Anthropology Graduate Student Union (AGSU) Constitution
Adopted by Membership on March 13, 2024 & Acknowledged by UTGSU on March 19, 2024.
PDF Version is Available for Download Here.
We, the graduate students of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Toronto, do hereby band together in the Anthropology Graduate Student Union and we do adopt the following constitution to ensure the protection and advancement of our interests.
1. Article I – AGSU Objectives Union Name and Purpose
1.1. The name of the recognized student Union is “Anthropology Graduate Student Union.”
1.2. The official acronym or abbreviation of the group is “AGSU.”
1.3. The objectives of the AGSU will be:
1.3.1. promote and maintain communication between graduate students of Anthropology and both the Department of Anthropology and the administration of the University.
1.3.2. To represent individual Anthropology graduate students, as well as groups of graduate students, in matters relating to the interests of such students.
1.3.3. To initiate, sponsor, coordinate and promote the social functions of the AGSU.
1.3.4. 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.
2. Article II – Membership and Union Structure
2.1. All full- and part-time students currently registered with the School of Graduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology will be recognized as AGSU general members.
2.2. The AGSU will not levy a membership fee.
2.3. The AGSU shall encompass two integral entities: (1) the AGSU general membership; and (2) The AGSU Executive Committee.
2.4. In instances where the rights or responsibilities of members vary depending on their membership status (either part of (1) General Membership or part of (2) Executive Committee), explicit reference to the pertinent component shall be made within this constitution for clarity and ease of interpretation.
3. Article III – Rights of General Members
3.1. All current members have the right to attend all general and executive meetings. However, the executive committee may request to move to in-camera discussions (by motion) during executive meetings that do not include general membership if sensitive or confidential content is to be discussed.
3.2. All current members have the right to cast votes at all general meetings of members.
3.3. All current members have the right to hold AGSU Executive office through an AGSU-recognized election unless otherwise stated in this document.
3.4. All current members have a right to cast votes in all AGSU Executive elections and referenda.
3.5. All current members have a right to propose and vote on amendments to this constitution.
3.6. The rights prescribed in Article III are not awarded to students who are no longer recognized as graduate students within the Department of Anthropology, as described in Article II.
4. Article IV – Executive Committee Duties (Voting Members)
4.1. President/Co-Presidents (1-2 positions)
4.1.1. Act as Chief Executive of the AGSU and is responsible, in principle, for the activities of the Executive.
4.1.2. Oversee the operations, management, and success of the AGSU Executive.
4.1.3. Hold signing and financial authority along with the Treasurer,
4.1.4. Ensure a transition of office from one year to the next. At the end of their term, the President will:
4.1.4.1. Submit a ‘Report’ outlining the activities and accomplishments of the AGSU and will list recommendations for future goals of the AGSU. All members of the Executive should sign this document. Dissenting opinions may be added.
4.1.4.2. Presidents will ensure all relevant information is listed in the ‘Report” (4.1.2.1) including all AGSU account passwords including but not limited to login information for the AGSU Instagram account, AGSU Google Drive account, and AGSU website webmaster login.
4.2. Social Coordinator/Co-Social Coordinators (1-2 positions)
4.2.1. The Social Coordinators are responsible for the planning, organizing, advertising, and scheduling of AGSU social events. These include at minimum the Fall Mentorship Event (part of Fall Orientation) and two department Wine and Cheese events.
4.2.2. Any AGSU events proposed by the membership should be vetted by the Social Coordinators.
4.2.3. To the best of their abilities, the Social Coordinators will ensure that the cost of AGSU events falls within the proposed AGSU budget for the same year.
4.3. Secretary (1 position)
4.3.1. The Secretary will take the minutes at all Executive Meetings and General (Annual) Meetings.
4.3.2. After circulating the minutes to the Executive Committee to solicit feedback.
4.3.3. The secretary will (in collaboration with the communications coordinator) post all minutes to the AGSU website within one week of the Meeting.
4.4. Treasurer (1 position)
4.4.1. Acts as second signatory on all cheques issued by the AGSU.
4.4.2. Responsible for maintaining account books (see Article IX– Finance for details).
4.4.3. Responsible for approving and signing off on budget requests for events, etc., once approved at the executive level.
4.4.4. Required to compose a preliminary budget at the beginning of the academic year (October), and a final budget at the end of the academic year (May).
