Our governance

• Governance 
• Budget 
• Strategy 

Overturn decisions and policies from students if: 

• They have financial implications for the Union 
• They are in breach of, contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with charity law or any other legal requirements 
• They are not in the best interests of the Union or all or any of its charitable objectives 
   

• 3 elected officers: 
  • President 
  • Vice President (x2) 
• 3 current students of Kingston University 
• 4 external trustees

Our Memorandum and Articles of Association sets out our core purpose as a charity and the rules on how we operate. 

1. Every registered student (as defined by the University Registry) is automatically a member of the Union.
2. Byelaw 1.1 - Standard Members
3. Every Member shall be able to relinquish their right of membership to the Union, at any point of being classified as a registered student. A student who wishes to opt out of the Union should inform the University Secretary in writing, who will inform the Chief Executive Officer of the Union.
4. A student who opts out of the Union shall not be able to participate in the democratic and decision-making function of the Union. This includes not being able to stand for any officer or representative position, including club and society committee members.
5. A student who opts out of the Union shall continue to have the right to attend Union-run events and participate in the activities of clubs and societies and retain access to advice services.
6. A student who has opted out and wishes to become a member of the Union shall notify the University Secretary in writing. The University Secretary shall then inform the Chief Executive Officer. If the application falls within the period of nominations opening for a Union election, the student will not be eligible to take up the full privileges of membership until the nomination period has closed.
7. Byelaw 1.2 - Associate Members
8. An Associate Member is any individual identified by the Board as an associate member. Such as:
   • Alumni
   • Staff of Kingston University
   • Members of the public
9. For the avoidance of doubt, an Associate Member does not hold student status and is not considered a Standard Member.
10. The Board shall determine the awarding of associate membership, which may incur a fee.
11. Any Associate Member who wishes to opt out of the Union should inform the Chief Executive Officer of the Union in writing.
12. Associate Members may access:
    • Associate membership of any Student Group.
    • Events and commercial services delivered by the Union.

