The Slavic Languages Students’ Union (SLSU) Constitution
Article I: Mission
The purpose of the Slavic Languages Students’ Union (hereinafter the “SLSU”) is to support and advocate for students enrolled in a subject POSt and/or course(s) offered by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (hereinafter the “Department”) at the University of Toronto, St. George.
The Slavic Languages Students’ Union will:
Build connections between students and the Department faculty.
Represent students participating in Slavic Languages and Literatures programs and courses.
Provide academic support for students enrolled in programs or courses in the Department.
Promote extracurricular events, by providing awareness of the art, literature and languages of different Slavic cultures.
Article II: Membership
Section i)
Any University of Toronto student, faculty member or alumnus may take part in events hosted by the SLSU.
Section ii)
Any full-time undergraduate student who is a member of the Faculty of Arts and Science and who is taking at least 0.5 FCE in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (including Finnish (FIN) and/or Estonian (EST)) and/or is enrolled in a subject POSt offered by the Department has voting rights and is eligible to run for an executive position on the SLSU.
Section iii)
Any individual who fulfills Article II, Section ii is eligible to obtain Membership with the SLSU beginning in September, in which the individual shall disclose their name and SLA/EST/FIN course(s) they are enrolled in for the academic year. This will allow the SLSU executive to keep a record of attendance at academic and social events. An individual will be a “member in good standing” if they attend at least half (½ or 50%) of all SLSU events over the course of the academic year. The list of individuals who achieve “member in good standing” status will be announced at the end of the academic year, in April. “Member in good standing” status expires April 30th and will not carry over into the following academic year.
Section iv)
Under the guidelines of the presiding body ASSU, no member of the union shall discriminate another. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of every executive member to ensure that the SLSU provides equal treatment of all Slavic languages and cultures in the Department in regards to events, faculty and student outreach, interests and engagement.
Article III: Executive
Section i)
Slavic Languages Students’ Union (SLSU) Constitution
The executive shall consist of two (2) Co-Presidents, one (1) Vice President, one (1) Treasurer, one (1) Secretary, and one (1) First-Year Representative. Each executive position, with the exception of First-Year Representative, is to be occupied for the duration of one year, from the date of election until April 30th, or until executive elections are held again for the coming year. The position of First-Year Representative will be held from the day of election in September until April 30th.
The Co-Presidents are responsible for overseeing and administering all activities associated with the SLSU. They shall be signing officers, and shall ensure the unencumbered operation of the SLSU by effectively promoting teamwork, cooperation, and adherence to this Constitution. They are responsible for deliberating on matters not detailed in this Constitution, and for identifying issues, events, and procedures which are to become part of the SLSU’s permanent operations. The Co-Presidents shall cooperatively carry out duties of chairing executive meetings, consulting with students, and attending ASSU council meetings on behalf of the SLSU.
In order to become a Co-President, an individual must have previously, for the duration of at least one (1) year, served as an executive member of the SLSU and/or been a “member in good standing” in the academic year of the election.
The Vice President is responsible for assisting the Co-Presidents in the coordination of academic programming and events. They will communicate with staff in the Department to ensure such events are run smoothly. They will be expected to have prepared an organized structure for any events they are responsible for running, and will be expected to suggest new academic events which the SLSU may consider holding. They are also responsible for publicizing both the SLSU and related events to the students and faculty of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, both to encourage attendance at events and to attract new membership. They will maintain the SLSU email account as well as any existing social media accounts. They will also be responsible for assisting the Co-Presidents in coordination of social events.
The Treasurer will be responsible for all financial aspects of the SLSU, including but not limited to maintaining the fiscal agenda, budgeting, and security of funds. They will also act as a signing officer on the SLSU bank account.
The Secretary will be responsible for taking detailed minutes of every meeting of the SLSU executive. They will also be expected to assist the rest of the executive in planning any events or initiatives.
