These Standing Orders should be read in conjunction with the Articles of Association of Durham Students’ Union and any appendices and annexes attached herewith.

Terms used in these Standing Orders shall be as defined in the Articles of Association.

The following terms which are not defined in the Constitution shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

• Colleges” : Those Maintained Colleges and Recognised Colleges as defined by the University;
• “Course”: A programme or course of study leading to a qualification awarded by the University;
• “Course Constituency”: An electoral constituency based upon Course cohort structures;
• “Faculty”: An aggregate of areas of academic study as defined by the University;
• “Officer”: The elected officers of the Union, including Sabbatical Trustees;
• “Secretary”: The University Secretary.

Democratic Rights

1. All Members shall be entitled to take part in all aspects of its democracy. Nothing in these Standing Orders shall be interpreted as allowing a committee or officer of the Union to restrict democratic rights, except by application of criteria set forth in these Standing Orders.
2. All Members shall have the right to stand for election and vote in elections subject to restrictions laid out in these Standing Orders.
3. Any Member shall have the right to opt out of Union membership. Students wishing to do so must complete an opt-out form and return it to the Union.
   1. A copy of the form will be sent to the Secretary.
   2. The opt-out shall be valid for a student’s academic career unless the
   3. student opts back into the Union.
   4. Any change to the opt-out form must be approved by the University.
4. Any Member shall be entitled to make a complaint under the terms of the Complaints Procedure.

Equal Opportunities

5. The Union shall have, and abide by, an Equal Opportunities Policy.
6. All bodies of the Union including Student Groups shall abide by the Equal Opportunities Policy.

Facilities and Benefits

7. Members shall be entitled to:
   7. make use of all welfare, commercial and other services provided by the Union, where doing so does not conflict with the right of another Member to do the same;
   8. to join any Student Group affiliated to the Union.
8. Students who have opted out of Union membership shall be entitled to make reasonable use of all welfare, commercial and other services provided by the Union where doing so does not conflict with the rights of Members to do the same, except where events or facilities are for Members only.
9. The Union shall have a disciplinary procedure for Members.
10. Nothing in this standing order shall prevent the holder of any licence which permits the sale or consumption of alcohol or the provision of entertainment of any sort on Union premises from taking any reasonable action to preserve such licences.

Data Protection

11. The Union will approve, and abide by, a Data Protection Policy

Purpose of Standing Order: This Standing Order explains what Policy is, who can set it and how long it lasts for. To understand the process by which it is created, please refer to the Standing Orders for Assembly or sub-committees of Assembly.

Definition

1. “Political Policy” (both proactive and reactive) shall be a statement of the political and representational will or beliefs of Durham SU, and shall be binding upon all Durham SU activities, Sabbatical Officers, representatives and bodies of the Union as defined by Article 5.24.
2. “Administrative Policy” shall be principles or procedures set by the Board of Trustees or its committees to aid the administration of Durham SU and ensure its effectiveness or compliance with legal requirements. It shall be binding upon all Sabbatical Officers, Trustees, staff, volunteers, students and bodies of the Union. Administrative policy will, where appropriate, also be published for the information of members in the interests of transparency.
3. No policy may contradict the Articles of Association or the Standing Orders.
4. Current approved political policy shall be compiled in a “Policy Book” that will be available on the Durham SU website to all students. Administrative policy, where appropriate, will be made available on the Durham SU website.
5. The Trustee Board shall have the sole discretion to adopt, implement or refuse any policies due to any legal or financial limitation or because in their judgement it may cause an unreasonable risk to Durham SU.

Creation

6. Political Policy by one or more of these bodies shall constitute policy:
   6. Referendum as defined by Article 100.5
   7. Assembly as defined by Article 94
   8. Officer Committee as defined by Standing Order E
7. The order of precedence on matters of political policy shall be as defined above, subject to the provision of the Articles of Association. All representative bodies are subject to the powers of the Trustees to ensure that Durham SU operates in line with charity, education and other relevant law.
8. Further to article 101, Assembly may, by means of a substantive amendment, refer a question of determining a policy to a referendum of all Student Members. This will require that the motion passes with a majority of two thirds of Assembly members present.

Assignment

9. Assembly may assign responsibility for implementation of any political policy to a committee, Durham SU Sabbatical Officer, or any combination of committees and Officers.

Alteration

10. The Assembly Procedures Committee, in collaboration with the Officer ScrutinyCommittee and the Secretary, shall advise Assembly on the removal of any policy or section of policy that has become redundant or for which the implementation has been fully completed.
11. Assembly may alter or remove existing policies by the passing of a motion by simple majority, provided that it does not:
    11. Alter or remove a policy passed by a body of greater precedence within the current or immediately previous Academic Year.

Renewal

1. Assembly Procedures Committee shall present current political policies of Durham SU at the final Assembly of the year and recommend that policies that have expired or been achieved are removed from the Policy Book.

The Returning Officer 
The Returning Officer will be appointed by the Board of Trustees, subject to ratification by Assembly. The Returning Officer must not be a member of Durham SU. 
 
The Returning Officer will report annually to Assembly and, through the Board of Trustees to the Council of Durham University, on the extent to which elections to the Officer Committee have been fairly and properly conducted. The principal duty of the Returning Officer is to promote and safeguard the interests of the student electorate in fair elections. 
 
The Returning Officer has authority to interpret the Elections Rules and will publish Guidance consistent with the Elections Rules to support candidates, campaigners, and voters, in understanding their roles in the elections. 
 
The Returning Officer will appoint the Chief Executive or their nominee as the Deputy Returning Officer. The Deputy Returning Officer will administer elections to the Officer Committee on behalf of the Returning Officer. 
 
The Secretary to Assembly will be the returning officer for referendums, elections to Assembly and for all Durham SU student groups. The Secretary to Assembly may appoint suitably qualified and trained persons to act on their behalf, which may include student members as appropriate. 
 
Major Offices 
All members of Durham SU are eligible to stand and vote in an election for major office, subject to also being able to serve as a trustee. 
 
Other Offices 
Durham SU makes appointments to non-major union offices in different ways. 
 
Durham SU trustees 
Durham SU student trustees are elected in a cross-campus ballot. 
 
