Graduate Student Society of UBC Vancouver

Transcription

1 Graduate Student Society of UBC Vancouver Policy Manual Revised version April 2015 GSS Mission Statement The Graduate Student Society of UBC Vancouver represents and advocates on behalf of all UBC Graduate Students to the University, the Government, and the public. We provide academic, professional, social, and recreational services to our members, and act as stewards of the Thea Koerner House Graduate Student Centre.

2 ii GSS POLICY MANUAL General Membership in the Society Council Executive Officers Councillors General Committee Policy... Error! Bookmark not defined. 7. Standing Committees: Terms of Reference GSS Event Fund House & Business Operations Election Procedure Mail-out Ballot Referenda Procedure Rainy Day Fund Position Statements... Error! Bookmark not defined. 14. Graduate Student Emergency Fund Capital Projects Improvement Fund Parking Policy Personal Information Protection Policy Employee Guidelines Part IV: APPENDICES TO THE POLICY MANUAL... 37

3 GSS POLICY MANUAL 1. General 1.1. Relationship Between the Bylaws and the Policy Manual of the Society In accordance with Bylaw 13, these policies must constitute the Policy Manual of the Society In the event that a policy is in conflict with a Bylaw, the latter shall prevail This manual comprises all the policies of the Society Procedure for Amending or Introducing Policies The policy manual may be amended if in accordance with Bylaw 10(3) the following procedure must be followed: (a) the proposed amendments are presented to Council using the Member Policy Revision Form contained in Appendix XII, (b) notice of the proposed amendment is posted on the Society website at least seven days before the motion, and (c) the policy revision form is ed to all Council members at least seven days before the motion, and (d) the policy revision form is approved by: (i) ordinary resolution of the members, or (ii) special resolution in Council. 2. Membership in the Society 2.1. Ordinary Members An ordinary member is as stated in Bylaw Honorary Members An honorary member is as stated in Bylaw Associate Members An associate member is as stated in Bylaw Associate membership is granted once the application is approved by ordinary resolution at Council An application for associate membership must include: (a) the name and student number of all students represented by the organization, (b) a resolution passed by members of the organization to join the Society, (c) means by which the fee shall be paid to the Society, and (d) means by which the Society shall have access to annual updates for the number of students represented by the organization The fee for associate membership is twenty five dollars per student until revoked or revised by ordinary resolution of Council as per Bylaw 3.9.3

4 Associate membership is indefinite Associate membership may be rescinded by the organization or at the discretion of Council Council may grant a non-voting seat per organization subscribing to the associate membership 2.4. Supporting Members A supporting member is as stated in Bylaw The fee shall be forty dollars until revoked or revised by an ordinary resolution of Council Affiliate Organization An affiliate organization is as stated in Bylaw Affiliate organization status is granted to Departmental Graduate Student Associations and Non-Departmental Student Groups if the application is approved by Council An application for affiliate organization status must include: (a) the number of students represented by the organization, and (b) a resolution passed by members of the organization to join the Society Affiliate organization status may be rescinded by the organization or at the discretion of Council A Departmental Graduate Student Association (a) is any organization that represents graduate students within a particular department, and (b) is composed of ordinary members of the Society A Non-Departmental Student Group (a) be ratified by the Council. (b) is any organization that does not represent graduate students of one particular department, but does represent a defined community of graduate students as recognized by discretion of Council, (c) is in part composed of members of the Society, and (d) has membership open to all graduate students A Non-Departmental Student Group may have one representative attend Council meetings as a non-voting member 3. Council 3.1. Procedures of Council Council shall meet on the third Thursday of each month in the Centre Council may vote by special resolution to change the meeting date to an alternative Thursday within the same calendar month as the originally scheduled council meeting The Agenda form contained in Appendix VI shall be used for all regular Council meetings.

5 At the meeting following completion of the requirements stated in and 4.1.2, the Chair shall recognize and seat new councillors at the beginning of the meeting Only after having been seated formally will new councillors be included in the calculation of quorum For any appointments or contracts requiring approval by Council, all candidates or directly involved parties may be asked to leave for the duration of the vote at the discretion of the Chair Members of the Society who are currently employed by the Society shall not be entitled to serve on Council, or serve on any committee in a voting capacity Conducting discussions in camera: (a) At the request of any three members, Council may be moved in camera for further discussion. Upon moving in camera, the members shall state their reason entering into camera. (b) While in camera, Council shall then decide whether to stay in camera by special resolution. (c) No other vote shall be held in camera. (d) Only members of Council may be present when in camera. (e) Council may also invite specified individuals who are not members of Council to attend the in camera portion of a meeting. (f) Individuals attending the in camera portion of a Council meeting shall not disclose any information discussed in camera to anybody, including other Councillors, without the authorization of Council Attendance at Council Only ordinary members, honourary members, Councillors, Executive Officers, staff members of the Society, and guests of Council may attend Council meetings Ordinary members, honorary members, Councillors, Executive Officers and guests of Council shall have voice at Council meetings Members of the Society who are employees of the Society retain all other rights as members of the society, including: (a) the right to attend Council or committee meetings, (b) the right of voice, and (c) the right to engage in any activities of ordinary membership, except Council-related voting activities Councillors and Executive Officers may invite anyone to attend a Council meeting as a guest of Council to deal with a specific issue. These guest: (a) may speak on the specific issue for which they have been invited, (b) shall attend the meeting only when that specific item is under consideration, and (c) must leave when that item has been dealt with Conflicts of Interest

