Constitution
Last amendment: 17/02/2024
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
This document is intended to serve as the constitution of the Cambridge University Islamic Society (CU ISoc). Its aim is to provide a framework on which to build a community for Muslims in Cambridge, to help this community become firmly grounded in Islam and to support our members in seeking the path to success in the hereafter.
This document was written with pure intentions, for the sole purpose of gaining the pleasure of Allah. We hope it brings benefit and provides a means to deal with issues, though we do not suggest that it is the solution itself. Rather, it is only a guide to facilitate the roles of those who come after us.
May Allah increase any good that is contained here, and remove and protect us from any bad. Surely, we rely on Him alone.
May Allah let this guide us in the future, on the path shown by our beloved Prophet, and lead us to His Pleasure. Surely, there is no greater goal.
May Allah let us be among those who are united in his worship, who are honourable and merciful, and who seek to know Him and become close to Him through righteous intentions and actions. Surely, this is our purpose.
Constitution
Contents
Name
Aims and Objectives
Membership
Committees
Shuras
Advisory Boards
Heads
Subcommittees (subcoms)
ISoc Committee
Registration with the Junior Proctor
Senior Welfare Officer
General Meetings
Elections and Elections Board
Additional Committees
Constitutional Amendments
Finance
Disciplinary Processes
Appendix:
Shura Pledge:
1. Name
1.1. The name of the Society shall be “University of Cambridge Islamic Society” hereinafter referred to as “the Society”.
1.2. The Society may be referred to by its name, “Cambridge University Islamic Society”, “CU ISoc”, ‘“ISoc”, or any similarly appropriate title as approved by the Executive Committee.
2. Aims and Objectives
2.1. The mission of the Society is to establish and maintain a united community that follows the teachings of Islam, caters for the spiritual, social and academic needs of Muslim students, and encourages the studying and understanding of Islam amongst its members and the wider community.
2.2. The aims and objectives of the Society are:
2.2.1. To strive to always act in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
2.2.2. To facilitate and encourage the practicing of Islam amongst the Muslim members of the University of Cambridge (the University).
2.2.3. To develop activities to encourage Muslims to engage with the Society.
2.2.4. To support the Muslim members of the University.
2.2.5. To facilitate and encourage the studying and understanding of Islam amongst its members.
2.2.6. To encourage engagement with the wider community.
2.2.7. To promote a positive image and understanding of Islam.
2.3. In furtherance of the aims and objectives of the Society, it is mandated that members of the Executive Committee should have due regard in decision-making processes to considerations of representation as part of any wider decision-making process.
2.3.1. In pursuance on this goal, the Executive Committee should abide by the ‘Shura Pledge’, hereinafter the ‘Pledge’, as articulated in Appendix I to the constitution.
2.3.2. The Pledge is to be considered an indivisible part of the constitution, and any changes must abide by the rules for constitutional amendments.
3. Membership
3.1. Membership is free of charge.
3.2. Membership of the Society shall be open to all members of the University. Such members will be considered “Full Members” after holding the membership for three or more weeks.
3.3. Membership of the Society is open to all members of the public at the discretion of the Executive Committee, who may also terminate the membership at their discretion. Such members will be considered “Affiliate Members”.
3.4. The Secretary may grant affiliate membership on behalf of the Executive Committee.
3.5. Only Full Members will have voting rights in Society. No other members have voting rights.
3.6. Membership may be terminated at any time by written request to the Secretary.
3.7. On termination of membership for any reason, or at the request of the Executive Committee, anything belonging to the Society must be returned within seven days, including assets and accounts.
4. Committees
4.1. The Society consists of Committees, each of which consists of an “Advisory Board”, a “Shura”, a selection of “Heads” and a selection of “Subcommittees”.
