Anthropology Graduate Student Union |
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Executive Members 2006-2007 Co-Presidents
Jennifer Campbell & Emily Court jenn.campbell(at)utoronto.ca & e.court(at)utoronto.ca Social Coordinator Isabelle Guimont amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Secretary Laura Sikstrom amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Treasurer Mathew Mosher amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca CUPE Representative Mike O'Rourke amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca GSU Representative Alyson Stone amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Member at Large Eugenia Tsao amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Member at Large Andrew Ridle amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Member at Large Kris Meen amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Member at Large Anna Johnston amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Member at Large Greg Baum amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Computer/Communications Coordinator Amber MacKenzie amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Vis-à-Vis Lesley Harrington amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca Medusa Graydon Gibbins amber.mackenzie(at)utoronto.ca |
About the AGSU The Anthropology Graduate Student Association (AGSU) is a by students for students organization at the University of Toronto. All U of T Anthropology grad students are automatically members. AGSU's job is to keep members informed about their rights and responsibilities, involved in the community, and in touch with the resources provided by the department and the university at large. We also represent the needs and interests of members to the department, CUPE and the GSU. Our services and events include: ♦Computers, wireless internet and email access ♦Laser printing ♦Telephone with answering machine (416.978.7603) ♦Fax machine for local faxes ♦Treasured desk space for all first year grad students ♦Lounge space for relaxation or small meetings featuring our famous couches, which have their own, um, special charm ♦Access to the AGSU office via a combination lock ♦Representation on departmental committees ♦Departmental Wine and Cheese parties ♦The New Student Mentoring Program ♦The Medusa Lecture Series, a forum for graduate students to present paper or reviews of their research in a friendly environment ♦Vis a Vis: explorations in anthropology, an annual journal of Canadian graduate student scholarship ♦Volleyball team Other activities, discussion or study groups, and forums may be organized depending on the interest and initiatives of members. AGSU Constitution We, the graduate students of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Toronto, do hereby band together in the Anthropology Graduate Students' Union and we do adopt the following constitution to insure the protection and advancement of our interests. Throughout this document the Anthropology Graduate Students' Union will be referred to as the 'AGSU'. Article I: Objectives of the AGSU The objectives of the AGSU will be: To promote and maintain communication between graduate students of Anthropology and both the Department of Anthropology and the administration of the University. To represent individual Anthropology graduate students, as well as groups of graduate students, in matters relating to the interests of such students. To initiate, sponsor, coordinate and promote the social functions of the AGSU. To work with the Faculty of the Department of Anthropology in an effort to gain representation for the AGSU on any committee within the Department dealing with matters of interest to the AGSU, as recommended in the President's Report, 1978-1979 and the AGSU Student Survey Report of 2004-2005. Article II: Membership The following will be members of the AGSU: All full- and part-time students registered with the School of Graduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology. Article III: Government 1. Executive
Structure: The Executive of the AGSU will consist of the following:
Administrative Positions:
♦President
♦Secretary
♦Treasurer
♦Communitcations Coordinator
♦G.S.U. Representative
♦CUPE Representative
♦Two-Four (2-4) Members-at-large.
Academic Positions:
♦Two-Four (2-4) Vis-a-vis Board Members
♦Medusa Coordinator
All members of the Executive are to be elected directly by the Membership for a term of one year. (For details of this process see Article VI - Meetings).
2. Duties:
(a) The President is the Chief Executive of the AGSU and is responsible, in principle, for the activities of the Executive. S/he is one of the signatories on the cheques issued by the AGSU. The President will submit, at the end of her/his term of office, a 'Report' outlining the activities and accomplishments of the AGSU and, also, containing Recommendations for future goals of the AGSU. All members of the Executive should sign this document. Dissenting opinions may be added.
(b) The Secretary will take the minutes of all Meetings of the Executive, and of the General Membership Meetings. S/he will also post one copy on the Graduate Student Bulletin Board and on the AGSU Web Site within one week of the Meeting. S/he will also distribute copies to members upon request. S/he will also discuss and set the Agenda for future Meetings, in consultation with the President, and notify the Executive members by notes in the Departmental mailboxes, and the General Membership by notices displayed on the Graduate Bulletin Board and in other prominent locations.
(c) The Treasurer is the second signatory on all cheques issued by the AGSU. S/he is also responsible for maintaining account books (see Article VII - Finance for details).
(d) The G.S.U. Representative will report to the Executive of the AGSU on the activities of that organization.
(e) The G.A.A. Representative will report to the Executive of the AGSU on the activities of that organization. S/he will also fulfill her/his role as Union Steward as outlined in the G.A.A. regulations.
(f) One Member-at-large will be elected to act as Chair for all General and Executive Meetings. The other Member-at-large will be elected to act in liason with the Vice-President in disseminating information and performing social duties.
(g) In case of the President's incapacity to fulfill her/his role, and the Vice-President acts in this capacity, this Member-at-large will function as the Vice-President (see 3c).
3. General Responsibilities:
All Executive members may act as fair witnesses in a meeting between Graduate Student(s) and Faculty should either party so desire. This is as per the President's Report 1978-79.
