AUSU 2017 Bylaw Revisions
AUSU council is pleased to present a draft copy of our proposed AUSU bylaws. There have been significant changes made in order to ensure that AUSU continues to provide quality services, representation, and advocacy to safeguard the health of the organization well into the future.
Overall, the new bylaws reflect the direction that AUSU is moving to in the future. They still capture the spirit of the existing bylaws, but with enhanced direction and transparency. The revisions were also put in place to ensure compliance with the Post-Secondary Learning Act, which governs how student unions operate.
You can view the proposed new bylaws online here.
Some highlights of the proposed changes are listed below, as well as ways for the membership to provide feedback or ask questions.
Highlights of the Changes
Increase from 9 to 13 councillors
Over the past few years, AUSU has worked to bring increased services, representation, and advocacy to the AUSU membership, as well as increased communications, transparency, and additional governance efforts. AUSU will continue to work to enhance its governance model, ensure broader representation on council, and a wider perspective on behalf of AUSU members. In order for AUSU to continue to maintain its existing efforts and plan for growth, it will be vital to have an increased council, and will provide more opportunities for student involvement.
Membership Fees
The post-secondary learning act grants authority to council to set the membership fees. To comply with legislation, the fees section was revised. Details regarding membership fees, including the dollar amount per credit, will be placed in a new membership fees policy that will be established once the new bylaws have been approved. To ensure transparency and collaboration with the membership, future fee changes will be done by special resolution, which incorporates multiple levels of membership consultation.
The Voice Magazine
The Voice Magazine is a service provided by AUSU, and the bylaws will now reflect the current relationship between AUSU and The Voice Magazine. AUSU is proud of this service and is committed to establishing The Voice Magazine as a primary source of student engagement at AU. Funds that are allocated to the Voice Magazine will be approved annually by council through the budget process, rather than through a predetermined percentage allocation for each fiscal year. This brings The Voice Magazine in line with all other AUSU programs and services, and will provide the magazine with a sustainable structure while maintaining their content autonomy.
Executive Director Responsibilities
A new addition to the bylaws was the inclusion of the executive director’s roles and responsibilities and the authority given to this role within the organization. This change was put in place to provide increased transparency and stability to the role.
Signing Authority
The new bylaws have added direction for executive council signing authority to ensure accountability. This brings the association up to speed with current recommendations by the AUSU auditor.
Students’ Union Strategic Plan
Another new section of the bylaws is a strategic plan overview which will help to set the direction of AUSU in the future.
We Value Your Input!
AUSU will be creating multiple opportunities for the membership to provide feedback on the bylaw revisions.
Public Readings of the Bylaws
In accordance with the bylaws, AUSU will present the bylaws in “public readings” at two different council meetings. Meetings are by teleconference, and all members are welcome. The meeting agenda and teleconference instructions will be posted online here at least 3 business days prior to the meetings. There is a Q&A period at the end of all council meetings to allow feedback and questions from the membership.
- 1st Reading: Tuesday, September 12 at 5:30pm MT.
- Proposed 2nd Reading: Thursday, October 12 at 5:30pm MT.
Member Consultations
AUSU council will host 2 membership consultations by teleconference. Members are welcome to join and ask questions or provide feedback on the bylaw changes. The teleconference instructions are available online here.
The member consultations will be held on the following dates:
- Wednesday, September 6 at 1:00 pm MT
- Tuesday, September 19 at 6:00 pm MT
Bylaw Forum
AUSU has a bylaw forum online here. Members are welcome to ask questions or provide feedback on the bylaw changes in the forums.
If you are unable to participate in any of the above opportunities, or you would prefer to speak to AUSU directly, please email ausu@ausu.org or call us at 1-855-497-7003.
