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1. General  

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All Policy Manual regulations set forth in the following Articles will be upheld by all ASTUS members.  

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2. Status of the Policy Manual  

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The Policy Manual provides an extensive outline of the obligations, rights, procedure, rules  and structure of ASTUS.

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3. Structure of the Association  

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The association consists of the following: board, advisory board, committees and their subcommittees.

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4. Membership

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4.1 People are able to become an ASTUS member when they are not able to pay for the fee.

4.1.2 People can request such membership through the board or the future confidentiality counsellor

4.1.3 The request for a membership fee exemption has to be looked at by multiple bodies of the association, preferably by a confidentiality counsellor, the audit committee, or the Advisory Board.

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5. General Assembly  

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5.1. Call for general assembly  

5.1.1. Convocation, in addition to what is stated in Article 15 sub 3 of the  statutes, should be done by posting the invitation on the association’s  Instagram page and website, as well as an email to the members and furthermore in any other way the board sees fit.  

5.1.2. The board ideally should not organise the GA during the exam period, that being either the midterms or finals of each semester. 

5.1.3. The minutes of the previous GA have to be attached to the written  invitation as mentioned in Article 13 sub 3. If the board is unable to provide  the minutes in time this should be mentioned in the invitation.  

5.1.4. The preliminary agenda shall be communicated by the board one week  before the GA at the latest. The preliminary agenda has to be communicated  via the association’s official email, website, and furthermore in any other way the  board sees fit.  

5.1.5. Only subjects mentioned in the preliminary agenda may be discussed in  the GA unless the GA decides otherwise.  

5.1.6. All those with a right to vote, excluded the ASTUS Board, have the power  to add points to the agenda at the beginning of the GA. If the ASTUS Board wants to amend the agenda at the beginning or during the GA, this has to be approved by the GA. 

5.1.7. Agenda proposals can be sent to the official ASTUS email up to a week before the GA, then the finalised agenda has to be sent out.

 

5.2. Proceedings  

5.2.1 The minutes of the GA shall be taken by the secretary. In case of his or  her absence the president shall appoint someone else to take the minutes.  5.2.2 The GA can decide to let someone else fulfil the role of president  and/or secretary at the general assembly.  

5.2.3. The minutes of the GA have to be approved in the next GA by the GA.  The GA can decide to postpone approval of the minutes to the second GA  after the original GA if necessary. In case the board proves unable to provide  the minutes, the GA will decide how to proceed.  

5.2.4. The President can co-lead the GA with another ASTUS Board member.

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5.3. Voting - Voting methods for proposals  

5.3.1. A vote on one proposal is a final vote  

5.3.2. A vote between two or more proposals is a tied vote  

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5.4. Voting - Voting method for persons  

5.4.1. A vote on the appointment of a person, in which there is only one  candidate for the position, is a final vote. This vote is only held if one or  multiple people with the right to vote that are present at the GA request a  vote. In all other cases the candidates are considered to be appointed by  consensus. In the case of a vote on the appointment of a person to the ASTUS  Board or the Advisory Board, a vote must be held.  

5.4.2. A vote on the appointment of a person, in which there are two or  multiple candidates for the position, is a tied vote. 

5.4.3. All other votes  regarding persons are final votes.  

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5.5. Voting - Voting method for committees  

5.5.1. A vote on the appointment of an entire committee is considered to be  a vote on the appointment of a person in which there is only one candidate  for the position.  

5.5.2. The GA can decide to split the vote, as meant in sub 1, into two or  more separate votes. This decision has to be voted on in a written vote.  

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5.6. Voting - Final vote  

5.6.1. In a final vote, every person with the right to vote can cast one vote,  either in favour or against the candidate c.q. proposal.  

5.6.2. The proposal is accepted, c.q. a candidate is appointed, if the required  majority of votes is achieved.  

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5.7. Voting - Tied vote  

5.7.1. In a tied vote, every person with the right to vote can cast one vote on  the candidate c.q. proposal of their choice.  

