Statute of the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA)
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STATUTE of the ERASMUS MUNDUS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (EMA)
- June 2009 final version, incorporating the Amendments passed by the 2009 General Assembly -
TITLE I: NAME
ARTICLE 1 NAME
§1 The official name of the organization shall be the “Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association”, hereinafter referred to as “the Association”. The official acronym shall be “EMA”.
TITLE II: VISION AND MISSION
ARTICLE 2 VISION
§ 1 The Association’s vision is to be a place of opportunity, where members can share ideas and expertise by creating an environment conducive to mutually beneficial exchanges between all members. The Association also aims to provide members with the opportunity to contribute back to the Association - and their respective Erasmus Mundus Joint Programme - the personal skills they have acquired through their participation in Erasmus Mundus.
ARTICLE 3 MISSION
§1 The mission of the Association is to serve the interests of Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni, notably by providing a forum for networking, communication and collaboration, and by promoting Erasmus Mundus as a European programme of excellence in international education.
§2 The core values held by the EMA include democracy, equality, transparency and accountability. At the heart of the Association’s mission is the goal of assisting students and alumni to operate within these core values. Motivated by this mission, the EMA strives to enhance member's mobility and to strengthen dialogue on education, policy, employment, and environmental, social, political and economic development.
TITLE III: DEFINITIONS
ARTICLE 4 DEFINITIONS
Alumni - Any individual who has graduated from either an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course or an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Programme.
Country Representative - A student or alumnus nominated by the Association to provide fellow nationals with information about Erasmus Mundus from the perspective of an experienced student or alumnus.
EMA - An abbreviation for the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association.
EMA Chapter - An organization founded by EMA members with an exclusive focus on a certain geographical region and recognised by the EMA as representing the EMA on the regional level. EMA Chapters must be dedicated to networking and promoting Erasmus Mundus within that region.
EM Joint Programme - “Erasmus Mundus Joint Programme”: A joint term referring to both EMMC and EMJD.
EM Joint Programme Representative - Collective term referring to both EMMC Representatives and EMJD Representatives.
EMMC Community - All current students and alumni of an individual EMMC.
EMJD Community - All current students and alumni of an individual EMJD.
EMMC Representative - A student or alumni nominated to represent their EMMC Community to the Association.
EMJD Representative - A student or alumni nominated to represent their EMJD Community to the Association.
EMMC - An abbreviation for “Erasmus Mundus Master Course(s)”.
EMJD - An abbreviation for “Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Programme(s)”.
General Assembly Delegate - An Individual attending the General Assembly, as either as an EM Joint Programme Representative, Service Team Representative, Steering Committee member, or as an EMA Chapter Representative.
General Assembly Observer - Party attending the General Assembly in any capacity, other than as a Delegate described above, including other EMA student or alumni members.
General Assembly - The annual meeting of General Assembly Delegates and Observers.
Liaison Group Meeting - Meeting of selected Service Team Representatives and the Steering Committee, held periodically, and at the discretion of the Steering Committee.
Liaison Group - This term is used as a general reference to all active members of Service Teams.
President - The elected Representative of the EMA responsible for all relations with third parties, Chair of the General Assembly and Head of the Steering Committee.
Prospective Student - Any individual who has been accepted to an EM Joint Programme but not yet commenced the course or programme.
Service Team Representative - Member of a Service Team selected to represent the Service Team at internal events and meetings of the Association, such as the General Assembly, or the Liaison Group Meeting.
Service Team - A group of EMA members, which carry out voluntary work on issues of relevance to the EMA.
Steering Committee - The Steering Committee represents the executive power of the Association. It is comprised of the President, the Vice-President and the Team Coordinators of established Service Teams.
Student - Any individual who is currently enrolled in an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course or Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme leading to the award, upon successful completion of all requirements, of a Masters Degree or Doctorate.
Team Coordinator - The head of each Service Team. Team Coordinators of Service Teams approved by the General Assembly also sit in the EMA Steering Committee.
Vice-President - Member of the Steering Committee with the responsibility of assisting in a variety of Presidential tasks, and who has both the privilege and obligation to temporarily replace the President in the case of his or her absence.
TITLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
ARTICLE 5 MEMBERSHIP
§ 1 The Association offers both individual and collective memberships.
ARTICLE 6 INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP
§ 1 EMA offers four types of individual membership: Alumni, Student, Prospective Student and Honorary Membership.
§ 2 Upon request, any individual currently enrolled as a student in an EM Joint Programme shall be granted Student Membership.
§ 3 Upon request, any alumni of an EM Joint Programme shall be granted Alumni Membership.
§ 4 A Student member automatically becomes an Alumni member, upon the successful graduation from his/her EM Joint Programme.
§ 5 Upon request, any individual who has been accepted into an EM Joint Programme, but who has not yet commenced classes, shall be granted Prospective Student Membership.
§ 6 Prospective Student Membership expires one (1) month after the official starting date of the EM Joint Programme to which the individual has been accepted.
§ 7 Individuals holding a Prospective Student Membership acknowledge that certain content on the Association’s website may not be accessible to them. In particular this includes those services that disclose the potentially sensitive personal data of EMA members with other types of individual membership.
§ 8 The Association holds the right to grant Honorary Membership to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the Association, but who have never been enrolled as an Erasmus Mundus student.
§ 9 Honorary Membership is granted by the Steering Committee by a two-thirds majority decision in favour of the motion.
§ 10 The award of each Honorary Membership must be documented in the Annual Report.
§ 11 Individuals holding Honorary Membership have the same rights and responsibilities as persons holding Student or Alumni Membership.
§ 12 Requests for individual membership may be submitted at any time. Applicants must provide a limited amount of personal information to enable the Association to verify their personal eligibility.
§ 13 Individuals may cancel their membership at any time by following the procedure outlined on the Association’s website.
§ 14 The Association reserves the right to cancel an individual’s membership at any time by a two-thirds majority decision of the Steering Committee, provided indisputable evidence is presented that the individual has grossly violated in speech, or action, the spirit of the Association’s Mission, or has severely damaged the reputation or interests of the Association.
ARTICLE 7 COLLECTIVE MEMBERSHIP
§ 1 The EMA offers Collective Memberships to organizations which can demonstrate an affiliation with the EMA.
§ 2 Collective Membership may be granted to interested organizations upon written request, and a two-thirds majority decision by the Steering Committee, in favour of the motion.
§ 3 Organisations with a Collective Membership may be invited to send representatives to the annual General Assembly.
§ 4 Organizations holding a Collective Membership are granted the same level of access to EMA information as individual members of the Association.
§ 5 Organizations holding a Collective Membership may be invited by the Steering Committee to collaborate with the Association to carry out mutually beneficial projects. Such collaboration may be terminated at any time by the Steering Committee with a simple majority decision.
§ 6 The Association reserves the right to cancel a Collective Membership any time by means of a two-thirds majority decision of the Steering Committee.
TITLE V: STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION
ARTICLE 8 OVERVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS AND POSITIONS
§ 1 The Association shall conduct its affairs by means of the organizational units and associated positions as listed below:
1) The General Assembly – composed of:
a) The Steering Committee members;
b) Selected Service Team Representatives;
c) All designated EM Joint Programme Representatives;
d) EMA Chapter Representatives;
e) Invited representatives of organizations holding Collective Memberships;
f) Invited observers.
2) The Steering Committee – composed of:
a) One President;
b) One Vice-President;
c) Several Team Coordinators.
3) Several Service Teams – each composed of:
a) One Team Coordinator;
b) Several Service Team Members.
4) Community Liaison Networks – consisting of:
a) EM Joint Programme Representatives;
b) The Liaison Group;
c) EMA Chapters;
d) Country Representatives.
ARTICLE 9 TIME PERIOD DEFINITIONS
§ 1 For the purpose of this Statute, “one year” is defined as the time period in between two consecutive General Assemblies, which may be shorter or greater than twelve months, but shall not be less than six months, or longer than 18 months.
TITLE VI: GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ARTICLE 10 COVENING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
§ 1 The General Assembly constitutes the parliamentary power of the Association.
§ 2 The General Assembly convenes annually, Article 9 § 1 applies.
§ 3 The General Assembly shall be called by the Steering Committee, with at least two (2) months prior notice.
§ 4 An extraordinary General Assembly may be called at any time by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Steering Committee, or by a petition of the delegates to the previous GA, indicating at least two-thirds (2/3) support of the motion.
