House Rules
1. Members
1.1. Admission of members to the association.
1.1.1. The request for admission as an ordinary member shall only be
granted after membership fee has been paid, upon which they become a
candidate member.
1.1.2. A candidate member becomes a full ordinary member upon
attendance of a GA or having a proxy attend on their behalf.
1.1.3. A candidate member retains all the same rights as an ordinary
member, but does not contribute to the minimum member attendance for
a GA decision to be valid.
1.1.4. 1.1.3 Does not apply for motions to dissolve the association.
1.2. Membership Length
The membership ends, unless otherwise agreed upon, at the end of the
academic year.
1.3. Membership Fee Refund
No membership fee will be refunded upon termination of membership.
1.4. Rights of Ordinary Members
The rights of ordinary members are:
1.4.1. To participate in member-only activities and events.
1.4.2. To attend general assemblies, and to speak and put forward
proposals in them.
1.4.3. To call for general assemblies as detailed in article 13.4 of
the statutes.
1.4.4. To exercise voting rights in general assemblies.
1.4.5. To interpellate the board during general assemblies.
1.5. Extraordinary Members
1.5.1. Individuals who require temporary membership to access the
benefits of StudSec, such as non-member board members or
committee advisors, will have an extraordinary membership that
concludes when their role ends.
1.5.2. The request for admission as an extraordinary member shall
only be granted through a general assembly decision following a
proposal by the board.
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1.5.3. The rights of extraordinary members are the same as those of
ordinary members. But do not have the rights detailed in articles
1.4.3 and 1.4.4.
1.6. Honorary Members
1.6.1. The rights of Honorary Members are to attend general assemblies
and to participate in association activities, unless specified otherwise by
the event description.
1.6.2. Honorary members are exempt from membership dues.
1.6.3. An individual may be appointed as an honorary member provided they
meet one or more of the following criteria:
1.6.3.A. They have contributed effort to association activities
over a number of years;
1.6.3.B. They have actively participated in association activities
and attained a certain social status within the association as a
result;
1.6.3.C. The association has frequently and successfully relied
upon their support.
1.6.4. The final decision regarding the acceptance of a person as an
honorary member shall be made by the general assembly.
1.7. Members of Merit
1.7.1. Members of Merit have the same rights, entitlements and restrictions
as Honorary members specified in 1.6
1.8. Donor Members
1.8.1. Donor Members have the right to attend general assemblies and
participate in association activities, unless otherwise specified by the
event description.
1.8.2. Donor members are recognized by the board, after they make a
financial, unconditional, contribution to the association, of at least 10
times the normal membership fee.
1.8.3. Donorship ends under the following conditions:
1.8.3.A. With the death of the donor;
1.8.3.B. With the termination of the donorship by the donor;
1.8.3.C. With the termination of the donorship by the
association;
1.8.3.D. At the end of the academic year in which a donation
was last made.
1.8.4. When donorship automatically ends in accordance with Article 1.8.3,
the board can decide upon extending the donorship until the end of the
next academic year, if the last donation was done shortly before the end
of the academic year.
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1.9. Reunionists Members
1.9.1. Reunionists have the right to attend events which explicitly specify
their eligibility.
1.9.2. An individual may be appointed as a reunionist provided they meet
the following criteria:
1.9.2.A. They have previously held a membership category
within the association.
1.9.2.B. They have demonstrated ongoing interest and
participation in the association’s activities post-membership.
1.9.3. The final decision regarding the acceptance of a person as a
reunionist shall be made by the general assembly following a proposal by
the board.
1.9.4. Reunionists are recognized for maintaining their connection and
engagement with the association even after the conclusion of their initial
membership.
1.9.5. Reunionist status can be terminated under the following conditions:
1.9.5.A. - With the death of the reunionist.
1.9.5.B. - With the termination of reunionist status by the
reunionist.
1.9.5.C. - With the termination of reunionist status by the
association.
1.9.6. Reunionist status may be extended or reinstated based on continued
interest and participation in the association’s activities and subject to
approval by the board and general assembly.
2. The board
2.1. Duty of the Board
The board is tasked with the explanation and upkeep of the statutes and house rules,
and with the implementation of decisions made by the general assembly. The board is
accountable to the general assembly.
2.2. Tasks of the Board
The tasks of every board member are to be discussed with their fellow board members,
with the constraint that at least all the following tasks are to be fulfilled:
2.2.1. Coordination of all proceedings.
2.2.2. Chairing all board meetings and general assemblies.
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2.2.3. Taking Minutes
2.2.3.A. Taking minutes of all board meetings.
2.2.3.B. Taking minutes of all general assemblies.
2.2.4. Managing all correspondence, both incoming and outgoing.
2.2.5. Announcing all general assemblies.
2.2.6. Managing member administration.
2.2.7. Collecting and managing funds, as well as maintaining accurate
bookkeeping.
2.2.8. Making a budget at the start of the financial year, as well as making a
financial statement at the end of it.
2.2.9. Making a yearly report or summary of activities.
2.2.10. Presenting an overview of the current financial situation to the
Financial Committee at the end of the board year.
2.2.11. Making sure that StudSec has a board.
2.2.12. Ensuring the board transition.
2.2.13. Ensuring the wellbeing of the members within the association.
It also applies that tasks 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 are part of the function of chairperson, tasks
2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, and 2.2.6 are part of the function of secretary, and tasks 2.2.7 and
2.2.8 are part of the function of treasurer.
2.3. First General Assembly
Before the 21st of November of every calendar year, a general assembly is to be called.
The following points will be discussed there:
2.3.1. The presentation of the budget for the coming book year, preferably
presented by the treasurer.
2.3.2. The explicit opportunity for the general assembly to apply changes to
the presented budget.
2.3.3. A vote to approve the presented budget and the changes proposed by
the general assembly.
2.3.4. Only board members are required to be introduced as per article
12.2.C of the statutes.
At this general assembly, points 2.3.1 to 2.3.3 are to be settled before any other
substantive matters.
2.4. Approval for non-Budgeted Expenses
For non-budgeted expenses that amount to a minimum of 1000€ or 25% of the yearly
budget, the board needs the approval of the general assembly.
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2.5. Board Vacancies
In the case that vacancies arise in the board that cannot be filled internally, the board is
to fill the vacancies as stipulated according to the statutes.
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3. Committees
3.1. Creation of Committees
If deemed necessary or desirable, a committee may be instituted for the purposes of
organising activities or performing duties. A committee can be created by either:
3.1.1. The Board
3.1.2. The General Assembly
3.2. Disbandment of Committees
If deemed necessary or desirable, a committee may be disbanded for the purposes of
financial or operational stability and upkeep, or due to a conflict with the interests of the
association, its statutes, or its rules, or if a committee is no longer needed, if it served its
purpose, for example. A committee may be disbanded by either:
3.2.1. The Board
3.2.2. The General Assembly.
In the event that a committee is disbanded, any budget allocated to it shall be
reallocated at the discretion of the Treasurer. A decision for disbandment of a committee
by the board may be appealed to the General Assembly.
3.3. Accountability of Committees
The board is responsible for the actions of a committee and the committee must thus
account to the board.
3.4. Internal Communication of Committees
To ensure better communication between the board and committees, a board member
will be appointed as liaison for every committee, who is tasked with facilitating
communication between the board and that committee.
3.5. Financial Management of Committees
The financial activities of the committees account to the Treasurer.
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3.6. Accessibility of Committees
The composition and the division of tasks of each committee must be laid down and
made available at all times to members of the committee who wish to take cognizance of
it.
4. Financial committee
4.1. Eligibility of the Committee
Members of the board are excluded from admission into the financial committee. If a
member of the financial committee becomes a member of the board, their membership
of the financial committee is terminated.
4.2. Forming of the Committee
The financial committee for the coming book year is decided during the general
assembly referred to in article 19 of the statutes.
4.3. Disbandment of the Committee
The financial committee is to be disbanded after approval of the final yearly financial
report by the general assembly.
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5. General assemblies
5.1. Condition for Assemblies
5.1.1. A general assembly is to be called:
5.1.1.A. When the statutes or house rules prescribe one.
5.1.1.B. When the board considers one necessary.
5.1.1.C. When a written request is signed by as many members
as is statutorily stipulated, with a statement of points that are to be
discussed, submitted to the secretary. The board is to follow up on
this request within ten business days.
5.1.2. A general assembly shall be convened on any valid day, provided it
does not fall during academic holidays, on Sundays, or during exam
periods.
5.2. Method for Calling a General Assembly
A general assembly must be called for at least ten business days prior to the chosen
date. The call for a general assembly should take place as follows:
5.2.1. An invitation must be sent to all members that can participate in the
general assembly, in accordance with article 13.2 of the statutes.
5.2.2. All documents relevant to the general assembly, including a
preliminary agenda, must be submitted with the aforementioned invitation.
A member can obtain a physical print of the documents by requesting the board, within a
reasonable time of the start of the General Assembly.
5.3. Motions to change Statues or House Rules
Proposals to amend the statutes or house rules may be submitted by the board or by at
least as many members as determined in the statutes. A general assembly must be
convened within thirty business days of submission, wherein the proposals will be voted
upon.
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5.4. Chairperson's Authority and Member Participation
5.4.1. The chairperson gives the word to a member when asked. The
chairperson is, however, not required to give the word to the same person
about the same subject more than three times, barring general assembly
appeal. The chairperson has the right to have a member removed from
the general assembly, barring general assembly appeal.
5.4.2. The chairperson is to put all motions to a vote, in the order they were
submitted to the general assembly, unless the submitter or the general
assembly grants an extension as specified in the agenda.
