Site: CotH,
Section: Hackery,
Page: Constitution.
It is sometimes considered that DSU's Constitution is difficult to read, lengthy, legalistic, and/or dull. This belief often means that people affected by its provisions are unaware what those provisions are, or have entirely mistaken beliefs about what it does say. In the interests of greater knowledge of the Constitution, therefore, we present an executive summary (suitable for Executive Committees?) of the Constitution.
| Article | Summary |
|---|---|
| Objectives and Aims | |
| I | DSU exists |
| II | to represent and provide services to students |
| III | and help JCRs |
| IV | in an independent |
| V | and non-discriminatory fashion. |
| Membership | |
| VI | All students and sabbs are members |
| VII | unless they opt out |
| VIII | and students must pay the University-set membership fee (£0) |
| IX | unless the sabbs and Council like them and make them HLMs. |
| X | Membership has rights and benefits as defined in Standing Orders. |
| Referenda | |
| XI | Referenda are supreme if 20% of students vote, and happen when needed. |
| General Meetings | |
| XII | A general meeting of students can make policy and other binding decisions, if at least 250 students are there, and Referendum doesn't disagree. If there aren't 250 students there, it advises Council. |
| Council | |
| XIII | Council (the trustees of DSU) is made up of people elected by the JCRs and a few others. It keeps the officers and committees accountable and generally runs the Union. |
| Indemnity | |
| XIV | Officers are indemnified unless incompetent or evil. |
| Sabbatical Officers | |
| XV | There are some sabbs elected annually. The ones that aren't the DUCK officer are responsible for doing things (unless otherwise stated). They have to obey Council and General Meeting, and are paid a living allowance and a Council Tax allowance for doing so. They can't be present at discussions about their pay. |
| Steering Committee | |
| XVI | There is a Steering Committee for running meetings and elections and doing other administration. |
| Other Committees and Office-Holders | |
| XVII | There are some other committees and officers. See Standing Orders. |
| Elections | |
| XVIII | Elections and by-elections are held. Officers who are elected can be removed. |
| Financial Administration and Employment of Staff | |
| XIX | There are some finances |
| XX | which the Treasurer is responsible to Council for |
| XXI | including budgets |
| XXII | and accounts |
| XXIII | and staff. |
| Strategic Plan | |
| XXIV | The sabbs should put long-term strategy to Council for approval and revision. People should pay attention to the strategy. |
| Affiliations and Donations to External Organisations | |
| XXV | The Union can affiliate to external organisations |
| XXVI | subject to annual renewal |
| XXVII | and can send people to conferences. |
| Student Societies Affiliated to the Union | |
| XXVIII | There can be some. |
| Access to Information | |
| XXIX | You can see non-confidential information, and if necessary confidential information. Ask Steering. |
| Standing Orders and Interpretation | |
| XXX | There are some Standing Orders to explain details made by meetings and referenda |
| XXXI | (majority requirements vary). |
| XXXII | Proposed changes must be well-written. |
| XXXIII | Standing Orders can be suspended |
| XXXIV | and can't be inconsistent with the Constitution |
| XXXV | and are interpreted by Steering. |
| Review and Amendment of the Constitution | |
| XXXVI | The Constitution should be reviewed regularly |
| XXXVII | and proposed changes get discussed by Council and General Meeting |
| XXXVIII | (unless the General Meeting is inquorate) |
| XXXIX | and possibly referendum if it's really important |
| XL | before the University approves them. |
| Appeals and Complaints | |
| XLI | It depends |
| XLII | but actions under appeal are always suspended if possible |
| XLIII | and Steering publish all appeal results. |
| XLIV | Complaints about staff go to the Treasurer |
| XLV | about officers and committees in writing to that officer or committee |
| XLVI | about rulings to Steering |
| XLVII | about being no-confidenced straight to IAT (see below) |
| XLVIII | and about decisions of Council and General Meeting to Steering. |
| XLIX | If you don't like a Steering decision that goes to IAT too. |
| L | Associations might have their own rules to try first. |
| LI | If none of the above works, you can go to Internal Appeals Tribunal (IAT) |
| LII | by writing to the Chair of Council who shall find an IAT for you. You might want to find an academic to observe the IAT. |
| LIII | The IAT will try to figure out what's going on in a fair and impartial manner |
| LIV | and then say what happens next. |
| LV | If you're unhappy with the IAT's decision |
| LVI | then you can appeal to the University Registrar |
| LVII | who shall also try to figure things out and tell the President what he thinks |
| LVIII | who shall quickly tell you, and Council. |
| LIX | If you're still unhappy, there's yet another appeals stage to go to. |
| Definitions | |
| LX | Just to be clear, when we say "college" the "or Cuth's" is implied. |
Site: CotH,
Section: Hackery,
Page: Constitution.