§ 5 The President, in close collaboration with the Steering Committee, is responsible for preparing the agenda for the General Assembly. Contributions to the agenda by the European Commission Directorate for Education and Culture and the Service Provider are most welcome.
§ 6 All members of the Association have the privilege of suggesting items to be put on the agenda of the General Assembly. Such suggestions must be sent in writing to their respective EM Joint Programme Representative at least five (5) weeks prior to the meeting. The EM Joint Programme Representative has the responsibility to consolidate such requests and forward them to the Steering Committee not later than four (4) weeks prior to the meeting. The Steering Committee reserves the right to prioritize individual agenda items.
§ 7 The European Commission Directorate for Education and Culture is invited to co-chair the General Assembly and actively participate in this event, if the Erasmus Mundus Student Seminar is conducted in conjunction with the General Assembly. An exception to this is when a specific agenda item has been flagged by the Steering Committee as to be dealt with by individual EMA members only.
ARTICLE 11 DELEGATE PRIVILEGES AND OBLIGATIONS
§ 1 General Assembly Delegates shall elect the President of the Association, as described in Article 18.
§ 2 The General Assembly is responsible for establishing the general guidelines for the development of the Association on an annual basis, both in response to suggestions by the Steering Committee and / or, at the initiative of General Assembly Delegates.
§ 3 The General Assembly has the right to inspect the Annual Report presented by the Steering Committee in order to verify that the general guidelines issued at the previous General Assembly have been respected by the Steering Committee.
§ 4 The General Assembly Delegates have the right to inspect the minutes of each General Assembly. These must be made available to them, via the EMA website, within six (6) weeks.
ARTICLE 12 GENERAL ASSEMBLY PARTICIPANTS
§ 1 The General Assembly Delegates are made up of: Representatives from all current and former Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes; Representatives of the EMA Service Teams and EMA Chapters; and, the EMA Steering Committee, including the President and Vice-President.
§ 2 EMA members who are neither EM Joint Programme Representatives nor Service Teams Representatives, may apply (subject to capacity constraints) to attend the General Assembly meetings as Observers.
§ 3 Other invited parties may also attend the General Assembly as Observers.
ARTICLE 13 VOTING RIGHTS AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
§1 For decision-making at the General Assembly the following voting rights shall be distinguished:
a) The right to vote in the election for EMA President and the Vice-President;
b) The right to vote on modifications to and amendments of the EMA Statute;
c) The right to vote in all other plenary sessions; and,
d) The right to vote in Service Team meetings.
§ 2 All EM Joint Programme Representatives attending the General Assembly have voting rights (a), (b), (c) and (d).
§ 3 Service Team Representatives selected to attend the General Assembly have voting rights (a), (b), (c) and (d).
§ 4 Steering Committee members attending the General Assembly have voting rights (a), (b), (c) and (d).
§ 5 Chapter Representatives attending the General Assembly have voting rights (a), (b), and (c).
§ 6 Organizations holding a Collective Membership may upon invitation send a representative to the annual General Assembly. This representative however, does not have any voting rights.
§ 7 EMA members attending the General Assembly as Presidential or Vice-Presidential Candidates, who are not otherwise General Assembly Delegates, have voting right (a).
§ 8 For all General Assembly decisions, other than those specified to the contrary in this Statute, a simple majority of votes is sufficient.
§ 9 All votes in plenary sessions require a quorum of forty (40) General Assembly Delegates, or fifty percent (50%) of registered General Assembly Delegates (which ever is the greater); these General Assembly Delegates must hold the applicable voting rights (a), (b), and (c).
TITLE VII: STEERING COMMITTEE
ARTICLE 14 STEERING COMMITTEE COMPOSITION
§ 1 The Steering Committee constitutes the executive power of the Association.
§ 2 The Steering Committee is composed of the President of the Association, the Vice-President and the Team Coordinators, who each represent one Service Team.
ARTICLE 15 STEERING COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
§ 1 The members of the Steering Committee are collectively responsible for the overall performance and management of the Association with respect to the general guidelines issued by the General Assembly.
§ 2 The Steering Committee has the obligation to create an Annual Report containing the Association’s main activities and associated expenditures. The Annual Report shall be made available to the European Commission, the Service Provider and shall also be published on the Association’s website.
