1.0 Basic membership requirements and membership categories
Members must endorse the aims of the HUMANE membership association. There shall be both individual and collective Full Members.
There shall be individual and collective Associate Members. Collective Associate members will normally be national collective members. Associate members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of Full Members, except the right to vote or hold elective office. Affiliates do not possess membership status.
1.1 Full Members
1.1.1 Individual Full Members
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) shall be eligible for individual full membership provided that:
- it is understood to be a sustainable institution. For these purposes ‘sustainable’ means that it is in receipt of direct public funding or has been in operation uninterruptedly for five years;
- it conducts research. For these purposes, ‘research’ means that it possesses and exercises power to award doctoral degrees in its own right; or participates actively in doctoral programmes on the basis of an inter-institutional formal agreement with a doctoral degree granting Institution which has the power to award doctoral degrees in its own right; or it participates actively in European research programmes or peer reviewed national research programmes, or their equivalent in non-European domains; and
- it delivers degree programmes in at least two of the three Bologna cycles (BA, MA, doctorate), and that these degree programmes meet the requirements of the relevant national quality assurance policy and standards within the framework of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance, or its equivalent in non-European domains.
The HUMANE Executive Committee reserves the right to request further information from applicants, taking account of information provided both by the applicant as well as third parties, in relation to their national higher education system and institutional circumstances.
The HUMANE Executive Committee shall, on the recommendation of the HUMANE Secretariat, make timely decisions on the admission of members. Membership decisions shall be reported annually to the HUMANE Round Table by the Executive Committee.
1.1.2 Collective Full Members
A National Association, Conference or Network representing the HEIs of a country shall be eligible to apply for Collective Full Membership. There shall be no more than one collective full member for each country. The HUMANE Executive Committee shall, on the recommendation of the Secretariat, make timely decisions on such applications for membership. Membership decisions shall be reported annually to the HUMANE Round Table by the Executive Committee.
1.2 Associate Members
1.2.1 Individual Associate Members
HEIs that award degrees at the first and second cycle level, but do not meet the other criteria set out in article 1.1.1 shall be eligible to apply for individual associate membership if they are members of the Collective Full Member of that country, or if the Collective Full Member of that country supports their membership, or if the Executive Committee on the advice of other Full Members of that country support the application.
1.2.2 Collective Associate Members
National Associations, Conferences or Networks of universities or HEIs that demonstrate a sufficiently broad representation, and which demonstrate alignment with the objects and purposes of HUMANE shall, upon application, be eligible for Collective Associate Membership. National associations of other HEIs, if recommended by the Full Collective Member of that country, or if the Executive Committee on the advice of other Full Members of that country support the application, shall also be eligible to apply for Collective Associate Membership.
1.3 Representation
Individual full members shall be represented by their Head of Administration/Secretary-General or equivalent, or his/her duly authorised representative. Collective members shall be represented by their Chairperson or another Board member duly authorised to represent him/her.
1.4 Affiliates
The HUMANE Executive Committee may, at its discretion, grant the status of affiliate to other organisations aligned with the objects and purposes of HUMANE. Such organisations will normally be significantly involved in higher education nationally or internationally.
1.5 Exclusion and Suspension of Members or Affiliates
Exclusion and suspension of Members, or affiliates, who are no longer deemed to be supporting the aims of HUMANE or who, following a request from the Executive Committee, cannot demonstrate that for a period of three consecutive years they have met the membership criteria may be excluded, or, if urgent action is required, be suspended from HUMANE. Members shall be excluded only by the HUMANE Round Table, on the advice of the Executive Committee, voting by a two thirds’ majority. Affiliates may be excluded by the Executive Committee with any such exclusions reported to the Round Table at its earliest next meeting.