1. Byelaw 2.1 - Elections
2. Returning Officer:
3. NUS shall act as the Returning Officer (RO) for Kingston Students’ Union (KSU) elections. The RO in conjunction with any appointed deputies shall be responsible for the good conduct and administration of all KSU (the Union) elections and shall be responsible for interpretation of the election regulations.
4. For elections in which Officer Trustees are elected, the RO shall not be an employee of Kingston University (KU) or a member or employee of the Union. For any other election, the RO may be an employee of the Union.
5. The RO may appoint deputies to support them in their duties. One of the designated duties of any deputies appointed by the RO will be to act as Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) who will carry out duties in accordance with the election regulations in the absence of the RO. Assistant Returning Officers (ARO) may also be appointed to support the DRO with administration or other activity.
6. Any appointed deputies will not hold office within the Union at the time of election and appointed deputies should be employees of the Union.
7. Standing for Election:
8. The Student Officer roles available for election shall be as outlined in Byelaw 3, and shall include the following Full-Time positions:
   • President (One post)
   • Vice President (Two posts)
9. All students will stand for the role of President, and the person with the most votes will be offered the role of President first. The posts of Vice President will be awarded to the candidates that received the second and third most votes. Any disputes relating to the allocation of roles shall be resolved by the Board, whose decision shall be final.
10. The distribution of duties and functions between the Officers shall be agreed jointly by the Officers, with any disputes to be resolved by the Board, whose decision shall be final.
11. No member who has opted out of membership of the Union may stand for any position as stated in Byelaw 1.
12. Students with the following circumstances may not stand for any position:
    • Students who have been previously disqualified from any Union election.
    • Students who have been previously removed as an Officer, either by the Board or through a HR process.
    • Students who have previously had their employment terminated by either the Union or Kingston University.
    • Students who are banned from Union or University spaces.
    • Students that have completed less than one term of study at Kingston University.
13. Any student that is undergoing a disciplinary investigation may have their right to stand revoked at any time if the result of the investigation would have not allowed the student to stand under Byelaw 2.1 (9), up to and including upon commencement of the role.
14. Re-open nominations (RON) shall be a candidate in all Union elections. In the event that RON receives the most votes for a position, the Union shall make arrangements to rerun the election.
15. Information on standing for election including the nomination process will be made available by the Union before the election. The information shall contain a copy of the description of the role of each position in the election.
16. Members of the Union may stand for election upon submission of a nomination form by the advertised method before the closing date for receipt of nominations for the election in which they are looking to stand.
17. Nominations must reach the RO or appointed deputy not later than the advertised time on the day.
18. Students may not hold any other contractual employment (full-time or part-time), if successfully elected.
19. Students who are not completing their studies before the commencement of the role, with the exception of graduations or resubmission, must interrupt their studies while completing the role.
20. Students may not hold more than one post at any time, and so must resign or withdraw from any position(s) that would exceed this right.
21. Candidate Regulations and Guidelines:
22. The Union will run election feedback sessions, to review election regulations and its impact on candidates and the wider student body.
23. The sessions will collect feedback from (not limited to), Officers, Council members, students, staff, and former candidates which will be used to shape future candidate’s regulations.
24. A summary of these finding with a list of the proposed regulations will be proposed to the next Trustee Board for ratification.
25. The RO and/ or any appointed deputies will produce candidate regulations based upon both the ratified recommendations and election regulations.
26. Election Publicity:
27. The Union shall produce a list of candidates which shall be publicised.
28. Candidates may produce a manifesto to a specification to be determined by the RO or appointed deputies, which must be submitted by the advertised deadline to the RO or appointed deputy.
29. Upon validation of all received nominations election candidates will be provided with information pertaining to running in the election, campaigning and election regulations.
30. Candidates may produce elections publicity in line with elections regulations to utilise during the period they are standing for election. Candidates will have a budget for producing publicity materials for the election in which they are standing as outlined in the candidate regulations.
31. Campaigning:
32. Publicity must not be used in a way that a reasonable person would see as a breach of Union Code of Conduct, or University bullying and harassment, or other existing rules.
33. There shall be no campaigning within the same room/ vicinity as any official voting stations or designated voting areas.
34. Designated voting stations/ areas may be defined by the RO and any appointed deputies in the interest of preserving free and fair elections.
35. Officers of the Union that are entitled to stand for another year, must reserve annual leave for campaigning activity.
36. For existing Officers, there will be a suspension of new announcements so as to not influence the election starting two weeks before the start of campaigning.
37. Voting Procedures:
38. The RO and any appointed deputies shall ensure that all members of the Union have access to vote no matter their place or mode of study.
39. All members of the Union may vote upon completion of an appropriate identification process as decided by the RO and any appointed deputies.
40. Voting shall take place on the basis of an electronic vote through an appropriate electronic voting method as determined by the RO and any appointed deputies.
41. In the event of an electronic vote, the security of the voting system shall be assessed by the RO before its use. If they are confident in the security of the system, it shall be deemed to be secure and the decision of the RO shall be final.
42. In the event of a failure of the agreed electronic voting method or in the absence of an agreed electronic voting method then a paper voting system will be utilised.
43. In the event of a paper vote, an official Union voting paper will be made available to each member who wishes to vote. Votes will be cast in sealed ballot boxes. Voting papers shall bear the name of each candidate and the role being contested.
44. In the event of a paper vote, a postal vote shall be granted to any full member of the Union who is unable to exercise their right to vote in person.
45. Voting shall be by secret ballot and shall be conducted according to the most recently published edition of the rules for the operation of the single transferable voting (STV) system as set by the Electoral Reform Society.
46. Where necessary the Union shall publicise the arrangements for postal voting at the earliest available appropriate opportunity, only when electronic voting is not in effect.
47. The member must inform the RO or appointed deputy in writing that they wish to vote by post.
48. Postal votes will be accepted up until the close of an agreed postal voting period as agreed by the RO. The deadline for receipt of postal votes may fall after the close of ballot boxes.
49. Counting and Declaring Votes:
50. The RO or appointed deputy shall inform the candidates of the time and date of the count and the declaring of votes.
51. The RO may be assisted in the count by a number of individuals appointed by them. The count shall be conducted according to the most recently published edition of the rules for the operation of the single transferable voting (STV) system as set by the Electoral Reform Society.
52. Once the votes (or the electronic data pertaining to the votes) have been counted they should be kept for a minimum period of six months in case of appeals against the result in line with data protection.
53. Results of the elections shall be declared by the RO or appointed deputy when the count for each post has been completed and any complaints received have been resolved to the satisfaction of the RO.
54. A list of successful candidates will normally be posted online. The RO or appointed deputy will also send notification of the results to the Union Trustee Board, the NUS, the University Senior Management Team and the University Board of Governors.
55. Election Complaints:
56. Any student can submit a complaint about a candidate or their campaigns team or about the election process until one hour after the close of voting. These complaints may be on any of the following grounds.
    • Failure in good conduct of the election
    • Behaviour and activities of candidates or their supporters
    • The administrations of the elections
    • Breaches in election regulations
57. Complaints raised after this point will not be accepted, except in relation to the conduct of the count.
58. In the event of a paper ballot, any student can submit a complaint about the conduct of the count within one University day of the announcement of results. Grounds for complaints are limited to:
    • The STV calculations are inaccurate
    • There is a physical error in the count
59. The RO and any appointed deputies shall be responsible for the investigation of any breaches of the election rules.
60. All complaints must be submitted via a published complaints form, to the Deputy Returning Officer.
61. Complaints will normally be heard within 2 working days. The Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer will respond in writing and candidates and complaints will be informed of any action taken.
62. In responding to a complaint, the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer, after hearing all the appropriate evidence, may decide to apply any of the sanctions outlined below.
63. In the event the Deputy Returning Officer ruled on the complaint, a candidate can appeal the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer to the RO.
64. The appeal must be submitted via a published appeals form to the Returning Officer within 24 hours of the Deputy Returning Officers decision.
65. Appeals will normally be on the ground that the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer was:
    • Procedurally incorrect.
    • Taken outside the scope of the powers of the Deputy Returning Officer as defined by these regulations.
    • Disproportionate
66. Decisions of the RO are final with no further route for appeal.
67. Sanctions:
68. Any student found in breach of the regulations during any stage of the election may be penalised.
69. Both the Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officers are empowered to investigate any matters related to the election, infringement of election rules or complaints regarding candidate, campaign team or slate conduct. If they find that there has been an infringement, they may:
    • Not uphold a complaint
    • Apply a minor sanction including:
      • Penalty to a campaign budget
      • Restrict attendance or participation in debates
      • Restrict campaigning
    • Apply a major sanction including:
