RMIT CSIT Constitution 2024.pdf

1. General 1.1. The RMIT University Student Union shall hereafter be referred to as RUSU. 1.2. The RMIT University Student Union Clubs & Societies Department shall hereafter be referred to as the Clubs Department 1.3. Simple majority voting – for RUSU Clubs purposes, this means that a motion (formal action statement) upon an item of business at a quorate club meeting is deemed carried (passed) if at least 50 % of the eligible members attending the meeting plus one extra eligible voting member votes in favour of that Motion. 1.4. A General Meeting of the Clubs is one to which all members of the club are invited to.
2. Name 2.1. The name of the club shall be: The RMIT Computer Science and Information Technology Society
3. Club Aims and Objectives 3.1. Act as an inclusive community for students to engage with others with similar interests in an educational and fun environment. 3.2. Provide an opportunity for students to connect with industry and potential employers in the form of technical workshops, hackathons, industry presentations and regular meetups.
4. Statement of Not-for-Profit Status 4.1. The assets and income of the Club shall be applied solely in furtherance of its’ above-mentioned objectives and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the Members of the association except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the Club.
5. Membership 5.1. Except as per 5.5, Full Membership shall be open to all currently enrolled RMIT University students. 5.2. Full Membership must number at least twenty (20) members. 5.3. Except as per 5.5, Associate Membership shall be open to Alumni, staff and other non - RMIT students but these members must not comprise more than 25% of the total Club membership nor hold Executive Positions on the Club Management Committee. 5.4. Life Membership is an honorary position, nominated and voted on by the Club Membership at a General Meeting; Life Members shall have attendance rights of all Club Meetings but no voting rights. 5.5. Where an individual was previously expelled from that club or subject to disciplinary measures. In such cases it shall be at the discretion of the current club Executive (with advice from the Clubs department) to approve or deny membership to the club and to set reasonable formal terms of re-admission if necessary. 5.6. The Club may set an annual membership fee to be determined at a quorate Club General Meeting and reviewed and changed by motion & vote not more than once per calendar year. 5.7. RMIT Student Members of the club shall always be charged a lower membership fee and lower activity participation fee (e.g., ticket price) than Associate Members and others. 5.8. Applications for membership to the Club shall close upon the opening of nominations for election to Executive in the Management Committee at an Annual or Special General Meeting including full, annual Committee elections and casual vacancy by-elections and shall be suspended until the election outcome is finalised and announced. 5.8.1. The opening of nominations (and suspension of processing of membership applications) must occur at least two (2) weeks before the Annual or Special General Meeting at which the election is to be held.
6. Club Management 6.1. The Club shall be governed by the elected Executive Members of the club’s Management Committee noting that the Executive and Committee is always bound by decisions made a Club General Meetings and that Committee decision may be overturned by majority vote at Club General Meetings as per 6.10 and 6.11 of this Constitution. 6.2. Except with the Clubs Department approval, the Management Committee shall, at a minimum, consist of an elected Executive of four (4) but no more than seven (7) Executive Office Bearers including a President, Secretary and Treasurer. 6.2.1. The Secretary will be called the Vice President of Administration. 6.3. At least four (4) Executive Members of the Management Committee shall gain financial membership of the RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) during their period in office. 6.4. The Executive may appoint Members to the Management Committee as General Office Bearers in a non- Executive capacity as deemed required. 6.5. The authority and responsibilities of the Executive are detailed in Section 7 of this Constitution. 6.6. The responsibilities of all members of the Management Committee are detailed in Section 8 of this Constitution. 6.7. The Executive may develop and modify duty statements/descriptors so long as the responsibilities allocated remain consistent with the responsibilities outlined in this Constitution. 6.8. Only elected Executive Members of the Management Committee shall have signatory control of the Club bank account as per Section 15 of this Constitution. 6.9. The Management Committee shall meet, at a minimum, six (6) times per affiliation period. 6.10. The Management Committee is always bound by the decisions of a Club General Meetings including Special General Meetings and Annual General Meetings. 6.11. Any Management Committee decision may be overturned by vote at a Club General Meeting. 6.12. Any change to the structure of the Executive must be approved by vote at a Club Special or Annual General Meeting. 6.13. In the event of a single casual vacancy within the Executive, the remaining Executive may appoint a Full Club Member to fulfill the position for the remainder of the term. 6.14. In event of two or more concurrent resignations from the Executive, it is the responsibility of the Management Committee to call an election and convene a Special General Meeting to fill the casual vacancies, at the soonest possible convenience. 6.15. Any change to the Club Executive must be promptly reported to the Clubs Department.
7. Authority and Responsibilities of the Executive 7.1. Noting that any Executive decision must be consistent with those made at Club General Meetings and may be over tuned by vote at a such meetings (as per Sections 6.10 and 6.11 of this Constitution), the Club Executive holds ultimate responsibility for the governance, finances, and day-to-day operations of the Club. This includes authority and accountability for: 7.1.1. Developing and coordinating the club's annual strategic direction to achieve its goals. 7.1.2. Assigning tasks and defining roles and responsibilities for the Executive and other Committee members. 7.1.3. Ensuring compliance with the Club responsibilities listed in the RUSU Regulations. 7.1.4. Managing constitutional matters. 7.1.5. Overseeing club finances, including the bank account, event/activity budgets, sales, approval of expenditures and prompt payments of all club debts, noting the specific responsibilities listed in Section 15 of this Constitution. 7.1.6. Entering and managing contracts on behalf of the club, including sponsorship agreements. 7.1.7. Actively recruiting members. 7.1.8. Deciding on events and activities that align with the club's goals and are manageable for the club, with the option for clubs to continue deciding these through an annual activity plan approved during a General Meeting or similar inclusive process. 7.1.9. Supervising club event and activity planning and execution. 7.1.10. Organising and facilitating the Club Annual General Meeting, other General Meetings, and Club Management Committee meetings as required. 7.1.11. Ensuring compliant club elections, including appointing a Returning Officer. 7.1.12. Managing formal reporting, including meeting minutes, membership, financial, and annual reports. 7.1.13. Presentation of membership, meeting, financial or other records to the Clubs Department upon request. 7.1.14. Promptly addressing complaints and other issues that could potentially harm the club’s operations and reputation. 7.1.15. Managing club data, assets, and storage. 7.1.16. Supervising club communication channels. 7.1.17. Actively planning for ongoing succession of the club including recruiting potential future club leaders, preparing them to take over Executive roles and supporting the succeeding elected Executive to finalise the next re-affiliation process. 7.2. Where the Club has a Management Committee with broader membership than only an Executive, the other Management Committee members may discuss the above matters, however only the Club Executive members may exercise a vote in decisions made in relation to those matters. 7.3. In all matters about, the matters listed at 7.1.a vote shall be carried by a simple majority of 50% of the Executive plus one (1).
8. Responsibilities of all Members of the Management Committee 8.1. All members of the Management Committee are responsible for promoting club’s aims and activities and ensuring that they act following the club’s own Constitution, Regulations, Policy and Procedures, RUSU Regulations, Policy and Procedures including the Clubs Code of Conduct, and with University Regulations, Policy and Procedure, especially regarding use of University resources, safety and security and the Student Code of Conduct and Student Charter and all relevant State, Federal and Local Government laws 8.2. Members of the Management Committee must, jointly or individually, promptly seek advice and support from the RUSU Clubs and Societies Department or other most appropriate authority (for example, RMIT Safer Communities, RMIT Security, the Police, etc.) where the Club as a whole and/or the participants in club activities, are at risk of or have breached the law and/or the relevant rules and regulations.
9. Annual General Meeting (AGM) 9.1. There shall be one Club Annual General Meeting every affiliation year, which shall be held at a regular period during the RMIT academic period as required by RUSU 9.2. The Agenda of the AGM must include: 9.2.1. Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Annual General Meeting 9.2.2. The presentation of a written General Report meeting at least the requirements of the template provided by RUSU. 9.2.3. The presentation of the Clubs’ annual affiliation period financial report meeting at least the requirements of the template provided by RUSU. 9.2.4. Ratification of the Club’s Constitution and/or changes made to it. 9.2.5. The election of the following affiliation year Executive/Committee 9.2.6. Approval of the signatories to the club bank account from amongst the elected club Executive as per Section 15.6. 9.2.7. If it is the club’s standard process, approval of the Club Annual Activity Plan for the following affiliation period. 9.2.8. Other business and other motions as moved.
10. Other meetings 10.1. A General Meeting is defined as any meeting other than an Annual General or Special General or Club Executive Meeting. 10.2. The Management Committee shall meet at least six (6) times per affiliation period. 10.3. If ten, or one third of the membership, whichever is smaller, should petition the Management Committee for a Full Club General Meeting, such a meeting must be held within fifteen academic days, at a date set by the Executive. 10.4. A Special General Meeting is defined as separate from a General, Annual General or Club Management Committee Meeting, and shall be requested in writing to the Club Board, to address a set item of importance to Club Business, by a minimum of 10 Full Members or 1/3 of the total Membership, whichever is the lesser number of Members. 10.5. The preference will be to hold physical General Meetings on or near the RMIT campus the majority of Full Members attend. 10.5.1. Where this is not possible, and with the approval of the Clubs Department, the meeting shall be held online in a manner consistent with Clubs Department requirements particularly where the agenda will include Executive elections.
11. Quorum 11.1. Quorum is the minimum number of Members required to attend a Club meeting for decisions made at that meeting to be considered valid Club decisions. 11.2. At an Annual, Special or General Meeting, Quorum shall be a minimum of 10 members of which at least 75% attending must be Full Members or 1/3 of the Membership of which 75% attending must be Full Members, whichever is smallest. 11.3. At a Club Management Committee Meeting, Quorum shall be ½ the elected Executive Members plus one to the nearest whole number.
12. Notice of Meetings 12.1. The Management Committee shall give at least five academic days’ notice to all Club Members of a General Meeting and ten academic days’ notice for Special General and Annual General Meeting. 12.1.1. Such notice must, as a minimum, be email notification using the club’s official email.
13. Voting 13.1. Voting at Club General Meetings shall be democratic, with a majority (at least 50% of votes plus one) of eligible Full Members attending a quorate meeting (as per Section 11) required for the passage of a Motion. 13.2. Voting at Management Committee meetings shall be democratic, with a majority (at least 50% of votes plus one) of the Executive attending a quorate meeting (as per Section 11) required for the passage of a Motion. 13.3. All tied motions are lost. 13.3.1. Members must attend the meeting to participate in a vote on any matter including in elections. 13.3.2. Proxy voting is not permitted. 13.4. Constitutional changes require a majority (at least 50% of votes plus one) of Full Members attending a quorate (as per Section 11) Special or Annual General Meeting and take effect from the end of the meeting. 13.5. Constitutional motions must be presented in writing to the Management Committee at least ten academic days before the meeting and notice of these shall be given to the Membership. 13.6. Proposed Constitutional changes must be approved by the Clubs Department before they are presented to the Management Committee and/or General Membership to ensure the changes are consistent with this Constitution and RUSU Clubs Regulations.