6 A conflict of interest occurs when a councillor, relative, or close friend of that councillor may benefit in a financial manner or in any other significant material manner from a Council decision Any member with a potential conflict of interest shall immediately declare the nature of the conflict. Council shall decide whether the nature of the situation is truly a conflict of interest No member shall vote on decisions where they have a conflict of interest The provisions outlined in this section shall not override any other specific provisions describing specific situations of conflict of interest, or handling of specific potential conflicts of interest If a Councillor is concerned that another member of Council is in a potential conflict-of interest situation that they have not declared, then that Councillor can bring this to the attention of Council. Council shall decide whether the nature of the situation is truly a conflict-of-interest. 4. Executive Officers 4.1. Powers and Duties of Members The President shall, in addition to duties outlined in the Bylaws: (a) ensure all reasonable efforts are made to send copies of the minutes of the previous Council meeting, the agenda of the upcoming Council meeting, and any other relevant material to each Councillor in advance of each regular council meeting The Vice-President, Finance shall, in addition to the duties outlined in the Bylaws: (a) ensure the Society s policy on Financial Signing Authority is followed, and (b) administer the Departmental Organization fund and Special Events fund The Vice-President, Administration shall, in addition to the duties outlined in the Bylaws: (a) control the issuance and withdrawal of keys to the Centre, (b) prepare annual plans for the development of the physical facilities and business operations of the Centre by the September Council meeting each year, and (c) ensure policies on the maintenance and access to the Society records and documentation is followed The Vice-President, Services shall carry out the duties outlined in the Bylaws The Vice-President, Academic and External Affairs shall, in addition to the duties outlined in the Bylaws: (a) administer the Graduate Student Emergency fund Executive Vacation Policy Executive Officers shall be entitled to a total of two weeks of vacation during their term, not including the time of closure of the Centre over the Winter closure as defined by the UBC Academic Calendar Executive Officers elected for terms shorter than 12 months shall be entitled to the same percentage of vacation time proportional to the length of their term.

7 Executive Officers must provide the Chair of the Executive Oversight Committee notice of vacation time or a leave of absence, including their date of departure and date of return to the Society, prior to their departure During their vacation, the Executive Officers shall continue to receive their honoraria During their vacation, the Executive Officer shall make all reasonable efforts to stay connected to the Society by or phone, In case of special circumstances, including but not limited to research-related travel or field work, family emergencies, and medical reasons, an Executive Officer may take additional time off, but this time shall be considered a leave of absence Council may appoint a temporary Executive Officer should the elected Executive Officer take a leave of absence or are absent from their position for longer than consecutive 4 weeks Executive Officers shall not receive an honorarium while on a leave of absence or when they exceed their allotted vacation time. 5. Councillors 5.1. General Councillors shall fall into five (5) distinct groups: (a) Departmental Representatives, (b) Graduate Council Representatives, (c) Alma Mater Society Council Representatives, (d) Student Senators representing the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, (e) Non-Voting Representatives, and (f) Executive Officers Prior to being seated on Council, all Councillors are required to submit to the Society Office either a completed (a) Affidavit of Election found in Appendix II for all Departmental Representatives, or (b) Councillor Information Form found in Appendix XII, for all non-departmental Councillors Each Councillor shall endeavor to join at least one Committee of Council and participate in its activities Employees of the Society shall not be permitted to serve as voting Councillors Departmental Representatives A Departmental Representative must be democratically elected from a Department in good standing as defined in Bylaw All incoming Departmental Representatives must submit a completed Affidavit of Election, found in Appendix II, to the Society Office before they can be seated on Council An incomplete Affidavit of Election form or reasonable substitute may be accepted at the discretion of the President for seating a Departmental Representative