5.7.2. On the proposal that receives the most votes in a tied vote, a final vote  will be held. In case multiple proposals tie in first place, a new tied vote will  be held with just those proposals. In case all proposals receive the same 

number of votes, the board decides on which proposal a final vote will be  held.  

5.7.3. The candidate that receives the most votes in a tied vote is considered  to be appointed. In case multiple candidates tie in first place, the board  decides which candidate is appointed.  

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5.8. Voting - Right to vote  

5.8.1. The chair of the GA makes sure that no votes are casted by people who  do not have the right to vote in the GA, no person votes double and that all  authorisations, as meant in Article 16 sub 2 of the statutes, are valid.  

5.8.2. An authorisation is only valid if it contains.  

• The name of the authoriser and the authorised  

• The explicit wish to authorise  

• The date it was written  

• The signature of the authoriser

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5.9. Voting – Procedure  

5.9.1. All votes on persons are written votes.  

5.9.2. All votes on proposals are votes by show of hands. If at least one third  of the people represented at the GA requests so the vote will be held  as a written vote.  

5.9.3. Votes by show of hand occur, after invitation by the chair of the GA, by  members present raising their hand. After the hands are counted, the chair of the GA invites all members with an authorisation to raise their  hands. The members with one authorisation raise one hand, with two  authorisations two hands and with three authorisations two hands and  they stand up.  5.9.4. In a show of hand vote, the members are invited to vote on each  option, including blank, separately.  

5.9.5. If the grand total of votes does not comply with the number of people  represented at the GA the vote is considered to be invalid and a written  vote will be held instead.  

5.9.6. Written votes occur by filling out a ballot, handed out by the chair of  the GA. Before the vote, the chair makes clear how the ballot should be  filled out. A member with one or multiple authorisations receives extra  ballots, equal to the number of authorisations.  

5.9.7. All abstentions, either in a written or show of hand vote are considered  to be blank votes.  

5.9.8. The result of each vote is directly announced to the GA by the chair.  5.9.9. The chair of the GA may request help from the Advisory Board on all  matters related to the voting procedure but nevertheless remains  personally responsible for the correct execution of the voting procedure. 

 

6. ASTUS Board

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6.1. Task description of board members  

The following positions are mandatory to form a board, the roles of Treasurer and Secretary can also be shared by one person, in case the board only consists of two members. 

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President - Duties of the President include but are not limited to the following.  

• Presiding over all board meetings.  

• Co-creation of all board meeting agendas with the secretary.  

• Maintaining a strong relationship with Leiden University along with the Vice  President.  

• Work efficiently and effectively to ensure that the member’s best interests  are considered regarding all decisions. 

• Chair of the GA  

• The president has the responsibility to encourage equal and appropriate distribution of tasks among the board members.

 

Treasurer - Duties of the Treasurer include but are not limited to the following.  

• Maintain the financial budget.  

• Maintain the financial cash flow.  

• Deal with any payment/invoices.  

• Maintain clear accountancy and produce a budget for General Assembly. 

• Provide insight into the cash-flow process to the General Assembly if  requested. 

• Deal with the committee's financial requests. 

 

Secretary – Duties of the Secretary include but are not limited to the following.  

• Co-creation of all board meeting agendas with the president.  

• The taking of meeting minutes.  

• Maintaining efficient records of meeting agendas and meeting minutes. 

• Ensuring member details are up-to-date and correct.  

• Overseeing and arranging administrational aspects of membership.  

• Continue smooth functionality of the association through correct archiving of  all necessary documents.  

• Create and distribute all ASTUS Board communications.

• Answer any questions members may have.  

• Preparing the presentation slides for the General Assembly.

 

The following positions are recommended to form the board.  

 

Vice President– Duties of the Vice President include but are not limited to the  following.  

• When the president is unavailable or unable to complete their duties, all  requirements will be passed to the Vice President.  

• Attend all social events that will create and continue strong links with third  party organisations.  

• Sit in on advisory board meetings and report back to the board.  

• Have regular meetings with the coordinator of studies.  

• Information exchange 

 

Internal Affairs Officer(s) - Duties of the Internal Affairs Officer include but are not  limited to the following.  

• Act as liaison between the boards of the committees and collectives and the ASTUS board.  

