Updated: Friday 6 June 2025
We can now confirm the outcome of the vote for amending KCLSU's Articles of Association:
A total of 348 student member votes were received, of which 283 were in favour, giving a student member approval rate of 81.32%.
With the University exercising its 26% voting right (as outlined in Article 22.2.1 of the current Articles) in support of the proposal, the total weighted vote in favour stands at:
- Student Member weighted vote = 81.32% × 0.74 = 60.18%
- University weighted vote = 26%
- Total weighted support = 86.18%
Therefore KCLSU Company Members' meeting:
- Met quoracy, in line with Article 18.2 (0.5% of the student membership, equating to 250 students), and
- Achieved the 75% special resolution threshold required under Article 7.3 .
Thank you to everyone who cast their vote!
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In line with the statutory requirements, the Board of Trustees saw reason to update the King’s College London Student’s Union Articles of Association to better meet the changing needs of members.
You may remember being part of the Company Members’ Meeting back in February. 68% of you voted in favour of amending KCLSU’s Articles of Association, but unfortunately King’s weren’t able to provide their vote in the required timeframe. As a result, we need your vote again! A vote for the new KCLSU Articles of Association is a vote to put decision making back in the hands of your elected representatives.
KCLSU’s Articles of Association (AoA) is the rule book of KCLSU, setting out the framework, which sit next to Bye – Laws that are the day-to-day rules of the organisation. The Articles as they stand do not meet the changing needs of the organisation or the membership (you, the students!).
What are Articles of Association?
Knowing exactly how any charitable legal entity functions is important in making sure procedures are followed correctly and help meet its goals. KCLSU’s Articles of Association (AoA) is the rule book of KCLSU, setting out the framework, which sit next to Byelaws that are the day-to-day rules of the organisation, providing a detailed description of the organisation’s operations.
Why are the Articles being updated?
The Articles as they stand do not meet the changing needs of the organisation or the membership (you, the students!).
You can read the proposed changes to the Articles of Association here.
What’s changed?
In summary, the main change is that King’s will no longer have a 26% controlling vote in KCLSU. This will mean that decision-making powers will mostly be held by KCLSU’s Board of Trustees – it will also help KCLSU to modernise and have more autonomy as an organisation. The day-to-day rights of members won’t change, and the Board will still be comprised of 10 out of 14 elected students. In order for these changes to be agreed, the consent of the members (you, the students) is needed!
Why will there be a Company Member’s Meeting?
KCLSU is a charitable membership organisation, run by students, for students. We are independent of King's and many of our decisions are decided by our student members (that's you!) through a range of channels.
Currently, whenever Articles of Association are amended, the changes must be approved by a Company Member’s Meeting, which involves you and all the other students at King’s!
The Company Member’s Meeting will ensure amendments to the Articles are approved correctly, enabling you, the students, to ensure KCLSU has a clear set of rules and is future proofed. This is part of the organisation’s commitment to improving transparency.
Who can attend the Company Member’s Meeting?
Every student at King's is automatically a member of KCLSU – therefore, every student is invited to attend the Company Member’s Meeting and ratify the changes to the Articles of Association.
What’s already happened?
Our dedicated Governance Team have spent over 6 months identifying improvements based on your feedback and working across teams to ensure the updated Articles of Association meet the community’s needs. As part of this dedication, an external review of KCLSU Governance arrangements was conducted in the spring/summer of 2024. Out of this came the recommendation for KCLSU to modernise its Governance arrangements, which include the Board of Trustees in consultation with members (students) to have the agility to amend the Articles of Association in the future. This will enable KCLSU to adapt in a robust manner to changing landscapes and meet your future requirements.
What will happen at the Company Member’s Meeting?
At the Company Member’s Meeting, our Vice President Activities & Development, Virajit Singh, will Chair the meeting, along with other elected Trustees who will detail the suggested amendments to the Articles. Attendees will have the opportunity to openly discuss them.
To conclude, a vote will be cast to ratify the changes to the Articles of Association and pass a resolution.
The voting will be open to all members from 29 May to 3 June.
What happens after the Company Member’s Meeting?
Once the amendments have passed resolution, an updated copy of the Articles of Association will be submitted to the Charity Commission and the University (King’s College London). Although King’s do not decide the policies of KCLSU, they are the primary regulator and funder. King’s have indicated support for this change in our Articles of Association, which is positive in enabling long term stability for KCLSU to provide a fantastic range of activities for students. The final approval for the Articles will be at King’s Council, which is the Governing body of King’s.
How do I join the Company Member's Meeting?
The Company Members' Meeting will take place online at 1pm on Thursday 29 May - you'll be able to access the Meeting via Microsoft Teams.
Who do I ask if I have any questions?
Your Vice President Activities & Development, Virajit, is on hand to answer any questions you may have about this process. You can also contact the KCLSU Governance Team directly at governance@kclsu.org.
Information sources: