YSTV Constitution

Purpose of this document

To assist future committees in the production of a Constitution that outlines their duties, responsibilities and guidances which members are expected to abide by.
To provide YUSU with details about YSTV.

Name of the Media Group

The Media Group’s name shall be York Student Television. It will be referred to henceforth as ‘YSTV’.
Those chosen to collectively represent the ‘YSTV’, shall be referred to as the ‘Committee’.

Aims and Objectives of YSTV

The aims and objectives of YSTV are to promote the interests of the given activity amongst members of YSTV.
To provide an opportunity for members of YSTV to meet and participate in the given activities together.
To act on behalf of and in the interests of YSTV members.
To assist in the safe education and introduction of students to the given activity through the use of courses and experienced members.
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 and the student body;
3. To provide opportunities for members to meet and network with members of the TV industry.
These objectives shall be:
1. To provide coverage, where possible and desired, of major campus 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.

Code of Practice

A member must not participate in or omit to mention anything which might cause injury/damage to themselves or others.
All members must adhere to the health and safety rules and procedures of YUSU, YSTV and the University.
No members should attend workshops, activities and meetings under the influence of drink and/or drugs.
No member should undertake any action that may bring the reputation of YSTV, YUSU or the University into disrepute.
Respect the different viewpoints of YSTV members if different from your own.
Respect the property of the University, YUSU, YSTV and media group members.
All members should have access to the contact details of the whole committee.
The Committee shall oversee health and safety, coordinate safety checks and PAT test electrical goods owned by YSTV.
Participant selection for media group activities should be objective.
Socials (and the activities within) are opt-in only and shall have no bearing on any status within YSTV, and/or media group elections.
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.
Members of YSTV will not apply what may be perceived as peer pressure upon individuals in any social situation.
Breaches of this code of practise may result in a disciplinary hearing carried out by the Student Activities Officer.
Additional Code of Practice:
1. Additional code of practice for YSTV may be found in the YSTV Policy.
YSTV and all its members are to adhere to the regulations of the GDPR – especially when dealing with external clients, interviewees, guests and actors.

Membership of the Media Group

Membership of YSTV will be open to all registered students of the Union of the University of York.
Membership of YSTV will be open to non-student individuals who recognise the potential dangers of the given activity. Members shall be aware of these risks and agree to be responsible for their own actions.

Management of YSTV

Management of YSTV will be entrusted to the Committee (see point 9.0).

Rules of the Media Group

The Committee shall have the power to set YSTV's rules, in accordance with YSTV's Constitution.

YSTV's Finance

All YSTV’s funds will be lodged with the Students’ Union; all monies should be banked with the YUSU Finance Office.
The President (Chair), Station manager Secretary and Treasurer shall automatically be signatories to accounts opened by YSTV. YUSU must always have an up-to-date signatory list.
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.
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.
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.
Students’ Union members shall receive no payment from YSTV, except in legitimate expenses incurred in connection with YSTV business.

YSTV’s Committee

A Committee will conduct YSTV’s administration. This will not operate in an autonomous manner, but will satisfy all members.
The democratically elected Committee must consist of:
1. President (Chair)
2. Secretary
3. Treasurer
Plus any other members you wish to elect to your Committee but you must name their positions below:
1. Station Director (also the President/Chair of YSTV);
2. Station Manager;
3. Production Director;
4. Technical Director;
5. Computing Director;
6. Head of Marketing;
7. Head of Presentation;
8. Social Secretary.
All of the Committee must be current registered students of the University of York.
Each Committee shall serve one complete year, unless re-elected.
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.
All Committee positions are not to be held by a member who is on a year in industry (outside of York) or a year abroad.

Election of the Committee

The committee members must be democratically elected, by using the system of Single Transferable Vote.
Only current members are allowed to stand for elections.
The committee must be elected by YSTV at a pre-announced Elections meeting (see "Elections"). This must be held at least once in every 12 month period, ideally within one week following the AGM.
All members should be made aware of their ability to stand for election and vote.
Non-members and non-YUSU members shall not be permitted to vote or stand for election.
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.
The YUSU Student Activities Officer can call an AGM of any media group, at which elections can be held, with significant cause to do so.
The entire committee shall automatically step down at the beginning of the yearly Elections Meeting.
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. 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 10.6.
2. In committee-only votes, the members which hold a joint position shall only have one collective vote.
3. If there is an irreconcilable disagreement between members holding a joint position in regards to 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.
4. If the position that is held jointly by two members has a direct Deputy, both members are responsible to appropriately delegate responsibilities and share information according to the Deputy’s duties and tasks outlined in the YSTV Policy.
5. Both members who are holding a joint position are responsible for 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
6. In the case of inappropriate distribution of tasks or a general lack of communication between the members holding a joint position, the Station Director and the Social Secretary are to intervene and resolve this issue. In the case of the Station Director being the jointly run position in question, this task falls to the Studio Manager and the Social Secretary.

