Constitution

1. Definitions

1.1. The organization shall be known as the “Graduate Students’ Association of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto” hereinafter as the “GSA.”

1.2. “Members” shall consist of all registered and continuing graduate students at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

1.3. “Council Meeting” is a meeting of the GSA Council as defined in Article IV.

1.4. “Executive Meeting” is a meeting of the Executive officials of the GSA, as defined in Article III.

2. Statement of Philosophy

2.1. The GSA is committed to initiating, sponsoring and promoting the holistic academic experience of its members, the graduate students of OISE.

2.2. The primary purpose of the GSA is to ensure the active participation of members in the decision-making process at OISE on all issues that affect members on an individual and organizational level.  This process is intended to enhance the academic experience of graduate students.

2.3. The GSA is committed to advocacy for and mobilization of members particularly on issues of equity, accessibility and sustainability in education. This includes a commitment to every student’s right to an educational experience free from harassment and other barriers. It also includes leadership in the fight for financially accessible education.

2.4. Further to our commitment to maximizing OISE students’ academic experience, the GSA will receive and distribute funds for the support of students’ academic careers and critical activities.

3.  The Objectives of the GSA

3.1. Support the organizing and activities of students in the various departments.

3.2. Foster student involvement in OISE boards and committees, OISE Faculty Council and its standing and ad hoc committees.

3.3. Promote and maintain communication between OISE graduate students and the OISE administration.

3.4. Promote and maintain communication between OISE graduate students and larger student government at the University of Toronto through membership on the Graduate Student Union (GSU) Council.

3.5. Represent OISE graduate students on matters in which representation may be of interest to those students.

3.6. Promote and maintain responsible student government at OISE.

3.7. Initiate, sponsor, coordinate and promote academic as well as political, cultural, social and athletic events for OISE graduate students.

3.8. Foster cooperation with other OISE Student Organizations (such as OISE International Students’ Association, CUPE3902, CUPE3907).

1. Amendments

1.1. Amendments to the Constitution of the GSA shall require two-thirds (2/3) majority of all members present at a GSA General Meeting.

1.2. Notice of any proposed amendment must be prepared and distributed to all members of Council 30 days before the AGM at which the vote to amend the Constitution occurs; Notice shall also be posted on the GSA website for all members to review.

2. Publication of the Constitution

2.1. It is the responsibility of the Executive to ensure that members of the GSA are aware of and have access to the Constitution. To this end, the Executive will, in September of each academic year, distribute the Constitution to the Council, and ensure the most recent version is posted to the GSA website.

1.  The Executive Committee of the GSA consists of President, Vice President Academic, Vice President Finance, and Vice President Internal.

2.  A member of the Executive must be a member of the GSA.

3. The duties of the Executive may be redistributed if they so desire but in general are as follows:

3.1. President

3.1.1. The President shall be the spokesperson of the GSA to the administration and governing bodies of OISE, the University of Toronto, the GSU, and any other student associations or external organizations.

3.1.2. The President shall liaise with CUPE 3907 and the Alumni Association.

3.1.3. The President shall conduct the official correspondence of the GSA and report any such correspondence to the Council at the first meeting following thereafter.

3.1.4. The President shall call meetings of the GSA, the Council and the Executive.

3.1.5. The President shall be an ex-officio member of every committee of the Council.

3.1.6. The President shall be responsible for monitoring the day-to-day operations of the GSA.

3.1.7. The President shall perform such duties as are assigned by the GSA.

3.2. Vice President Academic

3.2.1. The Vice President Academic shall advocate for the academic interests of GSA members, including graduate funding.

3.2.2. The Vice President Academic shall review, process and approve all conference funding requests submitted by GSA members.

3.2.3. The Vice President Academic shall support an annual student research conference.

3.2.4. The Vice President Academic shall seek to represent the GSA regarding academic matters such as by liaising with GSA student representatives on the GSU Council, the Graduate Education Committee of the OISE Faculty Council, and any other student associations or external organizations.

3.2.5. The Vice President Academic shall perform such duties as assigned by the GSA.

3.3. Vice President Finance

3.3.1. The Vice President Finance shall be responsible for the financial, human and physical resources of the GSA.

3.3.2. The Vice President Finance shall carry out all day-to-day financial transactions, receive all monies due to the GSA, make all payments, maintain appropriate records, and keep an inventory of the GSA’s property.

3.3.3. The Vice President Finance shall prepare and manage the operating budget, and prepare and present the financial statements to Council.

3.3.4. The Vice President Finance, on the advice of the Finance Committee, shall review, process and approve all special project grant applications.

3.3.5. The Vice President Finance shall perform such duties as are assigned by the GSA.

3.4. Vice President Internal

3.4.1. The Vice President Internal shall keep and distribute all records of GSA policies and procedures, as well as minutes of the meetings of the GSA, the Council and the Executive.

3.4.2. The Vice President Internal shall coordinate interaction between the Departmental Student Associations and the GSA.

3.4.3. The Vice President Internal shall support the activities of student organizations at OISE.

3.4.4. The Vice President Internal shall seek to represent the GSA regarding equity matters.

3.4.5. The Vice President Internal shall maintain the website and all other online media of the GSA.

3.4.6. The Vice President Internal shall review, process and approve all head grant funding requests submitted by the DSAs.

3.4.7. The Vice President Internal shall perform such duties as are assigned by the GSA.

4.  The Executive members are elected to their respective offices for a one-year term, beginning May 1 and ending April 30.

5.  Each Executive member shall hold office hours and be accessible to members of the GSA. Should an Executive member fail to give one week notice of office hour rescheduling or cancellation two or more times in one month, they shall include this absence in their Council report, and Council will determine the best course of action.

6.  Each Executive member shall present a report at every Council meeting, or provide a written report if unable to attend in person.

7.  Each Executive member shall write a year-end report to be presented to the Council at the final meeting of their elected term of office.

8.  The Executive shall both individually and as a group provide a comprehensive orientation to the incoming Executive by no later than April 30.

9.  Should an Executive member not fulfill their duties and/or fail to attend three consecutive Executive meetings or three consecutive Council meetings, the member can be removed from the Executive by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote by the Council, following an opportunity by the Executive member in question to speak in their defense.

9.1. If in an extreme circumstance an Executive member is oppressive to other Executive or general members and refuses to take part in a mediation process as determined by Council, or mediation attempts are unsuccessful, a petition of at least 25 members can be signed to review an Executive member, and the member can be removed from the Executive by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote by the Council, following an opportunity by the Executive member in question to speak in their defense.

10. If an Executive position becomes vacant due to resignation or removal:

10.1. Less than 60 days before April 30, the remaining Executive will redistribute tasks and the vacancy will not be filled.

10.2. Greater than 59 days before April 30, a replacement will be elected by the Council.

1.  The Council has charge of the general affairs of the GSA, and shall be responsible for all property and funds of the GSA.

2.  Members and Voting

2.1. The voting members of Council shall be:

2.1.1. The members of the Executive

2.1.2. Three elected representatives (or designates) of each OISE Departmental Student Association

2.1.3. One representative of any formally constituted OISE student organization as defined in Section 5 below

2.1.4 One representative of any OISE Program Student Association as defined in Section 4 below.

2.2. Voting shall be by a show of hands.

2.3. Except in cases where a two thirds (2/3) majority is specifically required, a vote in Council is considered binding when passed by a simple majority of members present at a Council meeting.

2.4. Non-voting members of Council shall be:

2.4.1. UTGSU Representatives

2.4.1.1. If any of the four elected UTGSU representatives are not already elected representatives of Council they shall be ex-officio non-voting members of Council.

2.4.2. All other members of the GSA

2.4.3. Any guests to Council meetings invited for the purposes of providing information or consultation

2.4.4. The chair of Council, except in the event of a tie vote.

2.5. Non-voting GSA members have speaking rights at GSA Council meetings.

3.  Departmental Student Association (DSA) Representatives

3.1. Departmental Student Associations are organizations that represent the students within a recognized OISE academic department.

3.2. Each DSA will elect three representatives to the Council.

3.3. Each DSA representative has one vote in Council meetings, which they may delegate to another member of their department if notice is provided to the Council chairperson in advance of the meeting.

3.4. At least one of the representatives must be at a minimum two thirds (2/3) of the year’s GSA council meetings in order to maintain the DSA’s eligibility for the spring head grant.

3.5. Where possible in advance of GSA Council meetings, DSA representatives should facilitate discussion of agenda items with their DSA decision making body in order to represent fairly and vote according to results of these departmental level discussions at GSA Council.

3.6. DSA representatives are responsible for reporting back to DSA on GSA Council discussions and results.

4. Program Student Association (PSA) Representatives

4.1. Program Student Associations are organizations that represent the students within a recognized OISE graduate program that:

4.1.1. Have an annually elected executive

4.1.2. Contribute to the overall experience of the students within the specified program

4.1.3. Have a bank account

4.1.4. Have a representative attend a minimum two thirds (2/3) of the year's GSA Council meetings.

4.2. The PSA representative has one vote in Council meetings, which they may delegate to another member of their program if notice is provided to the Council chairperson in advance of the meeting.

4.3. Where possible in advance of GSA Council meetings, PSA representatives should facilitate discussion of agenda items with their PSA decision making body in order to represent fairly and vote according to results of these departmental level discussions at GSA Council.

5.  Formally Constituted OISE Student Organization Representatives

5.1. OISE student organizations shall be considered formally constituted if they:

5.1.1. Represent a group of graduate students at OISE

5.1.2. Have an annually elected executive

5.1.3. Contribute to the overall student experience at OISE

5.1.4. Have signed a memorandum of agreement with the GSA which stipulates any conditions and was approved by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the GSA council.

5.2. Formally constituted OISE student organization representatives will hold their positions for one year beginning after the first council meeting of the academic year.

5.3. Each formally constituted OISE student organization representative has one vote in Council meetings, which they may delegate to another member if notice is provided to Council in advance of the meeting.

5.4. Where possible in advance of GSA Council meetings, formally constituted OISE student organization representatives should facilitate discussion of agenda items with their organization’s decision making body and represent fairly and vote according to results of these organization level discussions at GSA Council.

5.5. Formally constituted OISE student organization representatives are responsible for reporting back to their organizations on GSA Council discussions and results.

6.  Standing Committees

6.1. A member of the GSA Executive will participate on each Standing Committee.

6.2. Standing Committee membership shall be open to all OISE graduate students, including but not limited to GSA Council representatives.

6.3. Each Standing Committee shall appoint a Chair at their FIRST meeting of the academic year.

6.4. The Chairs of Committees of the GSA Council are responsible for:

6.4.1. Informing the Executive of the date, time and location of all meetings of their committees

6.4.2. Ensuring that full report summaries of meetings are written and kept

6.4.3. Submitting a copy of the report summary to the GSA Executive as soon as possible after each meeting

6.4.4. Reporting at monthly GSA Council meetings

6.4.5. Presenting a proposed ‘plan for the year’ at Council’s first meeting of the academic year and a ‘year-end report’ at Council’s final meeting of the academic year.

6.5. The Standing Committees of the GSA shall be:

6.5.1. Finance Committee

6.5.2. Accessibility Committee

6.5.3. Equity Committee

6.5.4. Sustainability Committee

7.  Ad Hoc Committees

7.1. Council or the Executive may strike ad hoc committees from time to time as need arises.

7.2. Ad hoc committees shall in general follow the same procedures as Standing Committees.

8. Conflict of Interest

8.1. No member of the Council, nor the partner, dependent child, parent, sibling, nor person living in the same household of a Member of the Council, shall enter into any business arrangement with the GSA in which they are interested directly or indirectly, except where the representative has declared any interest therein, and has removed themselves from the meeting and has refrained from voting thereon.

8.2. The Chair of any meeting of the Council or of any Committee shall request any member who has declared an interest in any business or other financial arrangement with the GSA which is being discussed, to absent themselves during the discussion of and vote upon the matter, and the event shall be recorded in the minutes.

8.3. Failure to declare a conflict of interest shall be regarded as grounds for reprimand by the Council.

9. Council Meetings

9.1. The Vice President Internal of the GSA shall designate a Council member to act as Chair at the first meeting of the year, or shall preside as chairperson at GSA Council meetings.

9.2. Portions of Council meetings declared “in camera” shall only include voting members of Council.

9.3. Council shall observe Bourinot’s Rules of Order.

9.4. The Council year commences on May 1 and runs until April 30.

9.5. The Council shall meet a minimum of seven times during the year.

9.6. The GSA budget shall be approved at the first meeting of Council in the fall semester.

9.7. The official handover from one Executive team to the next shall take place at the April meeting of Council.

9.8. An emergency meeting of the Council must be summoned upon receipt of a petition from:

9.8.1. One third (1/3) of the Council membership, OR

9.8.2. No less than 30 members of the GSA.

9.9. Council meetings are open to all GSA members.

9.10. Quorum at a Council meeting is calculated at one third (1/3) of Council membership.

9.11. The Executive shall ensure minutes of each Council meeting are posted on the GSA website after approval by Council.

10. General Meetings

10.1. The Executive shall call an Annual General Meeting of the entire membership of the GSA at least once a year, typically in January.

10.2. A special General Meeting shall be called upon receipt of a petition to call a General Meeting signed by at least 50 members of the GSA.

10.3. Quorum at a General Meeting is calculated as not less than two thirds (2/3) of the total Council membership.

10.4. All members have the right to discuss and vote upon all business that comes before the GSA at General Meetings.

10.5. Motions approved at a General Meeting take precedence over those approved by the Council.

10.6. The GSA budget-to-date shall be presented at General Meetings.

10.7. Voting:

10.7.1. Shall be by a show of hands

10.7.2. Shall require a two thirds (2/3) majority.

1.  It is the responsibility of the Executive to inform all members of Council and the GSA of upcoming deadlines for nominations and applications to representative positions on all relevant committees at OISE and the University of Toronto.

2.  To the extent possible, the Council shall nominate a full slate of representatives of the GSA to central committees at OISE and the University of Toronto.

3.  GSA representatives on OISE and University of Toronto committees are expected to act as representatives of Council. They are responsible for maintaining a file of the minutes and recorded notes from the meetings, reporting to Council, as requested, on the activities of these committees, and representing the interests and direction of Council.

4.  If any student members of committees are deemed by Council not to be fulfilling their responsibilities as representatives of Council, Council reserves the right to notify the Chairs of these committees and the Institute administration that these students are not recognized by Council as their representatives.

1. Budget, Funds and Fiscal Year

1.1. The fiscal year of the GSA shall be from September 1 to August 30.

1.2. The Executive shall approve any overspending by 5% or less of an approved budget allocation, and report such expenditures to the Council.

1.3. The Council shall approve any overspending by over 5% of an approved budget allocation.

1.4. The Council shall take the University of Toronto Index and the Consumers’ Price Index (CPI) into consideration in budgetary deliberations.

2. Management of Funds

2.1. The Vice President Finance shall manage the financial resources of the GSA.

2.2. All funds shall be kept in a chartered bank, trust union, or a credit union and credited to the “OISE Graduate Students’ Association”.

2.3. Funds in excess of immediate operating expenses shall be held in interest-bearing accounts, term deposits, bonds, or other financial instruments of this kind.

2.4. All Executive members shall have signing authority to the GSA account, with proper notice given to the banker of the GSA of any changes to the signatories.

2.5. Any cheque not collected and cashed within six months of the date of issue is considered forfeited.

2.6. The GSA shall always operate with a reserve fund of $10,000 unless otherwise decided by the Council.

2.7. All payments must be authorized by at least two members of the Executive.

3.  Head Grant

3.1. The Executive shall distribute a portion of head grant funding, received from the Graduate Students’ Union as a result of student ancillary fees, to each of the Departmental Student Associations (DSAs) at OISE.

3.1.1. The Executive shall additionally distribute head grant funding to each PSA that meets the requirements in Article IV, Section 4.1. and submits a head grant request in conjunction with their DSA.

3.2. The Vice President Internal shall review, process and approve all head grant funding requests submitted by the DSAs.

3.3. Head grants shall be distributed to each DSA in two equal installments (fall and spring), unless otherwise decided by Council.

3.3.1. Head grants distributed to PSAs shall be in one instalment (fall), unless otherwise decided by Council.

3.4. DSAs must send at least one representative to a minimum of two thirds (2/3) of the year’s Council meetings in order to receive the second (spring) installment of the head grant.

