Constitution of the McGill Information Studies Student Association

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be McGill Information Studies Student Association (MISSA), hereinafter referred to as The Association or MISSA. The Student Council, through its constituent committees, shall carry out the operating and policy-making functions of the Association. Hereinafter the Student Council will be referred to as The Council.

 

Article II - Mandate

To co-ordinate the activities, and create a sense of community through social events and conferences, for all graduate students in programs offered by the McGill School of Information Studies and to ensure representation of student interests in the School, in the University, and in the Library and Information professions.

 

Article III - Membership

All graduate students who register in programs offered by School of Information Studies at McGill University automatically become members of the Association and are entitled to all the rights and privileges of Association membership (Article IV) for the duration of their registration.

 

Article IV - Rights and Privileges of Association Members

In addition to the rights and privileges accorded to students by the regulations of McGill University, members of the MISSA may run for Association office; they may attend, speak and vote at General Meetings, and they may nominate and elect Association officers.

 

Article V - Association Officers

The Association is governed by members of the Student Council (Article VII). These officers are elected in accordance with the provisions of Article XII.

 

Article VI - Duration and Tenure of Association Officers.

Officers of the MISSA shall perform their duties from the time of their election until the end specified in the elections policy elaborated in Article XII.

Officers may resign their positions at any time, after a minimum of two (2) weeks notice is given to the Chief Returning Officer or the Executive of the MISSA as per Article VIII.

 

Article VII - Student Council

The Student Council shall consist of the Executive (Article VIII); Departmental Committee representatives (Article VII.2); non-Departmental Committee representatives (Article VII.2b); and Ad-Hoc Committee representatives (Article VII.2c).

 

Committees

a. Three Student Council representatives, one 'Shadow' representative from first year (MISt I), one representative from second year (MISt II) and one PhD Representative, shall represent the Association on the following Departmental Committee:

Curriculum Committee (Article IX.7)

These representatives shall be elected, or promoted as is true for the MISt I and II, according to the provisions of Article XII.

b. Any member of the Student Council may propose that non-Departmental Committees be established. These Committees should include council representatives from first and second year of the Masters program as well as the School of Information Studies PhD Representative. The Chair of the Committee shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Article XII. Council presently sanctions the following non-Departmental Committees:

  1. Social Affairs (Article IX.8)
  2. Publications (Article IX.9)
  3. Professional Development (Article IX.12)

c. Any member of the Student Council may propose that an Ad Hoc Committee be established. These Ad Hoc Committees will perform such functions as Council deems desirable for a term of not longer than one regular academic year. Members of Ad Hoc Committees who do not hold a position on a Departmental Committee or a non-Departmental Committee may not vote as such at meetings of the Student Council. The Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be appointed by the Council by nomination.

d. All Committees shall report orally or in written form to the Council on the business of their respective committees at least once each term.

 

Meetings of the Student Council

a. A meeting of the Student Council shall take place at least once during each school term.

b. Any member of the Executive (Article VIII) may call a meeting of the Student Council.

c. Notice of a meeting shall be announced within a reasonable time frame and agenda for the meeting shall be posted 24 hours in advance.

d. More than 50% of the whole Student Council shall constitute quorum at meetings.

e. The Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian of the MISSA shall chair meetings of the Student Council. If it is necessary for the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian to vacate the chair during a meeting s/he designates the President to act as temporary chairperson. In the event that both the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian and President are absent from a scheduled meeting the Secretary shall call the meeting to order and ask that a temporary chairperson be elected among Council members. In the event that the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian is absent, the person presiding maintains his or her voting privileges for the course of the meeting.

f. Any member of the Association may attend and speak at meetings. Non-members of the Association may be invited, by a formal resolution of the Student Council, to observe or to address the Student Council, but only duly elected Student Council members may vote on proposals tabled at meetings.

g. Each member of the Student Council is entitled to cast only one vote on a motion.

h. A member must be present to vote but need not have been present during the debate.

Common resolutions (i.e. those motions other than the extraordinary motions listed in the Roberts Rules of Order Section 48) require the vote of more than 50% of Student Council members present for passage. In the event of a tie vote, the motion shall be lost.

