Oxford History SocietyUniversity of Oxford

Governance

Constitution

The Oxford History Society is a registered student society of the University of Oxford. Our constitution is published here in full, as required by the University's regulations.

In force from the beginning of Michaelmas Full Term 2017 (amended in Hilary Term 2020 with effect from Michaelmas Full Term 2020, and in Hilary Term 2023 with effect from Michaelmas Full Term 2023).

Name and Objects

The Club is called the Oxford History Society (hereafter referred to as “the Club”). The Club’s objects are the support, development, improvement and promotion of history in the University of Oxford insofar as such objects are charitable; and the income and property of the Club shall be applied solely to those objects.

Compliance

The Club shall be administered in accordance with the University’s Regulations for the Activities and Conduct of Student Members.

The activities of the Club will at all times be conducted in accordance with the University’s procedures, codes of practice and policies in force from time to time on equality, harassment, freedom of speech and safeguarding (which are available via the University Student Handbook on the University’s webpages), and the Club’s Code of Conduct.

If there is a national governing body for the Club’s activities with which the Club is eligible to register, the Club shall effect and maintain such registration: purchase any insurance cover which the national body makes available (unless the Insurance Section of University Administration and Services agrees to or prescribes other arrangements); and make every effort to comply with all safety procedures which the national body prescribes, or recommends as good practice. If there is no such national governing body, or if the national governing body does not make insurance available, the Club must obtain alternative insurance as agreed by the Insurance Section of University Administration and Services.

The Club shall maintain and observe the Club’s Safety Policy, ensure compliance with the Policy by the members of the Club, and follow an appropriate procedure for risk assessment. Both the Safety Policy and the procedure for risk assessment must be acceptable to and approved by the University’s Safety Office.

No member of the Club shall participate in any activity overseas organised by the Club, whether during term-time or vacation, unless the plans for such activity have been notified at least one calendar month in advance of the date of departure from the United Kingdom to the University’s Safety Office or the University Marshal and approved by the Proctors. Each member participating in such activities overseas shall observe any conditions imposed by the Proctors on the recommendation of the University’s Safety Officer or the University Marshal.

The Club shall maintain a dedicated website and shall supply details of its web address to the Clubs Office for listing on the University’s clubs and societies webpage. The Club may apply to the University’s IT Services to use information technology (‘IT’) facilities in the name of the Club. Where relevant facilities are allocated by IT Services it is the responsibility of the Club:

  • to designate a member of the Club entitled to a University email account (as defined by IT Services rules) to act as its IT Officer, whose duties shall include liaising with IT Services about the use of facilities allocated and passing on to the successor in office all records relating to the use of the facilities allocated;
  • to designate one of its members (who may be, but need not necessarily be, the same as its IT Officer) or, exceptionally, a member of Congregation, to act as its principal Webmaster, whose duties shall include maintaining an awareness of the University guidelines on web and social media publishing, and coordinating and regulating access to the web facilities used by the Club;
  • to comply with regulations and guidelines relating to the use of IT facilities published from time to time by IT Services;
  • to ensure that everyone responsible under (i)-(iii) is competent to deal with the requirements, where necessary undertaking training under the guidance of IT Services.

Membership

The members of the Club shall be those who are eligible and apply for membership of the Club, who are admitted to and maintained in membership by the Committee, and who have paid the relevant Club subscription.

Subject to paragraph 5, all student members of the University, and all persons whose names are on the University’s Register of Visiting Students, shall be eligible to become members of the Club. A member shall continue to be eligible until given permission to supplicate for a degree, diploma or certificate, regardless of any continuing liability to pay fees to the University.

If the Club’s objects relate directly to a protected characteristic as defined in section 4 of the Equality Act 2010, the Club may be entitled to restrict membership to members sharing that protected characteristic, provided that the Proctors shall first approve any such restriction.

The Committee may also, at its discretion, admit to membership:

  • students registered to read for diplomas and certificates in the University;
  • student members of Permanent Private Halls who are not student members of the University;
  • members of Ruskin College and Ripon College, Cuddesdon;
  • members of Oxford Brookes University, provided that such members shall not constitute more than one-fifth of the total membership; and
  • other persons not falling within the paragraphs above, provided that such members shall not constitute more than one-fifth of the total membership.

The Committee, having specific regard to the Senior Member’s advice in relation to the relevant matter, may remove a person from membership if removal of such person from membership is deemed to be in the best interests of the Club. If the person concerned is an Oxford University student, that person has a right to ask the Proctors to review the Committee’s decision.

Meetings of the Members

There shall be an Annual General Meeting for all the members of the Club in Hilary Full Term, convened by the Secretary on not less than fourteen days’ notice.

The Annual General Meeting will:

  • receive the annual report of the Committee for the previous year and the annual accounts of the Club for the previous year, the report and accounts having been approved by the Committee;
  • receive a report from the Committee on the Club’s compliance with the Compliance paragraph above;
  • receive a report from the Committee on the number of complaints received, if applicable, the category of such complaints (e.g. harassment, funding disputes or service issues), and any Committee recommendations arising from them;
  • elect Members of the Committee: the Committee’s nominations for the Officers and the Senior Member shall be contained in the notice of the Meeting; any alternative nominations must be seconded and have the consent of the nominee, and must be received in writing by the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the Meeting; nominations for the other Committee Members may be taken from the floor of the meeting;
  • consider any motions of which due notice has been given, and any other relevant business.

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called in any Full Term; by the President, the Secretary or the Treasurer on not less than seven days’ notice; or on a written requisition by seven or more members, stating the reason for which the meeting is to be called, and delivered to the Secretary not less than fourteen days before the date of the Meeting.

Prior to all General Meetings notice of the agenda shall be sent out with the notice of the Meeting.

The quorum for a General Meeting shall be ten members present in person or by proxy, of whom three must be members of the Committee. When any financial business is to be transacted there must be present the Treasurer, or a member of the Committee deputed by the Treasurer to represent the Treasurer’s views to the Meeting.

Every matter, except where this Constitution provides otherwise, shall be determined by a majority of members present and voting. In the case of equal votes, the President of the Club shall have a casting vote.

Minutes of all meetings shall be kept and formally adopted. Copies of the minutes and the Committee’s reports shall be made available to members and, upon request, to the Proctors.

The Committee

The affairs of the Club shall be administered by a Committee consisting of not more than eight persons, which shall determine the subscriptions payable by the members of the Club, and have ultimate responsibility for the activities of the Club. Members of the University shall at all times make up the majority of the members of the Committee. The Committee shall consider the diversity of the Club and the benefits of increased representation for minority groups in its operations, including in the structuring of the Committee. The Committee shall have control of the funds and property of the Club, and of its administration.

No member of the Committee (or the Club) shall enter into or purport to enter into any arrangement, contract or transaction on behalf of the Club with a value exceeding £1,000 unless the Committee has resolved to approve the relevant arrangement, contract or transaction at a Committee meeting.

The quorum for a Committee meeting shall be four members present in person. When any financial business is to be transacted, there must be present either the Treasurer or a member of the Committee deputed by the Treasurer to represent the Treasurer’s views to the meeting.

The Committee shall be made up of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer (together, the “Office Holders”), the Senior Member and two other persons. The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall each be either an eligible member of the Club or (with the approval of the Proctors) a member of Congregation.

The President shall have the right to preside at all meetings of the members of the Club and at all meetings of the Committee. Should the President be absent, or decline to take the chair, the Committee shall elect another member of the Committee to chair the meeting.

Minutes of all meetings, including Committee meetings, shall be kept and formally adopted. Copies of the minutes shall be made available to members and, upon request, to the Proctors.

