Business and Economics Association Hong Kong University Students Union

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1 Business and Economics Association Hong Kong University Students Union By-Laws (Year 2012 AMENDED) SECTION I GENERAL I. DEFINITION By-laws shall mean the By-laws of Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. Constitution shall mean the Constitution of Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. Association shall mean Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. Council shall mean Business and Economics Association Council of Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. Union Council shall mean Hong Kong University Students Union Council. Executive Committee shall mean Executive Committee of Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. Councilor shall mean a Council Member of Business and Economics Association Council of Business and Economics Association, Hong Kong University Students' Union. II. AIMS 1. The By-laws shall facilitate the smooth administration of the Council and act as a supplement to the Constitution. 2. All persons or committees mentioned below shall abide by the By-laws. III. AMENDMENT 1. The By-laws shall be amended or rescinded at any Council meeting with the consent of two-third of the total number of those present voting. 2. A notice intimating the proposed amendment or rescission shall be sent five clear days before the meeting. IV. Interpretation The interpretation of the By-laws shall rest with the Council. SECTION II COUNCIL MEETINGS I. SESSION 1. The session of the Council shall coincide with the session of the Executive Committee. 2. The first meeting of the session shall be convened by the Council Chairman of previous Council session. 3. The first meeting of the session shall be held within the first fourteen days of the second semester of each academic year. 4. Councilors form the academic society(s) should bear the office throughout the whole session regardless of the session of their respective academic society(s). II. ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS 1. Except for the First Meeting of a session, the business of each Council Meeting shall be transacted in the following order unless the Council Chairman orders otherwise:- (a) Inward Correspondence (b) To introduce new Members of the Council and their maiden speeches (c) To receive and adopt agenda 1

2 (d) To receive and adopt minutes of the previous meeting or meetings and matters arising there from (e) Questioning period (f) To report business of the Executive Committee and Council and any motions thereon (g) To discuss Business of the Association (h) To discuss Business without notice being permitted or initiated by the Council Chairman as a matter of urgency or expediency 2. At any Emergency Council Meeting, the only business to be considered shall be that specified in the notice convening the meeting and unless with the consent of two-third of the total number of Councilors present otherwise, shall be taken in the order therein set forth. III. AGENDA PAPER 1. Fourteen clear days before the scheduled date of each Council Meeting, the Council Honorary Secretary shall issue a notice to all Members listing all items of business for the coming Council Meeting so far entered into the agenda. 2. Members who wish to introduce any item of business into the agenda shall submit written agenda request to the Council together with the relevant papers at least seven clear days before the Council Meeting: provided the Council Chairman shall permit otherwise. 3. The proposed agenda paper of each Council Meeting shall be issued by the Council Chairman and sent to all Councilors at least five clear days before the Council Meeting. IV. QUESTIONING PERIOD 1. Members may address a question to the Executive Committee, Councilors, Council Committees, or Association sub-organizations relating to any matter for which they are responsible, either seeking information on such matter or asking for action with regard to it. 2. All questions require written reply, which should be ready for distribution in the meeting. 3. Not more than ten questions of which notice has been given may be asked at any one meeting. A Member may not ask more than three questions each on a particular issue and of which notice has been given at any one meeting. 4. A Member shall give notice of a question by submitting to the Council, not latter than five clear days before the meeting at which an answer is required, a copy thereof signed by the Member. 5. If a Member asks the permission of the Council Chairman to ask a question without notice on the ground that it is of an urgent character, the Council Chairman may permit the question to be asked without notice, if he is satisfied that it is of that nature and that sufficient private notice of the question has been or is to be given to any Member above-mentioned in IV.1. to enable the question to be answered. 6. A question shall be confirmed in the following rules:- (a) A question shall not contain arguments, inferences, opinions or unparliamentary expressions. (b) A question shall not refer to proceedings in a committee before that committee has made its report to the Council. (c) A question shall not be asked for the purpose of obtaining an answer to a hypothetical proposition. (d) A question shall not be asked seeking information which can be found in easily accessible documents or ordinary works or reference. 7. If the Council Chairman is of the opinion that a question of which a Member has given notice to the Council or which a Member has sought to ask without notice infringes any of the following provision of IV. 6., he may direct a) that the question be so asked with such alternations as he may direct; or b) that the Member concerned be informed that the question is out of order. 8. During question time the Council Chairman shall call on Members who have given formal notice of questions to ask their questions (in the order in which notice of them was received). After each question is asked, any Member above mentioned in IV.1. who is to answer it shall give his reply. 9. After an answer has been given to a question, not more than three supplementary questions may be asked, but the Council Chairman shall refuse to allow a supplementary question to be answered if in his opinion it introduces matters which is not related to the original question or which infringes 2

