The SCUDD Constitution

1. Name:
The name of the organisation is the Standing Conference of University Drama Departments, to be known as SCUDD.
2. Aims:
The Conference is the representative body for higher education departments (the term to include boards of study, subject groups etc.) teaching and/or researching in Drama, Theatre and related studies in the United Kingdom. Its aims are:
i. To represent the concerns and defend the interests of the subject domain in higher education in the United Kingdom.
ii. To provide a forum for professional and scholarly debate for higher education teachers and researchers of the subject domain, and to promote and disseminate good practice within the domain.
iii. To collect and exchange information.
iv. To liaise with other bodies, councils, institutions, groups and governmental departments and offices on matters relevant to the study of the subject domain at all levels of the educational system in the UK and internationally.
3. Membership:
All higher education units, with a demonstrable community of interest, are eligible for full membership which are teaching and/or reasearching in the subject domain at least to degree level (whether in departments, boards of study, subject groups etc.) are eligible for full membership Membership is open to units, not individuals, except that an individual who has given distinguished service to the Standing Conference may be offered honorary life membership in his or her own right. Notification of withdrawal from membership should be given in writing to the Chair.
Related bodies and institutions which fall outside the specified criteria for full membership may be granted honorary membership if it is deemed to be of mutual advantage. Such Honorary members will have the right to participate in the sharing of information and to attend and contribute to meetings, but will not be accorded voting rights and will pay no subscription.
4. Subscription:
Membership will be dependent on payment of the appropriate level of annual subscription.
Subscription for all member units will be set at the standard rate (Band A), unless a unit can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Executive that they fulfil the criteria for reduced subscription (Band B.)

Exceptionally small units can make a case for a reduced subscription to the Executive. The Executive will have the power to make decisions on an individual basis in such cases in exceptional circumstances between AGM meetings and will report any such decisions anonymously to the next AGM.

Indicative criteria used by Officers for making such decisions will be published in advance and the listing of those member units qualifying for Band B subscription will form a regular part of the business of the AGM.
Example of Possible Criteria for Band B: FTE staff numbering fewer than X AND an average FTE student intake of fewer than Y.
The AGM will normally be the only forum for making changes to the criteria; however, the Executive will have the power to make decisions outwith the established criteria in exceptional circumstances between AGM meetings, having once notified the membership and allowed appropriate time for response, eg. Through an initial notice on the maillist.
Levels of subscription rates (Bands A and B) will be determined annually at the AGM. The subscription year will coincide with the academic year commencing 1 September and the subscription will fall due on or before 1 December each year. Full member institutions which do not pay the subscription within six months may have their membership suspended.
5. Representation:
Full-member units may nominate one voting representative at any business meeting. Meetings will be deemed quorate provided at least one third of the total voting membership is present, except under the particular conditions set out below under 6 and 10.

In the event of a meeting being inquorate, the executive will post a list recommendations from the meeting as soon as possible afterwards for consideration by the membership. An electronic vote will allow such recommendations to be agreed as decisions by a simple majority of the total voting membership (except on items set out under 6 and 10 below).


6. Structures:
There will be an Executive made up of the following officers:
i. Chair
ii. Vice-Chair
iii. Secretary
iv. Treasurer
v. Two further executive officers

The responsibilities of the Executive, which may only be modified by the AGM, will include
(a) the arrangement of ordinary meetings and the setting of agenda,
(b) the execution of business referred to it by ordinary meetings (including the provision to appoint individual members or sub-groups of members to carry forward specific items of business as deemed appropriate at those meetings),
(c) the calling of emergency meetings,
(d) responsibility for ongoing business and
(e) speaking for the subject domain in matters of national and international debate.
The Executive shall have the power of co-option to a limit of two members at any one time.
Elections to the Executive:
Officers shall be elected for a period of three years. Elections are run by the outgoing Executive. Any member of the Executive standing for another term is replaced, for the purpose of the election, by a co-opted member.
Elections to the Executive shall take the form of a ballot, and shall be based on one vote per full member unit, cast by that unit’s representative.
Key Dates – applicable to relevant years.
November GM – the Chair reminds membership of the upcoming election of new officers. Elections are, wherever possible, staggered, in order to retain some element of continuity from term to term. e.g. by rotation of two officers per year
November – January – the membership nominate individuals to fill the posts available. All nominations to be accompanied by the names of two SCUDD members in good standing. The Secretary, before publishing any names of nominated individuals will make enquiries to verify that nominees are aware of their nomination.
Beginning February – the list of nominees is published on the website along with a statement of intent from the nominees, allowing those less well known to members to give something of their backgrounds and reasons for applying for the positions.
Mid February – the voting period begins. There is a two-week period during which votes may be cast electronically. In order to prevent confusion/double voting, more than one vote from any IP Address will be filtered out.
End February – the voting period ends. Votes are counted and the candidates informed privately of the results, before they are posted on the website.
Easter AGM – the outgoing Executive presents the following year’s Executive formally to the membership. The new Executive takes office directly following the AGM.
Associated Regulations
i . No member of the Executive may serve more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity.
ii . In the event that, for any reason, it becomes impossible to complete the election of an Officer, the incoming Executive is empowered to repeat the Election process, which must should normally be completed within eight weeks of the AGM.
iii . The Executive shall have the power to appoint officers in the event of resignation or other emergencies between AGMs.
iv . Members of the Executive may be dismissed at any time by a vote of no confidence passed by a simple majority vote of the full membership.
7. Meetings:
a) The Executive shall hold meetings as and when required.
b) The Chair shall convene at least two General Meetings of the membership per year. General Meetings shall be open to any number of persons from a member institution, but only one designated representative may vote. The two General Meetings will comprise:
i). A business meeting which will perform two functions, a) to monitor and advise the Executive and b) to discuss issues of current interest.
ii). An AGM which will normally coincide with an academic conference.
c) Any representative may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Conference on obtaining the written support of at least ten other representatives. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall normally be convened at a mutually convenient location and time within six weeks of the Chair’s receipt of the request.
All meetings will be minuted by the Secretary or his/her nominee, and minutes distributed to the full membership.
8. Accounts:
The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will be signatories to payments. No reimbursement or payment made to a member of the executive should be counter-signed by that officer. The Treasurer shall present to the AGM an independently-examined account of the financial transactions carried out in the Conference’s name for each year ending 31 September.
9. Changes to the Constitution:
Changes to the Constitution may be made by a two-thirds majority of the voting members present at any quorate General Meeting, provided the proposed changes have been circulated to representatives at least six weeks beforehand.
10. Dissolution:
The Conference may be dissolved by a three-quarters majority decision of a General Meeting, provided that three months’ notice of the resolution has been given. In the event of the dissolution of the Conference, any residual monies shall be used at the discretion of the Executive in furtherance of the aims of the Conference or disbursed to the member institutions in proportion to their contributions in the previous two years.
March 2002, amended April 2003 and April 2007