 

Resignation or removal of Student Council members

Non-Executive Student Council members (hereinafter referred to as Student Council members) may resign their position with a minimum of two (2) weeks notice. Written resignation will be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer or the Executive of the MISSA. Student Council positions are voluntary and are both a privilege and a responsibility. Student Council members are expected to fulfill their responsibilities as delineated in the MISSA Constitution Article IX - Roles and Responsibilities of Student Council Members. Student Council members who are not fulfilling their responsibilities or are absent from three (3) regular Student Council meetings (without communicating a valid reason such as, but not limited to, illness or bereavement) may be asked to step down from their position via a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive. Student Council members will be notified in writing of potential action prior to Executive vote. If the Student Council position is subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority Executive vote until the next official voting period specified for that position. If the Student Council position is not subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority Executive vote with their position held until the end of the academic year, per Article VII.

 

Article VIII – Executive

Hereinafter, the concept of non-graduating student is defined by a SIS student who, at the time of their election, is not graduating at the end of the current academic year. The Executive officers of the Association shall be:

a. A President, who is at least in their second year of study at SIS (Article IX.1);

b. A Vice President (External), who is a non-graduating student at SIS (Article IX.2);

c. A Vice President (Internal), who is a non-graduating student at SIS (Article IX.3)

d. A Secretary (Article IX.4);

e. A Treasurer, who is a non-graduating student at SIS (Article IX.5);

f. Two (2) Post-Graduate Students' Society (PGSS) Representatives (Article IX.7); one PGSS representative shall be the Vice-President (External); and one PGSS representative;

g. A Communications Officer, who is a non-graduating student at SIS;

h. A Social Affairs Officer, who is a non-graduating student at SIS;

i. A PhD student representative;

j. A Knowledge Continuity Officer, who is a non-graduating student at SIS;

k. A Archives & Documentation Officer, who is a non-graduating student at SIS;

l. A Professional Development Officer;

Functions of the Executive

a. The Executive shall be responsible for calling meetings of the Student Council.

b. The Executive shall keep the Association informed of departmental decisions and opinions on matters that affect students.

d. The Executive shall collectively fulfill the function of Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian, should that position become vacant for any reason, until such time as an election can be held to replace the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian.

e. The Executive shall ensure an orderly transition of officers from one school year to the next in co-operation with the Knowledge Continuity Officer.

 

Meetings of the Executive

a. Any member of the Executive may call an Executive meeting.

b. More than 50% of Executive members must be present at Executive meetings to constitute quorum.

c. The President of the MISSA shall chair meetings of the Executive and shall be permitted to vote on resolutions. If it is necessary for the President to vacate the chair during a meeting s/he designates the Vice-President (External) to act as temporary chairperson. In the event that both the President and Vice-President (External) are absent from a scheduled meeting the Secretary shall call the meeting to order and ask that a temporary chairperson be elected among members of the Executive.

d. Each member of the Executive is entitled to cast only one vote on a motion.

e. A member must be present to vote but need not have been present during the debate.

f. To be considered valid, resolutions must be passed at Executive meetings by the votes of more than 50% of those present. In the event of a tie, the motion shall be lost.

 

Resignation or removal of Executive Officers

Executive officers may resign their position with a minimum of two (2) weeks notice. Written resignation will be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer or the Executive of the MISSA. Executive Officer positions are voluntary and are both a privilege and a responsibility. Executive officers are expected to fulfill their responsibilities as delineated in the MISSA Constitution Article VIII - Executive. Executive officers who are not fulfilling their responsibilities or are absent from three (3) regular Executive or Student Council meetings (without communicating a valid reason such as, but not limited to, illness or bereavement) may be asked to step down from their position via a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive. Executive officers will be notified in writing of potential action prior to Executive vote. If the Executive Officer position is subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority vote of the Executive until the next official voting period specified for that position.

 

Removal of the Executive

The Executive may be removed from office by the vote of ⅔ or more of those Association members present at a General Meeting (Article X).

 

Article IX - Roles and Responsibilities of Student Council Members

All MISSA Council members are responsible for transferring necessary documentation (agendas, receipts, notes) to their successor. They are also responsible for any and all official communication with MISSA members related to MISSA or their positions. All MISSA Council members are responsible for the tidiness, cleanliness, and orderly usage of the MISSA Office.

