LGBT Constitution

This constitution was last revised in October 2007

  1. DEFINITIONS

    1. This Constitution refers to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Association, hereinafter referred to as LGBT;
    2. LGBT shall be an Association of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union;
    3. Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Trans, Queer, Asexual and/or Undecided/Questioning students shall hereinafter be referred to as LGBT students.

  2. AIMS

    1. To form a community of LGBT students at the University of Nottingham;
    2. To represent the interests of LGBT students within the Students’ Union and the University;
    3. To provide welfare information and a supportive environment for members;
    4. To raise awareness of and campaign on issues affecting the LGBT community.

  3. MEMBERSHIP

    1. All Full Members of the Students’ Union who self-define as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Trans, Queer, Asexual or Undecided/Questioning shall be Full Members of the Association;
    2. All Full or Associate Members of the Students’ Union may become Associate Members of the Association;
    3. No membership fee shall be charged;
    4. There shall be no written membership list for the LGBT Association:
      1. Membership of the Association is confidential. No member’s name should be disclosed outside of the Association without permission;
      2. Members of the Association may subscribe to a confidential email list to receive communications.

  4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

    1. The Executive Committee shall have responsibility for the management and long-term development of the Association;

    2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following Officers:

      1. Chair
      2. General Secretary
      3. Treasurer
      4. Two Social Events Officers
      5. Welfare Officer
      6. Campaigns Officer
      7. Publicity Officer
      8. Trans Representative
      9. Four General Committee Members.
      10. NUS LGBT Summer Conference Delegate Leader

    3. All Officers must be Full Members of LGBT;

    4. Officers may be removed from their position through a motion of no-confidence passed by a two thirds majority at a General Meeting;
    5. No person may hold the position of more than one Officer.

  5. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

    1. The Executive Committee has ultimate responsibility and authority for the for the running of the Association;
    2. The Executive Committee may, subject to majority vote, delegate decisions on a responsibility/action of the Associations to a sub-committee;
    3. All non-event sub-committees must be chaired by an Officer;
    4. A sub-committee for the organisation of a single event need not be chaired by an Officer;
    5. The date, time and venue of the meeting must be publicised to all Officers;
    6. Minutes must be taken at all sub-committee meetings and be ratified by a quorate meeting of the Executive Committee;
    7. The Executive Committee may overrule a sub-committee on any point.

  6. OFFICER JOB DESCRIPTIONS

    1. The Chair shall:
      1. Represent LGBT within the Students’ Union, the University and to external organisations;
      2. Support, encourage and advise other Officers in their duties, including arranging training;
      3. Organise and chair monthly full Executive Committee meetings and ensure minutes and agendas are provided in advance;
      4. Attend Students’ Union Council and Associations Committee or agree with the Executive Committee for another Officer to do so in their place;
      5. Lead the Executive Committee in developing the long term future for the Association;
      6. Ensure that the Association plays a full part in the NUS, and that it attends all national and regional NUS LGBT conferences and ensure that Union council receives a report as requested under Union Rules and Regulations 22:7 (1).
      7. Take lead responsibility for the working of LGBT by reviewing and amending the constitution as appropriate.
    2. The General Secretary Shall:
      1. Maintain all sections of the website that have not been delegated to another officer;
      2. Maintain the electronic mailing lists;
      3. Encourage good conduct on the online forums (LGBT website and Facebook) by means of informing users of breaches of the Code of Conduct, and moderating and intervening in discussions where appropriate;
      4. Shall work with all relevant officers to develop the LGBT Library, or ensure that another officer takes on this responsibility;
      5. Shall call and organise all General Meetings of the Association; ensuring that the elections have a fair and impartial Chair and Returning Officer;
      6. Take minutes of in meetings, or otherwise ensure they are recorded and distributed before the next meeting;
      7. Shall assist the Chair in the organising and running of Executive Committee meetings;
      8. Shall assist the Chair in the general management of the Executive Committee;
      9. Shall temporally assume the Chair’s duties in the event of a vacancy.
    3. The Treasurer shall:
      1. Monitor all income and expenditure from LGBT accounts, ensuring all monies are used only in pursuing the proper aims of LGBT;
      2. Prepare a grant application to the Students’ Union each year, to be agreed by the Executive Committee;
      3. Prepare a summary of income and expenditure to be presented (written or oral) at the AGM;
      4. Actively pursue new and increased sources of income to further develop the aims of the Association;
      5. Attempt to secure funds for the development of the library.
    4. The Social Events Officers shall:
      1. Share overall responsibility for organising the programme of social events for each term, ensuring a provisional list is suggested to the Executive Committee at least 2 weeks before the end of the previous term;
      2. Be responsible for maintaining and developing the social events section of the website;
      3. Ensure that all events have an assigned organiser and provide support and assistance where necessary;
      4. Work with the Publicity Officer to ensure events are advertised as widely as possible;
      5. Regularly communicate with members to ensure the programme of events reflects their general needs and specific requests where possible.
      6. Suggest pop-cultural texts for the LGBT library.
    5. The Welfare Officers shall:
      1. Be responsible for maintaining and developing the welfare section of the website;
      2. Have overall responsibility to maintain and develop a supportive environment for members within the Association;
      3. Maintain and develop the provision of welfare information and resources, including sexual health products;
      4. Maintain contact with the Students’ Union Welfare services;
      5. Attend Welfare Representatives Committee;
      6. Assist members with welfare concerns, signposting them to relevant services where appropriate;
      7. Suggest welfare texts for the LGBT library.
    6. The Campaigns Officer shall:
      1. Have overall responsibility for Organising a range of campaigns and events on issues affecting the LGBT community;
      2. Ensure members are kept informed of political issues and current affairs affecting them;
      3. Represent LGBT on Equal Opportunities Committee or agree with the Executive Committee for another Officer to do so in their place;
      4. Participate in all relevant fora and develop partnerships with other groups to pursue political aims;
      5. Suggest political texts for the LGBT Library.
    7. The Publicity Officer shall:
      1. Maintain and develop the profile of LGBT and its activities within the University;
      2. Send out weekly emails to members to inform them of upcoming events;
      3. Provide or work with others to provide publicity material for campaigns, welfare activities and social events;
      4. Liaise with Students’ Union and other publications to provide information on the activities of LGBT;
      5. Ensure LGBT publicity materials are widely distributed and accessible to all students.
    8. The Trans Representative shall:
      1. Represent trans students within LGBT;
      2. Liaise with other Officers to encourage the activities of LGBT are inclusive of trans members-
      3. Be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
    9. The General Committee Members shall:
      1. Take on responsibilities for areas of work within LGBT as directed by the Executive Committee.
    10. NUS LGBT Summer Conference Delegate Leader shall:
      1. Join the Executive Committee after election, if not already a member;
      2. Shall ensure the Association plays a full part in the preparation for the Conference, especially compositing;
      3. Shall lead the Delegation during the conference but may only enforce a block vote as agreed by the Executive Committee or relevant sub-committee;
      4. Shall write a report at the following Union Council as requested under Union Rules and Regulations Chapter 22: External Representation 22.7 (1);
      5. If not already an Executive Committee member, be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee on all issues except those relevant to NUS LGBT Summer Conference.
    11. All Officers shall:
      1. Assist other Officers in their duties as directed by the Executive Committee;
      2. Attend relevant training sessions as directed by the Executive Committee and the Students’ Union;
      3. Attend all relevant committee meetings or send apologies;
      4. Provide a written handover and a period of training for their successors by the end of the academic year;
      5. Assist the Welfare Officer in meeting the welfare needs of the Association’s membership;
      6. Actively participate in a range of events, activities and online discussions where possible.

  7. CAMPAIGNS

    1. Further to the Aims of the Association and the Role of the Campaigns Officer, the Executire Committee may also work in conjunction with other groups to campiagn on LGBT issues and raise awareness;
    2. The Association may support LGBT related campaigns run by party political organisations;
    3. The Association will not become affiliated to any party political body through association to their campaigns or any other route.

