St Cross College, Oxford

As approved by Common Room Committee, Executive Committee, and Governing Body.

ARTICLE I: Common Room Committee

The Common Room Committee shall meet at least twice during every term.

ARTICLE II: Student Representative Committee

Section 1. Membership of the Student Representative Committee.

The voting members of the Student Representative Committee shall comprise a President of the Student Association, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer as defined in the Constitution as well as one male and one female Welfare Officer, up to two Social Secretaries, a Chair of the Ball Committee, a Health and Safety Representative, an External Relations Representative, a Sports and Societies Representative, an Arts Representative, an Environment Representative, a Careers Representative, and a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans Representative and such additional members as the Common Room Committee may decide. The Junior Deans, Bar Manager, Library Representative, Student Information Technology Representatives, and Junior Webmaster shall serve as non-voting members by virtue of their status as College employees.

Section 2. President of the Student Association.

The President of the Student Association shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Student Association and shall coordinate the work of its officers and representatives. S/he shall chair meetings of the Student Association and the Student Representative Committee, shall serve as the chief liaison between the Student Association and Governing Body and other committees and officers of the College, shall execute the mandates of the Student Association and the Student Representative Committee, and shall exercise all other powers granted to him/her by the Constitution and these By-laws.

Section 3. Vice President.

The Vice President shall be prepared to assume the duties of the President whenever s/he is temporarily unable to discharge his/her office. The Vice President shall also be responsible for the overall organization of annual Freshers' Week events to orientate new students to the College and to Oxford.

Section 4. Treasurer.

The Treasurer shall maintain and oversee the accounts of the Common Room and the Student Association, maintain an accurate inventory of Common Room property, prepare the annual budget of the Student Representative Committee in accordance with the Constitution, work closely with other members of the Student Representative Committee in the disbursement of monies, and sit on the College Finance Committee.

Section 5. Secretary.

The Secretary shall prepare and publish accurate minutes of all Common Room Committee and Student Representative Committee meetings, as well as of all Common Room and Student Association meetings. S/he shall maintain copies of the Constitution and these By-laws as specified in these By-laws.

Section 6. Social Secretaries.

The Social Secretary or Social Secretaries shall be responsible for the planning and execution of social events within the college. These shall include, but not be limited to, bops (up to three per term), exchange dinners, events during Freshers' Week, and other social events throughout the year.

Section 7 Chair of the Ball Committee.

If the Student Representative Committee decides to hold a summer ball in any particular year, the Chair of the Ball Committee shall set up and chair a working committee on planning, organizing and executing the event. S/he shall be responsible for ensuring that all of the requirements of the College's Bop, Ball, and Summer Party Rules are fulfilled and that the Summer Ball operates in such a manner as to provide the maximum entertainment for members of the college without jeopardizing the Student Representative Committee's budget.

Section 8. Welfare Officers.

The Welfare Officers shall represent the views of junior members at the College's Welfare and Equality Committees. They shall be responsible for recruiting junior sponsors and assigning them to incoming students and for those arrangements in Freshers' Week related to the general welfare of new members, in conjunction with the Vice President, the Bursar, and the Senior Tutor. The Welfare Officers shall make themselves available to junior members for consultation and advice on welfare issues.

Section 9. Health and Safety Representative.

The Health and Safety representative shall represent the views of junior members at the College's annual Health and Safety Advisory Committee and shall help to convey information obtained at that meeting and through the College Administration to junior members. S/he shall also be responsible for recruiting students to work as health and safety representatives at all events for junior members to ensure the safety of participants.

Section 10. External Relations Representative.

The External Affairs Representative shall be responsible for representing the Student Association to bodies external to the College. S/he shall automatically become a member of any representative body to which the Student Association may be affiliated, subject to the internal procedures of any such body.

Section 11. Sports and Societies Representative.

The Sports and Societies Representative shall be responsible for convening a committee of the Sports Fellow, the President of the Student Association and him/herself to approve requests for sports subsidies. S/he shall further serve as a point of contact with students representing the College in sport and shall organize sporting and recreational activities in College. S/he shall also be responsible for convening a committee of the President of Common Room, the President of the Student Association and him/herself to approve requests for grants or subsidies to Common Room clubs and societies.

Section 12. Arts Representative.

The Arts Representative shall be responsible for issues relating to arts initiatives in the College. S/he shall attend meetings of the College Arts Committee. S/he shall further be responsible for initiating, maintaining, or changing arts programs such as the display of student art in the College bar.

Section 13. Environment Representative.

The Environment Representative shall act to promote environmental issues, both local and global, with the main aim of raising environmental awareness at St Cross. S/he shall also promote relevant events and organize, publicize, and implement the College recycling scheme.

Section 14. Careers Representative.

The Careers Representative shall liaise with the Oxford University Careers Service to provide junior members with information about careers events taking place within the University.