  1. President -- The President reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the President is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns. The President supports activities in the School in conjunction with other Council members. The President also serves as liaison between the students and the School by representing the student body at SIS Departmental meetings. The President also chairs Executive meetings. The President acts as temporary Chairperson of Student Council meetings when the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian is unable to do so.
  2. Vice-President (External) -- The Vice-President (External) reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the Vice-President (External) is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns. The Vice-President (External) serves as liaison between the students and the University community as a whole, in particular as a representative of SIS students on the PGSS Council. The Vice-President (External) is automatically one of MISSA’s Post-Graduate Students’ Society Representatives.
  3. Vice-President (Internal) -- The Vice-President (Internal) reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the Vice-President (Internal) is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns - in particular those of MISt I students. The Vice-President (Internal) also serves as liaison between the students and the School by representing the student body at SIS Departmental meetings. The Vice-President (Internal) becomes ipso facto President upon the end of the incumbent President’s term.
  4. Secretary -- The Secretary reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the Secretary is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns. The Secretary is responsible for taking meeting minutes and posting them on the MISSA website or other agreed-upon repository in a timely manner. The representative acts as the secondary MISSA website editor and must complete required McGill training to be given editing access to the website.
  5. Treasurer -- The Treasurer reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive Committee. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the Treasurer is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns. The Treasurer disburses MISSA funds under the direction of Council and is responsible for monitoring and communicating all MISSA financial matters. The Treasurer must present the operating budget at the first General Meeting following Fall elections and the finalized financial statement for the previous fiscal year. The final financial statement for the current fiscal year must be presented at the April General Meeting of the Council for approval and presented at the April Annual General Meeting. Responsible for transferring necessary documentation (operating budget, final financial statement, agendas, receipts, notes) and transferring signing rights to accounts to their successor. The Treasurer cannot hold the position of treasurer on a student association that MISSA allocates funding.
  6. Post-Graduate Students’ Society Representative -- The PGSS Representative reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Student Council, the PGSS Representative is responsible for keeping the students fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns. The PGSS Representative is the MISSA students’ elected representative to the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University. The representative reports directly to the Student Council. The MISSA Vice-President (External) is the second PGSS Representative.
  7. Curriculum Committee -- The Curriculum Committee Representatives represent all student views regarding all aspects of the current course calendar’s curriculum and presents suggestions as to what should be incorporated into the program in the future. The representatives attend committee meetings and report directly to the Student Council. Curriculum Committee Representatives shall consist of one non-graduating ‘Shadow’ representative, without voting power, who will support a MISt II and PhD representative. The Shadow representative becomes the MISt II representative upon the completion of the term of the incumbent MISt II representative, without passing an election for the position.
  8. Social Affairs Officer -- The Social Affairs Officer reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. The representative chairs meetings on an ad-hoc basis, coordinates and organizes a number of social activities, and aids in the coordination and organization of other Student Council activities in conjunction with Council members.
  9. Publications Committee Chairperson -- The Publications Committee Chairperson chairs meetings on an ad-hoc basis, and reports directly to the Student Council. The Chairperson coordinates and organizes the publication of all MISSA publications, and aids in the coordination and organization of other Student Council activities in conjunction with Council members. The prime responsibility of the PCC is to maintain the MISSA blog Beyond The Shelf, which entails ensuring that all pages are up-to-date, and coordinating publications for the blog. Responsible for transferring administrative access to the blog and any other account under the privy of the PCC, to their successor.
  10. Career Fair Committee Chairperson -- The Career Fair Committee Chairperson serves as liaison between the student members and other library and information studies students and professional bodies (or their student representatives at SIS). The representative is responsible for enlisting student representatives from these bodies to establish a Career Fair Committee for the annual SIS Career Fair, as well as chair this committee. The representative coordinates between MISSA and these bodies as needed to provide members of the Association with information and opportunities pertaining to their future profession.
  11. Communications Officer –- The Communications Officer (CO) reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. The representative coordinates and organizes all official MISSA internet communications. This primarily includes management of the MISSA website, MISSA listserv, and official MISSA social media accounts; ensuring the School is updated about key MISSA events, management of the primary MISSA SIS Wiki page, and other communications-related duties as required. The representative will be tasked with ensuring social media posts of SIS-related pages are appropriate in respecting the community guidelines in place. The CO must complete required McGill training to be given clearance for the SIS Students website. They must also perform managing tasks for the other SIS student group websites. Responsible for transferring necessary account access to their successor.
  12. Professional Development Officer-- The Professional Development Officer (PDO) will liaise with external partners to bring in expert speakers. The representative will coordinate workshops and seminars, publicize events through social media, and put events on the SIS calendar. The PDO will also liaise with the Curriculum Committee Representative, and do other duties as assigned.
  13. SIS PhD Representative -- The SIS PhD Representative reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. As an elected representative of the Ph.D. students, the SIS PhD Representative is responsible for keeping MISSA fully informed on events and issues directly affecting the SIS student body and for voicing their ideas, requests and concerns, in particular those of PhD students. The SIS PhD representative will also be the departmental representative for PhD Students.
  14. Knowledge Continuity Officer -- The Knowledge Continuity Officer reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. The responsibilities of the KCO revolve around MISSA knowledge continuity functions using available tools such as the SIS Wiki and MISSA website, and the capturing of knowledge, promotion of organizational learning, and knowledge transfer between outgoing and incoming MISSA Student Council members. The KCO will also be responsible with training representatives from the various SIS associations and committees on how to utilize knowledge management processes and available tools.
  15. Archives & Documentation Officer -- The Archives & Documentation Officer reports directly to the Student Council and is a member of the Executive. The responsibilities of the ADO revolve around the organizing of documents for MISSA and ensuring that MISSA information is archived. Also, the ADO is responsible for sorting and organizing the backlog of Student Association documents currently available and keeping records current and up to date.
  16. Equity Committee Student Representative to MISSA – There will be a student on the SIS Equity Committee who interfaces with the Committee and MISSA. This Equity Committee Student Representative to MISSA will have the status of MISSA Student Council member and is expected to help develop and support initiatives to raise awareness and promote the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the School of Information Studies. The Equity Committee Student Representative to MISSA is also responsible for advising MISSA on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