4.2. The Society has a committee in charge of all matters, hereafter referred to as the “ISoc Committee”.
4.3. The Shura of the ISoc Committee is also referred to as the “Executive Committee”.
4.4. All other committees are under the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
4.5. Any committee other than the ISoc Committee may limit those who have voting rights on matters pertaining to the committee to a subset of the members of the Society with voting rights. Those with voting rights on matters pertaining to a committee will be considered “Voting Members” of that committee. All members of the Society with voting rights are Voting Members of the ISoc Committee.
5. Shuras
5.1. A Shura is in charge of all matters pertaining to their committee.
5.2. A Shura must have the following duties fulfilled (not necessarily by different roles):
5.2.1 Chair, who is in charge of the committee and has the final decision in all matters. They are responsible for pursuing the aims and the long-term vision and development of the committee. They make decisions with due deference to the opinions of the Shura members, and ensure the Shura members make decisions in a similar manner. They are also responsible for maintaining the operational standards, and keeping up-to-date documentation of the structure of the committee.
5.2.2. Operations Officer, who is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the committee. They keep track of all the activities of the committee and are responsible for communication and coordination within the committee and with other committees.
5.2.3. Treasurer, who is responsible for all financial matters of the committee, and must maintain accurate and up-to-date accounts of the committee’s income and expenditure, financial situation, assets, and budgets.
5.2.4. Secretary, who is responsible for maintaining the list of Voting Members, and taking minutes in meetings.
5.3. The Shura makes decisions via consultation, with the Chair having the final decision. The Shura may choose to consult others outside of itself on any decision as it sees fit.
5.4. The Shura can make decisions via a two-thirds majority vote, with the Chair holding the deciding vote.
5.5. If 10 voting members of the appropriate committee petition the Shura, the issue raised must be discussed at the next meeting and a response must be given to the membership of the Society.
5.6. A Shura member must give fourteen days notice to resign from their role, unless the Shura chooses to waive this requirement.
5.7. A Shura member can be removed by a simple majority vote of no-confidence of the voting members of the appropriate committee.
6. Advisory Boards
6.1. Members of an Advisory Board can be added (with pre-approval of the candidate) or removed with a majority vote of the voting members of the appropriate committee.
6.2. Members of an Advisory Board can be added (with pre-approval of the candidate) or removed by the Shura of the appropriate committee. The membership of the Society must be notified within seven days. If twenty voting members of the appropriate committee object within seven days of notification, the appointment or removal is reversed.
6.3. An Advisory Board must have a Chair, chosen by a majority vote of its members.
6.4. An Advisory Board advises its Shura on fulfilling the committee’s aims and objectives, and on pursuing its long-term vision. It also advises on policy, protocol, standard practice, and other similar aspects of the committee.
6.5. Members of the Advisory Board can be given additional duties via mutual agreement between themselves, the Shura and the Chair of the Advisory Board.
7. Heads
7.1. A Head manages some specific aspect of the activities of their committee under the direction and supervision of a Shura member.
7.2. The creation, selection, and removal of all Heads are to be decided by Shura.
7.3. One person may hold multiple roles with the permission of the Shura of the appropriate committee.
8. Subcommittees (subcoms)
8.1. A Team runs some specific aspect of the activities of their committee under the direction and supervision of a Shura member or a Head.
8.2. The creation, selection, and removal of all subcoms are to be decided by Shura.
8.3. One person may hold positions in multiple subcoms with the permission of the Shura of the appropriate committee.
9. ISoc Committee
9.1. The Shura of the ISoc Committee will consist of:
9.1.1. The President. They are the head of the Society and have the final decision on all matters. They are in charge of all matters regarding the Society. They are in charge of all relationships with all external organisations, and the Society’s public position on all matters. They are responsible for the pursuing of the Society’s aims and its long-term vision and development. They make decisions with due deference to the opinions of the Shura members, and ensure the Shura members make decisions in a similar manner. They shall always act in good faith and in the best interest of the Society.
9.1.2. The Vice-President. They oversee the operations of the Society and manage the Shura members. They are responsible for maintaining the operational standards of the Society, and for maintaining up-to-date documentation of the structure of the Society. They also deputise for the President and become acting President if the President is unavailable to fulfil the role.
