Statutes

Preamble

The Institute of International Studies Students‘ Union (hereinafter referred to as SIMS) is a voluntary student association that represents and advocates for the interests of all students of the Institute of International Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (hereinafter referred to as IMS FSV UK), and aims to ensure their proper socio-cultural background.

Interests and Aims

1. As an association representing the interests of students of IMS FSV UK, SIMS primarily:
   1. develops mutual cooperation and a friendly environment among students;
   2. assists students in resolving their academic and other issues;
   3. facilitates smooth and open communication among students, the management of IMS FSV UK, the management of FSV UK, the Academic Senate of FSV UK, the academic staff of the faculty, and other university personnel;
   4. strives for the (co)organisation of supplementary educational and cultural-social activities;
   5. maintains contact and collaborates with other students’ unions and societies.

Membership

1. SIMS recognises three types of membership: associate, regular, and honorary.

Associate Membership

1. Any student enrolled in one of the IMS study programmes can become an associate member of SIMS.
2. An associate member of SIMS may voluntarily participate in SIMS activities and attend its regular meetings, but without voting rights.
3. The SIMS Praesidium determines associate membership allocation based on each applicant's completed application.
   1. The online application includes a brief motivational letter, which serves as a crucial acceptance criterion.
   2. The SIMS Praesidium will send its decision to the applicant interested in associate membership within three weeks of receiving the application at the email address provided by the applicant in the form.
   3. If the applicant disagrees with the SIMS Praesidium’s decision, they may file an appeal. In this case, the allocation of associate membership is determined by a two-thirds majority vote of all regular SIMS members at the next scheduled SIMS meeting.
4. The SIMS associate membership is temporary and expires at the end of the academic year in which it was established.
5. It is possible to be an associate member of SIMS repeatedly.

Regular Membership

1. An associate member of SIMS may attain full membership upon fulfilling the criteria for regular membership.
2. A regular member of SIMS is required to participate in SIMS activities and attend its regular meetings, with the right to vote on all matters brought before SIMS for decision.
3. Regular membership allocation is determined by an absolute majority of regular members of SIMS, based on a nomination from the SIMS Praesidium, and can be decided as early as the fourth meeting within the given academic year.
4. The SIMS Praesidium, based on the opinion of the Vice-Chairman for HR, nominates an associate member for full membership if they meet the following conditions:
   1. An associate member attended at least three previous SIMS meetings with at most one excused absence.
   2. An associate member actively participates in SIMS activities.
   3. Within the deadline set by the SIMS Praesidium, the associate member completed the self-assessment questionnaire and, if necessary, attended a personal interview with the Vice-Chairman for HR.
5. The SIMS Praesidium will notify the applicant of the regular membership of the nomination no later than three days prior to the meeting where it will be presented.
6. A regular membership applicant may appeal the decision on their nomination. In such cases, the assignment of associate membership requires a two-thirds majority vote from the regular members of SIMS.
7. Regular membership is established by the consent of an absolute majority of regular members of SIMS and ceases by resignation or at the latest upon completion of studies at IMS FSV UK.
8. Regular membership can be revoked by an absolute majority vote of the regular members of SIMS if the SIMS Praesidium proposes it, under the following conditions:
   1. A regular member neither participates in SIMS activities long-term and intentionally nor advocates for its interests and aims.
   2. A regular member was absent without excuse three times and failed to justify his absences from the SIMS meeting or a meeting of one of his sections.
   3. When in doubt, a regular member was unable to adequately clarify the situation to the Vice-Chairman for HR.
9. In justified cases, a regular member of SIMS may request the Vice-Chairman for HR to suspend their full membership temporarily. If the Vice-Chairman for HR approves the request, the member's status is temporarily recorded as an associate.

Honorary Membership

1. A former member of SIMS who no longer qualifies for associate or regular membership, or who has voluntarily resigned, may be granted honorary membership of SIMS. The honorary membership status is awarded by the Chairman of SIMS for a period of one academic year, with the option for renewal.

