Regulations for Student Associations no. (12 ) for the year 2019
Issued in accordance to article (36) of the Amended Jordanian University’s Law no. (18) for the year 2019
Article (1):
These regulations shall be titled: “AUM Regulations for Student Associations no (12) for the year 2019” and shall be effective as of its date of approval by the university council.
Article (2):
Unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms and expressions, whenever mentioned herein, shall have the herein under designated meanings:
University: The American University of Madaba
Council: The University Council
President: The University’s President
Faculty: A Faculty within the university
Dean: The Dean of a Faculty
Student Association: The student association which is made up of elected students representing the students of their respective faculties
Committee: The Elections Committee which is formed under the regulations herein
Student: A student who is officially registered in a faculty
Article (3):
A student association may be established in each faculty by a decision by the university’s President based on the recommendation of the faculty’s Dean, for the duration of one academic year.
Article (4):
The following are the objectives of a student association:
a. Develop the academic, intellectual and social aspects of students’ lives in addition to extracurricular activities
b. Reinforce the relationship between students and the university’s academic and administrative staff members
c. Reinforce channels of communication between students, Deans and Department Heads
d. Enable students to voice their needs and opinions with the university’s administration, Deans and Department Heads
e. Contribute both effectively and positively in achieving the university’s goals that are directed towards serving the community
f. Represent students within the university and adopt their issues and grievances with the aim of achieving student interests in accordance to the university’s goals and regulations
g. cooperate with the university in providing aid and assistance to students in need
h. Develop and encourage democratic practices, dialogue and respect for the opinions of other people
i. Develop in students the spirit of leadership, innovation and creativity
Article (5):
Student association activities shall not include any controversial activities that evoke political, factious, sectarian, regional, national, or racial sensitivities.
Article (6):
A student association with each faculty shall comprise five members elected by the faculty’s students through a secret ballot during the fifth week of each academic year.
Article (7):
The following are the conditions for students who wish to nominate him/her for membership in a student association:
a. The candidate shall have a minimum cumulative average of 60%
b. The candidate shall have at least two academic semesters remaining before graduation
c. The candidate shall have been a student at the university for at least two academic semesters
d. The candidate’s record shall be free of any disciplinarian penalties that are in effect at the time of his/her nomination
Article (8):
a. The President shall form, at the beginning of each academic year, a committee to supervise the election process and this committee shall be headed by the Dean of Student Affairs and include four university staff members. The duties of this committee shall include determining a specific date, reviewing nomination applications, supervising election campaigns, vote counting, announcing election results and reviewing vote objections.
b. The voting period shall be one day and the election shall be considered valid if at least 51% of the faculty’s student body cast their votes in the election. If this quorum is not met, the elections committee may decide on a suitable extension period that does not exceed one hour, after which the election results become valid notwithstanding the number of voting students.
Article (9):
a. At least one month prior to the elections, the elections committee shall announce a 3-day nomination application period, during which eligible candidates are to submit their applications.
b. Applications are reviewed by the committee and the list of candidates is announced in faculties, on the university’s website and through the social media, at the most, one week after the end of the nomination application period.
c. The elections committee shall announce the period for election campaigns for an insurance fee of JOD 50. All election campaigns shall end one day prior to elections day. Candidates may use flyers and stickers on bulletin and announcement boards only. Any remaining campaign materials shall be removed by a specialized department and a fine shall be imposed on the violating candidate.
d. The elections committee shall form a sub-committee in each faculty to supervise the election and vote counting processes. Each sub- committee shall comprise a head who is appointed by the faculty’s Dean and two members from the university staff. Designated election halls shall be announced in each faculty.
e. The voting process shall begin at 8:30 AM in the presence of candidate representatives. Polls end at exactly 2:30 PM. Each candidate has the right to assign a representative to oversee the election and vote counting processes.
f. The elections committee shall provide each candidate and representative with a special identification badge.
g. University security personnel shall be responsible for all security measures pertaining to the election process under the supervision of the elections committee.
h. Each student has the right to cast his/her vote after presenting their student ID for verification with the committee’s voter list, and providing their signatures after voting.
