CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

of the
INT E R NAT I O NA L C LU B O F T H E
UNIV E R S I T Y O F T H E P H I L I P P I N E S

PREAMBLE

We the members of the International Club of the University of the Philippines (ICUP), in order to
promote international and cultural understanding, do hereby constitute these documents as the spirit
behind our association.
­­
A RTICLE I
Name and Nature of Association

1. The name of our association shall be the International Club of the University of the Philippines
(ICUP).

2. This organization shall have no political, religious or racial bias.

3. The association shall be based on the Diliman Campus of the University of the Philippines and
shall have its address at:
Vinzons Hall, Room 210
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City 1101

A RTICLE II
Objectives

1. To promote international awareness and goodwill in the University and in society, through
social, cultural, educational, and recreational activities.

2. To provide the means of interaction between the foreign and local constituents of the University
as well as other organizations.

3. To provide the facilities and the means by which the members can successfully carry out the
objectives as stated in this Constitution.

A RTICLE III
Membership

1. Regular Member:
a. Regular members shall be registered students, special students, or faculty members of
the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
b. Regular members must fulfill requirements and have completed the application
process.
c. Regular members may renew their membership at the beginning of every semester by
filling a reapplication form and paying the corresponding fees.
d. Regular members are required to fulfill the following obligations:
i. Members must attend at least fifty (50) percent of all types of meetings and
 activities, unless excused.
ii. Members shall pay dues and penalty fines as specified by the Executive
Committee.
iii. Members must actively participate in at least one committee of their
choice.
iv. Members are responsible for informing themselves of club meetings and
activities, i.e. reading minutes.
e. Regular members are given the following rights and privileges:
i. Members have access to the club facilities, i.e. key, locker, library, and
pillar.
ii. Members may run for an Executive Committee position.
iii. Members have the privilege to vote.
iv. Members maintain access to the ICUP files with the consent of the
SecCom.
v. Members may recommend an officer for impeachment or member for
expulsion from the organization.
f. A member with sufficient reason may write a letter to the Membership Affairs Committee
Chairperson and apply for a leave of absence for a maximum period of one academic
year without losing membership status, or be removed from the roster of members.
g. A member in good standing who has graduated from the University shall have the status
of an official alumnus.

2. Honorary Member:
a. Students from other UP campuses who have undergone the application process shall be
considered as honorary members.
b. Students from other universities who have contributed and participated in club
activities, but do not necessarily undergo the application process shall be recognized as
Friends of the International Club of UP (FICUP).

A RTICLE IV
Officers of the Association

1. The Executive Committee shall have the function of formulating policies and shall be
responsible for the welfare of the association and its members. The Executive Committee shall
be composed of the following:
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Internal Affairs Officer
d. External Affairs Officer
e. Secretary (SecCom)
f. Treasurer (FinCom)
g. Membership Affairs Officer (MemCom)

2. In order to be eligible to hold an office, all Executive Committee members must:

a. Satisfy membership requirements.
b. Have been active member for at least one semester.
c. The President and Membership Affairs Officer must have been members for at least one
academic year prior to holding office.

3. The terms of office of all Executive Committee members shall run for a period of one academic
year, commencing at the start of the summer term and terminating on the last day of the
second semester.
4. The functions and duties of Executive Committee members are as follows:

a. President
• Shall be responsible for yearly recognition and other permits needed for the
Club’s existence.
• Shall be allowed to hold office for a maximum of two terms.
• Shall be chief representative of the Club.
• Shall supervise and be responsible for all activities of the Club.
• Shall preside over all meetings of the members.
• Shall be responsible for the administration of the Executive Committee and
the Club.
• Shall hold General Meetings at least once a month, and officer’s meetings
once a week.
• Shall draft periodic reports to the members.
• Shall be responsible for approving all activities and plans of the Executive
Committee members.
• Shall direct and guide the Club towards its objectives.
• Shall work directly with the advisor(s).
• Responsible for maintaining firm ties with the United Nations and various
embassies.

