Amendment to Governing Document AGD1202 Referendum Question 1: Proposed changes to Bye-Laws Proposer: Ben Towse Seconder: Michael Chessum Passed: Union Council, 07 February 2013 This Union Resolves: 1. To adopt the Bye-Laws (appended) on August 1st but run Spring elections for the new offices created. 2. To transfer Forum Guidance Documents to Autonomous Section Constitutions where there is an equivalent body. 1. Appendix 1 2. UCLU Bye-Laws Bye-Law 1 - General 1. UCLU is a Company limited by Guarantee. 2. Words and phrases used in these Bye - Laws have the meanings as ascribed to them in the Memorandum and Articles of the Union. 3. The Memorandum and Articles of the Union shall take precedence over these Bye - Laws and these Bye - Laws shall not be interpreted or applied in a ny way that is inconsistent with the Memorandum and Articles of the Union. 4. In the case of confusion or contradiction in these Bye - Laws, the Steering Committee shall have power to interpret their wording. 5. These Bye - Laws may be amended by the Union Council, General Assembly or Referendum, in accordance with the relevant sections in these Bye - Laws, via a special resolution with a 75% majority vote. a. Amendments to the Bye - Laws must be submitted to the Democracy and Communications Officer 10 working days before t he meeting they are to be heard at, and displayed on the Union website within 1 working day of their submission. b. They may also be altered by a 75% majority vote of a Referendum, with method of submission and display the same as for a General Assembly. c. The Union Council and General Assemblies may suspend any given section of the Bye - Laws on an emergency basis by a 75% majority if they deem that i. Certain Bye - Laws contradict each other; or ii. Certain Bye - Laws are being, or are in imminent danger of being, abused a nd such a suspension is necessary to uphold the proper democratic process 6. Rules and provisions made in Guidance Documents carry the same weight as rules contained within the Bye - Laws themselves. a. Guidance Documents shall exist as appendices of the Bye - Laws. b. Guidance Documents shall require a 75% majority vote at Union Council or a General Assembly to be created or changed. c. Rules and provisions made in a Guidance Document shall not be considered to lapse unless the Guidance Document specifies that they shall, or they are replaced or superseded in a later Guidance Document. 7. UCLU is fully committed to equal opportunities and will strive to ensure that no Member or member of staff is subject to discrimination in any form. Wherever necessary use will be made of la wful exemptions to cater for special needs of particular groups. All Officers should strive to ensure equal opportunities within their remit. All meetings must be accessible to all Members, that includes venues and papers. 8. UCLU may affiliate to any externa l organisation provided that such affiliations do not violate relevant law or the Memorandum and Articles or Bye - Laws of UCLU. All affiliations shall be posted on the website and approved at the Annual General Assembly or Council should this meeting not be quorate. Any new affiliation to, or disaffiliation from, a political or other sectarian organisation shall require a majority vote on a motion put to a General Assembly or Referendum. Current affiliations shall continue indefinitely subject to annual appr oval at a General Assembly in line with the previous Bye - Law. 9. The Union shall publish an annual report for submission at a Union Council. It will then be submitted to the UCL Council before its last meeting of the session. 10. The Union shall observe the UCL C ode of Practice on Freedom of Speech. Bye-Law 2 - Membership 1. All UCL students are automatically Members of UCLU unless they opt out. 2. Regulations of Membership shall be as stated in the Memorandum and Articles of the Union. 3. Membership fees for associate and visiting Members shall be set by Union Council. 4. Students may opt out of their Membership of the Union by informing the Democracy and Communications Officer in writing. Students that opt out of their Membership are not able to take part in the democratic processes o f the Union, but retain their right to access non - grant aided facilities and the UCLU Rights and Advice Centre. a. They may still join Clubs & Societies once the relevant associate member fee has been paid. b. They may not hold an elected position within a club or society; nor vote in a club or society elections. Bye-Law 3 - Faculty & Halls Assemblies, Networks and Autonomous Sections 1. Faculty and Halls Assemblies a. Faculty Assemblies and Halls Assemblies shall be open meetings to enable the students of a particular Faculty or Halls to: i. Organise and coordinate campaigning relating to their Faculty or Halls, ii. Raise issues affecting them as a member of their Faculty or Halls, iii. Ask questions of, and hear reports from, their Faculty or Halls Representative. iv. Instruct their Faculty or H alls Representative(s). v. Recall their Faculty or Halls Representative(s) as described elsewhere in the Bye - Laws b. Faculty Representatives shall be responsible for organising and facilitating Faculty Assemblies, and shall ensure that a record is made of the di scussions and action points. The Education and Campaigns Officer shall help and advise Faculty Representatives in this task. c. Halls Representatives shall be responsible for organising and facilitating Halls Assemblies, and shall ensure that a record is made of the discussions and action points. The Welfare and International Officer and the Halls Accommodation Representative shall help and advise Halls Representatives in this task. d. A Faculty Assembly may be called by any Faculty Representative or the Educatio n and Campaigns Officer . The Faculty Representatives in a particular faculty must call a Faculty Assembly within five working days of a request from at least 5 students of their Faculty. e. A Halls Assembly may be called by any Halls Representative, the Welf are and International Officer or the Halls Accommodation Representative. A Halls Representative must call a Halls Assembly within five working days of a request from at least 5 students from their Halls. f. The Union Chair may call and chair Halls Assemblies or Faculty Assemblies on receipt of a valid motion to recall a Halls Rep or Faculty Rep as described elsewhere in the Bye - Laws. g. Faculty Assemblies may include all students within a Faculty, or alternatively issues affecting undergraduates, taught postgradu ates and research postgraduates may be addressed in specific Faculty Assemblies for specific groups. h. Meetings of all Networks and Assemblies shall be announced publicly on the Union website at least 5 days before, except in the case of Emergency Meetings or Assemblies. 2. Networks a. Networks shall exist to allow groups of Officers and Members to meet to share information and to coordinate and plan the implementation of relevant policies and democratic decisions. b. For the avoidance of doubt, the Women's Network s hall be governed by the Bye - Laws relating to Autonomous Sections, not Networks. It is referred to as a Network only due to tradition. c. Networks shall report their activities to the Union Executive Committee, and remain accountable to the Union Executive Com mittee for the implementation of relevant Policy. d. Meetings of all Networks and Assemblies shall be announced publicly on the Union website at least 5 days before, except in the case of Emergency Meetings or Assemblies. e. Accommodation Network i. All Halls Repre sentatives, the Halls Accommodation Representative, the External Accommodation Officer and the Welfare & International Officer shall attend Accommodation Network meetings, which shall also be open to all students. ii. The purposes of Accommodation Network meet ings shall be: 1. To enable Members and Officers to share information and raise issues relating to student accommodation 2. To enable Members and Officers to organise and coordinate campaigning relating to student accommodation iii. Accommodation Network meetings sha ll be called by the Welfare & International Officer as needed, and in any case at least once per term. f. Education and Welfare Network i. The Education and Welfare Network will be attended by: ii. All Faculty Representatives. iii. The Education and Campaigns Officer. iv. Th e Welfare & International Officer. v. The Postgraduate Students' Officer. vi. The Medical, Pharmacy and Health Students' Officer. vii. Any Member who wishes to participate. viii. The Education and Campaigns Officer shall also specifically contact course and departmental stu dent representatives to invite them to attend each meeting. ix. The purposes of Education and Welfare Network meetings shall be: 1. To enable Officers and Members to share information and raise academic and academic welfare issues. 2. To organise and coordinate campaigning relating to academic and academic welfare issues. x. Education and Welfare Network meetings shall be called by the Education and Campaigns Officer as needed, and in any case at least once per term. g. Activities Network i. The remit of Activities Networ k shall be the Union's Clubs and Societies', charitable fund - raising, and volunteering activities. ii. The purposes of Activities Network shall be: 1. To direct the Unions' Clubs and Societies', charitable fund - raising and volunteering activity in a manner consis tent with the Union's Memorandum and Articles, Bye - Laws and Policy 2. To enable Members and Officers to share information and raise issues related to its remit 3. To produce Policy recommendations related to its remit 4. To receive Activities Network Executive's re ports and hold it to account iii. Activities Network shall be responsible for proposing to Union Council any Guidance Documents it deems necessary to govern its remit, meetings, Officers and elections. iv. Activities Network meetings shall be open to all Members. v. A ctivities Network meetings shall be called by the Activities and Events Officer or the Activities Officer as needed, and in any case at least twice per term. vi. Activities Network meetings shall elect Officers in October whose terms shall last one year or unt il the next election, whichever is shorter. At least 25 members must be present for an election, by - election or recall to be valid. These Officers shall include: 1. Arts Societies Officer 2. Sports Clubs Officer 3. Volunteering Officer 4. General Interest Societies Of ficer 5. RAG Officer vii. Activities Network Executive shall be a committee of elected Officers that is responsible for driving activity between Activities Network meetings, to be called when required by the Activities Officer or Activities and Events Officer. It shall be attended by relevant staff. Activities Network Executive shall report to each Activities Network meeting, which may choose to refer its actions and decisions to UCLU Council. viii. Activities Network Executive shall include the following members: 1. Activi ties Officer (Chair) 2. Activities and Events Officer 3. All Officers elected by Activities Network meetings 4. One Officer elected by RUMS 5. One Officer elected by the Postgraduate Association ix. Activities Network Executive shall be responsible for decisions related to Club and Society affiliation, disaffiliation, and disciplinary matters. h. Ethics and Environment Network i. The purposes of Ethics and Environment Network shall be: 1. To direct the Union on its ethical practices such as employment, procurement etc. 2. To direct t he Union on its environmental sustainability as an organisation. 3. To organise and lead campaigns for the University to improve its own ethical practices and environmental sustainability. 4. To produce Policy recommendations related to its remit. ii. The Network sh all meet at least once per term, called by the Ethics and Environment Officer. iii. Ethics and Environment Network meetings shall be attended by: 1. The Ethics and Environment Officer. 2. The Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer. 3. The External Affairs and Campai gns Officer. iv. Meetings shall be open to all interested students and recommended to societies with related aims. 3. Autonomous Sections a. Autonomous Sections are organisations that exist to represent and serve particular groups of Members. b. There shall be two type s of Autonomous Sections: Liberation Sections and Academic Sections. c. Activities in which Autonomous Sections may engage in pursuit of their objectives include but are not limited to: i. Campaigning. ii. Representing their members within UCLU. iii. Representing their m embers in relevant UCL committees. iv. Representing their members to relevant external student organisations such as NUS. v. Organising services and social, academic, cultural and athletic activities targeted specifically at their members. d. Governance of Autonomou s Sections e. Each Autonomous Section and its Officers and meetings (including matters of quorum and procedures for Constitutional amendments) shall be governed by a Constitution, subject to any requirements in the Bye - Laws. f. With the permission of an Autonomous Section's Convenor or Autonomous Section's Executive Committee, Union Council may amend or create that Autonomous Section's Constitution by a two - thirds majority vote. g. If an Autonomous Section lacks a procedure for creating or amending its Const itution, a two - thirds majority vote of a quorate, advertised open meeting attended by at least 25 of its members shall be sufficient. h. Each Autonomous Section shall hold democratic open meetings at which its members can discuss relevant issues, set the Auto nomous Section's Policy, and direct the Autonomous Section's Officers. i. Each Autonomous Section shall be coordinated by its Convenor with the support of the assisting Sabbatical Officer, both to be specified elsewhere in the Bye - Laws. The assisting Sabbatic al Officer shall attend open meetings and Autonomous Section Executive Committee meetings and assist the Autonomous Section as required by its Officers and Constitution. Where the Convenor is a Sabbatical Officer, an assisting Sabbatical Officer shall not be required. j. A Constitution may define additional elected Officers within the Autonomous Section. It must specify their responsibilities as well as mechanisms for their election and for their recall for any reason. These Officers shall, along with the Conv enor and any ex officio positions specified in the Autonomous Section's Constitution, constitute the Executive Committee of that Autonomous Section. If specified in the Autonomous Section's Constitution, these Officers may be elected in the elections detai led in Section 11. They may also be elected at open meetings of the Autonomous Section. k. Subject to their own constitutions and the oversight of the Board of Trustees, Autonomous Sections shall be free to set their own Policy, to act, and to spend their own resources as they see fit, except that they may not directly contradict or violate Policy, the Memorandum and Articles or these Bye - Laws. l. Liberation Sections m. Liberation Sections shall exist to enable their members to self - organise in order to lead efforts to: n. challenge and change discrimination, oppression and inequality that they face. o. defend and extend their rights. p. represent and further their particular concerns, needs and interests within UCLU, UCL and beyond. q. ensure that UCLU's actions do not unfairly exclude, neglect or discriminate against them. r. promote and facilitate social intercourse and cooperation amongst themselves. s. The Welfare & International Officer shall be the assisting Sabbatical Officer for each Liberation Section whose Convenor is not a Sabbatical Officer. t. Each Liberation Section's Constitution must make provision for the self - representation of members who are also members of the other 3 Liberation Sections. This may be arranged in coordination with the other Liberation Sections. u. The Libe ration Sections shall be: v. the Women's Network i. The members shall self - define as women. ii. The Convenor shall be the Women's Officer. w. the Black and Minority Ethnic Students' Section i. The members shall self - define as black and/or minority ethnic. ii. The Convenor sha ll be the Black and Minority Ethnic Students' Officer. x. the Disabled Students' Section i. The members shall self - define as disabled. This shall include non - visible disabilities. ii. The Convenor shall be the Disabled Students' Officer. y. the LGBT+ Students' Section i. The members shall self - define as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans* and/or any other gender/sexual minority including but not limited to Asexual spectrum, Queer and Intersex. ii. The Convenor shall be the LGBT+ Officer. 4. Academic Sections a. The membership of each Aca demic Section shall be a sub - set of the UCL student body with specific circumstances or school affiliations that significantly affect their needs, concerns and interests as students. b. Academic Sections shall exist to enable their members to self - organise in order to: i. represent and further their particular concerns, needs and interests within UCLU, UCL and beyond. ii. promote and facilitate social intercourse and cooperation among themselves. c. Each Academic Section's Constitution must make provision for the self - r epresentation of the members of each Liberation Section within that Academic Section. This may be arranged in coordination with the Liberation Sections, for instance by creating ex officio positions on the Academic Section Executive Committee for an Office r from each Liberation Section. d. The Academic Sections shall be: i. the Postgraduate Association 1. The members shall be postgraduate students. 2. The Convenor shall be the Postgraduate Students' Officer. ii. Royal Free, University College, and Middlesex Medical School Students (RUMS) 1. The members shall be medical students. 2. The Convenor shall be the RUMS Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Medical, Pharmacy & Health Students' Officer. iii. International Students' Section 1. The members shall be international st udents. 2. The Convenor shall be the International Students' Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Welfare & International Officer. iv. Mature and Part - time Students' Section 1. The members shall be mature and/or part - time students 2. The Convenor shall be the Mature and Part - time Students' Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Postgraduate Students' Officer. v. SSEES Students' Section 1. The members shall be SSEES students. 2. The Convenor shall be the SSEES Students' Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Education & Campaigns Officer. vi. Slade Students' Section 1. The members shall be Slade School of Fine Art students. 2. The Convenor shall be the Slade Students' Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Education & Cam paigns Officer. vii. School of Pharmacy Students' Section 1. The members shall be School of Pharmacy students. 2. The Convenor shall be the School of Pharmacy Students' Officer. 3. The assisting Sabbatical Officer shall be the Medical, Pharmacy & Health Students' Office r. Bye-Law 4 - Union Council 1. Purpose a. Union Council exists to represent the voice of members between General Assemblies and Referenda, and to create Policy and monitor its execution. b. It is also responsible for the development and implementation of the Union's Strategic Plan. c. It may delegate any given area of its powers to the Union Executive Committee between meetings, except the creation of Policy. 2. Composition a. The composition of Union Council shall be: i. Union Chair (Chair) ii. Faculty Representatives (50, elected as described elsewhere in the Bye - Laws) iii. The Convenors of the Liberation Sections iv. The Convenors of the Academic Sections b. All members of Union Council shall have voting rights, except the Chair who shall retain the casting vote should there be a tie. c. Officers w ho are members of the Union Executive Committee but not members of Union Council shall attend, in order that members and Union Council may ask them questions and hold them to account, but shall not have voting rights. d. Any member of the Union may attend mee tings of Union Council with the speaking rights but not voting rights. 3. Proxies a. An Autonomous Section Convenor may appoint a proxy for any Union Council meeting by notifying the Chair in writing at least three hours in advance of the meeting. b. The proxy must be an elected Officer of that Autonomous Section. c. A proxy shall exercise all the rights of the Convenor in question during that meeting. No person may exercise the rights of more than one Officer in any one meeting. 4. Protocol a. Union Council shall meet at le ast twice in each of the first and second terms, and not less than once in the third term, not including meetings triggered by inquoracy of General Assemblies. i. Additional meetings may be called by a petition, submitted to the Chair, of 10 members of Union Council, or by act of the Chair, or by a resolution of the Union Executive Committee. ii. Quorum shall be 25% plus one of the elected members. iii. Union Council members who fail to attend 2 consecutive Council meetings without offering apologies shall be ignored i n the calculation of quorum until they resume attendance. The Chair shall contact the Council member to notify them within 1 working day of the second meeting. If the Council member fails to attend a third consecutive meeting without offering apologies, th e Chair shall notify Council and the Council member's constituents. b. The agenda, including all necessary papers, shall be circulated at least 3 working days before the meeting. c. Minutes of the meeting shall be approved at the subsequent meeting and then post ed on the Union website within 5 working days. d. Union Council will receive a quarterly report from the Board of Trustees. e. At every meeting Union Council will receive to the meeting notes from the Networks, Assemblies and Sections and may question Officers a nd Representatives. f. Union Council will elect Union members, or make ex officio appointments of Officers, to UCL committees, except where this responsibility is delegated to a relevant Autonomous Section. Representatives elected to UCL committees by Union C ouncil may be recalled by a simple majority vote on an ordinary motion, in which case an election to replace the representative shall be held as soon as is possible. g. Union Council may delegate areas of work to working groups that are charged with taking fo rward activity between Union Council meetings. They shall consist of at least 3 Union Council members, and may also involve students who are not members of Union Council. h. There should be a Union Council meeting scheduled to follow each General Assembly to be able to consider any business which has not been dealt with at the General Assembly, and that Union Council is empowered to deal with. Any business dealt with shall take the time of submission to the General Assembly to be the time of submission for the meeting of Union Council. If there is no business to consider, the meeting shall not occur. 5. Chairing a. The Chair is charged with keeping the meeting in order, ensuring remarks are relevant and providing information that is relevant to the business and procedure of the meeting. b. The Chair shall have casting vote where the decision is tied. c. The Chair may vacate the Chair to participate in debate; otherwise they may not participate in debate. Should the Chair participate in debate, the meeting will appoint an Acting Chair for this debate. d. The Chair shall be heard in silence and may expel any member if they refuse to obey the procedure of the meeting and are acting in a way that disrupts the meeting or unfairly prevents other members from participating. Befor e leaving, the expelled member shall have the right to call for a procedural motion to challenge or no confidence the Chair over this decision. If such a motion is called, the expelled member may remain in the meeting for the discussion, however they may n ot vote on the procedural motion. 6. Discussions and Policy a. All Policy adopted by Union Council must be put in written form (i.e. a motion) to a vote. i. Except in the case of emergencies, motions must be submitted to the Chair at least 4 working days before a m eeting. ii. Any member of the Union may propose a motion. b. General issues for discussion must be submitted to the Chair, including any supporting paper work. i. Any member of the Union can submit an issue for discussion. ii. They must be submitted at least 2 working d ays before a meeting. iii. The proposer of the issues must set a clear objective for its inclusion on the agenda, which shall be included on the agenda. c. Emergency motions and discussion points relate to issues that have occurred after the deadline for submissio n or whose matter cannot be deferred until the next scheduled meeting. They must be submitted to the Chair no less than 3 hours before the meeting starts and will be taken at the end of the agenda. d. Discussions on each motion will follow a fair debating pro cedure, with speeches for and against and an opportunity for those present to pose questions to the speakers. There will then be opportunity for an open discussion, timing for which may be set by the Chair. e. Once the debate is balanced and the Chair is sati sfied that there has been adequate discussion, Union Council shall move to a vote. 7. Procedure a. A procedural motion may be called at any time unless voting has started. A simple majority is required in order for it to pass, unless otherwise specified. b. Before moving to a vote, the Chair must explain the procedural motion and ensure that all present are given an opportunity to ask the Chair to clarify. c. Challenge the Chair : Challenge must be made immediately after the ruling that is to be challenged. The support of 10 members of Union Council is required to hear the case. The Chair must step down and an Acting Chair will be elected. The proposer will speak, followed by the Chair before the meeting moves straight to a vote. Either may waive their speeches to anothe r member present. If the procedural passes, the ruling is overturned. d. No confidence in the Chair : The support of 10 members of Union Council is required to hear the case. The Chair will step down and an Acting Chair will be elected. The proposer will speak , followed by the Chair before the meeting moves straight to a vote. Either may waive their speeches to another member present. . If the procedural motion passes, the meeting shall proceed with the Acting Chair. Otherwise, the former Chair will return. e. Adj ournment of the meeting : The proposer must outline the duration of the adjournment and the reasoning. There will be a speech for and against before the meeting moves straight to a vote on the procedural motion. f. Move straight to the vote : The Chair will con duct a vote on whether or not the meeting should move straight to a vote on the current matter. It can only be proposed if there have been equal numbers of speeches for and against the matter being discussed. g. Refer the matter back : A matter may be referred back to its original proposer for reasons set by the proposer of the procedural motion. There will be at least one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves straight to a vote on the procedural motion. h. Refer the matter forward : A matter m ay be referred forward to a General Assembly or Referendum, to the next meeting of Union Council, or to any Faculty or Halls Assembly, Autonomous Section or Network. There will be at least one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves stra ight to a vote on the procedural motion. A General Assembly may not refer a matter forward to a Referendum. i. Private session : Union Council may vote to move in to private session. There will be one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves straight to a vote on the procedural motion. If passed, all in attendance will be excluded, except the