§ 3 Meetings of the Steering Committee shall be documented in form of minutes, which contain a list of participants, key discussion points and all formal decisions.
§ 4 Steering Committee members who represent a Service Team are expected to be knowledgeable about the interests, policies and development strategies of the Association. Based on this elevated level of awareness, they shall ensure that activities of their respective Service Team contribute to the fulfilment of the Mission of the Association.
§ 5 Participation in meetings of the Steering Committee is mandatory for all members, except in exceptional circumstances. Absentees are required to inform the President, in writing, prior to the meeting, of any reasons for their failure to participate.
§ 6 Should a member of the Steering Committee feel that a conflict of interest may arise in relation to their employment or other activities, then they should fully disclose this as soon as the issue arises. A failure to do so may be grounds for dismissal from their roles as Team Coordinator and in the Steering Committee, subject to a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE 16 STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
§ 1 Steering Committee meetings may be called by the President, or by a motion supported by a simple majority of the Steering Committee members.
§ 2 The President is in charge of scheduling these meetings and the preparation of an agenda.
§ 3 Members of the Steering Committee shall hold meetings in person, between two and four times a year.
§ 4 In person meetings of the Steering Committee may be called by the President at any time as deemed necessary and financially feasible, giving at least ten (10) business days prior notice.
§ 5 Members of the Steering Committee shall hold additional meetings via email or teleconference at least once a month.
§ 6 For decisions of the Steering Committee to be valid, all members must be informed beforehand and at least two-thirds of Steering Committee members must participate in the vote,
§ 7 Decisions of the Steering Committee are made with the simple majority of votes, unless specified otherwise in this Statute. Each member of the Steering Committee has one vote. In case of a tied vote, the President’s vote counts double.
§ 8 All members of the Association have the privilege of suggesting items to be put on the agenda of the Steering Committee. Such suggestions must be sent in writing to the respective EM Joint Programme Representative to the General Assembly, who has the responsibility to consolidate and forward the request to the Steering Committee. Only items received at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting can be considered. The Steering Committee reserves the right to prioritize individual agenda items.
ARTICLE 17 THE PRESIDENT
§ 1 To be eligible, candidates for the position of EMA President must hold individual membership of the Association. There are no other formal requirements. This provision is meant to maximize participation and allow for a variety of candidates.
§ 2 The President is elected by the attendees of the General Assembly via the procedure specified in Article 18.
§3 The Presidential term commences as of the time the Presidential election result is announced.
§4 Once elected, the President is considered to have immediately stood down from any other positions held in the EMA, inter alia in the Service Teams and Steering Committee, and any positions on the executives of Chapters.
§ 5 The President may not run for office as Vice-President in the term immediately following their second year in office.
§ 6 The President is elected for a period of two years; Article 9 § 1 applies.
§ 7 The President may only serve one term at a time. A person may fill the position of President more than once, but not in consecutive terms.
§ 8 The President may resign at the General Assembly following his/her election after giving at least three (3) months notice.
§ 9 Unless coinciding with a General Assembly resignation is only acceptable under exceptional circumstances. In such cases a reasonable amount of notice shall be provided. In this case the President shall provide all EMA members with a detailed explanation.
§ 10 The President may be voted out of office at the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of votes cast by the attendees holding voting rights (a), (b) and (c).
§ 11 The President may be voted out of office in between two General Assemblies if a respective petition is presented to the Steering Committee, showing the support of at least a quarter (25%) of all acting EM Joint Programme Representatives. The Steering Committee is then obliged to facilitate the requested voting event within four (4) weeks: inform the wider EMA community via the Association’s website; and, notify all EM Joint Programme Representatives directly. If at least two-thirds of acting EM Joint Programme Representatives participate in this vote and a two-thirds majority of votes cast demand the President’s resignation, the President must step down the next working day.
§ 12 The President may be voted out of office in between two General Assemblies by a two-thirds majority decision of the Steering Committee.
§ 13 Should the President resign in accordance with 17 § 8, or prematurely resign making use of the provision in 17 § 9, or be voted out of office as specified in 17 § 11 – 12, the Vice-President will assume the position of President until the next General Assembly, and the Steering Committee shall elect a new Vice-President with a simple majority of votes.