b. Vice President
• Shall be vested with all the powers and authorities and required to perform
all other duties of the President during the absence or incapacity of the latter
for any cause or eventuality.
• Shall assist the President with all functions and activities.
• Shall oversee the performance of all other Executive Committee members
excluding the President.
• Shall follow up on each committee’s duties on a regular basis.

c. Internal affairs Officer

• Shall head the ICUP Assistance and Guidance Program.
• Shall be in charge of developing a system to maintain order of the library and
cleanliness of the Club and its facilities.
• Shall oversee that the calendar is current with the Club and University
events.
• Shall be in charge of notifying members on a regular basis, for meetings,
activities, etc.

d. External Affairs Officer

• Shall formulate tentative activity programs with the aid of the External Affairs
Committee members, and shall be responsible for the implementation and
monitoring of said programs.
• Shall be responsible for the maintenance of the AS Bulletin Board.
• Shall be responsible for promoting the club and its activities within and
beyond the University community i.e. marketing, exposure, and obtaining
necessary authorizations.

e. Secretary
• Shall file and secure all records of the association.
• Shall have the responsibility to make all announcements for meetings (in
 conjunction with the Internal Affairs Committee)
• Shall take attendance at other club activities.
• Shall report all violations of Club policies to the Executive Committee.
• Shall prepare forms, letters, and information sheets for members.
• Shall keep an inventory of club property.

f. Treasurer
• Shall be responsible for collecting all dues.
• Shall be solely responsible for the management of all funds and accounts of
the association i.e. Petty Cash fund and bank account.
• Shall keep finance records, to be made accessible to all members.
• Shall be responsible for disbursing funds for club activities with the
authorization of the President.
• Shall be responsible for organizing fund-raising activities, at least one minor
every semester and one major every year (excluding the World Dinner).

g. Membership Affairs Officer

• Shall propose an application process every year to be approved by the Executive
Committee.
• Shall be responsible for the recruitment of new members who shall fulfill
their requirements and reflect the ideals of the club.
• Shall be responsible for the indoctrination of suitable applicants as well as
monitoring their progress during the period of application.
• Shall provide a list of qualified applicants for membership to the Executive
Committee for approval.
• Shall monitor the performance of the members and submit a semestral report
to the Executive Committee on the level of participation of all members.
• Shall be responsible for leading applicant’s meetings until a batch head is
elected.

A RTICLE V
Advisor

1. The club advisor must belong to either the faculty or the administration of the university.
2. The club in a general or emergency meeting shall choose the club advisor by a vote with two-
thirds of the members present.

3. The advisor shall act in this capacity to the club for as long as the members judge the performance
to be favorable, or as for long as the advisor is part of the University.

4. The advisor shall act as guardian to the club and oversee the Executive Committee and members
promote the spirit and traditions of the club.

A RTICLE VI
Committees

1. The following committees shall be constituted and headed by the respective Executive
Committee members:
a. Internal Affairs Committee
b. External Affairs Committee
c. Secretariat Committee
 d. Finance Committee
e. Membership Affairs Committee

2. All members not belonging to the Executive Committee must volunteer for membership in one
or more of the above committees.

3. Committee Officers must call a meeting a minimum of at least twice a month to ensure that
respective committee members are given equal shares of the workload.

4. Committee Officers shall evaluate the performance of their respective members and
committees.

5. Committee Officers shall submit a monthly activity report to the Executive Committee.

6. Committee Officers may not join other committees.

7. Ad hoc committees shall be formed for special purposes, such as elections and special projects,
either by appointment or majority vote.

A RTICLE VII
Meetings and Quorums

1. There shall be four types of meetings:

a. General Meetings
• Shall be held bimonthly during the first and second semesters, once during
semestral breaks, and twice during the summer breaks.
b. Executive Committee Meetings
• Shall be held once a week on a regular basis.
c. Committee Meetings
• Shall be held at least twice a month depending on the workload.
d. Emergency Meetings
• May be called by the Executive Committee or fifty percent of the membership
to discuss special topics or problems, with at least twenty-four hour notice.

2. A quorum of thirty percent (30) plus one is necessary for a meeting to be called to order.

3. The absence of a quorum shall result in the postponement of a meeting to any time within
the next seven days. After seven days, if there is still no quorum, Article VII paragraph may be
disregarded.

4. Notice must be posted three days prior to the date of any and all meetings on the club’s bulletin
board and the AS bulletin board. (Emergency Meetings will be exempted).

5. All meetings with the exception of committee meetings and applicants meetings, shall be
presided over by the President, unless delegated by the President to another member. For a
meeting to be convened in order to impeach a committee member, a neutral party shall be
voted on by the members to preside over the meeting.

6. The presiding officer shall prescribe rules and regulations concerning the meeting at hand.
A RTICLE VII
Dues and Assessments

1. Members shall pay dues, as specified by the Executive Committee.

2. FinCom shall provide for receipts for all cash disbursements and cash equivalents received.

3. Members may object to the amounts specified by the Executive Committee in a general meeting
by voting on the matter.

A RTICLE VIII
General Elections

1. Annual elections for the Executive Committee shall be held during the month of February or
at least two weeks before the Final Exams for the current Academic Year.

2. Nominations for elective positions must be submitted at least one week prior to elections.

3. If a situation should arise that causes an elective post to be officially vacated (resigned) during
the school year, a special election will be called by the Executive Committee to replace the post.
The Presidential succession becomes subject to this rule only when the Vice-President post is
vacant. Additionally, the term of office shall terminate as was originally designated prior to the
interruption of office.

4. The ad hoc committee shall organize elections.

A RTICLE X
Impeachment and Resignation

1. Elected officers may be impeached on the following grounds:

a. Violation of the Constitution i.e. negligence of duties
b. Abuse of power
c. Acts of violence and gross immorality, and performing acts that vilify the reputation of
the club.
d. Being convicted of any criminal act.

2. Any official letter of recommendation for impeachment shall be given to the Executive Committee
signed by the person/s who wish to take action. Note: Site evidence of any wrongdoing that
supports the recommendation.

3. A general or emergency meeting shall cover impeachment proceedings where the quorum will
be increased to seventy-five percent (75) of the membership.

4. Proceedings for impeachment shall be carried out by secret ballot immediately following the
meeting held for that purpose.

5. Seventy-five percent (75) of the members voting must approve the impeachment before any
action can be taken.

6. An officer may resign at any time from office for reasons deemed valid but must do in writing
submitted to the Executive Committee. The resignation shall be accepted provided it is approved
by seventy-five percent (75) of the members.
A RTICLE XI
Probation, Suspension, and Expulsion

1. Members shall be liable for and placed on probation for the following reasons:
a. Non-compliance with Article III, paragraph 1.
b. Non-payment of fees and dues after a grace period.
c. Acts of violence, immorality and bigotry that jeopardize the reputation of the club.

2. Any regular member may recommend the probation of a member to the Executive Committee
by a letter.

3. Members found guilty of any of these offenses shall be put on probation for a period of one
month and have all their membership privileges suspended, as well as rendering them ineligible
to run for office for one academic year.

4. After the month of probation has expired and the member’s performance is still below par, the
member may be suspended or expelled upon the deliberation of seventy-five percent (75) of
regular members.

5. A majority vote of seventy-five percent (75) of members present during the probation or
suspension deliberation is necessary to suspend or expel a member.

6. The Membership Affairs Committee shall provide the Executive Committee with
recommendations pertaining to the lifting or the continuance of the probationary status of a
member.

7. A member who has been subject to the provisions of Article XI, paragraph 1, in two separate
occasions is liable for expulsion. A majority vote of seventy-five percent (75) is necessary to
effect a motion for expulsion.

A RTICLE XII
Amendments

1. Proposals for amendments of this constitution must be brought before the Executive Committee
in writing during a general meeting.

2. Amendments to the constitution may be approved only during a general meeting following the
submission of a proposal.

3. Seventy-five percent (75) of the present members are necessary to approve the amendment/s.