointing a Returning Officer for a General Meeting of any club. e. The process of the AGM must include: i. the presentation and adoption of the Agenda for the AGM; ii. minute-taking of the AGM; iii. the taking of an attendance list including the following details: name, student number, course and signatures of attendees; iv. the consideration of any amendment to and the ratification of the club s constitution; v. written reports presented by President/Convener, Treasurer, Education Officer (applicable only to Faculty/Departmental clubs), and any other pertinent persons (such as Secretary); vi. the presentation and adoption of a full financial report for the period from the previous AGM to the current AGM; vii. the election of the club committee as outlined in the club s constitution; viii. moved motions which may be discussed and voted upon, including the result of the vote; ix. appointment of bank signatories from among the newly elected Executive. f. The Club must submit the following documentation within two weeks of the AGM: i. Agenda of the AGM; ii. Minutes of the AGM; iii. Meeting Attendance List; iv. Club Constitution; v. Copies of the reports of the President/Convener, Treasurer, Education Officer, and any other any reports presented; vi. a financial statement from the previous AGM to the current AGM and an asset list and/or statutory declaration detailing UMSU funded items and bank statements showing the opening and closing balances of the period; 5

8 vii. Contact details of the elected club Executive; viii. Club membership list conformant to Regulations 5.3.a & b; ix. Evidence that the club has had at least 1 members event or activity during each academic semester. Evidence may be in the form of receipts, an attendance list, an Application for Payment, photos, advertising materials, or a social networking website event invitation. The event or activity must directly relate to the club s aims; x. Income Tax Status form; xi. GST Status form. g. There shall be such general meetings as the committee sees fit, or as are petitioned. The procedure of such meeting will be as for the Annual General Meeting, except committee elections will not be held unless specifically notified. h. At least 1 general meeting shall be held during the academic year i. Written notification of the AGM must be given to the C&S Officer(s), Administrator and members at least five full academic days in advance. The notice must include time, date, and venue. This applies also to any other General Meeting or Special General Meeting held. j. If fifteen members, or one third of the membership, whichever is the smaller, should petition the committee for a general meeting, such meeting must be held within fifteen academic days, at a date to be set by the committee. k. General meetings hold the power to overturn any committee decision, if a simple majority for a change in that decision is reached l. The quorum shall be: i. At a General Meeting or Annual General Meeting, a minimum of twenty members whom are not committee members. ii. At a committee meeting, three committee members, at least one of whom must be a member of the executive. m. The committee shall be required to give at least five academic days notice of a General Meeting (GM), Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Special General Meeting (SGM). Such notice must be notification and given to both the Clubs and Societies Administrator and club members. n. A committee meeting may be called by any executive member of the committee, subject to such limitations on notice and spending as the committee may from time to time set. o. A motion to wind up the club must be written and notice of the motion is to be given in the agenda for the general meeting at which the winding up motion is to be decided. A winding up motion must be carried by an absolute majority. p. In the event that the club is wound up, or ceases to be affiliated to UMSU the control of assets which have been 50% or more funded by UMSU Clubs & Societies Committee grants and which are less than 3 years old will revert to UMSU and be held in trust by UMSU Clubs & Societies Committee until such time that a club with the same aims is affiliated or a period of 18 months lapses. q. In the event that the club has not been able to organise a quorate meeting within the 12 month period, the UMSU Clubs & Societies Committee may wind up the club by passing a motion to do so under the rules of UMSU. Any member of the club who wished to oppose the winding up of the club should 6

9 make submissions to the committee. The decision of the committee is final subject only to appeal under UMSU rules. Article 10 Voting in Meetings and Elections a) Positions for the next year will be open for recruitment and voting will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting in a democratic manner. b) A simple majority will suffice for the passage of a motion. i. Only members of the society will be allowed to vote in club General Meetings ii. Only elected Committee members will be allowed to vote in committee meetings iii. Each member has one vote. iv. All tied motions are lost. v. No proxy voting shall be permitted. Article 11 Amendments Constitutional changes require a simple majority of members voting at a Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting, and take effect immediately. These constitutional motions must be presented in writing to the committee at least five academic days before the meeting, and notice of these shall be given to the membership. Constitutional changes shall be approved by the UMSU Clubs & Societies Office Bearer(s) before they are presented to a general meeting. Article 12 Impeachment a) Any committee member absent from four consecutive committee meetings without due cause or previous apology may, at the committee s discretion, be deemed to resign from her/his position by a motion of the committee, and a general meeting must be called to elect a successor. b) If it is deemed that a committee member should be stood down, by a motion of the committee, or a petition bearing the names of at least fifteen members, impeachment proceedings will take place against the nominated committee member. At the next general meeting or Annual General Meeting, a motion shall be put to impeach the committee member, provided that at least five academic days notice has been given to the membership and to the member concerned in writing. If this passed by a two thirds majority, that committee position will become vacant and a new election held immediately. The committee member to be impeached will be given at least five minutes to speak before the vote is taken. c) If deemed by a motion of the committee, or a petition bearing the names of at least fifteen members, any member of the club can be expelled. The procedure is the same as for impeachment except that the result is the voiding of the person s membership. No member may be expelled on the ground of race, sex, gender or religion; political, moral or sexual views. d) If ESSA refuses a student or any other person membership, or expels any member, the committee must give written justification of the decision to C&S Committee within two weeks or face disciplinary action. 7

10 e) Any member of the club who commits an act negatively affecting the interests of the club and its members may be given notice of impeachment; f) The impeached individual shall have the right to defend her actions. Article 13 Agency Clause a) The Economics Student Society of Australia is not acting as an Agent of the University Students Council or Melbourne University and any of its faculties or Student Union; the views and actions of the Economics Student Society of Australia do not represent those of the mentioned bodies. Article 14 Expansion a. The expansion of the Economics Student Society of Australia beyond the University of Melbourne must be approved by the existing committee members. b. The Constitution of this chapter of ESSA is not binding on subsequent chapters of ESSA. c. In the case of expansion, the Economics Student Society of Australia headquarters will be based at the University of Melbourne. Therefore, University of Melbourne campus reserves official status as the Founding University. d. All subsequent societies will be formally known as Branches. e. The coordination of branches will be the responsibility of the National Affairs Director. In the instance where there are only 2 branches, this role will be assumed by the Vice President at the University of Melbourne f. Any branch expansion requires a formal discussion with the Board of Advisors to discuss the details around the expansion. 8

11 Article 15 Board of Advisors a. The Board of Advisors exist to provide guidance and support for the current leadership team of the Economics Student Society of Australia b. The Board is expected to meet with the current Presidents bi-annually to keep up to date with current events and issues of the Society 9