DRAFT STUDENT FACULTY COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION

DRAFT STUDENT FACULTY COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION

1. Definitions

 “Students Faculty Committee” (SFC) shall mean a committee elected by
students registered in a particular faculty on a campus.

 “LSRC” shall mean the Local SRC elected to represent students on a
particular campus.

 “Term” shall mean the period of tenure of a Students Faculty Committee.

 “Faculties” shall mean the Faculties as contemplated in the UKZN statute.


2. Students Faculty Committee

2.1 Name

Each SFC shall be named after the campus and faculty in which the SFC operates e.g. the Howard College Law Students Faculty Committee.

2.2. Aims and objectives shall be to

2.2.1 Unite all students under the faculty concerned so as to ensure maximum participation in student activities.

2.2.2 Build and strengthen relationships between students, and the staff and management of the faculty.

2.2.3 Ensure a good working relationship between the SFC and the respective LSRC.

2.2.4 Serve as a sub-structure of and advisory body to, the LSRC.

2.2.5 Promote the development of academic related activities.

2.2.6 Ensure full student participation in academic-related activities.

2.2.7 Promote the good image of the SFC and the faculty.

2.3. Functions and responsibilities

The functions of the SFC shall be to:

2.3.1 Represent students’ interests in academic-related matters within a faculty.
2.3.2 Represent students in faculty and school board meetings, and any other relevant faculty forum.

2.3.3 Represent student interests in all matters related to curriculum development within the faculty.

2.3.4 Publicise all activities and meetings of the SFC.

2.3.5 Submit monthly reports to the LSRC.


3. Composition of the Students Faculty Committees

3.1 Membership

3.1 Each SFC shall be composed of six (6) elected members who shall be registered students in the faculty on the campus concerned, while the Transformation and Academic Officer of the respective LSRC shall be an ex officio member of each committee

3.2 Portfolios

Each SFC shall have four (4) specified portfolios and three members without portfolio. The portfolios are set out in paragraphs 3.3 to 3.6 below.

3.3 The Chairperson

3.3.1 Shall be the head of the SFC.

3.3.2 Together with the Finance and Projects Officer or Secretary will be a signatory of all transactions of the SFC.

3.3.3 Will chair all meetings of the SFC or delegate such duty to any member of the SFC.

3.3.4 Will supervise all the work of the SFC.

3.3.5 Shall be the official spokesperson of the SFC.

3.3.6 Together with Transformation and Academic Officer of the LSRC, shall report to the LSRC.

3.4 The Secretary

3.4.1 Shall be the administrator of the SFC.

3.4.2 Shall circulate notices and agendas of all meetings.
3.4.3 Shall be responsible for taking minutes at all SFC meetings.

3.4.4 Together with the Finance and Projects Officer or Chairperson will be a signatory to transactions of the SFC.

3.5 Finance and Projects Officer

3.5.1 Shall be responsible for all finances of the SFC, and together with the Chairperson or Secretary be a signatory to all financial transactions of the SFC.

3.5.2 Shall keep records of all financial transactions of the SFC.

3.5.3 Fundraise for the SFC.

3.5.4 Responsible for all projects of the SFC.

3.5.5 Co-ordinate all academic projects of the SFC.

3.5.6 Co-ordinate all social events which are for the academic enrichment of students.

3.6 Media and Publicity Officer

3.6.1 Shall publicise each and every project of the SFC.

3.6.2 Shall maintain the image of the SFC.

3.6.3 Shall communicate with other SFCs on Campus.

3.6.4 Issue and publicize the notices of general meetings of students in the faculty, as well as regular meetings of the SFC.

3.7 Meetings

3.7.1 SFCs shall meet at least once every two weeks.

3.7.2 General meetings of all students in a faculty on a particular campus shall be convened by the SFC at least once a semester.

3.7.3 Special meetings of students in a faculty may be called by the SFC, or when at least 50 registered students in a faculty sign a petition calling for such a meeting.

3.7.4 The quorum for an ordinary meeting of the SFC shall be 50% of the members plus one.
3.7.5 SFCs may invite Class Representatives to meetings when deemed necessary.