• Deal with any requests from the committees and collectives and communicate them to the  ASTUS board.  

• Communicate responses from the ASTUS board to the committees and collectives.  

• Maintain strong links with the board of each committee and collective and ensure best  practice is used by all committees and collectives.  

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External Affairs Officer - Duties of the External Affairs Officer include but are not  limited to the following.  

• Oversee all aspects of social networking and media including but not limited to  Instagram, email, website, LinkedIn etc.

• Create strong links with all external parties including sponsors, government  organisations, employment agencies, partners and other Study/Student  Associations.  

• Maintain discounts with third party businesses i.e. book deal.  

 

General Tasks of the ASTUS Board include but are not limited to the following: 

• Overseeing the maintenance of the official ASTUS website. 

• Create and maintain all aspects of social networking and media including but not limited to Instagram, email, and the website. 

• Maintaining the ASTUS Policy Manual and Statutes. 

• Answer any questions members may have.

 

6.2. Board Appointment  

6.2.1. The ASTUS board shall provide a proposal for the new board members, based on their applications and their preferred positions. Members at the GA can oppose this proposal and vote other members in.

6.2.2 If only one person has applied for a board position, no vote is needed, unless an ASTUS member present at the GA wishes to apply for the board position during the GA. Then, a written vote will be held between the candidates. 

6.2.3. In case of a tie, a new vote shall be held in compliance with the  stipulations of article 5.7. If this second vote results in  another tie, the board decides which candidate will be appointed. 

6.2.4. All people present at the GA that are eligible for a position on the ASTUS board have the right to nominate themselves or be nominated for one or  multiple vacant positions.  

6.2.5. In case this procedure does not result in a board as defined by Article  8 sub 1 of the statutes before the end of the board year, the current board  will remain in office until either a new board is elected or the association is  disbanded.

 

6.3. Transition  

6.3.1 The newly elected board assumes its functions at the first day of each  board year, starting September 1st. 

6.3.2 During the period between the election and the beginning of the academic  year, the reigning board and elected board are obligated to meet and discuss  the process of transition with the aim of informing the new board about  pressing issues and procedures within ASTUS.  

6.3.2.1. In addition to the meetings addressed in 6.3.2, the reigning board members must meet with their respective successors from the elected board at least twice between the election and the beginning of the academic year.

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6.4. Vacancies  

6.4.1 Any board member is allowed to step down/leave the ASTUS board.  

6.4.2. The board member stepping down from their position will do this in  written form to the Advisory Board and the current Board at least seven days  in advance.  

6.4.3. In case of a vacancy in the board as a result of a board member  stepping down/leaving the ASTUS board, the Advisory Board or, in absence of the Advisory Board, the ASTUS board will conduct an application procedure to provide a non-binding advice for a successor to the general  assembly.  

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6.5. Board meetings  

6.5.1. During the period pertaining to the academic year, the board is  encouraged to meet on a weekly basis.  

6.5.2. The Advisory Board is allowed to attend the board meetings on request  of either the Board or the Advisory Board.

 

6.6. Reimbursement  

6.6.1. ASTUS Board Members can be reimbursed for ticket costs for events of  ASTUS they attended.  

6.6.2. The right to reimbursement given in 6.1.1. is contingent on the conduct  of the respective Board Member outlined in 6.7.  

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6.7. Conduct of the Board  

It is essential that the board members remember that they are representatives of  the board, the association and its members. This includes the following  recommendations of conduct. Extensions are at the discretion of the Advisory Board  and need approval of the GA:  

• The board members should make an effort to behave in a professional  manner when representing ASTUS.  

 

6.8. Registration at the Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce)

6.8.1. When registering at the Kamer van Koophandel it is required that all persons registering (President, Secretary, and Treasurer) have joint authority and it is prohibited for any person registered at the Kamer van Koophandel to have sole authority. 

6.8.2. The newly elected board has to be registered at the Kamer van Koophandel within the first month of their administrative year.