Duties of YSTV’s Committee

YSTV's President is responsible for:
1. Ensuring that YSTV's policies are adhered to
2. Ensuring the YSTV Committee contains officers named in 8.2
3. Attending YSTV Officer Training and YSTV AGM
4. Calling and chairing meetings of your societies committee
5. Delegating tasks
6. Being a spokesperson/figurehead
7. Maintaining committee enthusiasm
8. Publicising YSTV
9. Any other duties as agreed by the Committee.
10. Ensuring the actions taken by YSTV do not damage its longevity and take measures to future-proof the operation of the station
YSTV's Secretary is responsible for:
1. Attending Media Group Officer Training and the YSTV AGM
2. Taking care of YSTV's admin
3. Keeping YSTV’s backpages up-to-date, including signatories and memberships
4. Arranging meetings and book rooms or venues
5. Creating agendas and keeping minutes of meetings as necessary
6. Communicating regularly with your members
7. Being aware of key dates for YSTV throughout the year
8. Collecting post from Activities Office when you receive an email
9. Reading and managing YSTV emails, post, and official requests on social media
10. Organising the AGM (Annual General Meeting) in association with YSTV's President
11. Any other duties as agreed by the Committee
The Treasurer is responsible for:
1. Administering YSTV’s finances in accordance with the Constitution, Laws and By-Laws of YUSU
2. Attending Media Group Officer Training and YSTV's AGM
3. Learn and understand the Students’ Union financial system
4. Keep track of all income/expenditure
5. Keep the committee and members informed of the YSTV’s financial situation
6. Countersign every claims form and transport form
7. Oversee the budget for each event or production that requires expenditure
8. To set fees and manage invoices for equipment hire for non-YSTV projects in association with the Technical Director;
9. Any other duties as agreed by the Committee
In addition to those noted for the YSTV President above, the Station Director has the following duties:
1. To organise (with the Secretary) and chair the AGM;
2. To coordinate and support the other Officers of YSTV;
3. To ensure that the membership are kept informed of and encouraged to participate in all YSTV’s activities;
4. To work with YUSU and the University to secure the continued independence of YSTV;
5. To deal with external clients, the press and media (both campus and commercial), in association with the Head of Marketing.
The Station Manager is responsible for the smooth running of the Station and has the following duties:
1. To deputise the Station Director;
2. To be the Team Leader for the Administration Team;
3. To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes within YSTV;
4. To coordinate and support the other Officers in YSTV;
5. To coordinate usage of YSTV’s space, equipment and members with the Production Team to ensure fair distribution of time between producers and programmes;
6. To work closely with the Social Secretary to encourage friendship within YSTV;
7. To ensure the upkeep of any rooms occupied by YSTV and to maintain a pleasant working environment, liaising with University administration where necessary;
8. To ensure that all rooms used by YSTV for meetings and OBs are left in an acceptable condition;
9. To maintain the Station’s smooth running by ensuring that it is tidy and organised;
10. To oversee the management of key card access and ensure that only members on the key list have key-card access to the Studio;
11. 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.
12. To be responsible for Health and Safety within the day-to-day working of YSTV;
13. To oversee 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 YUSU if necessary.
The Production Director has the following duties:
1. To be Team Leader for the Production Team;
2. To manage the Team’s budget;
3. To encourage production of a wide range of high quality programming, assisting producers if needed;
4. To exercise editorial control over all broadcast output, whether in-house or third-party;
5. To coordinate and support producers of all YSTV productions;
6. To liaise with all other campus societies who are interested in television coverage of their activities;
7. To coordinate and collate YSTV’s entries for the National Student Television Awards alongside the Head of Presentation;
8. To encourage all members of the Production Team to feel part of the Team;
9. To work with the Station Director and Head of Marketing to encourage new members to get involved with YSTV and promote new shows.
10. 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 bring forth their ideas for new projects;
11. To liaise with external clients alongside the Head of Marketing and appoint producers for commercial productions;
12. 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 YUSU for advice;
13. To make members aware of upcoming events or other potential productions.
The Head of Marketing has the following duties:
1. To oversee the spending of YSTV’s marketing budget;
2. To coordinate the raising of money for YSTV through advertising, sponsorship and other commercial activities, in collaboration with the Treasurer;
3. To ensure that non-production contracts entered into with commercial organisations are not at the risk of exploitation or of falling through, whilst liaising with YUSU;
4. To ensure that all contracts entered into with advertisers and sponsors are met;
5. To coordinate the promotion of YSTV and its activities to students and the general public;
6. To be responsible for the acquisition of merchandise for YSTV, and actively seek the best quality and best value for YSTV and its members;
7. 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;
8. To encourage new members and the student population to interact more with YSTV;
9. To coordinate recruitment campaigns for new members;
10. To oversee YSTV’s presence on Social Media;
11. To be responsible for uploading consistent social media posts at YSTV events by fulfilling these responsibilities themselves or delegating this responsibility to another member.
12. To be the first point of contact for external clients alongside the Production Director;
The Technical Director has the following responsibilities:To be Team Leader for the Technical Team;
1. To oversee the spending of Technical Team;
2. To supervise and direct the technical operations of YSTV;
3. To ensure all equipment owned by YSTV is adequately maintained and safe to use;
4. To advise YSTV on technical equipment purchases;
5. To advise YSTV on technical matters;
6. To maintain an up to date audit of all YSTV equipment, assets and risk assessments, alongside the Station Director and Station Manager;
7. To deliver relevant technical training to all YSTV members.
8. To oversee equipment bookings, allocations and hires through the internal equipment booking system;
9. To be responsible for the keys to the server rack;
10. 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.
11. To actually get sleep at least twice every week
The Computing Director has the following responsibilities:
1. To be Team Leader for the Computing Team;
2. To oversee the spending of 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;
10. To work with the YUSU Data Protection Officer to ensure all information is stored appropriately;
11. To ensure the continued running and security of YSTV’s Computing Services, including the encryption of all sensitive information;
12. To ensure the privacy of all users and their data in accordance with the appropriate laws from governing bodies;
13. 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;
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 work with the Technical 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.
18. 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.
The Head of Presentation has the following responsibilities:
1. To work with the Head of Marketing to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding;
2. To monitor the quality of all output, and advise producers on ways to improve the appearance and technical quality of their programmes;
3. To work closely with the Production Director to nurture producers and productions, encouraging the development of high quality output;
4. To work closely with the individual Team Leaders to equip producers and other members with the skills necessary to maintain high standards of output;
5. 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;
6. To coordinate the logistics of YSTV’s entries to and attendance of the NaSTA conference and awards and be the first point of contact for NaSTA queries.
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.