The Secretary shall: maintain a register of the members of the Club; give notice of meetings of the members and the Committee; draw up the agendas for and minutes of those meetings; notify the Proctors promptly following the appointment and resignation or removal of Office Holders and other members of the Committee; take responsibility for the operation and updating of the Club’s website displaying (as a minimum) information about the Committee, the Club’s Constitution, Code of Conduct, Complaint Procedure and any safety procedures approved by the University’s Safety Office; provide the Insurance Section with full details of any insurance cover purchased; and inform the Proctors if the Club ceases to operate or is to be dissolved.

The Treasurer shall: keep proper records of the Club’s financial transactions; develop and implement control procedures to minimise the risk of financial exposure; ensure that bills are paid and cash is banked; prepare an annual budget and regularly inform the Committee of progress against it; ensure that all statutory returns are made; seek advice as necessary on tax matters; maintain a manual of written procedures; make all records available on request to the Senior Member, the Proctors and Internal Audit; forward the annual accounts to the Proctors at the end of week 9 of Trinity Term; and, if the Club’s turnover exceeds £25,000, submit its accounts for independent professional inspection.

The Senior Member shall: keep abreast of the actions and activities of the Club; provide information relating to the Club to the Proctors on request; seek to settle any preliminary disputes between the Committee and the members; support the Club’s Welfare Officer in their role to seek to prevent incidents of harassment and support those involved in such incidents; consider whether the accounts of the Club are in order and, if so, sign them; ensure that adequate advice and assistance is available to the Secretary and the Treasurer; and be available to represent and speak for the Club before the University authorities.

The members of the Committee shall be elected by the members of the Club annually, and shall be eligible for re-election. No individual may hold more than one Office at a time. The members of the Club shall appoint a member of Congregation as the Senior Member when electing other members of the Committee each year, provided that a Senior Member who has previously held office for more than five consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-appointment. The Senior Member shall be a member of the Committee ex officio.

If during the period between annual elections any vacancies occur amongst the members of Committee, the Committee shall have the power of filling the vacancy up to the next Annual General Meeting by co-optation.

Each Office Holder must, at the end of any term of Office, promptly hand to the relevant successor all official documents and records belonging to the Club, and complete any requirements to transfer authority relating to control of the Club’s financial affairs.

The Committee may delegate its functions to subcommittees made up exclusively of members of the Committee. The Committee shall have power to make regulations and by-laws in order to implement this Constitution.

No member of the Committee shall be removed from office except by a majority vote of a disciplinary committee of three members of the Club who are not members of the Committee, appointed by the Senior Member for that purpose and acting in consultation with the Senior Member (or the Proctors if the member to be removed is the Senior Member or if the Senior Member is otherwise conflicted).

Indemnity

So far as may be permitted by law, every member of the Committee and every officer of the Club shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the Club’s assets against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred in the execution or discharge of their duties. So far as may be permitted by law, the Club may purchase and maintain insurance cover for the benefit of any such officer.

Dissolution

The Club may be dissolved at any time by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting. The Club may also be dissolved by means of not less than thirty days’ notice from the Proctors to the Secretary if the Club ceases to be registered with the Proctors. In the event of the Club being dissolved, its assets shall not be distributed amongst the members, but shall be paid to or at the direction of the University.

Changes to the Constitution

In accordance with University regulations, if the Club wishes to remain a registered University Club, the Club must seek approval in writing from the Proctors for any changes to this Constitution that deviate from the University’s Standard Non-Sports Club Constitution, as amended from time to time. Such approval will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Changes to this Constitution must be ratified at a General Meeting with the approval of two-thirds of present, eligible and voting members. As such the University recommends that the Proctors’ approval is sought prior to seeking to change the Constitution at a General Meeting.

Interpretation

Any question about the interpretation of this Constitution shall be settled by the Proctors. This Constitution shall be binding on all members of the Club. No regulation, by-law or policy of the Club shall be inconsistent with, or shall affect or repeal anything contained in, this Constitution.