YSTV Constitution 2: Difference between revisions

From YSTV Documentation Wiki
(Something went wrong on the old page)
(No difference)

Revision as of 22:56, 23 September 2024

Purpose of this document

  1. To assist future committees in the production of a Constitution that outlines their duties, responsibilities and offers guidance members are expected to abide by.
  2. To provide University of York’s Students’ Union (henceforth referred to as ‘SU’) with details about York Student Television.

Name of the Media Group

  1. The Media Group’s name shall be York Student Television. It will henceforth be referred to as ‘YSTV.’
  2. Those collectively chosen to represent ‘YSTV’ shall be referred to as the ‘Committee.’
  3. YSTV will be considered a Multimedia group, and be represented by the relevant member of Media Committee. People can join YSTV for the cost of £7.00

Aims and Objectives of YSTV

  1. The aims and objectives of YSTV are to promote the interests of the given activity amongst members of YSTV.
  2. To provide an opportunity for members of YSTV to meet and participate in the given activities together.
  3. To act of behalf of and in the interest of YSTV members.
  4. To assist in the safe education and introduction of students to the given activity through the use of training and experienced members.
  5. These aims shall be:
    1. To provide a television service to the University of York campus
    2. To produce original programme content of interest and relevance to YSTV’s membership, the student body, and members of the public in the local areas.
    3. To provide opportunities for members to meet and network with members of the television industry.
  6. These objectives shall be:
    1. To provide coverage, where possible and desired, or major campus and local events;
    2. To provide resources and framework for members to make productions of their choosing, subject to approval by YSTV, as defined in the Policy;
    3. To provide a method of broadcasting content, open to all productions and freely accessible to the public;
    4. To maintain links with the substantial network of YSTV alumni, and develop links with the television industry.

Membership of Media Group

  1. Membership of YSTV will be open to all registered students of the Union of the University of York.
  2. Membership of the Media Group, in addition to section 4.1, will be open to non-SU members who are not subject to disciplinary proceedings or consequent conditions of their membership. This includes students on a leave of absence. Members shall be aware of the risks and agree to be responsible for their own actions.
  3. Non-SU members must not exceed 20% of the overall Media Group membership.
  4. The Media Group must have a core minimum membership of 10 SU members. If it does not reach the minimum, it will be required to submit proof of its regular activity to the Activities Development Coordinator upon request.

Code of Practice

  1. All members must adhere to the SU’s Union Code of Conduct and Media Charter at all Times. Any action taken by the members on behalf of or while representing the student group in any way will be accountable to the SU’s Code of Conduct.
  2. A member must not participate in or omit to mention anything which might cause injury/damage to themselves or others.
  3. All members must adhere to the health and safety rules and procedures of the SU, YSTV, and the University.
  4. No members should attend activities or meetings under the influence of drink and/or drugs.
  5. No member should undertake any action that may bring the reputation of YSTV, SU, or the University into disrepute.
  6. Respect the different viewpoints of YSTV members if different from your own.
  7. Respect the property of the University, SU, YSTV, and media group members.
  8. All members should have access to the contact details of the whole committee.
  9. The Station Management Team and the Technical Team shall oversee general health and safety in accordance with SU regulations.
  10. Participant selection for media group activities should be objective.
  11. Socials (and the activities within) are opt-in only and shall have no bearing on any status within YSTV, and/or media group elections.
  12. Drinking should not be the theme of the social and members should be able to take part in all activities whether drinking alcohol or not.
  13. Members of YSTV will not apply what may be perceived as peer pressure upon individuals in any social situation.
  14. Breaches of this code of practice may result in a disciplinary hearing carried out by the Student Activities Officer.
  15. Additional Code of Practice:
    1. Additional code of practice for YSTV may be found in the YSTV Policy.
  16. YSTV and all its members are to adhere to the regulations of the GDPR – especially when dealing with external clients, interviewees, guests, and actors.