5.5. Voting
5.5.1. A general assembly vote can take place by a show of hands, unless
anyone present expresses the preference for a written vote. The
chairperson decides the procedure in the case of a written vote. The only
written votes that are considered as a valid cast vote are ballot sheets
that have been filled in by members that are entitled to vote. The
established procedure must be complied with.
5.5.2. Written votes are anonymous. Votes involving individuals shall be
anonymous.
5.5.3. In case of absence, a member can authorise another member to vote
on their behalf by writing to the secretary. This person can also express
their vote on a specific agenda item.
5.5.4. Votes of abstinence may be conducted by a show of hands as an
alternative to article 15.5 of the statutes.
5.6. Minutes of General assemblies
The minutes of a general assembly are to be published within four weeks of the general
assembly.
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6. Transfer
6.1. Board Dismissal
Before the end of every board year, new board members are chosen and steps are
taken to ensure a smooth board transition. The old board, with the exception of the
treasurer, is discharged directly after the switching of the board and transfers its powers.
The treasurer is dismissed from office directly after the switching of the board. The
treasurer is discharged after the approval of the yearly financial report by the general
assembly.
6.2. Board Applications
When a new board is to be chosen, the board is to seek applicants. It is to accomplish
this by searching applicants itself. Every member can also apply as an applicant for the
new board during the board year until a date decided by the board. This date is to be
made known to members at least twenty business days before its arrival.
6.3. Presentation of Candidate Board
The names of the members of the candidate board are to be presented for at least ten
business days. The names of the candidates and the period of presentation are made
known to members in writing.
6.4. Proposal of a Counter Board
During the GA where a new board is voted on members may propose a counter board
and hold a runoff election.
6.5. Presentation of a Counter Board
If there are counter-candidates, the board will communicate to the members in writing
their names, the place and the date of voting. This is to happen at least seventy-two
hours before the vote. This vote is to be a written vote.
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6.6. Voting between Proposals
The board is to be chosen by absolute majority of the amount of cast votes. If no one
has received the absolute majority of votes, a revote will take place between the two
candidates that have received the most votes. The majority of votes decides in the case
of a revote. If the votes are tied, another revote will take place.
7. Social Event rules
7.2.1. The board is always ultimately responsible for the course of a social
drink and other events with alcoholic consumptions organised in the name
of the association.
7.2.2. During the entire time frame of a drink or other event involving
alcoholic consumptions organised in the name of the association at least
one person present remains completely sober. At least one person is a
board member and must make themselves known to the security of the
VU as designated sober duty in the case the event is held on campus.
7.2.3. The designated persons for sober duty are also responsible for
maintaining awareness regarding social safety to the best of their ability.
Members can report cases of discrimination, harassment, or assault
during the event to the sober duty person, who must then report the
incidents to the Board. Such reports are always classified and restricted
to the Board. In the event that an incident involves a Board member, the
sober duty person must report the case to the Social Safety Team of the
VU.
7.3. Alcohol Dispensing Rules
7.3.1. Members serving alcoholic beverages must recognize intoxicated
(drunk) people, must not provide them with more alcoholic beverages and
must inform the sober duty.
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7.3.2. During the entire time frame of a social drink or event involving
alcoholic consumptions organised in the name of the association, there
should always be non-alcoholic beverages available that are cheaper
than alcoholic beverages.
7.3.3. Games with the goal of alcoholic consumption are prohibited and it is
the boards and the organising committee’s responsibility to enforce this
rule.
7.3.4. Canal water is provided free of charge to all attendees at all times if
tap water is not available.
8. Anti-Discrimination and Inclusivity Policies
8.1. Anti-Discrimination Policy
8.1.1. Discrimination of any kind shall not be tolerated within the StudSec
association. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on
race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or socioeconomic
status.
8.1.2. Any form of harassment or bullying, whether verbal, physical, or
online, is strictly prohibited. Members are encouraged to report any
incidents of harassment or bullying to the board, or to the designated
sober duty person during events.
8.1.3. Members who feel they have been discriminated against or harassed
can confidentially report the incident to the board. The board is obligated
to investigate all reports and take appropriate action, ensuring the
reporting member's safety and privacy.
8.2. Inclusivity in Promotion and Advertisement
8.2.1. Advertisement of certain beliefs, religions, or any content that might
make a member feel excluded due to their identity shall not be tolerated
or promoted with a bias.
8.2.2. If the association chooses to promote any religious or belief-based
content, it must be inclusive and promote all other beliefs equally. The aim
is to foster an environment of mutual respect and inclusivity
8.2.3. Official communication channels of the association, including social
media, newsletters, and events, should remain neutral and refrain from
promoting any single belief, religion, or ideology over others.
8.2.4. All association activities, events, and materials should be accessible
to members of all backgrounds and identities, and efforts should be made
to accommodate specific needs upon request if it is within the
association's control.