The MSU Constitutional Amendments, Explained
Dear fellow students,
As you may have seen from the notice posted in last week’s issue of The Silhouette, some changes have been formally proposed to the MSU Constitution. Though the changes won’t be brought to a vote of all undergraduate students until the new year, I want to provide a bit of background information and address some questions that you may have about the proposal.
Why are changes being proposed? Why now?
The changes that are being proposed arose out of the MSU General Assembly meeting held last March. Students requested that the Constitution be reviewed so that the VP Administration – who may currently be elected only from within the SRA – can be made a position open to all MSU members. In April, this request was referred to the Bylaws & Procedures Committee for discussion.
Upon reviewing the Constitution, it became evident that a number of other amendments and updates ought to be made. The Constitution has not been updated since February 1997 – almost 13 years ago – and the MSU has changed quite a bit since then. The B&P Committee discussed these changes at length, and we propose that they be adopted for the sake of keeping the Constitution current and relevant.
What else is changing?
Though the opening of the VP Administration position to all MSU members is the biggest change, there are some other important changes that everyone should be aware of.
Use of SRA by-election schedules. When vacancies arise on the SRA, they are filled through by-elections administered by the Elections Committee. The Constitution currently requires that each vacancy be filled within 15 school days, which forces the EC to rush through by-elections rather than giving them the attention they deserve. An amendment that would permit the use of orderly, scheduled by-elections held throughout the year would place more reasonable demands upon the EC, and would better allow students to get involved in the democratic process.
Entrenching notice requirements. Whenever important decisions are being made at the SRA, the student body should be made aware. VP elections, which happen each April, often pass by unnoticed. By entrenching a requirement that notice be posted in The Silhouette, just like it was for these Constitutional amendments, the goal is to ensure that students are aware of the process and able to participate in it.
Officers and committees update. The VP Education position was added to the Board of Directors in 1999 – two years after the last Constitutional update. In addition to recognizing this position in the Constitution, updates have been proposed to the descriptions of other MSU officers (the “Treasurer,” for example, has become the “Vice-President [Finance]”). Furthermore, the committees of the SRA have been updated to reflect the current needs of the MSU and the student body.
Review of referendum decisions. Decisions of any quorate referenda are binding upon the MSU indefinitely. While this is definitely a good thing overall, one side effect is that decisions made by students 20+ years ago still bind us today. For example, referendum decisions from 1986 that forced the MSU to boycott (then-apartheid) South Africa are still in effect. An amendment has been proposed that would require the SRA to review outdated policy decisions and bring the issues back to students. This would ensure that today’s students, rather than students who graduated decades ago, determine the direction of the MSU.
Recall. The requirements for recall of the President, VPs, and SRA members have been amended for clarity and accessibility. The amendments would also make it easier for the VPs to be recalled over the summer, should the need arise. Most importantly, the relevant sections of the Constitution would be made easier to navigate, so that every student is able to understand how to exercise his or her democratic rights.
For a complete list of all the proposed changes, along with a more thorough account of their rationales, check out the
attached PDF.
Why should I care?
The current Constitution is outdated and poorly written. The proposed amendments to the Constitution better reflect your rights as MSU members, and your needs as McMaster students. I am very proud of the fact that this project was initiated by ordinary students at our last General Assembly meeting, and hope that everyone finds something in this review package that they feel strongly about.
What happens next?
The SRA will be discussing the proposed amendments at its meeting on Sunday, December 6 at 12:00 noon. If the SRA approves of the amendments, the Constitution will be brought to a General Assembly meeting or referendum held during the winter term. My current hope is to have the amendments adopted in a referendum held alongside the 2010 Presidential elections.
What if I have questions?
Feel free to contact me in person, via email, or by whatever means makes the most sense. I’m happy to address your thoughts, questions, etc. as best I can.
Thanks for reading,
Matthew Tenenbaum
SRA Bylaws & Procedures Commissioner
McMaster Students Union
[email protected] r.ca