Rules of the Media Group

  1. The Committee shall have the power to set YSTV’s rules, in accordance with YSTV’s constitution.

Management of YSTV

  1. Management of YSTV will be entrusted to the Committee (see point 8.0).
  2. The management of YSTV is conducted by the Station Management Team, which consists of; the Station Director, Administration Director, and the Treasurer.
  3. The Station Management Team is assisted by the Team Leads, which consists of; Production Director, Technical Director, Computing Director, Marketing Director, and Administration Director, led by the Station Director.

YSTV's Finance

  1. All YSTV’s funds will be lodged with the Students’ Union; all monies should be banked with the YUSU Finance Office.
  2. The President (Chair), Administration Director and Treasurer shall automatically be signatories to accounts opened by YSTV. YUSU must always have an up-to-date signatory list.
  3. Two of these signatories shall be required for each expense claim and for any contract or undertaking, financial or otherwise, on behalf of YSTV; one of whom must be the treasurer.
  4. YSTV’s own funds accounts shall be available for inspection at any reasonable time by any YSTV member on the online membership list, or by the Student Activities Officer or the YUSU Societies Coordinator.
  5. An annual membership fee is required from all YSTV members, unless YSTV states otherwise, and agrees not to receive YUSU grant. The Committee, who are also responsible for its collection, determines this fee.
  6. Students’ Union members shall receive no payment from YSTV, except in legitimate expenses incurred in connection with YSTV business.
  7. All financial transactions will be posted to a private Slack channel. Any member can request access to this channel with a passing vote at admin meeting.
  8. The current balances for accounts are available through a spreadsheet saved in the YSTV admin drive, updated by the treasurer daily and on-request.

YSTV’s Committee

  1. The Committee will be collectively responsible for the effective management and day-to-day running of YSTV.
  2. The democratically elected Committee must consist of:
    1. President/Chair (Station Director)
    2. Secretary (Administration Director)
    3. Treasurer
  3. The committee should also consist of:
    1. Production Director;
    2. Technical Director;
    3. Computing Director;
    4. Marketing Director;
    5. Head of Post-Production;
    6. Social Secretary.
  4. All of the committee must be current SU members, who are enrolled and studying on a University of York programme.
  5. Each committee shall serve one complete year unless re-elected, or, they autonomously choose to step down before their one year within the role.
    1. If a committee member steps down, they must alert the Station Director at their earliest convenience, and, a by-election will be announced at the next admin meeting.
  6. In addition to the named members of the committee, YSTV can also elect additional Officers separate from the committee. These positions must be named and defined in the YSTV Policy.

Duties of YSTV’s Committee

  1. The Station Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To act as YSTV’s Chair/President;
    2. To ensure that YSTV’s policies are adhered to;
    3. To ensure that YSTV’s Committee contains officers names in 8.2;
    4. To attend YSTV Officer Training;
    5. To call, create agendas for, and chair meetings of YSTV Committee.
      1. If the Station Director isn’t available to chair Admin Meeting, they can nominate any member of the Committee (except the Administration Director) to do so in their place.
    6. To delegate tasks;
    7. To be the spokesperson/figurehead;
    8. To maintain committee enthusiasm;
    9. To publicise YSTV;
    10. To ensure the actions taken by YSTV do not damage the longevity and taking measures to future-proof the operation of the station.
    11. To organise (with the Administration Director) and chair the AGM;
    12. To coordinate and support the other Officers of YSTV;
    13. To ensure that members are kept informed of and encourages to participate in all of YSTV’s activities;
    14. To work with the SU and the University to secure the continued independence of YSTV;
    15. To be YSTV’s Media Committee representative, or to delegate the position to another member of committee. This includes:
      1. Organising, submitting and arguing for YSTV’s annual grant application, and any other grant application that may go through Media Committee.
    16. To manage Media Group Data Protection – see section 12)
    17. To assist the Head of Commercial, and, when relevant, the Marketing Director, with external clients, the press, and media (both on campus and commercial);
    18. To, alongside the Head of Post-Production, help arrange attendance at the Nation Student Television Association (NaSTA) Conference and awards;
    19. To be the point of contact for NaSTA queries;
    20. To obtain the title of ‘YSTV Roses Lead’ each year, or elect someone else. This role includes:
      1. Liaising with LA1TV;
      2. Acting as the main point of contact for University of York Student’s Union/LUSU before and during Roses;
      3. Organising Meetings;
      4. Distribute Roses Live Roles;
      5. Help assign crew.
    21. To appoint ERN producers each year. This is to be discussed with the Production Director but ultimately decided by the Station Director, who must then notify the SU Democracy Lead and Activities Coordinator during Media Committee;
    22. To ensure Team Leads regularly perform training that is accessible and engaging.
    23. Any other duties as agreed by the Committee,
  2. The Administration Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To act as YSTV’s Secretary;
    2. To be the Team Leader for the Administration Team;
    3. To oversee YSTV’s administrative affairs;
    4. To keep YSTV’s back pages up-to-date, including signatories and memberships;
    5. To arrange meetings and booking rooms or venues;
    6. To keep minutes of meetings as necessary;
    7. To organise the Administration Team collecting post from the SU reception following an email notice of arrival;
    8. To read and manage YSTV emails, posts, and ensuring official requests on social media have received a response;
    9. To organise the AGM in association with YSTV's Station Director
    10. To oversee the upkeep of YSTV's documentation, making sure all relevant documents are accessible to members through an online service, where GPDR regulations allow for it;
    11. To update any spelling, grammatical, numerical, or input errors written into the constitution and/or policy, without changing the meaning, without the need of passing it as an amendment. However, the Station Management Team and relevant parties must be informed.
    12. To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes and welfare issues within YSTV;
    13. To oversee the general welfare and well-being of YSTV’s committee, officers, and members. Major well-being issues and disputes shall be discussed with the Station Director and SU if necessary;
    14. To ensure that all new members when signing up have the option to declare any additional needs, and that these needs are met, with the Station Director and SU where necessary;
    15. To regularly communicate with members, in addition to writing a section of the weekly emails and support the other Officers in YSTV;
    16. To work with the Technical Director to be responsible for Health and Safety within the day-to-day working of YSTV;
    17. To work with the Treasurer to ensure facilities and spaces are accessible for all members, and SU where necessary, to ensure a pleasant working environment;
    18. To organise and lead at least one welfare meeting each semester with the committee and implement any agreed changes;
    19. To coordinate with the Social Secretary before and during social events to ensure all members’ welfare is considered.
  3. The Treasurer has the following responsibilities:
    1. To administrate YSTV’s finances in accordance with the Constitution, Laws and By-Laws of the SU;
    2. To learn and understand the Students’ Union financial system;
    3. To keep track of all income/expenditure;
    4. To regularly update members on the society’s state of finances at admin meetings, at least three times a semester.
    5. To oversee the budget for each event or production that requires expenditure;
    6. To set fees and manage invoices for equipment hire for non-YSTV projects in association with the Technical Director and Head of Commercial;
    7. To manage YSTV’s inventory (insurance list) and keep it up to date in liaison with the Technical Director and Computing Director;
    8. To coordinate usage of YSTV's space, equipment, and members with the Production Team to ensure fair distribution of time between producers and programmes;
    9. To ensure the upkeep of any rooms occupied by YSTV and ensure accessibility for all members, and to maintain a pleasant working environment, liaising with the Administration Director, and where necessary University administration;
    10. To ensure that all rooms used by YSTV for meetings and OBs are left in an acceptable condition;
    11. To maintain the Station’s smooth running by ensuring that it is tidy and organised;
    12. To work with the Marketing Director when applying and ordering merchandise.
  4. The Production Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To lead the Production Team;
    2. To encourage the production of a wide range of high-quality programming;
    3. To exercise editorial control over all broadcast output, whether in-house or third- party;
    4. To coordinate the training of YSTV producers, then providing any further support throughout the production process;
    5. To liaise with all other campus societies who are interested in television coverage of their activities;
    6. To coordinate and collate YSTV’s entries for the National Student Television Awards alongside the Head of Post-Production;
    7. To foster and encourage a sense of inclusion and cohesion among all members of the Production Team;
    8. To work with the Station Director and Marketing Director to encourage new members to get involved with YSTV and promote new shows.