§ 14 Should the Vice-President for exceptional reasons, be unable to assume the position of President, the Steering Committee shall elect, with simple majority of votes, one among them to act as interim President until the next General Assembly.
§ 15 In the situations outlined above in Articles 17 § 8, 17 § 9/8 and 17 § 11 – 12, the former Service Team of the new Vice-President or President will then elect a new Service Team Leader who will then join the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE 18 THE ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
§ 1 The Association’s President shall be elected following the subsequent procedure:
1. The acting Steering Committee shall send out a call for candidates not less than eight (8) weeks prior to the General Assembly.
2. Interested candidates must send a motivational letter (maximum one (1) page), to the Steering Committee / Service Provider for publication on the Association’s website. Instructions are provided on the website. Closing date for applications shall be six (6) weeks prior to the annual General Assembly.
3. Candidates for President are not eligible to run concurrently as Candidates for Vice-President.
4. Candidates for President must run as individuals.
5. Should six or more nominations be received, first round voting of the Vice-Presidential Candidates shall take place after all nominations have been received and the deadline closed.
6. All General Assembly Delegates with voting right (a) at the upcoming General Assembly must cast their first round vote for one of the candidates at the latest four (4) weeks prior to the annual General Assembly. Instructions shall be provided in time on the Association’s website.
7. Upon closure of the deadline, all votes received shall be counted. The three (3) candidates who received the most votes qualify for the final election round.
8. If five (5) or less nominations are received, there will be no first round voting, instead all candidates will qualify for the final election round at the GA.
9. Should a candidate qualify for the final election round, who is not also a designated Delegate to the upcoming General Assembly, assistance will be provided to facilitate his/her participation in the General Assembly.
10. All qualifying candidates shall be notified at least three (3) weeks before the General Assembly meeting, so that appropriate travel arrangements may be made.
11. The final round of the Presidential election takes place during the General Assembly. Votes are cast anonymously, in person, after an interactive panel presentation of all final candidates in attendance.
12. A quorum of two thirds of registered General Assembly Delegates holding the voting right (a) is required.
13. The candidate who receives the most votes during the final election round is granted the position of President of the Association.
14. In case of a tie, a new vote will be taken immediately, with only the tied individuals as candidates.
ARTICLE 19 THE VICE-PRESIDENT
§ 1 To be eligible, candidates for the position of EMA Vice-President must hold individual membership of the Association. There are no other formal requirements for candidates. This provision is meant to maximize participation and allow for a variety of candidates.
§ 2 The Vice-President shall be elected by the attendees of the General Assembly via the procedure specified in Article 20.
§3 The Vice-Presidential term commences as of the time the Vice-Presidential election result is announced.
§4 Once elected, the Vice-President is considered to have immediately stood down from any other positions held in the EMA, inter alia in the Service Teams and Steering Committee, and any positions in the Executives of Chapters.
§ 5 The Vice-President may run for office as President in the term immediately following their first and second year as Vice-President.
§ 6 The Vice-President is elected for a period of two years; Article 9 § 1 applies.
§ 7 The Vice-President may only serve one term at a time. A person may fill the position of Vice-President more than once, but not in consecutive terms.
§ 8 The Vice-President may resign at the General Assembly following his/her election after giving at least three (3) months notice.
§ 9 Unless coinciding with a General Assembly resignation is only acceptable under exceptional circumstances. In such cases a reasonable amount of notice shall be provided. In this case the Vice-President shall provide all EMA members with a detailed explanation.
§ 10 The Vice-President may be voted out of office at a General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of votes cast by the attendees holding voting rights (a), (b) and (c).
§ 11 Should the Vice-President resign in accordance with 19 § 8, or prematurely resign making use of the provision in 17 § 9, or be voted out of office as specified in 17 § 10, the Steering Committee will nominate one amongst themselves to act as interim Vice-President until the next General Assembly. That Service Team will then elect a new Service Team Leader with a simple majority of votes who will then join the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE 20 THE ELECTION OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT
§ 1 The Association’s Vice-President shall be elected following the subsequent procedure:
1. The acting Steering Committee shall send out a call for candidates not less than eight (8) weeks prior to the General Assembly.
