CENTRE FOR CONSTRUCTIVE THEOLOGY
School of Religion and Theology
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Constitution
August 2008
This constitution (as amended) was approved and accepted by members of the CCT Board of Management at a meeting held on 20th August 2008 at Diakonia Centre, Durban, KZN and by the School of Religion and Theology Board, University of KwaZulu Natal at a meeting held on 21st August 2008, Pietermaritzburg.
1. NAME
The name of the organisation shall be the Centre for Constructive Theology, herein after referred to as CCT.
2. PREAMBLE
2.1The CCT is a semi-autonomous Community Development and Research Organisation within the School of Religion and Theology (SoRaT), University of KwaZulu-Natal.
2.2CCT seeks to play a significant role in responding to the challenge of transformation and reconstruction in the new South Africa by providing concrete mechanisms for outreach and advocacy, informed by theological reflection.
2.3Although this reflection arises from a Christian base, the CCT intentionally promotes openness to and dialogue with other faith communities.
2.4CCT shall be located in the SoRaT offices at Howard Campus in Durban.
3 OBJECTIVES
3.1 CCT endeavours to bridge the gap between formal academic theological enquiry and the practical needs and concerns of communities whose faith perspectives on the critical issues confronting South Africa have been undervalued in the past.
3.2 It seeks to do this by facilitating contextually relevant theological responses to the unfolding social, political and religious situation in the country and region, through the following avenues:
3.2.1 Co-ordinating research, learning and outreach efforts of its various programmes.
3.2.2 Publishing results of programmatic undertakings, such as curricular resources, research projects, and a bi-annual named as “Journal of Constructive Theology” (See JCT constitution in the attachment).
4 STRUCTURE
4.1 Management Committee
The CCT is managed by a Management Committee, constituted by the Director of the CCT, full-time staff, the Head of SoRaT, and two other members of the SoRaT full-time staff elected by the Board of the SoRaT. The Management Committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the CCT. Two-thirds of the eligible members of the Management Committee form a quorum. Decisions of the Management Committee are taken by consensus.
4.2. Executive
4.2.1 A Director, CCT full time staff and one member of staff from SORAT forms the Executive of CCT, which is accountable to the Management Committee.
4.2.2 The Director of the CCT is nominated by the Management Committee in consultation with the Advisory Board from within the Management Committee or from among the staff of the SoRaT for a term of three years. The Director may serve more than one term. The Director is appointed by consensus at a designated meeting consisting of at least two-thirds of the Management Committee and two-thirds of the SoRaT staff.
4.2.3 The primary functions of the Director are to nurture the vision of the CCT, to provide leadership for the CCT, to facilitate the functions of each of the component parts of the CCT, and to raise funds for the work of the CCT.
4.2.4 The Director shall represent or may delegate a member of the Management Committee to represent the CCT at University of KwaZulu-Natal research forums.
4.3 Advisory Board
4.3.1 The CCT has an Advisory Board, constituted by the Management Committee and nominated members. In the first instance, the nominated members shall be established by the Management Committee and shall include a representative from churches and local communities with whom the CCT has collaborated. After this initial establishment, the Advisory Board has the responsibility of nominating additional members, if they consider this necessary, and replacement members for those who resign, from these designated sectors at the annual meeting of the Advisory Board. Nominated members are elected to the Advisory Board by a two-thirds majority vote of those present.
4.3.2 The primary functions of the Advisory Board is to provide guidance, perspective, and advice to the CCT. The Advisory Board elects a Chair for a period of three years; the Chair may not be a member of the Management Committee. The Chair may be re-elected, provided that the periods are not consecutive. Fifty percent of the members of the Advisory Board shall form a quorum.
5 STAFF
5.1 All full-time staff of the CCT shall be appointed through a normal University of KwaZulu-Natal selection process, which will include a University of KwaZulu-Natal selection committee with representatives of the Management Committee, representatives of the SoRaT, and representatives of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
5.2 All full-time staff of the CCT shall be members of the staff of the SoRaT.
6 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
6.1 The Director of the CCT is responsible for the financial management. All funding for the CCT is channelled through the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and these funds are audited by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
6.2 Fund raising is the responsibility of Director, with the assistance of CCT staff.
6.3 Financial statements shall be presented to Management Committee
7 SIGNING POWERS
Signing power reside with the Director and the head of SORAT, in accordance with the financial policies of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
8. MEETINGS
8.1 The Management Committee shall meet at least once every two months, and minutes of these meetings shall be kept.
8.2 The Advisory Board shall meet at least once a year, and minutes of this meeting shall be kept. One of the meetings of the Advisory Board should follow the publication of the CCT Annual Report.
8.3 Minutes of these meetings shall be circulated to all SoRaT staff. Minutes of the Advisory Board shall also be circulated to members of the Board.
9 REPORTING
The CCT shall produce an Annual Report, which shall include an audited financial statement. The Chair of the Advisory Board shall contribute to the Annual Report. The Annual Report shall be accepted by a two-thirds majority decision of a designated meeting consisting of at least two-thirds of the Management Committee and two-thirds of the SoRaT staff at duly designated meeting
10 AMENDMENTS
The Constitution of the CCT can be amended by a two-thirds majority of a designated meeting consisting of at least two-thirds of the Management Committee and two-thirds of the SoRaT staff at duly designated meeting.
11 CONFLICT
11.1 In situations of intractable conflict within the CCT, the Head of the SoRaT (or the designated Deputy Head in the case of the Head of the SoRaT being a member of the CCT Management Committee) shall convene a committee made up of three members of the SoRaT (who are not members of the CCT Management Committee) and three members of the Advisory Board (who are not members of the CCT Management Committee) to mediate.
11.2 In situations of intractable conflict between the CCT and the SoRaT a two-thirds majority of a designated meeting consisting of at least two-thirds of the Management Committee and two-thirds of the SoRaT staff shall appoint an external committee to mediate.
12 DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of the CCT, a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority decision of a designated meeting consisting of at least two-thirds of the Management Committee and two-thirds of the SoRaT staff, retrenchment packages shall be paid to staff with existing contracts on a pro rata basis, in consultation with the funding partners. Any remaining assets shall be liquidated and the funds will be returned to funding partners on a pro rata basis.