STUDENT COUNCIL REGULATION

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Purpose

ARTICLE 1 – (1) The purpose of this directive is to regulate the establishment, duties, authorities and working principles of the student council of Izmir University of Economics in order to observe the rights of associate and undergraduate students enrolled at Izmir University of Economics in meeting and developing their educational, health, sports and cultural needs, ensure that they are sensitive to national interests, communicate the expectations and requests of the students to the administrative bodies by establishing an effective communication between the administrative bodies of Izmir University of Economics and the students, and to convey students’ requests to the administrative bodies and to ensure the participation of students in education and training decisions.

Scope

ARTICLE 2 – (1) This directive covers the provisions regarding the establishment, duty, authority and working principles of the student council of Izmir University of Economics, which was established with the authority to represent associate and undergraduate students at Izmir University of Economics.

Basis

ARTICLE 3 – (1) This directive has been prepared based on the "Higher Education Institutions Student Councils and Higher Education Institutions National Student Council Regulations" dated 13 June 2020 and numbered 31154.

Definitions

ARTICLE 4 – (1) The references in this regulation are as follows:

a) Student Representative of the Department/Program: The student, selected by the students of each department / program at the faculties, schools or vocational schools affiliated to Izmir University of Economics to represent the students of the department / program they are in, in the student council,

b) Student Representative of the Faculty/School/Vocational School: The student, selected by the department/program student representatives at the faculties, schools or vocational schools affiliated to Izmir University of Economics to represent the students of the faculties, schools or vocational schools they are in, in the student council,

c) Student Council: Student union established by the students of Izmir University of Economics through democratic methods,

ç) Student Council Chair: Chair of the student council and the board of the student council,

d) Supervisory Board of Student Council: The supervisory body of the student council of Izmir University of Economics,

e) General Assembly of Student Council: The general assembly consisting of faculty / school / vocational school student representatives and department / program student representatives in Izmir University of Economics,

f) Administrative Board of the Student Council: The board of the faculty / school / vocational school student representatives in Izmir University of Economics,

g) Health, Culture and Sports Directorate: Health, Culture and Sports Directorate of Izmir University of Economics,   

ğ) Election Board: The Election Board to be assigned by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics to carry out the elections specified in this directive,

h) YOK: Council of Higher Education (CoHE),

ı) National Student Council of Higher Education Institutions: The student union established by the chairs of the student councils of higher education institutions in Turkey.

 

General Principles Regarding Student Representative Elections

ARTICLE 5 - (1) The elections to determine the student council members and the formation of the bodies at Izmir University of Economics are carried out by the Election Board to be appointed by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics until December according to the calendar determined by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics.

(2) If there is not a favourable result for any reason in a unit within the designated period and program, then, no representatives in that unit are elected.

(3) Students, who will be candidates for student representatives, submit their applications to the deans’offices / directorates of the faculty / school / vocational school in writing, within the period or dates specified in the YOK Regulation, until the day specified in the election calendar. Faculty deans’offices / school directorates / vocational school directorates submit the application forms to the Election Board after pre-examining the candidacy conditions. The Election Board examines whether the applicants are eligible to be elected and after rejecting or accepting their candidacy, finalizes the candidate lists and submits them to the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate. The lists of the students whose candidacy is approved will be announced on the website by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate for a week.

(4) The Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics may decide to carry out the above application process electronically.

(5) Candidate lists become final with the decision and announcement of the objections, if there is no objection, with the expiration of the objection period specified in the election calendar.

(6) Those, whose candidacy is approved, can carry out the election campaign until the end of the office hours the day before the elections are held. Campaign implementation principles of the candidates are determined by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics.

 

Requirements for the Student Representative Candidates

ARTICLE 6 – (1) The following requirements are sought in student representative candidates:

a) Being a student enrolled in at least the second year of the relevant faculty, school, or vocational school,  

b) Not being a member or officer in political party bodies,

c) Not having received any criminal record due to disgraceful crimes,

ç) Not having received any disciplinary penalty other than warning penalty,

d) Not having deferred registration during the period of election,

e) Obtaining a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.75 over 4.00,

f) Not having affiliation to, involvement or connection with terrorist organizations,

g) Not having completed the maximum education period or not completing until the next regular election period,  

ğ) Considering the courses taken and the curriculum of the department, not having the possibility of graduating at the end of the semester in which the election will be carried out,

 

(2) Special students and those studying at Izmir University of Economics within the scope of exchange program cannot be candidates. Minor program students cannot be candidates for the student representation of their department; however, double major students or students in more than one program can be a candidate for student representation of only one department.

Election of Department/Program Representative

ARTICLE 7 – (1) The ordinary elections of the department / program student representatives are carried out within the framework of the election calendar announced by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics in accordance with the article 5 of this directive. The student representative of the department / program is elected by the students of the department / program among themselves within three business days from the date of the announcement of the election results, with the majority of those participating in the election, for two years for once.  

(2) In case the department / program student representative loses his / her eligibility for being elected or ends his / her duty before the end of his / her term for any reason, and leaves his / her duty, by-elections are held in the same manner within the period or dates specified in the YOK Regulation. If the department / program student representatives continue their studies abroad for half a semester with the ERASMUS program, their student representative duties continue.

(3) Except for the termination of the duty for any other reason, the department / program student representatives serve until the date when the final results of the ordinary election of the next department / program student representative are announced.

(4) Each student with the right to vote has one vote.

(5) The right to vote is exercised in secret and in accordance with the form and rules determined by the election board.

(6) The right to vote is used in person, not by proxy.

(7) The Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics may decide to exercise the voting right electronically.

(8) The number of students is prepared by the General Secretariat and announced after being approved by the election board.

(9) Votes contrary to this directive or the form and procedural rules determined by the election board, votes given to students who are not candidates, are considered invalid votes.

(10) In the election of department / program student representatives, the absolute majority of the students enrolled in the department / program where the election is carried out (including evening education students, if any) must participate in the first round of elections. In the second round, majority is not required.

(11) Votes are counted in front of the candidates on the date determined by the election board. In cases where the voting rate of the candidate with the highest number of valid votes is less than 10 percent of the number of voters, the department / program student representative will not be elected and the election of the department / program student representative is repeated with the same procedure. If the voting rate of the candidate with the highest number of valid votes is below 10 percent of the number of voters again, the department / program student representative position will remain empty until the next elections. In cases where the specified voting rate is achieved, the candidate who gets the most valid votes is elected as the student representative of the department / program; if there is a tie in the election, a lot is drawn by the Election Board among the candidates with the most valid votes.

(12) The names and last names of the candidates, the number of votes they received, the number of votes cast and valid are written in the meeting and decision minutes.

(13) When deemed necessary, the election board may supervise or appoint one or more of its members to supervise the election in meetings to be held. The assembly elections are executed by the election board.

(14) Election results are inspected by the election board and the approved election results are announced.  

 

Duties of Department/Program Representative

ARTICLE 8 – (1) The duties of the department / program student representative are as follows:

a) Carrying out the works of the department / program they represent,

b) Announcing the decisions taken by the bodies of the student council in the unit they represent and monitoring their implementation,

c) Determining the student problems in the department / program they represent and forwarding them to the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate to be forwarded to the Student Council and Izmir University of Economics Rectorate for solution,

ç) Coordinating the student activities in the department / program they represent,

d) Representing their department / program students in student activities,

e) Improving communication between students in the department / program that they represent and the management bodies of these units,

f) Participating in the academic meetings of the department / program they represent during the discussion of the issues related to the students,

g) Preparing reports about their work and create an archive.

 

Termination of the Duty of the Department Student Representative

ARTICLE 9 – (1) The duty of the department student representative ends automatically in the following cases, and the necessary determination is made by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and reported to the student and the relevant authorities:

a) Losing any of the specified election qualifications stated in article 6 of this Directive, except for the academic achievement requirement stated in item (e), article 6 of this Directive,

b) Failing to fulfill the academic achievement requirement for two consecutive semesters.

