THE CONSTITUTION SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION

What is the Union Constitution?

The constitution is the ‘rule book’ by which the Union operates. It sets out how the Union operates, how decisions are made and the procedures, which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to students. Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the Union to choose.

MMUnion's Constitution is broken into two main parts. The articles set out the basic rules governing the Union's business whilst the more detailed procedures and codes of practice are provided in the supporting byelaws.
 

Contents of the Constitution

Article 1-4 of the constitution commit the Union to exercising all its powers and duties in accordance with the law and this constitution in pursuit of the Union's mission and Charitable Objects.
 
Articles 5-35 of the constitution explain the rights of students and how the key parts of the Union governance structures operate.

 
When did it come into force?

There is a legal requirement for the Union to review its constitution every five years.  Recent changes in Charity law provided an opportunity for MMUnion to review its governance arrangements more fully.

The latest constitution was approved in November 2008, following an 18-month review process. The new articles and associated byelaws were developed through a process of consultation with Students, Union Councillors, and Senior Managers of the University, the Union Executive, Union Staff and other Students’ Unions. 

Whilst the Union is independent of the University, the University maintains a keen interest in the Students’ Union and under the Education Act 1994 any changes to or rescission of the current constitution must be approved by the University Board of Governors before coming into effect.

The constitution has been formally approved by the Union and in November 2008 the new constitution was formally approved by the University Board of Governors. The Union is currently operating interim procedures before implementing the constitution fully in June 2009.
 

Questions?

Copies of the articles and supporting byelaws are available to download below. If you have any questions about the constitution, please contact the Students’ Union President on s.u.president@mmu.ac.uk