  8. CODE OF CONDUCT

    1. No Member or attendee may disclose the identity of any other Member(s) or attendee(s) present at any Association events to any person or body outside of the Association without permission from those individuals;
    2. No behaviour will be tolerated within the Association or at Association events that contravenes the Students’ Union’s Equal Opportunities policies;
    3. Members must not act in a way that is in breach of the law when representing the Association;
    4. Members must not behave in an aggressive, threatening or discriminatory manner to other Officers or to members;
      1. Discrimination will not be tolerated on any grounds including: age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, educational background, social background, physical appearance or dress
    5. Officers must at all events behave in a proper and respectful manner that does not bring the Association into disrepute;
    6. Officers may not become sexually involved with Members with whom they have a specific welfare relationship;
    7. Members who do not abide by the Code of Conduct may be excluded from Association events at the discretion of the Committee but shall still have access to individual welfare provisions and representation;
    8. Officers who do not abide by the Code of Conduct may be removed from the Committee via a ‘Vote of No Confidence’ and be barred from all Association events but shall still have access to individual welfare provisions and representation.

  9. DUTY OF CARE

    1. Each social event shall have an event organiser (to be decided upon beforehand);
    2. The organiser shall remain 'in control' until the event arrives at its final destination;
    3. This organiser shall be the point of contact for any member requiring assistance.

  10. FINANCES

    1. All monies shall be held in accounts provided by the Students’ Union;
    2. All monies shall be used to support activities pursuant to the aims of the Association.

  11. MEETINGS

    1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held by the second Friday of the summer term;
    2. An Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) shall be held by the fifth Friday of the autumn term;
    3. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) must be held within 10 Students’ Union days of a request from by 20 Full Members or 3 Officers of LGBT;
    4. The quorum for all General Meetings shall be at least 15 Full Members;
    5. The quorum for Executive Committee meetings shall be half the voting members plus one;
    6. The General Secretary shall give at least 8 Students’ Union days notice for General Meetings and at least 5 Students’ Union days notice for Executive Committee meetings;
    7. The General Secretary shall provide an agenda for each meeting at least two Students’ Union days in advance;
    8. An Emergency Executive Committee Meeting (ECM) may be called by the Chair; such a meeting would not be bound by the provisions of 9 (f) and 9 (g);
    9. An Officer who misses two consecutive Executive Committee meetings without providing apologies in advance may be deemed to have resigned at the discretion of the remaining Officers in attendance;
    10. Minutes shall be taken of all meetings of LGBT:
      1. Minutes of all meetings shall be made available to all members;
      2. Items of a sensitive nature may be deemed “in camera” by a simple majority of the voting members present.
    11. The Standing Orders outlined in Union Regulations; Chapter 16: Standing Orders shall apply to all General and Executive Committee meetings of the Association.

  12. ELECTIONS AND CO-OPTION

    1. All Officers shall be elected at the AGM, except for two General Committee Members, to be elected at the OGM;
    2. NUS LGBT Winter Conference delegates shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, due to it being a training conference;
    3. NUS LGBT Summer Conference delegates shall be elected at a General Meeting during the Second Semester;
    4. After election of the NUS LGBT Conference Delegates, a Delegate Leader shall be elected;
    5. The General Secretary shall call and organise all General Meetings, this includes ensuring that there is a fair and impartial Chair and Returning Officer;
    6. All elections shall be carried out using Single Transferable Vote in accordance with the Students’ Union Regulations.
    7. Only Full Members of LGBT are entitled to vote in elections;
    8. Vacancies may be filled by co-option until the next General Meeting. A simple majority of the Executive Committee shall be required to approve a co-option. The co-opted membership of the Executive Committee shall not exceed half the elected membership.

  13. CONSTITUTION

    1. This Constitution can be changed by a two-thirds majority at a General Meeting, subject to ratification at Students’ Union Council where appropriate.

  14. AUTHORITY

    1. This Constitution shall be subordinate to the Students’ Union Constitution and Regulations.