AN INTRODUCTION TO SOAW
3. Contact Information
If you have any further questions or would like more details about SOAW please contact one of the following Executive members:
113 ADDENDUM 2
This is the amended constitution, as of 7 April 2006
The Draft Constitution of the SUSA University Women's Academic Solidarity Association (SOAW) 1. Name
The organisation shall be officially known as the Women's Academic Solidarity Association (SOAW) and shall be an associate of SUSA University (RU).
Body Corporate The organisation shall:
• Exist in its own right, separately from its members
• Continue to exist when its membership changes and there are different office bearers
• Be able to sue and be sued in its own name 2. Aims and Objectives
2.1 The Association’s main objectives are to provide academic, intellectual and professional support to developing women senior students and academic staff at SUSA University, Grahamstown, with special emphasis on previously disadvantaged women.
2.2 The Association’s secondary objectives will be to assist members in the following areas:
• Writing and publication
• To complete post-graduate degrees (Honours, Masters, Ph.D.)
• To achieve promotion within their fields
• To attend conferences and do presentations in their respective fields
• To work in collaboration with other like-minded organisations to promote women’s development in the Higher Education Sector
3. Membership
3.1 Membership shall be open to all women academics, students and researchers based at SUSA University who identify with the aims and objectives of the Association.
3.2 Membership shall be granted by the Executive Committee and ratified at meetings of the general body.
3.3 The Association will seek to work in collaboration with other like-minded organisations to promote women’s development in the Higher Education Sector.
3.4 The Association will seek to address gender issues affecting its members, and women and girls in all communities, in all spheres.
4. Aims
114 To achieve these objectives, SOAW aims:
• To improve the qualifications of the group members by:
1. encouraging members to register for postgraduate degrees and diplomas, and disseminating relevant scholarship and bursary information;
1. To provide support and resources to enhance the publication profile of members by:
2. discussing each other's research material with the intention of improving both writing and presentation skills,
3. establishing networks with the key role-players in the publication review process;
4. identifying and accessing sources of funding to facilitate research activities, and 5. encouraging group members to attend and present papers at local and international
conferences
• To provide developmental opportunities for our members by:
1. identifying potential academic mentors in the appropriate fields,
2. inviting academic women role models to address the group on pertinent issues, 3. disseminating relevant information regarding training programmes, vacancies, etc, 4. providing efficient career-path guidance for our members, and
5. creating links with active women's organizations with similar goals;
6. To create a social support network.
4. The Executive Committee
The executive committee is the main decision-making body of SOAW and shall consist of the following officers:
1. Chairperson
2. Deputy Chairperson 3. Secretary
4. Assistant Secretary 5. Treasurer
6. Ex officio (Mentoring Groups) 7. Ex officio (SEWSA)
5. Duties of the Executive Committee
5.1 The Executive Committee shall oversee the activities of the organisation.
5.2 The Executive Committee must have an annual audit and financial report to the membership and the university.
115 5.3 The Executive Committee must liaise with the relevant university offices for assistance in the
organisation of SOAW activities.
5.4. The Executive Committee shall co-opt ad-hoc portfolios if deemed necessary.
A) Chairperson:
Shall preside over both the general and the executive committee meeting and shall be the overall spokesperson for SOAW in consultation with the executive body.
B) Deputy Chairperson:
Shall assist the Chairperson in all official deliberations; shall assume the duties of the Chair in the absence or upon the request of the Chairperson; shall be assigned special duties by the Executive Committee.
C) Secretary:
Shall, in consultation with the executive body, prepare agenda for all general and executive body meetings; shall take minutes at both general and executive body meetings; shall be responsible for the general correspondence of SOAW.
D) Assistant Secretary:
Shall assist the Secretary to prepare agenda for all general and executive body meetings; shall take minutes at both general and executive body meetings; shall be responsible for the general
correspondence of SOAW; shall assume the duties of the Secretary in the absence or upon request of the Secretary.
E) Treasurer:
Shall be responsible for collecting all dues; shall be responsible for the fund-raising activities; shall present bi-annual financial statements to the Association.
F) Ex officio (Mentoring Groups, South Eastern Workshop on Southern Africa (SEWSA) :
Shall coordinate the activities of the Mentoring Groups and the SEWSA as shall be determined with the Executive Committee
Shall be recruited by the Executive Committee on an ad hoc basis to assume overall responsibility for specific projects, initiatives or functions.
6. General Meetings and Quorums:
1. A membership meeting shall be held at least once every academic term.
2. Emergency meetings shall be called by at least two of the Executive Committee members upon request of any member of the Executive Committee or of the membership.
3. A general meeting shall be held twice a year to address official issues and business relating to the association.
4. One third of the members of the membership shall constitute a quorum of any membership meeting.
116 5. The choosing of officers of the Executive Committee by the membership shall be done through
secret balloting at a general membership meeting every academic semester.
6. All nominees for office should be present at time of election but, with prior arrangement, may be elected by proxy.
7. Meetings and procedures of the Executive Committee
1. The Executive Committee shall hold office for one semester.
2. The Executive Committee must hold at least one meeting per month during the academic term.
3. Executive committee meetings shall be called by the Chairperson or, in her absence, by the Vice-Chairperson or Secretary.
4. Four officers of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at any Executive Committee meeting.
5. The chairperson, or two members of the Committee, can call a special meeting if other members of the Committee are informed not less than 14 days before it is due to take place.
Members also need to be informed of the issues that will be discussed at such a special meeting when the meeting is called.
6. The Executive Body can appoint someone to a vacant office until the next General Meeting. If a new Executive Committee members is to be appointed, then other members should be given 21 days notice. Elections must be held at the next general meeting of the Association.
8. Financial Transactions
1. All financial transactions shall be signed by two of the three (3) Executive Committee members whose signatures are filed with SUSA University. In the event a check is written to one of the three signatories, then one of the two remaining must sign.
9.Constitutional Amendment
1. The constitution may be amended upon petition by a member and on approval by a simple majority vote of the membership.
10. Dissolution
1. In the event of the associations dissolution the remaining funds will be handed over to a like- minded organisation.
11. Fees
• 1. The Association may seek membership fees from all members.
• 2 .These membership fees should be on a sliding scale to ensure equity of contribution from members.
• 3. Additional fees for associate members, supporters or other institutional structures may be sought.
117 ADDENDUM 3
TO: