Part I    General

1) NAME

The name of the Association shall be Cheng Yu Tung College House Association, the University of Macau (“the Association”)

2) AIMS

The aims of the Association shall be:

i) To promote the goals of Cheng Yu Tung College (“CYTC”) namely:

1. Noble Aspiration (大志); 2. Love of Humanity (大愛); 3. Cultural Refinement (大雅).

ii) To promote friendship and the spirit of co-operation amongst its members;

iii) To serve as a bridge between its members and Cheng Yu Tung College.

PART II    MEMBERSHIP

3) CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP

i)  Resident Membership

Undergraduate students of the University of Macau who are residents (including Resident Tutors (RT) of CYTC) shall automatically be Resident Members. The membership shall commence on the first day of his/her residence and shall terminate on the date before the first day of the next residential year or upon moving out from CYTC.

ii)  Non-Resident Membership

For those undergraduate students of the University of Macau who are not residents of CYTC but they were freshmen residents since 2014/15 academic year shall automatically be Non-Resident Members. The membership shall terminate on the date before the first day of termination of University membership.

4) PRILIVEGES OF MEMBERS

i)   All Members shall enjoy the privileges to take part in functions and activities organized by the Association.

ii) All Members may vote, nominate and be nominated for the elections of the Association posts. It is noted that Resident Tutors and Resident Assistants shall not be nominated for the Association posts but they are eligible to vote and nominate.

5)    Advisors

The Master, Associate Master, Resident Fellows and Non-Resident Fellows of CYTC shall be Advisors.

PART III      ELECTION OF CORE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

6) ELECTION COMMISSION

i)  An Election Commission shall be appointed with the approval of the Executive Meeting of CYTC at least two weeks before the opening of the nomination period for the Annual Election, Re-Election or By-Election.

ii) The Commission involves two academic staff, one administration staff, two Resident Tutor (RT) or Resident Assistant (RA) and two former House Association Member of CYTC. The RT and RA are elected among RTs and RAs.

iii)  The Commission shall be responsible for the organization, administration and operation of the Election.

iv)   The Commission shall be terminated after two days of the election results released.

v) At the Meeting of Election Commission, half of the Commission Members shall form a quorum.

7) ELECTION COMPLAINT/APPEAL BOARD

i)  An Election Complaint/Appeal Commissioner shall be one of the Academic staff who is appointed with the approval in the Executive Meeting of Cheng Yu Tung College at least two weeks before the opening of the nomination period for the Annual Election, re-election or by-election.

ii)  All Resident or Non-Resident Members are entitled to give a formal written complaint during the election period and an appeal against the election result to the Election Complaint/Appeal Commissioner within twenty-four hours after the announcement of the election results. An Election Complaint/Appeal Board will be formed to make the final judgment. Members of the Election Appeal Board will include Election Complaint/Appeal Commissioner, one administrative staff, one RT, one RA and one FR without conflicts of interest.

8) ANNUAL ELECTION

i)      Business

The business of the Annual Election is to elect the members of the House Association of Cheng Yu Tung College annually. It will be carried out in electing one cabinet.

ii)      Promotion, Application and Nomination

a)  Each Cabinet running for election shall have only 3 candidates, including the following posts:
President, Vice-President and Secretary.
There is no upper limit for the number of the running Cabinet(s) in the election.

b)   Application of Cabinet shall be opened for at least five days. All the Cabinets applied shall be publicized to all Members three days before the nomination period started. Nomination for the Annual Election shall be opened for at least three days and shall be closed at noon the day at least one week before the Election Day.

c)    Nomination shall only be made on forms provided for the purpose. Each form shall contain the name of the Cabinet, the names of the candidates in the Cabinet with their respective posts, together with both names and signatures of one-twelfth of all Members to act as proposers with his/her brief justification and the signature of the candidates signifying his/her consent. Each Member can only nominate one Cabinet. Anyone nominated for more than one Cabinet, his/her nomination shall be considered invalid.

d)   No candidate may be nominated for more than one post in one Cabinet or nominated in more than one Cabinet.

e)   The Election Commission shall scrutinize every nomination form within forty-eight hours upon receipt of the nomination.

f)    Any candidate who wishes to withdraw his consent to nomination shall inform the Election Commission in written form within seventy-two hours after the submission of his/her nomination.

g)   Candidates who used to receive warning letters or above punishment from disciplinary panel of the University or CYTC within one academic year shall not be eligible for the election.

h)   Candidates with academic warning or academic probation shall not be eligible for the nomination.

iii)       Election Day

a)    Election shall be held and completed on the Election Day.

b)    An Official Notice of the Election Day for the Annual Election shall be posted at least five days beforehand.

iv)    Consultation day

a)     Consultation Day shall be held within one week before the Election Day.

b)      Consultation Day shall be opened to public.

c)      Each Cabinet shall promote their semester plan which satisfies the Aims mentioned in 2).

d)     The Election Commission reserves the right of final interpretation and the final decision on the rules of the Consultation Day.

v)     Voting

a)      Voting shall be secret ballot.

b)      Only when one fifth of the members cast the ballot can the election be valid.

c)      When there is only one Cabinet, the elector shall vote for or against the Cabinet or abstain. The Cabinet shall be elected when half of all voters vote for it.

d)     When there is more than one Cabinet, electors shall indicate only one Cabinet on their ballot papers.

