Constitution

1. Name: The name of the organisation is the Council for College and University English, to be known as CCUE.

2. Aims:

1. To represent the concerns and to promote and defend the interests of English in higher education in the United Kingdom.
2. To provide a forum for professional and scholarly debate for higher education teachers of English.
3. To collect and exchange information.
4. To liaise with other bodies, councils, institutions, groups, and governmental departments and offices, on matters relevant to the study of English at all levels of the educational system in Britain and in Europe.

3. Membership: All higher education institutions are eligible for membership which are (a) funded directly through HEFCs and (b) teaching English at least to degree level (whether in departments, boards of study, subject groups, etc.). Membership is open to institutions, not individuals.

4. Subscription: There will be a standard fee per institution, determined by the Annual General Meeting. The subscription year will coincide with the academic year and the subscription will fall due on or before 1 December each year. Departments which do not pay the subscription shall automatically cease to be members.

5. Representation: Member institutions may nominate one voting representative at any business meeting.

6. Structures: There will be an Executive Committee made up of the following officers:

1. Chair
2. Vice-Chair
3. Secretary
4. Assistant Secretary
5. Treasurer
6. Publicity Officer and Press Liaison
7. Newsletter Editor
8. Conference and Meetings Liaison Officer
9. Six other representatives

The responsibilities of the Executive Committee, which may only be modified by the AGM, will include (a) to arrange ordinary meetings and set agenda, (b) to execute business referred to it by ordinary meetings, (c) to call emergency meetings, (d) to be responsible for ongoing business, (e) to speak for English in matters of national, European and international debate.

Officers shall be elected by the AGM for a period of two years and may not serve for more than three consecutive periods of office.

Elections to the Executive Committee shall be conducted at the AGM, the basis of voting to be one vote per institution, cast by the representatives attending the Council, or by their proxies who shall have written authority to vote on their behalf. Institutions unable to send their own representatives to the Council may also make proxy arrangements by written authority.

The ballot shall be conducted by a Returning Officer who shall seek nominations through the Spring Term issue of the Newsletter and receive nominations signed by the nominee, the proposer and the seconder before 17.00 hours on the first day of the conference in which the AGM takes place. The Returning Officer shall list on a voting slip all the names of those properly proposed and circulate them to representatives, who will mark a cross beside the names of candidates up to the number of places available. The candidates up to that number who receive the most votes shall be deemed elected.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint officers in the event of resignation or other emergencies between AGMs.

The Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt not more than six additional members for a non-renewable period which shall normally be two years and not more than four.

Members of the Executive Committee may be dismissed at any time by a vote of no confidence passed by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.

7. Meetings:

1. The Executive Committee shall hold meetings as and when required.
2. The Chair shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the membership and shall deliver an annual report orally and in writing.
3. There shall be at least two general meetings as follows:
   1. Two meetings which will perform two functions, (a) to monitor and advise the Executive Committee and (b) to discuss issues of current interest. Representatives will be involved in the first function but the second function will be open. The AGM will coincide with one of these meetings.
   2. Where possible, an academic and scholarly conference open to all members of constituent institutions (this may or may not include a business meeting).

8. Accounts: The Treasurer shall present to the Council's AGM an independently- examined account of the financial transactions carried out in the Council's name.

9. Extraordinary General Meeting: Any representative may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Council on obtaining the written support of at least ten representatives. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened at a mutually convenient location and time within six weeks of the Chair's receipt of the request.

10. Changes to the Constitution: Changes to the constitution may be made by a two-thirds majority of those present at any AGM, provided the proposed changes have been circulated to representatives at least six weeks beforehand.

11. Dissolution: The Council may be dissolved by a three-quarters majority decision of a General Meeting, provided that three months' notice of the resolution concerned has been given. In the event of the dissolution of the Council, any residual monies shall be used at the discretion of the Executive Committee in furtherance of the aims of the Council or disbursed to the member departments in proportion to their contributions in the previous two years.

• First agreed: 3 November 1993
• Last updated 12 June 2002
• Clause 6 revised by agreement of the AGM 1 May 1998 and 26 April 2002