There are four categories of membership:

• Ordinary,
• Associate
• Emeritus
• and Honorary

• Staff members of the University as defined by Statute (Section 2),
• Part-time staff of the University holding permanent appointments or re-engaged following retirement from permanent appointments
• Persons to whom the Staff Common Room may offer Honorary Membership.

Those persons whose appointment in the University is presumed to be permanent (including those whose employment is subject to a probationary period) shall be entitled to Ordinary Membership.

• (a) Those persons who are Fellows of the University, and such other persons as shall from time to time be determined by the Committee, shall be entitled to Associate Membership.

• (b) Associate Members shall have the same rights as Ordinary Members except that:
  • (i) they may not vote at General Meetings of the Staff Common Room
  • (ii) they may not obtain any service, including drinks at the bar, on credit.
• (c) Those persons of appropriate professional status employed on the Keele University Science Park site shall be entitled to apply for Science Park Associate Membership, at a membership fee to be determined from time to time, but not less than that for Ordinary Members. The Committee shall have the sole and final right to accept or refuse applications, without giving reasons.
• (d) Science Park members shall have the same rights as Ordinary Members except that:
  • (i) they may not vote at General Meetings of the Staff Common Room
  • (ii) they may not obtain any service, including drinks at the bar, on credit.

• (a) Former Ordinary Members of the Staff Common Room who have retired on pension from the service of the University shall be entitled to Emeritus Membership
• (b) Emeritus Members shall have the same rights as Ordinary Members except that
  • (i) they may not vote at General Meetings of the Staff Common Room
  • (ii) they may not obtain any service, including drinks at the bar, on credit.

The privilege of Honorary Membership may be conferred on an individual by the resolution of a General Meeting of the Staff Common Room. Honorary Membership is offered to all members of Council.

Any person not included in Rule 2(a) to (c) who in the opinion of the Committee should be admitted to membership of the Staff Common Room, may be offered Associate Membership by the Committee, providing that his case is submitted to the next General Meeting for consideration of what category of membership, if any, should be offered.

Temporary Associate Membership may be awarded to visitors to the Common Room for periods of less than one academic semester, at such fee as may be agreed by the Committee, either as a group or individuals. Such temporary members shall have no rights other than use of the rooms and services of the Common Room.

Each member shall have the right to introduce up to four guests on any one occasion.

At its discretion the Committee may allow the use of room(s) for private functions by individual members and by orqanisations of suitable academic standing. A charge may be made for the use and cleaning of the rooms. Intoxicating liquor may be sold by the Staff Common Room to persons attending such functions for consumption on the precises up to a maximum of twelve functions a year. The Committee may authorise the holder of a Licence for the sale of alcohol to apply for an Occasional Licence for private functions.

The Annual Subscription shall be determined from time to time by a General Meeting. It shall be payable in advance to the Treasurer. The current subscription is ten pounds p.a. for Ordinary Members and five pounds p.a. for Associate Members and Emeritus Members, payable at 1st October each year. There shall be no entrance fee.

• (a) The Principal Officers of the Staff Common Room, (the Honorary President, Deputy President, Chairman, Secretary, Wine Steward, and Treasurer) shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting. Additional Officers including Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers and Finance Officers may also be appointed at a General Meeting.

• (b) Duties of the Officers
  • President: The Honorary President, when present, shall take the chair at all meetings of the Staff Common Room.
  • Deputy President: The Deputy President shall be President -elect, and shall take the chair of Common Room meetings in the absence of the President.
  • Chairman: The Chairman shall take the chair at all meetings of the Staff Common Room Committee, and may deputise for the President. He/she shall be responsible for the day to day running of the Committee, and exercise general executive authority .
  • The Secretary will convene all meetings of the Common Room and of the Committee; he/she shall prepare Agenda and record Minutes. He/she shall be responsible for arranging the social activities, ensuring the provision of newspapers and periodicals and keeping the roll of members. He/she shall be aided by such Assistant Secretaries as are elected at the General Meeting to take responsibility for areas of the Common Room's activities.
  • Wine Steward. The Wine Steward shall be responsible for the operation of the Bar, the provision of bars at social events and for the laying down of wines.
  • Treasurer The Treasurer shall collect the Annual Subscriptions and such other amounts as may be due from the members; he/she shall pay the Common Room's creditors. He/she shall present the Accounts, duly audited and the Estimates for future expenditure to the Annual General Meeting, He/she shall be assisted by the Assistant Treasurer and/or the Finance Officer.

Committee Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting so that the total Committee Membership, including Officers, shall be at least ten.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the Summer. The Officers and Committee shall be elected at this meeting and shall take office on 1st September following. The Treasurer shall present an audited Statement of the Accounts. These accounts for the previous Financial Year ending 31st July shall first be presented to the next available committee meeting for recommendation to the next AGM. In the interim they will posted on the SCR web site and comments requested.

Other General Meetings, including meetings for by-elections, shall be called at the discretion of the Committee.

A special General Meeting shall be convened by the Committee within 14 days of the receipt of a request signed by not fewer than 20 Ordinary Members.

Notice of meetings and printed agenda shall be sent to all members entitled to attend and vote no later than two weeks before the date of the meeting, other than as provided in the case of Special General Meetings (Paragraph 15, above). A General Meeting which has been properly called and advertised shall be empowered to conduct such business as it deems essential.

The Constitution may be altered by a proposal, duly seconded, and carried by a simple majority vote at a General Meeting of the Common Room. Such a proposal shall be notified to the Secretary ten clear days before the date of that meeting,

Voting shall be by show of hands. In cases of contested efections, the vote shall be taken in the absence of the nominees, A postal vote of the entire Ordinary membership to confirm or reverse a decision taken by a General Meeting will be taken only if requested by 50 Ordinary members of the Staff Common Room within seven days during term of the publication of the Minutes of that General Meeting. No postal vote shall be taken to reverse an election at a General Meeting.

The Rooms of the Staff Common Room shall be open daily from 9.00 am to midnight.

Monday to Saturday 11,30 am to 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm to 11.00 pm

Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday 12 noon to 2.00 pm and 7.00 pm to 10.30 pm

There shall be a Liquor Committee which shall consist of the Principal Officers of the Staff Common Room (other than the President and Deputy President).