2. Interested candidates must send a motivational letter (maximum one (1) page), to the Steering Committee / Service Provider for publication on the Association’s website. Instructions are provided on the website. Closing date for applications shall be six (6) weeks prior to the annual General Assembly.
3. Candidates for Vice-President are not eligible to run concurrently as Candidates for President.
4. Candidates for Vice-President must run as individuals.
5. Should six (6) or more nominations be received, first round voting of the Vice-Presidential Candidates shall take place after all nominations have been received and the deadline closed.
6. All General Assembly Delegates with voting right (a) at the upcoming General Assembly must cast their first round vote for one of the candidates at the latest four (4) weeks prior to the annual General Assembly. Instructions shall be provided in time on the Association’s website.
7. Upon closure of the deadline, all votes received shall be counted. The three (3) candidates who received the most votes qualify for the final election round.
8. If five (5) or less nominations are received, there will be no first round voting, instead all candidates will qualify for the final election round at the GA.
9. Should a candidate qualify for the final election round, who is not also a designated Delegate to the upcoming General Assembly, assistance will be provided to facilitate his/her participation in the General Assembly.
10. All qualifying candidates shall be notified at least three (3) weeks before the General Assembly meeting, so that appropriate travel arrangements may be made.
11. The final round of the Vice-Presidential election takes place during the General Assembly. Votes are cast anonymously, in person, after an interactive panel presentation of all final candidates in attendance.
12. A quorum of two thirds of registered General Assembly Delegates holding the voting right (a) is required. If this quorum is not achieved then it should be attempted to hold the vote again one hour later.
13. The candidate who receives the most votes during the final election round is granted the position of Vice-President of the Association.
14. In case of a tie, a new vote will be taken immediately, with only the tied individuals as candidates.
ARTICLE 21 DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
§ 1 The President is the primary representative of the Association in external affairs, in particular regarding the cooperation with the European Commission's Directorate General for Education and Culture, and the Service Provider.
§ 2 The President chairs the annual General Assembly, meetings of the Steering Committee and any Liaison Group meetings.
§ 3 The President is responsible for ensuring that the General Assembly shall be documented in the form of minutes, which contains a list of participants, key discussion points and all formal decisions. A copy of these minutes shall be made available to all EMA members.
§ 4 The President has the responsibility to ensure the overall performance and regular operation of the Association, with the assistance of the Steering Committee.
§ 5 The President is responsible for ensuring that the minutes of the Steering Committee and Liaison Group meetings shall be produced. This duty may be delegated to the Vice-President in specific cases, pursuant to Article 20 § 7.
§ 6 The Vice-President is expected to fulfil the duties of the President in times of his/her absence.
§ 7 The President may delegate limited Presidential duties to the Vice-President upon receiving Steering Committee approval.
ARTICLE 22 TEAM COORDINATORS
§ 1 Candidates for the position of Team Coordinator must hold individual membership of the Association. There are no other formal requirements.
§ 2 Team Coordinators are elected by the simple majority of votes cast by their respective Service Team members.
§ 3 Team Coordinators are elected for the period of two years; Article 9 § 1 applies.
§ 4 Team Coordinators may be re-elected.
§ 5 The election of Team Coordinators takes place during the General Assembly unless the acting Steering Committee and the European Commission jointly specify a different date, which must be no later than sixty (60) days after the General Assembly meeting.
§ 6 Team Coordinators of established Service Teams are also automatically a member of the Steering Committee.
§ 7 Team Coordinators may resign at any time, upon approval of a simple majority of Steering Committee members. Committed members of the concerned Service Team shall elect a successor with the simple majority of votes cast. The successor’s term ends at the next General Assembly; Article 21 § 4 applies.
§ 8 Team Coordinators may be voted out either by the respective Service Team with a two-thirds majority decision, or by the Steering Committee with a two-thirds majority decision.
§ 9 Team Coordinators have the right and responsibility to stimulate and coordinate Service Team activities, which contribute to the Mission of the Association and respect the guidelines issued annually by the General Assembly. They are responsible for ensuring that the activities of each Service Team are compatible with each other. The forum for this task is the Steering Committee.
§ 10 Team Coordinators are responsible for delivering timely and accurate reports to the Steering Committee regarding the activities and performance of their respective Service Team.
