The Association shall be named The Association of Heads of Psychology Departments.

(i) By meetings and other means to exchange information and to propose and initiate actions on issues of common interest, particularly those affecting teaching, training, research and administration in academic Departments of Psychology.

(ii) To enhance the standing of the discipline of Psychology.

(i) Membership shall be open to the Heads of academic Psychology Departments or their equivalents (subject to the approval of the Association on the recommendation of the committee) in Higher Education Institutions within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland; and the Heads of such other Departments as the Association on the recommendation of the Committee may consider appropriate from time to time. Members who are unable to attend meetings may be represented by substitutes who shall have observer non-voting status only.

(ii) Invitations to honorary membership may be extended to other persons including representatives of the British Psychological Society by resolution of a General Meeting of the Association. Such memberships shall not exceed three at any one time.

(i) An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held on a date to be determined by the Committee during the period 15th April to 15th July for the purposes of receiving the Annual Report of the Committee, of appointing an auditor and of discussing any matter duly submitted to the Meeting.

(ii) General Meetings of the Association shall be held at the discretion of the Committee but there shall be a minimum of two meetings each year, one of which may be the Annual General Meeting. If so requested in writing or by electronic means by not less than ten members of the Association, the Committee shall summon an Extraordinary General Meeting. The Committee is authorised to obtain the views of members by means of a postal or electronic vote instead of a General Meeting should it consider that this system will serve the best interest of the Association.

(iii) Notice of any General Meeting of the Association shall be given not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting. The accidental omission to give notice to any member entitled to receive notice of any General Meeting or the non-receipt by such members of the notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of the meeting.

(iv) The quorum of all General Meetings of the Association shall be fifteen members. In the event of there being no quorum at a General Meeting, the Chair of the Association shall be empowered to adjourn the meeting to a later time and date.

(v) Any member who wishes to move a resolution at a General Meeting shall give the Secretary at least fourteen days notice in writing or by electronic means thereof and the name of the member who will second the motion.

(i) There shall be a Chair of the Association who will take the chair at General Meetings and at the Committee meetings of the Association.

(ii) There shall be a Vice-Chair of the Association who will perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair and serve otherwise as a member of the Committee.

(iii) There shall be an Honorary Treasurer of the Association who shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the Association and who shall submit a Statement of Accounts to the Committee and to the Annual General Meetings of the Association.

(iv) There shall be a Secretary of the Association who shall be responsible for the summoning of General Meetings of the Association, the convening of meetings of the Committee, the preparation of business for such meetings, the recording of the proceedings of such meetings and the expedition of business arising therefrom. The Secretary shall be responsible for the maintenance of a register of members of the Association.

(v) The Chair shall be elected by a ballot of the Association membership to serve for a period of normally two and no more than three years and shall be eligible for re-election for a further period of two years. Thereafter, he/she will not be eligible for re-election until after an interval of one year.

(vi) The Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected by the Committee of the Association to serve for a period of normally two and no more than three years and shall be eligible for re-election for a further period of two years. Thereafter, he/she will not be eligible for re-election until after an interval of one year.

(vii) Following resignation of an officer, the vacancy shall be filled by election at the next following General Meeting of the Association or by postal or electronic ballot as the Committee shall determine. The accidental omission to send any member a ballot paper in respect of any election or non-receipt of such a ballot paper shall not invalidate the result of the election.

(i) There shall be a Committee of the Association drawn from present or past members which shall be responsible for the administration of the Association subject to the provisions of this Constitution.

(ii) The composition of the Committee shall be as follows:

(a) The Officers of the Association (as defined in 5 above)

(b) The Ordinary Members of the Committee

(iii) The Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be three in number. In addition, a maximum of five co-options to the Committee shall be allowed.

(iv) The Committee shall meet not less than twice each year at such time and place as may be determined by the Chair and with not less than seven full days notice in writing or by electronic means. At all meetings of the Committee the quorum shall be four members.

(v) The Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be elected by ballot at the same time and on the same terms as the Chair (5(v) above) of the Committee except that suitable variation may be made to phase periods of office.

(i) The Committee shall recommend rates of subscription for membership of the Association for approval. The subscription year will start on 1st January. New members joining on or after 1st January in any year shall enjoy privileges of membership immediately on payment of the annual subscription which shall last until 31st December of that year. Members who have not paid their annual subscription by 1st July shall be assumed to have resigned their membership.

(ii) The Association shall have the power to accumulate any income during such period as may be allowed by general law and the capital income of the Association may be invested as the Committee, on the recommendation of the Treasurer, shall in its discretion think fit.

The Honorary Treasurer shall put before the Committee all proposals for making, changing and realising investments of funds of the Association and shall give effect to the directions of the Committee in relation to such proposals, the Committee may delegate to the Honorary Treasurer all or any of their functions and powers in relation to the investment and management of the funds of the Association.

(iii) Any application of the income of the Association wherever derived shall be applied solely towards the furtherance of the objects of the Association and for no other purpose.

(iv) All monies of the Association not required to meet the current expenditure of the Association may be placed on deposit with any bank or building society or invested in any investment whatsoever (whether or not authorised by law for the investment of trust funds in the absence of an express power) in all respects as the Committee may determine.

(v) The Association shall have power to borrow or raise money for the purposes of the Association on whatever terms and on such security as may be thought fit but only after approval by a General Meeting of the Association.

(vi) Payments for indebtedness will be made by cheque to be signed by the Treasurer and one other member of the Committee, or by such other arrangement as the Committee may from time to time decide. In addition, there shall normally be a petty cash account with limits and conditions at the discretion of the Committee.

(vii) No Officer of the Association shall be liable for any breach of trust or duty not involving wilful fraud or wrongdoing on his/her part.

(viii) The accounts of the Association shall be audited at least once each year by an auditor who shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting. An audited statement of accounts for the preceding financial year shall be submitted by the Committee to the Annual General Meeting.

The provisions of this Constitution may be amended, repealed or added to by a Resolution of an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association or by postal or electronic ballot and carried by the vote of not less than two-thirds of the members voting thereon, but not otherwise.

In the event of the dissolution of the Association all funds and assets of the Association remaining after the dissolution has been executed shall be transferred in equal shares to the Heads of Psychology Departments in membership at the time of the dissolution.