Approved at the Council meeting on March 24, 2019.
The Board of Executives
CHAPTER 1
General provisions
Section 1
In addition to what is provided by the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä regulations, the operations of the Student Union Board shall comply with these rules of procedure and the general meeting practices.
CHAPTER 2
Board meetings
Section 2 – Board meetings
The Student Union Board shall convene by the invitation of the Chair or the Vice Chair. If at least two (2) Board members so request in writing from the Chair of the Board, the Board must meet within the next five (5) days. An invitation to the Board meeting shall be submitted to the Board members and the agenda shall be submitted to the Student Union staff and the Council of Representatives by email at least two (2) days before the meeting. An invitation to the Board meeting may also be published in another manner determined by the Board.
Section 3 – Agenda and processing of matters
The Chair of the Board together with the Executive Director and CEO shall be responsible for the drafting of the agenda of the Board meeting. The agenda shall be submitted in connection with the meeting invitation. The meeting shall cover issues that are included in the agenda and the issues which at least two (2) Board members request for consideration.
A matter presented for the first time shall be shelved if at least two (2) Board members so require. The shelving of a revised matter shall require a majority of the votes cast. The returning of a matter to preparation shall require a majority of the votes cast.
Section 4 – Organising
In its first meeting of the term, the Board shall elect the Vice Chair from among the Board and decide on the internal division of duties in the Board.
The Board may hold its first meeting before the beginning of its term. In this case, only matters related to the internal organisation of the Board can be decided.
Section 5 – Quorum
The Board shall have quorum when the Chair or the Vice Chair and more than half of the other Board members are present.
Section 6 – Right to attend and right to speak
The Board members, the Executive Director, the CEO, the Chair of the Council, the Vice Chair of the Council and the persons to whom the Board gives the permission shall have the right to attend and speak in the Board meetings.
A Board member shall, if the Board so decides, have the right to attend the meeting through video conferencing in a way that the member can still be identified.
Section 7 – Secretary and scrutinisers of the minutes
At the beginning of the Board meeting, the meeting shall elect a secretary and a scrutiniser of the minutes.
Section 8 – Minutes
Minutes shall be taken of the meetings. The minutes of the meeting shall be drawn up by the secretary of the meeting. The minutes shall contain the names of the members present, the matters discussed, the proposals made, the votes cast, and the decisions of the Board.
Minutes shall be signed by the Chair, secretary and the scrutinisers of the minutes.
Section 9 – Decision-making
In case of dispute voting shall be conducted. The voting may be conducted openly, as determined by the Board, unless the Chair of the Board or at least one Board member requires it to be conducted by a secret ballot. The opinion for which most votes are cast shall become the decision. In the event of a tie, the opinion for which the Chair has voted shall become the decision. Elections may be conducted without voting unless there is dispute. In case of dispute, the elections shall be conducted in accordance with Section 14 of the Student Union constitution.
Section 10 – Dissenting opinion
A person deciding or presenting in the meeting shall have the right to present a dissenting opinion on a decision immediately when the decision is declared. If the person wants the dissenting opinion entered into the minutes, they must submit it in writing to the secretary within two (2) days of the meeting.
Section 11 – Access to minutes
Reviewed minutes shall be available within seven (7) days after the Board meeting in the Student Union’s Central Office.
CHAPTER 3
Subcommittees and working groups
Section 12 – Establishing subcommittees and working groups
The Board shall establish the subcommittees and working groups and elect their chairpersons and secretaries to implement the Student Union’s strategy and strengthen the inclusion of the members of Student Union. Operations of the subcommittees and working groups shall comply with the provisions set by the Board and they shall address at least the following themes: academic affairs, social affairs, international affairs, sports, environmental affairs, development cooperation, cultural affairs and cooperation between associations operating within the Student Union.
If the Board establishes, dissolves or merges open subcommittees or working groups or changes their names, the Council of Representatives shall approve the proposal of the Board.
Subcommittees and working groups shall be, in principle, open. For justified reasons, the Board may establish closed working groups. Persons outside the Student Union may also be invited to be members of the working groups.
Section 13 – Subcommittee and working group meetings
A subcommittee or a working group shall convene by the invitation of their chairperson. The subcommittees and working groups shall follow the general meetings practices of the Board. The subcommittee or working group shall have a quorum when three members of the Student Union are present. If the chairperson is not present at the meeting, the subcommittee or working group shall elect one member present at the meeting to chair the said meeting.
Otherwise, the meeting shall be conducted in the same way as a Board meeting.
Section 14 – Chairperson and secretary
If the chairperson or the secretary resigns, the Board shall elect another person to replace them for the remainder of the term.