8 Only after having been seated formally will the Departmental Representative be included in the calculation of quorum Pursuant to Bylaw 5.2.1, Departmental Representatives are voting members of Council Graduate Council Representatives Council may appoint five (5) members in good standing as representatives to the Graduate Council of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies provided such appointments are advertised in student publications at least one (1) week in advance Representatives will be appointed by Council at the September Council meeting for a one-year term From the six (6) individuals (including the VP, Academic and External as ex officio) who represent the Society to the Graduate Council, Council shall elect a Head Representative who are responsible for: (a) giving an oral report at each Council meeting summarizing the activities of the Graduate Council. (b) be responsible for the orientation of all Graduate Council Representatives, including advising them of their duties and responsibilities, and for the effective operation of the representative team including: (i) ensure all representatives are notified of the time, place and proposed agenda for all Graduate Council meetings. (ii) designating a substitute Head Representative for Graduate Council meeting if they are unable to attend a meeting, and (iii) encourage Graduate Council Representatives to actively engage and contribute to the Committees of the Graduate Council Pursuant to Bylaw 5.2.1, Grad Council representatives are voting members of Council Alma Mater Society Council Representatives In accordance with the Graduate Student Association and the AMS Bylaws and Codes, Council may appoint seven (7) representatives to the AMS as required Elections for these positions must be advertised in student publications at least one (1) week in advance Representatives are appointed by Council at the September Council meeting for a oneyear term From these representatives, Council shall elect a Head Representative who are responsible for: (c) giving an oral report at each Council meeting summarizing the activities of the Alma Mater Society Council. (d) the orientation of all AMS Representatives, including advising them of their duties and responsibilities, and for the effective operation of the representative team including: (i) ensure all AMS Council Representatives are notified of the time, place and (ii) proposed agenda for all AMS Council meetings, designating a substitute Head Representative for AMS Council meetings if they are unable to attend a meeting, and (iii) encourage AMS Council Representatives to actively engage and contribute to the Committees of the AMS Council.

9 Pursuant to Bylaw 7.2.1, representatives to AMS Council are voting members of Council 5.5. Student Senators representing the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Student Senator representatives of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies are elected in accordance with policies stated section 9 of this manual Pursuant to Bylaw 7.2.1, Student Senators representing the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies are voting members of Council Council shall provide the Student Senators representing the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies the opportunity to provide updates on the activities of Senate at each Council meeting Non-Voting Representatives Pursuant to Bylaw 7.2.2, Non-Voting Representatives will consist of non-departmental Affiliate Organization Representatives, (bylaw 5.4.1) and Society Representatives to other organizations not previously mentioned Council Representatives to other organization are required to: (a) participate in the appropriate committees of the Society, (b) report to Council on the activities of the organizations, (c) regularly report to the President outside of Council meetings, and (d) obtain advice from Council, or if time does not permit the Executive, if called to speak on behalf of the Society Proxies Any Councillors may leave one proxy with the President, authorizing another graduate student to attend and participate in Council meetings in their place Meetings missed by proxies count towards a Councillors attendance record pursuant to Policy A proxy shall be any ordinary member of the Society in good standing. 6. General Committee Policy 6.1. General Every standing Committee shall have a Terms of Reference that must be included in this Policy Manual and posted on the Society s website A meeting of a Committee may be called by the Chair of the Committee or any two members of the Committee Any member of a Committee, except the Chair, may appoint a proxy from among the members of the Society. The Chair may designate another member of the Committee as an acting chair, during the Chair s absence The quorum of a Committee shall generally consist of at least greater than one half of the members of the Committee but no less than three. Committee members who gave regrets in advance of the meeting to the Chair and have a legitimate reason for missing the meeting are excluded from the calculation of quorum.

10 No member shall hold more than one vote at any Committee meeting, even in the case of joint meetings of two or more Committees A Committee member other than an ex officio member who misses two consecutive meetings without providing regrets and a legitimate reason for missing the meeting shall be removed from the Committee All committee meetings must be called at least forty-eight hours in advance with the time, agenda and place posted on the Society website Any ordinary member of the Society may attend any open Committee meeting with voice but without vote No Committee member may be excluded from any meeting of the Committee to which they belong and Committee members shall have both voice and vote at all meetings of their Committee Meetings of the Committees can consist of two sessions, an open session and an in camera session: (e) The business of the Committee will normally be conducted during the open session unless the nature of the business necessitates otherwise. Minutes of the open session will be publicly available. (f) In camera sessions shall be open to Committee members and invited guests only. Minutes of any closed session will be available only to the members of the Committee and the Executive Committee. A Committee needs to record the result of an in camera session decision (if any) as part of the minutes of an open session and is encouraged to do so whenever possible All standing committees of Council shall be required to submit and present a written annual plan to Council each December which outlines their desired goals and initiatives over the next twelve months All Committees should keep detailed minutes of Committee meetings. Committees shall post minutes online and provide electronic copies to the President within seven days of the meeting Committee minutes are not put online until approved by council Committee Structure Every standing Committee shall have the following number of seats (g) 5 seats for councilors, (h) 3 seats for ordinary members not seated on council, and (i) as many as required in the committee s terms of reference for ex officio members Appointment of Committee Members Committee members are appointed by ordinary resolution at Council Nominations can be made either in person at Council or by prior request to the Speaker of Council Should the number of Councillors nominated exceed the number of vacant seats, there will be an election in council of which the speaker of Council shall determine the procedure All standing committee memberships shall be re-seated at the October Council meeting