Article X - General Meetings of the Association

General Meetings may be held for reporting purposes or to ask the Association at large to settle an issue or issues of unusual importance.

A General Meeting of the Association must be held at least once during the regular academic year.

Any member of the Association may call a General Meeting if s/he is able to obtain signatures of 20% of the members of the MISSA with the specific processes of such a petition following the structures presented by the MISSA Chief Returning Officer. General Meetings may also be called through a motion at a meeting of the Executive; or through a motion at a meeting of the Student Council.

Notice of General Meetings shall be announced through official channels at least one week in advance of the meeting.

General Meetings of the Association are open to members of the MISSA, all of whom have the right to present business, to speak in debate, and to vote on proposals put before the General Meeting. Non-members of the Association may be invited, through a formal resolution of the Student Council, to observe and to address the General Meeting, but they shall not vote on proposals put before the General Meeting. 20% of the members of the Association shall constitute quorum at a General Meeting.

Common motions put before General Meetings require the votes of more than 50% of the members present for passage.

All resolutions passed by a vote at a General Meeting are binding on the Executive and the Student Council and may not be amended by either party.

 

Article XI - Chief Returning Officer – Parliamentarian

A Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian, elected by the student body, shall be responsible for organizing all Association elections; including posting of nominations and counting of ballots in accordance with Article XII, and in consultation with the general guidelines set out by PGSS in their Society Activities Manual. The Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian also chairs Student Council and General meetings.

The Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian shall be neither a member of the Executive nor a Departmental or non-Departmental Committee Representative.

Should the position of Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian become vacant for any reason, the authority to accept nominations, hold elections and count ballots will devolve collectively on the Executive until such time as a new Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian can be elected.

 

Article XII – Elections

Two elections will be held per year to elect the Student Council. The Fall election shall be held no later than September 30th of each year. The Winter Election should be held no later than March 1st of each year. All positions limited to PhD students, must be voted on solely by PhD students.

In the Fall term, elections for vacant SIS Equity committee member positions will occur. Vacant spots will open again in the Spring elections as necessary per the SIS Equity committee. The description of SIS Equity committee member positions is as follows: “The Equity Committee Representative should regularly engage with different members of the SIS community and report interest in EDI topics, EDI concerns, or other related matters to the Committee. Members should also take part in the work of the Committee, including events, projects, and/or working groups.”

The positions shall be posted as follows:

Winter Election

Non-graduating students only. If positions remain unfilled, interim replacements can be named by council; the position will come up for election in the Fall, though the term ending will remain the following Spring election.

