The heads of two University societies have been accused of breaching their society’s constitutions.
Anthony Boutall, the President of Oxford University Conservative Association, has been fined by the Disciplinary Committee for failing to produce the term card on time. The president of Engineering Society, Sisi Zhou, has been accused of recruiting students in breach of the constitution.
An OUCA disciplinary committee held last Friday concluded that Boutall’s failing “to produce a printed Term Card and have it distributed by Saturday of Third Week was a substantial failure of office.”
Under the OUCA constitution, the President of the society is obliged to produce a term card by Saturday of first week, or risk the deduction of two “activist points”.
Further delay results in a disciplinary committee.
Anthony Boutall, OUCA President confirmed that he had known about the rule, but argued that the delay was due to the term card being returned late from the printers. He added that the details of all OUCA’s events can be found on the website, and that an alternative electronic term card was available on the internet.
He said, “I was told that the printers would only take three days…they should have been out a long time ago.”
Members of OUCA have been critical of the association’s attitude towards the constitution. One first year PPEist commented, “To be disciplined over a term card is ludicrous. Could there be a bigger signal that the association takes the constitution too seriously?”
Will Seligman, another OUCA member, stated that this situation portrays OUCA as “petty” and “lacking in understanding”.
Meanwhile, Oxford University Engineering Society has come under fire from members who claim that it is violating its constitution by recruiting members through an interview process rather than elections.
Frankie Fan, the society’s Marketing Officer has sent a Facebook message to 200 members of the society in which he called the recruitment process unfair and threatened to involve the Proctors in the matter, concluding that “the whole society needs changing.”
However OUES’ President, Sisi Zhou has explained that elections for members had not been taking place for the “past few years at least”, due to the “unfair nature of it being more a popularity contest than a fair process”.
She stated that the proctors have advised her to try to resolve the issue within the society before their involvement.
A General Meeting last Friday ruled that the committee members who had already been appointed for next year would be considered legitimate despite not being elected. However, the President and Vice-President will be selected through committee vote.