The Executive should act as far as possible as a whole, with responsibility to the Membership. The Executive should take the responsibility to act rationally and therefore not force proceedings into a rigid framework. However, if the Chair judges that conditions make it necessary, s/he may enforce Bourinot's Rules of Order, following the G.S.U. Constitution.
If an Executive post is vacated, it will be filled by another Executive member until the next election or unless a petition is received from the General Membership (see Article VI, 3b).
Article IV: Affiliated Organizations and Societies
Members of the AGSU may form Societies for the advancement of their particular interests within the Department of Anthropology. These Societies must be incorporated into the AGSU by the force of a bylaw, and must abide by this Constitution and any of its by-laws.
Any affiliated organizations must be recognized by the AGSU under their by-laws. A memorandum of agreement shall be drawn between AGSU and each organization wishing to be affiliated with it. This agreement will have the force of a by-law of both the AGSU Constitution and the Constitution of the affiliated organization.
Article V: Committees
The Executive retains the right to form standing and ad-hoc Committees to study matters of interest to the AGSU, as these matters occur.
Such committees will be governed by the Constitution of the AGSU, and will be responsible to report at the Executive Meetings on their progress.
Such committees will be staffed by members of the AGSU and will operate under a mandate to be formulated by the Executive and interested members.
Article VI: Meetings
1. General
A minimum of two (2) meetings of the General Membership will be held in September and March of each academic year. The March Meeting will occur in order that the Executive review its activities during their term of office.
At the initial meeting elections will be held to fill the positions on the Executive. In accordance with the G.S.U. Constitution this meeting must be held before Oct. 1 as this is the G.S.U.'s deadline to be informed of changes in personnel.
All decisions of the General Body of the Membership will be by majority vote except for Constitutional matters such as Amendments and By-laws (see Articles VIII and IX).
If a motion is raised in the General Meeting that voting be by secret ballot and this is approved by the majority of members present then this shall be put into effect during that meeting.
In the General meeting Quorum will consist of 25 members of the AGSU.
2. Executive
(a) The Executive of the AGSU must meet at the minimum of once a month. Additional meetings will be called at the discretion of the President, or, by the Executive as a whole.
(b) Quorum for Executive Meetings will consist of five (5) of the eight (8) voting members.
3. Miscellaneous
All meetings, General and Executive, are to be Chaired by the designated Member-at-large, in conjunction with their role as set out in Article II - 2, Duties.
General Meetings are to be called by the Executive or by a Petition of 25 Members of the AGSU. This Petition must be presented to the Executive who will call a meeting giving the Membership one weeks notice.
Each member of the Executive will have one vote in the Meetings of the Executive. After two (2) attempts to break a tie (ie. after the third vote) the Chair will cast the deciding vote.
Article VII: Finance
The responsibility of maintaining account books rests with the Treasurer. Accounts must be kept in an appropriate manner so that transference of responsibilities will be facilitated.
All funds received by the AGSU, from any source, are to be held in a chequing account at a bank or other financial institution.
All cheques issued by the AGSU are to be signed by both the Treasurer and the President, and only these members.
All decisions concerning Finances and expenditures must be made by the Executive as a whole. Notice of spending must be posted by the Executive on the Bulletin Board in early January and late April.
Article VIII: Amendments
Amendments to this Constitution will require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Membership of the AGSU present at a General Meeting.
Written notice of any proposed Amendment will be prepared and copies distributed to all AGSU members at least two (2) weeks in advance of such a Meeting. The reception by the Executive of such an Amendment is sufficient cause for them to call a Meeting of the General Membership of the AGSU.
Article IX: By-laws
All decisions of the Executive of the AGSU or an AGSU Referendum which will be intended as having the force of law within the AGSU will be enacted and recorded as By-laws.
By-laws may be enacted or amended at any meeting of the AGSU Executive or AGSU General Meeting if the proposed By-law or Amendment is included in the agenda for that Meeting.
Any By-law may be challenged by a petition with more than twenty-five (25) signatures of Members of the AGSU. Upon receipt of the Petition the By-law must then be submitted to a Referendum (see Article X - Referenda).
Article X: Referenda
Referenda may be called in any of three (3) ways:
(1) By Executive decision.
(2) By decision at General Meeting (majority vote).
(3) By Petition of twenty-five (25) Members of the AGSU, to be presented to the Executive who will initiate Referenda procedures.
Procedures for carrying out a Referendum vote are outlined in G.S.U. Constitution. It is recommended that these be followed by the AGSU, (see Article IX and By-law 18 in G.S.U. Constitution).
Article XI: Censure
Any Member holding office on the Executive of the AGSU will resign if s/he is censured by either the Executive or by a Referendum of the AGSU.
Any Member so censured is eligible to run for office in future elections.
Article XII: Implementation
When, at a General Meeting of the AGSU, following Article VI, there is a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote favoring implementation of this Constitution; this Constitution and all its provisions will come into force.
This Constitution, when in force, precedes all previous constitutions, written or implied.
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