  1. Vice-President External (Non-graduating)
  2. Treasurer (Non-graduating)
  3. Social Affairs Officer (Non-graduating)
  4. Publications Committee Chairperson (Non-graduating)
  5. Communications Officer (Non-graduating)
  6. Professional Development Officer (Non-graduating)
  7. Chief Returning Officer (Non-graduating)

 

Fall Election

All positions designated as open or non-graduating, and unfilled positions from the previous Winter election.

  1. Vice-President Internal (Non-graduating)
  2. Secretary (Open)
  3. PGSS Representative (Open)
  4. Shadow Curriculum Committee Representative (MISt I)
  5. Curriculum Committee Representative (Ph. D representative)
  6. Ph. D. Representative
  7. Knowledge Continuity Officer (Non-graduating)
  8. Archives and Documentation Officer (Non-graduating)
  9. Equity Committee Representative (MISt I: two (2) positions available)
  10. Equity Committee Representative (Graduate Certificate: one (1) position available)
  11. Equity Committee Representative (PhD: two (2) positions available)

 

The CRO will endeavour to, when applicable, follow the general guidelines set out by PGSS in their Society Activities Manual.

Notice of elections shall be posted by the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian at least 7 days in advance of voting. Nominations of candidates for the elected office(s) may be accepted by the Chief Returning Officer – Parliamentarian immediately upon posting of the notice. The full slate of candidates for election shall be posted publicly no later than 3 days before voting. The voting period shall be 5 days.

Only MISSA members may stand for election.

Individuals may not combine to "share" the nomination for a single position.

Individuals may only be nominated for a single elected position within the Association.

In the event that only one candidate stands at the close of nominations, the Association membership shall be given the opportunity to approve or disapprove of the candidate by vote. Should the Association membership disapprove of the candidate, nominations shall be reopened as per article XI.3.

All voting shall be done by secret ballot, in accordance with PGSS policy.

A candidate is elected to a position when s/he obtains the majority of the votes cast.

Should any Executive or Committee post fall vacant before the end of its regular term, it shall be the responsibility of the Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian to hold an election to fill that position.

For unfilled positions from either the Fall or Winter elections, any individual from the membership, excluding the Chief Returning Officer-Parliamentarian, can be appointed in the interim until the next election by a vote of the Council, following the voting process outlined in Article VII.

The Chief Returning Officer - Parliamentarian shall announce the results to all MISSA members following the elections through official channels. Results will also be posted on the website.

 

Article XIII - Parliamentary Authority

Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Association in all cases where they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special documented rules of order the Association may adopt.

 

Article XIV - Constitutional Amendment

This Constitution may be amended by the members of the Association at any time. A proposed amendment must be brought to the MISSA Council at least 4 weeks before the voting period. At this meeting, the Executive will vote to bring the referendum question to the membership. More than 50 % of Executives must be present for quorum and more than 50% of present Executives must approve of posing the referendum question. An amendment may be passed either through a referendum, the wording of which has been announced one week in advance of voting, or by a vote at a General Meeting of the Association. In both cases, resolutions require more than ⅔ of votes cast for passage.

 

Article XV - Financial Regulations

Financial Year

a. The financial year of MISSA shall be from May 1 to April 30.

b. Expenditures cannot be prepaid, beyond the current financial year, without approval of Council.

c. No expenditures in the current financial year can be made prior to the approval of the budget, with the exceptions of operating expenses of regular MISSA Services.

 

Budget

a. The Treasurer shall present the annual budget for the current fiscal year and the finalized financial statement for the previous fiscal year at the first meeting following the Fall elections.

b. The Treasurer shall present the final financial statement for the current fiscal year for Council approval at the April meeting of Council.

c. The budget may be modified by a motion of Council provided the motion has been submitted before the regular monthly Council meetings.

d. The treasurer must send the final financial statement to PGSS at the end of the fiscal year.

 

Accounts

a. The Treasurer shall operate such accounts as are necessary for the transaction of Society business.

b. All signing officers for the Society accounts shall be bondable. All signing officers must transfer signing rights to the account to their successor by the end of the fiscal year, April 30.

c. The Treasurer and the President shall be the signing officers for the Society. A third signing officer, appointed by the Council, shall temporarily fill in for one of the above when they are unavailable.

d. All cash flows to and from MISSA accounts shall be documented by appropriate receipts, invoices, check stubs or other satisfactory evidence.

e. All income shall be deposited only into the Society accounts and all expenses paid from the same.