11 Should a vacany occur in a Council-elected position on a Committee, Council shall elected a replacement member as soon as possible to complete the term of the previously appointment member 6.4. Ad-Hoc Committees Ad-Hoc Committees shall be created by ordinary resolution at Council The recommendation to establish an Ad-Hoc Committee must include a mandate of the proposed Ad-Hoc Committee, duration with an approximate end date, the member composition, and proposed recruitment Ad-Hoc Committees are required to follow the same procedures outlined in section 6 of this Policy Manual The mandate of Ad-Hoc Committees shall expire at the Annual General Meeting Sub-Committees Any Committee can establish a Sub-Committee by a majority vote of the Committee The recommendation to establish a Sub-Committee must include a mandate of the proposed Sub-Committee, duration with an approximate end date, the member composition, and proposed recruitment All Sub-Committee are required to provide regular reports to the Committee they were established by The Committee shall be responsible for any action taken by the Sub-Committee and must ensure that Society policy and procedures are followed The Sub-Committee may not take any action that would contravene the Committee s Terms of Reference Committee Chairs Council may elect a Committee Chair by ordinary resolution If Council does not elect a chair, then a Committee shall elect a Chair from among its members who are also members of Council, unless a different procedure has been included in the Committee s Terms of Reference In the event of the absence of a Chair to fulfill their duties, one of the ex officio Executives shall chair the meeting. They will not receive additional remuneration Chairs will received an honorarium of $100 per month The Chair of each Committee shall: (i) present to Council the Committee s annual plan (December meeting after committee reseating), including plans for the subsequent 12 months. (ii) give at each Council meeting an oral report of no more than three minutes in duration about the Committee s work. In the case of a standing Sub-Committee, updates of the Sub-Committee s progress must be included in this presentation. (iii)notify all Committee members of the time, place and proposed agenda of all meetings of the Committee at least forty-eight hours in advance of the meeting, (iv) be responsible for committee minutes, (v) liase with other committees when appropriate,

12 10 (vi) be responsible for the orientation of Committee members, advising them of their duties, and (vii) be responsible for the effective operation of the Committee including: (i) designate a substitute Chair for meetings the Chair is unable to attend, (ii) initiate their replacement on the Committee by Council, in the event they must step down, (iii) strive to have the Committee meet at regular times and places, (iv) run meetings efficiently, and addressing complaints from Committee members about conduct at meetings, (v) encourage members to actively contribute to the work of the Committee, (vi) encourage open discussion of items or topics, (viii) shall make sure the Committee minutes are passed within two Committee meetings The Chair has the discretion to apply Robert s Rules of Order at Committee meetings Committee Disputes and Deadlocks Any ordinary member of the society may appeal any Committee decision to Council; with the exception of the Elections Committee whose decision shall be final Committee Restructuring If a Committee, in the view of a single member of the Society, has not been functioning according to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, Bylaw or the Policy Manual, the member may recommend to Council that the Committee s membership be reconstituted Council may by special resolution remove a member of a Committee, if the member to be removed has been given written notice of the motion ten days before the Council meeting, including reasons for which their removal is being considered.standing Committees: Terms of Reference 7. Standing Committees: Terms of References 7.1. Standing Committees The Standing Committees of the Society are: (a) Academic & External Affairs, (b) Code & Policy, (c) Election (d) Executive Oversight, (e) House & Finance, (f) Human Resources, (g) Services, and (h) Safety & Sustainability All Standing Committees shall operate according to Policy 5, above, and the terms of reference for the Committee, set out below in this article Academic and External Committee

13 The members of the Academic & External Committee shall be: (a) five appointed Councillors, and the Vice-President, Academic and External Affairs (b) as ex-officio members, one graduate student member of the Board of Governors or Senate, and (c) as ex officio members, the lead representatives for the Society to the: (i) AMS, (ii) Faculty of Graduate Studies, (iii) the Chair of the Academic & External Affairs Committee The Chair of the Academic and External Affairs Committee shall: (a) be the Vice-President, Academic & External Affairs, unless Council appoints another member as Chair, (b) have the following particular duties, in addition to their general duties of a Chair (iv) identify and maintain a list of the ex officio members under Policy 7.2.1(b) that indicates the basis for their membership, i.e. the body on which they represent the Society 7.3. Code and Policy Committee The Code & Policy Committee shall: (a) review the policies in the Policy Manual; (b) review the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, (c) bring suggested changes to the Policy Manual to Council meetings, (d) bring suggested changes to the Constitution and Bylaws to Council meetings for review by Council before a general meeting of the Society, (e) review the wording of suggested motions to amend the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy Manual (code) to the current code, but shall not revise the spirit of the motion (f) work with the President of the Society to update and maintain a current version of the Bylaws and Policy Manual, (g) perform other duties related to the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy Manual, as directed by Council, and (h) meet at least once per month The members of the Code & Policy Committee are four appointed Councillors, the Vice-President, Administration, and two ordinary members at large Consultation and Accountability (a) The Code & Policy Committee shall regularly seek the input of members of the Society with respect to the Bylaws and Policy Manual of the Society. (i) The Chair of the Committee shall deliver a report to each meeting of Council, and post all relevant changes on an online forum or wiki website. A vote may be recounted so that it must pass by a majority of council members who represent the majority of students. To have a recount, one council member must first call for a recount, and then at least two other council members must approve it. If this double majority rule is not called on a vote, then the only vote that will be counted on an ordinary motion is the votes of present council members. This double majority rule can only be called during a Council meeting and would not extend into comities or other GSS bodies