General Manager, members of the Union Executive Committee, and members of Union Council. j. Suspend Bye - Laws on an emergency basis : This procedural motion s hall require a 75% majority. The proposer of the procedural motion must specify which Bye - Laws are to be suspended and for what period. The Chair shall offer to ensure reasonable assistance is offered to the proposer to identify relevant Bye - Laws. There sh all be one speech for and one against the motion, as well as an opportunity for general discussion, questions and clarifications about the potential ramifications, before the vote. If it passes, a meeting of the Steering Committee shall be called at the ea rliest reasonable opportunity. k. Delete part of a motion or amendment : The proposer must specify which part of a motion or amendment is to be deleted. There will be at least one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves to a vote on the prop osal. l. Take a motion in parts : The proposer shall specify any number of parts of the motion or amendment which should be voted on separately. There will be at least one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves to a vote on the procedural m otion. If it passes, each part of the amendment or motion shall be discussed and voted on separately. The proposer of the procedural motion will then become the proposer of the motion. m. Alter the order of the agenda : The proposer shall specify a change to t he order of items on the agenda. There will be at least one speech for and one speech against before the meeting moves to a vote on the proposal. n. Make an Amendment not on the agenda : The proposer shall specify an alteration to a motion or amendment which i s under discussion. These may include minor substantive changes or non - substantive clarificatory/drafting changes, but may not significantly alter the overall character or subject of the motion. It is at the discretion of the Chair to decide whether propos ed amendments are permissible. If the amendment is deemed permissible, debate and voting shall proceed as if for a normally submitted amendment. Bye-Law 5 - Union Executive Committee 1. Purpose a. The Union Executive Committee shall be responsible for b. ensuring and monitorin g the implementation of Policy; and recommending to Union Council and the membership on areas in which Policy might usefully be created. c. the day to day operation of the Union, and for the implementation of the Strategic Plan under direction from the Union Council. d. The Union Executive Committee shall report to every meeting of Union Council and every General Assembly on the implementation of Policy. e. The Union Executive Committee shall be a subcommittee of Union Council. 2. Authority a. The Union Executive Committe e shall have responsibility for the day to day running of the Union in accordance with Policy b. In cases where additional Policy is deemed necessary, the Union Executive Committee shall have the power to act on behalf of Union Council on an emergency basis i f: i. action is necessary to further the Objects and Policy of the Union and ii. such action must be taken before it is reasonably possible for Union Council or the Membership to create relevant Policy c. If there is no Policy relating to the emergency matter at han d, the Union Executive Committee shall call either an emergency meeting of the Union Council or an Extraordinary General Assembly. d. The decisions of the Union Executive Committee may be overruled by Union Council, General Assemblies and Referenda. e. Decisions made by the Union Executive Committee shall lapse at the next Union Council or General Assembly. Members of Union Executive Committee who wish to continue to implement these decisions must seek the approval of Union Council or the General Assembly, or thr ough them create appropriate Policy. 3. Meetings and Chairing a. Meetings shall take place weekly during term time. b. Additional meetings of the Union Executive Committee may be called by a petition of 5 of its members, or by Union Council. c. All meetings shall be open to all members of the Union. 4. Quorum a. The quorum for the Union Executive Committee shall be 50% of its members, providing that at least two of its non - sabbatical members are present 5. Composition a. The members of the Union Executive Committee shall be as fo llows: i. All Sabbatical Officers. ii. The LGBT+ Officer. iii. The Black and Minority Ethnic Students' Officer. iv. The Disabled Students' Officer. v. The Women's Officer. vi. The Environment and Ethics Officer. vii. The Community Relations Officer. viii. The Activities Officer. ix. The Intern ational Students' Officer. 6. Chair a. The Chair of the Union Executive Committee shall be elected at the beginning of each meeting, and shall be drawn from the non - sabbatical Officers at the meeting. b. The Chair shall retain full voting rights. 7. Voting a. All votes a t the Union Executive Committee shall be by simple majority. b. If a vote is tied at the Union Executive Committee, it shall fall. 8. Organisation and Contingency a. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall be responsible for convening the agenda papers for m eetings of the Union Executive Committee, and shall facilitate the election of the Chair. Bye-Law 6 - Referenda 1. Any issue decided by a Referendum shall overrule any decision made at a General Assembly, Union Council, Network or Committee except for subcommittees of the Board of Trustees. 2. A Referendum cannot overrule, but may criticise and request reconsideration of, any decision made by a Company General Meeting or the Board of Trustees. 3. A Referendum may be called by any of the following: a. A simple majority vote of Un ion Council. b. By a Secure Petition of at least 2% of the members of the Union, which must list the names, departments and signatures of the members and be handed to the Democracy and Communications Officer. c. A simple majority vote of a Company General Meetin g. d. A resolution of the Board of Trustees. 4. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall be charged with organising the Referendum based on a schedule approved by Union Council. The schedule may be proposed verbally to Union Council and amended in discussi on and shall not require formal submission as a motion. 5. The Referendum will finish within 4 term weeks of when it was called. 6. Quorum for a Referendum shall be 5% of the membership of the Union. If the quorum is not met the matter shall be decided by a Gene ral Assembly which must take place at least 2 term weeks after the Referendum. The decision of such a meeting shall carry the weight of a General Assembly and not of a Referendum. 7. The Referendum shall be conducted by means of a cross - campus ballot. 8. Voting shall be open for at least 24 hours. a. Voting shall usually be conducted online through a secure poll on the Union website unless the Union Council deems it more appropriate to hold a paper ballot. b. Provision must be made for members who require an alternativ e format for voting. 9. At least 3 open meetings shall be held prior to the open of voting to debate the proposal. One of these must be held on 1 working day before polling commences. 10. These open meetings shall: a. Be publicised at least 5 working days in advance . b. Be open to all members of the Union. c. Be chaired by the Union Chair. 11. The Referendum proposal must include the text of the proposal to be put to the membership. It must also include the names of two members of the Union who are prepared to act as proposer and seconder of the proposal. It may not include a date for the Referendum, this will be decided by Union Council. 12. Amendments to a Referendum proposal may be made only if agreed by a 75% majority vote of the originating body, at least 3 working days before voting opens. 13. Once submitted, a Referendum proposal can only be withdrawn by the originating body. 14. The Referendum proposal to be considered must be displayed on the Union website by the Democracy and Communications Officer within 1 working day of its call ing date. Bye-Law 7 - General Assemblies 1. Members' Meetings as defined in the Memorandum & Articles shall be referred to as “General Assemblies”. 2. All members of the Union shall be entitled to attend General Assemblies. 3. There shall be four types of General Assemblies: the Union General Assembly, the Annual General Assembly, the Welcome General Assembly and the Extraordinary General Assembly. 4. Only members may vote at a General Assembly. 5. Members also have the right to speak on any motion or amendment, vote on any item of debate, move for a procedural motion, call for a quorum count, call for a recount, request a ruling from the Chair, or request that a guest speaker address the meeting. 6. A General Assembly shall take precedence over all meetings of societies wherever they a re held. 7. Quorum for a General Assembly shall be 2% of the Membership. a. If, after 15 minutes of the published start time of the General Assembly, at least 0.5% but less than 2% of the Members are present, a meeting of the Members shall proceed with the same procedures and agenda as a General Assembly except that: b. The meeting shall only consider business that UCLU Council is empowered to consider. c. Quorum shall be 0.5% d. All votes shall be indicative and not binding. e. Union Council shall meet the same day or the n ext working day to consider all matters passed or approved by the meeting. The Union Chair shall inform Union Council that they are urged to ratify the decisions made by Members at the meeting. f. Should an attendance of 0.5% of Members not be reached within 30 minutes of the published start time, the agenda items shall be considered at the next meeting of Union Council (except business which cannot be determined at Union Council), or the next scheduled General Assembly, whichever is soonest. 8. No question once decided may be reopened at the same meeting. 9. Proof of Union membership may be required to vote or speak at a General Assembly. 10. Policy adopted at a General Assembly shall overrule any Policy determined by Union Council. 11. A General Assembly, by a majority vot e, may also choose to exercise any power ordinarily vested in Union Council, unless explicitly prohibited from doing so. 12. Annual General Assembly a. An Annual General Assembly shall be held once per annum in the second term. b. Union Council shall approve the tim e and place of the Annual General Assembly with the proviso that it should not be held in the first or second week of term. c. Notice of at least 5 working days for an Annual General Assembly will be given on the Union website. The date of the Annual General Assembly shall be publicised at least 6 term weeks before the meeting. d. The agenda for the Annual General Assembly shall be displayed on the Union website at least 3 working days in advance of the meeting. 13. Welcome General Assembly a. The Welcome General Assembly shall be held once per annum in the second or third week of the first term. b. The date of the Welcome General Assembly shall be approved by Union Council and publicised from the first day of the first term on the Union website, and in any material p osted to members and incoming students during the Summer. 14. Extraordinary General Assembly a. Notice of at least 5 working days for an Extraordinary General Assembly will be given on the Union website. b. The Union Chair may be required to call an Extraordinary Ge neral Assembly by any of the following: i. A proposal to Union Council, passed by a simple majority. ii. A member of Union Council on receipt of a written request from 2% of the student members of the Union. iii. A member of Union Council on written receipt of a notic e of appeal against a decision of a disciplinary hearing. iv. As required by no confidence and recall procedures specified elsewhere. v. As a result of an inquorate Referendum. vi. The Union Chair may also decide to call an Extraordinary General Meeting without a req uest. 15. Union General Assembly a. Shall be at least twice in each of the first and second terms. b. The Union Chair shall be responsible for the arrangements of an Extraordinary General Assembly. c. Notice of at least 3 term weeks will be given on the Union website a nd by email to all Members for each Union General Assembly. 16. Procedure a. Minutes shall be taken by the General Manager or their appointee. b. A copy of the draft minutes of General Assemblies and the motions passed must be displayed by the Democracy and Communications Officer within 10 working days of the meeting on the Union website. c. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall be responsible for conveying all decisions made at General Assemblies to the membership by: i. Including a summary of business on the Union website. ii. Submitting details to the editors of UCLU student media outlets. iii. Any other means as outlined by Union Council from time to time. d. The business in the Annual General Assembly shall be: i. Minutes of previous General Assemblies. ii. Matters Arising. iii. Acceptance of the Agenda. iv. Motions. v. Special Resolutions. vi. Questions to Officers. vii. Report to Membership. e. The business in a Welcome General Assembly shall be: i. Acceptance of the agenda. ii. Motions. iii. Special Resolutions. iv. Questions to Officers. v. Any Other Busi ness. f. The business in an Extraordinary General Assembly shall be: i. Acceptance of the Agenda. ii. Motions. iii. Special Resolutions. iv. Any other business. 17. Chair a. The Chair of General Assemblies shall be the Union Chair. In their absence a member who is not a Sabbatical Officer will be elected from the floor to chair the meeting. b. The duties of the Chair are the same as the duties of the Chair for Union Council as outlined in the relevant section. 