      • A formal written warning
      • Disqualification
      • Suspend elections
      • Suspend a vote count
      • Re-run elections
70. Any student found to be interfering with the smooth running of the election, acting fraudulently or otherwise illegally may be referred for disciplinary action:
    • The Union Disciplinary Panel under the Students’ Union Byelaws 7
    • The University
    • Be reported to the police.
71. Vacancies for Positions:
72. As per Articles 38.1 and 38.2, there is a process in place should an Officer Trustee resign, be disqualified or removed from their role.
73. Should this happen prior to term commencing, the count will be re-run and the position offered to the next candidate with the highest number of voters.
74. Should this happen after term has commenced, the Union will consider organising a Bye-Election.
75. Conduct of Candidates:
76. In addition to the election regulations all candidates in any election must also obey the Union Member Conduct and Disciplinary regulations as outlined in Byelaw 7.
77. By submitting a nomination, candidates agree that any views expressed, both current and historical, on any platform reflects their current views.
78. Slates and endorsements:
79. A slate is defined as candidates identifying themselves as a single group.
80. Slates are forbidden within elections at the Union of Kingston Students, and any evidence of a slate will be investigated and all those involved subject to sanctions up to and including disqualification. For avoidance of doubt, no candidates can endorse other candidates either for the same, or any other role.
81. Candidates cannot be sponsored by an external company.
82. Byelaw 2.2 - Referenda
83. Referendum may be called on any issue by:
    • A resolution of the Trustees;
    • A Secure Petition signed by 200 full members;
    • A 75% majority of the Voting Representatives of a Student Council meeting.
84. The Referendum will be publicised to all students via all available channels.
85. The Referendum will be hosted via the Union website or via paper ballot, for up to 10 working University days, where full members will be invited to cast their vote.
86. For a Referendum to pass, the vote requires a minimum of a 3%-member turnout and a simple majority of voters to vote in favour.
87. Returning Officer:
88. The Returning Officer (RO) shall be appointed annually by the Trustee Board. The RO in conjunction with any appointed deputies shall be responsible for the good conduct and administration of all KSU (the Union) referendums and shall be responsible for interpretation of the referendum regulations.
89. The RO shall not be an employee of Kingston University (KU) or hold office within the Union
90. The RO may appoint deputies to support them in their duties. One of the designated duties of any deputies appointed by the RO will be to act as Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) who will carry out duties in accordance with the referendum regulations in the absence of the RO.
91. Appointed deputies shall not be an employee of Kingston University (KU) or hold office within the Union.
92. Referendum Regulations and Guidelines:
93. The RO and/ or any appointed deputies will produce campaign regulations based upon both that will be issued to all official campaign groups before the commencement of the vote for the referendum.
94. A notice (including the dates) of referendum shall be advertised at least 5 University days before the start of voting.
95. Campaigning:
96. Only full members of KSU are eligible to campaign in the referendum and join an official campaign group.
97. Any full member of KSU who holds an elected officer position within the Union cannot use their position’s platform to campaign for any side. This includes role social media accounts and email lists.
98. Each official campaign group will appoint a lead campaigner who will act as their representative for speaking to RO/DRO.
99. No member who has opted out of membership of the Union may be appointed as a lead campaigner.
100. Information on joining official campaign groups will be made available before the start of voting.
101. There shall be no campaigning within the same room/ vicinity as any official voting stations or designated voting areas. This includes libraries, faith spaces and computer rooms on all campuses.
102. Designated voting stations/ areas may be defined by the RO and any appointed deputies in the interest of preserving free and fair referendum.
103. Publicity:
104. The Union shall produce a list of official campaign teams which shall be publicised within 2 days of the start of voting.
105. Official campaign teams may produce a statement explaining their stance to a specification to be determined by the RO or appointed deputies, which must be submitted by the start of voting.
106. Official campaign teams may produce publicity in line with referendum regulations to utilise during the period they are campaigning.
107. Debates:
108. A debate event may be held. The format, specification, location and timing will be determined by the RO and/ or any appointed deputies.
109. The Union shall publicise the location and arrangements of any debate event, voting stations/ areas, together with a list of official campaign teams and their statements.
110. Voting Procedures:
111. The RO and any appointed deputies shall ensure that all members of the Union have access to vote no matter their place or mode of study.
112. All members of the Union may vote upon completion of an appropriate identification process as decided by the RO and any appointed deputies.
113. Voting shall take place on the basis of an electronic vote through an appropriate electronic voting method as determined by the RO and any appointed deputies.
114. In the event of an electronic vote, the security of the voting system shall be assessed by the RO before its use. If they are confident in the security of the system, it shall be deemed to be secure and the decision of the RO shall be final.
115. In the event of a failure of the agreed electronic voting method or in the absence of an agreed electronic voting method then a paper voting system will be utilised.
116. In the event of a paper vote, an official Union voting paper will be made available to each member who wishes to vote. Votes will be cast in sealed ballot boxes.
117. In the event of a paper vote, a postal vote shall be granted to any full member of the Union who is unable to exercise their right to vote in person.
118. Voting shall be by secret ballot.
119. The member must inform the RO or appointed deputy in writing that they wish to vote by post.
120. Postal votes will be accepted up until the close of an agreed postal voting period as agreed by the RO. The deadline for receipt of postal votes may fall after the close of ballot boxes.
121. Counting and Declaring Votes:
122. The RO or appointed deputy shall inform the official campaign teams of the time and date of the count and the declaring of votes.
123. The RO may be assisted in the count by a number of individuals appointed by them.
124. Once the votes (or the electronic data pertaining to the votes) have been counted they should be kept for a min. period of six months in case of appeals against the result in line with data protection.
125. Results of the referendum shall be declared by the RO or appointed deputy when the count has been completed and any complaints received have been resolved to the satisfaction of the RO.
126. The RO or appointed deputy will also send notification of the results to the Union Trustee Board.
127. Complaints:
128. Any student can submit a complaint about an official campaigns team or about the referendum process until one hour after the close of voting. These complaints may be on any of the following grounds:
     • Failure in good conduct of the referendum.
     • Behaviour and activities of campaign teams.
     • The administration of the referendum.
     • Breaches in referendum regulations.
129. Complaints raised after this point will not be accepted, except in relation to the conduct of the count.
130. In the case of a paper ballot, any student can submit a complaint about the conduct of the count within one University day of the announcement of results. Grounds for complaints are limited to:
     • There is a physical error in the count.
131. The RO and any appointed deputies shall be responsible for the investigation of any breaches of the referendum rules.
132. All complaints must be submitted via a published complaints form, to the RO/DRO.
133. Complaints will normally be heard within 2 working days. The RO/DRO will respond in writing and candidates and complaints will be informed of any action taken.
134. In responding to a complaint, the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer, after hearing all the appropriate evidence, may decide to apply any of the following:
     • Not to uphold the complaint.
     • Suspend the referendum for a specified period pending an investigation(s).
     • Apply sanctions to specified official campaign groups (see sanctions below).
     • Hold the referendum count and decide whether the basis of the complaint has any impact on the outcome of the vote.
     • Re-run the referendum.
135. In the event the Deputy Returning Officer ruled on the complaint, an official campaign team can appeal the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer to the RO, except if the minor sanction has been ruled.
136. The appeal must be submitted via a published appeals form to the Retuning Officer within 24 hours of the Deputy Returning Officer’s decision.
137. Appeals will normally be on the grounds that the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer was:
     • Procedurally incorrect.
     • Taken outside the scope of the powers of the Deputy Returning Officer as defined by these regulations.
     • Disproportionate.
138. The Returning Officer will normally rule on the appeal within three University days. Decisions of the RO are final with no further route for appeal.
139. Sanctions:
140. Any student or campaign group found in breach of the regulations during any stage of the referendum may be penalised.
141. Both the Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officers are empowered to investigate any matters related to the referenda, infringement of referenda rules or complaints regarding campaigners or campaign teams. If they find that there has been an infringement, they may:
     • Apply a minor sanction including:
       • Penalty to a campaign budget
       • Restrict attendance or participation in debates
       • Restrict campaigning in a given area and or specific amount of time (this includes Union website)
     • Apply a major sanction including:
       • A formal written warning, which will be published in locations deemed appropriate by the RO or DRO
       • Suspend referenda
       • Suspend a vote count
       • Disqualification from the referendum
       • Re-run vote
142. Any student found to be interfering with the smooth running of the referendum, acting fraudulently or otherwise illegally may be referred for disciplinary action:
     • The Union Disciplinary Panel under the Students’ Union Bye-laws 7.
     • The University.
     • Be reported to the police.
143. Conduct of Official Campaign Teams:
144. The RO shall approve referendum regulations to be obeyed by all candidates may include:
     • Expenditure limits and availability of funding from the Union.
     • Rules regarding conduct of official campaign teams.
     • Designated voting areas.
     • Restrictions on referendum campaigning.
     • Social media rules.
     • Any other rules deemed necessary for the proper and safe undertaking of any said referendum
145. In addition to the referendum regulations all official campaign teams in any referendum must also obey the Union Member Conduct and Disciplinary regulations as outlined in Byelaw 7

1. Student Officers are recognised as having up to four distinct statuses:
   • Student Status – covered by University General Regulations.
   • Officer Status – covered by Political Regulations in this Byelaw 3.1.
   • Trustee Status (if a Full Time Student Officer or Student Trustee) – covered by the Trustee disqualification procedure in Article 34 of the Constitution.
   • Employee Status (if an Employee) – covered by the Union’s employee handbook policies and employment contract.
2. These statuses operate in conjunction with each other, but failures in conduct in different areas are covered by different regulations within this Byelaw.
3. Student Status shall be determined equitably by the University, but Full Time Student Officers shall be deemed to retain student status whether they have graduated or not.
4. If a Student Officer loses their student status with the University, they will be ineligible to continue in office.
5. The Student Officers do not have set portfolios.
6. The distribution of duties and functions between the Student Officers shall be agreed jointly by the Student Officers, with any disputes to be resolved by the Board, whose decision shall be final.
7. All Student Officers will be responsible for:
   • Representing students.
   • Campaigning on issues affecting students.
   • Delivering on the priorities of Student Council.
   • Attending Union, University and other meetings and activities as required.
8. All students will stand for the role of President, and the person with the most votes will be offered the role of President first. The posts of Vice President will be awarded to the candidates that received the second and third most votes. Any disputes relating to the allocation of roles shall be resolved by the Board, whose decision shall be final.
9. Byelaw 3.1 - Political Regulations
10. A Student Officer should:
    • Protect the independence of the Students’ Union and ensure that the student body has an independent voice.
    • Use all tools available to ensure there is effective communication between them and the student body.
    • Be prepared to respond to questions from the membership in a timely and honest manner via appropriate communication tools.
    • Uphold the Union’s core values of support, empower and enrich Kingston students.
    • Student Officers will be expected to supply a report of the main issues and outcomes from meetings attended to Student Council and Union Meetings. Additionally, there is an expectation that Student Officers will keep the student body informed of all issues impacting on them through all available media.
    • To conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Conduct as outlined in Byelaw 3.2.
11. A Full-Time Student Officer may not hold any other committee position within the Students’ Union other than their position as a Full-Time Student Officer. If a Student Officer is elected to another position, the result shall be void and shall not stand.
12. Removal of a Student Officer
13. If a Student Officer displays substandard performance, a full Member of the Union may pursue a process to remove a Student Officer from their post. There are two routes to removing a Student Officer from post:
    • Via Referendum
    • Via Student Council
14. A ‘Motion of No Confidence’ for Student Officers requires at least one proposer and a minimum of 199 seconders. This should be hosted on the Union’s ‘Your Ideas’ platform. The proposal should indicate whether the motion should follow either the referenda or Student Council processes.
15. The motion must state exactly which part of their job the Student Officer has failed to fulfil.
16. For motions intended for referenda, the motion shall follow Byelaw 2 with the vote requiring a 3% member turnout and a majority of voters to vote in favour of no confidence in order for the vote to stand.
17. For motions intended for Student Council, the Chair of Student Council shall call an Emergency Student Council Meeting.
18. The motion must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the Student Council.
19. In the event the vote passes through either route, that Student Officer shall be removed from their post and the position shall be referred to the Union to consider a Bye-Election.
20. When removed from their post, they shall be subsequently removed as a trustee and have their employment with KSU terminated.
21. Byelaw 3.2 – Student Officer Code of Conduct
22. Student Officers shall agree to and observe the following Code of Conduct:
    • Be aware of, abide by and champion the Union’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
    • Be an Ambassador for the Union and always portray a positive image of the services and activities on offer.
    • Treat each other courteously and respectfully.
    • Have respect for others’ privacy, space and possessions.
    • Assist in creating an environment which encourages individuals to participate if they choose to do so.
    • Create and maintain an environment free of fear and harassment of any type of abuse whether it be emotional, physical, sexual, neglect or bullying.
    • Have a personal responsibility to be fair, honest and considerate to others.
    • Ensure personal or professional differences are dealt with in private and not publicly.
    • Be mindful of language and noise levels to discourage disruption or offence to others and to ensure that the Union and meetings remain accessible.
    • Ensure status or position is not used to attain benefits or preferential treatments.
    • Maintain a professional outlook when carrying out duties on behalf of the Union and accept responsibility for their actions.
    • Upholding the Nolan Principles for Public Life.
    • Act in accordance with the policies, codes and protocols set out in this agreement.
    • Abide by the Union Employee handbook, employment terms, conditions and rules regarding working time, the use of office premises and use of equipment.
    • Acknowledge that the office holder may be removed from office under the provisions of the constitution and byelaws.
23. Failure to uphold this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, as outlined in Byelaw 3.3.
24. Any student may submit a complaint to the Union where they believe a Student Officer has contravened this Code of Conduct. Complaints will be assessed and, where appropriate, referred into the relevant procedure under Byelaw 3.3.
25. Byelaw 3.3 - Student Officer Disciplinary Framework
26. Misconduct by Student Officers will be addressed under the procedures relevant to the status engaged.
27. Where a Student Officer acts in their capacity as a KSU employee, any allegations of misconduct or poor performance shall be managed under the Union’s Disciplinary and Capability Policy. This includes (but is not limited to):
    • Bullying, harassment or discrimination.
    • Breach of Union policies.
    • Inappropriate behaviour towards staff, students, trustees or external partners.
    • Misuse of Union property, finances or resources.
    • Failure to carry out contracted duties or meet reasonable performance expectations.
28. Where a Student Officer fails to meet the duties of a trustee, the Trustee Board shall determine appropriate action in accordance with the constitution and byelaws.
29. Where a Student Officer fails to fulfil their duties as an elected representative, the democratic removal process in Byelaw 3.1 shall apply.
30. Removal under any of these processes results in the immediate loss of Student Officer, Trustee, and Employee status. An individual removed from any of these roles shall not be eligible to continue in or return to a Student Officer post.

