Rule Book
Memorandum & Articles of Association (the core constitution)
The students' union is independent of the College and is constituted as a charitable company limited by guarantee. The main governing document is the Memorandum & Articles of Association, which came into force on 1 August 2008 (and have been amended thrice since).
Amendments to the Memorandum or Articles of Association require the approval of a 75% majority vote of the members at a general meeting and ratification by the Governors of Birkbeck, University of London. Any ordinary member and any committee can propose amendments.
Download the Memorandum & Articles of Association (in force)
The amendments approve by the EGM in November 2011 are coming into force over the remaining months of this financial year.
Both documents should be read together and if you wish further clarification, please email Rob
Bye-Laws
The Articles of Association make provision for "bye-laws", which are subordinate to the Memorandum & Articles of Association, and are mainly concerned with aspects of governance, committee memberships, powers of officers and detail how regulations (procedures or procedural policy) are made.
Download the full set of Bye-Laws
100 - The Bye-Laws (rules governing Bye-Law amendment, creation and deletion)
200 - Standing Orders for General Meetings (including the terms of reference for the Business Committee)
300 - Membership Regulations
400 - Election Regulations (including the terms of reference for the Nominations Committee)
500 - Job Descriptions for Paid Officers (including accountability of paid officers)
600 - Standing Orders of the Representatives' Council (including officer portfolios, Liberation groups and committees)
700 - Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee
800 - Clubs & Societies Regulations
900 - Diversity & Equal Opportunities
1000 - Disputes & Complaints (including the D&C Committee)
1100 - Employment Regulations (including the Staff Protocol)
1200 - Management of Resources Regulations (including terms of reference for the Finance & Resources Committee and the Audit Committee)
1300 - Referendums
1400 - External Representation
1500 - Interpretation of Rules & Regulations
1600 - Register of Interests
1700 - College Representation (including appointments to College Committees)
1800 - Health & Safety
1900 - Freedom of Information and Data Protection Regulations
2000 - Lamp & Owl Regulations (including its Code of Practice)
2100 - Memorandum of Understanding with the College (including the Financial Memorandum and the Codes of Practice under the Education (No.2) Act 1986 and Part II of the Education Act 1994)
Regulations & Administrative Policies
Regulations (which are sometimes styled and called policies) are approved by committees, the Council, the Trustees or officers by delegated authority under the Bye-Laws. Regulations are procedures that must be observed and followed (for the area that they are regulating). For example, financial administration is governed by the Financial Regulations and election campaigning by the Polling Regulations. Regulations must not be repugnant to Bye-Laws or the Memorandum & Articles of Association.
Trustees Code of Conduct
Polling Regulations for Elections
Financial Regulations
Clubs & Societies Regulations
Clubs & Societies Model Constitution (appendix to C+S Regulations
External Speakers Policy
Subsidy Policy for Recognised Clubs & Societies
Colours Policy
Exclusion of Persons from the Bar
Bar Door Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Safeguarding Policy
Safeguarding Policy - Annexe
Recognition Agreement with UNISON
Bar Management Agreement (BBK and ULU)
Complaints Procedures & Disciplinary Regulations
Standing Orders - Liberation Committees
Fairtrade Policy (Co-agreed with College)
Political Policy & Statements of Intent
In common with many students' unions, at Birkbeck, the students' union is a procedure for student representatives and students as a whole to come to a collective opinion about a policy area. For example, a policy stating the position the students' union takes on tuition fees, access to education for women, disablism in the workplace, appropriate entertainments and childcare.
Policy or statements of intent that are "long term" (i.e. are not fulfilled by a simple action soon after its approval) are kept in a library called the Policy Book. The Policy Book is "live" for three years, after which time, the policies made more than three years before are put to the Council - and the Council will agree to lapse these policies or agree to keep them for a further three years.
Policy is usually made in the vast majority of cases by the Council, or by one of its committees. The Executive Committee (which may act to make policy on behalf of Council in some instances), is responsible for implementing all policies, or for ensuring that liberation policy and other autonomous policies are being furthered (even those which the Executive may not necessarily agree!).
Policies made by General Meetings will supercede policies made by Council, but will follow the same lapse procedures. However, policies made by Referendum of all students can only be overturned by a further referendum - which for non-affiliation policies, may only be held on the same policy area every two years.