Constitution

GRADUATE DRAMA CENTRE STUDENT UNION CONSTITUTION

1. Declaration: We, the students of the Graduate Centre for Study of Drama at the University of Toronto (herein “the Graduate Drama Centre”), to provide student level co-ordination of all practical matters directly related to our interests, and to provide official representation on all organizational bodies to which we are eligible (whose concerns include any of the interests of Graduate Drama Centre students), do hereby form the “Graduate Drama Centre Student Union” (herein “the Union” or “GDCSU”) and do adopt this constitution for the protection of our rights and furtherance of our interests.

2.   Membership: The membership of the GDCSU shall be deemed to be the aggregate body of all full-time and part-time students officially registered in a degree program offered by the Graduate Drama Centre.

3.    General Meetings: Three (3) General Meetings of the Union shall be convened each academic year: one in September (herein the “Annual General Meeting” or “AGM”), one in January and one in April.

3.1    Voting: A Union member—defined as a currently registered full-time or part-time student at the Graduate Drama Centre—neither “lapsed” nor “on leave” shall receive one (1) vote on all motions brought forward at a General Meeting.

3.1.1 “Lapsed” or “On Leave”: Graduate Drama Centre students designated by the University as “lapsed” or “on leave” shall be welcome to attend and contribute to General Meetings, but they shall not be afforded voting privileges.

3.1.2    Proxy Voting: Proxy voting shall not be allowed.

3.2    Quorum for General Meetings: Quorum shall be twenty-five per cent (25%) of the number of Union members.

3.2.1    Waiving Quorum: In the event that Quorum is not met at the time a General Meeting is brought to order, it may be waived by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.

3.2.2    Quorum and Voting: In the event that the number of members has dropped below Quorum during the course of a General Meeting in which Quorum has already been established, a motion to wave Quorum shall be put forth prior to any vote.

4.    Executive:

4.1    Number and Name: An Executive body of seven (7) GDCSU members shall be formed from the membership of the Union. That body shall collectively be called the “Graduate Drama Centre Student Union Executive” (herein “the Executive” or “GDCSUE”).

4.2    Members: Six (6) members of the Executive shall be elected by the Union. These are the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary and two (2) Members-at-Large. The seventh Executive member shall be “ex-officio” (normally the Past-President).

4.3    Program Affiliation: Of the seven (7) Executive members, at least one (1) shall be a Ph.D Candidate (previously referred to as A.B.D.) and at least two (2) shall be M.A. students.

4.4    Officers: The four (4) Officers of the Executive Committee shall be: the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer and the Secretary.

5.    Election of Executive Members:

5.1    Dissolution: The Executive shall be dissolved at the April General Meeting.

5.2    April Election: At the April General Meeting three (3) of the seven (7) Executive members shall be elected from among the Union. These members shall be the President, the Treasurer and a Member-at-Large.

5.2.1    “Summer Executive”: Along with the “ex-officio”, these three (3) elected members will form a four (4)-person Executive until the election of the final three (3) members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September. During this time, the “ex-officio” shall be the summer Graduate Student Union (herein “GSU”) Representative until the Vice-President is elected in September.

5.3    September Election: At the AGM in September the remaining three (3) members of the Executive will be elected from among the Union. These members shall be the Vice-President (who shall also be the GSU Representative until the April Election), the Secretary and a second Member-at-Large.

6.    Executive Operations:

6.1    Frequency: Executive meetings shall be held at least once per month.

6.2    Quorum: Quorum for Executive meetings shall be five (5) Executive members.

6.3    Resignation: An Executive member wishing to resign must submit said intention in writing to the Executive. When accepted by a majority vote of remaining Executive members, said resignation shall be official.

6.4    Recall: An Executive member shall be subject to recall by one (1) of three (3) means:
a. through a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by a Quorum number of Union members at a General Meeting.
b. through a petition signed by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of Union members and presented to the Executive.
c. by missing two (2) consecutive Executive meetings (barring exceptional circumstance).

