Constitution


CONSTITUTION
OF THE

SCIENCE EDUCATION ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
OF THE

POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE,
UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA

ARTICLE 1: NAME
The name of the Association shall be the Science Education Alumni Association of the Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya. Hereinafter mentioned as ‘the Association’.

ARTICLE 11: OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association shall be;
1. to encourage, foster and promote close relationship between the Postgraduate Institute of Science and her alumni and among the alumni themselves;
2. to ensure that alumni programmes are initiated and developed for the benefit of the alumni;
3. to provide and disseminate information regarding Science Education programmes to the alumni; 4. to pursue any other objectives which are in conformity with the above aims and objectives of the Association.

ARTICLE 111: PATRONS
The Director of Postgraduate Institute of Science and the Chair-person of the Board of Science Education shall be the Patron and Vice-Patron of the Association respectively.

ARTICLE 1V: MEMBERSHIP
1. There shall be four categories of members.
i.. Ordinary Members Any person who is a holder of Postgraduate Diploma in Science Education and/or has obtained Postgraduate degree in Science Education qualification of the Postgraduate Institute of Science;
ii Life Members Any ordinary member is eligible to be a life member by paying an enhanced once for all payment;
iii. Associate Members Holder of the Bachelor of Science degree of any recognized University/Institution with science and/or mathematics teaching experience at the school or university level.
iv. Honorary Members Any person who is not eligible for ordinary membership, but has rendered distinguished service in the field of Science Education, may be nominated by the Executive Committee and be elected by the Association as an honorary member.

2. Application for Membership
a) Application for membership shall be made in the prescribed form. It shall be proposed and seconded by general or life members.
b) The Executive Committee shall have the power to award the membership for such applicant.

3. All ordinary members and life members shall have the right to vote, to be nominated for office in the Association, to propose and the second the candidature of another eligible member and to receive all communications from the General Secretary.

4. Any member who has not paid his annual subscription fee regularly will be deemed to have vacated the membership as decided by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. The Executive Committee (EC) of the Association shall consists of the following;
i. President;
ii. Vice President,
iii. General Secretary;
iv. Two Assistant Secretaries;
v. Treasurer
vi. Assistant Treasurer
vii. Ten members to represent different fields of science and mathematics education, namely, biology, chemistry, computing/information technology, general science, mathematics, and physics; and
viii. The immediate past president of the Association.

2. The Executive Committee members of the Association shall be elected at the annual general meeting and shall hold office for a period of one calendar year. However an exception is made for the first executive committee. They are eligible for re-election.

3. The voting at all Annual General Meetings (AGM) shall be by a show of hands unless a majority of members request a secret ballot.

4. i. The Executive Committee of the Association shall meet at least four times a year.
ii. The quorum of a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be seven.

5. Any vacancy is in respect of the office of President, Secretary or Treasurer such vacancy shall be filled by means of an election at a General Meeting of the Association. The Executive Committee shall appoint the Vice President to act in case of vacancy of the office of President.

6. Any vacancy occurring in the Executive Committee of the Association, except the post of President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be filled by the Executive Committee. However acting arrangements may be made by the EC in respect of these posts subject to ratification by a general meeting of the association called by the EC.

7. All members of the Executive Committee shall serve in an honorary capacity and shall not be eligible to receive any payment whatsoever for the service they render as Executive Committee members.

ARTICLE VI: STANDING COMMITTEES
1. There shall be appointed Standing Committees on
i. Continuing Education
ii. Reunions
iii. Elections and Constitutional matters.

2. The Executive Committee of the Association may appoint any other Committee for a specific purpose.

3. Each of the Standing Committee shall be nominated by the Executive Committee for a period of one year.

4. Each of the Standing Committees shall consist of five general members of whom one shall be a member of the Executive Committee and who shall be the Chair of such Committee.
However, the General Secretary of the Association shall be the member representing the Executive Committee on Elections and Constitutional Matters.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
1. The annual general meeting of the Association shall be held every year, in December at a time and place fixed by the Executive Committee. The business of the annual general meeting will be carried out by the outgoing Office-Bearers and the new Office-Bearers will take over their duties from the outgoing Office-Bearers immediately after the proceedings of the annual general meeting are concluded.

2. A special meeting of the Association shall be convened by the General Secretary of the Association at the written request of such number of members as may be specified by a by-law of the Association.

3. A general or special meeting shall be convened by the General Secretary of the Association at the instance of the Executive Committee.

4. The quorum at a special or a general meeting of the Association shall be 1/10 of the ordinary members who are not in arrears of their subscriptions.

ARTICLE VIII: REGIONAL CHAPTERS
‘Regional Chapters’ may be formed with the approval of the Executive Committee.


ARTICLE IX: CONTRACTS, ENDOWMENTS ETC
1. The Executive Committee may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the Association, to enter into any contract or executive and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Association. And such act shall be subject to ratification by the Executive Committee.

2. All cheques, drafts or orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Association shall be signed by the President or the Vice-President who is authorized in that behalf by the Executive Committee, and the Treasurer. In the event of the Treasurer being unable to exercise the function of his office for any reason, or on the authority of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer shall sign cheques on behalf of the Treasurer.

3. All funds of the Association shall be deposited to the credit of the Association in such bank or banks as the Executive Committee may elect.

4. The Executive Committee may accept on behalf of the Association any gifts for general purpose or for any special purpose of the Association.

ARTICLE X: FISCAL YEAR
1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from the first of January to the 31st December.

2. The accounts of the Treasurer shall be in accordance with the fiscal year of the Association and shall be audited at the end of the fiscal year by a qualified Charted Accountant appointed by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XI: STAFF
The staff composition and number shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XII: SEAL
The Executive Committee shall provide a corporate seal which shall be a circular die with the words the SCIENCE EDUCATION ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (PGIS), UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA around the outer edge with a representation of the Postgraduate Institute of Science in the centre.

ARTICLE XIII: BY LAWS
The By-Laws which are annexed to the Constitution as ‘Appendix’ shall be the By-Law of the Association. The executive commi8ttee may with the approval of the two-third of the whole number of its members including those not present amend, modify, repeal or add to any of the By-laws.

ARTICLE XIV: AMENDMENTS
This constitution shall not be amended except with the approval of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting at the annual general meeting or a special convened meeting, provided however that notice shall be given to each voting member of the Association at least two weeks in advance of the meeting

 
© Postgraduate Institute of Science-University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka