European Standing Observatory for the

Engineering Profession and Education

(ESOEPE)

 

Bye-laws

(Approved by the General Assembly; 26/01/2001)

These Bye-Laws implement the Agreement signed in Paris on 9 September 2000. The text of the Agreement is an integral part of these Bye-Laws.

  1. Organizations concerned with engineering profession and engineering education, and in particular with quality assurance and accreditation of engineering programmes, including national and trans-national (European) bodies, Associations or temporary networks may become members of ESOEPE

  2. There are two main membership categories, namely:

    1. Full members:

      1. National accreditation bodies;
      2. Federations of national accreditation bodies;
      3. Networks or consortia having the development of accreditation procedures among their main objectives.

    2. Associate members:

      Educational and training institutions and their associations.

  3. The "General Assembly" of ESOEPE is formed by permanent delegates of all members:

    1. Each full member will nominate, in accordance with their own rules, up to two delegates. In the event that there is more than one full member of category Ai) from one country, the full members of that country must agree on a maximum of two delegates from that country. Delegates will serve for three years before renomination is sought. They must normally be staff or members of relevant boards of the associations concerned.

    2. Each Associate Member will nominate one delegate.

    Any permanent delegate at the Assembly can on written request be represented by another delegate. A delegate cannot represent more than five other delegates.

    The Assembly is quorate if 50% + 1 delegates of the full members participate, either directly or by proxy.

  4. The tasks of the General Assembly are:

    1. To nominate the "Permanent Steering Committee" (PSC);
    2. To accept new members, proposed by the PSC;
    3. To discuss and ratify the programme of activity, prepared by the PSC;
    4. To discuss and approve the annual budget and membership fees.

    The General Assembly (GA) meets at least once every calendar year, and at any time when at least 25% of the permanent delegates file a written request to the PSC. Whenever possible, the annual GA will be held in conjunction with a public "Workshop" open to discussion and presentations. Between meetings the GA may act by correspondence and decisions made by two thirds or more of the delegates will be valid and binding on the GA.

  5. The PSC will consist of no fewer than 3 and no more than 7 persons, nominated by the GA for a period of three years. It acts on behalf of the GA to:

    1. Seek and examine applications for memberships and propose new members to the GA;
    2. Prepare the programme and run the activities of ESOEPE;
    3. Run the ESOEPE website, according to the general rules set in the Agreement;
    4. Prepare the budgets of ESOEPE;
    5. Fix the Membership Fees.

    The PSC appoints a coordinator among its members.

  6. Participation to the Observatory is on a "voluntary" basis. Applications for membership must be submitted in writing to the PSC through its coordinator: the PSC will examine and submit the application to the General Assembly for approval. A member can withdraw by a letter to the PSC coordinator: the withdrawal has immediate effect. A membership fee, aimed at covering the expenses of the Observatory (including the Website), will be charged to Members at the discretion of the PSC

  7. The Agreement is valid for three years starting from 10 September 2000. It will be prolonged indefinitely, unless a majority of the signatories withdraws before 9 September 2003.

  8. The Founding Full Members of ESOEPE are the signatories of the "Agreement", namely:

ESOEPEbye-lawsFIN.doc