V. Membership
12. APQN has four grades of membership: Full Member, Intermediate Member, Associate Member and Institutional Member:
12.1. Full Members are either organisations responsible for assuring the academic quality of post-secondary institutions or education programs other than their own, or organisations responsible for assuring the quality of external quality assurance agencies, and which meet the conditions for membership as expressed in the membership criteria of APQN, as decided by the General Council from time to time.
12.2 Intermediate Members are either organisations responsible for assuring the academic quality of post-secondary institutions or education programs other than their own, or organisations responsible for assuring the quality of external quality assurance agencies, but which do not fully meet the conditions for membership as expressed in the membership criteria of APQN, as decided by the General Council from time to time
12.3. Associate Members are organisations with a major interest and active involvement in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education, but without the responsibility for assuring the quality of institutions, education programs, or external quality assurance agencies as described in Section V. Clause 12.1.
12.4 Institutional Members are institutions of higher education in the region that are in good standing with the relevant quality assurance agency if one exists.
13. APQN accepts as Observers organisations outside the Asia-Pacific region, including: external quality assurance agencies; institutions with a major interest in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education; other regional networks that have major interests in and strong links with the region.
14. Those within the APQN region who satisfy the membership criteria referred to in Section V. Clauses 12.1–12.4, are accepted as members of APQN on completion of the online ‘Membership Application’ and payment of the specified APQN membership fee.
15. The procedure for admission is as follows:
15.1. the Secretariat verifies that the request for membership complies with either of the conditions mentioned in Section V. Clauses 12.1–12.4 and makes a recommendation about membership category; and
15.2. the Secretariat’s recommendation is presented to the Board for approval.
16. Only Full and Intermediate Members are eligible to participate in the governance and administration of APQN.
17. Associate and Institutional Members may participate in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and other meetings of the General Council, but without the right to vote.
18. All members may:
18.1. benefit from APQN’s activities;
18.2. collaborate in the attainment of APQN’s purposes; and
18.3. exercise their rights according to this Constitution.
19. All members are obliged to:
19.1. abide by this Constitution;
19.2. comply with decisions and resolutions of APQN; and
19.3. remit, in due time, the fees or any other contributions determined in accordance with this Constitution.
20. The procedures for disciplining of members are as described in Section V. Clauses 21.–21.4 and 32.6, and in Section IX.
21. Membership is withdrawn if the member:
21.1. withdraws its membership in writing to the Secretary;
21.2. fails to maintain the conditions that allowed its initial admission, as set out in this Constitution;
21.3. does not fulfil the obligations set out in this Constitution; or
21.4 acts in APQN’s name without authorisation.
22. All members will be listed in the online register of members on the APQN website.
23. All members may, upon request, view any records and relevant documents of APQN if not available on the website provided that they peruse the documents in person and by appointment.
24. Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, no member organisation shall be expected, by virtue of its membership of the Network, to do anything contrary to the rules and requirements of that organisation.
