Statutes
Translation from the French original, assessed by the Hon. President Professor Robert Feenstra, Leiden and Professor Ditlev Tamm, Kobenhavn
Approved at the business meeting of the Commission, 11 October 1982 at Leipzig, modified at Tübingen, 30 August 1985, at Dublin, 14 March 1992 and at Messina in September 2014.
Article 1
An International Commission for the History of Universities has been constituted; it is affiliated to the International Committee of Historical Sciences. It is the objective of the Commission to promote all forms of historical research on universities and to ensure the international coordination of the same, in conjunction with the International Committee of Historical Sciences.
Article 2
The Commission consists of full members, associated members and honorary members. The full members are persons who have demonstrated, by their publications, that they are specialists in the history of universities. Only two full members are permitted per country. They are elected as individual members for personal membership for a period of five years. They are eligible for re-election. They must be under the age of 70 at the time of their election.
Groups or persons interested in the history of universities, who cannot become full members, may be admitted to associated membership.
Persons, who, after full membership, are not re-elected, may be elected to honorary membership.
Article 3
The Commission meets at least once every five years in conjunction with the International Congress of Historical Sciences. That meeting consists of a scholarly conference and a business meeting.
Article 4
At each meeting of the Commission members may participate as well as other persons interested in the history of universities at the invitation of the Commission.
Only the full members have the right to vote at the business meetings. They may have themselves represented by proxy; such proxy can be either any other full member or a person belonging to the same country. No one is allowed to hold more than one proxy vote.
Article 5
The Executive of the Commission consists of maximum six persons: the president, vice-presidents, the general secretary and the treasurer. The functions of general secretary and treasurer my be combined.
The members of the Executive are elected by the full members of the Commission, from among their own number, for a period of five years.
In the case of death or resignation of one of its members, the Executive can replace this officer by co-opting another full member; the co-opted member then holds the position of the Executive member he/she has replaced.
Article 6
Between two meetings of the Commission, the Executive has full authority to conduct the affairs of the Commission.
The Executive represents the Commission and acts in its name. It informs the members of the Commission and the International Committee of Historical Sciences of the current state of its activities.
Article 7
The budget of the Commission is made up of annual membership fees of the full and associated members as well as donations and subventions.
The level of payment for full and associated members respectively is determined by a business meeting of the Commission.
In case of prolonged non-payment of fees the Commission can declare that the failing member should be deemed to have effectively resigned.
Article 8
Should the number of full members fall below three, the Commission is dissolved, its funds are transmitted to the International Committee of Historical Sciences.
Article 9
A two-thirds majority of those entitled to vote is required to modify these Statutes.