9) RE-ELECTION

i)  Business

A Re-election shall be held:

a)  In the event of a tie occurring at any stage of the election proceedings or less than one half of all voters vote for the Cabinet; or

b)  If the Election/Complaint Appeal Board so decides, upon receipt of the investigation report for the relevant Cabinet(s)

ii)  Nomination

a)  Nomination for a re-election shall be opened for at least two weeks and shall be closed at noon the day two weeks before the Election Day.

b)  (8) (ii) (b) to (h) apply to a re-election.

iii)   Election Day

a)   Election shall be by polling on the Election Day.

b)   An Official Notice of the Election Day for a re-election shall be posted at least five days beforehand.

iv)      Voting

(8)(iv) applies to all re-elections.

10) BY-ELECTION

i)   Business

The business of a by-election is to elect the President, Vice President or Secretary of the Association for the current session where vacancies arise from the vote of non-confidence and invalidity of Memberships.

ii)     By-election shall be an election by individual post where vacancy arises.

iii)    Nomination

a)  Nomination for a by-election shall be opened for at least one week and shall be closed at noon the day one week before the Election Day.

b)     (8) (ii) (b) to (h) apply to a by-election.

iv)      Election Day

a)   Election shall be by polling on the Election Day.

b)    An Official Notice of the Election Day for a by-election shall be posted at least five days beforehand.

v)       Voting

a)  Voting shall be secret ballot.

b)  When the number of candidates equals the number of vacancies for a certain post, the elector shall vote for or against each candidate or abstain.

c)   A number of votes for him/her greater than the number of votes against him/her; and

d)   No less than one third of all the voters for him/her.

e)    When the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies for a certain post, electors shall indicate only one candidate on their ballot papers.

11) VACANCY

In the event that the posts being vacant, a by-election shall be held within one month. In the event that no candidates are elected, an Executive Meeting shall be held to resolve the matter.

PART IV      APPOINTMENT OF WORKING GROUPS LEADER OF THE ASSOCIATION

12) LEADERS INTERVIEW BOARD

A Leaders Interview Board shall be formed after two days of the election result released. The Interview Board is formed to endorse the proposed Working Groups Leaders who are recommended by the elected Cabinet. The Interview Board shall include at least two staff, one RT or RA, and one ex-cabinet member of the Association.

13) WORKING GROUPS LEADERS AND GROUP MEMBERS

a)        There are five Working Groups under the Association namely Sport and Health Group, Social Activities Group, Communication Group, Art and Culture Group, Society and Community Service Group. The elected Cabinet shall recommend five working group leaders.

b)        Recommendation for the posts of Working Groups Leaders of the Association shall be sent to the Interview Board within 1 month after the release of the election result.

c)        The recruitment of the working group leaders should be open to public. Recommendation shall only be made on forms provided for the purpose. Each form shall contain the names of the candidates, their proposed Working Group and the signature of the candidates signifying his/her consent.

d)        If the Interview Board approved the candidates, he/she will be appointed for the post. Otherwise, the elected Cabinet shall recommend another candidate(s).

e)        All proposed HA Working Groups Leaders and group members who used to have demerits or above punishment from the disciplinary panel of the University or CYTC within one academic year shall not be eligible for the posts.

f)        Candidates with academic warning and academic probation shall not be eligible for the posts.

PART V    GENERAL MEETING

14) EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS

i)      No Extraordinary Meeting shall be held unless it is convened by:

a)     The President of the Association; or

b)     At the request of more than half of the Cabinet members and group leaders in the Association; or

c)      In accordance with a written request signed by no less than 7% of All Members, any such request shall specify the objects of the proposed meeting.

15) REGULAR MEETINGS

i)          Members of the regular meeting consist of the Cabinet members, working group leaders and/or the invited Members.

16) VOTE OF NON-CONFIDENCE

i)          Procedures of vote of non-confidence for infringement of the Regulation, negligence of duties or unbecoming conduct shall be started when signatures of one-fourth of All Members are collected. An Extraordinary Meeting should be held specifically for the purpose.

ii)         A vote so passed by no less than half of the majority (excluding votes abstain) shall call for immediate resignation.

iii)         In the event of the failure to form a quorum within one hour from the stated time, the meeting shall be postponed and the President of the meeting shall announce, within twenty-four hours, the date of the postponed meeting.

iv)        In case an Extraordinary Meeting has been postponed twice, the President of the meeting shall have the right to decide whether the meeting shall be convened anymore or not.

17) NOTICE

i)    An Official Notice of all Extraordinary Meetings and the agenda thereof shall be posted at least seventy-two hours beforehand (except for the purpose of Regulation amendment).

PART VI   MISCELLANEOUS

18) AMENDMENT

i)     The Regulation shall not be amended except by a motion carried at:

a)  A board meeting or

b)  Polling carried in an Extraordinary Meeting.

ii)    A motion to amend the Regulation under (i)(b), shall be carried that the number of valid votes is not less than 50 % of quorum.

19) APPROVAL OF THE REGULATION

i)     This Regulation is the proposed Regulation which shall be applied approval in the Student Affairs Meeting and Board Meeting of CYTC.

ii)   Further amendment of the Regulation shall be made with the procedures listed in 18) i) – ii).

Last update: 2 May 2019