1. There shall be student groups of the Union.
2. All student group constitutions must take the form of the template provided by the Union.
3. Sabbatical Officers must not hold any committee position on a student group.
4. Failure to abide by the below regulations or relevant student group constitution and the Union constitution may result in disciplinary action against the student group by the Union.
5. Disciplinary action may also be taken against an individual who has failed to meet the requirements laid out above, as per Byelaw 7.
6. Setting up a Student Group:
7. No student group may receive funds from the Union or use Union facilities without recognition by the Student Group Executive.
8. No student group will be recognised if its objectives conflict with those of the Union. However, this restriction shall not be interpreted in a way as to prevent the establishment of new political, religious or culturally based groups.
9. No student group will be recognised if its objectives are deemed to conflict or replicate those of an existing student group.
10. Any student group that wishes to be recognised by the Union shall present to the Student Group Executive:
    • A constitution for the student group following the template provided by the Membership Services team.
    • The name of the student group.
    • The aims and objects of the student group (which shall not conflict with those of the Union).
    • The proposed membership fee.
    • Provision for an election of a core committee as outlined by the requirements below.
    • Provision for the Union statement on equal opportunities.
    • A list of signatures of 10 proposed members.
11. Student Group Committee:
12. A student group must be led by a core committee of at least three current students in the following roles:
    • President
    • Treasurer
    • Media Officer
13. A student group committee member will be in post from the beginning of the academic year (1 August) to the end of the academic year (31 July).
14. It is the committee’s responsibility to ensure that the activities of their group do not replicate or conflict with those of another group.
15. Student Group Finance:
16. The Union’s Trustee Board shall allocate a sum in the Membership Services budget that shall be for grant aid of recognised student groups.
17. Funds will be allocated based upon the grant application procedure as outlined by the Membership Services team. The Union can only allocate funds to affiliated student groups with 10 or more members.
18. The Student Group Executive and an elected Officer will oversee the allocation of funds to student groups. This fund will be set aside to assist with the growth of student groups and may be used to assist the creation of new student groups.
19. Student groups will adhere to the Union’s financial procedures at all times.
20. The student group shall not hold its own bank account and all its finance will be administered through the Union. This includes not using other ticketing sites such as Eventbrite.
21. No-one from a student group may commit either the student group or the Union to any expenditure without prior authorisation through the Union’s financial procedures and the relevant Union staff member.
22. A student group must not allow its membership account to become overdrawn nor overspend on allocated funding.
23. If a student group ceases to exist (identified as having no financial activity for 2 years) the remaining membership funds from those groups will be released from restricted funds and redistributed to a Student Group Access Fund.
24. Responsibilities of Student Groups:
25. The student group shall be responsible for promoting itself during Freshers/induction week, and throughout the year to encourage new membership.
26. The President of the student group shall be responsible for the general day-to-day running of the student group and its activities.
27. The Media Officer shall be responsible for publicising the student group meetings, coordinating elections, up-to-date membership lists and correspondence on behalf of the student group.
28. The Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring that the student group does not exceed its funding allocation or available membership balance. The Treasurer shall also ensure that an accurate list of all equipment purchased is kept and presented to the relevant staff member, and all grant-funded equipment is returned to the Union at the end of the academic year.
29. Protected Societies:
30. Protected societies operate as student groups but are given protected status and are protected from dormancy due to staff support in the absence of a student committee.
31. Protected societies do not require a full committee to be a recognised student group.
32. The list of protected societies is not exhaustive but reviewed annually in line with the Union’s commitment to EDI.
33. Protected societies are subject to student group financial procedures.
34. Protected societies are subject to student group disciplinary procedures.
35. Protected societies’ committees will be eligible to attend Student Council as well as Student Group Executive.
36. Protected societies are eligible for additional funding to support EDI initiatives, events and campaigns as outlined by the Union.
37. Protected societies are also bound by section 1 of this byelaw.
38. Student Group Executive:
39. There will be a Student Group Executive.
40. The Student Group Executive will be formed of current student group committee members.
41. The Student Group Executive will be formed of 5 society committee members, 5 sport committee members and 5 protected society committee members.
42. Should a member cease to be a committee member of a student group they will also lose membership to the Student Group Executive.
43. The Student Group Executive will meet at least four times a year. The business of the Student Group Executive will include but is not limited to:
    • Provide representation and consultation on the business of student groups within the Union.
    • Consultation on the allocation of student group funding.
    • Ratification of new student groups.
    • Support in the allocation of reward and recognition of student groups.
44. Student Group Executives will attend Student Council.
45. An elected Officer will chair this group.
46. The group will be clerked by a suitable member of Union staff.
47. Student Group Disciplinary:
48. In the event of:
    • A breach of these regulations; or
    • The Union constitution; or
    • Where a student group has brought the Union into disrepute; or
    • A complaint from a member of the group; a complaint from a student or member of the University community; a third party (e.g. BUCS); or a member of the public; or
    • A breach of the relevant student group constitution,
49. A member of staff shall be appointed as the Investigating Lead and investigate the alleged breach with the offending student group to understand the facts. They shall notify the student group of the alleged breach within 10 working days of notification of the breach. They will launch an investigation to establish the facts surrounding the alleged breach.
50. The Union reserves the right to suspend membership entitlements or the student group whilst the investigation takes place if there are reasonable grounds to do so.
51. The Union also reserves the right to refer the breach to the University where there is also a breach of the Student Code of Conduct.
52. During the investigation, the Investigating Lead will be tasked with the responsibility of investigating the complaint and producing an investigation report to be sent to a member of the Senior Management Team, or their nominee, within 30 days of writing to the individual. This timescale may need to be extended; where this is the case, the student group will be informed.
53. Following an investigation, the Investigating Lead and a member of the Senior Management Team, or their nominee, will review the Investigation Report and conclude one of the following:
    • No further action required.
    • There is a case to answer, and the Union will seek an appropriate solution. This may include issuing an apology or undergoing further training.
    • There is a serious case to answer and the matter should be referred to a Student Group Disciplinary Hearing.
54. Group Disciplinary Hearing:
55. Where there has been a referral to the Disciplinary Hearing, a Sabbatical Officer will convene a hearing panel within 15 working days of the referral.
56. A Hearing shall consist of the following panel members:
    • Officer or their nominee, who shall chair the hearing and who shall not have previously been involved in the investigation.
    • A Student Group Executive member not involved in the investigation, or their nominee.
    • Union Manager or their nominee.
57. Procedure:
58. The Investigating Lead and appointed Union Manager will ensure the committee, and those involved, have access to all paperwork at least 5 University working days prior to the hearing.
59. The panel shall nominate a clerk, who shall be a suitable member of Union staff or arrange transcript technological support. This shall be done in advance of the hearing.
60. The Investigating Lead shall present the case to the panel.
61. No fewer than two members of the committee of the student group shall represent the group where the case is against the entire student group.
62. The panel hearing shall take place in the following manner:
    • The Investigating Lead shall present the original allegation; any submitted statements and witnesses shall be called where appropriate.
    • The panel will have the opportunity to ask questions.
    • The representatives of the student group shall be called to appear before the panel and respond to the allegation, and witnesses shall be called where appropriate.
    • The panel will have the opportunity to ask questions of the witnesses.
    • The panel shall consider the evidence and make a decision upon the basis of the evidence heard.
63. Decisions:
64. The panel may choose to apply any of the following:
    • No action.
    • Request a written apology from the student group.
    • A verbal warning, which stays on the group record for the remainder of the academic year.
    • A final written warning, which stays on the group record for the remainder of the academic year.
    • Suspension of the group’s activities for a defined period of time not greater than one academic year.
    • Suspend or dismiss a member or members of the student group committee.
    • A fine from membership funds in the case of seeking damages in line with recovering costs.
    • Dissolve the group.
    • Further investigation.
65. The panel has discretion to impose sanctions against members of the student group and the whole student group, individually and collectively. The above list is not exhaustive and other sanctions may also apply.
66. The chair of the panel shall write to the student group / individual informing them of the panel’s decision within a reasonable timeframe.
67. Appeals:
68. Where the student group / individual is unsatisfied with the decision of the Hearing, they may appeal to the CEO on the following grounds, and must include evidence that:
    • The investigation and/or disciplinary hearing was conducted in a way that was procedurally incorrect.
    • Subsequent new evidence has become available that the disciplinary panel was not able to consider.
    • The sanction is not appropriate to the misconduct that has taken place.
69. The student group / individual must write to the CEO within 5 working days that they wish to appeal and state the grounds for appeal.
70. The CEO shall have the following powers:
    • To overturn the original decision made by the disciplinary hearing.
    • To uphold the decision made by the disciplinary hearing.
    • To amend any penalty imposed by the Hearing within their power.
71. The CEO shall inform the student group / individual of the decision of the appeal within 10 working days of submitting the appeal.
72. There shall be no appeal available to the student group from the decision of the CEO.