14 House and Finance Committee The Finance Committee shall: (a) ensure the financial stability and accountability of all Society operations, (i) ensure the annual audit is organized at the end of the fiscal year and is completed for presentation to Council before the commencement of the Annual General Meeting, (ii) recommend to the Annual General Meeting the name of the Auditor for the upcoming fiscal year, (iii)ensure annual and quarterly financial statements are prepared and presented to Council in annual audit format, (iv) review and make recommendations to Council on all budgets, (v) review overall progress with regards to the achievement of budget expectations, (vi) prepare an annual business plan including renovation, capital, staffing and other operating costs, to be presented at the November Council meeting, and (vii) ensure that accounting for GSS Business Operations is performed by someone external to the GSS Business Operations operation The members of the Finance Committee are four appointed Councillors, and the Vice- President, Finance, Associate Vice-President, Finance The Finance Committee shall meet jointly with the House Committee. The duties of Chair for these joint meetings shall alternate between the Vice-President, Finance and the Vice-President, Administration. The two Committees combined shall have among the members at least six appointed Councillors The House Committee shall: (a) oversee the implementation of an annual plan for the use of the physical facilities and equipment of the Centre, to be presented at the November Council meeting, (b) deal promptly with any complaint or suggestion by a Society member with regards to Society staff or vice-versa, (c) forward any complaint or suggestion regarding GSS Business Operations directly to the GSS Business Management for a full explanation to be made to the House Committee, (d) maintain and operate the physical facilities of the Centre, (e) make recommendations to Council with regards to the House and Rules and ensure Society members comply with them, (f) make recommendations to Council with regards to the Society Booking Policy and ensure it is updated and complied with, (g) control the issuance and withdrawal of keys to the Centre, (h) oversee the activities of the GSS Business Management, (i) regularly seek the input of members of the Society and patrons of GSS Business Operations with respect to the use of the Centre, particularly room bookings and the pub, (j) liaise with the Executive, Finance, and Programs Committees, (k) perform all other duties relating to day-to-day operations of the Centre, and (l) have access to the Society s Lawyer to obtain advice regarding any issues requiring legal input.

15 The rules for membership in the House Committee are as follows: (a) The members are five appointed Councillors, and the President, Vice-President, Administration, Associate Vice-President, Administration, and the Vice-President, Services. (b) Council may by special resolution remove a member of the House Committee, if the member to be removed has been given written notice of the motion ten days before the Council meeting, including reasons for which their removal is being considered. (c) Members will be removed from the House Committee if they miss more than two consecutive meetings for any reason Council shall consider or approve at its discretion all long-term contracts and contracts not covered by a specific line item in the current budget, although such contracts may be negotiated by the House Committee on behalf of Council The House Committee shall, for the hiring and evaluation of GSS Business Management: (a) set hiring guidelines, (b) form a sub-committee to hire the GSS Business Management, (c) obtain ratification by Council s of all employment contracts for GSS Business Management, although such contracts may be negotiated by the House Committee on behalf of Council, with input, at the Committee s discretion, from the University s Human Resources Department, (d) set performance evaluation guidelines and conduct the performance evaluation of the GSS Business Management at least once per year, and (e) be responsible for the discipline and, if necessary, the dismissal of the GSS Business Management The House Committee shall meet jointly with the Finance Committee, pursuant to Policy House Task Forces shall be the following and expired at date specified (a) The Pub Renewal Task Force shall (expired at 2013 AGM) (i) be chaired by the VP Administration (ii) consist of up to five Council members (iii)allow sitting of ordinary members as non-voting observers, and thisopportunity be advertised via to ordinary members (iv) review the options for re-opening the Pub 7.5. Elections Committee The Elections Committee shall: (a) be responsible for conducting Society elections in accordance with Bylaw 6.3 and with the procedures described in the Policy Manual, and not impose any additional rules or procedures other than those defined here, unless Council delegates responsibility for conducting the election to an organization outside of the Society. Any new rules or procedures must be proposed as amendments to this Policy Manual and approved by Council.

