Student Life Centre Constitution
1.
PREAMBLE
The Student Life Centre (SLC) comprised of the John
Deutsch University Centre, the Grey House and a portion of the Queen’s Centre
is a student-centred community centre
dedicated to enhancing the quality of student and campus life and to fostering
a spirit of discovery. Its essence is students, faculty, staff and alumni
gathering, celebrating, talking and learning. Envisioned and established, on
behalf of these constituencies, as a partnership between the Alma Mater Society
(AMS), the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) and Queen's
University and built on the foundations of the Students' Memorial Union, the
SLC takes pride in a tradition of shared and autonomous governance.
The AMS, the SGPS and the University are committed to
the SLC as integral to the missions of both student government and the
University and to the vitality of the broader learning environment. Underlying
the commitment to a community centre is a vision of
Queen's not as a loose collection of students, faculty and staff, but as a way
of being together, and an understanding that knowing, teaching and learning
are, at heart, communal acts. Underlying the commitment to a student-centred community centre is a
vision of students fully engaged in the governance of the institution and in
service to the Queen's and Kingston communities, indeed to the nation and the
world at large, and the concomitant need for a place students can call their
own - a place where they can relax and have fun, discover self and others, and
build the student governments and clubs that are the vehicles of civic
engagement.
The original centre is
located on the site of Kingston's old Orphan's Home. It was constructed in 1862
and purchased by Queen's in 1928 to serve as the Students' Memorial Union and
named in commemoration of students who died during the First World War.
The Union was extensively renovated and expanded in the mid-1970s in response
to the tripling of the student population since the 1950s and renamed the John
Deutsch University Centre in honour of former
Principal John Deutsch, who died in 1976. The Queen’s Centre first
envisioned in the early 1990’s, and opened in 2009 is the newest addition to
student life space built in response to the increase in student numbers and
student activities.
The SLC continues to be the seat of student
governments and the principal home of the essential programs and services
offered by students for students. It also serves as the central memorial to the
Queen's students and alumni who fell in both World Wars, Students, with strong
support from alumni, were the driving force in the organizational and physical
development of first, the Memorial Union and second, the John Deutsch University
Centre. The Queen’s Centre follows on this tradition as the construction of
this facility was due in part to a generous donation by students while they
were members of the Alma Mater Society.
Accordingly,
students have always played an important role in the Centre’s governance. The
University, for its part, has long recognized the unique nature and purposes of
the facility by granting students a significant degree of autonomy in the
governance and operations of the Centre. This Constitution reflects the
partners' commitment to supporting this goal, and builds on
past models of service in precisely this regard. It affirms the student-centred character of the SLC , the
belief that students will act in good faith and in accordance with
University policies and will exercise this right in a manner consistent with
the values of the equal dignity and worth of the partners and the autonomy of
their respective relationships in the SLC.
2.
PURPOSES OF THE SLC
The central purposes
of the SLC, as a student-centred community centre, shall be:
1.
To remember and honour the members of the Queen's
community fallen in war and, further, to acknowledge and celebrate the rich
history and traditions of the University and its students, faculty, staff and
alumni in their pursuit of the essential values of intellectual integrity,
freedom of inquiry and the exchange of ideas, and the equal dignity of all
persons;
2.
To provide formal and informal gathering places for, and foster communication
among and between, students, faculty, staff and alumni;
3.
To offer a home to student governments, faculty
societies, student clubs and organizations and the associated opportunities for
self-directed programs and services;
4.
To stimulate and facilitate cultural, educational, recreational and social
programs that support the missions of student governments and the University;
and
5.
To house student, university and commercial services that meet the needs of
students, faculty, staff and visitors and contribute to the vitality of the
Centre.
3.
STUDENT LIFE CENTRE COUNCIL
a. Responsibilities
Reporting to Queen's
University Senate, the Student Life Centre Council shall be responsible for the
governance and oversight of the SLC, including:
1.
Advancing the mission and purposes of the SLC as
a student-centred community centre;
2.