3.5. In order to qualify to receive the head grant, each DSA shall:

3.5.1. Consist of at least three elected members

3.5.2. Present to the Vice President Internal by October 31 at the latest the financial reports for expenditures in the previous year

3.5.3. Conduct their departmental affairs in a spirit compatible with the philosophy and objectives of the GSA as stated in ARTICLE I: The Association.

3.5.4. Designate three representatives to attend Council meetings.

3.6. In the event that a DSA does not meet the criteria stated in 3.5, the Vice President Internal shall:

3.6.1. Notify the DSA that they no longer meet the criteria to qualify to receive the head grant

3.6.2. Administer any head grant funding not already disbursed to the DSA for the fiscal year, directing any funds to support the pursuits of students within that department

3.6.3. Report any actions taken to the Council.

4. Conference Funding

4.1. The Executive shall distribute conference funding to all GSA members who wish to present a paper or poster at an academic conference.

4.2. The Vice President Academic shall review, process and approve all conference funding requests submitted by GSA members.

4.3. Reimbursements shall be divided into the three academic sessions, including the fall term from September to December, the winter term from January to April, and the summer term from May to August.

4.4. A maximum reimbursement amount shall be set per GSA member.

5. Special Project Grant

5.1. The Executive shall distribute funding to GSA members who wish to organize an on-campus activity or project that positively impacts or enhances student life for GSA members.

5.2. The Vice President Finance, on the advice of the Finance Committee, shall review, process and approve all special project grant applications.

5.3. The Council shall approve in its operating budget an annual allocation for special project grant funding, and applications shall be received on a rolling basis until the annual allocation has been fully dispersed.

5.4. A maximum reimbursement amount shall be set per GSA member, or group of GSA members.

5.5. Preference will be given to those who are applying for funding for the first time and events that cater to a wide audience.

6. Executive Honorarium

6.1. The Council shall approve the honorarium amount to be paid to Executive members every year in the GSA budget based on existing amounts.

6.2. The Vice President Finance shall distribute the Executive honoraria in 12 equal monthly installments.

6.3. All Executive members shall receive the same honorarium amount.

6.4. The Council shall review the honoraria of the Executive every two years.

7. Expenditure Guidelines

7.1. The Council shall approve the operating budget allocations needed to support the programs and operations of the GSA, the Council and the Executive.

7.2. The Vice President Finance shall review and approve all reasonable expenditures incurred by the Executive members on behalf of the GSA, including any incidental expenses related to GSA business.

7.3. Travel and meal expenses shall be reimbursed up to the maximum amounts set annually by the University of Toronto Financial Services Department.

7.4. A maximum yearly amount for meal expenses shall be set in the budget presented to the first fall meeting of Council.

7.5. Original receipts must be provided for expense reimbursement.

1. Elections Committee

1.1. The Elections Committee is appointed for one election and is not a standing committee. The Elections Committee is entrusted in facilitating a free and fair election. The Elections Committee is responsible for addressing any grievances and to make rulings that are within the spirit of the GSA policy.

1.2.

1.2.1. The Elections Committee shall be composed of three GSA members appointed by Council, one of whom shall be appointed chair of the Committee. In addition, the Chief Returning Officer (CRO), once appointed, will become a member of the Elections Committee.

1.2.2. The Elections Committee shall be struck by GSA Council by the last Council meeting of the Fall term.

1.2.3. All GSA members are eligible to be members of the Elections Committee.

1.3. No member of the Elections Committee shall participate in any partisan GSA campaign activity nor seek an elective GSA office while serving on the Committee, excluding OISE DSA and PSA executives. Failure to comply herewith shall be sufficient grounds for removal from the Elections Committee by the Chief Returning Officer.

1.4. Until a Chief Returning Officer is selected in accordance with the procedures outlined herein, the committee chair will fulfill the duties normally assigned to the Chief Returning Officer.

1.5. Quorum shall consist of a majority of Elections Committee members; one of which shall be the Chair.

1.6. The Elections Committee is responsible for hearing all election-related grievances.

2. Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee shall meet in the event that a complainant is unsatisfied with the ruling made by the Elections Committee. The Appeals Committee does not serve to second guess the judgement of the Elections Committee, rather will only hear cases when there is sufficient evidence to believe that the Elections Committee failed to follow appropriate procedure that would sufficiently have altered their decision.