4.4.5. Complete and submit the UTSGU Head Grant application before the appropriate deadline.
4.4.6. Ensures the final budget is made available to the Membership, as required by the UTGSU. To do this, the Treasurer will (in collaboration with the Communications Coordinator) post the final budget on the AGSU website.
4.4.7. At the end of their term, the Treasurer will:
4.4.7.1. Collaborate with the (co-)President(s) to transfer signing authority of the AGSU financial accounts to their successor and new (co-) President(s), where relevant.
4.4.7.2. Will ensure all relevant financial account information is provided to their successor, including but not limited to the AGSU bank account information; the ledger and transaction list for the year(s) they served; the Head Grant applications for the year(s) they served; and all receipts (electronic and original) for transactions and reimbursements issued by the AGSU.
4.5. Communications Coordinator (1 position)
4.1.1 Responsible for updating the AGSU webpage with meeting minutes, events, news, and relevant photos.
4.1.2 Will oversee the AGSU Instagram along with the President(s) to ensure that relevant AGSU news and updates are shared regularly and that the content shared reflects the AGSU’s community initiatives, events, news and purpose.
4.2 Computer Coordinator (1 position)
4.2.1 The Computer Coordinator is responsible for coordinating access to and maintenance of the AGSU computer lab and the upkeep/upgrading of the equipment therein.
4.3 Mental Health Committee Coordinators (1-2 positions)
4.3.1 Responsible for organizing events and initiatives related to improving AGSU members’ mental health.
4.3.2 May organize an AGSU sub-committee dedicated to Mental Health, and, in this case, they will:
4.3.2.1 Issue a mandate for the sub-committee with guiding principles and objectives. This mandate should be adopted by the AGSU Executive by way of an Executive vote (see Article IX – Finance for details).
4.3.2.2 Will be charged with guiding the committee(s) in the fulfillment of their mandate.
4.4 UTGSU Representative (1-2 positions depending on enrolment; see UTGSU Bylaw 5.4.1)
4.4.1 The UTGSU Representative attends University of Toronto Graduate Student Union (UTGSU) General Council meetings and reports to the Executive of the AGSU on the activities of that organization.
4.4.2 If the UTGSU Representative(s) cannot attend a UTGSU General Council meeting, they must notify the AGSU Presidents so another AGSU Executive may attend in their place to not jeopardize the AGSU’s UTGSU Head Grant installments.
4.5 Members-at-large (2-4 positions)
4.5.1 Members-at-large attend Executive Meetings, sit on AGSU committees, and aid other Executives in their respective roles.
4.5.2 Members-at-large may be asked to perform duties in a member’s absence.
4.6 Medusa Coordinator (1-2 positions)
4.6.1 Medusa coordinators are responsible for the organization, scheduling, and advertising of the Medusa Graduate Conference. This event occurs annually in the Winter semester.
4.7 Office Coordinator (1 position)
4.7.1 The Office Coordinator maintains a list of all Ph.D. students who currently have office space in the Department of Anthropology.
4.7.2 They also solicit and process office space requests before the start of the academic year, in collaboration with Anthropology Department management.
4.8 Diversity and Decolonization Committee Representatives (1-2 positions)
4.8.1 The Diversity and Decolonization Committee (DDC) Representatives shall actively participate in the work of the Department of Anthropology’s DDC.
4.8.2 Per the committee’s terms of reference, this may include conducting consultations with graduate students, working on new materials for the Department, and chairing meetings.
4.8.3 Whenever possible, at least one DDC representative should attend each AGSU Executive meeting to report on the work of the DDC and discuss further avenues of interest.
4.8.4 An honorarium is provided by the Anthropology Department to Graduate DDC Representatives.
5. Article V – Executive Governance and General Responsibility
5.1. All voting 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 VIII– Meetings.
5.2. The term for all positions on the Executive Committee shall be from the date of their election until the ratification of the following election for the same position. Generally, the terms of Executive Members are as follows:
5.2.1. President(s), Social Coordinator(s), and Office Coordinator – April to April of the following year
5.2.2. All other Executive positions –September to April of the following year
5.2.3. The exact starting months of the various Executive positions may be subject to change depending on the timing of AGSU elections and the number of nominations received for each Executive position.
5.3. All members of the Executive Committee must be currently registered graduate students within the Department of Anthropology.