    9. To chair weekly Production Meetings, which shall inform all present members about the status of current and upcoming productions and shall give all members the opportunity to pitch their ideas for new projects;
    10. To work alongside the Head of Commercial and, when relevant, the Head of Outreach to: determine which Productions are deemed Commercial, liaise with external clients, and appoint producers for commercial productions;
    11. To ensure that contracts for commercial projects are in the interests of YSTV, and are not at risk of exploitation or of falling through, whilst liaising with the SU for advice;
    12. To make members aware of upcoming events or other potential productions.
    13. To assist the Head of Post-Production with coordinating the logistics of YSTV’s entries to NaSTA Awards and Conferences
  5. The Technical Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To lead the Technical Team;
    2. To oversee the spending of the Technical Team;
    3. To supervise and direct the technical operations of YSTV;
    4. To ensure all equipment owned by YSTV is adequately maintained and safe to use;
    5. To advise YSTV on technical equipment purchases;
    6. To advise YSTV on technical matters;
    7. To provide consistent technical training to members of YSTV;
    8. To maintain an audit of all YSTV equipment, assets, and risk assessments, alongside the Station Director and Treasurer;
    9. To work alongside the Training Officer to deliver relevant technical training to all YSTV members.
    10. To oversee equipment bookings, allocations, and hires through the internal equipment booking system;
    11. To be responsible for the keys to the server rack;
    12. To work with the Computing Director to prepare and develop Disaster Recovery plans to enable continued operation or to restore operation as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency, including the loss of the Computing Director, Station, or broadcast equipment;
    13. To actively encourage all members of the society to engage with tech and reduce the barrier to entry;
    14. To ensure technical training is delivered consistently;
    15. To advise producers on ways to improve the technical quality of their programs
    16. Ensure productions have trained technical members present when needed.
  6. The Computing Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To lead the Computing Team;
    2. To oversee the spending of the Computing Team;
    3. To be responsible for the operations and maintenance of all general-purpose computing equipment owned by YSTV;
    4. To be responsible for YSTV’s compliance with the regulations laid down by the University of York’s IT Services;
    5. To advise YSTV on purchases of computing equipment;
    6. To keep adequate backups of data and software owned by YSTV;
    7. To liaise with the Technical Director in matters concerning broadcast critical computing equipment;
    8. To ensure the security of all network-connected computer equipment; 9. To control access to all computers within the Station;
    9. To work with the SU Data Protection Officer to ensure all information is stored appropriately;
    10. To ensure the continued running and security of YSTV’s Computing Services, including the encryption of all sensitive information;
    11. To ensure the privacy of all users and their data in accordance with the appropriate laws from governing bodies;
    12. To have full unrestricted access to all Computing Services for the purpose of ensuring their continued service and development, including the “root” password for all servers and services used;
    13. To be the “primary owner” of YSTV’s slack;
    14. To ensure continued access to necessary services provided by IT Services for either YSTV or for relevant members of YSTV, whichever is appropriate for a given service;
    15. To be responsible for the keys to the server rack;
    16. To maintain the relationship between YSTV and IT Services;
    17. To prepare, develop, and lead Disaster Recovery plans with the computing team to enable continued operation or to restore operation of Computing Services as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency, including the loss of privileges to Computing Services;
    18. To actively recruit new members and encourage members within the society to engage with computing and reduce the barrier to entry;
    19. To provide consistent and accessible training to members of YSTV relating to computing equipment, systems, and projects.
  7. The Marketing Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To lead the Marketing Team;
    2. To oversee the spending of the Marketing Team;
    3. To oversee YSTV’s presence on Social Media;
    4. To coordinate the promotion of YSTV and its activities to students and the general public;
    5. To ensure that YSTV, both as a media group and as a television station, is well promoted within the student body and the general public;
    6. To encourage new members and the student population to interact more with YSTV;
    7. To coordinate recruitment campaigns for new members;
    8. To deliver consistent and accessible training, covering social media management, appropriate behaviour online, show art creation, reels, and trailers, is association with the Head of Engagement, and Head of Post-Production;
    9. To be the key contact for external clients alongside the Production Director
    10. To be responsible for the acquisition of merchandise for YSTV, and actively seek the best quality and best value for YSTV and its members;
    11. To organise the design of merchandise and work with the Treasurer to organise the application of the merch order, through collaboration with the Head of Engagement.
  8. The Head of Post-Production has the following responsibilities:
    1. To coordinate post-production for all YSTV videos, assigning editors and offering them training and support;
    2. To give constructive feedback on all edit drafts, and to exercise editorial and quality control.
    3. To manage video content, and publish finished videos to YSTV platforms;
    4. To advise the Production Director on decisions related to scheduling and commissioning;
    5. To coordinate, alongside the Production Director, the logistics of YSTV’s entries to the NaSTA conference and awards;
    6. To, alongside the Station Director, help to arrange attendance at NaSTA conferences and awards and be a point of contact for NaSTA queries;
    7. To work with the Marketing Director to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding;
    8. To monitor the quality of all output, and advise producers on ways to improve the appearance and technical quality of their programmes;
    9. To aid the Production Director in assessing and reviewing YSTV’s programming to continually strive to produce programmes of a high quality aimed appropriately at our audience;
    10. To assist the Production Director in coordinate training in post-production from entry-level to motion graphics.
    11. To standardise motion graphics for video content.
  9. The Social Secretary has the following responsibilities:
    1. To encourage members of YSTV to socialise together;
    2. To promote friendship and understanding between members of YSTV;
    3. To organise social events for members of YSTV to facilitate the above;
    4. To encourage people to get involved with YSTV through socials.

