Skip to main content

Committee Standing Orders

01. Usage

  1. Sections 2 through 14 of these Standing Orders shall apply to the following committees:

    1. Audit Committee, which shall also use:

      1. Appendix 2: Audit Committee Supplemental Standing Orders

    2. Bylaw Committee, which shall also use:

      1. Appendix 3: Bylaw Committee Supplemental Standing Orders

    3. Council Administration Committee, which shall also use:

      1. Appendix 4: Council Administration Committee Supplemental Standing Orders

    4. Finance Committee, which shall also use:

      1. Appendix 5: Finance Committee Supplemental Standing Orders

    5. Policy Committee, which shall also use:

      1. Appendix 6: Policy Committee Supplemental Standing Orders

  2. The Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee shall exclusively use Appendix 1: Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee Standing Orders.


02. Rules of Order

  1. Informal Roberts’ Rules of Order will be observed at all meetings of Students’ Council Committees except where they are inconsistent with the Bylaws or Standing Orders of Students’ Council or the Committee.

  1. The Chair may deviate from these Rules of Order where they see it as appropriate.

  1. Where the Bylaws, Standing Orders and Roberts’ Rules of Order fail to provide direction with respect to procedure, the Chair will decide.


03. Orders of the Day

  1. Order of Business for Committees:

    1. Introduction

      1. Land Acknowledgement

      2. Call to Order

      3. Approval of Agenda

      4. Approval of Minutes

      5. Chair’s Business

    2. Question/Discussion Period

    3. Committee Business

    4. Information Items

    5. Adjournment

    6. Confirmation of Next Meeting

  2. Right of Submission by Committee Members

    1. Any voting member of the Committee may submit Orders of the Day to be considered by the Committee.

  3. Deadline for Submission

    1. Orders of the Day must be submitted to the Chair and the Administrative Assistant to Students’ Council 2 business days prior to the Committee meeting.

  4. Publishing

    1. The agenda package for the Committee will be published in the following manner:

      1. an electronic copy will be e-mailed to the Committee members 1 business days before the meeting; and

      2. paper copies will be provided at the Committee meeting upon request.

  5. Special Orders

    1. The Order of Business notwithstanding, the Chair may designate any Order of the Day a Special Order.


04. Meetings

  1. The Committee shall hold a first meeting, coordinated through the Speaker of Students’ Council, in order to:

    1. elect a chair from within its voting membership, and

    2. set a meeting schedule for its first trimester.

  2. The Committee shall establish a meeting schedule on a trimester basis, in advance, with the trimesters being:

    1. May to August,

    2. September to December, and

    3. January to April.

  3. Additional meetings of the Committee may be called by either the Chair or three voting members of the Committee, provided that:

    1. every member of the Committee has received at least seventy-two hours’ notice of the meeting, or

    2. every member of the Committee consents to the meeting taking place.

  4. Meetings of the Committee may be cancelled by:

    1. a simple majority vote of the Committee to amend the meeting schedule, or

    2. the unanimous consent of all voting members to the cancellation.

  5. Meetings of the Committee are open to the public, unless the Committee moves in camera.


05. Chair’s Responsibilities and Duties

  1. The Chair of the following Committees shall not be a member of the Executive Committee:

    1. Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee;

    2. Audit Committee; and

    3. Council Administration Committee.

  2. The Chair of the Committee shall:

    1. arrange for the booking of a meeting room, when necessary, for meetings of the Committee;

    2. arrange for the preparation and distribution of the Committee agenda;

    3. moderate debate at meetings of the Committee;

    4. respond to the questions of members of the Committee in a timely fashion;

    5. assign duties to members of the Committee, such duties pertaining to the fulfillment of the mandate of the Committee;

    6. maintain the Standing Orders of the Committee; and

    7. submit reports to Students’ Council, as required.

  3. Should the Chair of the Committee be absent from a meeting of the Committee, the Committee shall then elect an interim chair from within its voting membership, excluding the Executives if necessary as per SO (4(1)), for the duration of the meeting.

  4. The Chair of the Committee may be removed from the post of chair by a simple majority vote of the Committee, whereupon a new chair shall be elected from within the voting membership of the Committee.

  5. The Chair shall work with the Speaker and members of the Governance staff to ensure the logistical needs of the Committee are met.

  6. Prior to the end of each trimester, the Chair shall review the attendance records for all voting members of the committee.


06. Member Responsibilities and Duties

  1. The Committee may recommend to Students’ Council, by a simple majority vote, the removal of any voting member who is not carrying out their duties in contributing to the fulfillment of the mandate of the Committee.

  2. Members have a duty to attend all meetings of the Committee, or appoint a proxy.

  3. Shall be considered present should a proxy be appointed and attends as per Bylaw 120, Section 6.6.


07. Proxies

  1. To appoint a proxy to the Committee, the member thereof must provide a notice to that effect to the Chair of the Committee:

    1. Stating the name and e-mail address of the eligible member of Students’ Council who will serve as proxy,

    2. Indicating the duration of the appointment, and

    3. That is signed by the appointing member of the Committee or e-mailed to the Chair of the Committee no later than two hours prior to the Committee meeting.


08. Administration

  1. Members of the Governance staff will:

    1. Book meeting rooms for meetings of the Committee.

    2. Book Minute Takers for each meeting of the Committee.

    3. Structure Agendas for each meeting based on the Orders of the Day submitted by members of the Committee and any referrals from Students’ Council in conjunction with the chair.

    4. Notify the Committee of Meetings through the Agenda in conjunction with the chair.

    5. Distribute the Agenda and Minutes to members of the Committee in conjunction with the chair.

    6. Ensure paper copies of the Agenda are printed for the Chair to bring to each meeting upon request.


09. Records

  1. The Chair of the Committee will record attendance at each meeting of the Committee.

  2. The Chair of the Committee shall assign the task of recording the minutes at each meeting to one of the members of the Committee or to the recording secretary.

  3. Members of the Committee may amend their comments in the minutes when the minutes are being approved by the Committee.


10. Modifications to Committee Standing Orders

  1. Changes to Sections 1 through 10 of the Committee Standing Orders shall be made by a simple majority vote of the Council Administration Committee.

    1. Committees may recommend changes to the Council Administration Committee based on the needs of their committees.

  2. Changes to the Appendices of the Committee Standing Orders can be made by:

    1. a simple majority vote of the committee the appendix is associated with per Section 1(1); or

    2. a simple majority vote of the Council Administration Committee. 

 

Back to top