Constitution

The University Parents Community was founded in order to foster a rich environment on campus for children of the university community by bringing parents, as well as others in the community who are interested in children, together to sponsor and encourage a wide range of activities for the younger members of the university community.
 

It is our goal that activities sponsored by the UPC will reflect the culture of the locality in which the university is located as well as the cultural diversity of the members of the community.

The address of the University Parents Community will be:

University Parents Community
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Tower 18, Ground Floor
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Hong Kong

• All the liabilities and debts of the UPC will be shared equally among all voting members.
   
• Any person seeking to become a member of the UPC will make an application to the secretary of the UPC (or his or her designee); All the applications for membership should be approved by the Executive Committee.
   
• All staff members, students, alumni, campus residents and their families are eligible to join, subject to their status being acknowledged by the University by their possessing a sports users card, etc.
   
• Annual dues must be paid to be a member. The annual membership fee for the school year of 2025/26 is 200 HKD.
   
• In the case of a conflict for places in UPC programmes or projects (e.g. Busy Bees), family members of HKUST staff members will have priority.
   
• A member has, subject to the regulations established here, the right to vote and to be elected to any committee or group formed by the UPC and to enjoy all the activities/facilities run by the UPC. There is 1 vote per family, no matter the size of that family.

The officers of the UPC shall be the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. They will be elected in accordance with the provisions of Article VI.

• There will be an Executive Committee composed of at least 3 officers. Election of the Executive Committee will be held bi- annually.
   
• The affairs of the UPC shall be conducted and managed by the Executive Committee, subject to the regulations or provisions prescribed by the UPC in General Meetings.
   
• The Executive Committee may appoint sub-committees consisting of members of the UPC.
   
• Without prejudice to its other powers, the Executive Committee may appoint any member of the UPC to fill any vacancy resulting from resignation or absence of any officer or full member of the executive Committee, due to a disability or physical absence of more than two months; provided that such appointment will automatically terminate at the next Election following the occurrence of such vacancy.
   
• The Executive Committee will select the members of the Operating Committee of the Busy Bees Kindergarten in accordance with the provisions of Article IX.

• Nominations for members to be elected to the Executive Committee will be made in writing on a form supplied by the Secretary before the Election, or via email.
   
• Each nomination shall have the support of a Proposer (who can propose more than one person to the Executive Committee) as well as the consent of the nominee.
   
• Nomination forms and nomination emails must be returned to the Secretary at least 10 days before the Annual General Meeting, which is to be held every other year in May.
   
• Ballots will be sent to members at least 7 days before the Election and the result of the election will be announced at the Annual General Meeting.
   
• Balloting by electronic means will be permitted, so long as no objection is lodged by any member.
   
• In the event of no written nominations or insufficient nominations being received before the Election, the elections shall take place at the Annual General Meeting.
   
• At each Election (held every other year), at least 3 members will be elected to hold office for a period of two years and shall be eligible for reelection at the end of that period.
   
• The Executive Committee
   
• Each ballot returned to the Secretary will be retained for no less that 4 weeks after the Annual General Meeting and may be inspected by any person who was a candidate for election.

• An Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than the 31st day of May every year for the purposes of receiving the report of the Executive Committee, examining the accounts of the previous financial year, and transacting general business.
   
• An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened at the written request of not fewer than 10 full members, addresses to the Secretary, or else by decision of the Executive Committee.
   
• Members will be notified 14 days in advance of the date, place and time of any general meeting. The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of notice by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of the meeting.
   
• No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum of at least 25% of the total voting membership is present at the time when the Meeting proceeds to business.
   
• If within 20 minutes from the time appointed for the Meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting if convened upon the request of the members will be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place. If at that time 25% of the total voting membership of the UPC is not present within 20 minutes of the time appointed for the Meeting, the members present shall be a quorum.
   
• The UPC may transact any of its business by circulation of papers or via e-mail, except amending this Constitution (for which a General Meeting must be called). If 10 members or more object to an item of business being conducted by circulating papers or via email, they shall make written request to the Chair Person for the Chair Person to defer that particular item of business to a Meeting.
   
• The Chair Person will preside as Chair at every General Meeting of the UPC. The Chair Person may designate another member of the Executive Committee to preside in his/her absence.
   
• In the case of an equality of votes, the Chair of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or deciding vote.
   
• The Executive Committee may meet to consider the business of the UPC provided that at least 3 members thereof are present.
   
• The UPC will have the power to decide its own procedure at meetings.