6.4.1    Re-Appointment: A recalled Executive member may stand for election in the future if he or she desires.

6.5    Replacement: If a member of the Executive ceases to serve due to resignation, recall, illness or other circumstance, the measures taken depend on their position.

6.5.1    Officer: If one of the four (4) Officers cannot fulfil his or her duties on the Executive, the remaining Executive Members shall elect one of the Members-at-Large to fill this position until the Spring Election. The vacated Member-at-Large position shall be held for election at the next General Meeting.

6.5.2    Member-at-Large. If one of the two (2) Members-at-Large cannot fulfill his or her duties on the Executive, the position shall be held for election at the next General Meeting.

6.5.3    “Ex-Officio”: In the unusual event that the Past-President cannot fulfil his or her duties as “ex-officio,” as in the case of resignation, the current Executive may elect an “ex-officio” member from a past Executive.

7.    Duties of Executive Members:

7.1 The duties of the President shall include but not be limited to:
a. serve as Chair of all Executive and General Meetings
b. attend monthly meetings with the Director of the Graduate Drama Centre
c. accept signing authority for funds disbursement
d. represent the Union at internal and external functions as deemed appropriate

7.2 The duties of the Vice-President shall include but not be limited to:
a. serve as the Union’s GSU Representative by attending all regular GSU meetings and reporting on them at Union Executive and General Meetings; in the unusual event this is not possible, another elected Executive member shall act as GSU Representative
b. fulfill requirements for the acquisition of GSU funding
c. fulfill all duties of the President in the event he or she is absent or unable to serve in such capacity

7.3 The duties of the Treasurer shall include but not be limited to:
a. monitor the disbursement of Union funds
b. maintain clear and current financial records
c. accept signing authority for funds disbursement
d. compile financial reports and budgets for each General Meeting

7.4 The duties of the Secretary shall include but not be limited to:
a. record minutes of all Executive and General Meetings
b. post approved minutes of said meetings to the Union in a timely manner

8. Committee Representation: The Executive shall provide representation on committees and councils whose actions affect Graduate Drama Centre students. These responsibilities shall be determined from within the Executive. They include but are not limited to:

8.1 Graduate Drama Centre Advisory Committee: three (3) Executive members, normally including the President and at least one past Executive Advisory Committee member (normally the “ex-officio”)

8.2 Graduate Drama Centre Academic Committee: two (2) Executive members, normally including the President.

8.3 Graduate Drama Centre Theatres and Events Committee: two (2) Executive members.

8.4 General Council of the Graduate Students’ Union: one (1) Student Executive member who is the GSU Representative (the Vice-President).

9. Control and Disbursement of Funds: The Executive shall be responsible for the control and disbursement of Funds allotted to the Union from the Graduate Drama Centre, the GSU and other sources.

9.1 Debts: The Executive shall not contract debts on behalf of the Union beyond the amounts actually held or guaranteed by the Union.

9.2 Accountability: The Treasurer shall remain accountable for the Funds given to or earned by the Executive and for any amounts carried over from previous years.

9.3 Budget: Budget reports shall be made at every General Meeting. The acceptance of these reports must be passed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

9.4 Financial Report: A financial report shall be submitted by the Treasurer to the GDCSU membership at the end of the Spring term and subsequently to the GSU in the submission of the head grant application form the following September, in accordance with the GSU By-Laws of Oct 1998.

10.    Amendment of the Constitution:

10.1 Notice: The existing language of proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be sent to all Union members in writing a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the General Meeting at which they are to be proposed.

10.2 Ratification: Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be ratified at a General Meeting through a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.

10.3 Submission: Ratified amendments must be incorporated into the Constitution and submitted to the GSU for approval and record-keeping in a timely manner.

Adopted unanimously November 25, 1980, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended March 30, 1994, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended April 3, 1997, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended November 14, 2000, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended April 10, 2001, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended April 9, 2002, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Amended February 6, 2007, Drama Centre General Meeting.
Revised unanimously January 16, 2008, GDCSU General Meeting.

