December 8, 2016 Mount Saint Vincent UniversityStudent Union

Students’ Representative Council December 8, 2016MSVUSU Boardroom

PRESENT:Ryan Nearing, PresidentMorgan Atwater, VP AdvocacyErin Murray, VP CommunicationsHaley Myatt, VP Student LifeNathan Horne, Councillor-At-LargeMeaghan Babin, Recording SecretaryElizabeth Duff, SRC SpeakerEthan Craig, First-Year Student RepresentativeNikki Russell Jaimeson, Mature Student RepresentativeMelissa Smallridge, Education Student RepresentativeKarley Brookings, Science RepresentativeAlycia Pottie, Arts RepresentativeAris Hernandez, International Student RepresentativeABSENT WITH REGRETS:Amy Grant, Graduate Studies RepresentativeSteph MacIntosh, Professional Studies RepresentativeShannon Kennedy, Off-Campus RepresentativeCora Lynn Munroe, Board of Governors RepresentativeABSENT WITHOUT REGRETS:GUESTS:

QUARUM ACHIEVED: YES (12/23)

December 8, 2016 Mount Saint Vincent UniversityStudent Union

1. Call To OrderMOVED BY: E. DuffSECONDED BY: H. MyattIn Favour (12); Opposed (0); Abstensions (0)

2. Land RecognitionWe meet today on unseeded, surrendered Mi'kmaq territory. As we gather to respectfully exchange ideas, we recognize the land on which we stand, celebrate it's culture, honour it's people – and reflect that we are all Treaty People.

3. Old BusinessBylaw 1: See APPENDIX AMotion to put Bylaw 1 forward moved by R. NearingSeconded by H. MyattMOTION PASSED

4. New BusinessNo new business

5. Other BusinessRE-SEND e-mails regarding Pay and Honoraria

6. Items for Communication Publicize that Bylaw 1 was approved

7. AdjournmentMotion of adjournment moved by M. AtwaterSeconded by H. MyattMOTION PASSESSRC MEETING AJOURNED

December 8, 2016 Mount Saint Vincent UniversityStudent Union

APPENDIX A

By-Law I – Election and Referendum1.01 Elections Timetable

The MSVU Students’ Union shall hold two elections periods per academic year: Spring General Elections and the Fall By-Election. Other by-elections may be called as necessary as designated in Article 4.10 of the MSVUSU Constitution.

a) Fall By-Electionsi) The Advertisement Period which promotes positions available shall begin

a minimum of one week prior to the start of nomination period.ii) The Nomination period shall begin no later than one (1) week into the

Fall academic term.iii) Nominations shall be open for a minimum of seven (7) academic days. iv) The Campaign period begins after the close of nominations andspans at

least five (5) academic days.Example: Advertising: Sept 6th to Sept 13th Nominations: Sept 13th to Sept 21th

Campaigning: Sept 21st to 26th Voting: Sept 27th & 28th

v) Campaigning ends at 9pm on the last day of campaigning. vi) Voting days shall be two (2) consecutive academic days immediately

following the campaign period.

b) Spring General Electionsi) The Advertisement Period which promotes positions available shall begin

a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the start of nomination period. ii) The Nomination period shall begin no later than three (3) weeks into the

winter Academic semester.iii) Nominations shall be open for a minimum of seven (7) academic days.iv) The Campaign period shall begin after the close of nominations and shall

span at least five (5) academic days.vi) Campaigning ends at 9pm on the last day of campaigning.vi) Voting days shall be two (2) consecutive academic days immediately

following the campaign period.

Example:

Advertising Period: Jan 10th to Jan 24th

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Nominations Open: Jan 24th to Feb 1st

Campaigning: Feb 1st to Feb 7th

Voting- Feb 8th & 9th

1.02Administration of the Election

a) The Elections Coordinator i) Shall be hired by the President and Speaker no later than August 15th for the