 

Membership Fees

a. There is one category of membership:

Regular membership

b. Any increase to membership fees, which are, at the time of the drafting of this constitution uniform across the PGSS, requires a PGSS-wide referendum. Any changes to PGSS membership policy should be reflected in this constitution by way of an amendment.

 

Amendments

May 11, 2022

Motion #1

WHEREAS The current Constitution does not delineate guidelines concerning individual Executive membership, resignation, and removal from their position in Article VIII.

BE IT RESOLVED Executive officers may resign their position with a minimum of two (2) weeks notice. Written resignation will be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer or the Executive of the MISSA. Executive Officer positions are voluntary and are both a privilege and a responsibility. Executive officers are expected to fulfill their responsibilities as delineated in the MISSA Constitution Article VIII - Executive. Executive officers who are not fulfilling their responsibilities or are absent from three (3) regular Executive or Student Council meetings (without communicating a valid reason such as, but not limited to, illness or bereavement) may be asked to step down from their position via a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive. Executive officers will be notified in writing of potential action prior to Executive vote. If the Executive Officer position is subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority vote of the Executive until the next official voting period specified for that position.

 

Motion #2

WHEREAS The current Constitution does not delineate guidelines concerning non-Executive Student Council membership, resignation, and removal from their position in Article IX.

BE IT RESOLVED Non-Executive Student Council members (hereinafter referred to as Student Council members) may resign their position with a minimum of two (2) weeks notice. Written resignation will be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer or the Executive of the MISSA. Student Council positions are voluntary and are both a privilege and a responsibility. Student Council members are expected to fulfill their responsibilities as delineated in the MISSA Constitution Article IX - Roles and Responsibilities of Student Council Members. Student Council members who are not fulfilling their responsibilities or are absent from three (3) regular Student Council meetings (without communicating a valid reason such as, but not limited to, illness or bereavement) may be asked to step down from their position via a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive. Student Council members will be notified in writing of potential action prior to Executive vote. If the Student Council position is subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority Executive vote until the next official voting period specified for that position. If the Student Council position is not subject to official voting, an interim MISSA member may be appointed by 2/3 majority Executive vote with their position held until the end of the academic year, per Article VII.

 

Motion #3

WHEREAS The Social Affairs Committee Chairperson has the important role of organizing social events and is involved with understanding university and department regulations regarding COVID-19,

BE IT RESOLVED The Social Affairs Committee Chairperson's status changes from Student Council to Executive with a title change from Social Affairs Committee Chairperson to Social Affairs Officer.

 

Motion #4

WHEREAS There is crossover between MISSA and the School of Information Studies (SIS) Equity Committee and

WHEREAS The mandate of the SIS Equity Committee states that Equity Committee student members will be elected through MISSA,

BE IT RESOLVED In the Fall term, elections for vacant SIS Equity committee member positions will occur per Article XII—Elections. Vacant spots will open again in the Spring elections as necessary per the SIS Equity committee.

BE IT RESOLVED That there will be a student on the SIS Equity Committee who interfaces with the Committee and MISSA. This Equity Committee student representative to MISSA will have the status of MISSA Student Council member and is expected to help develop and support initiatives to raise awareness and promote the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the School of Information Studies. The Equity Committee student representative to MISSA is also responsible for advising MISSA on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

April 3, 2017

Motion #1:

WHEREAS the current name of the Professional Association Liaison and Career Fair Committee Chairperson does not accurately reflect the duties of the role;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Professional Association Liaison and Career Fair Committee Chairperson position be renamed as the Career Fair Committee Chairperson.

 

Motion #2:

WHEREAS there is currently no Shadow position for the Professional Association Liaison and Career Fair Committee Chairperson

WHEREAS the terms of reference for the position would be as follows:

The Shadow Career Fair Coordinator [MISt I] will:

-Liaise with the Curriculum Representative and Career Fair Coordinator

-Assist the Career Fair Coordinator
-Ensure knowledge continuity
-Sit in on Curriculum Committee (non-voting)
-Sit as Head of Career Fair workshop committee

-Create reports
-Create and organize the Career Fair calendar
-Send out a mass email of events

-Other duties as assigned

BE IT RESOLVED that MISSA create the Shadow Career Fair Coordinator position, effective September 2017.