Election of the Committee

  1. The committee must be elected by YSTV at a pre-announced Elections meeting (see “Elections”). This must be held at least once every 12 months, ideally within one week following the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  2. The committee members must be democratically elected, by using the system of Single Transferable Vote (STV).
  3. Only current members of the SU are allowed to stand or vote in elections.
  4. All members should be made aware of their ability to stand for election and vote.
  5. If any vacancies occur in the committee during the academic year, they shall be democratically filled as soon as is convenient via a by-election during YSTV’s weekly general meeting.
  6. The entire committee shall automatically step down at the beginning of the yearly Elections Meeting.
  7. The SU Student Activities Officer can call an AGM of any media group, at which elections can be held, with significant cause to do so.
  8. Members are allowed to hold jointly for all officer positions, but not in teams larger than 2 individuals. Additionally all members running jointly for a position must adhere to the following regulations;
    1. In a committee-only vote, the members who hold a joint position shall only have one collective vote.
    2. If the position that is held jointly by two members has a direct Deputy, both members are held responsible to appropriately delegate responsibilities and share information according to the Deputy’s duties and tasks outlined in the YSTV Policy.
    3. Both members who are holding a joint position are responsible to appropriately distributing tasks and responsibilities between themselves. Both members are to be held accountable by YSTV and external parties for any action taken by their position, regardless of the individual who was personally responsible for that action.
    4. In the case of inappropriate distribution of tasks or a general lack of communication between the members holding a joint position, the Station Director to resolve this issue. In the case of the Station Director being the jointly run position in question, this task falls to any member of the Station Management Team.

