Introducing a Safeguard to ensure gender equality in the SC

statute/README.md

@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ This repository shall serve as the interface for discussions around future amend
 Therefore, Amendments to the Statute can be directly suggested via this platform. Follow the Contributing Guidelines further below to start partcipating here or learn about alternative ways to suggest changes.
 
 ## Latest Version
-* **[v1.2 (Latest)](statute.md)**
+* **[v1.4 (Latest)](statute.md)**
 
 
 ## Archive
+* [v1.3](archive/v1.3.md)
+* [v1.2](archive/v1.2.md)
 * [v1.1](archive/v1.1.md)
 * [v1.0 (Initial)](archive/v1.0.md)
 

statute/archive/v1.3.md

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+# Statutes of the Student Body of the CODE University of Applied Sciences
+
+
+From September 08, 2025
+
+
+# I General
+
+
+## 1 - Scope of application
+
+These statutes regulate in particular the education, composition, responsibility, procedures and terms of office of the student body of the CODE University of Applied Sciences.
+
+
+## 2 - Student body
+
+(1) The student body of the CODE University of Applied Sciences consists of all properly enrolled students.
+
+(2) This also includes students currently pausing their studies to take a leave semester.
+
+
+## 3 - Organs of the student body and composition
+
+(1) The central organs of the student body are
+
+1. the Student General Assembly,
+2. the Student Council.
+
+(2) The Student General Assembly is composed of the student body at the time of the meeting.
+
+(4) The Student Council consists of seven portfolio roles:
+
+1. President (spokesperson & lead),
+2. Alumni Relations,
+3. Admissions & Study Experience,
+4. Community Builder,
+5. Marketing,
+6. Entrepreneurship,
+7. Partnerships.
+
+In addition, student representatives to the Academic Senate and to the Study Program Councils are elected under the University's Election Regulations. Every candidate for a Student Council portfolio role is automatically also nominated for the Academic Senate and the Study Program Council seat of their own study program.
+For each Academic Senate and Study Program Council seat, one deputy member is also elected in the same election.
+
+These representatives may, but do not have to, be members of the Student Council. They are invited to Council meetings when their topics are discussed.
+
+
+## 4 - Elections to the organs of the student body
+
+(1) All members of the student body at the time are entitled to vote.
+
+If members of the student body are not present, they may use an electronic voting system, evaluated and managed by the presidium, to cast their vote.
+
+(2) Eligible for office are all members of the student body at the time of the elections who are not on a leave semester.
+
+(3) The Student General Assembly elects, in separate ballots and in this order:
+1. the President,
+2.–7. the six portfolio leads named in § 3(4) (Alumni Relations; Admissions & Study Experience; Community Builder; Marketing; Entrepreneurship; Partnerships)
+
+Candidates for Student Council portfolio roles are automatically listed on the ballots for their own study program's Academic Senate and Study Program Council elections, in accordance with the University's Election Regulations.
+Each ballot for Academic Senate and Study Program Council includes both a main seat and a deputy seat. The candidate with the highest votes becomes the main member, and the runner-up becomes the deputy.
+
+(4) Elections follow majority voting as in § 4(6)–(8). All roles are open to all students, irrespective of gender and age. Diversity and equal opportunity are to be fostered in candidate outreach and nomination.
+
+(5) The members of the organs are elected according to the principles of majority voting. The person with the most votes, but at least 50% + 1 votes gets elected. If no candidate manages to achieve this majority a final ballot between the person with the most votes and the runner up is held. The person with the most votes in the final ballot is elected.
+
+(6) In a majority election, the voting person has as many votes as there are positions to be filled.
+
+(7) Only one vote per person can be cast.
+
+(8) Every elected representative can be released from their duties at any point according to the principles of majority voting described in §4(6).
+
+
+## 5 - Terms of office, rotation
+
+(1) Elections take place between 01.10. and 31.10. of each calendar year. Under no circumstances may these take place during the first four weeks of the project phase of the winter semester.
+
+(2) The term of office of all council members ends with the new election.
+
+(3) If no election is held, the term of office for all council members ends automatically on the last day of the eleventh month after the last winter semester election.
+
+(4) Open positions can be filled at every Student General Assembly.
+
+(5) Portfolio handover. Each outgoing portfolio lead maintains a one-page handover (scope, contacts, ongoing initiatives) to be archived in the Student Body Wiki within 14 days after term end.
+
+
+## 6 - Succession of mandates
+
+(1) An elected representative gets automatically removed from office if they
+
+
+    1. lose eligibility,
+
+
+    2. resign from office.
+
+(2) If a member leaves a body elected by the Student Assembly for which no substitute members are provided, a successor is to be elected immediately.
+
+(3a) If a member of the Academic Senate is not able to attend a meeting, the deputy member can take the place.
+(3b) If a member of a Study Program Council is not able to attend a meeting, the deputy member can take the place.
+
+(4) If a portfolio role becomes vacant, the Student General Assembly may hold a by-election at the next regular or extraordinary meeting. Vacancies in Academic Senate or Study Program Council seats are filled by program-specific by-elections. Until then, the President may assign interim coverage to another Council member.
+
+
+## 7 - Convening
+
+(1) The organs shall be convened by their chairperson or, at the request of a quarter of their members, unless otherwise provided in these statutes.
+
+(2) A request pursuant to para. 1 shall be addressed via Slack in the student channel of the organ to the chairperson or the chairperson of the organ, unless otherwise provided in these statutes. It must contain the first and surname, date and mention of the members. The mentioned members must signal their support within 48 hours of posting by means of a comment.
+
+
+## 8 - Amendment of legal provisions
+
+(1) Proposals for resolutions on amendments to the legal provisions adopted by the Student General Assembly must be sent to its members together with the invitation to the relevant meeting.
+