18. Debating a. Only one motion shall be debated at any one time. b. The debating procedure shall be that as outlined in the Union Council section, This excludes procedural motions requiring support from those present to hear the case, which instead need to be supported by 25 members. c. If necessary, the chair may appoint Officers as tell ers to assist in the vote. Bye-Law 8 - Union Policy 1. No Policy can deny any group of members their rights and privileges as protected under the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws. 2. Policy can be set by: a. Union Council. b. A General Assembly. c. Referendum. d. A Company General Meeting. 3. Autonomous Sections may set their own internal policies as described elsewhere in the Bye - Laws. This section of the Bye - Laws shall apply only to Union Policy unless otherwise stated. 4. Policy shall exist for 2 years unless it is overturned. a. Union Co uncil may overturn Policy made at Union Council. b. General Assemblies may overturn Policy made at General Assemblies or Union Council. c. Referenda may overturn Policy made at Referenda, General Assemblies or Union Council. d. Company General Meetings may overturn Policy made at Company General Meetings, Referenda, General Assemblies or Union Council. 5. Policy and Autonomous Section Policy remain subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees on the financial and legal grounds set out in the Memorandum & Articles. 6. Where two policies are in contradiction, the Policy passed at the higher body (from highest to lowest: Company General Meeting, Referendum, General Assembly, Union Council) shall take precedence. Where the two policies were passed at the same level, the m ost recent shall take precedence. 7. An amendment to a motion going to a meeting may be proposed by any member, at least 1 working day in advance of the meeting at which the motion is to be discussed. a. Emergency amendments may be submitted at least 3 hours bef ore the beginning of the meeting. They must relate to issues that have occurred after the deadline for submission or whose matter cannot be deferred until the next meeting. b. Late amendments not accepted on an emergency basis shall be treated as procedural m otions, as described elsewhere in the Bye - Laws. Bye-Law 9 - Union Officers 1. All Union Officers must be a member of the Union at the time of their election and for the duration of their time in office. Any Officer who ceases to be a Member during their term shall vacate their post. 2. All Officers are required to act at all times in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws of the Union as well as upholding them throughout the Union's activities. 3. All Officers shall attend and support, where appropriate, the S ections, Networks, Assemblies and meetings they are involved with in the fulfilment of their role. 4. All Officers are to attend all General Assemblies. 5. All Officers shall liaise with each other between meetings to coordinate the day - to - day running of the Union. 6. All Officers are expected to actively seek to promote themselves and their work actively to the students that they are elected to represent. 7. All Officers are encouraged to set up working groups as needed to help coordinate campaigns and fulfil other duties. Where appropriate these should be open and advertised to Members who are not Officers. These working groups should remain accountable to the Union Executive Committee. 8. All Officers must consult with Members throughout their time in office so that they continue to remain as representative as possible. This includes holding surgeries to make themselves available to students. 9. Written notification of resignation of an Officer/Officer - elect must be given to the Democracy and Communications Officer. 10. If t hey wish to reconsider their resignation, written notification must be given to the Democracy and Communications Officer within 5 working days after the original notification. 11. The existence of Autonomous Sections and their Officers shall not relieve other Officers of responsibilities towards any group of Members represented by an Autonomous Section. 12. Sabbatical Officers a. Sabbatical Officers shall be collectively responsible for overseeing the day - to - day operational activity of the Union. b. They shall meet regul arly with the General Manager to discuss operational management of the Union. i. These meetings shall be known as Administrative meetings. ii. Administrative meetings will not make any decisions that are deemed to be Policy decisions and will act within the bound s of existing Union Policy. iii. Where necessary this meeting may act on behalf of the Board of Trustees. iv. Reports on decisions made on behalf of the Board must be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval. v. If the Chair, or in their absence the Vice - Chair, determines that action on a particular matter is required before the Board can next reasonably meet, the Administrative meeting may act on behalf of the Board. vi. There shall be a separation of business between items dealing with operational activity and ite ms dealing with delegated authority from the Board. The Chair, or in their absence Vice - Char, must clearly indicate this distinction prior to the discussion and it must be reflected in the minutes. vii. Reports on all decisions made on behalf of the Board are t o be submitted to the Board to note. viii. The minutes of these meetings shall be submitted to Union Council. c. They shall act as cheque signatories for the Union. d. They shall sit on Union Executive Committee. e. A number of the Sabbatical Officers shall serve as the Sabbatical Trustees of the Union, as specified in their respective job descriptions. For the purposes of the 1994 Education Act 22(2)(d), the Sabbatical Trustees shall be the "major union offices". f. They shall ensure the Union is ethically and environmental ly sound, in accordance with Policy set by Union Council, General Assemblies, Referenda and Company General Meetings. g. Their term of office shall be 1st August until 31st of July. h. Sabbatical Officers may not stand for re - election. i. Democracy and Communications Officer i. The Democracy and Communications Officer will: 1. Ensure widespread understanding of the Union's activities, developments and achievements, among students and the public. 2. Uphold the Union's democratic structure and encourage democratic engagement on all sectors of membership. 3. Oversee the Union's promotional strategy. 4. Be the active respondent to media inquiries not covered by the portfolio of other Officers. 5. Oversee the publications and broadcasts of the Union. 6. Be the lead Officer respons ible for affiliations. 7. Work with the Union Chair to ensure elections run in a fair manner. 8. Be the lead Officer responsible for strategic planning, including communicating the strategic plan to Officers of the Union to ensure its effective implementation an d to members of the Union. 9. Liaise with the Liberation Section Convenors to ensure that the Union's democratic processes are accessible and ethical. 10. Be the lead Officer responsible for mergers. 11. Liaise with external organisations on issues related to student media. 12. Support the Student Media Societies. 13. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. j. Education and Campaigns Officer i. The Education and Campaigns Officer will: 1. Represent the academic needs of members to UCL, including within relevant UCL committees. 2. Be respon sible for the Union's responses to developments within UCL and for coordinating campaigning for the Union's vision of education at UCL. 3. Support student representation at all levels and be responsible for the development and implementation of a student repr esentation strategy. 4. Liaise with Academic Sections to assist their representation and campaigning work on academic issues relevant to their members. 5. Work with trade unions on campus. 6. Be the active respondent to media inquiries related to academic matters. 7. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. k. Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer i. The Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer will: 1. Be responsible for oversight of the Union's finances. 2. Ensure the Union's commercial and membership services provisions ade quately meet the needs of members. 3. Ensure adequate use of the Union's spaces, being the lead Officer on Union space. 4. Ensure all of the Union's financial activity and service provision is ethically and environmentally sound. 5. Be the lead Officer on HR matter s. 6. Drive forward implementation of the Union's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. 7. Liaise with Liberation Section Convenors to ensure that the Union's services are run in an accessible and ethical way. 8. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. l. External Affairs and Campaigns Officer i. The External Affairs and Campaigns Officer shall: 1. Be the lead Officer for local, regional and national affairs external to UCL; and any matters involving the interaction of UCL, the Union or its Members wit h external bodies or communities (except disciplinary matters), including coordinating campaigns on such matters consistent with Policy. 2. Represent the views and needs of Members to external organisations to which the Union is affiliated or a member of, inc luding but not limited to the NUS, ULU and the Aldwych group. 3. Be the active respondent to media inquiries related to external issues. 4. Promote Members' engagement with wider political and social issues both on campus and in the wider community. 5. Support camp aigning activity on all matters. 6. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. m. Postgraduate Students' Officer i. The Postgraduate Students' Officer shall: 1. Be a postgraduate student 2. Be the Convenor for the Postgraduate Association (PGA). 3. Conduct their duties in cooper ation and consultation with the Members and Officers of the PGA, including through appropriate delegation of responsibilities. 4. Coordinate representation and campaigning work, through the Postgraduate Association and the Union, for the needs and interests o f postgraduate members, addressing all relevant bodies including but not limited to the Graduate School, UCL, the University of London, local and national government. 5. Represent PGA Policy and the needs and concerns of postgraduate members within the Union, ULU, NUS, and any other organisations to which the Union or the PGA affiliates. 6. Coordinate events and activities for postgraduate Members. 7. Ensure that all relevant facets of the work of the Union and its other Officers caters appropriately for, and engage s with, postgraduate students. n. Medical, Pharmacy and Health Students' Officer i. The Medical, Pharmacy and Health Students' Officer shall 1. Be a member of one of the following: 2. UCL Medical School 3. UCL School of Pharmacy 4. UCL Eastman Dental Institute 5. Any other all ied health School or Institute that sits within UCL's structure 6. Represent and campaign for the needs and interests of medical, pharmacy and all allied health professional students at all levels. 7. Conduct campaigns, representation and social integration thro ugh, but not limited to, Royal Free, University College & Middlesex Medical School Students' (RUMS) and School of Pharmacy Section (SoP). 8. Represent medical, pharmacy and all allied health professional students to UCL, the Union, ULU and any other external or internal bodies that the Union, RUMS and SoP are affiliated or chooses to be affiliated to. 9. Liaise with the appropriate national representative and governing bodies on issues that affect medical, pharmacy and allied health professional students. 10. Work to ensure that sufficient provisions are made for all medical, pharmacy and allied health professional students are able to engage fully in the Union's services and activities. 11. Facilitate the continued existence of independent RUMS and SoP societies and Spor ts Clubs 12. Facilitate, promote and expand the provision of RUMS, SoP and allied health professional Clubs and Societies 13. Aid the Activities and Events Officer in the governance and management of all RUMS, SoP and allied health professional Clubs and Societies . 14. Liaise with the Education & Campaigns Officer and relevant Faculty Representatives to assist in the representation of the o. Activities and Events Officer i. The Activities and Events Officer shall: 1. Be primarily concerned with the non - academic development of m embers. 2. Encourage and support the development of Clubs and Societies. 3. Make recommendations on the affiliation of new Clubs and Societies. 4. Ensure that Clubs and Societies operate with the Union's Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws, as well as their own co nstitutions. 5. Oversee the Volunteering Services Unit 6. Be responsible for the financial matters of Clubs and Societies, including the allocation of funding. 7. Ensure all Club and Society publicity is produced within the appropriate guidelines and policies. 8. Oversee the awarding of colours associated with student activities. 9. Oversee initiatives and projects which develop our members' skills and employability. 10. Liaise with Liberation Section Convenors to ensure that the Union's Clubs and Societies and other stud ent activities are run in an accessible and ethical way. 11. Liaise with Academic Section Convenors to ensure that the Union's Clubs and Societies and other student activities cater to the diverse needs, interests and circumstantial constraints of UCL's divers e student population. 12. Assist Autonomous Sections to organise their social event programmes. 13. Be the lead Officer for organising the Union's events 14. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. p. Welfare and International Officer i. The Welfare and International Officer will: 1. Strive and campaign to ensure a safe, accessible and welcoming environment for all members at the Union and in the wider community. 2. Represent the needs of international students at all levels. 3. Ensure that the Union is compliant with all relevant poli cies relating to equal opportunities. 4. Campaign for adequate, affordable and accessible provision of student accommodation. 