No student who holds office as a Durham SU trustee may also hold another office under the Standing Orders; for the avoidance of doubt, this does not include any position within any Durham SU student group or any position within other student organisations, subject to the successful management of any interests. 
 
By ballot 
A ballot is an election in which all members within a defined constituency may stand and vote for their representatives. 
•    For Faculty Presidents, the constituency is all students enrolled on a course aligned to a particular Faculty of Durham University. 
•    For the International Students Officer, the constituency is non-UK fee paying students at Durham University. 
•    For the Societies Officer, the constituency is full members of Durham SU’s student groups. 
•    For the Liberation Officer, the constituency is self-defining students of a marginalised community, as defined in the Standing Orders. 
•    For members of Assembly, the constituency is as defined in the Standing Order which creates members of Assembly. 
•    For student groups, the constituency is full members of the student group, unless by agreement an election is conducted of some of the members. 
 
By event 
An event is an election at a defined time and place in which all members who are registered to attend may stand and vote in an election.  
•    The Postgraduate Research Students Officer will be elected at an annual conference for postgraduate research students. 
•    The Welfare Officer will be elected at an annual development event for welfare volunteers. 
•    The Sustainability Officer will be elected at an annual campaign event for sustainability activists. 
 
By nomination 
The membership of the Committee of Junior Common Room Presidents, and the Committee of Middle Common Room Presidents, is comprised of nominees from Durham University Organisations and from independent charities. Each Committee will nominate one of their members to serve on the Officer Committee for one academic year, and Durham SU will compensate them for their time within a formal agreement. 
 
By appointment 
Assembly will accept nominations from the Officer Committee to make appointments. 
•    One member of the Officer Committee, who must be a postgraduate student, to serve on the Council of Durham University with the President ex officio. 
•    One student from each Faculty to serve on the Senate of Durham University, with the President, Education Officer and Community Officer ex officio. The Officer Committee will ensure that at least two student members of Senate are postgraduate students, and at least two student members of Senate are international students.  
•    To conferences of the National Union of Students, with the President ex officio. 

Referendums 
A vote of all Durham SU student members may resolve a question as set out in Article 100. The Secretary to Assembly will determine the exact language of a question to ensure that the question may be resolved with an unambiguous outcome. 

A referendum need not be restricted to a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote, and may be used to rank preferences. 
 
Other matters 
All Durham SU elections and referendums are counted under the rules for the single transferrable vote. 
 
A limit may be imposed on campaign expenditure by candidates, and the trustees may also award a grant from Durham SU to support campaigning. 
 
The Returning Officer should take reasonable steps to ensure that any election is a contest between Durham SU’s members. The unreasonable contribution or influence of other independent organisations may be considered as an unfair advantage or disadvantage, and may be considered under the complaints process, and a candidate may be sanctioned in the interests of a fair election. 
 
All elections shall allow voters to void the current election by voting to Re-Open Nominations (RON).
 
Elections Guidance 
Elections Guidance must contain: 
•    The process for nominations from students eligible to stand in an election. 
•    Standards of behaviour expected of candidates and their campaign teams during the election and campaign period, based on the Durham SU Code of Conduct for Student Members. 
•    Any other policies and procedures which apply to candidates and their campaign teams, such as the social media policy, the data protection policy, the management of interests policy, the expenses policy, and the right to request reasonable adjustments for accessibility. 
•    The process by which votes will be cast, counted, and the result declared. 
•    A complaints process, with detailed steps as to how any complaint will be handled consistent with the Elections Rules. 
 
The complaints process 
Complaints in respect of campaigning or voting should be received before the close of ballot. A result will not usually be declared unless outstanding complaints have been resolved. Candidates and their campaign teams are expected to cooperate promptly and fully in the event of a complaint being made in respect of their actions. 
 
Complaints should be made in a manner consistent with the Durham SU statutory complaints procedure. The Deputy Returning Officer has initial authority to consider complaints and will establish the facts to the best of their ability, consider whether any Durham SU rule or policy has been engaged, and may make an initial ruling on the balance of probabilities as to an appropriate outcome. 
 
The Deputy Returning Officer may impose a sanction if a candidate or campaign team has acted in breach of any Durham SU rule or policy. The sanctions available are: a requirement to act on guidance or undertake training, a formal warning, a final warning, or expulsion from the election. Any appropriate sanction may be applied without a need to impose a warning before expulsion. A failure to act on guidance, undertake training or heed a warning may be considered as an aggravating factor in further complaints. 
 
A candidate who has had a ruling or sanction imposed on them may appeal the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer to the Returning Officer if they have grounds for appeal. The grounds for appeal are: that there was procedural irregularity at the first stage of the complaints process, or there is new evidence which for good reason was not previously available to the Deputy Returning Officer. There is no ground to appeal on the basis of disagreement with a sanction. 
 
The Durham SU statutory complaints procedure is appropriate to consider a complaint that no confidence can be placed in the conduct of an entire election but is not a further appeal to a ruling of the Returning Officer. Any such complaint should be addressed to the supervising trustee in the first instance, who will report to the University Secretary. 
 
Any complaint in respect of a Durham University or Common Room rule should be made to the appropriate organisation in the first instance. Complaints which don’t have any apparent relevance to the Durham SU Elections Rules may be declined or referred to the matter to the appropriate organisation. 

Purpose of Standing Order: Assembly is the body responsible for the political and campaigning role of Durham SU. It should be an accessible, vibrant, and open meeting that encourages debate to improve students’ lives, resolves conflicts of opinion and gives different areas of Durham SU a chance to hear, celebrate and respectfully critique each other’s work. This requires some processes to be in place so that this can happen effectively.