 

7. Advisory Board 

 

7.1. The Members of the Advisory Board shall be appointed for a period of one or two years 

7.1.1. The new members of the Advisory Board are chosen at the discretion of the Advisory Board. 

7.1.2. New members of the Advisory Board must be voted in at the General Assembly. 

7.2. The Advisory Board does not answer to the ASTUS Board and shall look at ASTUS activities with an objective and open mind. 

7.3. Tasks of the Advisory Board include but are not limited to the following. 

• To provide non-binding but informed guidance to the ASTUS Board 

• Identify, assess, and opine on possible difficulties/ issues concerning ASTUS/ the ASTUS Board 

• Deal with complaints from members concerning ASTUS

7.4. Members of the advisory board may not be part of the ASTUS Board. 

 

8. Financial Procedures 

 

8.1. Membership fee 

8.1.1. The term of payment for the annual membership fee is one month after the first payment notification by the treasurer. 

8.1.2. For new members, payment of the annual membership fee has to be done when applying for membership unless determined otherwise by the treasurer. 

8.1.3. Those who apply for membership between the first of January and the first of June are exempted from half of the membership fee for the current association year. 

8.1.4. Those who apply for membership between the first of July and the start of the association year, are exempted from the membership fee for the current association year. 

8.1.5. Two weeks after the first notification, a second notification has to be sent by the treasurer to those who have not paid their membership fee yet. 

8.1.6. If a member does not pay the membership fee within the set term of payment the board is entitled to suspend the member as described in Article 5 sub 3 of the statutes. 

8.1.7. Suspension may be prolonged up to the end of the association year. If a member does not pay the membership fee before the end of the association year, membership is terminated. 

8.1.8. If a member, suspended under Article 8.1.6. of the Policy Manual, pays their membership fee, the suspension is lifted immediately. Suspension for other reasons might still remain in effect. 

8.1.9. In some cases, a person can be exempted from paying the membership fee. The person can apply for this exemption to the confidentiality counsellor, the audit committee, or the Advisory Board. When none of these organs are present at the time of the request, the request can be made to the ASTUS board.

8.1.9.1. Information provided to these ASTUS organs will be handled with strict confidentiality, and does not have to be shown to the ASTUS Board. 

8.1.9.2. The decision made by preferably two of these ASTUS organs is final.

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8.2. Budget 

8.2.1. The treasurer, in consultation with the previous treasurer, the board and the advisory board, makes a budget that has to be approved by the GA. The GA has the power to alter the budget. 

8.2.2. In the event of expenditures or investments of over €500.00 which are not included in the approved budget, approval by the GA is needed. 

8.2.3. The treasurer has the right to redistribute the previously allocated money over the different committee’s after the first of January, based on committee performance, requested budgets and future plans. If there is no change to the overall committee budget, the redistribution does not have to be approved by the GA. 

8.2.4. No more than 20% of the total cash flow from the previous fiscal year may be spent before the budget is approved by the GA. The treasurer has to incorporate these expenses in the presented budget. 

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8.3. Financial report and audit committee 

8.3.1. If the GA does not approve the financial report, as meant in Article 14 sub 1 of the statutes, the GA can decide to hire an independent auditor to perform an audit. 

8.3.2. The treasurer remains responsible for the financial report of its fiscal year until the GA approves the report. Excluding the consequences of all actions outside the law, the statutes or the Policy Manual, the treasurer is released from its responsibility for the fiscal year when the GA approves the financial report. 

8.3.3. Besides the mandatory audit of the financial report, as described in Article 14 sub 2 of the statutes, the audit committee is entitled to audit the treasurer and consult all necessary documents if deemed necessary by either the GA, the advisory board or the audit committee. 

8.3.4. The members of the Audit Committee must be voted in with two-thirds majority of the General Assembly before the end of the financial year. 

8.3.5. The outgoing Treasurer must present the Audit Committee with their final financial report two weeks prior to the first GA of the year following their financial year. 

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8.4. Use of funds 

8.4.1. When purchasing goods, all bodies within ASTUS should make an effort to buy the most socially and environmentally responsible options allowed by the budget. 

8.4.1.1 All food bought for ASTUS should account for dietary preferences (e.g. vegan, religious, vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free etc.)

