Rules of the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Jyväskylä

1§
The name of the Association is Jyväskylän tieteentekijät and its domicile is the City of Jyväskylä, Finland. The Association’s Swedish name is Forskarföreningen i Jyväskylä and the English name is the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Jyväskylä.

2§
The purpose of the Association is to supervise the legal, social and pay-related interests of the research and teaching personnel, other personnel, grant-funded researchers, doctoral students, hourly paid teachers and those conducting other teaching and research tasks or closely related duties at the University of Jyväskylä and the associated research and educational institutes, as well as to support members’ endeavours for advancement as academics and to serve as a link between members.

For this purpose, the Association arranges meetings, briefings, presentations and festive events, and carries out the promotion of awareness and publication activities. Additionally, the Association can, when necessary, draw up reports, statements and initiatives, engage in negotiations and maintain connections to the different bodies of higher education as deemed necessary.

In order to support its activities, the Association can receive financial aid, donations and testamentary gifts, apply and receive grants, procure and possess the properties and securities necessary for its activities, can organise drawings, fund-raising collections and events subject to a fee, as well as conduct kiosk trade at a single business location.

The Association can award grants and scholarships.

The Association can join any such central organisations that seek to implement the purposes of the Association as defined in this section.

3§
The Association can accept as members teaching and research or other personnel, grant-funded researchers, doctoral students and hourly paid teachers working at the University of Jyväskylä or other educational and research institute in Central Finland. A person can continue to be a member after retirement. Students at the University of Jyväskylä can join as student members of the Association. Ordinary members shall retain their acquired membership rights.

Members of the Association are accepted and dismissed by the Board. The Board can dismiss those members from the Association who have failed to meet the obligations undertaken by joining the Association or who have substantially damaged the Association by their conduct within or outside the Association.

4§
The membership fees are determined by the autumn meeting of the Association. A member who has not paid the membership fee determined by the autumn meeting within six months from its due date can be considered by the Board as having resigned from the Association.

5§
The Board of the Association represents the Association, manages its finances and activities, implements the decisions of the Association meetings, and prepares the matters to be discussed at Association meetings.

The Board of the Association is elected at the general autumn meeting of the Association for a term of one year. The Board is comprised of the chairperson and eight other members as well as three deputy members. Deputy members shall be called to stand in for a member of the Board in the order in which they were elected.

The Board shall elect a vice-chairperson and secretary and appoint the necessary officers from among its members as well as appoint a treasurer either from among or outside of its members. Board members shall be elected from different fields of sciences as far as is possible.

The Board constitutes a quorum when the chairperson or vice-chairperson and at least four members of the Board are present.

The Board shall convene at the request of the chairperson or vice-chairperson or if at least two members of the Board have issued a request for a meeting, in writing, to the chairperson.

Each member of the Board has one vote in Board meetings. If the votes are tied, the chairperson’s vote is decisive, except in elections that are decided by lot.

6§
The right to sign for the Association is granted to the chairperson or vice-chairperson, together with the secretary, or to two officers, always together, as designated by the Board.

7§
Two general meetings of the Association shall be held each year, a spring meeting no later than April and an autumn meeting no later than November. Extraordinary meetings shall be convened when the Board deems it necessary or when at least one tenth of those entitled to vote require the Board, in writing, to call a meeting.

Association members shall be notified of the meeting, in writing, no later than five days before the intended date of the meeting.

The Association meeting constitutes a quorum when convened according to these rules.

Every ordinary member of the Association has one vote in meetings. Student members are not entitled to vote, but they do have the right to be present and to speak. The voting is open unless a secret ballot is requested. The vote is decided on by a simple majority, with the exception of the cases stated in section 11. If there is a tie in an open vote, the chairperson’s vote is decisive, except in secret ballots and elections that are decided by lot.

8§
The accounting period of the Association is one calendar year. The financial statements of the Association must be presented at least two weeks before the spring meeting to the operations auditors, who must give a statement on the financial management to the spring meeting.

9§
The general spring meeting of the Association shall deal with the following matters:

• Presentation of the annual report and accounts of the Association and confirmation of its financial statements.
• Decision concerning the exemption of liability granted to those considered accountable.
• Handling of other matters that arise.

The general autumn meeting of the Association shall deal with the following matters:

• Election of the chairperson (1) and other members (11) of the Board for the next term.
• Determination of the amount of the membership fees for the next term.
• Approval of the financial and action plan for the next term.
• Election of two operations auditors and two deputy operations auditors.
• Election of union meeting representatives and deputy representatives for the next term.
• Election of the Association’s candidates and alternates for the boards of those central organisations for which the Association is entitled to propose candidates.
• Handling of other matters that arise.

10§
If the Association is dissolved, the Association’s funds will be used to promote the purpose of the Association as determined in the meeting that decides on the matter of dissolution. If the Association is terminated, its funds shall be used to promote the purpose of the Association.

11§
The decision to change these rules shall be made in one Association meeting and the decision to dissolve the Association in two meetings held at least one week apart. The changing of these rules requires a 3/4 majority of the votes cast at the Association meeting. The matter concerning the change of rules cannot be raised in a meeting unless it has been mentioned in the notice of the meeting and the proposal for the change has been enclosed with the notice or listed on the agenda.