3.7.6 General meetings of students in a faculty must not clash with student body meetings on a campus called by the LSRC

4. Elections

4.1 Elections for SFCs shall precede the elections for the LSRC and CSRC, and shall take place before lectures end in the second semester of each year.

4.2 Election procedures and election guidelines shall be as determined by the CSRC.

5. Holding Office in the SFC

5.1 Any student registered under that faculty in a particular faculty for at least one semester is entitled to be elected and/or appointed into an SFC.

6. Term of Office

6.1 The term of office of a SFC shall be 12 months commencing on the day of portfolio allocation and ending on the day of portfolio allocation of the incoming SFC. The latter shall including a handover meeting.

6.2 No individual member may serve on the SFC for more than two terms whether consecutively or separately.

7. Removal from office

7.1 The SFC may be removed from office under the following circumstances:

7.1.1 By a vote of no confidence passed by a majority of the of students in a general meeting of the registered students in a faculty, provided that no less than 1/3 of the students are in attendance OR by a petition signed by at least 1/3 of the registered students within that particular faculty

7.1.2 By failing to submit the required monthly reports to the LSRC for more than three consecutive occasions.

8. Student Faculty Meetings

8. 1 Student Faculty Meetings shall be called by SFC on quarterly bases.

8.2 Notice of such a meeting shall be given seven (7) days before the meeting by publicizing through notices in the faculty notice boards and any other media applicable.

8.3 The SFC may call special faculty meeting whenever the need arise.

8.4 The attendance at the above faculty meeting shall be open to all faculty students concerned.

8.5 The Faculty officials may only attend and have non-voting status in faculty student meeting when invited by the SFC.

8.6 The SFC may call a Special General Meeting if petition by more than one third of faculty students, provided the items on the agenda clearly indicate the urgency of such a meeting.


9. Student faculty Committee Meetings

9.1 SFC shall hold regular meetings (at least once a week or whenever the need arises and abide by the decision taken in these meetings).

9.2 Meetings shall be conducted in such a way that enables all members to participate effectively on the decision-making.

9.3 A quorum shall consist of at least 50% plus 1 members present at the meeting of SFC.

9.4 No member may be absent from the SFC meetings without a written apology. Three consecutive absences without an apology shall automatically remove a member from SFC.

9.5 The SFC may invite any student or university official if they feel that she/he will be resourceful for the purpose of that meeting.

9.6 Minutes of all SFC meeting shall be taken and kept safely. A copy of the minutes shall be sent to the LSRC Academic and Transformation Officer.

10. Annual General Meeting

10.1 Each Student Faculty Committee shall be obliged to convene an AGM not later than the last week of August of each year.
10.2 The dates for the AGM shall be decided by the LSRC- Academic and Transformation in a campus. The details of the AGM, including venue and agenda, shall be published on notice board(s) and via flyers at seven days prior to the meeting. An AGM shall be open to all registered students in a specific faculty and shall pass decisions on simple majority vote. Only these students shall vote in the meeting.

10.3 The Chairperson, Secretary and Finance and Projects Officer shall present reports as contemplated in clauses 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5.

10.4 A quorum of the AGM shall be formed by 50%+1 of Faculty students in attendance.

10.5 At the Annual General Meeting, faculty students shall receive written reports from SFC as contemplated in 3.3, 3.4 & 3.5.

10.6 A seven (7) days notice shall be displayed prior to the AGM on the faculty notice boards.


11. Student Faculty Committee Resignation

11.1 A member of SFC may resign at any time provided that a seven (7) days written notice is given to the Chairperson or Secretary of SFC.

11.2 The SFC shall through a notice on the faculty notice boards or Faculty meeting inform students of that faculty of such resignation.

11.3 A member of SFC shall forfeit all the rights and privileges of being SFC member upon vacating office.

11.4 A member of the SFC shall cease to hold office if and when he/she is not registered student of the university or with a faculty concern.

12. Amendments to this Constitution

12.1 All necessary amendments to the Student Faculty Committee Constitution
shall be forwarded by Student Faculty Committee to the LSRC on behalf
of faculty students.

12.2 The LSRC shall forward such proposed amendments to the CSRC and
shall make final decisions.