Purpose and Principles of Assembly

1. The Purpose of Assembly shall be:
   1. To set political policy that reflects the views of Durham students and allows Sabbatical Officers to direct their campaigning and representative work.
   2. To provide a forum for discussion and debate that furthers students’ development while also allowing for the resolution of competing interests.
   3. To receive reports from the Officer Scrutiny Committee so that the work of the Officers can be prioritised to ensure that their time is not split too broadly and that they can remain effective in the campaigns that they run.
   4. To allow a forum for different areas of work across Durham SU, including the work of Associations, Committees and Task & Finish Groups to be reported back to the wider student community.
   5. To contribute to and approve aspects of Durham SU’s governance as directed by the Articles and the Trustee Board.
2. The Principles of Assembly shall be:
   1. To be an accessible body in its culture and operation, seeking to work without unnecessarily restrictive rules or procedures as well as encouraging engagement.
   2. To be an actively transparent body, publishing information about its operation and discussions and encouraging its members to do so with the students they represent and interact with.
   3. To be a leading body, seeking to resolve competing interests and set clear policy positions from which Officers can work.
   4. To be a proactive body, seeking to set policies and the direction of the Durham SU before issues emerge and become of concern to students.
   5. To be a welcoming body, seeking to create a culture and tone that allows for differing views to be debated in a safe and supportive way, acknowledging that exploring new opinions and viewpoints is a necessary part of deciding how Durham SU should act.

Powers of Assembly

1. Assembly shall have the authority to:
   1. represent the voice of Durham students;
   2. set the political policy of Durham SU and refer policy to other bodies so as to give guidance on how to act between meetings;
   3. make, repeal, and amend the Standing Orders jointly with the Trustees;
   4. appoint student representatives, other than ex officio representatives, to University committees as and when required;
   5. hold the Sabbatical Officers to account for their representational work via the Officer Scrutiny Committee;
   6. ratify the affiliation of Student Groups within and to Durham SU;
   7. ratify grants awarded to Student Groups within Durham SU;
   8. approve Honorary Life Members of Durham SU;
   9. carry out any other duties assigned to them by the Articles or Trustee Board.

Duties of Assembly Members

1. The duties of all Assembly Members shall be:
   1. To actively uphold the principles and purpose of Assembly, especially creating a positive culture that is respectful of others and seeks to resolve differences wherever possible.
   2. To actively uphold the values of Durham SU, contributing to the success of the Students’ Union by helping Assembly deliver on its purpose.
   3. To promote Assembly and its work and debates to the student community.
   4. To engage on issues planned to be discussed at Assembly with students that the member represents.
   5. To bring student issues to Assembly via the policy process.
   6. To attend all meetings of Assembly and send apologies in advance when unable to do so.
   7. To represent members of their constituency to the best of their ability

Assembly Procedures Committee

1. The purpose of this Assembly sub-committee shall be to maximise participation in Assembly by its members through increasing accessibility and promoting a culture of respectful debate and propose actions to Assembly that support the above to be achieved. Their full remit is described below.

Proceedings at Assembly

1. The Assembly Procedures Committee and Chair of Assembly shall set the agenda for each meeting with the advice of the Secretary, including proposed timings, and ensure that it is circulated to all members in good time for the meeting. The pre-agreed meeting agenda will not normally extend over 2 hours in length. Publishing the agenda on the Durham SU website or other remote server and emailing a link to members shall count as circulation.
2. Assembly may meet, in agreement with the Board of Trustees, in such locations that will maximise engagement with its members and may meet simultaneously in several locations (including online) so long as members are able to participate fully and communicate with each other.
   1. Assembly should in principle seek to convene in person when possible.
3. Quorum for Assembly shall be set at 50% of Assembly members in post at the time of the meeting.
4. The agenda for an Assembly meeting shall include the following:
   Initial Business
   1. To note apologies and declare potential conflicts of interest arising from the agenda
   2. Requests for notices not requiring a resolution from members.
   3. Approval of Minutes from previous meeting and update on Matters Arising not on the agenda.
   4. Approval of reports via a vote from other bodies including Officer Scrutiny Committee and the Board of Trustees.
   5. Approval of ratifications from other bodies including Student Groups Committee.
      Substantive Items
   6. Policy Discussion (part a. proactive policy, part b. reactive policy)
   7. Reports from the following bodies:
      1. Officer Scrutiny Committee
      2. Durham SU Board of Trustees
      3. Recognised Durham SU Associations
      4. Committees as defined in Standing Order E, with the exception of the Union Officer Committee, whose work shall be reported on by the Officer Scrutiny Committee as in 9.7.1
      5. Any Task & Finish Groups that have been commissioned by Assembly
      6. Any new questions regarding to the reports
   8. Elections to other bodies
   9. Review of the Policy Book (once a year)
   10. Notices not requiring a resolution.
5. The order of the Substantive Items may be altered to aid the smooth running of Assembly with the exception of any notices not requiring a resolution, which shall be last. “Notices not requiring a resolution” shall include any information that is vital to share to Assembly members that has occurred since the circulation of the Assembly papers.
6. A “conflict of interest” as described by Durham SU’s Articles of Association is defined as ‘any direct or indirect interest which they [a member of Assembly] have in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the Union; and any duty or any direct or indirect interest which they have which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Union on their duties to the Union."

Setting Policy

To ensure that policy is debated in an informed way and that all legal obligations are considered, the outlined process shall be followed.

Policy Process before the meeting

1. At least 15 working days before the meeting, any student or student group may submit motions to the Assembly Procedures Committee using any pro-forma the Assembly Procedures Committee request and make available to members.
2. At least 10 working days before the meeting, the Assembly Procedures Committee will circulate motions to all Assembly Members and make the information available on Durham SU’s website for all Durham SU members to access. Any student may suggest amendments to the motion proposer. The motion proposer may accept such amendments into the body of the motion by informing the Assembly Procedures Committee that they wish to do so, or request that they are debated separately. Any proposed amendment that is not accepted shall be debated separately. Assembly Procedures Committee may place together any amendments that, at their discretion, they believe to be similar. The agenda and any reports shall also be circulated at this point as well as any other business on the agenda outside of the policy process (e.g. elections to other bodies).
3. 5 working days before the meeting, the Assembly Procedures Committee shall ensure that a final agenda and set of documents is circulated to all Assembly Members and made available on Durham SU’s website for all members to access. The names of any student or group who have submitted an amendment which has been accepted shall be added to the motion along with the original proposer. The Assembly Procedures Committee shall order the motions debate and amendments to any motion in such a matter that they feel appropriate and fits with the principles of Assembly. Assembly may not vote on the same issue more than once in any meeting.
4. The Board of Trustees shall review motions and amendments for any legal, financial, or reputational risks. The Board may request changes from the student who submitted the motion and, at their sole discretion, may decline the policy, or part of the policy, from being discussed. If they do so, reasoning must be given in their report to Assembly. The Trustees may also require that advice on the legal, financial, or reputational implications are included in the circulation of papers, to support Assembly members in their decision making.