POLICY STATEMENT OF THE GRADUATE DRAMA CENTRE STUDENT UNION EXECUTIVE

1.    Preamble: This “Policy Statement” is intended to guide the Graduate Drama Centre Student Union Executive (GDCSUE) by providing a set of written duties traditionally carried out by the Executive.

1.1    Authority: In the event of contradiction between the “Constitution” and the “Policy Statement,” the “Constitution” shall be deemed authoritative.

1.2    Amendments: Unlike the “Graduate Drama Centre Student Union Constitution,” amendments to the “Policy Statement” must be made by a simple majority (50% +1) vote at a General Meeting. These Amendments shall be sent to all Union members in writing a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to said meeting.

2.    General Duties of the Executive: In addition to those duties set out in the “Constitution,” the Executive shall accomplish the following General Duties, to be fairly divided among Executive members:
a.    be available to Union members in general for consultation, including during the summer
b. establish an Orientation Committee to program and run the Graduate Drama Centre fall Orientation, which may include the running of a Mentoring Program
c. report to and advise the incoming student Executive in transition
d. ensure the concerns of M.A. students are forwarded to the incoming Executive
e. coordinate and run Graduate Drama Centre events and parties
f. provide in-person student representation at post-production feedback sessions
g. ensure that Concessions volunteers are found for all Graduate Drama Centre shows at which Concessions are sold
h. provide additional Committee representation as deemed appropriate
i. ensure that the selection process for the “Ann Saddlemyer / Brian Parker Award” is undertaken in a timely fashion by the Award’s past-recipient(s)
j. at the time of the Decanal Review, assist in and contribute to the assessment and modification of the Course Evaluation processes (and forms) in order to ensure that they adequately reflect the concerns of the Union (this will be done in conjunction with the Union and the Director of the Graduate Drama Centre).

3.    Executive Administered Positions: The Executive shall also be responsible for administering the following positions:

3.1    Communication Coordinator: She or he will be responsible for the administration of the GDCSUE “Listserv” and GDCSU Website, including the proper advertisement of the subscription procedure (respective of the University’s privacy policy) and stressing the importance of the Listserv to communication within the Union. She or he is also required to facilitate communications of interest to the Union and to post and archive hard copies of important announcements.

3.1.1    The GDCSUE “Listserv”: The GDCSUE Listserv” is regarded as the official means of regular communication between members of the Union who have access to it in order to communicate with other members. The Executive shall use it to communicate to the Union by disseminating a Newsletter no less often than once per month.

3.2    Concessions Coordinator: He or she shall be responsible for stocking the booth with supplies for each Graduate Drama Centre show at which Concessions are being sold, and monitoring Concessions inventory generally. He or she will ensure that the other Executive members find volunteers for each show (normally assigned by the Executive on a rotating basis).

3.3    Production Feedback Coordinator: She or he will be responsible for attending and reporting on Graduate Drama Centre post-production feedback sessions at Executive and General Meetings, as well as initiating constructive discussion about Graduate Drama Centre productions, for example across the Listserv.

3.4    Student Festival Liaison: Because the Executive is responsible for maintaining the Graduate Drama Centre’s tradition of a student-run Festival, the Student Festival Liaison will be responsible for maintaining communication between the Artistic Director(s) of the Festival and the Executive. She or he will attend production meetings and function as a general resource for the Artistic Director(s). She or he will place a call for proposals early in each winter term. The Executive will put forward for appointment to the Theatres and Events Committee the new Artistic Director(s) before the final spring Theatres and Events Committee meeting.

4.    Financial Responsibilities of the Executive: The Executive’s financial responsibilities to the Union may include the provision of financing, when appropriate:
a. guest speakers
b. theatre trips
c. parties
d. special publications
e. Orientation for incoming students
f. the student-run Festival
g. other projects that the Union deems worthwhile