3 any of the provisions on IV After answers have been given to all supplementary questions, at most three comments can be given only those who have previously raised the question. 11. The questioning period in any particular meeting shall not extend for more than one and a half hours. V. REPORTS 1. The Executive Committee and Academic Society(s) are required to present the report to the Council at least one every twelve months or at the request of five Councilors. 2. The Faculty Board Members and Senators as Councilors are required to present reports jointly at least one every twelve months to the Council or at the request of five Councilors. 3. The Popularly-elected Councilors and Standing Committees of the Council are required to present reports to the Council at least one every twelve months or at the request of five Councilors. 4. All yearly reports shall be presented to the Council not later than one month after the end of their respective yearly session. 5. The annual plans, annual budget estimates, financial reports and annual reports of the Association and sub-organization(s), annual reports of Faculty Board Members and Senator as Councilors, shall be presented to the Council within fourteen days after the end of their respective session. 6. All Standing Committees of the Council and Popularly-elected Councilors shall present their annual reports to the Council ten days before the end of the Council session. 7. All ad hoc Committees, Commissions and Members specifically commissioned by the Council shall present a full report to the Council upon completing of their commissioned business and such interim reports as required by five Councilors. 8. It is expected that reports other than those from ad hoc committees, Commissions and Members specifically commissioned by the Council, should include the following points: (a) Evaluation of working within the session to be reported, with special emphasis on i) Attendance of Members ii) Aims, roles and positions iii) Financial affairs iv) Sufficiency of working force v) Extent of achievement (b) Suggestion of improvement for problems raised in (a). VI. WORKING PAPER 1. Relevant working papers of written notice shall be submitted in the Council at least five clear days before the meeting, otherwise that agenda/agendum shall be deferred to the next Council meeting, unless with the approval of the Council. 2. Working papers shall be available to Councilors at least five clear days before the meeting. Late documents or papers shall only be accepted for circulation when the Council Chairman deems the documents or papers relevant and delay unavoidable. 3. No documents or papers shall be circulated once a meeting has commenced unless with the approval of Council. VII. MEMORANDA FROM COUNCILORS On any agendum, every Councilor can prepare and submit a written memorandum to the Council expressing their views on the matter. VIII. INVITATION The Chairman shall invite speakers or advisors to a Council meeting as he deems fit, speakers shall present speeches as arranged on he agenda, and advisors shall have full speaking right on the agenda item on which he is invited. IX. STANDING ORDER Unless specified otherwise, the rules governing the procedure of Council Meeting shall follow the Standing Order of the Union Council. 3

4 SECTION III COUNCIL ATTENDANCE I. APPLICABILITY These rules will be applicable to all Council Members and official observers who are Full Members of the Association. II. MAIDEN SPEECH Every new Council Member shall deliver a speech to the Council at his/her first Council Meeting pledging his/her support to the Council. III. COUNCIL ATTENDANCE 1. All Councilors shall not attend less than half of the total number of Council Meetings during the Member s individual session. 2. All Councilors shall not be absent for three consecutive Council Meetings. 3. Councilor forecasting their absence form or late arrival or early departure from a Council Meeting should submit their apology in writing. Only written apology will be accepted by the Council. 4. Councilors who are late for a Council Meeting should mark their time of arrival against the signature on the attendance sheet. Councilors who are leaving a Council Meeting for the rest of the session should notify the Council. Councilors departing early and failing to inform the Council of their departure shall be considered as absent for the whole Council Meeting. 5. Councilors who are late for Council Meeting more than forty-five minutes and without prior written notification to the Council shall be considered as absent for the whole Council Meeting. 6. For a Council Meeting which lasts for more than six hours, Councilors attending less than four hours shall be considered as absent for the whole Council Meeting. 7. Councilors shall inform the Council for any temporary leave longer than fifteen minutes. 8. Replacement, late arrival with apology and early departure with notification to the Council, provided there is no contradiction with (6) should not be considered as absent of the Council Meeting. IV. INFRINGEMENT In case of infringement of the rules above, without a fit and reasonable explanation from the councilor concerned to the Council, the following shall be called for: 1. A motion tabled by the Council Chairman or requested by two Councilors be passed during the meeting censuring that particular Council Member: That the Council notes with regret and dissatisfaction the infringement of the By-laws and breach of duty of for i) half of the total number of Council Meetings during the Member s individual session or/and ii) not attending three consecutive Council Meetings and demands that no further infringement shall be committed 2. A notice containing the above mention shall be posted up at the Association s notice board. 3. A letter containing the motion shall be sent to the student body which he/she represents. 4. The infringement and the above motion shall be announced in the official publication of the Association. V. REPLACEMENT In the case of inability to attend Council Meetings, Council Representatives from sub-organization(s) can be temporarily replaced by a current Executive Committee Member of the sub-organization(s) appointed by its Executive Committee. A formal letter from the absent Councilors intimating such replacement should be directed to the Council before the commencement of the meeting. No replacement can be effected when a meeting is in progress. Members sitting in Council by virtue of their individual posts cannot be replaced. 4