16 14 (b) have a chair appointed by Council no later than the October meeting of Council of each year, who shall be: (v) designated Chief Electoral Officer by a special resolution, (vi) disallowed to stand for election, and (vii) whose duties shall, if a suitable candidate is not available, be fulfilled by the Vice-President, Academic and External Affairs, in accordance with Bylaw 6.6.5, (c) meet at least once per month until the official announcement of the results of the election. (d) report to the Council meeting following the Election and make such recommendations as it deems proper, (e) prescribe and employ the necessary advertising strategies to call for nominations and to announce the date, time and place or method of Polling, (f) prescribe the procedures for counting the ballots and communicate these procedures to the Candidates before the counting begins, (g) use an electronic voting system whenever possible. (h) announce the results of the election to the Society membership via the Society website The members of the Election Committee are the Chief Electoral Officer, as described in Policy 6.6.1b, and four other members of the Society approved by Council The Human Resources Committee The Human Resources Committee shall (a) set the human resources vision for the Society; (b) systematically evaluate and review all full-time staff and provide regular, biannual, reviews for each employee of the Society; (c) systematically evaluate and review all coordinators and student staff and provide regular, biannual, reviews for each employee of the Society; (d) be able to hire and terminate all coordinators and student staff, excluding staff who are directly hired and supervised by GSS-V management; (e) be able to hire and/or terminate any full-time staff; (f) may hire or terminate co-ordinators or it may delegate one or both of these tasks to the relevant Executive(s) Council may delegate any other powers to the Human Resources Committee through special resolution Services Committee The Services Committee shall (a) plan and implement programs for the academic, social, cultural, and recreational needs of the members of the Society (i) publish the annual handbook of the Society (ii) hire the editor of the annual handbook of the Society in conjunction with the Human Resources Committee, and

17 15 (iii)review and update the website by consulting members, Councillors, and the Executive Committee about the design and content of the website at least once a year The members of the Services Committee shall be (a) four appointed Councillors, (b) as ex-officio member, (viii) the Vice-President, Services (ix) Communication Coordinator(s), and (x) Sports & Events Coordinator(s) Unless otherwise elected by the committee members, the Chair of the Services Committee shall be the Vice-President, Services Standing sub-committees of the Services Committees and their terms of references shall be: (a) There shall be a standing sub-committee called the Orientation Sub-committee, (i) shall be responsible for planning for, and producing the September orientation events each year in collaboration with the Faculty of Graduate Studies, including recruiting and managing temporary orientation staff and volunteers, and review of the orientation process after the event before Oct 31 st every year. (ii) the members of the committee shall be the orientation coordinator, and Councillors and ordinary members required by Services committee each year (iii)the chair shall be Vice-President, Services Task Forces of the Services Committees and their terms of references shall be: (a) The Accessibility at Orientation Taskforce [Expired in 2013 AGM] shall (i) Create a questionnaire that incoming graduate students can complete in which they can indicate their disabilities and accommodation needs for graduate student orientation (ii) Surveillance of GSS amenities and services during orientation to ensure that the needs of graduate students with disabilities are met (iii)monitor the accessibility of the GSS orientation website and other forms of communication regarding orientation (iv) Providing staff who can address the immediate needs of graduate students with disabilities during orientation (e.g., when accommodation requested and approved have not been met) (v) Developing, distributing and analyzing the data from graduate student evaluations of accessibility which were provided during orientation (vi) In collaboration with Access and Diversity, ensuring that all GSS orientation events are accessible to graduate students with disabilities by providing services (e.g., ASL, Computer-Aided Real Time Transcription, reserved area in Chan Centre, voice interpretation, closed captioning, loaner scooters, ramps, large print, Braille and/or electronic copies of PowerPoint Presentations, forms, and other related documentation, a guide, a "Comfort Room", dietary accommodations) (vii) Plan and implement a workshop session on accessibility during Core Orientation Day, Thursday August 30 th