5. Ensure specific Union provision for international students outside of term and at the start of session as appropriate. 6. Provide suppor t to assist the Non - Sabbatical Officers of the Liberation Sections in their work. They must assist in a capacity of support, rather than leadership, if they do not self - define into the Section. 7. Be a Sabbatical Trustee of the Union. 13. Acting Sabbatical Officers a. Acting Sabbatical Officers will be expected to undertake all duties set out in Section 8 parts 1 to 7. b. They are expected to undertake as far as possible the specific duties as listed for the relevant Sabbatical Officer position. c. Their term of office sha ll finish on the date that their predecessors would have finished had they not vacated the post. d. If they interrupt their studies, Acting Sabbatical Officers shall be paid the full wage of a Sabbatical Officer. e. If not interrupting their studies, Acting Sabbatical Officers shall be paid an amount ranging from nothing to half of the full wage of a Sabbatical Officer. This amount shall be determined by the Human Resources Committee. 14. Non-Sabbatical Officers a. Terms of office for Non - Sabbatical Officers shall b e specified in the Elections section of the Bye - Laws. b. Activities Officer i. The Activities Officer shall: 1. Work closely with, and receive the support of, the Activities and Events Officer. 2. Support the non - academic development of the students by encouraging Clu b and Society activities. 3. Support the Activities and Events Officer in representing the areas to the Union and the College. 4. Help coordinate the activities Clubs and Societies are involved in, such as the Arts Festival. 5. Facilitate student engagement in the management and administration of their Clubs and Societies. 6. Encourage Clubs and Societies to be inclusive and work within UCLU Equal Opportunities policy. 7. Work with the Activities and Events Officer to promote student volunteering. 8. Chair the Activities Net work. 9. Sit on Union Executive Committee c. Black and Minority Ethnic Students' Officer (BME Students' Officer) i. The BME Students' Officer shall: 1. Self - define as Black or Minority Ethnic 2. Represent the interests of BME Members within the Union, UCL and beyond. 3. Wor k with the Welfare & International Officer. 4. Coordinate campaigns related to issues relevant to BME Members. 5. Coordinate campaigns against racism and fascism. 6. Liaise with external organisations such as the NUS on issues relevant to BME Members. 7. Attend the NUS Black Students' Conference 8. Be the Convenor of the Black and Minority Ethnic Students' Section 9. Sit on Union Executive Committee d. Community Relations Officer i. The Community Relations Officer shall: 1. Jointly with the External Affairs & Campaigns Officer, be responsible for representing Members in the local community, including to local and regional government. 2. Coordinate campaigns related to issues within the local community that affect Members. 3. Report to the Union on issues in the local community that affect its Members. 4. Work with the Welfare and International Officer and Dean of Students (Welfare) on issues affecting student safety in the community. 5. Sit on Union Executive Committee e. Disabled Students' Officer i. The Disabled Students' Officer shall: 1. Self - define as Disabled. 2. Represent the interests of Disabled Members within the Union, UCL and beyond. 3. Work with the Welfare & International Officer. 4. Coordinate campaigns related to issues relevant to Disabled Members. 5. Liaise with external organisations such as the NU S on issues relevant to Disabled Members. 6. Attend the NUS Disabled Students' Conference. 7. Be the Convenor of the Disabled Students' Section 8. Sit on Union Executive Committee f. Ethics and Environment Officer i. The Ethics and Environment Officer shall: 1. Be responsib le for ensuring that UCL Union operates in as ethically and environmentally sound manner as possible. 2. Pro - actively investigate and research methods of improving UCL Union's operation in this respect. 3. Coordinate campaigns related to environmental and ethica l matters. 4. Sit on Finance & Services Committee. 5. Sit on Union Executive Committee g. International Students' Officer i. The International Students' Officer shall: 1. Be a student whose normal place of residence is outside the UK. 2. Be responsible for representing the interests of international students within the Union. 3. Seek to Pro - actively improve the engagement of international students in Union activities and democratic processes. 4. Work with the Welfare and International Officer to develop the Union's activities as p art of the UCL International Students Orientation Programme. 5. Coordinate campaigns related to international student issues. 6. Liaise with external organisations such as the NUS on issues relevant to International Student Members. 7. Be the Convenor of the Intern ational Students' Section. 8. Sit on Union Executive Committee h. LGBT+ Officer i. The LGBT+ Officer shall: 1. Self - define as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans* and/or any other gender/sexual minority including but not limited to Asexual spectrum, Queer and Intersex. 2. Be r esponsible for representing the interests of LGBT+ Members within the Union, UCL and beyond. 3. Coordinate campaigns related to issues relevant to LGBT+ Members. 4. Liaise with external organisations such as the NUS on issues relevant to LGBT+ Members. 5. Attend th e NUS LGBT+ Students' Conference. 6. Be the Convenor of the LGBT+ Students' Section. 7. Sit on Union Executive Committee. i. RUMS Officer i. The RUMS Officer shall: 1. Be a medical student of UCL Medical School. 2. Be responsible for representing the interests of medical st udents within the Union. 3. Facilitate medical student representation to the Medical School, including via regular meetings with the RUMS Honorary President and Dean of the Medical School. 4. Facilitate the growth of the RUMS community by coordinating activities and events for medical students. 5. Facilitate the relationship between UCL medical students and UCL Medical School alumni. 6. Seek to Pro - actively improve the engagement medical students in Union and RUMS Activities. 7. Represent UCL medical students within ULU M edgroup, the NUS and the BMA. 8. Liaise with Liberation Section Convenors to ensure SoP processes and activities are accessible and ethical and where necessary work collaboratively on projects of mutual interest. 9. Be the Convenor of RUMS j. School of Pharmacy Stu dents' Officer (SoP Students' Officer) i. The SoP Students' Officer shall: 1. Be a student of UCL School of Pharmacy 2. Be responsible for representing the interests of School of Pharmacy students within the Union 3. Facilitate student representation to the School of Pharmacy, including via regular meetings with Dean of the School of Pharmacy along with other senior academics. 4. Seek to improve the engagement of School of Pharmacy students in the Union 5. Facilitate the growth of the SoP community by coordinating activities and events for SoP student as well as for the wider UCL student population. 6. Facilitate the relationship between UCL School of Pharmacy students and alumni. 7. Represent School of Pharmacy students to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 8. Liaise with Liberation S ection Convenors to ensure SoP processes and activities are accessible and ethical and where necessary work collaboratively on projects of mutual interest. 9. Chair the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association Intra - School committee 10. Be the Convenor of the School of Pharmacy Students' Section k. Union Chair i. The Union Chair shall: 1. Ensure that the Union runs in a fair and democratic manner. 2. Chair General Assemblies. 3. Chair meetings of Union Council. 4. Chair open meetings for Referenda. 5. Act as Returning Officer. 6. Ensure that copies of passed Policies and other relevant democratic decisions are conveyed to the Union Executive Committee and all Officers. l. Women's Officer i. The Women's Officer shall: 1. Self - define as a woman. 2. Represent the interests of women Members within the Union, UCL and beyond. 3. Work with the Welfare and International Officer. 4. Coordinate campaigns related to issues relevant to women Members. 5. Liaise with external organisations such as the NUS on matters relevant to women Members. 6. Be the Convenor of the W omen's Network. 7. Sit on Union Executive Committee m. Halls Accommodation Representative i. The Halls Accommodation Representative shall 1. Be a Member who has lived in a UCL or University of London residence at some point in the two years prior to their election. 2. Re present the needs of students currently living in Halls to UCL and other relevant authorities. 3. Assist Halls Representatives where they exist, and negotiate directly with Halls where they do not. 4. Liaise regularly with the Welfare and International Officer, Halls Representatives and the Rights and Advice Centre. 5. Campaign for adequate, affordable and accessible housing for UCL students. 6. Attend Accommodation Network meetings. 7. Work closely with, and receive the support of, the Welfare & International Officer. 8. Re port regularly to the Union Executive Committee on the implementation of relevant Policy. n. External Accommodation Officer i. The External Accommodation Officer shall 1. Represent the needs and demands of Members living outside UCL and University of London Halls. 2. Campaign for adequate, affordable and accessible housing for Members. 3. Defend and extend the housing rights of Members outside university accommodation as private and social tenants, lodgers and squatters. 4. Liaise regularly with the Welfare and International Officer and the Rights and Advice Centre. 5. Attend Accommodation Network meetings. 6. Work closely with, and receive the support of, the Welfare & International Officer and the External Affairs & Campaigns Officer. 7. Report regularly to the Union Executive Commi ttee on the implementation of relevant Policy. o. Slade Students' Officer i. The Slade Students' Officer shall 1. Be a current student at the Slade School of Fine Art 2. Be the lead representative of the student body of the Slade School of Fine Art to the Slade and to UCL 3. Campaign to defend and extend the rights of Slade students, including but not limited to academic, welfare and financial concerns. 4. Facilitate, along with departmental and informal practices, the social mixing of Slade students. 5. Be encouraged, but not required, to perform Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody" at the final Union Council meeting before the Winter holiday for the entertainment of all present. 6. Be the Convenor of the Slade Students' Association. p. Mature and Part - time Students' Officer i. The Matur e and Part - Time Students' Officer shall: 1. Be at least one of the following: 1. Registered as a part - time student at UCL. 2. A student who began an undergraduate course after the age of 21, or a postgraduate course after the age of 25. 2. Coordinate representation an d campaigning work for the needs and interests of mature and part - time Members within the Union, UCL and beyond. 3. Ensure that all relevant facets of the work of the Union and its other Officers cater appropriately for, and engage with, mature and part - time students. 4. Coordinate campaigns related to issues of interest to mature and part - time students. 5. Union provides activities, events and facilities appropriate and accessible to mature and part - time students. 6. Be the Convenor of the Mature and Part - Time Student s' Section. q. Student Trustees i. Student Trustees are elected in a cross - campus ballot of Members in the first term of the academic year for a term of 12 months. ii. This 12 month term shall commence on 1st November of year they are elected and will continue until 31st October the following year. 15. Accountability of Officers a. All Officers are elected by and accountable to the students of UCL. i. If a student has a question about the work, activity or conduct of an Officer they may email the Officer and should expect a re sponse within 5 working days. 1. If unsatisfied with the response they receive they may request a meeting with the Officer, and the Officer must make arrangements to meet the student within 5 working days where possible. ii. The Union shall provide the opportunit y for students to write open letters or ask open questions of Officers via the Union website. The Officer must post an open reply within 5 working days. 1. The posts may be removed if deemed to be inappropriate, offensive or constitutes bullying or harassment . Bye-Law 10 - Censure, Recall and No Confidence Procedures for Officers 1. Motions of Censure for a Non-Sabbatical Officer elected by cross-campus ballot and Sabbatical Officers who are not Autonomous Section Convenors a. Where Non - sabbatical Officers elected by cross - campu s ballot have failed to fulfil the duties of their post as outlined in the Bye - Laws but their conduct is not sufficiently serious to warrant a motion of recall, a motion of censure may be submitted to a General Assembly. b. Motions of censure can be submitted either as an ordinary motion, or as a motion proposed verbally at the time of any Officer's report. c. The motion of censure, written or verbal, must state the grounds for censure - political and/or technical. d. If passed, motions of Censure shall be displayed on the union's website, under the oversight of the Union Chair. e. Purely political reasons for a censure shall be permissible. 