2.1. The Appeals Committee shall be composed of three GSA members appointed by Council, one of whom shall be appointed chair of the Committee. The Appeals Committee shall self-nominate a chair through a majority vote.

2.2. Members of the Appeals Committee shall not be members of the Election Committee.

2.2.1. The Appeals Committee shall be struck by GSA Council by the last Council meeting of the Fall term.

2.2.2. All GSA members are eligible to be members of the Appeals Committee.

2.3. No member of the Appeals Committee shall participate in any partisan GSA campaign activity nor seek an elective GSA office, excluding OISE DSAs and PSAs, while serving on the Committee.

2.4. Quorum shall consist of a majority of Appeals Committee members; one of which shall be the Chair.

2.5. The Appeals Committee shall be appointed for one election.

2.6. The Appeals Committee decisions are final, except in the case of re-election.

3. Selection of Chief Returning Officer

3.1. The first task of the Elections Committee shall be the selection of a Chief Returning Officer.

3.2. The Chief Returning Officer will be appointed by the GSA council by simple majority of members present, on the recommendation of the Elections Committee, by the first Council meeting of the winter term.

3.3. The hiring decision of the GSA Council is final.

3.4. The position of Chief Returning Officer must be advertised to the OISE community by the chair of the Elections Committee in the second week of January.

3.5. Because the CRO will receive an honorarium for their work, candidates will be interviewed by the elections committee for suitability, based on the criteria described below.

3.5.1. Must not be running for an executive position during the year in which they are organizing the elections, and must not be part of the current executive.

3.5.2. Must be a registered OISE graduate student.

3.5.3. Must be physically present at OISE during the tenure of the position of the Chief Returning Officer. Any deviation of this article must be approved by the GSA Council during their selection of the Chief Returning Officer.

3.6. In the event that no applications for the position are received by the deadline advertised, or no applicant meets the criteria for the position, the Chief Returning Officer will be appointed by the GSA Council provided that they meet all other criteria for the position. A non-returning member of the Executive may take this position if required.

3.7. The Chief Returning Officer can be removed by the GSA Council for not fulfilling their outlined duties by a 2/3 vote of the Council members present at an official GSA Council meeting.

4.  In hiring the Chief Returning Officer, the Elections Committee will:

4.1. Notify applicants at least one week in advance of interviews.

4.2. Maintain the confidentiality of candidates’ personal information.

4.3. Maintain confidential communication between committee members and only present final recommendations to the GSA council in written format for Council members present at the meeting. Electronic media shall not be used for communicating the recommendations of the Elections Committee to the GSA Council.

4.4. Ensure that the criteria for the Chief Returning Officer position is enforced and ensure that principles of equity and fairness in hiring are recognized and adhered to throughout the process.

4.5. Ensure that a maximum of three qualified applicants be recommended to Council.

4.6. Ensure that recommendations for the position be made no later than the first Council meeting of the winter term.

4.7. Ensure that the Chief Returning Officer is paid at a rate approved by Council and agreed to by the Officer prior to acceptance of the duties.

5.  The duties and powers of the Chief Returning Officer shall be to:

5.1. Coordinate all administrative details of the GSA elections.

5.2. Plan all publicity concerning the functioning of the GSA elections. This includes prominently posting:

5.2.1. Nomination information, including:

5.2.1.1. Nomination period with clear opening and closing dates, and general procedure

5.2.1.2. The list of official candidates

5.2.1.3. Election dates

5.2.1.4. Clear polling process including dates and location/means.

5.3. Prepare, provide and verify all nomination and filing forms.

5.4. Verify candidates’ eligibility via the Registrar’s Office.

5.5. Inform all candidates of any and all complaints brought against the candidates or slates.

5.6. Will hold an all-candidates meeting following the close of nominations and at least two days before the election period.

5.7. Initiate and supervise the polling process, whether conducted by paper ballot or electronically.

5.8. Inform all registered candidates of the results of the elections within 24 hours of polls closing.

5.9. Obtain a list of graduate students eligible to vote in the election from the Registrar’s Office.

5.10. In consultation with the Elections committee, investigate any alleged election violation.

5.11. Vote only in the case of a tie during Elections Committee deliberations.

5.12. Monitor and ensure that any campaign materials, paper, electronic, or otherwise, that are found to be in violation of campaign policies are immediately removed.