18 16 (viii) Staff a table at the Coffee Social and Club Information Session on Friday August 31 st which can supply information to students about Access and Diversity and accessibility on campus and in Vancouver (viii) The International Cultural Festival Task Force [Expire on 2013 AGM] shall (i) Determine the name, date, time and location of the event. Get approval. (ii) Invite clubs and students to register for booths, stage performance, and dietary culture exhibition. Provide guideline and assistance regarding booth decoration and food taste planning. (iii)formulate proposal and budget report and seek on/off-campus financial support. (iv) Promote to UBC community and local media. Invite officers such as the university executives, the mayor, and representatives of consulate generals in Vancouver. (v) Recruit, train and manage volunteers. The responsibility of volunteers include: offering assistance, order keeping, taking pictures, video recording, and cleaning. Provide T-shirts for volunteers. (vi) Rent booths. Plan the set-up and arrangement of booths, the stage, and the dietary culture area. (vii) Schedule the performance. Gain multi-media support. (viii) Design and print Event Passport. Prepare stamps for each booth and prizes for people collecting all the stamps. (ix) Meet after the event to review the event and set future direction Safety and Sustainability Committee The Safety and Sustainability Committee shall: (a) endeavour to continually improve and promote safety, and environmental and social sustainability to the extent of the Society s sphere of influence, including but not limited to the Society s operations and services, (b) oversee the implementation of the Committee s policies, as approved by Council, (c) ensure that the Society s operations and activities comply with relevant environmental and safety laws (d) maintain and review all documentation and reports relating to safety and sustainability issues at the Centre, (e) liaise with the Executive, House, and Finance Committee, (f) liaise with the University s health, safety, and environmental committees, (g) deliver a yearly report to Council, (h) foster internal and external communication of environmental and safety matters, and solicit and respond to comments and feedback from employees, members, and other interested parties, and The members of the Safety and Sustainability Committee are four appointed Councillors, the GSS Business Management (bookings and office manager and pub manager), the head chef of the pub, and the Vice-President, Administration.

19 17 8. GSS Event Fund 8.1. Intention and Purpose The GSS Event is a rebate of expenses aims to make Affiliate Organizations (AO) a vital part of the Society and of the Centre by supporting AO in creating and organizing events that will be of social, cultural or academic interest to their fellow graduate students, with an emphasis on events held at the Centre as well as interdisciplinary events The fund is a rebate of expenses for events organized and held by AO Conditions For Rebate The AO(s) holding the event must be recognized by the Society at the time of the event (see Appendix VII) The name and logo of the Society must be prominently displayed at the event and in all promotional materials for the event The event must be targeted at and promoted to Graduate Students The event must be non-profit Procedure The AO shall an event proposal including a written budget to the Vice President Finance of the Society, no later that four (4) weeks prior to the start date of the event: Rebate shall be based on the guidelines devised by the Finance Committee during the annual budgeting process The decision is made by the Vice President Finance in conjuctions with the Vice President Services. Should either of the Vice Presidents be absent, the President shall act as proxy If the Vice President Finance and Vice President Services do not agree, the application shall be deferred to the Finance Committee for approval The AO may appeal to the Finance Committee to reconsider Requests for the fund that are submitted after the activity has occurred will not be considered Money will be disbursed after the event is completed, and: (a) a statement of expenditures with original receipts attached, has been submitted within thirty (30) days of the event. It will be reviewed by the Vice President Finance. If requested and on demonstration of special circumstances, the Vice President Finance may return hard copies of original receipts after disbursement to the respective AO. (b) a report sheet of the event has been submitted to the Vice President Finance (see Appendix ) The Vice President Finance shall report to the Finance Committee monthly on all processed applications Limitations The maximum level of financial support for any event held in the Centre will be the lesser of: (a) net costs of the event incurred by the organizing AO(s), and

20 18 (b) $500 per AO involved in organizing the event The maximum level of support for any other event will be the lesser of: (a) the net costs of the event incurred by the organizing AO(s), and (b) $300 per AO involved in organizing the event In case of budgetary constraints of the Society, priority will be given to the first-time applicants and interdisciplinary events. 9. House & Business Operations 9.1. House Rules The house rules are for the convenience of members using the facilities of the Centre. Compliance with the rules will ensure congenial surroundings which may be enjoyed by all graduate students Members and their guests are expected to demonstrate care for the Centre at all times. Damage to the Centre or theft of Centre s properties, whether through willful or careless action, is a breach of house rules Any suggestions or complaints concerning operation of the Centre should be brought to the attention of the House Committee through the relevant GSS Business manager The Society is not responsible for loss of, or damage to, any property of a member or guest in the Centre, or for personal injuries suffered by a member or guest No alcohol shall be brought into the building. Members in violation of this rule shall be charged a fine to be determined by the House Committee and approved by Council Any member found by the House Committee or its representatives to be in breach of the house rules may have their membership rights suspended under Bylaw 2.8. The House Committee reserves the right to impose further penalties The House Committee may ban any non-member from the Centre for breach of the house rules General Business Rules Policies 8.3 and 8.4 are intended to guide, support and monitor the Centre s business operations ( GSS Business Operations ), comprising room bookings and Koerner s food and beverage operations GSS Business Operations shall be operated in accordance with all relevant legislation including the Liquor Control and Licensing Act of the Province of British Columbia, as amended, and its regulations The GSS Business Management will ensure the smooth functioning of the Society food, beverage and room booking services (collectively referred to as the GSS Business Operations ) and ensure the accountability of these services to the members of the Society as expressed primarily through the House Committee and Council To avoid a conflict of interests, (a) no Councillor may be an employee of GSS Business Operations, but any member who is an employee may participate in discussion and debate about the operations, and