2. Motions of Censure for Faculty and Hall Reps, Activity Network Officers and Autonomous Section Officers a. Faculty and Hall Reps, Act ivity Network Officers, and Sabbatical and Non - Sabbatical Autonomous Section Officers (including their Convenors) may be censured by the same procedure as Non - sabbatical Officers elected via cross - campus ballot, except that: i. Only students eligible to vote in the election of the Officer in question may participate in proposing or voting on a motion of censure. ii. Instead of a General Assembly, the motion must be proposed to a sectional meeting open to those Members eligible to vote in the election of the Office r in question. This shall be a Hall Assembly, Faculty Assembly (exclusive to students of the relevant status), Activity Network meeting, or Autonomous Section open meeting. iii. If the Officer in question is chairing the meeting, another Officer or member of th e section, or the Union Chair if present, must chair for the discussion of the motion. iv. An Autonomous Section's constitution may specify alternative mechanisms for the censure of that Section's Officers, including its Convenor. If they do, the procedures de scribed in this clause shall not apply. 3. Recall procedure for a Non-sabbatical Officer elected by cross-campus ballot a. Subject to the law, the Members shall enjoy the right to recall any cross - campus elected Officer for any reason at any time via the following procedure. b. Recall motions may be submitted to the Union Chair and shall clearly list the reasons for the recall. c. On receipt of a recall motion, the Union Chair shall specify two General Assemblies at which it is to be discussed. These must be sep arated by at least a week, and both must occur within 3 term weeks of receipt of the motion. The meetings may be General Assemblies already scheduled or the Union Chair may call Extraordinary General Assemblies as necessary. d. Recall motions require at least one proposer and twenty five seconders, all of whom must be Members and who must sign the motion along with stating their department and student number e. The motion must be displayed on the Union Notice Board for five working days prior to the first meeting f. The motion must be passed by a two - thirds majority at two consecutive meetings g. Once a recall motion has been passed at the first meeting the Officer in question will be immediately suspended from duty. h. If the motion is passed for a second time the Officer shall be deemed to have been dismissed with immediate effect. i. Purely political reasons for a recall shall be permissible in the case of Non - sabbatical Officers. 4. Recall procedure for Faculty and Hall Reps, Activity Network Officers and non-sabbatical Autonomous Section Officers a. Faculty and Hall Reps, Activity Network Officers, and non - Sabbatical Autonomous Section Officers (including their Convenors) may be recalled by the same procedure as non - sabbatical Officers elected via cross - campus ballot, except tha t: i. Only students eligible to vote in the election of the position in question may participate in proposing or voting on a recall motion. ii. Instead of General Assemblies, the votes must pass two - thirds majority votes at two consecutive sectional meetings open to those Members eligible to vote in the election of the position in question. This shall be a Hall Assembly, Faculty Assembly (exclusive to students of the relevant status), Activity Network meeting, or Autonomous Section open meeting. iii. Quorum for these m eetings shall be 50 Members with voting rights on the matter, or 1% of the Members with voting rights, whichever is greater. iv. These meetings shall be called and chaired by the Union Chair. v. An Autonomous Section's constitution may specify alternative mechani sms for the recall of that Campaign's Officers, including its President. If they do, the procedures described in this clause shall not apply. 5. No Confidence procedure for Sabbatical Officers a. No confidence motions may be submitted to Union Council or to a General Assembly. A no confidence motion must specify in which of these meetings it is to be debated. b. One emergency meeting of Union Council and one Extraordinary General Assembly or two Extraordinary General Assembly shall be called on receipt of the moti on, unless the paper deadline for the next scheduled meeting falls within 5 working days of receipt in which case the No Confidence motion will take precedence over all other motions to be considered. c. These meetings shall be separated by at least 5 working days. d. No Confidence motions require at least one proposer and fifty seconders, all of whom must be Union members and who must sign the motion along with stating their department and student number. e. Sabbatical Officers may only have a motion of No Confiden ce brought against them if the Sabbatical contract has been broken or if they are guilty of gross misconduct. f. The no confidence motion must state how and when the contract was broken or what gross misconduct has taken place. g. Union Council or the Members' Meeting must rule out any motion that does not conform to the rules above. h. The motion must be displayed on the Union website for 5 working days prior to the first meeting. i. The motion must be passed by a 75% majority at two consecutive meetings. j. Once a moti on of no confidence has been passed at the first meeting the Officer in question will be immediately suspended from duty. k. If the Officer wishes to appeal they must give notice in writing to the Union Chair within 2 working days of the first vote. If it is inappropriate for the Union Chair to receive the complaint, it shall be sent to the Democracy and Communications Officer. l. If an appeal is lodged an appeal committee will be formed and will consist of 3 Sabbatical Officers from another University of London school or college. i. The panel will meet before the second meeting and will rule on whether the contract was broken or whether gross misconduct took place. They cannot express any other opinion on the matter. m. If the appeal is successful the officer shall ret urn to their duties and the Union Chair shall rule the motion out of order. n. If the appeal is unsuccessful the officer will remain suspended until the Extraordinary General Assembly. o. If the motion is passed for a second time the Officer shall be deemed to h ave been dismissed with immediate effect. p. If the motion is not passed for the second time the Officer shall return to duties as normal. Bye-Law 11 - Elections 1. The running of fair elections shall be the joint responsibility of the Democracy and Communications Officer an d the Returning Officer on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Elections Committee. They shall ensure the elections are run in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws of the Union. a. After each elections session the Returning Officer sha ll submit a report to UCL Council and the Elections Committee. 2. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall publish an elections schedule for the forthcoming term in the first week of the new term, the elections schedule should include dates and times fo r the opening and closing of nominations and voting. 3. The conduct of the elections shall be carried out in line with the Guidance Document on Elections and the Union Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws. 4. Eligibility to run for election and hold any Union po sition is based on the meeting of certain criteria: a. A Non - Sabbatical Officer elected in the Spring Elections to begin their term in the following Autumn must be eligible to enrol for the following year to continue their programme of study. b. Sabbatical Offic ers who will have completed, terminated, intermitted or suspended their studies at the start of their appointment must be accepted as an affiliate student for their year as a Sabbatical Officer. c. A candidate who fails to meet the above requirements shall be withdrawn from the elections. If the election has already occurred, the Officer or Officer - elect shall be removed from their post and a Bye - Election held. 5. Voting a. No Member shall have more than one vote. b. The voting period for any position shall run for at least 3 working days, except for positions elected at a meeting. c. Voting shall be done by secret ballot using the Alternative Vote / Single Transferable Vote system, as detailed by the Electoral Reform Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and incl uding Reopen Nominations as a candidate in all elections. d. Union Council, with the guidance of Elections Committee, shall be responsible for determining and amending the Guidance Document on Elections. 6. Positions a. The following positions shall be elected via cross - campus ballot: i. Democracy & Communications Officer ii. Education & Campaigns Officer iii. Ethics, Environment & Operations Officer iv. External Affairs & Campaigns Officer v. Activities & Events Officer vi. Welfare & International Officer vii. Student Trustees. viii. Union Chair. ix. A ctivities Officer. x. Community Relations Officer. xi. NUS Delegates. xii. Halls Accommodation Representative xiii. External Accommodation Officer xiv.Ethics & Environment Officer b. The following positions shall be elected via sectional elections: i. Academic Section Convenors shall be elected by members of the respective Academic Sections ii. Liberation Section Convenors shall be elected by self - defining members of the respective Liberation Sections iii. The Medical, Pharmacy and Health Students' Officer shall be elected by Members of the Un ion who are students in one of the following: 1. UCL Medical School 2. UCL School of Pharmacy 3. UCL Eastman Dental Institute 4. Any other allied health School or Institute within UCL iv. Halls Representatives and Faculty Representatives 1. Elected as described below c. Halls Representatives i. Shall represent the interests of students within their Hall to the Union and College. ii. Shall be resident in the UCL Hall they are elected to represent. iii. Shall be elected by the residents in their respective Hall. iv. Shall be elected in the first term of the academic year for which they are to hold office. d. Faculty Representatives i. Shall represent the interests of students of their status within their Faculty to the Union, on Union Council, and to College. ii. Shall be enrolled on a programme of study w ithin the Faculty they are elected to represent. iii. Shall be elected by the students of their status in their respective faculty. iv. Shall be elected in the first term of the academic year for which they are to hold office. e. All Faculties shall elect at least one Faculty Rep from each of the following student statuses, provided that each exists within the Faculty: i. Undergraduate (UG) ii. Postgraduate Taught (PGT) iii. Postgraduate Research (PGR) (including Ph.D. and MRes students) f. The remaining Faculty Reps shall be allocat ed on the following basis: i. The remaining Faculty Reps shall be divided amongst the Faculties in proportion to their student numbers. ii. Once allocated to faculties, these Faculty Reps shall be elected as UG, PGT or PGR in proportion to the make - up of their Fa culty. g. The terms and election schedules for Officers shall be as follows: i. The following Officers shall be elected in October and shall serve from the date of their election until the close of the October election occurring in the following year: 1. UG and PGT Faculty Reps 2. Halls Reps 3. NUS Delegates ii. All Autonomous Section Officers other than the Convenors, and all Officers elected within the Activities Network, shall be elected and hold office in accordance with the relevant Section Constitution or Guidance Docum ent. iii. All other Officers shall be elected in the Spring Elections, and shall serve from 1st August in the year of their election until 31st July the following year. 7. Procedures a. Elections should be held at times that enable the largest possible number of Memb ers to vote. b. Nominations shall be open for at least 5 working days before they close. c. Detailed notice of elections shall be given at least 5 working days in advance of the opening of nominations. d. A candidates' meeting must be held following the closure of nominations at a time specified by the Returning Officer. e. Nomination papers must include the full name and student number of those nominated. f. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall compile and check the submissions once the nominations period has c losed. g. Written notification of a candidate's resignation shall be given to the Democracy and Communications Officer, the resignation cannot be reconsidered once it has been submitted. h. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall organise events at which students will have the opportunity to hear candidates speak and ask them questions. i. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall organise and chair a public hustings at which Sabbatical Officer candidates shall debate one another and answer questions fro m students. Topics for debate shall be determined by the questions asked, and may also include equal opportunity for candidates to select topics. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall not select topics for debate. j. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall also ensure that there is online provision for students to be able to ask questions of the candidates. 8. Campaigning Materials a. All campaigning materials must meet the requirements of the Guidance Document on Elections. b. All candidates in an elec tion shall receive a publicity allowance at a level set in the Guidance Document on Elections. Expenditure must not exceed this allowance, and the Union shall fully reimburse all spending within the allowance that does not contravene elections rules. 9. Conduct a. Candidates must conduct themselves in line with the Guidance Document on Elections. b. Candidates breeching these regulations will be subject to the disciplinary procedures as outlined in the Guidance Document. c. Campaigning period shall run for at least 3 w orking days before the opening of voting. No campaigning may take place before the start of the campaigning period. d. Complaints about the conduct of a candidate must be submitted to the Returning Officer in accordance with the Guidance Documents on Elections. e. Complaints will be dealt with as outlined by the Guidance Document on Elections. 