6 athletic union

Bye-Law 6 of Bucks Students’ Union:

ATHLETIC UNION

Athletic Union Council

1. There shall be an Athletic Union Council (also known as “AU Council”), which shall be the governing body of the Athletic Union.

2. The Athletic Union Council shall be accountable to Union Council.

3. The Athletic Union Council shall comprise of:

3.1. Vice President Achievement and Belonging (non-voting)

3.2. Activities Coordinator (competitive sport)

3.3. The Chair of each club or, in the case of the Chair being unable to attend, another member of that club’s committee (ideally the Secretary)

4. The Athletic Union Council shall:

4.1. be responsible for the administration and coordination of all affiliated student sports clubs at Buckinghamshire New University

4.2. make and agree changes to the Code of Conduct

4.3. provide an opportunity for sports clubs to collaborate on projects with societies as well as each other

4.4. approve the affiliations of new Athletic Union clubs into Bucks Students’ Union

4.5. elect a student chair in the first or second meeting of a new academic year

4.6. vote on matters concerning the sports clubs/teams, when voting each club will have one vote.

5. The Athletic Union Council will meet a minimum of five times during University Term time.

6. The quorum shall be 50% plus one of the clubs affiliated to the Athletic Union at that time.

7. Failure to send a representative of a club will result in a host of possible actions, ranging from being fined £10, to a reduction in transport support to training. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings without any reason given will result in your club being suspended.

Affiliation

8. Any sports club may be considered for affiliation by the Athletic Union Council provided that the club presents a constitution including:

8.1. The name of the club

8.2. The purpose of the club

8.3. Regulations relating to membership eligibility

8.4. Provision for the election of a committee of officers (only full members of the Union may hold such posts)

8.5. The responsibilities of the committee of officers

8.6. Provision for any General Meetings of all members of the team

8.7. Provision for an Annual General Meeting at which accounts shall be presented.

9. Any sports club seeking affiliation must also have:

9.1. Provided a club development plan

9.2. Completed a risk assessment

9.3. A full committee

10. Sports clubs being considered for affiliation should meet the following criteria:

10.1. it is a BUCS Championship sport and/or allows its members to represent the University

10.2. it is recommended by the Vice President Achievement and Belonging and the Student Activities team that the team’s aims and objectives are best fulfilled within the Athletic Union

11. Any club failing to meet criterion [10] may still seek affiliation by submitting a written request to the Vice President Achievement and Belonging detailing:

11.1. Why the club should be allowed to form without the required competitive element

11.2. What actions are to be put in place to increase membership

11.3. How they would ensure the club’s longevity

This request will then be submitted to the Athletic Union Council.

12. If the sports club does not fulfil both criteria [10.1] and [10.2] then they should consider affiliation as a society.

Affiliated Athletic Union Teams

13. Membership shall be open to all members as defined in Clause 12 of Bucks Students’ Union Constitution:

13.1. each and every student who has not opted out by notifying Buckinghamshire New University of their wish not to be a Member of the Union; and

13.2. the Sabbatical Officers of the Union.

14. All playing club members must register their membership on the Bucks Students’ Union website for their chosen sport, no later than their first training session after trials, otherwise they will not be allowed to compete.

15. All social team members must register their membership on the Bucks Students’ Union website for their chosen social sports team.

16. All club and social members will adhere to the policies as laid out in the Athletic Union Handbook, available online from the Students’ Union website.

17. Constitutions of Athletic Union teams shall be subordinate to the Students’ Union Constitution and Bye-Laws.

18. AU Council will ratify constitutions which have been approved by clubs. Constitutions may be approved or revised by a [simple] majority at a club’s Annual General Meeting. Student Activities Committee will hold the power to require amendments where rules and regulations specified in club constitutions breach the Union’s policies or procedures. Clubs will have a right to appeal in these instances, with appeals being heard by the Union’s Trustee Board.

19. A copy of each constitution shall be available for viewing from the Students’ Union.

20. Sports club elections will be held in accordance with Bye-Law 4: Elections.

21. Teams must give due consideration to the health and safety implications of their activities. Where activities present significant level of risk to participants or others, they must produce a separate risk assessment.

22. A club’s Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Captain and Welfare Liason must attend compulsory committee training and complete all compulsory documents.

Team Accounts

23. All club accounts are to be held with the Students’ Union. No other accounts (e.g. bank) shall be held by a club member.