Policy Process at the meeting

1. For each motion the Chair will invite the proposer of the motion (or a delegate of the proposer) to speak for an amount of time set by the Chair..
2. After the motion is introduced, and if there are no amendments, the Chair will ask if there is anyone who wishes to speak against the motion. If not, the Chair will ask if there is anyone who wishes to offer general comments to the motion. Upon the conclusion of general comments, Assembly will vote on whether to approve the motion. This will be done by a show of hands with no member having more than one vote. If a simple majority of the members present vote in favour of the motion it will become policy as outlined in Standing Order B
3. If the motion proposer or other persons speaking on the motion are not Assembly Members, then they are not entitled to vote on the motion.
4. The Chair may request that Assembly splits into small discussion groups for a time allocated by the Chair to discuss the motion informally. At the end of this time questions may be asked of the student who submitted the motion.
5. The Chair may allow speeches for and against each motion and amendment, ensuring the debate is balanced. Each speech will be for a time limit set by the Chair who must allow the same amount of time for each speaker on each round of a debate.
6. Once the Chair believes there has been enough debate to inform Assembly members of the issues at hand or it is no longer possible to balance the debate, they will call for a vote. This will be done by a show of hands with no member having more than one vote. A simple majority of votes in favour of the motion will mean it becomes policy of Durham SU as defined by Standing Order B. If a vote is tied, the motion shall fall, but may be resubmitted with amendments at the next Assembly.

Emergency Motions

1. The Union Officer Committee, or upon a joint petition by ten Assembly members may submit emergency motions to Assembly. This may only be used to help set Durham SU’s stance on an issue that has emerged since the 15 working day motion deadline and is of such importance that Durham students should discuss and act upon it.
2. Such motions should be submitted no later than 48 hours in advance of the Assembly meeting to the Assembly Procedures Committee, who will have the discretion to accept it and circulate it to members.
3. Any student may submit a request to the Officer Committee for an emergency motion to be submitted. If such a request is declined, the Committee must provide reasoning for this decision in their report.

Reports

1. Assembly shall receive reports at each meeting from the bodies specified above in 9.7
2. The Chair, through the Secretary, shall provide a report to the Board of Trustees on the proceedings of Assembly.

The Chair

1. The Chair shall be responsible for the running of Assembly meetings, ensuring members stick to the agenda and that discussion and debate is open and balanced. The Chair shall be a non-voting member of Assembly. If the Chair is unavailable for a meeting, or part of a meeting, Assembly shall elect from its membership an acting Chair for the time during which the Chair is unavailable.
2. The Chair will be elected by Assembly members at the first meeting of the academic year.
3. Any current student member of Durham SU shall be eligible to nominate themselves for Chair.
4. The duties of the Chair shall be:
   1. To promote an accessible and inclusive culture at Assembly meetings and among members outside formal meetings.
   2. To ensure the proceedings of Assembly inform members on the issues being reported and debated to allow them to make meaningful decisions.
   3. To seek the clear resolution of issues and the creation of policy so that Durham SU can concentrate on representing students and making change for them
   4. To ensure fair and balanced debate within meetings
5. The Chair shall have the following powers:
   1. To check quorum for the meeting
   2. To call for a vote on a policy, amendment to a policy, or report
   3. To set a length on the debates taking place
   4. To call for rounds of speeches
   5. To close the meeting
   6. With the concurrence of the Assembly, require members or participants of Assembly to leave the meeting, where their behaviour has been consistently disruptive to proceedings and they have disregarded previous warnings from the Chair.

Procedural Motions

1. Procedural motions are votes aimed to express the autonomy of the Assembly in the management of its own affairs. Any member of Assembly may request a procedural motion at any point during a meeting; in such cases, the motion must be supported by at least four other members. The Chair may not deny requests for such procedural motions. The case for the procedural motion will be put by the member requesting it in a speech of not more than 2 minutes. The Chair will be able to reply for up to 2 minutes before Assembly votes on the procedural motion.
2. The Procedural Motions in order of precedence will be:
   1. That the Chair be replaced by an elected substitute for the rest of the meeting
   2. That the Chair’s ruling be reversed
   3. That the Chair enact one of their powers as outlined above.
   4. To call for a secret vote on a policy, amendment to a policy, or report
   5. To remove an item from the agenda until the next meeting
   6. To refer an item on the agenda to a Task & Finish Group or other body of Durham SU for approval
3. Procedural motions shall pass with a simple majority of members voting, with the exception of the use of procedural motion 33.4 to call for a secret vote 3, which shall require the support of two thirds of members present.

Operational Matters

1. Assembly Dates will be set by the Assembly Procedures Committee with advice from the Secretary to maximise participation and help ensure issues debated within the University can be influenced by Assembly positions.
2. Emergency meetings may be called by the Assembly Procedures Committee at the request of ten members of Assembly, or by the Board of Trustees. Such a request must include the reason for calling the additional meeting. Seven days’ notice is required for additional meetings and the business, including any motions, must be circulated five days before the meeting.
3. Papers and minutes of Assembly shall be placed on Durham SU’s website as soon as possible. Minutes shall be presented in draft form if not yet approved by Assembly.
4. No member shall have more than one vote on a matter of business, or hold more than one position on Assembly.

Transparency of Assembly

1. The outcomes of an Assembly meeting, including any new policy created, shall be published on Durham SU’s website.
2. Names of all members of Assembly shall be made publicly available within ten working days of their appointment. If a student representative has a compelling case as to why they should not have their name displayed publicly, Durham SU will display alternative contact details.
3. The voting records of members shall be made public in the minutes of each Assembly meeting, unless a vote was held by a secret ballot, or where a vote was carried or rejected unanimously.

Membership

1. The membership of Assembly shall aim to best reflect both the pre-existing student representative structures across Durham University and the need for wider involvement from students in different communities to be able to directly participate in policy making.
2. Where an Assembly position is held by a student elected by a defined constituency with a democratic mandate, that constituency can decide who takes the place. For example, the committee of an Association may decide that their space will be taken by their Chair, or by another member of their elected committee. These Assembly positions are referred to as ‘representative’.
3. Where a student is a member of a specific community or categorisation within Durham University but does not have a recognised democratic mandate, they may stand for positions on Assembly that relate to those memberships. For example, any postgraduate student in the Faculty of Sciences may stand for election to the Faculty of Science Postgraduate Places. These Assembly positions are referred to as ‘places’.
4. The membership of Assembly shall be as follows:
   1. The Sabbatical Officers
   2. Academic Affairs Committee Representative (x1)
   3. Undergraduate Place (x2) and Postgraduate Place (x2) from each of Durham University’s faculties.
   4. Associations Representatives (x1 from each recognised Association)
   5. College Place (x1 from each of Durham University’s Colleges)
   6. JCR Presidents’ Committee Representative (x1)
   7. MCR Presidents’ Committee Representative (x1)
   8. Open Place (x7)
   9. Student Groups Place (x8)
   10. Student Group Committee Representative (x1)
   11. DUCK (Durham University Charities Kommittee) Committee Representative (x1)
5. Any member of Assembly may resign from their position by giving written notice to the Chair of Assembly.
6. Any member of a Task & Finish Group or sub-committee of Assembly may resign from that Group or sub-committee by giving written notice to the Chair of the relevant Group or sub-committee, and to the Chair of Assembly.
   1. Vacancies arising therefrom shall be reported by the relevant Group or sub-committee Chair to the Assembly Procedures Committee, who shall include by-elections to fill vacancies as required in the agenda of the next meeting of Assembly.
7. In the event of a resignation from Assembly itself, a by-election shall be conducted to fill the vacancy. The Returning Officer of Durham SU shall have responsibility for the timetabling and conduct of such elections.

Task & Finish Groups

1. A motion may be bought to set up a Task & Finish Group of Assembly. Such a motion must outline the following:
   1. The task for which the Group is being set up. This should be an activity that has a specific goal or timeline. The Group may not have a remit outside of the powers of Assembly.
   2. The point at which the task will be finished – for example completion of the goal or a point at which an issue may lapse.
   3. The membership requirements of the Task & Finish group that reflects the stakeholders’ need to complete the task.
2. A motion to set up a Task & Finish Group of Assembly will pass if a simple majority of Assembly vote in favour of it.
3. All current Task & Finish Groups of Assembly will finish at the end of the academic year unless renewed at the last Assembly meeting of the year.
4. The Task & Finish Groups will be chaired by the President of Durham SU or their designate, until a Chair can be elected from among its members.
5. Task & Finish Groups will negotiate support, budget, and access as required with the Secretary, acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
6. The Chair of each Task & Finish Group will report on the progress of their Group’s task at each Assembly meeting.
7. Membership of the Task & Finish Group may be made up of a mix of Assembly members and interested student members of Durham SU only.
   1. Task & Finish groups may invite non-student participants from organisations other than Durham SU to their meetings for the purpose of research and understanding. Such participants may not be members of the group, nor have any voting powers in its proceedings.

Secretary to Assembly

1. The Board of Trustees has designated the Durham SU Chief Executive as Secretary to Assembly and its Committees. The Secretary will be responsible for the management of processes relating to Assembly on their behalf, in partnership with the Assembly Procedures Committee.

Sub-Committees of Assembly

1. There shall be two sub-committees of Assembly, in order to assist in the carrying out of its duties, as detailed below.
   Assembly Procedures Committee
2. The purpose of the Committee shall be:
   1. To maximise student participation in Assembly by its members, through increasing accessibility and promoting a culture of respectful debate
   2. To propose regulations and guidance that support the above to Assembly.
3. The duties of the Committee shall be:
   1. To set an agenda for each Assembly meeting and ensure that papers are accessible and circulated in advance
   2. To set a proforma for motions, including a word limit that will not exceed 500, and reports to Assembly. The proforma should be set and circulated to the last Assembly of each academic year to take affect for the following year
   3. To set a proforma for Standing Orders to be created or amended and presented to Assembly for ratification
   4. To oversee the motion process before each Assembly including the Emergency Motions process
   5. To advise the Chair of Assembly as needed on issues such as Procedural Motions during the Assembly meeting so that the Chair may make a ruling
   6. To act in accordance with the Articles and Standing Orders
   7. To review the Policy Book each year and recommend that policies that have expired or been achieved are removed.
4. The principles of the Committee shall be reflective of the overall principles of Assembly outlined above.
5. The membership of the Committee shall be four members, elected from among members of Assembly at the first meeting of each academic year
6. The President of Durham SU shall also attend meetings of the Committee, but will not be a voting member.
7. The Chair of Assembly shall also be a member of the Committee, and shall act as its Chair.
   Officer Scrutiny Committee
8. The Purpose of the Committee shall be:
   1. To scrutinise the work of Sabbatical Officers in relation to their workplans and implementation of Assembly policy
   2. To work with Sabbatical Officers to recommend the prioritisation of officer work to Assembly
   3. To relay the work of the Sabbatical Officers to Assembly members.
9. The Officer Scrutiny Committee shall not have any responsibility for the following:
   1. Issues relating to employment including attendance, pay and conditions, employee rights, sickness, holiday use and disciplinaries related to the contract of employment
   2. Member disciplinary processes.
10. In addition to the overall principles of Assembly, the principles of the Committee shall be:
    1. To be objective in their appraisal of work being undertaken
    2. To be mindful and realistic of the time and resources available
    3. To be mindful of the time required to achieve change in the university or community
    4. To be honest and transparent
    5. To avoid conflicts of interest
    6. To respect the proper role of Assembly and of Sabbatical Officers
11. The duties of the Committee shall be:
    1. To always act in a way consistent with its principles
    2. To review and report the representative and campaigning work of the Sabbatical Officers
    3. To review and report the implementation of Assembly policies
    4. To receive an update from Sabbatical Officers on actions taken against this work since the last meeting of the committee at least 10 days before each Assembly, and meet with officers to discuss this report
    5. To help prioritise the representative and campaigning work of Sabbatical Officers
    6. To work with the Sabbatical Officers to resolve conflicts outside of motions of censure
    7. To recommend motions of commendation or censure where appropriate to Assembly
    8. To produce and circulate an Officer Scrutiny Report to each Assembly meeting.
12. The membership of the Committee shall be eight members, elected from among members of Assembly at the first meeting of each academic year.
    1. At least 1 member of the Officer Scrutiny Committee should hold an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Place from one of Durham University’s faculties.
    2. At least 1 member of the Officer Scrutiny Committee should be an Association Representative.
    3. At least 1 member of the Officer Scrutiny Committee should hold a College Place.
    4. At least 1 member of the Officer Scrutiny Committee should be a current postgraduate student at Durham University.
13. The Chair of the Committee shall be elected from among its members at its first meeting of each academic year.
14. Sabbatical Officers may not be members of the Committee, but will attend its meetings as required.