10. By-Elections a. Any vacancy, other than that of a Sabbatical Officer, which arises during the year, should be reported by the Democracy and Communications Officer to t he next meeting of Union Council. A by - election will then be held with the next set of elections, unless deemed feasible by Union Council to bring that by - election forward. b. In the event of a vacancy for a Sabbatical Position occurring, a by - election must b e held within four term weeks. i. If before the start of the academic year then a Sabbatical Officer may be elected to the full time position. ii. If after the start of the academic year then an Acting Sabbatical Officer may be elected. 11. Counting a. The timing of the close of voting and count shall be set by the Returning Officer. b. Complaints about the count must be made in writing to the Returning Officer no later than 1 working day after the announcement of the result. The complaint shall be considered by the Electio ns Committee. Members of the Elections Committee with a conflict of interest, or who seconded the nomination of a candidate for the position in question, or who otherwise do not feel able to remain impartial, shall not participate. c. The results of all Union Elections shall be certified by the Returning Officer. Bye-Law 12 - Subcommittees of Union Council, the Union Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees 1. The roles and responsibilities of Union Council, the Union Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees are set out in the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws of the Union. 2. Subcommittees exist to facilitate these bodies' activities as well as opening them up to increased student involvement and improved transparency. 3. Union Council shall receive, via the Chairs of the Committees, written reports of the meetings and decisions taken by them. 4. Decisions of Committees may be referred back to the Committees for review by a simple majority of Union Council. The Board of Trustees will have an obligation to review issues ref erred back to them. 5. The Committees of the Board of Trustees are those outlined in the Bye - Laws. 6. Where the Chair of a meeting of a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees believes that matters to be discussed require confidentiality, they may request that gue sts or observers leave the meeting for the discussion of those confidential items. 7. Finance & Services Committee a. Finance & Services Committee shall be a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. b. Membership of the Finance Committee shall be: i. Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer (Chair). ii. All other Sabbatical Officers. iii. Ethics and Environment Officer. iv. 2 Student Trustees appointed by the Board of Trustees. v. 4 members of Union Council elected by Union Council. c. In attendance shall be: i. General Manager. ii. Finance Man ager. iii. Any Members who wish to attend as observers, subject to Bye - Law 12.6. d. The Committee, constitutionally, considers strategic options for, and the overall general management of, the Union's finances, including setting annual budgets, key performance obj ectives, and monitoring the financial performance of the organization. It is charged with: i. Considering and recommending to the Board of Trustees the annual income and expenditure budget for the coming year, on advice from appropriate committees and senior managers. ii. Considering and reporting on statements on actual income and expenditure throughout the year and projected out - turn with annual budget. iii. Engaging the Union's auditors and acting upon their recommendations, as well as receiving and considering repo rts from UCL Internal Audit. It must monitor the Union's adherence to any regulatory requirements. iv. Considering and taking action where appropriate on the Union's long and short term investments, Policy relating to the Union's insurances and arrangements fo r short - term and long - term borrowing. v. Considering the financial implications of capital projects and report thereon to the Board of Trustees. vi. Considering and taking action where appropriate on grant funded areas, expenditure by the Union's trading services and expenditure by the Union's Clubs and Societies. vii. Considering the Union's banking arrangements. Including the appointment of Officers or agents whom the committee deems it necessary to appoint. viii. Considering and taking action on writing off losses or defi ciencies on money, stocks, irrecoverable debts, overpayment and the disposal of obsolete equipment. ix. Considering the Policies, reports, recommendations and requests of Referenda, General Assemblies and Union Council and make recommendations on their financi al implications. e. Quorum of the Committee shall be 50%, to include at least 2 non - Sabbatical Members. f. The Finance & Services Committee will report to the Board of Trustees, through submission of its minutes. g. The Chair shall provide a written report on discu ssions and decisions taken at the Committee to Union Council. Union Council may refer a matter back for review by the Committee and the Committee shall have an obligation to review the issue. 8. Human Resources Committee a. Human Resources Committee shall be a s ubcommittee of the Board of Trustees b. Membership of the Human Resources Committee shall be: i. All Sabbatical Officers. c. In attendance shall be: i. General Manager. ii. UCLU HR Representative. iii. UCL HR Representative. iv. Other UCLU staff proposed by the General Manager and agreed by the Chair. d. The Chair of the Committee shall be the Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer e. The Committee shall have overall responsibility for the employment of Union staff and the terms at which the staff are employed. The Committee shall: i. C onditions of Service 1. Ensure the appointment of Union Staff (other than Student Staff) on UCLU / UCL terms and conditions of employment (as appropriate), ensuring that Union Staff remuneration meets the requirements of the London Living Wage. 2. Determine the rate of student - staff remuneration ensuring that this meets the requirements of the London Living Wage. ii. New Appointments, Redundancy and Dismissal 1. Consider proposals for new staff appointments. Where such proposals result in an increase in staff costs the additional expenditure must be approved by the Finance & Services Committee. 2. Consider proposals for staff redundancy. 3. Receive reports from the Chair and General Manager of staff dismissal. iii. Authority 1. Human Resources Committee will undertake its business in accordance with a timetable of key tasks approved by the Board of Trustees 2. Human Resources Committee will report to the Board of Trustees via submission of its minutes. f. Quorum of the Committee shall be one quarter of the membership. g. The Chair shall provide written reports on its decisions to Union Council, but shall not disclose matters relating to the responsibilities, conditions of employment, performance or conduct of individual members of staff. Union Council retains the right to refer a decision back f or the Committee's further consideration and the Committee has an obligation to review the issue, or to refer the matter on to the Board of Trustees. 9. Elections Committee a. Elections Committee shall be a subcommittee of Union Council. b. Membership of the Elections Committee shall be: i. All Sabbatical Officers ii. 7 students elected by Union Council iii. The Union Chair. c. In attendance shall be: i. The General Manager ii. Other staff members as invited by the General Manager and Agreed by the Chair d. The Chair of the Elections Committee shall be the Democracy and Communications Officer e. The Committee shall i. Have responsibility for the smooth running and promotion of the Union's elections as outlined in the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws ii. Offer guidance to Union Council relati ng to the creation and any revisions of the Elections Guidance Document. iii. Enforce, or delegate the enforcement of, the Guidance Document on Elections. iv. Produce and annual evaluation for Union Council and the Board of Trustees on the effectiveness of the Unio n's democratic structures and participation rates within them. v. Report to Union Council vi. No member of Elections Committee may stand in any election unless they resign from the committee before the opening of nominations. 10. Steering Committee a. Steering Committee shall be a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees b. Membership of the Steering Committee shall be: i. The Union Chair ii. The Democracy & Communications Officer iii. 5 non - Trustee Union Members elected at Union Council iv. 4 trustees elected from the Sabbatical Trustees and Student Trustees on the Board of Trustees c. Any Member may attend meetings of the Steering Committee, subject to Bye - Law 12.6. d. The Committee shall: i. Have the power to interpret and clarify the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws if there is confusion as to their meaning, or if there is contradiction within any single constitutional text. ii. Meet only when required to do so: 1. by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, the Union Executive Committee or Union Council; 2. by joint agreement of the Union Chair and the Democracy & Communications Officer; or 3. if Bye - Laws are suspended. iii. Report its activities and decisions to Union Council and the Board of Trustees. e. The Chair of the Steering Committee shall be the Union Chair. 11. Sports Grounds Committee a. Sports Grounds Committe e shall be a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees b. Membership of Sports Grounds Committee shall be: i. Activities and Events Officer. ii. Ethics, Environment and Operations Officer. iii. Activities Officer. iv. Postgraduate Students' Officer. v. Sports Officer. vi. 5 representat ives of Sports Clubs elected from the Activities Network. vii. 1 representative to be nominated by RUMS c. In attendance shall be: i. Chair of Sports Grounds Development Committee. ii. A representative of the UCL Estates and Facilities. iii. One member appointed by College Co uncil. iv. Sports Grounds Manager. v. Clubs and Societies Administrator. vi. Union Staff as required by the agenda. vii. General Manager. viii. Any Member who wishes to attend as an observer, subject to Bye - Law 12.6. d. The Committee shall: i. consider and report to Finance & Services Committee: 1. The annual income and expenditure budget for the coming year 2. Statements on actual income and expenditure throughout the year, and projected out - turn 3. Recommend to Finance & Services Committee the adoption of financial statements for the preceding year. ii. Develop and recommend to Finance & Services Committee long - term forecasts of income and expenditure in respect of the sports grounds and pavilion. iii. Ensure that the grounds and pavilion deliver the targeted levels of customer satisfaction, id entifying opportunities for new or alternative services in line with changing customer profiles iv. Ensure effective day - to - day management of contracts to provide grounds and/or pavilion services. v. Ensure the statutory requirements relating to the provision of the grounds and pavilion are met vi. Ensure maintenance and ongoing development of the grounds and its facilities vii. Undertake its business in accordance with a timetable of key tasks approved by the Board of Trustees viii. Will liaise with the UCL Sports Grounds Devel opment Committee and refer matters for the consideration of the Committee as appropriate ix. Will liaise with the Trustees of the UCL Sports Grounds as requested and as appropriate e. The Sports Grounds Committee will report to the Board of Trustees, through subm ission of its minutes. f. Quorum of the Committee shall be one quarter of the membership. g. The Chair shall provide a written report on discussions and decisions taken at the Committee to Union Council. Union Council may refer a matter back for review by the Co mmittee and the Committee shall have an obligation to review the issue. 12. Student Media Committee a. Student Media Committee shall be a subcommittee of the Union Executive Committee b. The membership of Student Media Committee shall be: i. The Democracy and Communica tions Officer (Chair) ii. The Activities and Events Officer (Secretary) iii. One delegate from each society self - defining as a media society and approved as such by either the Activities and Events Officer or the Union Council c. In attendance shall be i. The General Manager or an appropriate appointee of the General Manager. ii. Any Union Member who wishes to attend as an observer. iii. A legal expert if invited by the Chair. d. The Student Media Committee shall i. Provide a forum for Members to share information, raise matters of c oncern and drive forward the Student Media activities in the best interests of students ii. Consider complaints related to the Union's Student Media. iii. Consider potential liability for libel action against the Union concerning student - generated Media. iv. Report reg ularly to Union Council and the Union Executive Committee. Bye-Law 13 - NUS Delegation 1. This section shall apply only when UCLU is affiliated to the National Union of Students and shall not be construed to imply that the Union is required to retain such affiliation. 2. Thi s section and the points contained in it refer to any Policy making conference of the NUS. 3. In the event that the NUS governing documents or policies contradict the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws of the Union, the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws of the Union shall take precedence. 4. Delegation Leader a. The External Affairs and Campaigns Officer shall attend NUS National and Extraordinary Conferences ex - officio as the delegation leader. b. In the absence of an elected delegate or specification otherwise e lsewhere in the Bye - Laws, the External Affairs and Campaigns Officer may represent UCLU at all NUS Conferences which he or she is entitled to attend under NUS Rules. 5. NUS National Conferences a. Ahead of NUS National and Extraordinary Conferences, the delegati on leader shall call a pre - conference delegation meeting for the elected conference delegates that shall discuss: i. Procedure of NUS conferences. ii. Issues that are to be laid before the NUS conference. iii. Any Union Policy that refers to those issues. b. There shall be a deputy delegation leader; the person receiving the most first preference votes in the delegation elections. c. The delegation leader, after consulting with the delegates, shall produce a report on the decisions taken at conference for presentation no lat er than the second Union Council meeting of the term following any conference. 6. NUS Delegates a. NUS Delegates shall attend NUS Annual Conference and NUS Extraordinary Conferences. b. Delegates must follow the Memorandum and Articles and Bye - Laws at all times. c. De legates must vote in line with Union Policy, except that: i. Delegates may abstain on any motion. ii. Delegates who are elected on a manifesto that contradicts Union Policy may vote in line with their manifesto. d. Delegates should attend the following Union Council meetings. i. All meetings where motions to NUS conferences are to be discussed. ii. The meeting immediately preceding NUS conference. iii. Any meetings which conference reports are presented to. e. Delegates should attend all General Assemblies where motions to NUS conf erences are to be discussed f. All delegates will submit a report to Union Council, including a record of the way they voted for all motions and all voting preferences in NUS Elections. This report must be submitted to the second Union Council of the term imm ediately following the conference. g. The Democracy and Communications Officer shall ensure delegates receive a copy of current Union Policy and will advise the delegation on how this relates to the issues to be discussed. 7. Motions to NUS National or Extraordinary Conference a. The Union may submit motions or amendments to NUS conference. Any motions or amendments submitted must have been passed by a Referendum, General Assembly or meeting of Union Council. b. The Union Chair shall sign all motions and amendments bef ore submission to NUS Conferences. In their absence a Sabbatical Officer will sign it. 8. NUS Zone Conferences a. The Union shall send delegates to NUS Zone Conferences b. The Union shall select its voting delegate to each NUS Zone Conference by an election at Unio n Council, in which any student may stand. c. In the absence of an election, the External Affairs and Campaigns Officer shall have the right to attend and vote at Zones, or to delegate the Union's vote to any other Union Officer or NUS Delegate. d. Other Union Officers and NUS Delegates may attend Zones as observers. e. Delegates at Zone Conferences must follow Union Policy in the same way as delegates to National and Emergency conferences, and in Zone Committee elections should vote for candidates whose platforms reflect Union Policy. 9. NUS Liberation and Section Conferences a. The Union shall send voting delegates and motions to NUS Liberation and Section conferences b. The process of electing delegates and passing motions to these conferences shall be set out in the cons titution of the corresponding Autonomous Sections. c. If the Autonomous Section's provisions fail, through inquoracy or otherwise, to select sufficient delegates, then on the request of the Autonomous Section's Convenor: i. The relevant Autonomous Section Conven or shall attend as a delegate, and, if the Union is allocated multiple delegates, members of the Autonomous Section's Executive Committee shall elect from their number further delegates to go to the conference. ii. In the absence of sufficient willing and able delegates elected via 13.25.A, members of Union Council who are represented by the NUS Liberation Campaign or Section may elect from their number further delegates to go to the conference.. iii. There shall be no quorum for the elections in 13.25.A and B. iv. In t he absence of sufficient willing and able delegates in 13.25.A and B, the External Affairs and Campaigns Officer, and then NUS Delegates, and then other Sabbatical Officers may attend the conference, providing that they self - define into the Liberation Camp aign or are represented by the NUS Section. d. The External Affairs and Campaigns Officer shall work with Autonomous Sections to ensure that delegates and motions can be sent to conferences. e. Delegates to Liberation and Section Conferences shall be bound to vo te according to Union Policy with same conditions and exemptions as NUS Delegates, except that they shall first be bound to adhere to the corresponding Autonomous Section's Sectional Constitution and Policies. Bye-Law 14 - Staffing 1. The Union shall be empowered to appoi nt staff who shall be responsible to the Union Officers through an established management structure. 2. All matters related to the responsibilities, conditions of employment, performance or conduct of individual members of staff shall be the responsibility of the Human Resources Committee and shall not be discussed at any other Committee, Union Council, General Assembly or Referenda except as provided for elsewhere in the Bye - Laws. 3. Complaints about members of staff shall be referred to the Sabbatical Officers who will refer them through the management structure or to the Human Resources Committee, as appropriate. 4. Union staff members may provide advice on their areas of expertise but shall not publicly express their personal views on Policy or decisions of the U nion. 5. Bye - Laws 14.3 and 14.4 apply to student casual staff whilst they are on duty. Bye-Law 15 - Complaints Procedure for Members 1. Internal Procedures a. In the first instance the complaint shall be brought to any Sabbatical Officer who shall reply within 10 working days. b. In the case of a complaint against staff the complaint shall be referred to the General Manager via a Sabbatical Officer. c. If the student is not satisfied with the response received the matter shall be referred to the appropriate standing committee. d. The sta nding committee shall respond within 1 working day after their next regularly scheduled meeting. 2. External Procedure a. The student must first address complaints via the internal procedures above. b. If the student remains unsatisfied and believes they have been treated unfairly by the Union, they will be referred to the procedures established by the Code of Practice between the Union and the College, copies of which are available from any Sabbatical Officer or the General Manager. Bye-Law 16 - Disciplinary Procedures for Members 1. The General Manager will convene a disciplinary hearing, within 10 working days where possible, following a report of behaviour that might be subject to disciplinary action. 2. In extraordinary cases an emergency meeting of the Union Executive Committee m ay be called. 3. Pending the disciplinary hearing any or all of the student's privileges as a Member of the Union may be suspended by the Union Executive Committee, except the right of the Member to stand in elections or otherwise partake in the democratic pr ocess. 4. Alleged offences will normally be handled by Summary Disciplinary procedures; where the alleged offence is of a serious nature, the Sabbatical Officers may request that the matter be handled by panel procedures. 5. The Union General Manager will inform the defendant in writing as to the handling of the case. At least 5 working days' notice shall be given for the hearing from the time the letter is sent. The letter will state: a. The nature of the charges brought. b. The disciplinary procedure currently accept ed by Union Council. c. The availability of the General Manager to advise on procedures. d. The opportunity for the defendant to bring a friend. e. The opportunity of the defendant to bring a witness. 6. If the student fails to respond to the initial correspondence be fore the hearing, or does not attend the hearing, then a further written notice will be sent. The suspension will remain in force until the disciplinary process is concluded. 7. Summary Hearing Procedure a. At least two Union Sabbatical Officers shall hear summa ry hearings. Union Sabbatical Officers who are witnesses shall remain absent from summary hearings to ensure they are available in the event of an appeal. b. The hearing shall be in private, although the defendant may be accompanied by a friend, who the defen dant may authorise to speak at the hearing on his or her behalf. c. The Union Officers or the defendant may call witnesses as appropriate. d. The summary hearing shall proceed as follows: i. A Union representative, appointed by the Union Executive Committee, will state the charges brought against the defendant. ii. The Union representative and defendant shall introduce evidence and witnesses as appropriate. iii. The witnesses may be questioned by the Union representative, the defendant and the panel as appropriate. iv. The disc iplinary panel will then adjourn to closed session to determine the action to be taken. v. The defendant will be notified orally of the decision taken by the panel and of their right to appeal. vi. A confidential record shall be kept of the hearings and the Union General Manager will be in attendance in order to make this record. vii. If the Summary Case is found to be proved, the Union Officers shall decide a penalty as per the guidelines for penalties set out in this section of the Bye - Laws. viii. A letter detailing the pe nalty will be sent to the defendant by the General Manager within 3 working days of the hearing. ix. A record of Summary Cases shall remain in the possession of the General Manager until three years after the student has left the University. x. The Union Officers shall report the conclusion of all Summary Cases to the Sabbatical Officers. xi. The defendant may appeal the Summary Decision at Union Council, as outlined in this section of the Bye - Laws. xii. The defendant can at any time request that panel procedures be used. 8. Disciplinary panel procedure a. The disciplinary panel shall be composed of one Sabbatical Officer and one Non - Sabbatical Officer that have not been involved in the case through hearings or appeals to date, plus three representatives of other Students' Unions . b. The panel shall be chaired by the Union Chair. c. The panel hearing shall be held within 10 working days of the Union Sabbatical Officer's decision to refer to the panel and the defendant shall be notified, in writing, as detailed previously. d. Written statem ents shall be invited to contribute to the panel hearing and they shall be distributed to the defendant and all panel members as soon as is practical. e. The Union General Manager or their representative shall be the secretary to the panel. f. If the defendant i s absent the case shall still be heard by the panel unless an satisfactory reason is given for its delay, as judged by the panel members. g. A written statement may be accepted in place of the presence of a witness if permitted by the panel members. h. During th e meeting: i. A representative from the Union will state the charges against the defendant, as well as introducing the evidence and witnesses. ii. The witnesses may be questioned by the panel and the defendant, as appropriate. iii. The defendant may also introduce witnesses and evidence. iv. The panel will then adjourn to close the session and determine the action to be taken. The defendant will be notified orally of the decision made and the right of appeal. i. Following the hearing the General Manager will write to all p arties to advise them of the decision taken by the panel. The decision will also be reported at the next meeting of Union Council. j. The notification of the panel's decision shall include an attachment detailing the appeals procedure. 9. Penalties a. Penalties ava ilable during the disciplinary panel and summary judgement include: i. Oral warning. ii. Written warning. iii. Withdrawal of one or more privileges of Union Membership. iv. Payment for damage repair/replacement. v. Another appropriate penalty, such as community service.. b. A c ombination of the above may be proposed. c. The panel may also refer the matter to the Dean of Students (Welfare) or the head of the defendants department. d. The defendant has the right to appeal a summary judgement or Union disciplinary panel decision to the U nion Council. e. The appeal to the Union Council must be made within 10 working days of receiving the written decision of the disciplinary panel. f. The appeal must be made in writing to the Chair of Union Council, stating the grounds for appeal. g. The appeal will be heard at the next meeting of the Union Council. h. The Union Council, meeting in closed session, will decide whether there are sufficient grounds for appeal. If there are, the meeting shall: i. Hear the appellant's case as well as ask questions of them. ii. The appeal will not be a repetition of the disciplinary panel and no witnesses shall be called unless there is additional evidence or information. i. Union Council can choose to: i. Uphold the decision of the panel. ii. Overturn the decision of the panel and replace it with another sanction. iii. Return the case to the panel with instructions about rehearing. iv. Rehear the case at a later date as a whole body of Union Council. j. If the appellant is dissatisfied with the decision made by Union Council, a further appeal may be made to a General Assembly. i. A written notice of appeal must be made to the Democracy and Communications Officer who shall either call an Extraordinary General Assembly for that purpose, or place it on the agenda of a scheduled General Assembly. k. The Extraordinar y General Assembly can choose to: i. Uphold the decision of Union Council. ii. Overturn the decision of Union Council. l. If any of these procedures are not followed the defendant may refer the matter to the Chair of Union Council for a decision on whether it has pr evented the defendant from a fair hearing. If decided that the defendant was denied a fair hearing the disciplinary decision shall be overturned.