CHAPTER 4
Board of Business
Section 15 – Organising and members
The Board of Business shall prepare matters concerning the JYY Group, shared ownerships, and especially matters considering investing, owning, building and long-term loans for deliberation in the Board of Executives. The JYY Group’s business strategy shall be approved during the first year of the Council’s term of office in connection with the Student Union’s budget. The Board of Business shall be responsible for preparing the business strategy on the proposal of the CEO.
The Board of Business shall make decisions and execute all matters in which JYY’s Council of Representatives has decided to transfer authority on in the Student Union’s budget.
The Board of Business shall consist of seven (7) members. Four (4) members shall be JYY’s student members. The Board of Business shall elect a chairperson from among the student members and a vice chairperson from among the expert members. Persons outside the Student Union may also be invited to be members of the Board of Business. Outside members must be experts in business economics, technology, and law.
In addition, the Board of Executives shall have the right to appoint a representative to the Board of Business for one year at a time. The representative shall have the right to speak and to attend meetings. The right to speak and to attend shall also apply to subsidiary meetings.
The members of the Board of Business shall be elected by the Council by proportional elections. The election of student members shall be prepared in accordance with the regulations for the election of student representatives in administration. The election of non-Student Union members shall be prepared by the Board of Executives. The members of the Board of Business shall be elected for two (2) years at a time so that some of them shall be replaced each year. If a member’s membership in the Student Union ends, they must resign of the Board of Business by the end of that year.
The Board of Business shall be appointed as the Board of the subsidiaries wholly owned by the Student Union.
Section 16 – Board of Business meetings
The Board of Business shall convene by the invitation of the chairperson. An invitation must be sent five (5) days before the meeting. Otherwise, the meeting shall be conducted in the same way as the Student Union Board meeting. The Board of Business shall have a quorum when at least four members are present. The CEO shall act as the rapporteur of the Board of Business.
Before deciding on matters related to ARA housing, the Board of Business must consult the Tenants’ committee on the matter under consideration.
Otherwise, the meeting shall be conducted in the same way as the Student Union Board meeting.
Finances
CHAPTER 1
General provisions
Section 17 – Regulations on the Student Union’s financial management
The Student Union’s financial management shall comply with the provisions of this regulation, in addition to what is provided in the Student Union’s constitution and in the Government Decree on Universities (770/2009).
CHAPTER 2
Budget and financial statement
Section 18 – Budget
A budget shall be prepared for the JYY Group for the calendar year. The budget shall include the Student Union’s budget, and the profit and dividend distribution targets for the subsidiaries.
The appropriations entered in the budget for each cost centre may be used only to cover expenditures at that cost centre. If the appropriations of the cost centre are to be used for another cost centre, the Council must decide on the change.
The Board must monitor the use and development of budget appropriations. If the costs of the actual operations’ cost centres exceed the budget allocated to them, the Council shall be informed immediately. At the same time, the ways in which the situation will be remedied must be stated and an amending budget must be submitted to the Council for decision.
The financial statement shall be signed by the Board, the Executive Director, the CEO, and the Financial Manager.
CHAPTER 3
Membership fee
Section 19 – Membership fee
The fees to be paid by the members of the Student Union shall be governed by the Student Union’s constitution. The amount of the membership fee shall be confirmed in the manner determined by the Universities Act.
Student Union members registered as absent do not have to pay the student union membership fee. The Executive Director shall be entitled to exempt a Student Union member in whole or in part from paying the membership fee upon request, when there is a special reason to do so or when there is no reason to charge the membership fee. In case of doubt, the Student Union Board shall resolve the matter.
If an undergraduate student graduates by the end of September, the student shall be refunded the paid membership fee upon request. Similarly, the spring semester portion shall be refunded if the student graduates by the end of January at the latest. Refund requests must be submitted by the end of August for the autumn semester and by the end of January for the spring semester. Refunds shall be decided by the Executive Director.
CHAPTER 4
Borrowing
Section 20 – Taking a loan
The Council decides upon loans. However, the Board shall have the right to decide on the loans due and guarantees to be paid during the financial year, subject to the regulations of the Student Union constitution. The financial institution and terms and conditions of the loans and hedges may be changed by decision of the Board regarding the existing loan portfolio.
CHAPTER 5
Approval of expenditure
Section 21 – Approval of expenditure
The executive officers of the Student Union shall approve the invoices related to the operation of their sector.
The invoices of actual operations shall be approved by the Executive Director. The Executive Director’s invoices shall be approved by the Chair of the Board.
Other invoices shall be approved by the CEO. Expenses related to real estate operations shall be approved by the Housing Manager. The CEO’s invoices shall be approved by the Chair of the Board.
CHAPTER 6
Ownership policy, internal control and risk management
Section 22 – Ownership policy principles
The Student Union shall implement the principles of ownership policy, internal control and risk management that have been agreed in the Student Union.
