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Bylaw 100: Governance

01. Legislation

  1. Students’ Union Legislation:

    1. Shall be enacted, amended or repealed following the legislative process outlined in Regulation 100.01 - Legislative Process; and

    2. Has different levels of authority and follows the following hierarchy:

      1. Articles

      2. Bylaws

      3. Regulation

      4. Standing Orders

      5. Political Policies

      6. Budgets

      7. General Orders

  2. Students’ Union Articles:

    1. Shall be a means to group Students’ Union Bylaws and Regulations based on common themes important to the Students’ Union; and

    2. Shall include a high-level statement regarding the underlying principles behind the Bylaws and Regulations in the Articles.

    3. Shall be adopted, amended, or rescinded on two (2) simple majority votes or readings of Students’ Council held not less than seven (7) days apart.

  3. Students’ Union Bylaws:

    1. Shall be directives requiring and/or prohibiting action from the Students’ Union; and

    2. Shall be adopted, amended, or rescinded on two (2) simple majority votes or readings of Students’ Council held not less than seven (7) days apart.

  4. Students’ Union Regulations:

    1. Shall be directives requiring and/or prohibiting action from the Students’ Union;

    2. Shall be adopted, amended, or rescinded on two (2) simple majority votes or readings of Students’ Council held not less than seven (7) days apart; and

    3. Shall be suspended on one (1) simple majority vote or reading of Students’ Council under extenuating circumstances.

  5. Students’ Union Political Policies:

    1. Shall direct the Executive Committee regarding Students’ Union advocacy efforts;

    2. Shall prohibit members of Students’ Council and Student Representative Associations from representing any opinion divergent from Students’ Union Political Policy as the opinion of the Students’ Union;

    3. Shall have a process for Student Representative Associations to deviate from them;

    4. Shall be adopted, amended, or rescinded on two (2) simple majority votes or readings of Students’ Council held not less than seven (7) days apart; and

    5. Shall expire every five (5) years, but may be renewed by a simple majority vote of Students’ Council.

  6. Students Union Budgets:

    1. Shall be adopted by two (2) simple majority votes or readings of Students’ Council occurring not less than seven (7) days apart; and

    2. Shall be recommended by Finance Committee for first and second reading before being approved by Students’ Council.

    3. Shall be created annually. Should a budget not be created per annum, the preceding year’s budget shall be applied.

  7. Standing Orders of Students’ Council:

    1. Shall be ongoing instructions to members of Students’ Council and Students’ Union staff respecting the manner of execution of Students’ Council logistics;

    2. Shall be adopted, amended, or rescinded on a simple majority vote of Students’ Council; and

    3. Shall not expire, but shall be reintroduced for ratification by the Speaker of Students’ Council at the first meeting of each year’s Students’ Council.

  8. General Orders of Students’ Council:

    1. Shall be any non-procedural motions of Students’ Council that do not adopt, amend, or rescind other legislation; and

    2. Shall expire concurrently with the authority of the Students’ Council that adopted them unless otherwise specified in the motion.

 

02. Student Representative Conduct

  1. All elected Students’ Union representatives shall be required to abide by the Student Governance Code of Conduct, as outlined in Regulation 100.02 - Student Governance Code of Conduct.

 

03. Conflict of Interest

  1. No person shall use a Students’ Union position they hold to further personal and/or business interests for themself or a Direct Associate.

  2. No person may hold a Students’ Union position who:

    1. is a party to any contract or agreement with the Students’ Union, except contracts or agreements directly relating to that person’s employment by the Students’ Union; or

    2. has any interest in a contract or agreement with the Students’ Union, except contracts or agreements directly relating to that person’s employment by the Students’ Union.

  3. The preceding section does not apply to any person by reason only:

    1. Of the receipt of any properly-approved honorarium, commission, grant, bursary, or allowance from the Students’ Union;

    2. Of being a member of any registered student group with any contract or agreement with the Students’ Union; or

    3. Of the sale of goods or services to the Students’ Union in the ordinary course of business, at competitive prices, and in accordance with Students’ Union procedures as outlined in Students’ Union Operating Policy.

  4. No member of Students’ Council shall vote on a motion relating to a student group or organization of which they are a member unless that organization is a Faculty Association.

  5. Membership in an organization shall be defined as

      1. Regular attendance, voting and/or speaking privileges at meetings; or

      2. Holding office within that organization.


  6. If any voting member of Students’ Council has a conflict of interest and votes on a motion in Students’ Council or any one of its committees

    1. they shall report that immediately to the Speaker of Students’ Council.

    2. if unreported, any member of Students’ Council may send a petition to the DIE Board within four (4) months or before the conclusion of the session of Students’ Council, whichever is longer. Petitions made are subject to Bylaw 140.

  7. In extraordinary circumstances a member of Students’ Council should be allowed to retroactively change their vote to an abstention in the case of a conflict of interest. This would be done through a motion to Students’ Council. Any member of Students’ Council shall have the option to petition the DIE Board on the narrow issue of what constitutes extraordinary circumstances.

  8. Neither any member of the Students’ Union Executive Committee nor the Chief Returning Officer of the Students’ Union shall apply for a remunerated position with the Students’ Union unless the selection of that position is ratified by Students’ Council.

  9. Violation of this Bylaw's conflict of interest provisions constitutes Professional Misconduct under Regulation 100.02 - Student Governance Code of Conduct.


04. Nomination to University Bodies

  1. The Students’ Union shall nominate four (4) individuals to the University of Alberta Senate:

    1. The Students’ Union Vice President (External), and

    2. Three (3) members of the Students’ Union, selected by Students’ Council, after receipt from the recommendation of the Council Administration Committee.

  2. The Students’ Union shall nominate two (2) individuals as ex-officio representatives to the University of Alberta General Faculties Council:

    1. The Students’ Union Vice President (Academic), and

    2. The Students’ Union Vice President (Student Life).

  3. The two (2) individuals nominated by Students’ Council to the University of Alberta Board of Governors shall be

    1. The Students’ Union President, and

    2. The Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative.

  4. One (1) Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative shall be elected at the same time and in the same fashion as the Students’ Union President and Vice Presidents.

  5. The Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative shall have access to sufficient administrative resources for the discharge of their duties.


05. No Force or Effect

  1. Any decision or legislation of Students’ Council or its committees that conflicts with federal or provincial statutes, with Common Law, or a pre-existing legal agreement of the Students' Union is of no force or effect.


06. Petition for Impeachment

  1. Students’ Council has the authority to remove the President, a Vice President, or the Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative through a motion to impeach.

  2. A petition is required for impeachment proceedings to occur and requires the signatures of at least one-third of the voting members of Students’ Council. The necessary steps for a petition for impeachment are outlined in Bylaw 100.06.3-5.

  3. Preamble - The petition shall contain the following filled out as applicable to the circumstances:

    1. This motion to petition indicates that we, the elected representatives of the student body serving on Students’ Council, do not feel the current [insert position name] of the [insert year] Students’ Union Executive is fit to remain occupying the position due to one or more of the following reasons:

      1. The individual has committed a significant breach or multiple lesser breaches of Students’ Union Bylaw or Political Policy.

      2. There are charges levied against the individual for violating the University of Alberta Code of Student Behaviour, provincial or federal law.

      3. The individual performs without the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.

  4. Additional Documentation: The submitted petition shall include a document agreed to by all signatories indicating why they, as representatives, feel that the Executive or Board of Governors Representative in question violates one or more of the principles of Bylaw 100, Section 05.3.

  5. Addition to the Agenda

    1. Once an impeachment petition is submitted and deemed by the Speaker to be valid, the following motion shall be added to the agenda of the next meeting of Students’ Council and filled out accordingly:

      1. [MOVER/SECONDER] MOVE THAT the current [insert position name] of the [insert year] Students’ Union Executive be impeached from the position of [insert position name] and their post as an officer in the first reading.


07. Acknowledgement of Traditional Territory

  1. The Acknowledgement of Traditional Territory shall be included in writing at the beginning of every agenda package, including the agendas of all Standing Committees of Students’ Council.

  2. The Acknowledgement of Traditional Territory shall be read as outlined in Regulation 100.07 - Students’ Council Acknowledgement of Traditional Territory.


08. Definitions

  1. All definitions throughout Students’ Union Legislation Articles I - IV can be found in Regulation 100.08 - Definitions.


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