5.13. In the case of paper balloting, hire and supervise any and all polling clerks at pay rates as approved by Council.

5.14. Respond in a timely manner to all inquiries related to the election, that being in less than 24 hours.

5.15. Deliver a report, both orally and digitally, detailing the process and election results at the April transition Council meeting, and report any potential conflict of interest on the part of newly elected Executive.

5.16. If the CRO is unable to complete the required tasks, they must ask the elections committee to assist in selecting a Deputy CRO to complete the tasks. The honorarium will be split accordingly.

5.17. The Elections Committee shall have the authority to make additional rules or stipulations not contained within the policy in accordance with the spirit of GSA policy. The Elections Committee shall have the authority to interpret policy and has the final ruling.

6. Remuneration of the Chief Returning Officer

6.1. The CRO position shall require up to a total of 40 hours of work. An honorarium shall be provided for this work. The 40 hours of work shall include five days of electronic election period

6.2. Furthermore, where the need arises for additional hours of work to be granted it shall not exceed 10 hours, and this is subject to GSA Council approval or the approval of the Executive acting on behalf of the Council.

6.3. The CRO shall not receive an honorarium until a written report is approved by Council. The report must first be open to the Elections Committee for feedback and approval before it is delivered to Council. Any disagreement within the Elections Committee must be noted within the report. Once Council has approved the election report, the CRO will be eligible to receive the honorarium.

7. Candidates for Office

7.1. Eligibility

7.1.1. Candidates for all offices shall be registered graduate students in good standing at OISE who will have completed a minimum of one semester of study at OISE by the Executive term commencement.

7.1.2. Individuals who have held Executive posts for three terms are ineligible for a fourth term.

7.1.3. Candidates for all offices shall report to the CRO any elected positions they hold within OISE, so that the elections committee determine the potential for conflict of interest. In case they were elected to GSA Executive office, the elections committee reserves the option to request timely resignation from their conflicting roles. Failure to declare a conflict of interest shall be regarded as grounds for removal as a candidate.

7.2. Filing

7.2.1. All candidates must file their nomination papers by the date specified by the Elections Committee in the call for nominations to be considered candidates.

7.2.2. The nomination period shall be no shorter than two weeks and no longer than four weeks.

7.2.3. No late nominations will be accepted.

7.3. Withdrawal

7.3.1. All candidates will be notified in a meeting or a communication as to the other candidates or slates who are eligible for the campaign period, at which time they will be given 24 hours to withdraw their name in writing to the CRO before the ballots are made public.

7.4. Single Nomination

7.4.1. If only one candidate submits an official nomination form for a specific Executive position, or other candidates withdraw before or during the campaign period, that individual's name shall appear on the election ballot, and shall be elected by a vote of confidence with a yes/no ballot.

8. Campaign Practices

8.1. Campaign Period

8.1.1. The campaign period shall begin at 12:01am two days following the close of nominations unless specified otherwise in official correspondence to Candidates from the Chief Returning Officer.

8.1.2. The campaign shall include voting days and last a minimum of ten calendar days and a maximum of twenty days total at the discretion of the Elections Committee.

8.1.3. The campaign period shall be included in the official call for nominations and in the correspondence confirming a candidate’s eligibility to stand for election.

8.2. Campaign Conduct

8.2.1. Any candidate or slate may be considered guilty of a violation of the Elections Article of the Constitution committed by a member of their campaign team.

8.2.2. All complaints of violations must be submitted in a written grievance to the Chief Returning Officer as soon as the violation occurs and becomes evident to the slate or candidate filing the grievance.  No grievances shall be accepted later than one hour after the close of polls.

8.2.3. A grievance must clearly state the grounds of the grievance as per Section 8.3.

8.2.4. Having been notified of a violation, the Elections Committee shall determine if points shall be assessed against a candidate or slate. Points can be given repeatedly if a violation occurs repeatedly.  If the candidate or slate accumulates one hundred (100) points in violating the Elections and Referenda Article, that candidate or slate will then be disqualified from the campaign and not be eligible to win the election.

8.2.5. As applicable, all grievances apply equally to infractions in speech, writing, electronic or other media.

8.3. List of Grievances

8.3.12.    Use any official GSA-owned or rented material, including office machinery or space

8.3.13.    Involve non-GSA members in election disputes prior to notifying the CRO and/or Elections Committee.

8.4. Finances

8.4.1. Each candidate for the GSA Executive may spend personal funds not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100).