Ownership policy refers to the measures with which the Student Union as owner or as member contributes to the administration and operation of companies and other communities. Ownership policy is used to ensure that the operations of the Student Union subsidiaries take into consideration the overall interests of the Student Union.
In accordance with the objectives of the Student Union, the corporate governance of the entities belonging to the JYY Group shall be taken care of by corporate governance principles prepared in accordance with the ownership policy principles.
The Student Union ownership policy principles and corporate governance principles are a separate appendix to the administrative regulations.
Section 23 – Internal control
Internal control ensures that targets set are achieved, operations are in accordance with laws, regulations, guidelines and decisions, resources are used effectively, assets are secured, and staff operate in a responsible manner.
Risk management is part of internal control. Risk management refers to systematic procedures that:
identify and describe risks related to the operations of the Student Union and the JYY Group;
assess the significance and probability of risks occurring; and
define procedures for managing, monitoring, and reporting risks.
The purpose of risk management is to ensure the continuity of operations and the production of services. In practice, risk management is carried out through regular risk assessments. Much of the risk management is implemented through day-to-day control measures and back-ups. Risk management is part of the strategic process, the budget process, and the planning of operations.
The Student Union Board shall be responsible for the implementation and coordination of internal control and risk management, and decides on the insurance of assets and liabilities.
The Student Union internal control and risk management principles are a separate appendix to the administrative regulations.
Officials of the actual operations and business activity
CHAPTER 1
Operations, officials and management team
Section 24 – Actual operations and business activity of the Student Union
The operations of the Student Union are divided into actual operations and business activities. The Student Union operates as a business and as a Group company.
The responsible person of the actual operations shall be the Executive Director, who is responsible for the implementation and development of the operations in accordance with the Student Union budget, as well as for monitoring and implementing operations in accordance with the budget.
The responsible person of the business shall be the CEO. The CEO is responsible for the implementation and development of the business, and for the preparation, monitoring and implementation of the Student Union budget. The CEO shall act in an agreed manner as a chairperson or CEO of the boards of the allied companies and as a member of the board of the affiliated companies.
The Board of Executives shall approve the further division of duties and powers and responsibilities of the Executive Director and the CEO as necessary.
The Executive Director and, on other respects, the CEO shall act as the preparer and rapporteur of the Board meetings and implement the decisions.
Section 25 – Officials
These administrative regulations shall apply to the senior officials, officials, and temporary caretakers of the Student Union. The senior officials are the Executive Director and the CEO. The Council shall select senior officials and the Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper.
The Student Union officials include the Student Union office workers, actual operations specialists, and the student newspaper staff. The Council shall decide on the establishment and termination of operations in the budget or in the amending budget.
Section 26 – Supervisors
The CEO is the Head of the Student Union business. The Executive Director of the Student Union is the Head of the Student Union’s actual operations and the staff of the student newspaper. The Head of the editorial staff is the Editor-in-Chief.
The Head of the Student Union’s Executive Director and CEO is the Student Union Board represented by the Chair of the Board.
Section 27 – Management team
The Student Union shall have a management team chaired by the Chair of the Board of Executives. The management team shall consist of the CEO, the Executive Director and the Financial Manager. The management team may invite other representatives to attend the meetings as needed.
The duty of the management team shall be to prepare decisions to be made by the various governing bodies of the Student Union on the basis of the assignments given by the Student Union Board and the management team itself. In addition, the management team shall be responsible for monitoring and preparing the development of the Student Union. Minutes shall be taken of the meetings of the management team. The minutes shall be sent to the members of the Board.
CHAPTER 3
Vacancies
Section 28 – Vacancy
Vacancies at the Student Union shall be filled on application. The application period shall be at least seven (7) days. The Board must declare a position open at least on the Student Union website.
For special reasons, the Student Union Board may, by unanimous decision, fill the position by an invitation procedure. However, in the case of the Executive Director, the CEO and the Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper, only the Student Union Council may decide to use the invitation procedure as provided in the Student Union constitution.
Section 29 – Filling a vacancy
The Board shall decide on the filling of positions of the actual operations on the proposal of the Executive Director. With regard to the Student Union’s business activity, the Board shall decide on the filling of positions on the proposal of the CEO.
Except in the case of invitation procedure, only persons who have submitted their applications within the application period may be hired for an open position. However, the position may be declared re-opened or the application period may be extended if the Council, which duty it is to fill the position, or otherwise the Board considers that the Student Union’s interests so require. If the position is re-opened, the call for applications must also state whether the previous candidates will be considered for the position.
If the person chosen for position does not accept the position, the position may be filled by another person who has applied for the position within the application period. The position must be declared re-opened if no one has applied for it.
However, in the case of temporarily filling a position for a period of less than one year, the position may be filled without declaring the position open.