+(2) The amendment of the statutes of the student body requires the approval of a majority of two thirds of the members of the Student General Assembly.
+
+(3) Legal regulations issued by the Student General Assembly shall be published in the Slack and Wiki of the CODE University of Applied Sciences.
+
+(4) These statutes take effect upon approval by the Presidium.
+
+## 9 - Duty of information and accountability
+
+(1) All elected representatives of the student body are accountable to the Student General Assembly.
+
+(2) The duty to provide information is limited by the requirements of data protection and the protection of personal rights.
+
+
+# II Student General Assembly
+
+
+## 10 - Tasks of the Student General Assembly
+
+(1) The Student General Assembly decides about
+
+1. fundamental matters of the student body,
+
+2. the discharge of the members of the Student Council.
+
+(2) It shall carry out the elections assigned to it by these Statutes or by virtue of other legal provisions or shall propose candidates for election, unless other legal provisions provide otherwise.
+
+
+## 11 - Work of the Student General Assembly
+
+(1) The Student General Assembly elects representatives for the Student Council.
+
+(2) Student representatives to the Academic Senate and to the Study Program Councils are elected in accordance with the University's Election Regulations (one student seat and one deputy per study program in each body). All candidates for Student Council portfolios are automatically nominated for these elections in their respective study programs. The Student General Assembly may host candidate statements and Q&A.
+Additional nominations from each study program remain open under the University’s Election Regulations. Candidates may opt out of being listed on AS/SPC ballots.
+
+(3) The Student General Assembly meets at
+
+1. resolution of the Student Council,
+
+2. demand of 10 percent of all members of the student body.
+
+(4) The Student General Assembly is open to every member of the University (including non academic members, academic members and other staff).
+
+
+## 12 - Leadership of the Student General Assembly
+
+(1) The Student Council shall preside over the Student General Assembly.
+
+(2) If there is no Student Council in office, the Student General Assembly shall be chaired by a Presidium consisting of three people. The election of the Presidium shall take place in open ballot by a show of hands. Resolutions of the Presidium can only be passed unanimously.
+
+
+## 13 - Rules of Procedure
+
+The Student General Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure.
+
+
+## 14 - Quorum
+
+(1) The Student General Assembly shall constitute a quorum if 10 percent of all members of the student body are present.
+
+(2) If the Student General Assembly is convened again after an absence of a quorum to deal with the same matter, it shall in any case be quorate if this is indicated in the invitation.
+
+(3) “Present” includes both physical and online presence, e.g. participation in person or via an online voting/attendance system.
+
+
+# III Student Council
+
+
+## 15 - Tasks of the Student Council
+
+(1) The Student Council (seven portfolios) represents the student body and executes the following, among others:
+1. convene Student General Assemblies,
+2. coordinate with the Academic Senate, the Study Program Councils and the university committees through their elected student representatives,
+3. gather and synthesize feedback,
+4. own and drive portfolio-specific initiatives (see §18a),
+5. invite guests for specific topics.
+
+(2) The Student Council represents the student body in the different organs of the university.
+
+(3) The Student Council holds regular Student General Assemblies (at least one per semester).
+
+(4) The Student Council gathers feedback and opinions from inside the student body.
+
+(5) The Student Council can invite people to their meetings to discuss specific matters.
+
+
+## 15a - Portfolios & responsibilities
+
+(1) President. Spokesperson; chairs Council; external representation; ensures execution across portfolios.
+
+(2) Alumni Relations. Maintains the alumni network, supports the alumni association, and bridges students and alumni.
+
+(3) Admissions & Study Experience. Provides the student perspective into admissions; collects and channels feedback on learning quality, resources, and interdisciplinary workshops; supports mediation on assessment/timeline questions; coordinates with relevant commissions and programme leads.
+
+(4) Community Builder. Community events, hackathons, socials; supports clubs and cohort integration.
+
+(5) Marketing. Student-led communications and campaigns in coordination with University marketing; promotes initiatives to current generations.
+
+(6) Entrepreneurship. Interface for entrepreneurship activities (clubs, partnerships, events, incubators).
+
+(7) Partnerships. Intake and triage of external requests (investors, student initiatives, events/partners); escalates MoUs to the University where required.
+
+(8) Portfolios may form working groups; non-members can be recruited as volunteers.
+
+## 15b - Committee representation
+
+(1) The Student Council elects the student representatives to the following university committees annually: Admissions Committee (two students), Commission for Quality Assurance in Project-Based Learning (one student), Research Commission (one student).
+
+(2) Default assignment of committee seats to portfolios:
+- Admissions & Study Experience takes one seat on the Admissions Committee;
+- Community Builder takes one seat on the Admissions Committee;
+- Entrepreneurship takes the seat on the Commission for Quality Assurance in Project-Based Learning;
+- Partnerships takes the seat on the Research Commission.
+The Council may assign different students if needed.
+
+(3) One person may hold more than one role or committee seat.
+
+## 16 - Management of the Student Council
+
+(1) The Student Council shall be chaired by the President of the Student Council.
+
+(2) If there is no Student Council chairing member in office, the Student Council shall be headed by a Presidium consisting of three members. The election of the Presidium shall be held by open ballot by a show of hands. Resolutions of the Presidium can only be passed unanimously.
+
+
+## 17 - Quorum
+
+The meetings of the Student Council have a quorum if at least half of the members of the Student Council are present.
+
+
+## 18 - Meetings of the Student Council
+
+The Student Council meets on
+
+1. resolution of the chairperson of the council,
+
+2. a request from one third of the members of the Student Council.
+
+
+## 19- Decisions of the Student Council
+
+(1) The Student Council makes decisions according to the principles of majority voting.
+
+(2) In the situation of a tie the vote goes in favour of the chairperson.