Dismissal and Resignation of Committee Members

  1. No committee member shall be deemed to be dismissed unless they receive (during their term of office) a vote of ‘no confidence’ from their Committee.
  2. A vote of no confidence must be brought forward at an AGM, EGM, or a YSTV committee meeting. Every member of YSTV is able to motion a vote of no confidence. In order to be successful, the motion must be democratically approved by the majority (more than 50 percent) of present members, as long as the necessary quorum is met.
  3. A dismissed officer may submit themself to an inter-media group vote to confirm or overturn the dismissal. Such vote shall be conducted in consultation with YSTV's Committee.
  4. The resignation of an official shall not be of effect unless given in writing to YSTV's President and until accepted by YSTV's Committee.
  5. If one member of a jointly elected committee position resigns from their role, the other member shall, by default, also step down from their shared position. A by-election shall be held as defined in Section 10.5.
  6. If there is an irreconcilable disagreement between members holding a joint position regarding a major decision related to their role, there shall be a committee vote in the next appropriate weekly general meeting. All present members shall be allowed to cast a vote on what action shall be taken in order to solve the disagreement and decide on the action to be taken.
  7. There is a one-week notice period in which the by-election for the newly vacant role is to be advertised to all YSTV Members, where the original member still holds the role.

Data Protection

  1. All membership personal data is subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, related legislation and the University of York Students' Union procedures.
  2. The Station Director is responsible for the safety and security of all membership personal data held outside of the SU’s software and systems and must take all reasonable steps to ensure access to the SU’s software and systems is not shared without the SU’s consent.
  3. The Station Director is required to successfully undertake GDPR online awareness and compliance training supplied by the SU.
  4. The Station Director must advise the SU’s of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of any such breach.
  5. The Station Director can formally nominate a Data Protection Officer who is responsible for overseeing YSTV’s compliance to GDPR and the SU’s procedures. Key responsibilities of that role include:
    1. Ensuring membership personal data including email addresses are private and confidential and is only used for YSTV membership purposes and contact that would be reasonably expected as part of the membership offer.
    2. Ensuring that all communications are sent via the SUMS Communications platform wherever possible, and not from email accounts. Where this is inconvenient or not possible, YSTV must ensure all bulk or emails must only be sent via blind-copy (“bcc”).
    3. Obtaining the necessary consent from members to hold and process personal data in relation to membership. Given that a contractual relationship exists when a membership is purchased (whether or not cash changes hands), there is no need for explicit consent to be sought by student groups provided they are only using the personal details of members in relation to reasonable membership activities / communications.
    4. Not sharing membership personal data with any other Media Group, university department or external organisation without the prior written consent of the data subject or the SU.
    5. Advising the SU of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of the breach.
  6. Failure to follow the SU’s data protection guidance and procedures will constitute grounds for de-ratification and/or disciplinary procedures.

YSTV’s Finance

  1. All YSTV’s funds will be lodged with the Students’ Union; all monies should be banked with the SU Finance Office.
  2. The President (Chair), Administration Director, and Treasurer shall automatically be signatories to accounts opened by YSTV. The SU must always have an up-to-date signatory list.
  3. Two of these signatories shall be required for each expense claim and for any contract or undertaking, financial or otherwise, on behalf of YSTV; one of whom must be the treasurer.
  4. YSTV’s own funds accounts shall be available for inspection at any reasonable time by any YSTV member on the online membership list, or by the Student Activities Officer or the SU Societies Coordinator.
  5. An annual membership fee is required from all YSTV members, unless YSTV states otherwise, and agrees not to receive a SU grant. The Committee, which is also responsible for its collection, determines this fee.
  6. Students’ Union members shall receive no payment from YSTV, except for legitimate expenses incurred in connection with YSTV business.

Meetings

  1. YSTV can hold committee meetings, general meetings, AGMs and EGMs (Extraordinary General Meetings).
  2. All meetings are open and must be advertised to all members.
  3. The Committee shall give at least 7 days’ notice of an AGM or an EGM and be advertised to YSTV and the SU Student Activities Officer.
  4. The quorum at an AGM shall be 20% of the members of the Media Group or 10 members, whichever is the most.
  5. An EGM can be called by the Station Director, or any member of the committee upon written request or a majority vote by the station membership subject to quorum.
  6. Every member of the committee is to present a review of their time in office and their accomplishments at the AGM.