24. All income received on behalf of the club shall be paid into its account with the Students’ Union. No team shall obtain a loan from any source other than the Students’ Union.

25. All expenditures on behalf of the club shall be paid out of its account with the Students’ Union. All expenditures shall be agreed with the relevant member of Students’ Union staff and spent to further the aims of that team.

26. All the equipment purchased by the club remains the property of the Students’ Union.

27. Details of any sponsorship deals being negotiated by a club should be notified to the Student Activities Manager before any contract is entered into. The Athletic Union does not permit sponsorship from pubs, taxi firms, nightclubs or day time eateries.

28. At year end each team should have a minimum of £150 in their account which is either fundraising or sponsorship for use at the start of the next academic year. Any unspent grant money will be returned to the Students’ Union.

29. Operational details for club’s accounts will be updated regularly in the Athletics Union Handbook, available online from the Students’ Union website.

Suspension

30. A club/team will be classed as “suspended” if:

30.1. their committee has not completed all the compulsory paperwork by the deadline given (before their first fixture)

30.2. the club has failed to send a representative to three consecutive meetings of Athletic Union Council, without a reason being given

30.3. the club has failed to hold an Annual General Meeting in the past 12 months

30.4. members of the club are found to have departed from the Code of Conduct (as laid out in the Athletic Union Handbook) or contravened the Club or Union Constitution or any Bye-Laws.

30.5. the club is deemed to have awarded too many walkovers and incurred financial penalties

31. Suspension for either reason prohibits any club from running events or activities in the Students’ Union name.

32. When a club is suspended, the Students’ Union accepts no responsibility for any events that this club holds.

33. Suspension of a club/team will impose the following penalties:

33.1. The accounts of the club in question will be blocked. This means that no withdrawals can be made from their account

33.2. Union services will be stopped for this club, including the hiring of buses, the use of equipment, and the booking of rooms

33.3. Any promotion usually undertaken by the Students’ Union will be stopped for that club

33.4. The club in question cannot use the Students’ Union name on any publicity.

34. Suspension under the terms of [30] may also lead to any or all of the following disciplinary actions:

34.1. Fines to individuals or the club to cover costs

34.2. Expulsion from the Athletic Union of an individual and/or team

34.3. Suspension or expulsion from your team

34.4. Withdrawing individuals or the team from BUCS/relevant league

34.5. Banned from playing

34.6. Banned from the venue and other Union activities/facilities

34.7. Cancellation of fixtures leading to walkovers and points penalties

34.8. Withdrawal from competitions

34.9. Withdrawal of privileges e.g. ‘Takeovers’, ‘Tour’ etc.

35. If evidence is supplied in relation to point [30] to the Sabbatical Officers, Chief Executive Officer or a Senior Manager the following procedure shall be followed:

35.1. The President shall notify the committee of the club concerned;

35.2. The President shall invite the committee of the club to speak at at a panel consisting of a member of the Senior Management Team, one Student Trustee, the Vice President Education and Welfare, Vice President Education and Welfare Uxbridge and Aylesbury, one External Trustee and the HR Manager where the matter is to be discussed;

35.3. The panel as laid out in [35.2] shall make the decision and impose any or all of the actions in [34].

35.4. The panel as laid out in [35.2] shall report their findings and any disciplinary actions to Athletic Union Council.

35.5. In the instance that the club do not agree with the action, they should follow the complaints and appeals procedures.

35.6. The Trustee Board, excluding the Trustees who were part of the original decision, will have the final decision

36. The Student Activities Manager will notify all relevant parties (students and staff) of the status of suspensions on a regular basis.

37. A club’s full status will be re-instated when all training and paperwork is completed or the disciplinary action has run its course.

Disaffiliation of Clubs

38. A club will automatically be deemed disaffiliated after having been suspended for one academic year unless the provisions laid out by the panel [35.2] are longer, in which case they will be deemed disaffiliated at the end of the provision.

39. If the club have not complied with the findings of the panel [35.2] the Vice President Achievement and Belonging may recommend a club for disaffiliation.

40. Athletic Union Council will vote on this recommendation.

41. In the instance that the club do not agree with the action proposed, Trustee Board, excluding the Trustees who were part of the original decision, will have the final decision.

42. If a club has been disaffiliated, restarting it will be treated as affiliation of a new club.