Officer Scrutiny Report

1. The Officer Scrutiny Report shall be in a format set by the Officer Scrutiny Committee but shall include the following:
   1. Report on no more than five priorities per Sabbatical Officer from workplans, Assembly policy and reactive work.
   2. Recommendations from the Officer Scrutiny Committee on the suitability of these actions
   3. Recommendations from the Officer Scrutiny Committee on whether each action should be classed as “completed”, “continuing” or “deprioritised”
   4. Proposals for no more than five priority areas per Sabbatical Officer to be reported on at the next Assembly.

Disciplinary Processes

1. Assembly may, with good reason, approve by simple majority a motion of commendation or censure of any Sabbatical Officer, Assembly, or Committee member elected by the structures of the Durham SU.
2. Students may submit a motion of no confidence in any member of Assembly or its committees and sub-committees (with the exception of those members who sit on Assembly bodies ex officio by virtue of holding another office) to remove that person from their duties by writing to the Chair no more than 5 days before the meeting.
   1. Any such motion must pass by a two-thirds majority or, if a motion of censure has previously been passed against that person, by a simple majority.
3. Disciplinary procedures and processes for motions of no confidence in the Sabbatical Officers shall be laid out in the Disciplinary Procedures Policy and within Durham SU’s Articles of Association.

1. There will be committees and forums as approved by Assembly and described in the appendices to these Standing Orders.
2. All Members of the Union will be entitled to attend and speak at committee and forum meetings.
3. Any Committee may, with good reason, pass a motion by simple majority of the voting membership to meet in closed session. Any such motion shall apply onlyfor the specified agenda item and will be reflected in the minutes.

Proceedings

1. Committees and forums shall publish a calendar of meeting dates as soon as practicable after the start of each Academic Year.
2. Committees and forums shall publish agendas and minutes for all meetings.
3. Committees shall present a work plan to Assembly on an annual basis and present an update report to all Assembly meetings.
4. Committees shall aim to develop policy for its own adoption, for recommendation for Assembly or for submission to a national conference. Any policy adopted by a committee must have been voted on by a minimum of 50% plus one members.
5. If a motion is submitted to Assembly, it may be deferred by Governance and Grants Committee to a relevant subcommittee for scrutiny.
6. Committees should work with and advise the Student Officers who are members of that committee.
7. Committee and forum meetings shall seek to reach decisions based on consensus. If decisions cannot be reached by consensus, a simple majority by show of hands shall suffice.
8. Each committee shall elect a chair from amongst their membership unless otherwise stated within these Standing Orders or Appendices.
9. The chair shall be responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of meetings, including the timely dissemination of the agenda and papers
10. Proceedings of committees shall be recorded.
11. Committees shall have the power to establish working groups to undertake specific tasks.

Terms of Reference

1. The Terms of Reference of each committee shall be approved by Assembly and held as Appendices to these Standing Orders.
2. Committees and forums other than sub-committees of the Board of Trustees, without specific provision in the Articles of Association or these Standing Orders must have Terms of Reference approved annually by Assembly.

Complaints

1. Complaints about the conduct of a committee, forum or member in attendance at a committee or forum meeting must be made, in the first instance, to the chair of that Committee or forum or, thereafter, to Governance and Grants Committee.

Appendix E1: Committee and Forum Membership and Objectives

1. The membership and objectives of committees and forums shall be as detailed in this Appendix. Meeting frequency as noted in the table is guidance; meeting frequency is to be determined by each committee or forum in agreement with the Secretary.
2. Committees and forums may review their membership and objectives, and in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Association and these Standing Orders, suggest changes.
3. All committees may make policy or policy recommendations to Assembly relating to their respective areas of responsibility and objectives.
4. The Trustees have designated the Durham SU Chief Executive as Secretary to Assembly and its Committees. The Secretary will be responsible for the management of processes relating to Assembly on their behalf, in partnership with the Assembly Procedures Committee