14. Dismissal from Club Executive and/or Expulsion from the Club 14.1. The process for dismissing an Executive Member of the Management Committee can begin with a motion of the Executive or a petition bearing the names of at least ten Members of the Club of whom 75% must be Full Members. 14.1.1. At the next Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting, a motion shall be put to dismiss the Executive Member, provided that at least ten academic days’ notice has been given to the Membership and to the Member concerned in writing. 14.1.1.1. The Executive Committee Member to be impeached will be given at least seven minutes to speak before the vote is taken. 14.1.1.2. If this Motion passed by a two thirds majority, that Executive position will become vacant, and a new election held immediately. 14.2. The process for dismissing a Non-Executive Member of the Management Committee shall be by Executive vote with such a decision to be based only on the grounds of the Non-Executive Member’s failure to meet reasonable participation requirements including regular attendance of Management Committee and General Meetings, completion of agreed duties, completion of agreed duties in a competent manner, and/or compliance with the RUSU Clubs Code of Conduct. 14.3. The process to expel a Club Member shall begin with a motion of the Club Executive or a petition with the names of at least ten Full Club Members. The procedure is the same as for the impeachment except that the result is the voiding of the person’s membership to the Club. 14.3.1. Expulsion of a Member who is a Club Management Committee Member shall also constitute that Member’s dismissal from the Management Committee 14.3.2. It shall be at the Executive’s discretion to re-open Membership to an expelled Member, however the Executive shall maintain the right to revoke that decision should that Member display the initial or similar behaviours which resulted in their initial expulsion. 14.4. No Member may be dismissed, impeached, or expelled from the Management Committee or Club on the grounds of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or political views. 14.5. Any action taken under this section must be reported to the Clubs Department. 14.6. Appeals under this section shall be directed to the Clubs Department
15. Finance & Other Assets 15.1. A record of non-monetary club assets (such as equipment, promotional items) shall be maintained by the Club and overseen by the Treasurer. 15.1.1. The Club shall be solely responsible for storage of such assets. 15.2. The Club Treasurer shall keep and maintain records for all Club income and expenditure (including all receipts) and ensure these are transferred to the care of the incoming Treasurer at the end of the current Treasurer’s period of office. This transfer shall include the club cheque book (if the Club has one) and the like. 15.3. The Club shall maintain Club financial records for a period of five (5) years and may request that the Clubs Department store these records. 15.4. All Club funds shall be lodged in a dual signatory Society bank account nominated by the Clubs Department. 15.5. The Club President shall be the Chief Officer of the Club bank account and ensure that this is authority is successfully transferred to the next President. 15.6. The Club President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be signatories to the Club bank account and ensure that this authority is successfully transferred to their successors. 15.6.1. Should the Club wish to add additional Executive Board Members as signatories to the Club bank account, this shall be voted upon at a General Meeting. 15.7. The Club authorises RUSU to have access to a standard range of information about the club bank account as required by the Clubs Department. 15.8. Club funds and assets shall only be used for the purpose of achieving the clubs stated aims for the primary benefit of RMIT student members of the club in accordance with the Clubs’ approved events and activities and relevant RUSU Regulations and Policy. 15.9. Where the club wishes to fundraise for external organisations or causes, it shall only do so for charitable purposes aligned with the Club's aims and objectives and in accordance with RUSU’s Regulations and the Club’s Department’s written approval. 15.10. The Club shall bear all responsibility for identifying and meeting the Clubs’ Taxation liabilities.
16. Dissolution Clause 16.1. In the event of the Club being dissolved, all Club assets that remain after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be transferred to RUSU. 16.2. The Club shall be deemed dissolved if: 16.2.1. The Club formally dissolves by majority vote at a quorate Annual General or Special General Meeting and provides RUSU with a copy of the minutes of that Meeting or; 16.2.2. The Club fails to re-affiliate with RUSU for a period of not less than two (2) affiliation periods (2 years).
17. Responsibility/Disclaimer 17.1. RUSU accepts no responsibility for actions or decisions taken by a Club or its’ Management Committee; the Club Executive shall be deemed responsible for all decisions made for or on behalf of the Club. 17.2. RUSU accepts no responsibility for any financial debts or other liabilities incurred by the Club.