Fall By-Election and prior to the end of the fall exam period for the Spring General Election;

ii) The Elections Coordinator may not be a candidate in the Elections.iii) The Elections Coordinator’s term of work shall span from hire until the end of

the Elections Period;iv) The Elections Coordinator shall be paid by honorarium pending the

presentation and approval of an elections report to SRC following each election;

v) The duties of the Elections Coordinator are as follows:i. Shall liase with the Speaker and Recording Secretary of the SRCii. Creation of elections advertising materials, including but not limited

to social media campaign, print materials, word documents and website content

iii. Development and distribution of Nomination packages iv. Recruits Elections Committee prior to the beginning of the advertising

period;v. Ensures the general campus community is aware of Election

procedures, regulations and deadlines;vi. Acts as main contact for candidates and students for all queries to the

elections vii. Ensures all candidates are aware and following the regulations set-

out by this By-Law; viii. Leads Elections Committee with regards to debates, candidate

relations and other elements of the Elections campaign ix. Liaises with MSVUSU General Manager and ITSS to ensure voting

system is working efficiently; x. Hosts debate and elections results

xi. Creates elections report and suggests changes to By-Law I;vi) Should the Elections Coordinator require assistance interpreting the

Constitution, By-Laws and Policy they shall gain counsel from the following:i) The Vice President Communications (if not running in the election);

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ii) The Students’ Representative Council (excluding any members running in the election);

iii) The MSVUSU General Manager

c) The Speakeri) The Speaker shall be a hired member of Council Staff as per By-Law II-Job

Descriptions; ii) If not running in the Elections, the Speaker shall act as second point of

contact throughout the Elections period liaising and assisting the Elections Coordinator as needed;

d) The Recording Secretaryi) The Recording Secretary shall be a hired member of Council Staff as per

By-Law II-Job Descriptions;

ii) In the absence of the Speaker, it shall be the responsibility of the Recording Secretary to act as second point of contact forthe elections.

e) The Elections Committeei) The Elections Committee must be formed following the hiring of the

Elections Coordinator;ii) Committee mandate and descriptions can be found in By-Law III-

Committee Descriptions. d) Polling Clerks

i) There shall be at least one (1) polling clerk at each station;ii) Polling Clerks are responsible for:

a) Equipment, including technology which allows students to vote online.

b) Attendance to a pre-election training session given by the Speaker and/or Recording Secretary

iii) Polling Clerks shall not be members of a candidate’s official campaign team or be candidates themselves.

e) Polling Stationsi) Polling station locations are to be determined by the Elections Committee;ii) There will be a minimum of two (2) polling stations on campus;iii) The hours of the polling stations shall be from 8:30am until 4:00pm.

1.02 Advertising Period

a) Elections advertising shall be defined as the sharing of available positions, their job descriptions and the opening and closing of the nomination period;

December 8, 2016 Mount Saint Vincent UniversityStudent Union

b) The Elections Coordinator shall be given access to all MSVUSU social media accounts prior to the beginning of the Nominations Period;

c) The MSVUSU website shall be updated to reflect available positions, deadlines and other relevant information prior to the start of the Nomination Period;

d) Other forms of advertising are to be considered as per the Elections Coordinator and Committee.

1.03 Nomination Process

a) The nomination packages shall be created, updated and printed by the Elections Coordinator;

b) Nomination packages shall include the following items:i) By-Law I – Election and Referendum, and By-Law II- Job Descriptions;ii) Nomination Form;iii) Release Form (to be given to MSVU administration for GPA checks);iv) Campaign Event Calendarv) Contact information of the Elections Coordinator and secondary

contact person;vi) Detailed job description for the executive positions

c) Nomination packages shall be available at The Hub, The Welcome Desk and online;

d) Nomination packages may be returned to The Hub or The Welcome Desk where they will be compiled for the Elections Coordinator to retrieve;

e) Should a position remain without a candidate during the Spring General Election, the position shall automatically be available in the Fall By-Election.

f) Should a councillor position remain, or become vacant after the Fall By-Elections, the SRC may appoint a member of the Union to the position, as outlined in Article 4.10 of the Constitution;

1.04 All Candidates Meeting a) A mandatory meeting for all candidates shall be held immediately after the close of

nominations. b) The meeting is organized and lead by the Elections Coordinator with the assistance

of the Elections Committee;c) Candidate attendance is mandatory;

i) Candidates may choose to send a proxy to the meeting if they are unable to attend.

ii) Candidates unable to attend will face immediate removal from the candidates list;

d) The meeting must cover the following information:i. Introduction of the Elections Coordinator and additional contact personnel;

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ii) Introduction of the candidates;iii) Review of By-Law I; Election and Referendum, Campaign Events, and

Voting process;iv) Photographs will be taken of candidates at this time.

