UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL SRC-SUBSTRUCTURE
CONSTITUTION OF HOUSE COMMITTEES
Preamble
We, the students of the University of KwaZulu – Natal desire to unify all the Residences of the five campuses under one Constitution. Whereas the Constitution shall best reflect and promote a common spirit, goals and experiences of all the residence students.
We further recognize the need to ensure the development of the Residence student leadership founded on the principles of equality, liberty, ubuntu (humanity) and accountability, and that we need to enhance and promote unity among residence students and to develop programs in pursuit of the above.
Whereas the students in the university residences recognize the need for their representation in the structure of management for the university residence. Whereas envisaging being the co-governors of the university residence and seeking to establish effective residences structures that shall be the representative of residence students’ needs. This constitution therefore shall be a guide to the work of all House Committees and residence students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
DEFINITIONS
“Residence” shall mean the official residence of University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Campus” shall mean any of the five Campuses of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“HCEP” shall mean the House Committee Electoral Procedures ( Annexure to the House Committee Constitution)
“House Committee” shall mean a committee elected by residence students as contemplated in the House Committee Electoral Procedures.
“Residence Student” shall mean any person registered as a student at the University Residence.
“Residence Notice boards” shall mean notice boards in Residences.
“Student Committee meetings” shall mean meetings of the House Committee
.
“House Meetings” shall mean meetings of all House students convened by the
House Committee.
“Annual General Meeting” shall mean a meeting called once a year by the House
Committee.
“Special Meeting” shall mean any special meeting called and arranged by House
Committee.
“Joint Chairpersons’ Council (JCC)” shall mean all Chairpersons of House
Committees of a Campus convened by the Local SRC Residence Liaison Officer.
“Quorum” shall mean 50% +1 of students attending all general meetings defined in
this document.
“CSRC” shall mean the Central Student Representative Council of the University of
KwaZulu Natal.
“LSRC” shall mean the Local Student Representative Council in each campus.
“RLO” shall mean the Residence Liaison Officer.
“RA” shall mean the Residence Assistant.
“HC” shall mean the House Committee.
1. Name
The committee hereinafter referred to as the HC, shall be the House Committee of any residence in the University of KwaZulu – Natal.
2. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the House Committee are:
2.1 To contribute towards creating an atmosphere conducive for learning, studying and living in residences.
2.2. To establish effective residence structures that will be representative of residence students’ needs and interests and accountable to residences students.
2.3. To engender accountability to residence students and serve as a means to advance students concerns regarding the University of KwaZulu – Natal Residences.
2.4. To be committed in ensuring the smooth administrative running of the
residence life activities.
2.5. To ensure that there is existing good human relations amongst residence students across racial, ethnic and gender lines.
2.6. To inculcate a sense of service in the residence students.
2.7. To ensure accountability to residence students and the democratic implementation of residence meeting decisions.
3. Composition of House Committees
3.1 The HC shall comprise of the following portfolios:
3.1.1. Chairperson
3.1.2. Secretary
3.1.3. Finance and Projects Officer
3.1.4. HIV/AIDS and Community Development Officer
3.1.5. Sports Arts and Culture Officer
3.1.6. Media and Publicity Officer
3.2. Individual responsibilities and powers of H/C members
3.2.1. Chairperson shall:
3.2.1.1 Exercise supervision over all portfolios, ensuring that at all times members perform their duties efficiently in the best interest of students.
3.2.1.2 Chair meetings of the House or delegate such duty to any member of the House Committee
3.2.1.3 Be a member of the JCC.
3.2.1.4 Be a co -signatory to all transactions of the House Committee.
3.2.1.5 Present a chairperson’s report to the AGM of the House Committee.
3.2.2. Secretary shall:
3.2.2.1 Be the chief administration officer of the HC.
3.2.2.2 Prepare the agenda for the HC as well as the House meetings.
3.2.2.3 Take minutes during the meetings and keep the HC files
3.2.2.4 Organize HC, residence meetings and AGM in consultation with the chairperson.
3.2.2.5 Carry out other duties as delegated by the HC.
3.2.2.6 Present an organizational report to the AGM on behalf of the HC Collective.
3.2.3. Finance and Projects Officer shall:
3.2.3.1 Be responsible for drafting the budget proposal for consideration by the HC and administering the budget.
3.2.3.2 Appropriately allocate a budget guided by students needs.
3.2.3.3 Provide advice to HC on its financial matters.
3.2.3.4 Initiate and implement social awareness programs within residences.
3.2.3.5 Present detailed statements concerning any expenses incurred during the course of the year.
3.2.3.6 Carry out other duties as delegated by HC.
3.2.3.7 Present a financial report to the AGM on behalf of the HC.
3.2.4 Sports Arts and Culture Officer shall:
3.2.4.1 Facilitate sports activities that encompass all sporting codes in the residence.
3.2.4.2 Liaise with other sports officers from other residences so as to co-ordinate inter-residence activities.
3.2.4.3 Liaise with sport union on matters concerning residence sports.
3.2.4.4 Co-ordinate the acquisition and the maintenance of the residence sports equipment.
3.2.4.5 Carry out other duties as delegated by HC.
3.2.4.6 Submit monthly report to the Secretary for the attention of the HC.
3.2.5. Media and Publicity Officer shall:
3.2.5.1 Be the chief editor of the residence publication.
3.2.5.2 Be responsible for the issuing of notices and publications on behalf of the House Committee.
3.2.5.3 Promote the residence and the activities of the House Committee.
3.2.5.4 Carry out other duties as delegated by HC.
3.2.5.5 Submit monthly report to the Secretary for the attention of the HC.
3.2.6. HIV/AIDS and Community Development Officer shall:
3.2.6.1 Initiate and lead the student development programs in the residences on behalf of the H/C,
3.2.6.2 Organize HIV/AIDS related activities and projects on behalf of the House Committee.
3.2.6.3 Initiate and implement hygiene and cleanliness in the residences.
3.2.6.4 Carry out other duties as delegated by HC.
3.2.6.5 Submit monthly report to the Secretary for the attention of the HC.
3.3. House Committee functions and powers
3.3.1 The roles or functions of the HC shall be:
3.3.1.1 To provide leadership in the residence.
3.3.1.2 To play an advocacy role for the interest of residence students.
3.3.1.3 To create a conducive environment for living and learning through the enforcement of discipline and to ensure the safety of students in residences.
3.3.1.4 To work as a substructure of the SRC at a residence level.
3.3.1.5 To engender a culture of dialogue amongst residence students.
3.3.1.6 To disseminate information and be accountable to students for its decisions and actions.
3.3.1.7 To ensure cleanliness in the residences by ensuring that residences are kept neat and clean by informing relevant people and students about areas of concern.
3.3.1.8 To be responsible for the establishment and implementation of extracurricular activities within the confine of the residence.
3.3.1.9 To monitor and report to the SRC and residence students the quality of service with in the residences.
3.3.1.10 To implement policies, rules and procedures according to the objectives of this constitution.
3.2 Holding Office in the HC
3.2.1 Any student who has been registered at the university residence for at least on semester is entitled to be elected and/or appointed into an HC.
3.3 HC Term of Office
3.3.1 The term of office shall be a year.
3.3.2 No individual member may serve on the HC for more than two terms whether consecutively or separately.
3.4. Joint Chairpersons’ Council
3.4.1 Composition
3.4.1.1 Shall be composed of all Chairpersons of HCs in a campus.
3.4.1.2 The Local SRC Residence Liaison Officer shall be the Chairperson and Convener of the Council.
3.4.1.3 In its first sitting, the JCC shall elect its Secretary and assign other duties to other members as may be required by the Programme of Action.