9.1.3. The Junior Treasurer. They are responsible for all financial matters for the Society, including keeping accurate and detailed up-to-date accounts of the Society’s income and expenditure, financial situation, assets, and budgets. They must present a financial account of each term to the Shura, and must present yearly accounts for the Society to the Junior Proctor and the members of the Society at the AGM.
9.1.4. The Secretary. They are responsible for maintaining the membership lists. They assist the Shura members in their roles, and are assigned work and responsibilities by the Vice-President. They are also responsible for writing minutes for Shura meetings, and distributing them to Shura members.
9.1.5. The Operations Officer. They are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the committee. They are responsible for ensuring effective and efficient communication within the committee, and acts as the default central point of communication. They keep track of everything going on within the Society, and ensure the on-time running of all activities.
9.1.6. The Students’ Affairs Officer. They are responsible for the prayer facilities managed by the Society, and prayers organised by the Society for its members (including Jumma). They assist members in accessing University provisions, including prayer facilities. They are responsible for the Society’s members' communications channels and platforms. They are also responsible for the Society’s welfare provisions for its members.
9.1.7. Two Events Officers. They are responsible for all (non-social) events and activities by the Society. The Vice-President manages the distribution of work and responsibility between the two officers. They work with the Socials Officer on some events and activities under the direction of the Vice-President.
9.1.8. Two Socials Officers (one brother, one sister). They are responsible for all social events and activities held by the Society. They will work with the Events Officers on some events and activities under the direction of the Vice-President.
9.1.9. The Publicity Officer. They are responsible for all aspects of the Society’s social media accounts, and the Society’s mailing lists and the emails sent to them. They are responsible for all public content including on the social media accounts and on the website. They are responsible for the publication of all the Society’s activities, and for handling all incoming enquiries. They work with the Design Officer, under the direction of the Vice-President.
9.1.10. The Design Officer. They are responsible for the production of all publication material used by the Society, and are responsible for the website. They are responsible for the editing and refining of all public content and work with the Publicity Officer, under the direction of the Vice-President. They also assist with the decoration for some of the Society’s events and activities, under the direction of the Vice-President.
9.1.11. Two optional additional members who, in the unanimous view of the Shura members, will bring considerable benefit to the Society with their participation. Their roles must be defined on appointment. The Shura reserves the right to remove these members at their discretion. The membership of the Society must be notified within seven days of any appointment. If twenty voting members object in writing within seven days of notification, the appointment is reversed, and can be decided by a simple majority vote at an EGM.
9.2. The Shura shall meet at least four times a term.
9.3. The quorum for Shura meetings is seven.
9.4. The term for the positions of Shura commences the day after the expiry of the University’s Full Lent Term, and finishes on the last day of the following the University’s Full Lent Term. A new Shura must be elected before the term of the current Shura ends.
9.5. If the President is unable to complete their term, the Vice-President takes the office of President.
9.6. If any Shura member other than the President is unable to complete their term, a replacement shall be elected by the voting members of the Society. The Shura may unanimously choose someone to fulfil the role until the election takes place.
10. Registration with the Junior Proctor
10.1. The Society shall be registered as a student society of the University with the University’s Junior Proctor.
10.2. In accordance with the rules for registering with the Junior Proctor, the Society will have a Senior Treasurer who:
10.2.1. deals with auditing the society’s accounts once a year as well as offering general financial advice whenever necessary.
10.2.2. shall not be liable for any financial debt or other obligation of the Society unless they have personally authorised such a debt in writing.
10.2.3. shall be ex officio a member of the Executive Committee.
10.2.4. shall be a member of the Regent House, or other person approved by the Junior Proctor of the University.
10.2.5. shall be selected once a year by the Executive Committee by a two-thirds majority vote, with pre-approval by the candidates, to be announced at the next AGM.
10.3. No amendment to this Constitution intended to remove the position of Senior Treasurer, to alter its prerogatives and duties, or to change the criteria and procedure for the appointment of a Senior Treasurer can be put to a vote without the prior written agreement of the Junior Proctor of the University.
10.4. A majority of the elected members of the Executive Committee shall be full-time undergraduate or postgraduate students of the University.
11. Senior Welfare Officer
11.1. The Society may have a Senior Welfare Officer, who will be ex officio a member of the ISoc Committee’s Advisory Board, and will be approachable to all members of the Society. They will provide welfare assistance and will advise on the welfare provisions of the Society, and any appropriate policies.
11.2. The Senior Welfare Officer will deal with any welfare issues within the Society that are inappropriate to be handled by the welfare provisions of the Society. For clarity, this includes situations involving committee members where appropriate, or where there might be a conflict of interest.
11.3. The Senior Welfare Officer is not responsible for the personal welfare of the members of the Society, as neither they nor the Society are adequately equipped or positioned to take such responsibility, and the University provides appropriate resources and help to its members. However the Senior Welfare Officer and the Society will aim to provide an appropriate level of help that is within their capacity.
11.4. The Senior Welfare Officer shall be selected by the Executive Committee, with pre-approval by the candidates, and shall be announced within seven days of the appointment to the members of the Society.
12. General Meetings
12.1. There are three types of General Meeting for the Society: Open General Meeting (OGM), Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), and Annual General Meeting (AGM). All members are entitled to attend all general meetings.
12.2. Actions or decisions requiring the voting of members of the Society may only take place at an EGM or AGM. A quorum to ratify the decisions of such meetings is thirty voting members. The agenda of such meetings will be announced with the announcement of the meeting.
12.3. An OGM may be called by the Executive Committee to consult the opinion of members of the Society on any matter. The President, or the Vice-President in their place, will chair the meeting. In their absence the members of the Executive Committee will elect a chair for the meeting.
12.4. An EGM may be called by either the Executive Committee with seven days notice, or twenty voting members and fourteen days notice. The President, or the Vice-President in their place, will chair the meeting. In their absence the voting members in attendance will elect a chair for the meeting. An EGM may be called to discuss specific issues relating to the activities or governance of the Society; such as (but not limited to):
12.4.1. Constitutional amendments
12.4.2. Vote of No Confidence
12.4.3. Accountability of the Shura
12.4.4. Current and planned activities of the Society
12.5. The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) during each year in the University’s Full Lent Term. At least fourteen days notice shall be given to members before the AGM. The AGM shall be chaired by the Elections Board, and will consist of the accountability of the current Executive Committee and the election of a new Executive Committee. No other business will take place without the prior approval of the Elections Board.
13. Elections and Elections Board
13.1. The Elections Board will be chosen by the Executive Committee, and will consist of two chairs (one male and one female), and two other Voting Members. The Elections Board must maintain impartiality in the run up to and throughout the AGM.
13.2. The Elections Board will maintain and update a written protocol for the procedure of the elections and AGM, and will share the procedure with the members of the Society prior to the start of the procedure or the announcement of the AGM.
13.3. Elections will be done via single transferable vote. All voting members of the Society are eligible to vote.
14. Additional Committees
14.1. Any additional committees may be created by the Executive Committee. They must have a name, which cannot already be in use within the Society, and a defining document, which cannot contradict this constitution and cannot be changed without the prior approval of the Executive Committee.
14.1.1. The defining document of the committee must specify a purpose of the committee, which is within the remit of the Society.
14.1.2. The defining document of a committee may adjust the quorums required for actions or decisions from the amount specified in this constitution.
14.1.3. The defining document must specify the structure of the Shura and its selection method.
14.1.4. The defining document must specify which members have voting rights on matters pertaining to the committee. Otherwise the default will be all voting members of the Society.
14.2. The Executive Committee reserves the right to dissolve any additional committees created.
14.3. Additional Committees must follow the direction and instruction of the Executive Committee, and must follow the customs and traditions of the Society.