(2) The duty of the department / program student representative ends when the situation is determined in the following cases, and notified to the student:

a) Failing to attend official meetings twice consecutively or three times in one semester to which they are invited by the department / program head, faculty dean's office or school, vocational school directorate, without stating a valid excuse. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the director of the relevant academic unit and the situation is reported to the student and the relevant authorities.

b) Failing to attend official meetings twice consecutively or a total of three times in a semester, without stating a valid excuse, to which they are invited by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics or the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics or the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and the situation is reported to the student and the relevant authorities.

(3) With the termination of the department / program student representative duty, other duties related to or based on this duty also end.

 

Election of Faculty/School/Vocational School Representative

ARTICLE 10 – (1) The ordinary elections of the faculty / school / vocational school student representatives are carried out within the framework of the election calendar announced by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics in accordance with the article 5 of this directive. Faculty / school / vocational school student representative is elected by the students of the faculty / school / vocational school among themselves within three business days from the date of the announcement of the election results, with the majority of those participating in the election, for two years. The representative of the department / program / student in a faculty / school or vocational school where there is only one department / program, acts as the representative of that faculty / school or vocational school.

(2) In case the faculty / school / vocational school student representative loses his / her eligibility for being elected or ends his / her duty before the end of his / her term for any reason, and leaves his / her duty, by-elections, for student representation at the relevant faculty / school / vocational school of Izmir University of Economics are held in the same manner within the period or dates specified in the YOK Regulation.

 

Duties of Faculty/School/Vocational School Representative

ARTICLE 11 – (1) The duties of the faculty/school/vocational school representative are as follows:

a) Carrying out the works of the student council in the faculty/school/vocational school they represent,

b) Announcing the decisions taken by the bodies of the student council in the faculty/school/vocational school they represent and monitoring their implementation,

c) Determining the student problems in the faculty/school/vocational school they represent and forwarding them to the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate via Student Council for solution,

ç) Representing their faculty/school/vocational school students in student activities Representing their faculty/school/vocational school students in student activities,

d) Coordinating the student activities in the faculty/school/vocational school they represent,

e) Participating in the administrative board and academic council meetings of the faculty/school/vocational school they represent during the discussion of the issues related to the students,

f) Working to improve communication between department / program students.

 

Termination of the Duty of the Faculty/School/Vocational School Student Representative

ARTICLE 12 - (1) In cases where the department student representative loses his / her title, duty of the faculty/school/vocational school student representative ends automatically and the necessary determination is made by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and the situation is notified to the student and the relevant authorities.

(2) The duty of the department / program student representative ends when the situation is determined in the following cases, and notified to the student:

a) Failing to attend official meetings twice consecutively or three times in one semester to which they are invited by the department / program head, faculty dean's office or school, vocational school directorate, without stating a valid excuse. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the director of the relevant academic unit and the situation is reported to the student and the relevant authorities.

b) Failing to attend official meetings twice consecutively or a total of three times in a semester, without stating a valid excuse, to which they are invited by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics and the situation is reported to the student and the relevant authorities.

(3) With the termination of the faculty/school/vocational school student representative duty, other duties related to or based on this duty also end.

 

Student Council Chair

ARTICLE 13 –  (1) The ordinary elections of the student council chair are carried out within the framework of the election calendar announced by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics in accordance with the article 5 of this directive. The student representative of the unit, determined according to the alphabetical order of the faculty / school names of Izmir University of Economics, undertakes the chairship of the student council.

(2) In case the student council chair loses his / her eligibility for being elected or ends his / her duty before the end of his / her term for any reason, and leaves his / her duty, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes in the election of the student representative of the faculty / school represented by the chair, to complete the remaining term, becomes the chair.