1.05 Candidate Eligibility

a) Any Mount Saint Vincent University student is eligible to run in the Mount Students’ Union elections as per the Constitution;

b) All candidates must have a 2.0 minimum GPA to be eligible to run in any election;

c) Position specific eligibility is as follows: i) President: any student recognized as entering their third year of study or

higher;ii) Vice President Communications: any student recognized in their third

year of study or higher;iii) Vice President Advocacy: any student recognized as entering their third

year of study or higher; iv) Vice President Student Life: any student recognized as entering their third

year of study or higher; v) Arts Representative: any MSVU student enrolled in the Faculty of Arts as

defined in the most recent MSVU Academic Calendar;vi) Graduate Studies Students’ Representative: any MSVU student enrolled

in a graduate studies program may run; vii) International Students’ Representative: any MSVU student from the

International Student Community, who is not a Canadian citizen and does not have landed immigrant status, may run;

viii) Residence Students’ Representative: any MSVU student who shall be living in residence during their term may run for Residence Students’ Representative to be elected in the Fall;

ix) Professional Studies Students’ Representative: any MSVU student enrolled in the Faculty of Professional Studies as defined in the most recent MSVU Academic Calendar may run;

x) Science Students’ Representative: any MSVU student enrolled in the Faculty of Science as defined in the most recent MSVU Academic Calendar;

xi) Education Students’ Representative: any MSVU student enrolled in the Faculty of Education as defined in the most recent MSVU Academic Calendar may run;

xii) Mature Students’ Representative: any MSVU student who is 25 years or older may run;

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xiii) First Year Students’ Representative: any MSVU student registered in their first year of Post-Secondary Education may run. This position is to be elected in the Fall.

xiv) Transfer Students Representative: any MSVU student who has previously been enrolled at another post-secondary institution may run;

xv) Aborigional Student Representativexvi) Accessibility Representativexvii) Racialized Student Representativexviii) Queer Student Representativexix) Women's Representative

f) Election Process

i. Any candidate may provide a scrutinizer to attend any poll to observe the Elections Committee’s review of the results. This scrutinizer must be approved by the Speaker 24 hours prior to the opening of the polls;

ii. There shall be no voting via proxy;iii. Voting shall occur in accordance with 1.02;iv. If legal counsel is warranted, no one other than the Speaker shall engage in

discussions with them.v. Referendum questions: In the event of a tie for any referenda, the question will

not pass;

g) Voting Eligibility

i) Voters shall vote for candidates only with which the demographic they represent.

ii) Executive positions shall be voted on by the entire student body.

1.05 Campaign Rules and Regulations

a. Campaigning shall be defined as all forms of advertising by any campus medium. Distribution and/or posting of any material designed to influence voters . Examples may include speeches, and public forums, and verbal, written or electronic communication.

b. Campaigning shall not take place prior to the campaign period.c. Campaigning shall begin after the all candidates meeting ends. d. Campaigning shall end at 9pm the night before voting is to commence. All

materials must be removed by this time. e. The spending limit for all candidates is as follows, before taxes:

i. Executive: $100

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ii. Councillor: $50iii. Executive and Council candidates will be reimbursed 50% of total

expenditures; not exceeding $50 for Executive and $25 for Council.

f. Any physical forms of advertising must be approved by the Elections Coordinator prior to their posting around campus.

g. Poster regulations:i) posters may be any size or shape;ii) all posters must be stamped/signed by the Elections committee;iii) no campaign signs may overlap or be attached to a campaign sign

already placed;iv) no signs are to be posted outside of buildings, on windows or

doors, regardless of the placement and the way the sign is facing;v) where materials are to be posted on bulletin boards, each

candidate is limited to one poster per bulletin board;vi) all posters must be removed prior to the closing of the campaign

period.vii). All candidates shall comply with all building regulations set-out by Facilities Management and described at the All Candidates Meeting.

i. Candidates May Not:i. Distribute campaign materials in any class, laboratory, or residence of the

university. Only Residence Student Representative candidates may post in residences;

j. All candidates shall comply with all building regulations in regards to campaigning on campus.

ii. Utilize any elements of the MSVUSU, Crow N’ Go, HUB, Vinnie’s or MSVU brands.