21 19 (b) the GSS Business Management will perform bookkeeping, but will use an external accountant for accounting and auditing of GSS Business Operations The GSS Business Management shall prepare trimesterly budgets for bookings and food and beverage operations, and: (c) submit a copy to the Finance Committee for review, (d) present the budget to Council no less than two weeks after submitting it to the Finance Committee, and (e) manage operations within the budgets, subject to special expenses approved by the Finance Committee and to emergency expenses that are necessary to avoid immediate, substantial adverse effects on GSS Business Operations. The GSS Business Management will report any emergency expenses to the next meeting of the House and Finance Committees The GSS Business Management shall prepare a draft annual business plan under the direction of the Vice-President, Finance, in support of Policy 6.6.1(g), and (a) review the draft plan with the Finance Committee and House Committee at least two weeks before the November Council Meeting, and (b) present the plan to Council for discussion and approval at the November Council meeting Bookings Subject to the rules in Policy 8 and approval of the House Committee, the Bookings Manager is responsible for the booking operations of the Centre, including (a) bookings contracts, client relations, and invoicing, (i) marketing and business planning, and (ii) setting prices for rooms, equipment, and special functions and services, subject to approval by the House Committee, and (iii)reporting regularly to the House Committee on bookings operations The general rules for bookings are: (a) Rooms at the Graduate Student Centre are available for booking by students, staff and faculty or the general public. Each booking covers a single event. (b) Bookings may be for intervals of 4 hours or all day. An all-day event is typically considered to be eight hours in duration. Events lasting longer than eight hours may be charged extra costs, on an hourly basis. (c) Room charges do not include labour for set-up & clean-up. A minimum labour charge of 4 hours will be added to the final booking charge. Room charges do not cover the use of any equipment, labour for bar services staff, or SOCAN fees for functions with music. (d) Any damage to any room or its contents will be charged back to the client and may result in the permanent banning of that client from booking space at the Graduate Student Centre. Any room not cleaned up after a function will result in an extra $100 cleaning levy applied to the final invoice. (e) The House Committee determines room booking rates in consultation with the Bookings and Pub managers, and posts them on the Society s website Confirmations: Bookings are confirmed only when the renter has signed a contract and paid a deposit, pursuant to Policy Until then a room may be offered to another party,

22 20 provided the Bookings Manager has given 72 hours notice to a group that has booked a room but not paid the full deposit Deposits: Bookings require a deposit of half the anticipated room charges. The deposit is not considered a partial payment. Clients will be invoiced following the event for the entire amount and the deposit will either be returned or destroyed Cancellations: Any booking cancelled less than 30 days prior to the event causes the forfeiture of the deposit made under Policy The liquor licensing rules for bookings are: (a) The Ballroom and Thea s Lounge are licensed under the same licence as Koerner s Pub. This is a liquor primary licence. That means that no minors are allowed under any circumstances. If a client wishes to have minors in attendance, the Society will temporarily de-license the room. (b) Special Occasion Licences are required for any events in the penthouse that require bar service, since this space is unlicensed, or for events in any space that minors attend. The Society will apply for a Special Occasion Licence on request by a client, provided the client gives at least 30 days notice. (c) No renter or guest may bring alcohol into the Centre. All alcohol served must be purchased and served by the Society s bar staff. (d) Any breach of these licensing rules will cause the immediate cancellation of a function. The client must pay the full charge for a function so cancelled There are four classifications for bookings: (a) GSS internal bookings (Council and committees), (b) graduate student bookings (at least 50% of attendees are members, not counting minor children of members), (c) non graduate student bookings (UBC staff, faculty, and the public), and (d) weddings and large conferences GSS internal bookings and graduate student bookings qualify for free use of rooms and equipment (if available), but the renter must pay for any labour and for food and alcohol Non graduate student bookings: The Society charges regular rental rates for events for which the renter is not a member, fewer than half of those attending are members, or the renter is a member who is only nominally booking the space on behalf of University faculty or staff. Renters may apply for a one-time waiver of rent by submitting a request to the House Committee prior to the event. The Committee s decision is final Weddings and large conferences: The Society charges regular rental rates for such events, and assigns a staff member to act as a co-ordinator for the duration of such functions, at the renter s expense, to help ensure the event runs smoothly Koerner s Food and Beverage Operations The Food and Beverage Manager reports to the House Committee and is responsible for: (a) the smooth functioning of Koerner s food and beverage operations, including (b) the scheduling, direction, and supervision of Food and Beverage staff, (c) financial and personnel administration, including liaison with the staff s union, (d) product and vendor selection and purchasing, (e) marketing of the Pub and its catering services,