Committee	Objectives	Membership	Meetings	Chair
Academic Affairs Committee	To identify and discuss matters relating to academic affairs and academic support across the University To develop or recommend academic policy for the Union To share best practice and learn from each other’s experiences To work with and advise the Academic Officers To direct the work of the Union on all academic and academic support matters To elect a representative for Assembly	Postgraduate and Undergraduate Academic Officers Faculty Representatives	Monthly	Elected by and from the membership, excluding the Academic Officers
DUCK Committee	To discuss matters and work on issues relating to fundraising at Durham University To elect a representative for Assembly	DUCK Chair Elected members of the DUCK Executive Committee (DUCK handbook)	Fortnightly	DUCK Chair
Junior Common Room (JCR) Presidents’ Committee	To discuss matters relating to Junior Common Rooms (JCRs) To work to enhance the college experience of members of JCRs To work to improve the governance and support available to JCRs To identify, draft, adopt or recommend policy on issues relating to JCR’s To elect a representative for Assembly	Durham SU President President or equivalent of each JCR President of Ustinov Graduate Common Room	Fortnightly	Elected by and from the membership, excluding the Durham SU President
Middle Common Room (MCR) Presidents’ Committee	To discuss matters relating to Middle Common Rooms (MCRs) To work to enhance the college experience of members of Middle Common Rooms To work to improve the governance and support available to Middle Common Rooms To identify, draft, adopt or recommend policy on issues relating to Middle Common Rooms To elect a representative for Assembly	Durham SU President President or equivalent of each postgraduate Common Room (MCRs, or equivalents)	Fortnightly	Elected by and from the membership, excluding the Durham SU President
Officer Committee	To discuss issues of representation and campaigning affecting the Union To proactively identify upcoming issues relating to education or other relevant policy To ensure information is communicated across the Student Officers To seek to resolve different political priorities outside of the formal structures where possible To liaise with the Durham SU Chief Exec on operational and delivery matters To agree on emergency motions to be taken to an Assembly To each hold a place on Assembly	Each of the Sabbatical Officers of Durham SU	Weekly	Durham SU President
Student Groups Committee	To identify and discuss matters relating to Student Groups To review and recommend changes to the Student Group Agreement To identify, draft, adopt or recommend policy on issues relating to student groups To work to develop Student Groups and their members To recommend ratification of new student groups to Assembly under the Student Group Agreement To approve funding requests from recognised student groups To elect a representative for Assembly	Elected Chair of Student Groups Committee Opportunities Officer 1 x member per category of student group, elected by members of groups in those categories 1 x Media Rep, elected by members of Media groups 1 x Association Liaison Rep, elected from among members of Association Committees	Monthly	Elected by members of student groups
SU Reps Committee	To contribute to the effectiveness of SU campaigns and events. To provide a forum for the SU President and relevant Officers to update Students’ Union Reps regarding the activities of the SU and University-wide issues To nominate Students’ Union Reps to represent students on relevant University Working Groups To support Students’ Union Reps in the drafting of relevant policy for Assembly To reflect the voices of the representatives’ respective constituencies.	SU Rep from each college	Monthly	Elected by and from the membership, excluding the Durham SU President

1. Sabbatical Trustees (hereafter “Student Officers”) will hold office from 1st August in the Year of their election until 31st July of the following Year. The Board will have discretion to vary this to allow students to finish assessment for their programme, so long as the Officer is in post for no more than 12 months.
2. Retiring Student Officers are required to assist in training their successors to facilitate a smooth handover period.
3. Incoming Student Officers will receive a maintenance payment on a pro rata basis for training or events attended during this period.
4. There shall be five Student Officers:
   1. President;
   2. Undergraduate Academic Officer;
   3. Postgraduate Academic Officer;
   4. Welfare and Liberation Officer;
   5. Opportunities Officer.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. The Student Officers shall have the following duties:
   1. Act as a Trustee of the Union;
   2. Promote and defend the rights of members and act in the best interest of the Union at all times;
   3. Actively lead campaigns across all of the Durham University campuses on a range of issues that affect the diverse range of members including development of policy;
   4. Implement and uphold Union policy at all times;
   5. Work together as the Student Officer Team to deliver the strategic objectives and annual officer action plans;
   6. Attend, and report on their work to, Assembly and other committees when required;
   7. Attend ceremonial events on behalf of the Union;
   8. Attend committees as outlined in the committee membership list;
   9. Abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life (‘Nolan Principles’);
   10. Attend staff development and training as required;
   11. Collaborate with Union staff, to enhance services for members;
   12. Have lead Student Officer responsibility for the development of strategies and plans relating to their portfolios;
   13. Working to increase participation and to lower and/or remove barriers to participation in Union activities;
   14. Working within the democratic structures to debate and discuss policies and issues and to implement policies; and
   15. Fulfil any duties and obligations that arise consequentially upon signing a Sabbatical Trustee contract.
   16. Engage in the duties of the Officer Committee as outlined in Standing Order E.
2. Individual Student Officers shall also have for the following duties:
   President
   1. The President shall have lead Student Officer responsibility for:
      1. Increasing participation and engagement by members in the activities, democracy and governance of the Union and its subsidiary groups;
      2. Effective implementation and administration of the governance and democratic structures of the Union;
      3. Communications, including being the chief spokesperson;
      4. Liaison between the Union and the University;
      5. Liaison between the Union and the Common Rooms;
      6. Liaison between the Union and the National Union of Students (NUS);
      7. Liaison between the Union and the local community;
      8. Liaison between the Officer Team and the Durham SU Chief Executive;
      9. Leading the Durham University delegation at NUS National Conference; and
      10. Coordinating the Student Officer Team.
      Undergraduate Academic Officer
   2. The Undergraduate Academic Officer shall be studying at an undergraduate level at the time of the election and will have lead Student Officer responsibility for:
      1. Leading Durham SU’s policy and campaigns on undergraduate academic matters;
      2. Liaising with departments and faculties to improve undergraduate academic experience;
      3. Supporting student representatives to effectively improve undergraduate academic experience;
      4. Undergraduate academic support, learning resources and study facilities;
      5. Undergraduate academic quality evaluation projects; and
      6. Holding termly meetings with members regarding academic interests.
      Postgraduate Academic Officer
   3. The Postgraduate Academic Officer shall be studying at a postgraduate level at the time of the election and will have lead Student Officer responsibility for:
      1. Leading Durham SU’s policy and campaigns on postgraduate academic matters;
      2. Liaising with departments and faculties to improve postgraduate academic experience;
      3. Supporting student representatives to effectively improve postgraduate academic experience;
      4. Postgraduate academic support, learning resources and study facilities;
      5. Postgraduate academic quality evaluation projects; and
      6. Holding termly meetings with members regarding academic interests.
      Welfare and Liberation Officer
   4. The Welfare and Liberation Officer shall have lead Student Officer responsibility for:
      1. Leading Durham SU’s policy and campaigns on welfare, including health and wellbeing, accommodation and equality and diversity
      2. Enhancing non-academic facilities within the University;
      3. Championing equality and diversity;
      4. Supporting and coordinating self-defining students to come together in Durham SU’s Liberation associations and liberation and rights campaigns;
      5. Supporting student representatives to effectively improve welfare and liberation at Durham University
      6. Internal and external community liaison, including statutory bodies;
      7. Championing the Union’s work in the community, including charity fundraising.
      Opportunities Officer
   5. The Opportunities Officer shall have lead Student Officer responsibility for:
      1. Leading Durham SU’s policy and campaigns on student opportunities and activities for all Durham students, including but not limited to Student Groups, student media, charity fundraising and volunteering.
      2. Lead Durham SU’s policy and campaigns to enhance student personal development through supporting students to participate in opportunities that develop them, have fun, and make a difference to the world around them.
      3. Liaison with the University on wider student experience and development.
      4. Leading Durham SU’s engagement with Experience Durham.
3. Student Officers shall engage with the Officer Scrutiny Committee, who will present an overview of the progress of their work to Assembly on their behalf.