8.4.2. Candidates shall submit a final campaign financial report to the Chief Returning Officer at the close of polls, with up to one week to submit to avoid disqualification.

8.4.3. The final campaign financial report shall include

8.4.3.1. An itemized list of all campaign expenditures, including those incurred by agents of that candidate

8.4.3.2. Receipts for all campaign expenses, or reasonable facsimiles

8.4.3.3. One copy of all campaign literature and a statement showing the exact number of copies of each which were distributed.

8.4.4. The use of apartments, phones, staples, staple guns, tape, markers, used posters, and one photographic positive per candidate (to be used in the production of campaign posters) shall not be assessed against a candidate or slate.

8.4.5. Candidates or slates may request the Elections Committee to assess campaign materials.

9. Voting

9.1. Eligibility

9.1.1. All registered graduate students in good standing at OISE are eligible to vote.

9.1.2. No voter shall cast more than one ballot in favor of a candidate.

9.1.3. Voters with visual or other access impairments that may prevent them from voting in the election can enlist others, such as colleagues or attendants not running for office, to facilitate their participation.

9.2. Mechanics of the Election

9.2.1. The GSA Executive elections shall be held no earlier than the second week of March and no later than the last day of classes of the Winter Semester.

9.2.2. Polls will be conducted electronically unless extraordinary circumstances arise, in which case it will be up to the discretion of the CRO and Elections Committee to decide whether paper ballots will be used.

9.2.3. Voting by Electronic Ballots

9.2.3.1. Polls shall be open for a period of five days. The polling- period will be well posted on GSA bulletin boards, website, and through OISE electronic fora.

9.2.3.2. The electronic balloting system will be designed such that verification of voters' eligibility to vote is a separate process from recording the voter’s vote. Through the electronic voting system, it shall be impossible to link a voter with the candidate(s) for whom they have voted.

9.2.3.3. The Chief Returning Officer will liaise with OISE administration responsible for maintaining the electronic voting system and will communicate the applicable GSA election rules to the technicians.

9.2.3.4. Accommodations for online voting procedures will be provided on a case-by-case basis, and will go through the CRO.

9.2.4. Final Procedures for Elections

9.2.4.1. The database containing election results will be deleted within ten business days following the close of polls.

9.2.4.2. An appeal, recount or re-election may be requested by a candidate, slate, or GSA member up to 48 hours after the close of polls. An appeal or recount may be authorized by the Elections Committee after hearing the case. A re-election must be jointly authorized by both the Elections Committee and Appeals Committee.

9.2.4.2.1. A decision of the Elections Committee under 9.2.4.2 may be appealed by a candidate, slate or GSA member to the Appeals Committee up to 48 hours after the decision is published. An appeal or recount may be authorized by the Appeals Committee after hearing the case. A re-election must be jointly authorized by both the Elections Committee and Appeals Committee.

9.2.4.3. Both the Elections Committee and the Appeals Committee may request a recount or re-election up to one day before the elect results are deleted.

9.2.4.4. In the case of a tie between two or more candidates, the Chief Returning Officer shall cast the deciding vote.

9.2.4.5. The Elections Committee shall publish the results of the election once the votes have been counted and certified by the Chief Returning Officer. If a recount or re-election is requested, the Elections Committee shall publish the results as soon as a decision on the appeal is made by the Committee.

9.2.4.6 Election results shall become official upon the acceptance of the Chief Returning Officer's report to the Council. The Council must accept or reject the report as a whole, and may not reassess grievance point totals.

1. All referenda must be approved by the GSA Council no later than two weeks prior to voting, and must be approved by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the members present.

1.1. A Referendum Committee will be struck only in the event it is necessary.

2.  In the event that a referendum question does not pass the GSA Council, the sponsor may direct the Referendum Committee to add said referendum question to the upcoming ballot upon the receipt of a bona fide petition containing two hundred (200) OISE graduate student signatures.

3.  Issues of grammar and terminology of the referendum question must be reviewed by the Referendum Committee prior to the vote.

4.  Referenda questions must be stated in such a way that requires the vote to be for or against the statement.