This the constitution of the Swansea University Computer Society (S.U.C.S.) henceforth referred to as the Society. It sets out the rules governing the society and its objectives.
| 1.1 | To help further the education of the members. |
| 1.2 | To do anything the committee sees fit to enable 1.1. |
| 1.3 | To have fun |
2.1 Membership is divided into:
| (i) | Honorary members |
| (ii) | Student members |
| The term members shall denote both (i) and (ii) unless otherwise indicated. |
| 2.2 | Honorary Membership |
|---|---|
| 2.2.1 | Any person can become an honorary member, at the discretion of the committee. |
| 2.2.2 | Once a person has become an honorary member (s)he retains that membership unless it is terminated by the committee. |
| 2.2.3 | A person whose honorary membership has been terminated under 2.2.2 must be (if possible) informed in writing by the committee. |
| 2.2.4 | Retiring committee members become honorary members of the society. |
| 2.2.5 | The General Secretary must maintain a list of the honorary members of the society. |
| 2.3 | Student Membership |
|---|---|
| 2.3.1 | This society is open to all members of the student union. |
| 2.3.2 | Student members have voting rights, to elect an executive (yearly) and to vote at a members' meeting. |
| 2.3.3 | Student membership is conditional upon the payment of the membership fee. |
| 2.3.4 | A student member's membership is terminated upon unanimous (allowing for abstentions) vote of the committee; for disciplinary reasons. |
| 2.3.5 | The General Secretary must maintain a list of the student members of the society. |
| 3.1 | Members' meetings |
|---|---|
| 3.1.1 | There shall be at least 1 members' meeting a year. |
| 3.1.2 | A members' meeting can be called at any time by the General Secretary or the Chairman/Chairwoman by giving at least 2 days' notice for an Emergency meeting* or at least 7 days' notice for any other meeting. |
| * An Emergency meeting is a members' meeting which is called due to matters arising (and may have some urgency) and at which only one subject is on the Agendum. | |
| 3.1.3 | The General Secretary MUST call a members' meeting to be held 7 days (or nearest available day thereafter) after receipt of a petition from a member. Such a petition can not be electronic and MUST be signed by at least 1/3 of the student membership. |
| 3.2 | Committee meetings |
|---|---|
| 3.2.1 | There shall be at least 1 committee meeting each term. |
| 3.2.2 | A committee meeting can be called at any time by any committee member provided a reasonable attempt is made to inform committee members of the meeting. |
| 4.1 | There shall be a Chairman/Chairwoman of the Society, who shall be the senior officer. |
| The Chairman/Chairwoman shall be a deputy Treasurer and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the Treasurer in his/her absence. | |
| The Chairman/Chairwoman shall be a deputy General Secretary and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the General Secretary in his/her absence. | |
| The Chairman/Chairwoman shall be a deputy to all other committee members and can deputise for the absent committee member in his/her absence. | |
| 4.2 | There shall be a Treasurer of the Society, who shall have charge of, and be responsible for the financial administration of the society. The Treasurer shall have a duty to present accounts. |
| The Treasurer shall be the senior deputy Chairman/Chairwoman and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the Chairman/Chairwoman in his/her absence. | |
| The Treasurer shall be a deputy General Secretary and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the General Secretary in his/her absence. | |
| 4.3 | There shall be a General Secretary of the Society, who shall have charge of, and be responsible for the administration of the society. (S)he is also responsible for the receipt of any petition from the members and should make efforts to represent the members' opinions on committee. (S)he is responsible for the membership lists. |
| The General Secretary shall be a deputy Chairman/Chairwoman and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the Chairman/Chairwoman in his/her absence. | |
| The General Secretary shall be a deputy Treasurer and can deputise for and have and be entitled to exercise all the duties and powers of the Treasurer in his/her absence. | |
| 4.4 | The Chairman/Chairwoman, Treasurer and General Secretary shall form the executive of the society. |
| 5.1 | The committee of the society shall consist of the three executive officers (above) and any other officers that may be necessary. |
| 5.2 | The committee can decide to allocate whatever duties and privileges that it sees fit to society members. |
| 6.1 | Any member can be co-opted by the committee to any non-executive post of the society. Any such post shall be subject to ratification at the next members' meeting, unless the post is a post requiring technical competence; in which case no ratification is required. |
| 6.2 | The executive have the right of veto over the election of an officer to a technical post, if the executive believe the elected officer does not posses the competence or would not have the confidence of the executive. |
| 6.3 | The returning officer has a duty to make a reasonable attempt to avoid an incidence of 6.2 by informing a prospective candidate (who would cause an incidence of 6.2) of clause 6.2 and its consequences. |
| 6.4.1 | Returning Officer |
|---|---|
| (i) | The returning officer MUST NOT be any person standing for election or re-election. |
| (ii) | The returning officer shall be the General Secretary or one of his/her deputies unless (i) disallows this, in which case a returning officer shall be appointed by the committee. |
| (iii) | The returning officer MUST at all times act with impartiality and must not publicly declare a preference for any candidate. |
| (iv) | The returning officer shall ensure fair play in any election, (s)he shall have the duty of enforcing the election rules and his/her decisions are final. |
| (v) | The returning officer may at his/her discretion disqualify a candidate or call another election in the event of breach of rules or activities that may make the election unfair. |
| (vi) | Complaints against the returning officer must be made to the committee who may call a new election or disregard the complaint. |
| 6.4.2 | Election Procedure |
|---|---|
| (i) | Each candidate for election must have a proposer and a seconder, other than themselves. |
| (ii) | Both proposer and seconder must be student members before nominations for elections open. |
| (iii) | candidates for executive posts must be student members before nominations for elections open. |
| (iv) | Each candidate may oversee (or nominate a representative to oversee) the counting of votes cast in an election in which (s)he is a candidate. |
| (v) | A member unable to vote at the required time may cast his/her vote by naming his/her preferred candidate in a written note to the returning officer which must be signed by the voter in the presence of the returning officer. |
| (vi) | There shall be at least 2 days between close of nominations and the start of the election. |
| (vii) | Nominations may be received by the returning officer immediately after the elections are announced (this is the opening date) up to and including the closing date for nominations. The closing date for nominations cannot be less than 7 days after the opening date for nominations. |