1. Student Groups shall include Societies, the Associations, Media, Nightline, and DUCK.
2. Any Student Group whose aims and objectives do not contravene the Union’s policies and procedures may apply to be ratified as a Student Group of the Union.
3. Connection with a religious or party political organisation shall not be a bar to affiliation.
4. Ratification or any changes to any Student Group’s constitution must be approved by Student Groups Committee after agreement by the membership of the Student Group.
5. Assembly shall approve the Student Group Agreement setting out conditions for new or continuing affiliation of Student Groups.
   1. Any such regulations are subject to the approval of the Secretary and shall form an Appendix to these Standing Orders.
6. Assembly may, with good reason, suspend or terminate the affiliation of any Student Group to the Union.
   Societies
7. There shall be the opportunity for students to set-up and run Societies, bringing together students of shared interest,
8. Student Groups Committee will be responsible for approving new Societies and continued ratification.
9. Societies will be subject to annual registration to continue as a ratified student group.
   Associations
10. There shall be Associations which shall be responsible for providing representation and, where appropriate, support and social opportunities and activities, for students identifying with those Associations.
    1. The recognised Associations shall be:
    2. Students with Disabilities Association;
    3. International Students’ Association;
    4. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender + Association;
    5. Mature Students’ Association;
    6. People of Colour Association;
    7. Durham Womxn’s Association;
    8. Trans Association;
    9. Working Class Students’ Association;
    10. Durham Estranged and Care Experienced Association.
11. Each Association shall present to Assembly a constitution for approval which will comply with these Standing Orders and Union policies.
12. Each Association shall elect a President on an annual basis by a cross-campus ballot of all self-defining members. Any by-elections to elect to vacant Association President positions shall also be conducted by cross-campus ballot of all self-defining members
13. Each Association shall produce and present at the first Assembly meeting of the academic year, an annual work plan detailing how it intends to comply with its representation responsibilities and, if appropriate, its support and social responsibilities.
14. Each Association shall hold an open meeting once a term for anyone who self-defines as belonging to that Association. These will be chaired by the association President and will discuss issues that are currently affecting the membership.
15. Associations will not be subject to annual ratification by Assembly but any changes to an Association’s constitution must be approved by Assembly.
    DUCK
16. As the fundraising arm of the Students’ Union, DUCK will be responsible for organising events and activities to raise awareness of or money for chosen charities and support all students fundraising activity at Durham University.
17. For the purpose of elections within DUCK, all full members of the Students’ Union are considered members of DUCK.
18. There shall be an election on an annual basis for DUCK committee positions.
19. The membership of the committee shall be defined in the DUCK handbook; any changes to this handbook must be approved by Assembly on an annual basis.
20. DUCK will not be subject to annual ratification by Assembly.
    Nightline
21. Nightline is a student-led listening and signposting service for students, provided by trained volunteers.
22. The structure of the group shall be defined in the Nightline constitution.
23. Nightline will not be subject to annual ratification by Assembly.
    Media
24. The defined Media groups shall be groups that undertake media activities which allow for the diverse range of interests of all Durham Students; where students are both the producers of media and its primary consumers.
25. Media activities shall be guided by the mission and values of Media at Durham Students’ Union.
26. Media groups will not be subject to annual ratification by Assembly.

1. There shall be representatives at Course, School/Department and Faculty level who shall be responsible for representing students’ views on academic matters.
2. All academic representative roles shall be recruited in line with the academic representative recruitment framework.

Course Representatives

1. Each Course Constituency shall elect a number of Course Representatives.
2. The number of Course Representatives shall be approved annually by Assembly after consultation with the University.
3. Course Representatives shall be elected by and from a Course Constituency of which they are a member.
4. The duties of a Course Representative shall include:
   1. Fulfilling such duties as are outlined in the academic representative role descriptions;
   2. Actively participating in training events;
   3. Proactively communicating with and seeking feedback from peers on their academic experiences and reporting back on decisions or other actions;
   4. Representing students’ view from their course at meetings;
   5. Participating in academic campaigns organised by the Union.

School/Department Representatives

1. There shall be one School/Department Representative in each school/department.
2. The School/Department Representatives shall be elected by and from the Course Representatives in each respective school/department.
3. The duties of a School/Department Representative shall include:
   1. Fulfilling their duties as outlined in the academic representative role description;
   2. Representing students’ views from across the school/department at meetings;
   3. Actively participating in training events;
   4. Proactively communicating with, seek feedback from and leading Course Representatives from their respective school/department and reporting back on decisions or other actions;
   5. Participating in academic campaigns organised by the Union.

Faculty Representatives

1. There shall be eighteen Faculty Representatives who shall be appointed by the Union from the following constituencies:
   1. Arts and Humanities (undergraduate) x2
   2. Arts and Humanities (postgraduate – taught) x2
   3. Arts and Humanities (postgraduate – research) x2
   4. Science Faculty (undergraduate) x2
   5. Science Faculty (postgraduate – taught) x2
   6. Science Faculty (postgraduate – research) x2
   7. Social Science and Health (undergraduate) x2
   8. Social Science and Health (postgraduate – taught) x2
   9. Social Science and Health (postgraduate – research) x2
2. The duties of a Faculty Representative shall include:
   1. Fulfilling those duties outlined in the academic representative role description;
   2. Representing students’ views from across the faculty at meetings;
   3. Actively participating in training events;
   4. Proactively seeking feedback from course and departmental representatives in their respective faculty;
   5. Participating in academic campaigns organised by the Union.
   6. A Faculty Representative may not simultaneously act as a Course or School/Department Representative.

Term of Office

1. The term of office of all academic representatives shall be one academic year.
2. Course or School/Department Representatives may be removed from their positions by a majority vote of the members of the constituency from which they were elected.
3. Faculty Representatives may be removed from their positions by a majority vote of the School/Department Representatives in the respective Faculty.