As a special on-going project and service to the University Community, the UPC operates a small registered kindergarten. The principles upon which the kindergarten was established are:

Learning occurs through social interaction, physical exploration and creative play. At Busy Bees, the role of the teachers is to create a nurturing, cooperative classroom environment where each individual child can explore, discover, and learn. Materials and activities are designed to foster active learning and creativity. Teachers and partners interact with and guide children as appropriate, as well as organize group activities in which the children may participate.
 

A school should reflect the environment and serve the community in which it operates. As part of the diverse university community, Busy Bees strives to create an educational environment in which children of different ethnicities and nationalities can learn together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding. Given Hong Kong’s unique intersection of Chinese and Western cultures, Busy Bees offers a dual language classroom in which both English and Putonghua are used.
 

The family is an integral part of a child’s total development. At Busy Bees, parents and teachers work together closely for the good of each child. Parents whose children are enrolled participate as Parent Helpers in the classroom on a regular basis. This reduces the child/adult ratio and makes a greater range of learning experiences available to the children. Both mothers and fathers are strongly encouraged to share this responsibility.
 

• The UPC is the legal operator of Busy Bees.
   
• Day to day management of Busy Bees is handled by an Operating Committee comprised of seven members. These members include:
  1. Five members selected from among the parents of children enrolled in the preschool;
  2. The Chair Person and Treasurer of the UPC can serve as ex officio members of the Operating Committee.
  3. The Treasurer of the UPC also serves as the treasurer/Financial manager of the preschool.
• Day to day management of the preschool is delegated to the Operating Committee; however, major changes in direction, policy, or educational philosophy must be referred to the Executive Committee for approval.
   
• The Operating Committee will submit for approval a financial report 10 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. This report will cover the current year, plus the proposed budget for the following year.
   
• Any decision made by the Operating Committee throughout the year that would have financial implications beyond the approved budget will be reported to the Executive Committee for approval prior to the decision taking effect.

• At any General Meeting, the UPC may approve the amount of the annual dues.
   
• Membership runs from 1 September to August 31.
   
• Any member who joins the UPC after 31 March of any year will pay half the dues for that year. An existing member will always be liable to pay full dues regardless of the time when request for renewal was made.

A member may resign UPC membership by submitting a written statement to the Chair Person or Secretary. Any resignation will be effective upon receipt of the statement.

• Sources of funding are the annual membership fee as set forth in Article IV, D and UPC program fees.
   
• The funds of the UPC will only be applied to settle daily expenses and activities organized by the UPC for the purposes stipulated in Article II.
   
• The UPC shall maintain a separate banking account named the University Parents Community.
   
• Checks drawn on this account shall be signed by the Treasurer or the Chair Person
   
• All expenditures exceeding $1000 shall be authorized in advance by the Executive Committee except where, for reasons of expediency. or necessity, this is not possible. In such an event, a report will be made to the Executive Committee.
   
• All money paid the UPC will be received by the Treasurer (or his or her designee) who will issue a receipt for each payment and shall pay the amount paid into the UPC’s bank account.
   
• The Treasurer (or his or her designee) will keep accounts in which the details of expenditure or receipt along with corresponding receipts.
   
• At each Annual General Meeting, the Treasurer will submit a financial report prepared by an accountant. The accountant shall not be a member of the UPC.

• This constitution may be amended by any resolution passed by any General Meeting by a majority of not less than two thirds of the members present at such meeting and who vote upon such a proposed amendment.
   
• Written notice of each proposed amendment to this Constitution will be sent to members at least seven days before the date fixed for such General Meeting.
   
• Every amendment to this constitution will take effect and be binding upon every member immediately upon the passing of any resolution in accordance with Article XIII(A).
   
• The terms of any proposed amendment may be varied or added to at such General Meeting and if agreed to in voting by a two-thirds majority, shall be immediately effective and binding notwithstanding the fact that notice of such amendment in revised form has not been given in accordance with Article XIII(A).
   
• No later than one month after such General Meeting, the Secretary shall send to every member a copy of every resolution passed at such meeting and a copy of this Constitution in its amended form.

• The dissolution of the UPC shall be approved by the General or Extraordinary General Meeting.
   
• Upon dissolution, all properties of the UPC will be disposed for cash. If sale is not practical, properties may be donated, if appropriate, to the University. Any surplus resulting from the dissolution will be donated to a recognized charity as decided upon by the members of the UPC at a General Meeting.