 

Duties of the Student Council Chair

ARTICLE 14 – (1) The duties of the chair of the student council are as follows:

a) Representing students of Izmir University of Economics in national and international student events,

b) Determining the agenda of the general assembly of the student council and the administrative board of the student council, sending out meeting invitations, and chairing these meetings,

c) Ensuring the announcement of the decisions taken by the general assembly of the student council and the administrative board of the student council and monitoring their implementation,

ç) Preparing an annual activity report,

d) Submitting an annual activity report to the next general assembly of the student council at the end of the term of office,

e) Participating in the senate and administrative board meetings of Izmir University of Economics upon the invitation of the Rectorate during the discussion of issues related to students, where students' issues will be discussed.

f) Inviting the general assembly of the student council to the meeting,

g) Representing Izmir University of Economics Student Council in the National Student Council of Higher Education Institutions.

 

Termination of the Duty of the Student Council Chair  

ARTICLE 15 - (1) The duty of the student council chair ends automatically in the following cases, and the necessary determination is made by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and reported to the student and the relevant authorities:

a) Losing the title of member of the administrative board of the student council,

b) Not inviting the general assembly of the student council to meet the obligations of the semiannual meeting or despite the decision of the administrative board of the student council or the written application of at least one-fourth of the members of the general assembly,

c) Not inviting the administrative board of the student council to a meeting in a way to fulfill the semester meeting obligations.

(2) The duty of student council chair ends when the situation is determined in the following cases, and notified to the student:

a) Failing to attend official meetings twice consecutively or three times in one semester to which they are invited by Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics, without stating a valid excuse. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics and the situation is reported to the student and the relevant authorities.

b) Failing, disrupting, or neglecting their duties. In these cases, the necessary determination is made by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and the situation is reported to the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics. If the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics decides that the duty should be terminated, it informs the student and relevant authorities.

(3) With the termination of the student council chair duty, other duties related to or based on this duty also end.

 

General Assembly of Student Council

ARTICLE 16 – (1) The general assembly of the student council consists of faculty / school / vocational school representatives and department / program student representatives of Izmir University of Economics and is the highest decision-making body in the student council.

(2) The general assembly of the student council holds its ordinary meetings, at least twice a year. The general assembly of the student council convenes with the absolute majority of the members.

(3) The agenda of the general assembly of the student council is notified in writing to the members at least fifteen days before by the chair of the student council. If the quorum specified in this directive cannot be achieved upon the announcement, the announcement process is repeated in the same way.

(4) In the general assembly of the student council, members of the administrative and supervisory board are elected by the absolute majority of those attending the meeting. These elections are held by secret ballot and open counting. Decisions other than these are taken by the absolute majority of those attending the meeting and by open voting.

(5) The general assembly of the student council may be called for an extraordinary meeting by the administrative board upon the decision of the administrative board of the student council or the written application of 1/4 of the general assembly members. In such cases, the general assembly meeting is held within fifteen days at the latest. The administrative board of the student council determines and oversees the extraordinary general assembly meetings and agenda of the student council.

 

Duties of General Assembly of Student Council

ARTICLE 17 – (1) The duties of the general assembly of the student council are as follows:

a) Determining the chair of the student council according to the procedure in article 13 of this directive,

b) Electing the members of the administrative board of student council,

c) Electing the members of the supervisory board of student council,

ç) Making decisions regarding the problems of the student council and students of Izmir University of Economics and conveying the decisions to the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate to be forwarded to the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics,

d) Determining the term goals of the student council,

e) Working to improve communication between students and the academic and administrative units of the University.

 

Administrative Board of Student Council

ARTICLE 18 – (1) The elections of the administrative board of student council are carried out within the framework of the election calendar announced by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics in accordance with the article 5 of this directive. The administrative board of student council consists of eight students, one of which is vice-chair, and the chair of the student council, elected for two years by the members of the general assembly of the student council, among themselves, by the absolute majority of those participating in the election. The administrative board of the student council answers to the general assembly of the student council.

(2) The administrative board of the student council meets every three months under the direction of the vice chair in the absence of the chair. The meeting agenda, place and date of the board are announced to the members of the administrative board by the chairman at least seven days in advance. The Board convenes with the absolute majority of the total number of members and takes decisions with the absolute majority of those attending the meeting. In case there is tie, the party with the chair is considered the majority.

