The University of New England INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION REGULATIONS September 2004 Approved at the Council Meeting on September 17, 2004 The University of New England INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION REGULATIONS Part 1 - Elections 100. Status (1) The regulations in this Part are the regulations for the conduct of elections in accordance with clause 7 (13) of the Constitution. 101. Applicability (1) This Part applies to the annual elections held in accordance with sub clause 6(6) and 10(8) of the Constitution. 102. Timetable (1) The annual elections of the President of the Association to be held at the Annual General Meeting. The elections of the other Executive Committee members are to be held at the first meeting of the Council immediately following the election of the President of the Association and in accordance with the clause 13 (3) of the Constitution. 103. Returning Officer (1) Under sub clause 13(4) of the Constitution, the Executive Committee must appoint a Returning Officer for the annual elections. The Returning Officer must not be a candidate for election. (2) The Executive Committee must appoint a returning officer before the annual elections are called. (3) The Returning Officer: (a) is responsible for the conduct of the election; and (b) may decide all matters not provided for in the Constitution or these Regulations. (4) The Returning Office is not disqualified from voting. (5) The Returning Officer may appoint (and remove) Deputy and Assistant Returning Officers and poll clerks. 104. Nominations (1) Nominations for the annual elections must be opened at least 3 weeks before the annual elections. (2) Nominations must be in made on the form in Appendix 1. (3) All nomination forms must be signed by a full member of the association other than the nominee. (4) Nominations close for the annual elections and must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 5 minutes before an Annual General Meeting at which the elections are to be conducted. (5) A candidate may withdraw their nomination at any time by giving notice to the Returning Officer on the form in Appendix 2. The Returning Officer must then proceed as if the nomination had never been received. 105. Voting (1) Under sub clause 6(6) of the constitution, only full members of the Association may stand for the position of the President of the Association and vote in elections. (2) Voting for the position of the President shall be by secret ballot. (3) Voting for the positions of the Education Officer, the General Secretary, the Treasurer and the Welfare/Social Officer shall be by show of hands unless ten full members of the Association make a written request to Returning Officer to conduct elections by secret ballot. The request for secret ballot shall be submitted to Returning Officer not later than 24 hours before the start of a Council Meeting where the elections are to be conducted. (4) All full members may attend the Council Meeting and cast their votes. (5) Members of the Council who are not full members are not eligible to vote at the elections as per sub clause 6(6) of the Constitution and sub clause 105(1) of the Regulations. (6) A member may only vote once for each position in each election. All votes of a member who votes or attempts to vote more than once are invalid. (7) Voting for the annual elections shall take place at a place determined by the Returning Officer and Executive Committee. 106. Method of Counting (1) Votes must be counted in accordance with the following procedure: (a) Each hand or ballot paper shall count as one vote for a candidate. (b) The candidate who gets the higher number of votes at the election shall be elected. (c) In the case where two or more candidates get equal highest number of votes, the vote of Returning Officer shall be counted as a casting vote. (d) In the case when results of elections do not achieve the proportion of full and associate members specified in clause 10 (8) of the Constitution, the required number of associate members who received the lowest number(s) of votes are not elected and the required number of nominated full members who received the next highest number(s) of votes are declared elected. 107. Disputes against Elections (1) A student may appeal to the Council against a decision of the Returning Officer. The Council’s decision shall be final. Part 2 – Executive Committee 201.? Responsibilities (1) The President (a) Shall be the spokesperson of the Association (b) Shall preside at all meetings of the Association at which he/she is present except where chairing any part of a meeting would result in a conflict of interest, in which case s/he should invite the Education Officer or another member of the Executive Committee to take the chair. (c) Shall co-ordinate all activities of the Association (d) Shall have the power to act on behalf of the Association in matters of urgency, subject to rules laid down in the Constitution, and after consultation with at least two other members of the Committee. (e) Shall serve as representative of the Association (in the International Committee, AIA, other meetings of interests to international students, etc) unless prior important engagements prevent this, in which case s/he can nominate another member of the Committee to take his/her place (2) The Education Officer (a) Shall act as the president in the absence of the president of the Association (b) Shall liaise among the members, main student body and the University on all academic matters that concern international students (c) Shall consult with and act as the first point of contact for members regarding educational matters (d) Shall be the research liaison officer of the Association (e) Shall chair the standing committee on education (3) The General Secretary (a) Shall convene all Committee, General and Special General Meetings and prepare their agendas (b) Shall write the minutes of Committee, General and Special Meetings of the Association (c) Shall keep all documents (including membership list and a list of assets of the Association) and records of all meetings and activities of the Association, except financial records (d) Shall be responsible for all official correspondence of the Association (e) Shall submit an annual report of the activities of the Association at the Annual General Meeting. (4) The Treasurer (a) Shall maintain proper records of all financial matters of the Association (b) Shall collect all fees, subscriptions, and donations (c) Shall present a monthly financial report and financial statement of accounts to the Committee (d) Shall arrange for annual auditing of the Association’s accounts and submit an annual report and financial statement of accounts, duly audited, at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. (5) The Welfare and Social Officer (a) Shall be responsible for ensuring that social and welfare issues affecting members are addressed (b) Shall gather information on the well-being of the members and be the liaison between the Association and the members and the university’s Equity Office (c) Chair and/or organise events, activities (seminars & forums/workshops and coordinate social events) to promote awareness for the members’ welfare on campus. (d) Shall prepare, in coordination with the Executive Committee (or News Editor), information material and advertisements for ISA. 202. Term of Office (1) Under the sub clause 7 (14) of the Constitution, office bearers shall hold office from the time of their election until the expiration of a transitional period (to be determine at the last Council meeting of the Association before the Annual General Meeting) after their successors are elected, unless it is decided otherwise at the first Council meeting of the Association following the Annual General Meeting. Appendix 1 International Students’ Association Elections: Nomination Form I, ______________________________, a full member of UNE-ISA (international student), hereby nominate __________________________________ for the position of____________________________. Full Name: __________________________________ Student Number: _____________ Signature: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Postal Address: ______________________________________________________________ Phone No: ______________________ E-mail address: __________________________ I, _____________________________________, accept the nomination for the position of _____________________. (Note: You must be an International Student to be nominated for the position of the UNE-ISA President). Full Name: __________________________________ Student Number: _____________ Signature: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Postal Address: ______________________________________________________________ Phone No: ______________________ E-mail address: __________________________ I am FULL/ASSOCIATE (circle where appropriate) member of UNE-ISA Appendix 2 International Students’ Association Elections: Withdrawal Form I, __________________________________, withdraw my nomination for the position of ____________________________. Full Name: __________________________________ Student Number: _____________ Signature: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Postal Address: ______________________________________________________________ Phone No: ______________________ E-mail address: __________________________ 5 of 5