5.4. Persons holding non-voting positions on the Executive Committee cannot serve as an officer, financial authority, signing authority, primary contact, or secondary contact.
5.5. No person may serve as a financial authority or signing authority for the group if they are currently serving as a financial authority or signing authority for another recognized student group at the University of Toronto.
5.6. The Executive may appoint Directors or Coordinators for various committees who do not hold executive decision-making authority, however, these persons are not eligible to cast votes at meetings of the Executive Committee.
5.7. 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.
5.8. The Executive should act as fairly 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 President(s) judges that conditions make it necessary, they may enforce Bourinot’s Rules of Order, following the UTGSU Constitution
5.9. If an Executive position is vacated or a position is not filled during an election, the Executive Committee is entitled to appoint a member to the position. Members of the executive will share the responsibilities of the vacant position until it is filled. A vacant position may also be filled by petition from the General Membership, whereby a candidate with 25 or more signatures from the AGSU membership is appointed to the position. If two such petitions are submitted to the Executive within one week of each other, then an election will be called in accordance with Article X – AGSU Elections).
6. Article VI – Standing and Ad-Hod AGSU Committees
6.1. The Executive retains the right to form a standing and ad-hoc Committee to study matters of interest to the AGSU, as these matters occur.
6.2. Such committees will be governed by the Constitution of the AGSU and will be responsible for reporting at the Executive Meetings on their progress.
6.3. Committees (ad-hoc or departmental) will be staffed by elected members of the AGSU and will operate under the student representative mandates appended to this document.
6.4. The graduate board and graduate policy committees have two representatives. If there are Co-Presidents, both sit on these committees. If there is a single President, the second member should be the President from the previous year, where possible. These representatives will operate under the graduate board and graduate policy protocols, appended to this document. All other graduate student representatives to departmental committees will be elected in accordance with Article X in the Fall semester (where possible), elected at a General Meeting, appointed by the AGSU executive committee, or appointed by petition from the general membership signed by 25 members.
6.5. Departmental Committee Descriptions:
6.5.1. Graduate Board Committee (2 Graduate Student Positions)
6.5.1.1. The Graduate Board is the largest standing departmental committee. Members include the Department Chair, Graduate Coordinator, the entire graduate faculty, and two graduate student representatives (usually the AGSU Presidents). This committee deals with the larger issues affecting the anthropology graduate program at U of T. Motions are passed on a majority vote.
6.5.2. Graduate Policy Committee (2 Graduate Student Positions)
6.5.2.1. Graduate Policy members include the Graduate Coordinator, four faculty members (representing the three campuses and four subfields), and two graduate student representatives. This standing committee discusses and reviews policies affecting graduate students, drafts motions for consideration by the wider board, and serves as a consulting body for the graduate office and graduate chair.
6.5.3. Community/Colloquium Committee (2 Graduate Student Positions)
6.5.3.1. Community/Colloquium is a standing committee that oversees the department colloquium series and newsletter. Its primary mandate is to review and develop strategies for enhancing a sense of departmental community.
6.5.4. Diversity and Decolonization Committee (2 Graduate Student Positions)
6.5.4.1. The mandate of the Diversity & Decolonization Committee (DDC) is to provide recommendations, resources, and guidance to the Tri-Campus Graduate Anthropology Department on questions of equity, diversity, and decolonization with a particular focus on addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and structural inequities, as well as policies and practices that affect Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ members and prospective members of this department, including faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and staff.
6.5.5. Space and Resources Committee (1 Graduate Student Position)
6.5.5.1. This committee makes decisions about the allocation and use of key department equipment and rooms.
6.5.6. Repatriation Committee (1 Graduate Student Position)
6.5.6.1. This committee responds to any requests for repatriation of material in department collections.
6.5.7. Faculty Search Committee (1 Graduate Student Per Committee)
6.5.7.1. Committees are created during each new faculty search. The graduate student member has a non-voting position on the committee.
6.5.8. Tri-Campus (0 Graduate Student Positions)
6.5.8.1. This standing committee makes decisions concerning departmental administration, the hiring of new faculty, and the tenure of faculty. As many of the issues handled by this committee are confidential in nature, student representation is not allowed.
7. Article VII – Meetings
7.1. General Meetings:
7.1.1. A minimum of two (2) General Meetings (GM) will be held each academic year, one typically occurs in the Fall semester and the other in the Spring semester. The spring GM is referred to as the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will include the annual financial report.