SIMS Praesidium

1. The SIMS Praesidium is the supreme, executive, and representative body of SIMS, which is composed of:
   1. Chairman of SIMS;
   2. Vice-Chairman of SIMS with delegated authority for the social events section;
   3. Vice-Chairman of SIMS with delegated authority for the academic affairs section;
   4. Vice-Chairman of SIMS with delegated authority for the PR section;
   5. Vice-Chairman of SIMS for HR, responsible for managing membership records and collaborating with praesidium members to coordinate the admission of new SIMS members.
   6. Vice-Chairman of SIMS with delegated authority for the section for interunions’ communication and internationalisation;
   7. Treasurer.
2. Only a regular member of SIMS can become a member of the praesidium, either by submitting their candidacy or by having their candidacy proposed by another regular member of SIMS.
3. The manner and procedure of the election are determined by an absolute majority of regular members of SIMS, and consensus on it must be reached before the start of voting. The candidate with the highest number of valid votes becomes a member of the praesidium.
4. The mandate of the members of the praesidium is temporary and ceases upon the election of new members of the praesidium, which must take place no later than the last meeting of SIMS within each academic year.
5. A member of the praesidium may resign from their position. However, in such a case, they continue to perform their duties until the by-elections to the SIMS praesidium, which must take place at the following upcoming SIMS meeting.
   1. The mandate resulting from the by-elections ceases at the latest with the mandate of the entire praesidium.
   2. If a member of the praesidium who has decided to resign is unable to perform their duties for objective reasons, these duties shall pass to the praesidium as a whole.
6. The praesidium or a member of the praesidium can be dismissed upon the proposal of at least three regular members of SIMS by a two-thirds majority of all regular members of SIMS. However, in such a case, the vote on this decision must be linked to the election of a new praesidium or one of its members.
7. The mandate of a member of the praesidium is incompatible with the function of the IMS FSV UK ombudsperson.

Section and Organisation of SIMS Activities

1. SIMS activities are carried out and coordinated within specialised sections for:
   1. social events, primarily responsible for evening social gatherings, IMS off-site meetings, introductory courses, etc.
   2. academic affairs, primarily responsible for extracurricular lectures, communication with the management of IMS FSV UK, and participation in its meetings, etc.
   3. PR, which is primarily responsible for managing social media, preparing promotional materials, communicating with the PR department of FSV UK and IMS FSV UK, etc.
   4. interunions’ communication and internationalisation, which, in cooperation with the sections mentioned above, is primarily responsible for communication with other students’ unions at FSV UK, managing emails, and collaborating with international students and distance learning students.
2. At the head of each section stands the designated vice-chairman.
3. Every regular or associate member of SIMS is required to participate in the activities of at least one section.
4. The organisation of work and activities of individual sections is left to the discretion of the designated vice-chairman in agreement with the members of the section.
5. According to the decision of the praesidium or the initiative of an absolute majority of regular SIMS members, the formation of additional specialised working groups is possible, but only beyond the basic division.
6. The treasurer is responsible for the SIMS budget. As an elected member of the praesidium, he has the duty to manage the entrusted finances transparently and to the best of his knowledge and conscience, so that all regular members of SIMS can review the transaction statements regularly.
7. All electronic materials are stored on a shared Google Drive, which is managed by the SIMS Praesidium.
   1. Google Drive is connected to the SIMS faculty email, and the praesidium shares the data with its administrators from among the regular members of SIMS, who commit not to abuse this permission.
   2. All regular, associate, and honorary members of SIMS have access to Google Drive, which they acquire upon appointment and lose upon termination.

SIMS Meetings

1. The SIMS meetings represent the highest decision-making assembly of all regular members of SIMS, where the activities and organisation of SIMS are discussed, past activities are evaluated, and upcoming events are planned.
2. Meetings must be held at least once a month, except during the summer holiday period.
3. All meetings are convened, initiated, and concluded by the Chairman of SIMS, who must also be present at them at all times. In the event of long-term absence, he is replaced by the designated vice-chairman.
4. SIMS is quorate if at least half of all regular members are present at the meeting. If SIMS is not quorate, the chairman shall convene a substitute meeting at the earliest possible date.
5. The meeting is primarily attended by regular, associate, and honorary members of SIMS, as well as other persons if deemed appropriate.
6. If possible, decisions are made by consensus.
7. If consensus cannot be reached, SIMS may, upon the proposal of the chairperson, vote; subject to exceptions specified in the statutes, a decision is considered approved if a simple majority of the present regular members supports it.
8. A minute of each meeting is prepared and published on the IMS FSV UK website after approval by the chairman.
9. In the event of any procedural uncertainty, the Chairman of SIMS shall decide on the solution.

Transitional and Final Provisions

1. The submitted version of the statutes was approved on 30 September 2025 by a two-thirds majority of all regular members of SIMS elected in the academic year 2024/2025.
2. Amendments to the statutes are only possible with the approval of a two-thirds majority of all regular members of SIMS.
3. On the date these statutes come into effect, all regular members of SIMS elected in the academic year 2024/2025 shall become regular members of SIMS in accordance with these statutes.
4. On the effective date of these statutes, members of the SIMS Praesidium elected in October 2024 and January 2025 shall resign from their positions. Still, they will continue to perform their duties until the election of a new praesidium, which must take place at the first meeting of SIMS in the 2025/2026 academic year. The mandates of the members of the SIMS Praesidium elected through these elections shall end upon the election of new members, which must occur no later than the last meeting of SIMS within the same academic year.
5. These statutes shall take effect on 1 October 2025.