1. The Union shall have a Student Council that is responsible for the accountability of Officers, representing students and agreeing policy of the Union.
2. Byelaw 5.1 - Membership
3. The voting member composition of the Student Council shall consist of four caucuses, each representing 25% of the votes within Student Council, regardless of the number of representatives from each section:
   • Protected Societies Representatives
   • Societies and Sports Representatives
   • Academic Representatives
   • Campus Representatives
4. The process for appointing representatives from each caucus shall be agreed by the Board of Trustees on an annual basis and will be made available to students.
5. The following may also attend meetings with speaking rights, but not voting rights:
   • Student Trustees
   • Full Members of the Students’ Union
   • Students’ Union Staff
   • Full Time Officers
6. Positions
7. A Chair of Student Council shall be elected from within Student Council at the start of the academic year.
8. A Vice Chair of Student Council shall be elected from the Protected Societies within Student Council at the start of the academic year.
9. A relevant staff member of the Union shall be identified as Clerk to Student Council. The Clerk shall facilitate the voting mechanisms for Student Council and take the minutes of any meeting.
10. Roles and Responsibilities
11. Campus Representatives are responsible for attending Student Council representing students from their respective campus and providing insight to the Union as to the experiences of those students.
12. There shall be one Campus Representative from each of the following:
    • Kingston Hill
    • Knights Park
    • Penrhyn Road
    • Roehampton Vale
13. Academic Representatives shall be represented by Faculty Reps, whereby there shall be three Faculty Reps per Faculty. The responsibilities of Academic Representatives are as defined in the Academic Representation Partnership Agreement.
14. There shall be one Faculty representative from each of the following:
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate Taught
    • Postgraduate Research
15. Protected Societies shall be represented by one committee member from each Protected Society. The responsibilities of Protected Societies are as defined in Byelaw 4.
16. Societies and Sports shall be represented by the members of the Student Group Executive on behalf of Societies and Sport. The responsibilities of the Student Group Executive are as defined in Byelaw 4.
17. Byelaw 5.2 - Activities of Student Council
18. Powers
19. Student Council will have the following powers:
    • Propose, debate and approve the Policy of the Union via motions.
    • Refer Policy to a Referendum of a quorate meeting.
    • Receive Full Time Officer reports and hold them to account on their actions.
    • Receive reports, when deemed appropriate, from the Board of Trustees.
    • Propose and debate any byelaw amendments by a quorate meeting, subject to ratification by the Board of Trustees.
    • Hear a vote of no confidence in a Full Time Officer as per the procedure outlined in Byelaw 3.
20. Meetings of Student Council
21. Student Council shall convene no less than once a term.
22. A meeting is defined as any pre-arranged formal gathering of Council members, inclusive of in-person and online arrangements.
23. The quorum of in-person and online meetings shall be 50%+1 of Voting Members of Student Council, with at least 50%+1 of each of the four caucuses present.
24. Before each meeting, all full members of the Union will be notified that a meeting is taking place with appropriate notice.
25. All motions must have a proposer and seconder, both of whom are full members of the Union.
26. All motions must be submitted to the Chair of Union Council by 10 University Working Days before the meeting.
27. Emergency motions can be submitted to the Chair of Union Council either at the start of a meeting, under Any Other Business or Motions section, as long as they are accompanied by an explanation as to why they could not be submitted by the original deadline.
28. An Emergency motion will only be accepted by the Chair if:
    • The Chair considers the motion to be of significant importance;
    • There has been no delay in notifying them; and
    • There is time for them to be duly considered by Council.
29. Motions can also arise from the Student Ideas platform, as long as they meet the following criteria:
    • A student idea has at least 5 more upvotes than downvotes.
    • The Union does not have any similar live policies related to the topic.
    • The idea does not contravene the Union’s charitable objectives.
30. Each meeting will contain the following agenda items as standing items:
    • Welcome and Apologies
    • Minutes from Last Meeting
    • Actions
    • Conflicts of Interest
    • Officer Reports
    • Motions
    • Any Other Business
31. Student Council shall also receive the following on an annual basis from the Board:
    • Audited accounts
    • Annual Report
32. Any additional items for the agenda can be added through a joint agreement between Chair and Vice Chair of Student Council.
33. Motions submitted to Student Council may be debated at a meeting of Student Council but will be voted on through an online platform to enable all members of Student Council to participate.
34. The Chair of Union Council shall chair all Student Council meetings. If they have a conflict of interest or are unable to attend the meeting, then the Vice Chair will chair the relevant sections.
35. Should neither the Chair nor the Vice-Chair of Council be available, or should both hold a conflict of interest, the Council shall elect a chair for that meeting or item as appropriate.
36. Should all members of Student Council hold a conflict of interest, then a Sabbatical Officer shall be invited to chair the item.
37. The minutes of Council shall be made available to students.
38. Procedures
39. For motions related to policy, Student Council requires simple majority of a quorate meeting to pass.
40. There are two types of policy that may be proposed:
    • Time-limited Policy – a policy that may relate to a specific event or point in time, that expires once that event has passed. Time-limited policy cannot be amended once passed.
    • Fixed Policy – a policy that acts as a general stance of the Union. This policy does not expire but may be amended.
41. For both Time-limited and Fixed policy, students may submit a motion to remove the policy. The process to be the same as any other motion.
42. Issues which are solely the business of Protected Societies should only be voted on by Protected Societies.
43. The Chair will decide right of priority in speaking and length of discussion to allow all items of business on the agenda to be considered.
44. A member may speak at any time on a point of order.
45. Points of information may be made at the discretion of the member speaking.
46. Procedural motions may be proposed at any time and shall be voted on immediately, however each procedural motion may only be proposed once during the same item of business at the discretion of the Chair. Procedural motions require a simple majority to pass, unless otherwise stated.
47. Procedural motions may be the following:
    • A motion that a vote be taken.
    • A motion that the matter be deferred for further discussion at the next meeting.
    • A motion that the matter be referred to referendum (requiring a vote of at least 75% of Student Council to pass).
    • A motion for a temporary adjournment of the meeting.
    • A motion of no confidence in the Chair (requiring a vote of over 2/3 majority).
48. Byelaw 5.3 - Code of Conduct
49. Members of Student Council should:
    • Attend all meetings of Student Council for the duration of the meeting and represent their caucus.
    • Adhere to the Constitution and Byelaws and be bound by the mandates of the Board of Trustees and Student Council.
    • Protect the independence of the Students’ Union, and ensure that the student body has an independent voice.
    • Use all tools available to ensure there is effective communication between them and the student body.
    • Be prepared to respond to questions from the membership in a timely and honest manner via appropriate communication tools.
    • Uphold the Union’s core values of support, empower and enrich Kingston students.
    • Be aware of, abide by and champion the Union’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
    • Be an Ambassador for the Union and always portray a positive image of the services and activities on offer.
    • Treat each other courteously and respectfully.
    • Have respect for others’ privacy, space and possessions.
    • Assist in creating an environment which encourages individuals to participate if they choose to do so.
    • Create and maintain an environment free of fear and harassment of any type of abuse whether it be emotional, physical, sexual, neglect or bullying.
    • Have a personal responsibility to be fair, honest and considerate to others.
    • Ensure personal or professional differences are dealt with in private and not publicly.
    • Be mindful of language and noise levels to discourage disruption or offence to others and to ensure that the Union and meetings remain accessible.
    • Ensure status or position is not used to attain benefits or preferential treatments.
    • Maintain a professional outlook when carrying out duties on behalf of the Union and accept responsibility for their actions.
    • Uphold the Nolan Principles for Public Life.
50. Removal of a member
51. If a member of Student Council displays substandard performance, a full Member of the Union may pursue a process to remove any member of Student Council. There are two routes available:
    • Via Referendum
    • Via Student Council
52. A ‘Motion of No Confidence’ for members of Student Council requires at least one proposer and a minimum of 199 seconders. This should be hosted on the Union’s ‘Your Ideas’ platform. The proposal should indicate whether the motion should follow either the referenda or Student Council processes.
53. The motion must state exactly which part of their role the member of Student Council has failed to fulfil.
54. For motions intended for referenda, the motion shall follow Byelaw 2 with the vote requiring a 3% member turnout and a majority of voters to vote in favour of no confidence in order for the vote to stand.
55. For motions intended for Student Council, the Chair of Student Council shall call an Emergency Student Council Meeting.
56. The motion must be passed by a two thirds majority of the Student Council, with at least three of the four caucuses reaching the threshold, one of which must be the caucus of which that member of Student Council belongs to.
57. Any member of Student Council may also pursue a process to remove another member of Student Council, through Student Council following the same process as any other motion, as defined in Byelaw 5.2.
58. Student Council members may also be removed by Student Council if they miss two consecutive meetings of Student Council without apologies.
59. In the event the vote passes through any route as outlined in this byelaw, that student shall be removed from their post as member of Student Council and the vacant position shall be referred to the Union to consider a suitable arrangement.
60. In the case where a Campus Representative is removed from Student Council, they will also be removed from their role as Campus Representative.
61. Other members of Student Council may also lose their membership to Student Council if they are removed from the position which they fill, that entitles them to attend Student Council. The process to remove a student from their position can be found in their respective Byelaws.