5 SECTION IV COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES I. STANDING COMMITTEES 1. Standing Committees shall be long-term committees delegated to perform policy wise significant aspects of Council s function. 2. Standing Committees shall be sessionally appointed by the Council at its first Council Meeting of the session, and the session of which shall terminate with a new appointment by the Council at its first Council Meeting of the next session. 3. Standing Committees shall consist of the Constitution Review Committee, Faculty Affairs Committee, Finance Committee, Committee of Orientation, Central Election Commission, Sports Committee and Academic Committee. 4. They shall also send one copy of all correspondences, reports notices, agenda of meetings, minutes and working papers of meetings and other relevant documents to the Council for central filing. II. MEETINGS 1. At least three clear days notice shall be served for all regular Committee Meetings. An agenda shall also be issued at least three clear days before the meeting. At least one clear day shall be served for all emergency meetings of the Committee; an agenda shall also be issued at least one clear day before the Committee Meeting unless otherwise specified. 2. Committee Meetings shall be held with the presence of at least half of the total number of all Members of the Committee. 3. Decisions of the Committees will be approved in simple majority in the Committee Meeting except the Committee of Orientation. III. A. FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (a) To collect information from students of the Faculty concerning academic affairs and to reflect their opinion to the University authority. (b) To assist the student Senator and the Faculty Board student Members in their tasks of participating in University affairs. (c) To inform students of the Faculty on any academic affairs which are in their interest. (a) Student Senator (Chairman) (b) Internal Vice-Chairman of the Association (c) Faculty Board student Member (d) One representative from each academic society Secretary shall be elected among the Members of the Committee in the first Committee Meeting of each session. 3. Meetings (a) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of three Members of the Committee. B. SPORTS COMMITTEE (a) Sports Secretary of the Association (Chairman) (b) One representative, preferably the Sports Secretary from each Academic Society. Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected among the Members of the Committee. 3. Meetings (b) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of three Members of the Committee. C. FINANCE COMMITTEE 5

6 (a) To receive, consider and to give recommendations on applications directed to the Council from the sub-organization(s) for subsidy. (b) To scrutinize the budget of the Council (including its Standing Committees) and to handle its finance. (c) To scrutinize and give recommendations on all budgets and financial reports submitted to the Council. (d) To advise the Council on any financial matters. (e) To make recommendations to the Council for amending these regulations. (a) The Financial Secretary from the Association (Chairman) (b) The Financial Secretary from each Academic Society (c) One Popularly-elected Councilor 3. Meetings (a) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of three Members of the Committee. D. CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE (a) To keep a regular review of the structure and organization of the Association and affiliated academic society(s), and to make necessary recommendations to the Council. (b) To recommend revisions to the Constitutions and the By-laws. (c) To review all constitutions revision of the affiliated Academic society(s) shall be submitted to the Committee for advisory consideration before presenting them to the respective General Meetings for approval. (d) To advise Council on all matters concerning the affiliation or dissatisfaction of the Academic society(s), subject to the consideration and approval of the Union Council. (a) Council Chairman (Chairman) (b) One Councilor from each Academic Society (c) One Councilor from the Association (d) One non-executive Committee and non-academic Society Representative Councilor (e) One Popularly-Elected Councilor 3. Meetings (a) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of three Members of the Committee. E. COMMITTEE OF ORIENTATION (b) To consider and implement the co-ordination of Orientation Programme in the following areas: (a) Reception of freshmen (b) Publication and Publicity (c) Timing of orientation activities (c) To minimize time conflicts of various orientation activities (d) To avoid duplication of resources (e) To give relevant information to freshmen (a) Chairman who shall be a non-executive Committee and non-academic Society Representative Councilor elected by the Council and have no voting right. (b) Secretary shall be elected/ invited by the Committee and he/she shall not be the Member of (c) and (d) and haven o speaking right and voting right. (c) One representative from each Academic Society (d) One representative from the Association 6