8.4.1.2 Sub 8.4.2.1 also applies to restaurants, cafés and other social gathering places visited by ASTUS for ASTUS events.

8.4.1.3. Food and drinks should be purchased in moderation, according to the expected number of people attending, to avoid leftovers or food waste.

8.4.1.4. Leftover food that is quickly perishable should be taken home by members who attended the event that the food was purchased for, or be donated to e.g. a homeless shelter. 

8.4.2. ASTUS is not allowed to pay members of the advisory board or board as this poses a conflict of interest.

 

9. Committees 

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9.1. Core definition of a committee 

9.1.1. A committee is a group of ASTUS members dedicated to a specific field of activities and/or interests. 

9.1.2. Through organising activities or coordinating other related operations, the committee carries out its purpose. 

9.1.3. A committee has a specific goal within the goals of ASTUS. The general purpose of all committees is to contribute to ASTUS, its members and Urban Studies. 

9.1.4. Unless stated otherwise, the Audit Committee is excluded when the term ‘committee’ is used. 

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9.2. Structure of a committee 

9.2.1. All members of the committee have to be ASTUS Members. 

9.2.2. A committee is comprised of at least three members. Committee Head, Secretary and Treasurer. 

9.2.3. The maximum number of committee members is seven. 

9.2.4. A committee can have sub-committees. 

9.2.5. A committee member cannot be at the same time a member of the advisory board unless decided otherwise by the GA. 

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9.3. Sub-committees 

9.3.1. A committee may decide to, in consultation with the ASTUS Board, propose the creation of a sub-committee to the GA. 

9.3.2. Creation of the sub-committee has to be approved by the GA. 

9.3.3. All members of the sub-committee have to be ASTUS Members. 

9.3.4. The Committee is responsible for all actions of its sub-committee. 

9.3.5. All procedures have to be fulfilled through the committee to which the sub-committee belongs. 

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9.4. Selection of committee members 

9.4.1. At the first GA of the association year, the internal affairs officer(s) of the ASTUS board have to provide a non-binding recommendation for committee members.

9.4.2. The nominated committee members are approved by the GA until either new committee members are approved or the committee is dissolved. In case the GA does not pass a vote on one or multiple nominees, the rest of the committee members, in accordance with the internal affairs officer(s), may present new nominees to the GA.

9.4.4. Every committee member may be dismissed, with a stated reason, by the General Assembly at any time. Any committee member up for dismissal will be provided with the opportunity to defend against their dismissal during the General Assembly which is set to decide on their case. 

9.4.5. To pass a motion to dismiss a committee member, two-thirds of the valid votes cast in a General Assembly must be in favour. 

9.4.6. In case of dismissal of a committee member, the committee may present a new nominee to the GA. If the committee, as a result of the dismissal, does no longer meet the requirement stated in Article 9.2.2. of the Policy Manual, the committee is obliged to give a new non-binding recommendation to the GA to meet the stated requirement. 

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9.5. Starting a new committee 

9.5.1. A group of at least three ASTUS members may decide to, after consultation with the ASTUS Board, propose the creation of a new committee to the GA. The proposal should state clearly the added value for ASTUS. 

9.5.2 Creation of the committee has to be approved by the GA. 

9.5.3. After approval Article 9 of the Policy Manual applies to the committee with the exception of Article 9.6.1. for the semester in which the committee is approved. 

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9.6. Obligations of committees 

9.6.1. All committees must have two or more events per semester, with the exception of Sub-Committees. 

9.6.2. All committees are obliged to report financial proceedings to the ASTUS board. 

9.6.3. All committees are responsible for their respective sections on the ASTUS website. 

9.6.4. All committees are obliged to comply with the law, the statutes and the Policy Manual. 

9.6.5. All committees are obliged to make minutes of the meeting which they have to send to the appointed member of the ASTUS board. 

9.6.6. The committee head is obliged to attend committee head meetings. 

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9.7. Financial Reporting 

9.7.1. A committee is eligible for funding when they meet the criteria stated in Articles 9.1, 9.2, 9.4 and 9.6. In case a committee does not comply with these criteria, the board may decide to cut or revoke all funding for the committee. 