1. In accordance with the Articles, the Union shall have a Board of Trustees which shall include:
   • Not more than three Officer Trustees, elected in accordance with Article 29.1 of the Constitution.
   • Not more than three Student Trustees, as per Article 29.2 and appointed in accordance with Article 31.1.
   • Not more than four External Trustees, appointed in accordance with Article 29.3 of the Constitution and this Byelaw.
   • One University Trustee, appointed in accordance with Article 33 and this Byelaw.
2. The Officer Trustees shall include the following posts:
   • President (one position)
   • Vice President (two positions)
3. Responsibilities of the Board
4. In accordance with Article 39 of the Constitution, the Trustees are responsible for the management and administration of the Union, ensuring the Union remains legally compliant and solvent.
5. The Trustees have overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Union.
6. The Trustees are directors of the Union under company law and charity trustees under charity law.
7. Conflict of Interest
8. Trustees’ conflicts of interest (defined by Article 54 of the Constitution) are required to be avoided where possible, or otherwise identified and managed, as provided for in the Articles.
9. Officer Trustees
10. The Officer Trustees shall be elected by secret ballot of the Full Members in accordance with Article 30 and Byelaw 2.
11. The dates and terms of office may vary on an annual basis to coincide with an alteration in the University calendar. For Officer Trustees elected at Bye-Election, the term of office shall commence immediately when the result of the ballot is announced, and terminate on the same date as remaining Officer Trustees of the same academic year.
12. The Officer Trustees may serve for a maximum of two terms of office which may be either consecutive or non-consecutive.
13. At the same time as commencing their term of office as a Trustee, the Officer Trustees are required to enter into a written contract of employment with the Union, which shall remain in force for their term of office.
14. The day-to-day duties of the Officer Trustees are set out in the written job description of each Officer Trustee which will be made available to members, and provided with their written contracts of employment.
15. The Officer Trustees are expected to abide by the Union’s Staff Handbook and any codes of conduct, procedures and rules for staff contained in the handbook. Breaches of these may result in disciplinary action.
16. If an Officer Trustee ceases to be a Trustee by virtue of any provisions of Articles 34–35 of the Constitution, they may also be subject to the Union’s disciplinary procedures as detailed in the staff policies.
17. External Trustees
18. The External Trustees shall be appointed to office in accordance with this Byelaw and the Articles by the Appointments Committee.
19. The recruitment and appointment process shall be conducted by the Appointments Committee and approved by a simple majority vote of the Trustee Board.
20. The term of office of the External Trustees shall commence immediately upon appointment and shall last for up to four years. At the end of their first term of office, External Trustees shall be eligible for reappointment by a simple majority vote of the Trustees for a further term of up to four years, but shall not be eligible for reappointment thereafter if they have served a maximum total term of eight years.
21. As per Article 51.1, the Chair of the Trustees shall be an External Trustee elected to serve as Chair by the Board.
22. University Trustee
23. A University Trustee may be appointed by Kingston University by serving notice in writing on the Union.
24. University Trustees shall remain in office for a term of up to 4 years commencing in accordance with the Byelaws.
25. University Trustees may serve for a maximum of 2 terms which may be consecutive or non-consecutive.
26. Student Trustees
27. Student Trustees shall be appointed to office in accordance with this Byelaw and the Articles by the Appointments Committee.
28. The recruitment process shall be conducted by the Appointments Committee and approved by a simple majority vote of the Trustee Board.
29. Each Student Trustee must be a student at the time of their appointment and for the duration of their term as a Student Trustee.
30. Student Trustees shall commence in line with Officer Trustees and shall last for up to one year. The term of office may be shorter or longer on a transitional basis to coincide with the alteration of the year start or end.
31. Student Trustees may serve a maximum of two terms.
32. Disqualification, Resignation and Removal of Trustees
33. The circumstances under which Trustees may be disqualified, may resign or be removed are set out in Articles 34 of the Constitution.
34. Appeals against the removal of a Trustee by the Board
35. In accordance with Articles 34–35 of the Constitution, a Trustee may be removed from office. A Trustee removed from office in accordance with Article 34 or 35 shall be entitled to appeal the decision to an Appeals Panel within 14 days of the resolution. The Trustee appealing shall be called “the Appellant.”
36. The Appellant has the right to appeal provided they lodge their appeal in writing with the Chief Executive Officer not more than 14 days after receipt of the written notice of the decision of the Trustees.
37. The appeal should contain a statement of the grounds upon which the appeal is brought and of the facts and matters relied upon.
38. If an appeal is lodged within time, the decision to dismiss the Appellant shall not take effect until the final determination on the matter.
39. The Appellant shall be given at least 5 working days’ written notice of the time and place of the appeal hearing.
40. At least 4 days prior to the date of the hearing, the Appellant shall:
    • Confirm whether or not they intend to attend the hearing and, if so, the name of any person who will be accompanying or presenting for them.
    • Submit any new evidence that they wish to rely on.
41. At least 2 days prior to the date of the hearing, the Union shall provide the Appellant with any further evidence which it wishes to rely upon.
42. Neither party shall, without the consent of the other or the permission of the Appeals Panel, rely on any statement or document other than those provided or identified in the preceding paragraphs.
43. Appeals Panel
44. The Appeals Panel shall be made up of:
    • A nominee of the University, who will chair the meeting.
    • One independent person.
    • A Chief Executive Officer of another students’ union.
    • An Officer of another students’ union or NUS.
    • A member of the Trustee Board.
45. Each member of the Appeals Panel shall be independent and shall not have had any substantive involvement in the matter under appeal. The relationship with the Appellant should not give rise to any conflict of interest. The selection of the members of the Appeals Panel and its procedures shall be the responsibility of the Appeals Panel Chair.
46. The Appellant shall be entitled to be accompanied or represented by one other person of their choosing, except where in the opinion of the Chair of the Appeals Panel such person has a conflict of interest.
47. The President of the Students’ Union shall act on behalf of the Union as the respondent to the appeal (the “Respondent”) and for this purpose may instruct a representative. In the case that the President is the Appellant an alternative officer will be sought.
48. The order of proceedings for the Appeals Panel meeting, unless the Chair otherwise directs, will be as follows:
    • Submissions by or on behalf of the Appellant.
    • Submissions by or on behalf of the Respondent.
    • Consideration of the evidence by the Appeals Panel.
    • Closing submissions by or on behalf of the Appellant.
    • Closing submissions by or on behalf of the Respondent.
49. If at the appeal hearing the Appellant is not present or represented, the Appeals Panel may proceed to consider the matter in the Appellant’s absence if it is satisfied that notice was properly served upon them.
50. The courses of action which the Appeals Panel may take are:
    • To uphold the appeal.
    • To reject the appeal.
51. Within 7 days of deciding on the appropriate course of action, the Chief Executive Officer will notify the Appellant in writing of the decision of the Appeals Panel.
52. Trustee Committees
53. In accordance with the Articles, the Union shall have a Board of Trustees which shall include a number of sub-committees including but not limited to:
    • People & Culture Committee
    • Finance, Audit & Risk Committee
    • Appointments Committee
    • Organisational Development Committee
54. The Terms of Reference for each committee shall be agreed by the Board on an annual basis.