Developing, approving and implementing long-term plans;
3.
Providing overall direction for the SLC's program and program objectives, which
are the events and activities endorsed by the management in keeping with the
primary and secondary purpose of the SLC;
4.
Approving policies and regulations for the operation and use of the SLC ;
5.
Approving the SLC 's capital and operating
budgets, and advising on the administrative budget;
6.
Approving space allocations and use, keeping in mind the current designated use
and occupant;
7.
Ensuring the provisions of the Operations & Management Agreement and
related schedules are followed
8.
Approving structural changes to the SLC;
9.
Fostering the integration of the SLC with the Queen's and Kingston communities;
10. Approving
an annual report on the SLC 's operations; and
11. Evaluating
periodically the SLC's mission and Council's performance, role and composition,
and making recommendations, as required, for their renewal.
12. Be
the final decision-maker on any disagreements and disputes arising from the
Operations and Management Agreement and before proceeding to dispute resolution
mechanisms.
b. Membership
Council shall comprise twelve members:
Ex-officio (voting members)
· Dean
of Student Affairs
· President,
AMS
· President,
SGPS
· Vice-President
(Operations), AMS
· a Vice-President of the SGPS
Appointed (voting members)
·
Vice Principal Finance & Administration or
delegate
·
One non-student alumni member appointed by the Alumni Association (three-year term, renewable once)
·
one student director, appointed by the AMS Board of
Directors (two-year term)
·
three undergraduate students at large, two appointed
by AMS Assembly, one Senate appointed
·
one student, appointed by the SGPS Council
The terms of the AMS
student director and Senate-appointed non-student members shall be staggered in
order that only one of the two will be renewed or replaced in any given year.
Terms of office for
the appointed members shall begin on May 1 and end on April 30.
Resource Members to
the Council (non-voting)
·
AMS Student Centre Officer
·
AMS General Manager
·
SLC Facility Manager
·
SGPS Executive Director
The Council may, at its discretion, add additional resource members (non-voting) to the Council on a temporary or ongoing basis.
c. Chair and
vice-chair
Council shall
annually select from the members a Chair and Vice Chair. The Chair
will be non-voting except when needed to break a tie.
d. Meetings
Council shall
normally meet a minimum of five times per year, in May or June, September,
November, January and March.
e. Quorum
Quorum for meetings
of Council shall be seven members, at least four of whom must be students with
each Party represented.
f. By-laws
Council may, with
approval of eight members with each Party present, enact and repeal by-laws
respecting its conduct and rules of order. There will be prior written notice
to the members of any changes.
g. Committees
Council may
establish ad hoc and standing committees to carry out defined tasks or to
address any issue arising from management and operations, and shall prescribe
the responsibilities, membership and terms of any such committees.
4.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a. Responsibilities
Accountable to
the Student Life Centre Council, the Executive Committee shall be responsible
for:
1.
Communicating matters of importance to the Council;
2.
Preparing agendas and carrying forward any agenda items for meetings of the
Council;
3.
Setting the schedule of Council meetings for the year, including additional
meetings of Council as deemed necessary;
4.
Undertaking such other tasks as may be referred to it from time to time by the Council;
5.
Empowered by Council to undertake decisions in the summer months.
6.
On advice of the Student Centre Officer serve as the
first avenue by which to discuss disagreements and disputes arising from the
Operations and Management agreement.
b. Membership
The Executive
Committee shall comprise five members:
·
Dean of Student Affairs
·
AMS Student Centre Officer –non-voting resource member
·
Facility Manager – non-voting resource member
·
President, AMS
·
President, SGPS
c. Chair
The Executive Committee shall annually select from the members a chair.
d. Meetings
The Executive
Committee shall normally meet two weeks before each Council meeting to set the agenda,
as well meet in either July or August as required.
5.
AMENDMENT
Council may, upon
approval of eight members recommend amendments to the Constitution of the
Student Life Centre to Queen's University Senate, provided there is
representation from all Parties present. At least thirty days’ notice shall be
given to Council of any proposed amendment.