 

Duties of Administrative Board of Student Council

ARTICLE 19 – (1) The duties of the administrative board of the student council are as follows:

a) Distributing tasks among its members regarding their work,

b) Making sure that the decisions taken by the general assembly of the student council are implemented,

c) Determining the problems of the students at Izmir University of Economics, conveying their opinions and thoughts to the relevant administrative bodies through Health, Culture and Sports Directorate,

ç) Developing social awareness projects in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and encouraging student participation of students of Izmir University of Economics in these projects,

d) Working on student participation in national and international education and youth programs,

e) Developing relations with national and international student unions and organizations,

f)  Establishing work groups in areas of food, transportation, accommodation, cafeteria, clubs, scholarships, education, arts, culture, and sports and ensuring their functionality,

g) Informing the members of the general assembly of the student council about their work,

ğ) Announcing and monitoring the decisions of the national student council at Izmir University of Economics,

h) Preparing the reports of the work performed and creating an archive.

 

Termination of Administrative Board of Student Council Membership

ARTICLE 20 - (1) The administrative board of the student council membership ends automatically in the following cases, and the necessary determination is made by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate and reported to the student and the relevant authorities:

a) Losing the title of a faculty / school / vocational school representative

b) Failing to attend administrative board of the student council meetings twice consecutively or three times in one semester without stating a valid excuse,

 (2) With the termination of the administrative board of the student council membership, other duties related to or based on this duty also end.

 

Supervisory Board of Student Council

ARTICLE 21 – (1) The supervisory board of the student council consists of a chair and four members elected for two years by the absolute majority of those participating in the election among themselves, excluding the members of the general assembly of the student council.

(2) Election of supervisory board of the student council:

a) is held in the academic years in which ordinary elections are held, on the date and place determined for the supervisory board of student council elections, after the student council administrative board elections.

b) If an election is required for the completion of the administrative board membership of the student council, in the academic years for which by-elections are foreseen in accordance with this directive, it is held on the date and place determined for this election after the elections for the completion of the membership of the administrative board of the student council; If an election is not required for the completion of the administrative board membership of the student council, it is held on the date and place determined by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate.  

(3) Election is held by secret ballot. Each member has one vote and voting right is exercised personally, not by proxy.

(4) Votes contrary to this directive or the form and procedural rules determined by the election board, votes given to students who are not candidates, are considered invalid votes.

(5) Votes are counted openly in the presence of all members attending the meeting.

(6) The election is made in two rounds. In order to be elected in the first round, the absolute majority of the participants must get the valid vote. If no candidate is elected in the first round, a second round of election is held between the two candidates with the highest number of valid votes in the first round and the one with the most votes is elected. Substitute members as many as the full members are elected.

(7) The names and last names of the candidates, the number of votes they received, the number of votes cast and valid are written in the meeting and decision minutes.

(8) When deemed necessary, the election board and its chair may supervise or appoint one or more of its members to supervise the election in meetings to be held.

(9) The Election results are inspected by the election board and the approved election results are announced.  

(10) Vacant memberships of supervisory board of the student council are filled within one month with the above procedure. In the event that the supervisory board of the student council cannot be established, the supervisory duties of the board are carried out by a three-person supervision committee consisting of at least one academic and one administrative staff appointed by the Rector and one of them as the chair.

 

Duties of the Supervisory Board of Student Council

ARTICLE 22 – (1) The duties of the supervisory board of student council are as follows:

a) Inspecting whether the administrative board of student council works according to the provisions of this directive, the directives to be prepared by Izmir University of Economics and the decisions of the general assembly of the student council,

b) Informing the Rectorate of the Izmir University of Economics and the general assembly of the student council about the work performed.

 

SECTION FOUR

Miscellaneous and Final Provisions

Office, Equipment Allocation to Student Councils

ARTICLE 23 – (1) An office deemed appropriate within the institution is allocated to the student council by the relevant Health, Culture and Sports Directorate in order to carry out the duties stated in this directive, and the necessary tools / equipment are provided for their work.