7.1.2. General Meetings are opportunities for the AGSU executive committee to report on their initiatives and for the general membership to democratically determine the direction of the AGSU. All decisions of the General Body of the Membership will be by majority vote except for Constitutional matters such as Amendments, Referenda and By-laws (see Articles VI and VIII).
7.1.3. If a motion is raised in the General Meeting that voting should be by secret ballot and if this is approved by the majority of members present, then this shall be put into effect during that meeting.
7.1.4. In the General Meeting, a quorum will consist of 25 members of the AGSU.
7.1.5. 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 at least one week’s notice.
7.1.6. General Meetings will be governed using Bourinot’s rules of order.
7.1.7. All current general members and executive committee members will have the ability to cast their one (1) vote on motions presented at general meetings.
7.1.8. The Chair of general meetings (usually one of the AGSU Presidents, unless another Chair is seated through a majority vote) will not cast a vote on motions presented during the meeting they are Chairing.
7.1.9. General meeting agendas must be set and presented to the membership a minimum of one week (7 days) before the date of the general meeting being called into order. If the General meeting is to cover matters related to constitutional amendments, by-laws or referenda, membership must be notified of the meeting and provided with the agenda and all relevant documentation at least two (2) weeks before the general meeting is called into order.
7.2. Executive Meetings
7.2.1. The Executive of the AGSU must meet at a minimum of once a month between September and April. Additional meetings will be called at the discretion of the President/Co-President, or by the Executive as a whole.
7.2.2. CUPE 3902 Stewards serving Unit 1 members who work in the Anthropology Department are entitled and invited to attend all AGSU Executive meetings. Unit 1 stewards are encouraged to report upon CUPE 3902 matters to the executive committee and collaborate with them on initiatives. In their capacity as CUPE 3902 representatives, however, they are not voting members of the AGSU executive committee. For clarity, this means that a member of the AGSU elected as a steward may also run for an AGSU executive position.
7.2.3. The quorum for Executive Meetings will consist of five Executive (5) members.
7.2.4. Each voting member of the Executive will have one (1) vote in the Meetings of the Executive (for a list of the voting members on the Executive see the list of Executive positions under Article IV).
7.2.5. In the event of a tie, two (2) attempts will be made to reach a majority decision. If after the third vote, the President(s) will cast the deciding vote.
7.2.6. Executive meetings will be chaired by one of the presidents. The chair during said meeting will not cast a vote on AGSU motions.
7.2.7. In the event that an Executive meeting should be chaired by someone other than one of the AGSU Presidents, another Executive member or an external chair may be seated through a motion passed with a majority.
7.3. Electronic Voting
7.3.1. General Meetings are an opportunity for graduate students to discuss the pros/cons of decisions which affect the entire student body and are important for all students to attend; however, at any given time, the majority of graduate students in the Department of Anthropology may not be on campus to vote on important issues because of fieldwork. To allow the maximum number of students to vote on important issues, the meeting will be held virtually and/or an electronic vote will be issued one day after a General Meeting to provide an opportunity for all graduate students to vote. Issues that may be voted on include but are not limited to, changes to the AGSU Constitution, AGSU elections, Graduate Policy mandates, etc.
7.3.2. In the rare circumstance that the AGSU Executive or AGSU Membership must vote on a time-sensitive issue, and there is not an opportunity to hold an emergency Executive Meeting or General Meetings with a quorum, the President(s) can call an online vote (e.g., via an online survey) and request that all Executive members or the AGSU Membership vote on the issue. As with all Executive votes, a quorum must be reached (5) and the decision must be by majority; similarly, as with all General Membership votes, a quorum must be reached and it must pass with a majority vote, unless the vote is on Amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws, in which case it must pass with a 2/3 majority vote.
7.3.3. The quorum for electronic votes will consist of 20% of the current AGSU Membership.
8. Article VIII: Finance
8.1. 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.
8.2. All funds received by the AGSU, from any source, are to be held in a chequing account at a bank or other financial institution.
8.3. All cheques issued by the AGSU are to be signed by either the Treasurer or the President/Co-President, and only these members. Appropriate documentation must be included in this process.
8.4. All decisions concerning Finances must be made by the Executive as a whole and approved by motion following Bourinot’s Rules of Order.
9. Article IV – AGSU Elections
9.1. There are two (2) sets of elections held each year. The first is held before the end of the Spring semester, in which the President(s), Social Coordinator(s), and Office Coordinator are elected. The second is held in the Fall semester, before October 1st (as this is UTGSU’s deadline to be informed of changes in representation), in which the remaining Executive Positions and departmental committee representative positions are elected. At least fiveweeks before the Spring GM, the President(s) will broadcast a call for Chief Returning Officer (CRO) and Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) self-nominations to the AGSU membership. The nomination period will last for oneweek. If more than one candidate is nominated for either position, the President(s) will hold an online election for that position, following the procedure detailed in sections 10.3-10.4. If only one nomination is received for each position, then the candidates are elected by acclamation. The CRO and DRO will conduct all Executive elections, including those of the Spring and Fall election periods, as detailed in paragraphs 2-5.
9.2. The CRO and DRO broadcast a call for self-nominations to the AGSU Membership at least three weeks prior to the General Meeting. Members are entitled to submit brief candidate statements with their nominations. Thenomination period lasts for one week and may be extended for another week if vacancies remain. If there is only one nomination for an Executive Position, the nominee will be elected to the position by acclamation. The CRO and DRO will announce acclamation results to the AGSU membership as soon as possible.
9.3. If there is more than one nominee for the position, then the CRO and DRO conduct an electronic election for the position. At least one week before the GM, the CRO and DRO circulate candidate information and the electronic,secret ballot to the AGSU membership. The voting period lasts for at least five working days. All AGSU members except the CRO and DRO are entitled to vote. Voting ends at least two hours before the GM. A majority vote, by secret ballot, is required for a nominee to claim that position. The CRO and DRO will count votes. Candidates have the right to appoint one scrutineer each to observe the counting of ballots.
9.4. In the event of a tie, a new election for the tied position(s) will be conducted, following the above procedure.
9.5. The CRO and DRO are expected to announce election results in a brief report broadcast to the AGSU membership promptly (within one week) following the end of the voting period.
9.6. All Executive and department committee representatives must be registered as graduate students within the Department of Anthropology for the duration of their term.
9.7. The elections must be held in a nonbiased manner.
10. Article X - Constitutional Amendments
10.1. Amendments to this Constitution will require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Membership of the AGSU present at a General Meeting.
10.2. Written notice of any proposed Amendment(s) will be prepared, and copies distributed to all AGSU members at least two (2) weeks in advance of such a Meeting.
10.3. All voting members may propose and vote on amendments to the constitution.
10.4. 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.
10.5. The Executive Committee shall submit the revised constitution to the UTGSU within two (2) weeks of its adoption.
10.6. Upon the adoption of the revised Constitution, the Constitution and all its provisions will come into force, replacing previous versions. This Constitution, when in force, precedes all previous constitutions, written or implied.
11. Article XI – By-Laws
11.1. All decisions of the Executive of the AGSU or an AGSU Referendum that will be intended as having the force of law within the AGSU, will be enacted and recorded as By-laws.
11.2. 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.
11.3. Any By-law may be challenged by a petition with twenty-five (25) or more signatures of Members of the AGSU. Upon receipt of the Petition, the By-law must then be submitted to a Referendum (see Article XIII – Referenda).
12. Article XII – AGSU Endorsement of Petitions and Open Letters
12.1. Independently written letters and petitions authored by AGSU members or external individuals or groups can be endorsed by either the Executive Committee or by General Membership.
12.2. Endorsement by Executive Committee Procedures:
12.2.1. The call for endorsement will be added to the agenda of the AGSU Executive Committee meeting. A 2/3 majority must be in favour of endorsement.
12.2.2. If the motion for endorsement passes, the letter or petition in question will be signed as “Endorsed by the AGSU Executive Committee of [insert current academic year].”
12.3. Endorsement by General Membership
12.3.1. The call for endorsement will be treated as Referenda (see Article 13 for Referenda procedures).
12.3.2. If this referendum passes with a 2/3 supermajority in favour of endorsement, the letter or petition in favour will be signed as “Endorsed by a Majority of General Membership at the [insert date of relevant GM] General Meeting.”
13. Article XIII - Referenda
13.1. A referendum is a vote to determine the AGSU general membership’s position on a particular question. The outcome of a referendum is binding.
13.2. Referenda may be called in any of three (3) ways:
13.2.1. By Executive decision.
13.2.2. By decision at a General Meeting (2/3 majority vote).
13.2.3. By Petition of twenty-five (25) Members of the AGSU, to be presented to the Executive who will initiate Referenda procedures.
13.3. Referenda votes may be held during AGSU General meetings or, if necessary, by electronic vote.
13.4. If the voting matter of the Referenda question is requested to be anonymous, voting may be done anonymously. This decision may be made at the discretion of the AGSU Executive Committee and the procedures for voting should be communicated to the general membership within the referenda advertisement (see 15.5).
13.4.1. The method for anonymous voting is at the discretion of the current Executive. However, it is suggested that an anonymous Zoom poll (or equivalent) is used for voting as is the practice within similar Student Unions and the UTGSU.
13.5. Guidelines and Requirements for Referenda:
13.5.1. Referenda must be clear, easily understandable, and presented with the following:
13.5.1.1. A preamble, explaining the purpose of the referendum, who it is being brought forward by, and how a “yes” result of the referendum would benefit the general membership.
13.5.1.2. A main question, presented as unambiguously and concisely as possible, asking students if they are in favour of the proposed question.
13.5.1.3. The same question but presented as two (2) distinct and opposing options, so that there is no uncertainty that a voter is casting a “Yes” or “No” vote and fully understands what a “Yes” or “No” vote represents about the question.
13.6. Procedures for Voting on Referenda:
13.6.1. Referenda questions should be submitted to the Executive via the AGSU’s official email address.
13.6.2. The Executive Committee will review the submitted Referenda question and determine (by majority vote) if the referendum question complies with the Guidelines and Requirements for Referenda (see item 15.5). If the referendum question is determined to be in order, the Executive Committee will arrange for the general member to vote on the referendum in question (see item see Article XV line 3).
If the Executive Committee determines the submitted referendum question does not comply with the directives listed under (15.3), they may return the referendum question to the presenter for further edits and to be resubmitted for review.
13.6.3. Referenda questions and all relevant documentation must be provided to the general membership a minimum of two (2) weeks before the general meeting is called into order or the opening of the electronic where the referenda in question will be voted on.
13.6.4. A supermajority (2/3) should be in favour of the referendum for it to be adopted by the AGSU.
14. Article XIV – Censure and Removing an AGSU Executive Member
14.1. If an Executive member conducts themselves in a manner inconsistent with the provisions outlined in this constitution, a motion may be initiated to censure the actions of said member.
14.2. Procedures for censure are as follows:
14.2.1. The motion to censure an Executive member may be initiated either by the Executive Committee or through a petition submitted to the Executive Committee signed by 25 general members.
14.2.2. If the motion to censure is initiated by the Executive Committee, a vote shall be conducted within the Committee. A 2/3 majority vote is required to pass the motion and officially censure the member in question. If the motion to censure is initiated by a petition from general members, the Executive Committee shall organize a referendum among the general membership. A 2/3 majority vote of the participating members is required to pass the motion and censure the member in question.
14.2.3. Upon the successful passage of a censure motion, the Executive Committee shall promptly notify the member in question, detailing the reasons for censure and any associated consequences, including the member's obligation to resign.
14.2.4. Any Member so censured is eligible to run for office in future elections.
Appendix: Mandates and Guidelines
A. Student Representative Mandates
A.1 When selecting students for AGSU sub-committees or departmental committees, every effort should be made to have representation from two sub-fields of the four sub-fields on each committee.
A. 2 It is the mandate of each student committee member to represent the entire graduate student body. As such, the student representative may use the 2005 Graduate Student Survey Report, and any subsequent reports or surveys or will solicit student input via open forums or widely circulated emails, to ascertain the overall student position on any given issue.
A. 3 Student representatives will not allow their personal opinions to influence their committee vote on any departmental matters when their opinion does not reflect the position of the graduate student majority.
A. 4 Committee members (except students sitting on faculty search committees) will keep the AGSU Executive informed of all agendas, meetings, and votes. Whenever possible, committee members will also supply copies of meeting agendas and minutes for the AGSU archive.
A.5 Committee members who are unable to attend a scheduled departmental committee meeting must inform the AGSU Executive immediately so that a substitute representative can be sent.
A.6 Committee members must conduct themselves respectfully and professionally during departmental meetings (e.g. no insulting remarks, yelling, etc.).
A.7 Committee members will not jeopardize or violate student confidentiality.