9.7.2. Each committee submits an approximate budget proposal at least two weeks before the first General Assembly of the association year to the Treasurer of the ASTUS Board. 

9.7.3. The committee has to submit its final budget proposal at least one week prior to the first General Assembly of the association year, after consultation with the Treasurer of the ASTUS Board. 

9.7.4. Based on the final budget proposal, the ASTUS Board allocates its funds to form the budget for committees. 

9.7.5. Committee Budgets have to be accepted by the General Assembly. 

9.7.6. Committee budgets are not transferable to the next fiscal year 

9.7.7. Committee Members that spend money, based on their accepted budget, need to provide legitimate receipts. 

9.7.8. When raising or in any way supporting charity in the name of ASTUS, the charity should first be approved by the ASTUS board. 

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9.8. Event reporting 

9.8.1. Before every event, the ASTUS board has to receive an Event proposal, (e.g in the form of the event proposal form or an agreement with the internal officer(s)).

9.8.2. This includes an overview of the expenses for the corresponding event. This should be communicated via the corresponding form in the annex. 

9.8.3. The event has to be approved by both the Treasurer and Internal Affairs officer before being published or advertised.

 

9.9. Annual reports 

9.9.1. An annual report should be sent to the ASTUS Board by the end of May.

9.9.2. This should outline the events carried out including the date, amount of participants and a short description of each event. 

9.9.3. Additionally, the committee is expected to send a final outline of their costs to the ASTUS Board. This can be included in the annual report outlined in 9.9.1. 

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9.10. Dissolution of a committee 

9.10.1 The GA can decide to dissolve a committee with a majority of two third of the casted votes. 

9.10.2 A committee becomes dormant if no recommendation, as meant in 9.4.1. of the Policy Manual, is done. 

9.10.2.1 A dormant committee does not have committee members, cannot receive funds and may not organise events during the dormant period. 

9.10.2.2 A dormant committee will exist only in name and will keep its section on the ASTUS website. 

9.10.2.3 The dormant state of a committee is reversed when a recommendation, as meant in 9.4.1. of the Policy manual, is done and approved by the GA. 

9.10.3 A committee becomes dormant if at least two third of its members notify the ASTUS board, in writing, of their wish to make the committee dormant. 

 

10. Social Media 

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10.1. General social media rules 

10.1.1. All content should relate to ASTUS or benefit ASTUS. Ultimately, this is at the discretion of the ASTUS Board. 

10.1.2. No inappropriate content is to be posted on any social media channels. Ultimately, this is at the discretion of the ASTUS Board. 

10.1.3. Make sure you have permission from those featured when posting. 

10.1.3.1. Permission is automatically granted to ASTUS when attending ASTUS events. 

10.1.3.2. For any other feature the permission should be stated in paper. 

10.1.4. Requests to delete content via the Facebook page messenger, Instagram DMs or email should be assessed by the ASTUS Board. 

10.1.5. No member of ASTUS may operate any own social media channels or website in the name of ASTUS or any of its subsidiaries. 

10.1.5.1. The ASTUS Board is to ensure that 10.1.5. is upheld. 

10.1.5.2. A breach of 10.1.5. results in direct suspension if not reacted immediately. 

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10.2. Political Statements 

10.2.1. ASTUS social media is a place of political neutrality. 

10.2.2. No political statements including inferences or connotations are allowed to be made. 

10.2.2.1 The evaluation of such statements is at the discretion of the ASTUS Board. 

10.2.2.2. The evaluation of the ASTUS Board can be challenged in a General Assembly 

10.2.3. A General Assembly can decide to allow a certain political stance upon reaching a majority of two-thirds. 

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10.3. Facebook 

10.3.1 All committees are allowed to post on the ASTUS Facebook page. 

10.3.2 In order to be able to do the above, all committees will appoint one member to post on Facebook on behalf of the committee. Committee members have limited access to the account, which means they will get the role of editor, whilst ASTUS board members are having the role of admin. 

10.3.3 A limited amount of three posts per committee per week is allowed to be posted. In case more posts are necessary, permission from the ASTUS Board is required. 