Section 15. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Representative.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Representative shall be responsible for representing the interests of the College's lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans students, for providing welfare advice and provision, and for organizing social events with other lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities.

Section 16. Ex Officio Members.

The Junior Deans, Bar Manager, Library Representative, Student Information Technology Representatives, and Junior Webmaster shall all serve as non-voting members of the Student Representative Committee and shall discharge the functions assigned to them by virtue of their respective contracts with the College.

Section 17. Student Representative Committee Meetings.

Student Representative Committee meetings shall be called in Noughth, Second, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Weeks of each term. Further meetings may be called at the discretion of the President of the Student Association. The Secretary shall publish a notice of each meeting to all junior members no fewer than seven days before the meeting. Junior members wishing to add items to the agenda shall notify the Secretary no fewer than three days before the meeting, and the Secretary shall publish the agenda no fewer than twenty-four hours before the meeting. The meeting shall be chaired by the President of the Student Association, by the Vice President if the President is unavailable, or by the next available member of the Student Representative Committee in the foregoing list of positions if both the President and Vice President are unavailable. No member of the Student Association shall be excluded from attending any Student Representative Committee meeting. Non-Student Representative Committee members shall participate only with the express permission of the chairperson. The quorum for a Student Representative Committee meeting shall be a majority of the number of voting positions which are not vacant at the time the meeting shall take place.

ARTICLE III: Election of Officers

Section 1. Returning Officer.

The President of Common Room shall serve as Returning Officer and shall be responsible for the conduct of elections in accordance with this Article and the Constitution.

Section 2. Notice of Poll.

At least two weeks in advance of the close of nominations and normally no later than Monday of Fourth Week of the term in which the election is to take place, the Returning Officer shall publicise the titles and descriptions of the positions open for election, the dates and hours of polling, the place of polling, and the period and method of making nominations.

Section 3. Timeline.

Nominations shall normally close by 5 p.m. on Friday of Sixth Week of the term in which the election is to take place. Balloting shall normally take place from Monday through Thursday of Seventh Week in accordance with the provisions of this Article. The Returning Officer shall normally announce the results by noon on Friday of Seventh Week.

Section 4. Nominations.

Candidates for nomination shall be nominated by two voting members of Common Room and shall indicate, in writing, to the Returning Officer their assent to nomination. No member may accept nomination for more than one position in any election. Nominations and notice of candidates' assent shall be received by the Returning Officer before the close of the nominating period. No nomination may be withdrawn without the consent in writing of the candidate. Nominations may be withdrawn at any time before the start of balloting. After the close of the nominating period, the Returning Officer shall publish a nomination list including the names of all duly nominated candidates for each vacancy and the names of their proposers and seconders.

Section 5. Hustings.

Hustings for any position may be held at the discretion of the Returning Officer. If the Returning Officer chooses to hust candidates for any position, all candidates for the position being husted must be invited to participate.

Section 6. Balloting.

The Returning Officer may allow voters to submit their votes by electronic or such alternative means as s/he thinks fit; nevertheless, a secret ballot must always be available. Ballot papers, whether written or electronic, shall list in relation to each vacancy the names of all candidates, and for each vacancy shall include a space for "Re-Open Nominations." In the case of paper ballots, balloting shall take place in the College Office during its regular opening times; in the case of electronic ballots, balloting shall close at 11.59 p.m. on the last day of voting. Each member of the Student Association may cast a single ballot.

Section 7. Ties.

If the method of calculating votes in the foregoing section shall produce a tie then the polls shall be re-opened for a run-off election between the tied candidates. Votes in the run-off election shall be handled in the same way as in the regular election.

Section 8. Recounts.

Any losing candidate may request a recount within seventy-two hours of the announcement of the results.

Section 9. Campaign Rules.

Any regulations governing the conduct of campaigns by candidates and their supporters shall be published by the Returning Officer at the time that s/he gives notice of the election. The Returning Officer shall be the sole interpreter of any such regulations, subject to the complaints procedures outlined in the Constitution.

ARTICLE IV: General Meetings

Section 1. Common Room Meetings.

A Common Room meeting shall be called by the President of Common Room upon receipt of a petition containing the names and signatures of at least ten percent of the voting members of Common Room. General meetings may discuss and express Common Room members' views on any matters concerning the College or its members. The President of Common Room or another individual designated by the President for that purpose shall preside.

Section 2. Student Association Meetings.