 

Motion #3:

WHEREAS there is currently a lack of communication between students and other on-campus groups;

BE IT RESOLVED that MISSA create the Professional Development Officer [MISt I or II] position, effective September 2017.

WHEREAS the terms of reference for the position would be as follows;

The Professional Development Officer [MISt I or II] will:

-Liaise with external partners to bring in expert speakers
-Coordinate workshops and seminars
-Publicize events through social media
-Put events on the SIS calendar
-Other duties as assigned

-Liaise with the Curriculum Committee Representative
 

Motion #4:

WHEREAS there is no social media governance policy in place;

WHEREAS there are no community guidelines in place.

WHEREAS the Communications Officer is responsible for communications within SIS;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Communications Officer be tasked with ensuring social media posts are appropriate in respecting the community guidelines in place.

 

Motion #5:

WHEREAS the current financial approval process for association events is not timely nor efficient;

WHEREAS all other financial processes would remain the same;

BE IT RESOLVED that financial approval for association events comes from the MISSA President and Treasurer.

__________________________________________________________________________________

• March 20, 2015
Be it resolved:


• Article III- Membership
The phrase “Annual membership fees, as set by a motion of Council, shall be collected by PGSS at the beginning of each semester as part of McGill’s student fee collection” is removed from the constitution.


• Article VIII-Executive


• Section “f," the position “A Faculty Representative”, is removed from the constitution

• Article IX- Roles and Responsibilities of Student Council Members

• In the first section, the sentence “The president will represent students to the Faculty of Arts” is added to the president’s description

• The fourth sentence of section 5 will read: “The Council will vote to approve the budget and the Treasurer must present the operating budget at the first General Meeting following Fall elections and the finalized financial statement for the previous fiscal year.” 
• Section 6 “Faculty Representative” is removed from the constitution.

• Article XII-Elections

• Under the section Winter Elections and Fall elections, every instance of the term “spring election” is changed to “winter election”

• Under Fall elections “Faculty Representative” is removed from the constitution.

• Under Fall elections, the word “posted” is changed to “announced”

• Under Fall elections, the following sentence “All voting shall be done by secret ballot, in accordance with PGSS policy” is changed to “All voting shall be done anonymously through PGSS’ online voting system, in accordance with PGSS policy.”
• Under Fall elections, the following paragraph is added: “For unfilled positions from either the Fall or Winter elections, any individual from the membership, excluding the Chief Returning Officer-Parliamentarian, can be appointed in the interim until the next election by a vote of the Council, following the voting process outlined in Article VII.”

• Article XIV- Constitutional Amendments
This section previously stated, “This Constitution may be amended by the members of the Association at any time. An amendment may be passed either through a referendum, the wording of which has been posted one week in advance of voting, or by a vote at a General Meeting of the Association. In both cases, resolutions require more than ⅔ of votes cast for passage.” This section is changed to: “This Constitution may be amended by the members of the Association at any time. A proposed amendment must be brought to the MISSA Council at least 4 weeks before the voting period. At this meeting, the Executive will vote to bring the referendum question to the membership. More than 50 % of Executives must be present for quorum and more than 50% of present Executives must approve of posing the referendum question. An amendment may be passed either through a referendum, the wording of which has been announced one week in advance of voting, or by a vote at a General Meeting of the Association. In both cases, resolutions require more than ⅔ of votes cast for passage.”

• Article XV- Financial Regulations

• Under the Budget, section “a” is changed to state “The Council will approve the budget and the Treasurer shall present the annual budget for the current fiscal year and the finalized financial statement for the previous fiscal year at the first meeting following the Fall elections.”


• Under the budget section, section “d” is changed to state “The treasurer must send the final financial statement to PGSS at the end of the fiscal year.”

 

  • 2013 April 12
    • Be it resolved that the Ad-Hoc Archives and Documentation Officer becomes permanent chair on the MISSA committee.
    • Be it resolved that the Ad-Hoc Knowledge Continuity Chair becomes a permanent chair on the MISSA committee.

 

  • 2012 March 5 - ICO position amendment as approved by Council

 

  • 2008 November
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