3.4.2 Duties of the JCC
The JCC shall:
3.4.2.1 Be chaired and coordinated by the LSRC RLO.
3.4.2.2 Co-ordinate joint activities, functions and financial affairs of a general nature of the residences.
3.4.2.3 Advance the interest of residence students throughout the campus.
3.4.2.4 Meet monthly and whenever the need arises.
3.4.2.5 All meetings shall require a quorum of 50% + 1 of the JCC.
3.4.2.6 Oversee the fundraising and the administration of the residence emergency funds and the joint activities of the House Committee.
3.4.2.7 Be the policy formulation structure of all residence student structures in each campus.
3.4.2.8 Make proposals for the amendment of the HC constitution and refer the matter to the CSRC which is highest body to amend the constitution for residences.
3.4.2.9 Organize a joint induction for HC in respective campuses.
3.4.2.10 Meet, decide and report to the Residence Council and the SRC the dates for the Residence.
3.4.2.11 Arrive at decisions by consensus. However, where this is not possible, a vote may be taken at which a majority of 50% + 1 shall decide on the issue in question.
3.4.2.12 The convenor shall only vote in the event where there is a tie. The decisions of the JCC shall bind all the residences in that campus.
3.4.2.13 Publicize all the decisions of the JCC through notice boards in residences within three days of the decisions being taken.
4. Residence Meetings:
4.1. Shall be called by HC on quarterly bases.
4.2 Notice of such a meeting shall be given seven (7) days before the meeting by publicizing through notices in the residence notice boards and any other media applicable.
4.3. The HC may call special residence meetings whenever the need arises.
4.4. Attendance at the above residence meetings shall be open to all residence students.
4.5. The Student Housing officials and the Residence Assistants may only attend and have non-voting status in residence meetings when invited by the HC.
4.6. The HC may call a Special General Meeting if petitioned by more than one third of the residence students, provided the items on the agenda clearly indicate the urgency of such a meeting.
5. House Committee Meetings
5.1. HC shall hold regular meetings (at least once a week, or whenever the need arises) and abide by the decisions taken in these meetings.
5.2. Meetings shall be conducted in such a way that enables all members to
participate effectively on the decision-making.
5.3. A quorum shall consist of at least 50% plus 1 members present at a House Committee meeting.
5.4. No member may be absent from the HC meetings without a written apology. Three consecutive absences without an apology shall automatically remove a member from HC.
5.5. The HC can invite any residence student or university student if they feel that she/he will be resourceful for the purpose of that meeting.
5.6. Minutes of all HC meetings shall be taken and kept safely. A copy of the minutes shall be sent to the LSRC RLO.
6. Annual General Meeting
6.1. Each House Committees shall be obliged to convene an AGM not later than the last
week of August of each year.
6.2. The dates for the AGM shall be decided by the LSRC -RLO in a Campus. The details of the AGM, including venue and agenda, shall be published on notice board(s) seven days prior to the meeting. An AGM shall be open to all registered student in a specific residence and shall pass decisions on simple majority vote. Only these students shall vote in the meeting.
6.3 The Chairperson, Secretary and Finance projects Officer shall present reports as contemplated in clauses 3.2.1; 3.2.2 and 3.2.3.
6.4. A quorum of the AGM shall be formed by 50%+1 of Residence students in attendance.
6.5. At the Annual General Meeting, residence students shall receive written reports from
the HC.
6.6. A seven (7) days notice shall be displayed prior to the AGM on the residence notice boards.
7. House Committee Resignation
7.1. A member of a HC may resign at any time provided that a seven (7) days written notice is given to the House Chairperson or Secretary.
7.2. The HC shall through a notice on the residence notice boards or a Residence Meeting, inform House Students of such resignation.
7.3. A member of HC shall forfeit all the rights and privileges of being HC member upon vacating office.
7.4. A member of the HC and JCC shall cease to hold office if and when he/she is not registered student of the university or with a residences
8. Amendments to this Constitution
8.1 All necessary amendments to the House Committee Constitution shall be forwarded by House Committees to the JCC on behalf of residence students.
8.2 The JCC shall forward such proposed amendments to the CSRC and the CSRC shall make final decisions.
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