ASRA Constitution

ASRA Consitution

1. NAME
The Association is known as The Association for Student Residential Accommodation (ASRA) hereinafter referred to as "The Association"

ASRA is a non-profit making, unincorporated association that exists for the collective benefit of its members.

2. MEMBERS
Membership categories are identified in paragraph 6 below.

3. AIMS
The Aims of the Association are:

3.1. To promote and support the professional activities of individuals working in student accommodation who are within the employment of member institutions of the Association in order to promote good standards in accommodation provision.
3.2. To provide a network for information and opportunities for professional development for all individuals working in student accommodation within the employment of members of the Association, through the annual training conference, regional and national meetings and training events.
3.3. To provide a forum for representation, consultation and discussion of the professional interests of individuals working in student accommodation within the employment of members of the Association.

4. THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution will be enacted in accordance with the standing orders and financial regulations of the association.

5. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) the membership will elect a Management Committee to be the body responsible for the running of the Association in accordance with the Constitution, Standing Orders and any mandate from the AGM.
 
5.1 The Association will elect a Management Committee to be responsible for the operation of the Association in accordance with the constitution, standing orders and any mandate from the membership.
 
5.2 The Management Committee will consist of Executive Officers, elected by the membership of the Association, and the Regional Representatives, elected individually by the various Regions.
 
5.3 Executive positions will exist for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Training Officer, Conference Officer and Communications and IT Officer.
 
5.4 Executive positions for Chair and Secretary are only open to any employee of a full member.
5.5 Executive positions for Treasurer, Training Officer, Events Officer and IT and Communications Officer are open to any employee of a full or associate member.
5.6 One Regional Representative will be elected by each Region to sit on the Management Committee. Regional Representatives shall each serve a term of two [2] years in office.
5.7 Executive members of the Management Committee shall each serve a term of three (3) years in office and should be available to support and assist the new Chair for a period of six [6] months from their appointment at the Annual General Meeting to ensure a thorough handover of ongoing Association business.
5.8 No two Executive Officers shall be employed by the same member institution or organisation
5.9 A Vice Chair will be elected by the members of the Management Committee and shall serve a term of one year in this office.
5.10 The Management Committee may co-opt members for specific functions in accordance with the Standing Orders.
5.11 The Management Committee will meet at least four (4) times each year. Members of the Management Committee shall make every endeavour to attend the committee meetings. Failure to attend two [2] consecutive meetings without good reason will normally require the committee member to answer to the Management Committee at the next meeting of the committee. Failure to attend a third [3rd] consecutive committee meeting will be deemed to constitute resignation from the Management Committee.
5.12 All management committee posts are subject to the association’s job descriptions and terms and conditions of service as written and reviewed by the Management Committee annually.
Under normal circumstances members of the Management Committee are eligible for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms in one particular post.

6. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
6.1. FULL MEMBERSHIP Full membership is open to all institutions of Higher and Further Education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The named representative of each institution must be a person whose key function is student housing whether institutionally owned or managed, or in the private sector. Where partnerships exist between an institution and a Private Sector Partner, the institution is eligible for Full membership, with the institution’s contract manager (or similar) becoming the named representative and the Private Sector Partner’s staff becoming Associate members. Annual fee payable.
 
6.1.1. SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP Special membership is open to former members of NAAWO for as long as they remain in post, provided that they became special members with effect from 1st May 1997 and that they are not named representatives of their institutions. Annual fee payable.
 
6.1.2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
 
Associate Membership may be offered by the Management Committee to individuals, organisations (i.e. Registered Social Landlord and charities) and residential accommodation providers with lease agreements with FE and HE institutions. Each membership would be on an ASRA regional basis. Membership would therefore, not be registered to an organisation’s central address to cover multiple ASRA regional areas.
 
Associate membership may be offered to employees of local branches of organisations who have an interest in student residential accommodation but do not have formal agreements with an institution. Each membership would be on an ASRA regional basis. Membership would therefore, not be registered to an organisation’s central address to cover multiple ASRA regional areas.
 
Nominations to the Management Committee for the above two Associate categories must be submitted to the ASRA Administrator for consideration by the Management Committee.
 
Associate Membership may be offered to commercial organisations with an interest in student accommodation. Each membership would be on an ASRA regional basis. Membership would therefore not be registered to an organisation’s central address to cover multiple ASRA regional areas.
 
Applications for the above caegories must be submitted to the ASRA Administrator and must be proposed and seconded by two named representatives of full members of the Association and confirmed by the Management Committee.
 
 
An organisation with multiple associate memberships covering two or more ASRA regional areas will have voting rights assigned to one named representative only. The name of the nominated representative must be advised to the ASRA Administrator annually.
 
Annual fees are payable for all Associate memberships.
 
6.1.3. AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP Affiliate membership may be offered by the Management Committee to individuals, organisations, institutions and agencies with operational responsibility for or an interest in student housing in countries other than the UK or Ireland. Nominations to the Management Committee for Affiliate membership must be submitted to the Secretary by a proposer and seconder who must both be named representatives of full members of the Association. Annual fee payable.
 
6.1.4. LIFE MEMBERSHIP Life membership may be offered by the Management Committee to individuals, no longer working in student housing, who are friends of the Association and who wish to maintain contact with the membership. One-off life membership fee.
 
6.1.5. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP Honorary Membership may be offered by the Management Committee to individuals, who may no longer work in student housing, who have made an outstanding contribution to the Association. No fee payable.
 
6.2. Applications for membership must be submitted to the Secretary. Applications will not be accepted during the 28 day period prior to and including the Annual General Meeting. Questions relating to eligibility for membership or for named representative status will be determined by the Management Committee.
 
6.3. Full and associate members have voting rights and these will be exercised by the named representative or, in the absence of the named representative, by a nominated representative of the member institution or organisation. No other category of member has voting rights.

7. MEMBERSHIP FEES
Annual membership fees will be recommended by the Management Committee to each Annual General Meeting. Membership fees are payable within 28 days of issue of invoice with the annual fee cycle running from 1 August to 31 July in the subsequent year.

8. FUNDS
8.1. All funds held by the Association shall be for the purpose of fulfilling the aims of the Association.
 
8.2. The funds of the Association shall be kept in a financial institution approved by the Management Committee.
 
8.3. The accounts of income and expenditure of the Association up to the end of the calendar year preceding the annual General Meeting shall be audited once a year by auditors approved by the Management Committee.
 
8.4. In the event of the dissolution of the Association and if, after the settlement of all debts and liabilities together with an audit of the accounts there shall remain any assets; this sum will be distributed to ASRA members.  (Distribution will be to current and former ASRA members in proportion to the amounts they have paid for subscriptions in the previous 5 years).
 
8.5. The funds of the association shall be managed in accordance with the financial regulations of the association.
 
9. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The first Annual General Meeting of the Association was held in March 1997 and, for the time being, each subsequent Annual general Meeting will be held within 13 months of the previous one. The Annual General Meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Association’s Standing Orders.
 
10. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Management Committee or by written request to the Secretary from at least 20 named representatives of full and associate members of the Association. An Extraordinary General Meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Association’s Standing Orders.
11. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Amendments to the Constitution may only be made in accordance with the Association’s Standing Orders.