7 3. Meetings (a) Committee Meetings and Emergency Committee Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of at least three Members of the Committee. (b) Three clear days notice shall be given for a Committee Meeting except Emergency Committee Meeting. Emergency Committee Meeting can be called at any time. (c) The quorum of meeting will be half of the total number of all Members of the Committee, excluding the Secretary, and any decision has to be approved by at least two-third of the total number of those present with voting rights. F. ACADEMIC COMMITTEE (a) To co-ordinate academic activities jointly organized by the Association and Academic society(s). (b) To organize activities so as to promote the academic interest of students. (a) Academic Secretary of the Association (Chairman) (b) Academic Secretary from each Academic Society 3. Meetings (a) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of three Members of the Commission. G. CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION (a) To conduct the elections and by-elections of the Executive Committee of the Association and the Popularly-Elected Councilors. (b) To invite at least one Returning Officer for each election or by-election. (c) To draft the rules for each election and by-election in accordance with the Constitution and subject to the approval of the Council. (d) To facilitate the campaign of the candidates with the help of Executive Committee. (a) The General Secretary (b) Three other Councilors appointed by the Council The Chairman shall be appointed from the above Members 3. Meetings (b) Meetings shall be called by the Chairman or at the request of two Members of the Commission. 7

8 SECTION V POPULARLY ELECTED COUNCILORS I. ORGANIZATION 1. Within the first fourteenth days of their terms of office, all Popularly-Elected Councilors shall meet. The Council Chairman in office shall serve to call the first meeting. 2. They shall subsequently prepare to call the first meeting to fulfill their group function as specified in Article (II) of this section. 3. Each shall also be responsible for executing their individual functions as specified in Article (III) of this section. II. RESPONSIBILITIES (A) 1. The Popularly-Elected Councilors shall maintain constant channels of communications with Members through the use of such means as regular bulletins or notice boards. 2. They shall initiate or other means of discussion among Members on important items relating to the Association. 3. They shall present an annual report to the Council. III. RESPONSIBILITIES (B) 1. Each Popularly-Elected Councilor shall sit on at least one Council Standing Committee as a voting Member. 2. Each Popularly-Elected Councilor shall take initiative measure to represent the opinion of Members and to enhance communication between the Council and Members of the Association. 3. Each Popularly-Elected Councilor shall participate in the functions as listed in Article (II) of this section. SECTION VI RULES FOR ACADEMIC SOCIETY(S) AFFILIATED TO THE UNION THROUGH THE ASSOCIATION 1. All affiliated Academic society(s) shall submit their annual plan, annual budget and reports to the Council. If these are to be found unsatisfactory, the Council shall have the power to disaffiliate the involved Academic Society or to take any other appropriate actions recommended by the Council. 2. Any amendment of the constitution and election results of all affiliated Academic Society(s) shall be sent to the Council. 3. Only the Councilors of the Council, not being the Executive Committee Members of the respective Academic Society(s) shall be invited by the affiliated Academic Society(s) as Returning Officers at their General Meeting or General Polling. SECTION VII FINANCE I. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION 1. All undergraduates, upon joining the Association as Full Members in accordance with Section II Article (a)(i) of the Constitution, shall pay to the Financial Secretary a Membership subscription of an Entrance Fee HK$50.00 and Annual Subscription HK$50.00 for each academic year. Undergraduates joining the Association shall pay the Membership subscription in one instance in terms of the year(s) of studies till graduation starting from the day of admission. 2. All postgraduates, upon joining the Association in accordance with Section II Article 2(b) of the Constitution, shall pay the Financial Secretary an annual subscription of HK$40.00 each year together with a registration fee of HK$ if he or she is a new Association Member of the Association, otherwise their Associate Membership shall automatically lapse. 8