14.4. The Shura of additional committees must answer to the Executive Committee, specifically:
14.4.1. The Chair must report and take direction from the President, and is ex officio a member of the Presidential Team on the ISoc Committee led by the President.
14.4.2. The Operations Officer must take guidance from the Vice-President, and the standards they set. The Operations Officer is ex-officio a member of the Operations Team led by the Vice-President.
14.4.3. The Treasurer must report to the Junior Treasurer, and is ex officio a member of the Treasury Team on the ISoc Committee led by the Junior Treasurer.
14.4.4. The Secretary must update the Secretary of the Executive Committee regarding the committee’s membership lists, and is ex officio a part of the Membership List Team on the ISoc Committee led by the Secretary of the Executive Committee.
15. Constitutional Amendments
15.1. Constitutional Amendments require a two thirds majority vote at an EGM or AGM to pass.
15.2. Constitutional Amendments must either be shared with the members of the Society with the announcement of the EGM or AGM where they are to be voted on, or fourteen days before the meeting with the approval of the chair of the meeting.
16. Finance
16.1. The President and Junior Treasurer should have access to all assets of the Society.
16.2. Society members and any financial donors have a right to view the yearly accounts prepared by the Junior Treasurer. Non-members may view the accounts at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
16.3. The assets (for the sake of clarity to include all financial holdings) of the Society should be applied solely towards the promotion of the aims and objectives of the Society.
16.4. None of the income or assets of the Society may be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of profit to any member of the Society. This does not prevent a member:
16.4.1. Purchasing goods or services: from receiving reasonable and proper remuneration for any goods or services supplied to Society agreed in advance by the Executive Committee.
16.4.2. Selling goods or services: selling goods or services from Society upon terms to be agreed in advance by the Executive Committee.
16.5. In the event of any doubt pertaining to financial matters, the Junior Treasurer must act in consultation with the Executive Committee.
16.6. If the Society undergoes dissolution, any assets remaining after all liabilities have been met will be transferred to a registered charity chosen by a simple majority vote of the members of the Society, or to the Societies Syndicate for distribution amongst other registered societies.
17. Disciplinary Processes
17.1. The Society’s only disciplinary sanctions are to expel or to suspend a member whose actions are felt to be such as to bring the Society into disrepute, or to adversely affect the smooth running of the Society in a major way. Such expulsion or suspension can only be done by the decision of the Executive Committee. In the event of an expulsion or suspension, the excluded member will not be entitled to any full or partial refund of annual subscriptions, and will be removed from any positions they hold within the Society.
17.2. If the excluded or suspended member wishes to appeal the decision, that appeal should be made to the Senior Treasurer, who will consider all the facts, and whose decision will be final. An appeal as to the process of exclusion, but not a further investigation into the facts, may be lodged with the Junior Proctor.
Appendix:
Shura Pledge:
Pursuant to Article 2.3 of the constitution of the Society, this pledge seeks to establish a series of recommendations and measures in order to achieve effective representation whilst carrying out the work of the Society.
Part I - Events
I. It is advised that officers of the Society in general, and Events Officers in particular, consider the holding of events pertaining to women in Islam and events in recognition of the contributions made to the Islamic faith by less represented ethnic groups in the mainstream Islamic discourse.
II. It is also recommended that officers of the Society should seek to invite guests of such groups to the Society in a manner that seeks to ensure their presence in matters outside of specific efforts towards inclusivity. In particular, it is requested of Events Officers that they introduce at least one speaker of black heritage to discuss topics exclusive of race.
III. It is also suggested that Events Officers should maintain and pass on databases of guests for events, such that it becomes easier for future holders of the office to identify and contact individuals in furtherance of Part I(i) of this document.
Part II - Welfare Mechanisms
Also in furtherance of Article 2.3 of the constitution, it is advised that officers of the Society in general, and Student Affairs Officers in particular, maintain an effective welfare mechanism for the reporting and identification of discrimination within or without the Society.