10.3.5. All vital information surrounding events should be posted on the main Facebook page and only then can be shared into the official Leiden University Facebook groups or tertiary groups associated with the Bachelors of Urban Studies. 

10.3.6. Posts uploaded on the ASTUS Facebook page can be shared into Facebook groups via personal accounts of committee members. 

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10.4. Other Official ASTUS Social Media 

10.4.1. All committees are allowed to post on official ASTUS social media pages including but not limited to Instagram and LinkedIn.

10.4.2. The Regulations outlined in 10.1. and 10.2. have to be upheld. 

 

11. Conflicts 

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11.1. Complaint filing 

11.1.1. Any member has the right to file a complaint concerning any action taken by an ASTUS member at an ASTUS event or on behalf of ASTUS. 

11.1.2. Any member or committee has the right to file a complaint concerning any decision taken by the ASTUS Board or a committee. 

11.1.3. All complaints have to be filed with the ASTUS board in writing or via email, unless stated otherwise. 

11.1.4. A complaint directed at the ASTUS Board has to be filed with the Advisory Board in writing or via email. 

11.1.5. The ASTUS board is obliged to report all complaints and actions taken regarding those complaints to the Advisory Board. 

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11.2. Procedure 

11.2.1. The institution that receives the complaint shall process and archive all complaints with the maximum amount of discretion. 

11.2.2. The ASTUS Board will take appropriate action. This is, in sequence: 

1. Impose the sanction as described by the statutes or the Policy Manual; or, if not applicable 

2. Mediate between the complainer and the accused to come to a solution acceptable for all parties; or, if not possible 

3. Decide on a solution to the best of its knowledge. This procedure does not apply to complaints against the ASTUS Board. 

11.2.3. The institution that receives the complaint reserves the right to forward the complaint to the appropriate authorities if illegal activity is suspected. 

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11.3. Complaints against committees 

11.3.1. The ASTUS Board will investigate the complaint and shall notify all parties involved of its decision no later than two weeks after the complaint was filed. 

11.3.2. Committees can be sanctioned by the board in accordance with Article 9.7.1. of the Policy Manual 

11.3.3. All parties involved have the right to appeal to the decision of the ASTUS Board at the GA. 

11.3.4. All complaints and actions taken regarding those complaints must be archived by the ASTUS board. 

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11.4. Complaints against individual members 

11.4.1 The ASTUS Board will investigate the complaint and shall notify all parties involved of its decision no later than two weeks after the complaint was filed. 

11.4.2. Members can be sanctioned by the board in accordance with Article 13.6 of the Policy Manual 

11.4.3. In case the complaint is directed at one or more guests of a member at an ASTUS event, the member may be sanctioned. 

11.4.4. All parties involved have the right to appeal to the decision of the ASTUS Board at the GA. 

11.4.5. All complaints and actions taken regarding those complaints must be archived by the ASTUS board. 

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11.5. Complaints against the ASTUS Board 

11.5.1. The Advisory Board will investigate the complaint and shall try to mediate between the complainer and the ASTUS Board. 

11.5.2. If no solution acceptable to all parties is reached, the Advisory Board shall provide the GA with a non-binding recommendation for a solution. 

11.5.3. All complaints and actions taken regarding those complaints must be archived by the Advisory Board and handed to the ASTUS Board after the complaint is resolved for safekeeping. 

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11.6. Sanctions 

11.6.1. The ASTUS Board has the right to suspend members for disorderly behaviour, misconduct or any other activity that harms the association. 

11.6.1.1. The use of hard-drugs at ASTUS events will result in suspension and exclusion from events for the period of a month for a first-time offence, and indefinite suspension and exclusion from events for a second-time offence. 

11.6.2. The ASTUS Board has the right to remove a member as such when the member unreasonably harms the association. 

11.6.3. The ASTUS Board or any other body of ASTUS cannot fine members as a sanction. 

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11.7. Appeals 

11.7.1. All parties involved have the right to be present and defend their case at the GA at which the case is addressed. 

11.7.2. The decision of the GA is final.

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