Membership of the National Student Council and Termination of Membership

ARTICLE 24 – (1) The national student council membership of the student council of Izmir University of Economics and the principles regarding the termination of this membership are stated in the "Higher Education Institutions Student Councils and Higher Education Institutions National Student Council Regulations" (dated 13 June 2020 and numbered 31154) that determines the establishment, duties, authorities and working principles of the National Student Council of Higher Education Institutions.

(2) With the termination of the chairship of the student council, “National Student Council” membership also ends.

 

Election Board

ARTICLE 25-  (1) An election board of at least five people; including a Vice Rector appointed by the Rector, the Director of Health, Culture and Sports, the Student Clubs Officer and Sports Clubs Coordinator responsible for the student council, the Director of Student Affairs, a faculty member from the Faculty of Law, one of them to be selected as the chair, is appointed in order to carry out the elections for the student council.

 

(2) The authorities and duties of the election board are as follows:

a) Determining the departments / programs and academic units where representatives will be elected,

b) Determining and announcing the election calendar,

c) Taking candidacy applications, evaluating the applicants in terms of their eligibility to be selected and rejecting or accepting their candidacy according to the result,

ç) Announcing the candidates, 

d) Adjudicating objections to nominations and finalizing,

e) Conducting elections and announcing results,

f) Taking necessary measures to ensure security during elections, ensuring that necessary actions are taken against those who violate the election rules or endanger the election security, cancel their candidacy when necessary, and notify the competent disciplinary supervisor in order to decide whether to conduct a disciplinary investigation or not,

g) Examining and resolving all objections and complaints regarding elections and election results,

ğ) Making election announcements,

h) Conducting the elections and determining the result within a week by counting the votes immediately at the end of the election,

ı) Carrying out all kinds of procedures and transactions related to elections,

i) Performing other duties and using the authorities given in this Directive.

(3) Preliminary preparations for the student council elections are carried out by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate.

ARTICLE 26- (1) The election results are determined within one week at most after the election dates and announced on the website for a period of one week by the Health, Culture and Sports Directorate. In addition, it is announced to the relevant units in writing.

Coordination and Execution of Student Council Studies

ARTICLE 27 -(1) The student council must coordinate its work with the University and carry out its work in accordance with the Constitution and other legislation in force when necessary, by obtaining the approval of the relevant boards and institutions.

Duration of Student Representatives and Duties in Bodies

ARTICLE 28- (1) The maximum term of the student representatives and their duties in all bodies of the student council is two years.

Termination of the Duty of Student Representative

ARTICLE 29 - (1) Student council representatives, who are dismissed from the higher education institution due to graduation or for any other reason, or whose penalty of suspension or expulsion are finalized according to the Higher Education Institutions Student Disciplinary Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 13/1/1985 and numbered 18634, lose their student representative membership, and all related duties end.

Rules to be Followed in Activities

ARTICLE 30 – (1) Student representatives and members of student council bodies are obliged to comply with the legislation and administrative and academic decisions of the University in the activities of the student representation and student council.

(2) Without prejudice to disciplinary issues, upon an investigation by the Rectorate of Izmir University of Economics for violations of ethical rules, Izmir University of Economics Administrative Board can dismiss the duty. In these investigations, the provisions of the "Higher Education Institutions Student Disciplinary Regulation" are applied.

 

Repealed Directive

ARTICLE 31 - (1) Izmir University of Economics Student Council Regulaiton, which was accepted by the Senate decision dated 27 September 2005 and numbered 56-A / 10 and the decision of the Board of Trustees dated 3 October 2005 and numbered 17, has been repealed with its additions and changes.

Effectiveness

ARTICLE 32-(1) This Directive takes effect on the date it is approved by the Izmir University of Economics Senate.

Enforcement

ARTICLE 33-(1) The Rector of the Izmir University of Economics enforces the provisions of this Directive.

 

This directive entered into force with the decision of the Senate dated 30 December 2020 and numbered 420-A / 4 and the decision of the Board of Trustees dated 28 January 2021 and numbered 48.