Amendments to the YSTV Constitution

  1. The Constitution may be amended by 1⁄2 the members present at a General Meeting and notice of any amendment must be delivered to the Administration Director and announced at the next AGM.
  2. If amended, the constitution shall be re-ratified by the SU Student Activities Officer before coming into effect, this includes name change.
  3. If amended and ratified, the Administration Director of YSTV shall ensure the official constitutional document is updated within one month of the ratification and shall ensure that all members of YSTV have access to the updated constitution and are made aware of the amendments.

YSTV Complaints Procedure

  1. This procedure allows members to raise complaints about any issues relating to YSTV.
    1. The safety of activities;
    2. The standards of instruction or leadership;
    3. The standard of equipment used for the activities;
    4. Bullying and harassment;
    5. Disregard for operational policies of the University of York Students' Union including the Equal Opportunities and Safe Space policies.
  2. Complaints should first be addressed to the Station Director or Administration Director. In no circumstances can individuals or student groups attempt to implement sanctions. Sanctions can only be issued by the SU directly if it is deemed appropriate following a formal misconduct process stated in 16.4;
  3. SU’s Code of Conduct (Bye-Law 12) will be followed in addressing Formal Complaints.
  4. If this initial process does not provide a satisfactory outcome, a formal complaint should be made to our Student Conduct team via our Code of Conduct Complaint Submission Form, triggering the use of the University of York Students' Union’s Code of Conduct process. Any queries about this process or a specific complaint can be directed to studentconduct@yorksu.org
  5. No member shall be deemed to be suspended or excluded without a formal process involving the SU. This is to ensure fairness and transparency of processes.

Suspensions and Exclusion

  1. Individuals and student groups are not permitted to take action themselves and a decision to escalate an incident to the SU will not always result in a suspension or exclusion. The SU will follow the process in the Code of Conduct and take the most appropriate course of action.
  2. For more details about this process, please refer to the Code of Conduct.
  3. Any member facing exclusion from a Media Group must have a fair hearing at which they have the right to speak in their defence, have a supporter present and have been advised of the allegations made, and supporting evidence disclosed at least 7 clear days in advance.
  4. The panel for the hearing will be chaired by the Activities Officer with the following additional members: a member of the Media Committee (who is not a member of any other Media Group in the same category as the Media Group) and a member of the York Sport Committee, neither of whom should have previous knowledge of the nature of the allegations, and a SU Staff member who will minute the meeting.
  5. Any decision to exclude a member requires a majority vote from the panel and must be communicated in writing, with a statement of reasons, to the excluded member within 7 days.
  6. A member may appeal against any decision to suspend or exclude them on the grounds of lack of adherence to process, provision of further evidence or evidence that the decision was biassed or prejudiced. The member must communicate their intention to appeal in writing to the University of York Students' Union.
  7. Any appeal of a decision to suspend or exclude a member must be heard by a panel who were not involved with the original decision, have no prior knowledge of the case and will be chaired by a Full Time Officer. Ideally this panel will also consist of one more member each from the Media Committee and the York Sport Committee. However the panel will primarily be constituted with a view to fairness and elimination of conflict of interest.
  8. An appeals panel only has the power to uphold or overturn a decision by the initial panel. They may not suggest alternative sanctions.

Dissolution

  1. YSTV may be dissolved if deemed necessary by the members in a simple majority vote at an AGM or EGM. Any assets or remaining funds after debts have been paid shall revert to the SU, in line with charity law requirements.
  2. In exceptional circumstances, YSTV may also be dissolved by the Media Committee if deemed necessary and subject to the approval of the Activities Officer.

Declaration (All Committee Members)

  1. As a YSTV Committee Member I agree to abide by, enforce, and operate in accordance with this Constitution, SU’s Constitution, and SU’s Policies and guidelines in the Resource Hub.
  2. As a YSTV Committee Member I also agree to report any grammar or spelling errors to the Administrative Director, as soon as possible.
  3. (In the form as originally submitted to the SU, each member of the committee signed below)