TITLE VIII: SERVICE TEAMS AND THE LIASON GROUP
ARTICLE 23 NUMBER OF SERVICE TEAMS
§ 1 The number and thematic focus of Service Teams shall be proposed by the Steering Committee at the annual General Assembly; the proposed range of Service Teams shall reflect the planned activities of the Association over the next year; Article 9 § 1 applies.
§ 2 The number and thematic focus of Service Teams is to be formally approved by a simple majority vote of all General Assembly delegates with general plenary voting right (c). This process involves both reaffirming the continuation of current Service Teams (both established and provisional), and the dissolution of Service Teams that are no longer required.
§ 3 Each Service Team approved at the General Assembly is represented in the Steering Committee by a Team Coordinator.
§ 4 The Team Coordinator of each Service Team shall organise its working practices, as well as the frequency and scheduling of meetings, and ensure the preparation of an agenda.
§ 5 Service Teams may be divided into smaller working groups to deal with specific issues.
§ 6 Service Team meetings may be called by the Team Coordinator, or a majority of its members.
§ 7 Service Teams are expected to communicate primarily via email and teleconferences. The Association welcomes other modes of communication including personal meetings, provided financial feasibility is secured.
ARTICLE 24 PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE TEAMS
§ 1 All participants in a Service Team hold the same rights.
§ 2 Service Team members are entitled to cast their vote in all internal Service Team decisions and they are eligible for nomination by the Team Coordinator to participate in the General Assembly as a Service Team Representative.
§ 3 Individuals who are a current or a former EM Joint Programme Representative are entitled and encouraged to participate in the work of a Service Team.
§ 4 Individuals who are EMA members and attend the General Assembly as an observer are encouraged to participate in the work of a Service Team.
§ 5 A Service Team may decide at any time to recruit additional members by a decision of the Team Coordinator, or a motion supported by the majority of currently committed Service Team members.
§ 6 To be eligible for participation in a Service Team, in response to a recruitment call, candidates must hold individual EMA membership.
§ 7 Both the number of additional Service Team members to be recruited and the definition of selection criteria are at the joint discretion of the Team Coordinator and current Service Team members. In choosing new members, a Service Team should strive to identify a group of accepted candidates which reflect the diversity of the EMA community.
§ 8 Individuals who joined a Service Team in response to a recruitment call, including that conducted at the General Assembly, are granted full membership status.
ARTICLE 25 PROVISIONAL SERVICE TEAMS
§ 1 If the Steering Committee unanimously considers there is a need for the creation of a new Service Team between General Assembly meetings, a Provisional Service Team may be created.
§ 2 A Provisional Service Team shall have a Team Coordinator who does not become part of the Steering Committee.
§ 3 To remain operational a Provisional Service Team created in this manner must be formally established as a Service Team at the next meeting of the General Assembly, or else it ceases to exist.
§ 4 A Provisional Service Team is governed by the same regulations as established Service Teams, except that the Team Coordinator is not part of the Steering Committee and that a Provisional Service Team is not entitled to send Representatives to the General Assembly or to the Liaison Group Meeting.
ARTICLE 26 LIAISON GROUP
§ 1 The active members of all Service Teams and the President and Vice-President, shall collectively form the Liaison Group.
§ 2 The Liaison Group Meeting is intended to serve as a discussion forum, providing “think tank” support to the Steering Committee.
§ 3 Liaison Group Meetings may be called at the discretion of the Steering Committee.
§ 4 The nomination of a limited number of members from each Service Team to attend the Liaison Group Meeting, is the responsibility of the respective Team Coordinator.
TITLE IX: COMMUNITY LIAISON NETWORKS EMMC REPRESENTATIVES
ARTICLE 27 EM PROGRAMME REPRESENTATIVES
§ 1 The Association aims to facilitate the selection and participation of Representatives from all current and former EMMC and EMJD.
§ 2 The Association shall provide a mechanism for the nomination and potential re-nomination of EM Program Representatives.
§ 3 The only requirement to be eligible to nominate as an EM Programme Representative is EMA membership.
§ 4 The Association will provide a mechanism for the election of EM Programme Representatives. These elections will be announced with sufficient time to allow for elections prior to each General Assembly.