The First-Year Representative will be responsible for publicizing the activities of the SLSU to fellow first-year students, as well as providing the perspective of a first-year student in regards to organization of events, initiatives, and outreach targeted towards first-years. They will also assist the rest of the executive in planning any other events or activities.
Section ii)
Slavic Languages Students’ Union (SLSU) Constitution
Executive elections will be held annually, within the last two weeks of March. They will be held in person. No prior nomination is required, although all candidates must hold membership in the SLSU as defined in Article II, Section ii of this constitution.
Candidates running for Co-Presidency must adhere to Article II, Section iii and Article III, Section i
Each of the six (6) executive positions will be voted on individually by secret ballot. All candidates must make a speech declaring their candidacy and qualifications for the position they are running for. The candidate with the most votes will be awarded the position.
No campaigning prior to the election other than the aforementioned speech is permitted. Candidates found in violation of this rule will be disqualified from the election.
All candidates must be able to serve their entire term as a voting member of the SLSU as outlined in Article II, Section ii of this constitution.
Section iii)
Any executive member who misses more than two (2) meetings without providing a satisfactory reason for their absence will be subject to impeachment.
Any executive member found to be insufficient in the performance of their duties by the standards of the executive will also be subject to impeachment.
The decision to remove an executive through impeachment will be communicated to all SLSU executive members, and a vote will be taken by the remainder of the executive at the following executive meeting under the system of secret ballots. If more than two thirds (⅔) of the executive votes for an immediate removal of the executive in question, then a by-election will commence in selecting the new executive.
Any executive member who has previously resigned and/or been impeached may not run again for any position in any elections held by the SLSU. The SLSU will keep a record of individuals who have resigned and/or been impeached and will enforce this rigorously.
Article IV: Executive Meetings
Section i)
An official meeting shall be held at least biweekly, and all executives are expected to attend. Executive meetings, unlike General Meetings, will be open only to members of the SLSU executive.
Section ii)
Should some members be unable to attend an executive meeting with valid reason, executive meetings must be presided over by at least one (1) of the Co-Presidents, the Treasurer, and the Secretary.
Article V: General Meetings
Section i)
Slavic Languages Students’ Union (SLSU) Constitution
General Meetings are open to all SLSU members. The date and location of these meetings will be disclosed at least one week in advance.
Section ii)
Any amendments to this Constitution must be announced and voted upon at a General Meeting.
Section iii)
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) must be held every March and every September. The date and place of the meeting must be announced at least two (2) weeks in advance. All SLSU members are welcome and encouraged to attend the AGM.
Article VI: Finances
Section i)
As outlined in Article III, Section ii of this constitution, all financial procedures will be carried out by the Treasurer.
Section ii)
Any funds generated by the SLSU by means such as program funding or donations will be under supervision of the Treasurer. Funds will be kept in the SLSU bank account, of which the Treasurer and Co-Presidents will be signing officers. The Treasurer will be held liable for any missing or misallocated funds.
Section iii)
Any and all financial transactions performed by the SLSU will be recorded by the Treasurer and must be signed off by the Co-Presidents. All decisions regarding SLSU expenditures must be approved by the SLSU executive in advance.
Section iv)
On a semiannual basis, the Treasurer will develop financial statements and provide detailed budget reconciliation for the SLSU, which will then be approved by the executive. These statements will be made available at the request of any SLSU member, University of Toronto official, or member of ASSU.
Article VII: Constitutional Amendments
Section i)
These bylaws may be amended only by a two thirds (⅔) vote of those present at a General Meeting.
Section ii)
No amendment to these bylaws shall be considered unless suitable notice of the amendment has been given. Suitable notice shall be deemed given if the proposed changes are announced at one (1) General Meeting and introduced at the next General Meeting and/or the proposed changes are advertised for minimum of two (2) weeks before the General Meeting at which they are to be voted upon.
Section iii)
Amendments come into effect immediately after passage.
Slavic Languages Students’ Union (SLSU) Constitution