1. This code and its parts apply equally to all Standard Members, Associate Members, honorary life members, and their guests. The code covers actions that occur on Union or University premises (our social space and office spaces) or whilst representing the Union. Complaints about behaviour in other areas will be addressed via the University Code of Student Behaviour.
2. Any student, staff or member of the public is entitled to raise a complaint about behaviour. Complaints can also be raised collectively.
3. This code does not cover the behaviour of Full Time Officers, which is dealt with under Byelaw 3.
4. Behaviour which may result in investigation includes (non-exhaustive):
   • Anti-social behaviour, contrary to the Union and University’s policies on Equal Opportunities, or other Union policies.
   • Threatening, bullying, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour towards students or staff, verbal or physical.
   • Inappropriate behaviour due to intoxication or otherwise.
   • Vandalism or damage to University or Union property, including graffiti.
   • Theft.
   • Assault on students or staff.
   • Use, possession, or distribution of illegal or controlled substances.
   • Breach of the Union’s constitution or Byelaw.
   • Incapacity whilst on Union activities or duties.
   • Breaches of laws impacting on the efficient running of the Union.
   • Fraud.
   • Bringing malicious complaints as part of this process.
5. Investigation of a Complaint
6. If an individual student’s behaviour contravenes the Union’s code of behaviour, then a complaint should be made in writing to the Union.
7. Upon receiving a complaint, a staff member will be appointed as Investigation Lead to investigate the complaint and will seek to understand and establish the facts surrounding the case. They will notify the individual that an investigation is taking place within 10 working days of receiving the complaint.
8. During the period of investigation, the student may be suspended from Students’ Union activities and premises. This will be communicated by the Investigation Lead.
9. Depending on the seriousness of the breach, a risk assessment may be created if the individual poses a risk to other members.
10. Where a complaint alleges a contravention of University policies, or where the complaint concerns Kingston University staff, the complaint will be referred to the University complaints procedure.
11. During the investigation, the Investigation Lead will investigate the complaint and produce an investigation report to be sent to a member of the Senior Management Team, or their nominee, within 30 days of the notification of the breach. This timescale may need to be extended; where this is the case, the complainant will be informed and kept up to date with progress.
12. The investigation report will concisely summarise the facts and, if the allegation is upheld, recommend an effective course of action.
13. Following the investigation, the Investigation Lead and a member of the Senior Management Team, or their nominee, will review the Investigation Report and conclude one of the following:
    • No further action; complaint dropped.
    • Complaint resolved informally, either through mediation or remedial action.
    • Complaint referred to a Disciplinary Hearing.
14. The individual will be informed of the outcome in writing.
15. Disciplinary Hearing
16. Where there has been a referral to a disciplinary hearing, an Officer, or their nominee, will convene a panel within 15 working days of the referral.
17. A Disciplinary Hearing shall consist of the following members:
    • An Officer or their nominee who shall chair the hearing and who shall not have previously been involved in the investigation.
    • Union Manager or their nominee.
18. The panel shall nominate a clerk, who shall be a suitable member of Union staff. This shall be done in advance of the hearing.
19. The Investigation Lead and appointed Union Manager will ensure the panel, and those involved, have access to all paperwork at least 5 University working days prior to the hearing.
20. The respondent may bring a representative to the hearing. The representative’s role is to ensure the process is fair and that the respondent can respond to the accusation.
21. The hearing will proceed in the following manner:
    • The Investigation Lead presents the original complaint, investigation report, and witnesses where appropriate.
    • The panel may question witnesses.
    • The Investigation Lead and witnesses leave the meeting.
    • The respondent responds to the complaint, calling witnesses where appropriate.
    • The panel may question witnesses.
    • The respondent and witnesses leave the meeting.
    • The panel considers the evidence from both sides.
    • The panel makes a decision based on the evidence presented.
22. Attendance by the respondent is not mandatory. The complaint may be heard in their absence, and action taken, unless there is good reason for non-attendance.
23. Decisions
24. The Disciplinary Committee may apply any of the following:
    • No action.
    • Suspension from Union activities.
    • Fine to value of damage done / fine to meet losses.
    • Action against a malicious complainant if a complaint is deemed malicious, including bringing procedures against the complainant.
    • Request for a written apology.
    • Verbal warning, which stays on record for one academic year.
    • Written warning / final written warning, which stays on record for the duration of study.
    • Dismissal from post (if a volunteer role is held within the Union, e.g., council member, committee member, academic rep).
    • Revocation of membership.
    • Further investigation.
    The above list is not exhaustive and other sanctions may also apply.
25. The individual will be informed of the outcome of the Disciplinary Hearing within 10 working days.
26. Police Investigations
27. If there is Police involvement in the investigation of the incident, the Union disciplinary action will be suspended until the Police action is concluded, or the outcome of any court case is known. The respondent will be barred from Union premises and activities until the conclusion of the Police action. It is the responsibility of the respondent to inform the Union that Police action has concluded.
28. Where action is taken, the Disciplinary Hearing Panel will pass this information to the University.
29. All decisions of the Disciplinary Hearing will be communicated in writing to the respondent and complainant.
30. Appeals
31. Appeals may be made in writing to the CEO no later than five working days from receipt of the decision made by the hearing. The appeal must state the grounds for appeal.
32. Appeals may be submitted on three grounds and must include evidence that:
    • The investigation and/or disciplinary hearing was conducted in a way that was procedurally incorrect.
    • Subsequent new evidence has become available that the disciplinary panel was not able to consider.
    • The sanction is not appropriate to the misconduct that has taken place.
33. Appeals will be heard by the Appeals Committee which will consist of:
    • CEO
    • Elected Officer
    If any of the above have been involved at a previous stage of the investigation or disciplinary action, they will be replaced by an appropriate nominee.
34. The Appeals Committee will meet initially to decide if the appeal meets the grounds outlined above.
35. If the grounds are met, the Appeals Committee will reconvene to consider the evidence in the same manner as the Disciplinary Hearing procedure.
36. The Appeals Committee may:
    • Overturn the original decision made by the disciplinary hearing.
    • Uphold the decision made by the disciplinary hearing.
    • Amend any penalty imposed by the Hearing within their power.
37. The only further source of appeal available is to the University Secretary. In accordance with the Education Act 1994, the University Secretary will appoint an independent person to hear the appeal.

The Service Level Agreement, or SLA, is an agreement between KSU and KU that sets out how we work together. We have some specific responsibilities as per the Education Act 1994, but it also details other arrangements between us. 

A Fixed Policy is a policy that acts as a general stance of KSU. Students can introduce, amend or remove these policies through Student Council or Referenda. 

A Time-limited Policy is a policy that may relate to a specific event or point in time that automatically expires once that event has passed. Time-limited policy cannot be amended once passed but can be introduced through Student Council or Referenda. 

Check out our Privacy Policy here

Although we do our best to provide an excellent experience for you and ensure that our services are fit to meet your needs, we understand that this isn't always the case.    

You can make a complaint by emailing studentsunion@kingston.ac.uk, outlining your experience and any relevant details, on the following: 

• A service you received 
• A member of staff 
• A student 
• A student group 

A senior manager at KSU will respond to you within 5 working days. 

View the full Complaints Procedure here.

View our External Speakers Policy here.