§ 5 Individual EMA members are entitled and encouraged to vote for their EM Joint Programme Representative. To be eligible to vote in these elections you must have applied for membership as an EMA member at least one week before the close of elections.
§ 6 Re-election of EM Programme Representatives is allowed for a maximum of two (2) consecutive years at a time.
§ 7 In case of a tie, a re-election between the tied candidates will take place.
§ 8 The results of the elections for the EM Programme Representatives will be announced not later than two weeks (2 weeks) after the elections conclusion.
§ 9 If following the conclusion of the EMA facilitated elections an EM Programme does not have a Representative, then the previously selected Representative remains the Representative. If the previously selected Representative no longer wishes to hold the position, or has already held the position for two (2) years, then the Steering Committee will attempt to ensure the selection of an appropriate Representative.
§ 10 EM Programme Representatives have the individual responsibility to actively liaise between their respective EMMC Community or EMJD Community and the Association. This obligation is designed to inform individual EM Programme Communities about the Association’s services.
ARTICLE 28 EMA CHAPTERS
§ 1 The Association encourages the formation of regional EMA Chapters. In order to be recognised EMA Chapters must operate in accordance with the EMA’s mission, vision and objectives.
§ 2 EMA Chapters will be granted recognition by the EMA as an integral part of the internal EMA structure.
§ 3 In order to be formally recognised as a Chapter of the EMA a Chapter must first be acknowledged by the Steering Committee and then announced at the General Assembly. If objections are raised at the General Assembly to the formal recognition of a Chapter then a vote shall be held, with a simple majority of votes deciding whether the Chapter in question should continue to be granted recognition.
§ 4 The Steering Committee in conjunction with the Chapter Representatives will formulate guidelines on the formation, organisation and operation of EMA Chapters. These guidelines shall be tabled yearly at least one month prior to the General Assembly. Objections to these guidelines may be raised at the General Assembly, in this case a vote shall be held with a simple majority of votes deciding whether or not any questioned guidelines shall remain in force.
§ 5 All Chapters shall submit an Annual Report of their activities to be available at the General Assembly. All Chapters are invited to attend the General Assembly to present themselves and their Annual Report.<//font>
ARTICLE 29 COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES
§ 1 EMA Country Representatives have the responsibility to assist prospective Erasmus Mundus students, to strengthen the EMA network in their respective country, and to promote the Erasmus Mundus concept in general.
§ 2 EMA Country Representatives are recruited periodically by the Steering Committee.
§ 3 Candidates interested in the position of Country Representative must hold an EMA individual membership; no other requirements apply.
§ 4 The position of EMA Country Representative is unremunerated, and awarded for a limited period of time only, all applicable details are specified in the call.
§ 5 The Association reserves the right to dismiss individual Country Representatives on the grounds of severe inactivity, as well as to discontinue the Country Representative programme altogether, at any time, upon giving one (1) months notice.
TITLE X: RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSION
ARTICLE 30 RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSION
§ 1 EMA recognises the role and support played by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture, in particular the facilitation of services provided via a contracted Service Provider.
§ 2 The Steering Committee reserves the right to invite representatives from the Service Provider to participate in Steering Committee meetings and other EMA events and meetings whenever it deems necessary.
§ 3 While representatives from the Service Provider are welcome to attend any meeting of an organizational unit within EMA and to participate in discussions of relevance to the Service Provider, they do not hold any voting rights within EMA.
TITLE XI: FINAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 31 STATE MODIFICATIONS AND ADOPTION
§ 1 This Statute will be considered as adopted if approved by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the General Assembly Delegates with voting right (b). Following its adoption the operation of the Statute will come immediately into force.
§ 2 Any proposal requesting a modification or amendment to this Statute must be submitted to the Steering Committee at least six (6) weeks prior to the convening of the General Assembly.
§ 3 All General Assembly participants will be notified of any proposals calling for modification of the statute at least seven (7) days prior to the convening of the General Assembly.
§ 4 All modifications or amendments to this Statute require the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast by the General Assembly Delegates holding voting right b).
ARTICLE 32 MISCELLANEOUS
§1 Should an issue arise that is not addressed by this Statute, the Steering Committee has the power to make all necessary decisions, with a two-thirds majority. Should a Statutory amendment dealing with this issue be required, it shall be tabled for decision at the next convening of the General Assembly.