i. The head of each elections committee in any faculty shall have the right to request an extension period, if the quorum is not met and the number of voters does not exceed 50% of the total faculty student body. After this extension period, election results become valid notwithstanding the number of voting students.
j. Vote counting shall commence after the end of voting process and after the number of paper in the ballot boxes have been matched to the number of students on the voters’ list. A voting paper shall be considered invalid if it contains any sign, mark or symbol indicating the identity of a voter.
k. Candidates with the highest number of votes become members of the student association, and in the event that two or more students receive an equal number of votes, one winner shall be determined through the drawing of a lot.
l. If the number of student candidates equals the number of allotted seats, these candidates win uncontested.
m. The vote counting process shall be completed on the same day of the elections.
n. All documents related to the elections shall be kept signed and sealed at the Deanship of student affairs for a period of two years prior to their destruction.
o. The head of the elections committee shall announce the final results for all faculties after the completion of the vote counting process.
p. The student association becomes active after receiving an official letter signed by the university’s President, after the end of the objection period.
Article (10):
a. In its first meeting, and by a secret ballot, the student association shall elect from its members a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, in the presence of the Faculty Dean or his/her deputy.
b. Each student association in its faculty shall be responsible for its administrative, financial, and organizational matters. The following areas shall also fall under its jurisdiction:
1. Adopt all necessary measures to achieve the objectives of the student association.
2. Form student committees to supervise student activities.
3. Present the faculty’s Dean with an annual work plan which includes all intended student activities and their respective financial costs.
Article (11):
a. A student association shall meet by invitation from its president or secretary in a location specified by the Dean, once each month or as the need arises. These meetings shall be considered valid if they are attended by more than half of the association’s members, including its president and vice president. If the quorum is not met, the meeting shall be postponed for one week after which it shall be considered valid notwithstanding the number of attendees. Decisions shall be made through a majority vote of those present, and in the event of an equal vote, the president shall have the casting vote.
b. All minutes and decisions shall be documented, recorded and kept in a designated location within the faculty, and a copy shall be sent to the Dean of Student Affairs.
c. All decisions made by a student association shall be in accord with the university’s policies, goals and interests, and shall be reported to the faculty’s Dean.
Article (12):
If a student association seat becomes vacant for any reason, the seat is filled by the next student with the largest number of votes in the most recent election. If a replacement is not available, the faculty’s Dean may appoint an eligible substitute for the remainder of the student association’s term.
Article (13):
a. The following are the financial resources of a student association:
1. The university shall provide the association with a sum that equals JOD 1 per semester, for each registered student, and all financial matters shall be settled at the end of each semester.
2. Proceeds from student activities carried out by the student association.
3. Grants and donations approved by the university’s President.
b. A student association’s funds shall be deposited in a trusts account in the university’s Finance Department, and all withdrawals shall be made by the signature of the association’s president, treasurer and secretary.
c. A student association’s funds shall be expended by a decision issued by the student association in a valid meeting.
d. All invoices, purchases and financial matters shall be audited by an auditor assigned for this purpose by the university’s Finance Department.
e. A student association’s expenses shall not exceed the semester’s allotted funds, and the university shall not be responsible for covering any extra expenditures.
Article (14):
Membership in a student association is terminated by the following:
a. A written resignation
b. Loss of eligibility
c. A member is absent from more than 3 consecutive or 5 non-consecutive meetings, without an excuse that is accepted by the student association.
d. Death
e. Transferring from one faculty to another during his/ her membership term.
f. Committing an infringement of the association’s goal and objectives, violating the student code of conduct, or being convicted of a crime or misdemeanor.
Article (15):
A student association is dissolved by a decision by the University Council based on a recommendation by the President, upon which all the association’s funds shall be transferred to the university’s treasury.
Article (16):
The President shall issue all the necessary executive and procedural decisions for the implementation of the provisions of the regulations herein.
Article (17):
The President, Dean, and Dean of Student Affairs shall be entrusted with the implementation of the provisions of the regulations herein.
Article (18):
The President shall be entrusted to make a decision in all cases not covered by the regulations herein.