Loughborough University Alumni Association Operating Procedures

1. The Alumni Association is recognised as a membership body of the University in accordance with its Statutes and Ordinances. These Operating Procedures detail how the obligations of the Alumni Advisory Board under the Alumni Association Constitution will be discharged. 

Composition

2. The voting and non-voting members of the Alumni Advisory Board represent Loughborough University’s ever-growing Alumni community and are described further in the body of this document. 

President

3. The Alumni Association President provides the necessary leadership to ensure that the Alumni Advisory Board functions efficiently and effectively in performing its mission. He/she must command the full support and respect of the Alumni Advisory Board, the Alumni Association members and the Principal Patron and Vice Patrons of the Alumni Association. The President must undertake the role of Ambassador to the Alumni Association and to the University. 

Vacancies

4. Should an Alumni Advisory Board Member stand down during his/her period of office the position will be filled at the next annual round of elections.

Regular Meetings

5. The Alumni Advisory Board will meet a minimum of 4 times per year. At least one meeting shall be held at the Loughborough University campus and one at the Loughborough University London campus. Appropriate communications technology shall be used to facilitate remote attendance of these meetings. 

6. The Alumni Advisory Board shall convene a General Meeting to which all Alumni Association members are invited. 

Emergency Meetings and Urgent Decisions

7. With the approval of at least one-third of the Alumni Advisory Board membership, the President of the Alumni Association can call an emergency meeting to address extraordinary circumstances. Any member of the Alumni Advisory Board may suggest the need for an emergency meeting to the President. 

Attendance at Meetings

8. Whilst the Alumni Advisory Board shall be made up of fifteen elected members, additional members may attend when the President Elect takes a place, or when the immediate Past President remains on the Board, ensuring some continuity.

9. Attendance shall be recorded by the Engagement Team at the start of each Alumni Advisory Board meeting. 

Agenda of Meetings and Background Documentation

10. The President, in consultation with the Engagement Team, will develop the Alumni Advisory Board meeting agenda. A final agenda will be sent to Members one (1) week in advance of the meeting. 

Discussion Items 

11. Discussion items may be presented to the Alumni Advisory Board meeting with a proposed action or decision to discuss or vote upon. Any Member may suggest such discussion items to the President, who will determine when they will be discussed. 

Discussion & Decision-Making at Board Meetings

12. The President shall use best efforts to facilitate inclusive debate and discussion around discussion items, delivering a decision by simple majority. If all practical efforts by the President have not led to consensus, then the President’s voting decision carries the motion.

13. Should the President be unfit to Chair, make decisions or lead the Alumni Advisory Board, due to illness, dismissal or early termination of office, then the President Elect shall assume responsibility of Acting President until such time that the President can return to their post or simply continue in that role until their natural term commences. Should no President Elect exist at that time, then the Alumni Advisory Board may authorise another Alumni Advisory Board Member to serve as Acting Chair in place of the President. An acting chair must be nominated by at least one (1) other Alumni Advisory Board Member and the decision shall be carried by simple majority. 

Language

14. The official working language of the Alumni Association is English. Alumni Advisory Board meetings, the General Meeting and any materials prepared by and for the these meetings, including meeting minutes, shall be in English. 

Transparency

15. All Alumni Advisory Board decisions and related documents shall be made available on request to any Alumni Association member in accordance with the Alumni Association Constitution, unless any documents are considered private and confidential. 

Communications

16. Inter-sessional communication outside of Alumni Advisory Board meetings between the President, Members and the Engagement Team may be conducted via personto-person meetings, or any appropriate form of communication. 

Inter-sessional Decision-Making

17. Working Groups of the Alumni Advisory Board may be empowered on occasion to discuss and make decisions on behalf of the Alumni Advisory Board that sit within a specifically approved remit. Decisions must be confirmed in writing via email or verbally via person-to-person meetings, video or teleconference and shall be recorded in an official document of the Working Group. These documents must be summarised and presented as a report at the next Alumni Advisory Board meeting. 

Co-opted Members

18. The President shall have the authority to co-opt a non-voting member, or members (maximum of 2), to the Alumni Advisory Board if it is felt that additional experience or expertise would aid the work of the Alumni Advisory Board. 

Independent Expertise

19. The President, Alumni Advisory Board or Chairs of Working Groups may at their discretion, invite independent experts to attend meetings, provided that the decision is approved by a simple majority of that particular Working Group. A defined need for expertise must exist prior to invitation of any expert and the independent expert must possess skills that are relevant to the needs of the Working Group at that time. Such experts do not have to be members of the Alumni Association and do not have voting rights. Expertise must be provided on a pro-bono basis.

Timing of Elections and Commencement of Terms  

20. Voting members will elect the fifteen-member Alumni Advisory Board. Elections will be conducted annually to replace retiring Board members as they complete their term of service. In the case of a vacancy due to circumstances other than the end  4 of the term of service, elections to fill the vacant place shall take place during the next voting window. 

Nomination Process

21. The Engagement Team shall advertise open vacancies for the Alumni Advisory Board for a minimum period of fourteen (14) days prior to opening the submission window for candidates to submit their applications.

22. Nomination papers for members wishing to stand for election will be posted on the Alumni Association website along with the role and responsibilities of elected Alumni Advisory Board Members. Any member of the Alumni Association, having considered the requirements of the role, may put themselves forward for election by downloading and completing the application form found on the website.

23. The submission window shall remain open for a minimum period of fourteen (14) days. 

Shortlisting Process

24. A Working Group of the Alumni Advisory Board may be formed to provide a shortlist of nominated candidates against a set of evaluation criteria consistent with the Alumni Association Constitution. 

Election Process

25. The voting window will open for a minimum of fourteen (14) days. Detailed information about each candidate standing for election will be posted online, along with the procedure for casting a vote and the starting and closing dates of the election. Candidates are encouraged to campaign to their Alumni networks to secure votes.

26. All members of the Alumni Association are eligible to register a single vote per vacancy for their chosen candidate. Voting will be conducted by electronic means only.

27. A member of staff from the Engagement Team shall be nominated as the returning officer for the election. The returning officer will not disclose any information during the voting period on turnout, or on how many votes are being cast for individual candidates. This information will only be provided on request, from any member of the Alumni Association, at the close of the election.

28. At the close of the election, the candidates will be ranked in descending order of the number of votes they received. Vacancies on the Alumni Advisory Board will be filled in that ranked order. If as a result of the voting, multiple candidates have the same ranking and the vacancies have not been filled then the shortlisting evaluation scores, if they exist, will be used to separate the candidates. If this is still inconclusive then the Election Working Group, if formed, will make the decision otherwise a meeting of the Alumni Advisory Board will be required to make the final decision. 

29. All candidates who put their names forward for election to the Board will be notified of the result, whether successful or not, at the close of voting. 

New Member Induction

30. Full information about the newly elected Alumni Advisory Board Members will be given on the University’s Alumni Association website. An induction pack will be provided to each new Member by the Engagement Team upon notification of the result and with good advance notice of the first Alumni Advisory Board meeting. 

Timing of Elections and Commencement of Terms

31. The election of the Alumni Association President will be conducted early in the final year of the current President’s term of office to enable the successful candidate to take his/her place on the Alumni Advisory Board as President Elect in support of the President during this final year.

Nomination Process

32. The Engagement Team shall advertise open vacancies for the Alumni Association President for a minimum period of twenty-eight (28) days prior to opening the window for candidates to submit their applications. Notification of a pending election will be announced, along with full details of the process of standing for election, on the University’s Alumni Association website and other social media. 

Shortlisting Process

33. A Working Group of the Alumni Advisory Board, through consultation with the Engagement Team, shall present a shortlist of candidates for election. This group shall be called upon to conduct a review of the applications using a weighted matrix to evaluate candidates’ skills and expertise, before deciding on a shortlist for presentation to the Alumni Advisory Board. The results of this matrix shall be reviewed and mutually agreed by the Members of the Alumni Advisory Board, the Engagement Team and the Principal Patron.

Election Process

34. The President Elect will be voted into position by a simple majority of the Members of the Alumni Advisory Board.

Honorary Vice-Presidents

35. At the President’s sole discretion and for exceptional service, past presidents may be eligible to become Honorary Vice Presidents for life of the Alumni Association. 

36. Ad-hoc Working Groups may be created from time to time by the Alumni Advisory Board. Working groups will respond to a defined need identified by the President and Alumni Advisory Board Members. The Working Group will have an agreed working remit, decision-making, advisory and oversight as authorised by the Alumni Advisory Board.

37. The Alumni Association President shall call upon Alumni Advisory Board Members to volunteer for roles on Working Groups and may even call upon Alumni Advisory Board Members with advantageous skillsets for their participation. A Working Group Chair may be volunteered, nominated or selected and approved by the Alumni Association President or a simple majority from the Alumni Advisory Board.

38. Updates on the activity of Working Groups will be reported at Alumni Advisory Board meetings.

39. The Working Group Chair shall have the authority to co-opt a non-voting member or members (maximum of 4), to the Working Group if it is felt that additional experience or expertise would aid its work. 

40. Other Alumni Groups are defined as structured and organised Associations, Groups or Networks of Loughborough University Alumni that are committed to serving the interests of the Alumni Association, either through networking, representation, mentoring or hosting community events. Other Alumni Groups may exist to represent the following interests:

a. International Students: Structured Overseas groups that represent Alumni by country, region or city.
b. Student Halls: Structured groups that represent Alumni from Student Halls.
c. Department Groups: Structured University department groups by cohort, programme or faculty.
d. Sports Groups: Structured groups that represent Alumni from Sporting Groups.
e. Clubs and Societies: Structured groups that represent Alumni from Students’ Union Clubs and Societies.

41. The Alumni President, at his/her discretion, may invite other Alumni Groups to participate as non-voting members at Alumni Advisory Board meetings, to facilitate discussion across a broader cross-section of the Alumni Association and to encourage participation and feedback from the Alumni community. The Alumni Advisory Board shall actively seek to engage new Alumni Groups and to engage platforms for outreach wherever possible for interaction with its Alumni Groups. This could exist via face-to-face meetings, online forums or clinics, teleconferencing or video conferencing into other Alumni Group meetings as a representative on behalf of the Alumni Advisory Board.

42. Open pathways of communication are encouraged between these groups and the Alumni Advisory Board. The Alumni Advisory Board is encouraged to stimulate interaction and communication between its member Associations to foster better relationships, a stronger peer network and greater reach into the Alumni Association community. 

43. The Alumni Advisory Board is committed to operating with integrity and in compliance with all applicable University Codes of Practice, UK regulations and policies. Alumni Advisory Board members shall act with integrity and honesty, adhering to the highest standards of moral and ethical values and principles through their personal and professional behaviour. All Alumni Advisory Board members are expected to uphold high standards of personal conduct as a representative of the Alumni Association and as Ambassadors of the University.

44. Alumni Advisory Board members shall uphold these values and principles in their roles as Ambassadors for the Alumni Association and Loughborough University, and shall avoid any impropriety or conflict of interest that might be viewed unfavourably by the Alumni Association. 

45. Whilst the Alumni Advisory Board is a voluntary organisation a refund for travel and other reasonable costs incurred by Alumni Advisory Board members in attending scheduled meetings at the University will be made in accordance with the University guidelines. 

46. Alumni Advisory Board Members should: 

a. Fully support the Alumni Association President in the performance of his/her duties.
b. Demonstrate enthusiasm in furthering the aims of the Alumni Association and represent the interests of Association members.
c. Act as enthusiastic ambassadors for the Association and the University.
d. Elect the Alumni Association President in accordance with the Alumni Association Constitution.
e. Work conscientiously with the Alumni Association President, other Alumni Advisory Board Members, and the Engagement Team in contributing to the work of the Alumni Advisory Board in furthering the aims of the Alumni Association.
f. Attend, in person, a minimum of two Alumni Advisory Board meetings annually and actively participate in any Working Groups as designated by the President. Overseas members should be allowed and encouraged to use appropriate communications mechanisms to remotely attend meetings where physical attendance is difficult. 
g. Attend the General Meeting.
h. Show willingness to keep up-to-date with the academic, sporting and social life of the University as it expands and develops, as well as broader higher education issues.
i. Give leadership and commitment in areas of responsibility as agreed with the Alumni Association President.
j. Assist with, and give active enthusiastic support to, the organisation of events as agreed with the Engagement Team at the University.
k. Respond to requests for assistance and advice from Alumni Association members.
l. Respond to requests for assistance from the University and the Engagement Team.
m. Assist, where possible, in promoting the philanthropic aims of the University and assist in possible fundraising activities.
n. Make positive and constructive suggestions for the development of our worldwide Alumni Association and make every effort to raise the profile of the Alumni Association at home and abroad.
o. Be prepared to give support and advice where possible, with the benefit of his/her own experience, to the current student population and recent graduates as they start their own careers.
p. Represent the Alumni Association at the University’s Graduation Ceremonies.
q. Give help to the University to identify key Alumni, or organisations, whose support can be enlisted in furtherance of University strategy. 

47. Any Board member failing in his responsibilities and duties to the Alumni Association and/or the University may be removed from office by a majority vote of the Alumni Advisory Board at a meeting convened for this purpose.

48. Members are elected to the Board on a voluntary unpaid basis. 

49. The University and the Engagement Team should: 

a. Give full support to, and work in partnership with, the elected Alumni Association President and Alumni Advisory Board Members. 
b. Provide the Alumni Association President and elected Alumni Advisory Board Members with relevant documentation and information to enable Alumni Advisory Board Members to keep up-to-date with current University thinking, strategy, aims and objectives. 
c. Provide the Alumni Advisory Board with the resources and the administrative support to enable it to function efficiently and effectively. 
d. Invite Alumni Association members to attend, where appropriate and with reasonable notice, University events. 
e. Provide the Alumni Association President and Alumni Advisory Board Members with the appropriate channels for communicating with the worldwide Alumni community. 
f. Represent the interests of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Advisory Board when communicating with University staff and students. 
g. Provide the Alumni Advisory Board, and any of its Working Groups, with suitable accommodation, resources and technical facilities to perform their duties as required by the Alumni Association Constitution.
h. Refund travel and other reasonable costs incurred by Alumni Advisory Board Members in attending scheduled meetings at the University in accordance with the University guidelines. 

10th September 2017

20th August 2017