20 year old typo causes bureaucratic diversions
Every year I prepare the legal filings of our Annual General Meeting. This includes Form 11, which details any changes to our bylaws.
In October, the GSS passed several bylaw changes and I dutifully submitted them using the reuired Form 11. Following the procedure requested by the registrar in past years, I simply attached a copy of the new bylaws and sent them in with a note on the form asking them to replace the old bylaws with the new.
Today I received notice the bylaw changes are being "held on file" until I correct them because, as noted in the comments, "Name must be exactly as registered: Student's Society".
Apparently our founding board couldn't use an apostrophe correctly (what would Lynne Truss say?) and the GSS founding documents thus list us as the University of Victoria Graduate Student's Society. Or perhaps there really was only one graduate student back in the 80s when we were incorporated as a society.
Perhaps I should file a complaint about the GSS on this blog. It seems we are doomed to a legally required error... what is a person to do when government demands you maintain a typo to keep your bylaws legal? Perhaps call a special AGM simply to remove the errant punctuation? (Imagine the debate...it would rival the infamous Ince/Pollock semicolon battle of March 20;06!).
So there you have it, dear imaginary reader, my apostrophe on the errant apostrophe and the resulting form filing catastrophe.
Showing posts with label agm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agm. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
GSS Annual General Meeting
When: Tuesday, October 28, 5pm
Where: Grad House restaurant at the Grad Centre
Who can vote: Any UVIC graduate student currently registered at UVIC
What to bring: Your valid grad student ID
Food will be provided!
Agenda:
Approve Agenda
Approve Minutes
Approval of 2008 audited statements
Appointment of the auditors
Consideraton of motions received with due notice
Other business
*Audited statements, minutes, and motions received with notice will be available at the Graduate Students' Society offices and posted on the GSS website http:gss.uvic.ca by October 21, 2008. Please submit any motions for consideration at the meeting to Stacy Chappel gssmgr@uvic.ca no later than October 20, 2008 at noon.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Upcoming important GSS decisions! Building, CFS, budget, elections!
1. NOTICE OF Special General Meeting considering expansion of Halpern
Graduate Centre
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Time: 5pm
Location: Grad Centre Room 112-108
All graduate students are encouraged to attend with valid student card.
Special GM Agenda
1. Approval of agenda
2. Approval of Building Expansion Plan
If approved, an expansion of the Halpern Centre could proceed Summer 2008.
Proposal includes creation of dedicated grad student lounge, expansion of
kitchen and a minor office renovation.
If approved, financing options could include one or a combination of the
following:
-borrowing from UVic**
-re-distribution of a portion of Capital Fund membership fees to the
Building Fund
-establishment of a line of credit**
Architect’s diagrams, financing options, and sustainability plan for
the proposal will be posted at http://gss.uvic.ca and outside the GSS
office by February 13, 2008.
SGM followed immediately by a regular meeting of Grad Council.
**requires special resolution (75% members present in favour.)
2. OTHER UPCOMING GSS EVENTS:
Referendum on Defederation from Canadian Federation of Students:
March 18-19-20. Have your say on whether we should stay in the CFS.
NOTE: There will be NO WEB VOTE on this referendum.
Instead, there will be polling at two on campus polling
stations from 9-5 each day. Polling station at the University
Centre has been confirmed, but the other is TBA.
This referendum is governed by CFS Bylaws found here.
For ongoing updates on the CFS referendum watch this site for
info: http://gss.uvic.ca/cfsreferendum.htm
GSS Elections: Nominations: March 10 to March 17.
Voting: March 26, 27.
Your chance to get involved in the GSS and work on
everything from finances to special events to the restaurant!
GSS Semi-Annual General Meeting:
Tuesday April 1, 2008, 5pm in the Grad Centre.
This meeting passes the budget for the upcoming year,
ratifies the election, and receives the report of the
outgoing Executive Board.
Info: http://gss.uvic.ca
Monday, January 7, 2008
Upcoming issues for grad students at UVIC
At the beginning of each semester I start thinking about what the key priorities will be at the GSS office. I am always a bit overwhelmed at the broad range of subjects I am expecting to deal with, and a bit nervous I am missing something. So here is my list, and I am wondering if others see some I don't?
GSS members have some major decisions to make about our internal affairs.
Building expansion:
Should we expand our building, and if so, how much should we invest in expansion (and how will we get the money?!) Watch for a Special General Meeting in February to look at architects plans and to give your executive board direction on what you want your building to be like, and how it should be financed.
CFS Membership:
March 18-20 graduate students will go to the polls an decide on whether to continue membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. The referendum will be governed by CFS bylaws so the GSS so my big concern at the moment is whether our familiar processes can be used--most of our members use web vote in GSS referenda and elections, but it remains to be seen whether the CFS will agree to that process.
Beyond our student union, grad students also continue to face many other issues in their studies:
Office space continues to be a big concern for students on campus. Perhaps the engineers, with so much experience stuffing themselves into beetles could offer advice on sharing an office with 10 other students (and two desks!)
Expansion of the graduate student population through new provincial funding also poses some problems for our members--what if there aren't enough resources in your department already, and now your population is doubling? Some students are worried they may never find a supervisor.
Funding. After much pressure from both students and university administration, the BC government created a graduate scholarship program in 2007 and redesigned some others, like MITACS. Great news! But is the program design working for graduate students? I would like to hear more from students who are involved in the various funding programs established this year.
Most frustrating to me is that fellowships administration continue to be a problem... and so we continue to be a thorn in the side of the administration. Check out our original report on fellowship policy if you don't know about this issue.
For many students, poverty, housing, immigrant/international students rights and lack of adequate childcare are problems faced in their lives outside of school--but that cause problems academically. Generally support for these campaigns comes in the form of writing letters in support of agencies lobbying effots. For example, the GSS has been active in supporting the BC childcare campaign.
GSS members have some major decisions to make about our internal affairs.
Building expansion:
Should we expand our building, and if so, how much should we invest in expansion (and how will we get the money?!) Watch for a Special General Meeting in February to look at architects plans and to give your executive board direction on what you want your building to be like, and how it should be financed.
CFS Membership:
March 18-20 graduate students will go to the polls an decide on whether to continue membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. The referendum will be governed by CFS bylaws so the GSS so my big concern at the moment is whether our familiar processes can be used--most of our members use web vote in GSS referenda and elections, but it remains to be seen whether the CFS will agree to that process.
Beyond our student union, grad students also continue to face many other issues in their studies:
Office space continues to be a big concern for students on campus. Perhaps the engineers, with so much experience stuffing themselves into beetles could offer advice on sharing an office with 10 other students (and two desks!)
Expansion of the graduate student population through new provincial funding also poses some problems for our members--what if there aren't enough resources in your department already, and now your population is doubling? Some students are worried they may never find a supervisor.
Funding. After much pressure from both students and university administration, the BC government created a graduate scholarship program in 2007 and redesigned some others, like MITACS. Great news! But is the program design working for graduate students? I would like to hear more from students who are involved in the various funding programs established this year.
Most frustrating to me is that fellowships administration continue to be a problem... and so we continue to be a thorn in the side of the administration. Check out our original report on fellowship policy if you don't know about this issue.
For many students, poverty, housing, immigrant/international students rights and lack of adequate childcare are problems faced in their lives outside of school--but that cause problems academically. Generally support for these campaigns comes in the form of writing letters in support of agencies lobbying effots. For example, the GSS has been active in supporting the BC childcare campaign.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)