iii. Utilize endorsements of current MSVUSU staff, or members of the Elections Committee in their campaign;

iv. Cover, destroy, damage, deface or remove any campaign material of any other election candidate.

q. If the Elections committee would like to provide a copy of the profiles as compiled at the Mandatory meeting at the polling stations to enable voters to make an informed decision, this will not be classified as campaigning and candidates will not be violating campaigning rules under this instance.

r. Committee Organized Events:i. There shall be at least one (1) public speech;ii. There shall be a question and answer period following each public

speech;s. The conduct at the speeches and question and answer period shall be as follows:

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i. It is mandatory for all candidates to attend. Candidates may send a proxy or be absent with notice given to the Elections Coordinator 24-hours in advance.

ii. The Elections Coordinator with the assistance from the Elections Committee shall organize the speeches.

iii. Each candidate will have a maximum time to speak as defined by the Elections Committee. Candidates will be given a one (1) minute warning.

iv. The Elections Coordinator shall act as mediator.v. Time permitting, each contested position will be asked a minimum of two

(2) questions as prepared by the Speaker and/or Recording Secretary. Each candidate running for a position shall be granted the opportunity to debate the question.

vi. Following these preliminary questions, the floor shall be open to the public to pose questions to candidates.

vii. Any speech not carried out in the manner above shall be considered illegal speech campaigning.

1.06 Violation of Campaign Rules

a. Only the Elections Committee shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of the Elections Act.

b. Any member of the MSVU student body may wage complaint against any candidate running in the election that violates the rules and regulations of the Elections and Referendum By-Law. Complaints must:i. Be written and can be submitted anonymously. iii. Must name the candidate who has contravened the Elections Act and

how they have done so;iv. Be submitted to the Elections Coordinator any time after the close of

nominations but no later than three (3) academic days after the close of polling stations.

c. Upon receiving the complaint, the Speaker shall:i. Send a copy of the complaint to the accused candidate;ii. Send a copy of the complaint to all members of the Eelections Committee

before a meeting is convened to discuss the complaint;iii. Send written responses to the complainant, the witness, and the accused

candidate.d. The Elections Committee may also lay charges of violations on its own accord.

The Elections Coordinator shall compose the complaint and follow the provisions supplied in 1.06.c.

e. When the Elections Committee has determined that a violation has occurred, one of the following may occur:i. Levy a penalty against the candidate;ii. Disqualify the candidate from the election;iii. Declare a referendum to be void;

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iv. Declare that the election of a specific candidate be ruled void.f. Penalties outlined in Article I Section 6.E.i shall be assessed as:

i. Sign violations – 20 points per incident;ii. Illegal displays – 25 points per incident;iii. Illegal speech campaigning (as defined in 1.05.s.vii.) – 100 points per

incident iv. For each dollar that exceeds the allotted spending limit – 20 points per

dollar;g. The following violation will result in a disqualification of the candidate(s):

i. Non-attendance by the candidate or a pre-designated representative (approved by the Elections Coordinator) at the Mandatory Candidate Meeting;

ii. Campaigning before or after the Campaign period; iii. Tampering with other candidate's campaign material;iv. A candidate accumulating equaling to or exceeding over 100 in penalty

points;v. Unexcused absence from a public speech and/or question and answer

period;vi. Candidates and/or members of their official campaign team attempting

to sway voters at polling stations.vii. Candidates running in slates, under the discretion of the Elections

Committee, or share expenses for campaign material. A slate shall mean a group of candidates who run for elected office on a similar platform for mutual advantage.

1.07 Expulsion from the Election

a. If disqualified from the election, the candidate may appeal the decision by submitting a written request of appeal to the Elections Committee within three (3) academic days.

b. The Elections Committee, after hearing all the evidence may reinstate the disqualified candidate.c. If only one person is running in the election, and is disqualified, the position will

be filled during the Fall Election.

1.08 Appeal of Election or Referendum Results

a. Any student may challenge the validity of an election, referendum result in a written submission to the Elections Committee within three (3) school days after the close of voting, or in the case of a challenge to a recount result, within three (3) academic days after the recount.

b. The Elections Committee shall investigate the complaint and shall rule accordingly.

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c. If only one (1) person is running for a position in the Spring Election, and is disqualified, the position shall automatically be up for election in the fall semester.