A Student Association meeting shall take place at least once in every academic year, at a date and time to be specified by the President of the Student Association. No later than fourteen days before the meeting, the Secretary shall solicit agenda items from members of the Student Association and publish the agenda no fewer than seven days before the meeting. If no agenda items have been submitted seven days before the meeting, the Secretary shall announce that the meeting has been cancelled. The meeting shall also be cancelled if a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes of the announced starting time. Extraordinary meetings of the Student Association shall be called by the President of the Student Association upon receipt of a petition containing the names and signatures of at least ten percent of the members of the Student Association, or upon a three-fourths vote of the Student Representative Committee. Student Association meetings may discuss and express junior members' views on any matters concerning the College or its junior members. The President, the Vice President, or a member of the Student Representative Committee designated by the President for that purpose shall preside. The presiding officer shall temporarily surrender chairmanship of the meeting should s/he wish to speak to an item on the agenda.

Section 3. Participation.

All members of Common Room, or in the case of Student Association meetings all members of the Student Association, shall have the right to participate in general meetings. Only voting members of Common Room, or in the case of Student Association meetings only members of the Student Association, shall have the right to vote. Non-members of the Common Room, or in the case of Student Association non-members of the Student Association, shall attend and speak only with the consent of a majority of the voting members in attendance.

Section 4. Quorum.

No meeting shall begin without a quorum, which shall consist of forty voting members in the case of a Common Room meeting, or thirty members in the case of a Student Association meeting, and no motion shall be introduced or voted on without a quorum.

Section 5. Agenda.

The President of Common Room, or in the case of Student Association meetings the Secretary, shall prepare an agenda for each meeting, which shall be published no fewer than seven days in advance of the meeting. Members wishing to add items to the agenda shall notify the President of Common Room or the Secretary no fewer than three days before the meeting, and the President of Common Room or the Secretary shall publish a revised agenda no fewer than twenty-four hours before the meeting.

ARTICLE V: Standing Orders

Section 1. General.

This article shall apply to all Common Room Committee meetings, Student Representative Committee meetings, Common Room meetings, and Student Association meetings.

Section 2. Parliamentary Authority.

All business shall be conducted through the Chair and governed by the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order, except where otherwise provided in this Article and elsewhere in the Constitution and By-laws.

Section 3. Interpretation.

The person presiding at any Common Room Committee meeting, Student Representative Committee meeting, Common Room meeting, or Student Association meeting shall be the sole interpreter of the Constitution and By-laws.

Section 4. Chronological Limitations.

Except where otherwise provided in the Constitution and these By-laws, all business of the Common Room and the Student Association shall be transacted between Noughth and Ninth Weeks of Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity Terms.

Section 5. Definitions.

Except where otherwise provided in the Constitution and these By-laws, a document will be considered to have been published when it is distributed by electronic mail to the members of the Common Room or the Student Association, whichever is required. The phrase "in writing" shall be taken to include correspondence by electronic mail.

Section 6. Voting.

Except where otherwise provided in the Constitution and these By-laws, decisions shall be by a simple majority of those for or against. The person presiding shall have a casting vote only. Postal or electronic voting shall be admissible only if the person presiding deems (a) that the vote reached the Secretary no fewer than three days before the meeting at which the vote is to be counted and (b) that the person voting by post or electronically is more than 20 miles from Carfax at the time of the meeting. Proxy voting shall be inadmissible for any purpose.

Section 7. Suspension of Standing Orders.

Any one or more of the Standing Orders in this Article may be suspended for the length of any one meeting by a two-thirds majority vote at any quorate meeting of the Common Room Committee, Student Representative Committee, Common Room, or Student Association.

Section 8. Copies of Constitution and By-laws.

A copy of the Constitution and these By-laws shall be maintained at all times in the following places by the Secretary: in the Common Room's records, in the Saugman Common Room, in the Master's office, in the Bursary, and in electronic form on the College web-site.

ARTICLE VI: Communications on Controversial Matters

Section 1. General.

Where it is intended to communicate to persons or bodies within the University of Oxford on matters internal to the University, the Student Representative Committee may decide to send a report of part or all of the proceedings of a Common Room Committee meeting, a Student Representative Committee meeting, a Common Room meeting, or a Student Association meeting. This communication shall include the numbers voting, the number of those present at the meeting, and the number of the members of the Common Room Committee, the Student Representative Committee, the Common Room, or the junior membership of Common Room.

Section 2. Ability to Opt Out.

When such a communication is made, any member may dissociate him/herself from the communication and have a written statement to that effect endorsed by the Secretary.

Section 3. External Affiliations.

If the Student Representative Committee decides to affiliate itself to an external organisation, it shall publish notice of its decision stating the name of the organisation and the details of any subscription or similar fee paid or proposed to be paid to the organisation. The current list of affiliations shall annually be submitted for the approval of all Student Association members. A request may be made by at least five percent of voting members that the question of continued affiliation to any particular organisation be decided upon by secret ballot at the next regular election period in which all full members are entitled to vote. The question to be put shall be decided by the President of Common Room. There shall be no more than one ballot per affiliation in any twelve-month period.

Downloadable copy of the by-laws