Representation in YUSU Media Comittee

YSTV shall be represented at YUSU’s Media Committee by the Media Committee Representative, as elected by YSTV’s membership.
The Media Committee Representative is an elected role, that is not tied to YSTV’s committee or officership, and can therefore be held by any paid member, regardless of whether the individual already holds an elected role.
The Media Committee Representative shall be newly elected in week 1 of summer term, or at the nearest possible convenience, to allow for a sufficient handover period from outgoing to incoming Media Committee Representative. This election shall be held akin to any given by-election during an EGM. The outgoing Media Committee Representatives term in office ends after the grant application during the third term and the newly appointed representative should join them at this meeting to shadow the process.
YSTV’s regulation to hold a position jointly between two members does NOT apply to the Media Committee Representative; the role can only be filled by one individual at the time. However, standard dismissal and resignation procedures apply to the position, as defined in section 13.
The Media Committee Representative is responsible for:
1. Organising, submitting and arguing for YSTV’s annual grant application, and any other grant application that may go through the Media Committee.
2. Representing and speaking in the interests of YSTV at the YUSU Media Committee, a board consisting of representatives from all ratified media groups and the YUSU Activities Officer.
3. Informing the membership regularly about the proceedings within the Media Committee.

Dismissal and Resignation of Committee Members:

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.
1. 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.
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.
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.
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.

Meetings

YSTV can hold committee meetings, general meetings, AGMs (Annual General Meetings) and EGMs (Extraordinary General Meetings).
All meetings are open and must be advertised to all members.
The Committee shall give at least 7 days’ notice of an AGM or an EGM and be advertised to YSTV and the YUSU Student Activities Officer.
The quorum at an AGM shall be 25% of the members of the Media Group or 10 members, whichever is the most.
An EGM can be called by the President (Chair), any member of the committee upon written request or a majority vote by the station membership subject to quorum.
Every member of committee is to present a review of their time in office and their accomplishments at the AGM.

Amendments to the YSTV Constitution

The Constitution may be amended by ½ the members present at a General Meeting and notice of any amendment must be delivered to the Secretary and announced at the next AGM.
If amended, the constitution shall be re-ratified by the YUSU Student Activities Officer before coming into effect, this includes name change.
If amended and ratified, the Secretary 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

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 of YUSU’s Equal Opportunities policy.
Complaints should first be addressed to the YSTV President (Chair). If this does not provide a satisfactory outcome, a Formal Complaint should be made to the Student Activities Officer in writing.
YUSU’s Code of Conduct (Bye-Law 13) will be followed in addressing Formal Complaints.
In serious or unresolved cases, the member will be supported in progressing the complaint through the University's Code of Practice on Harassment and/or Complaints Procedure.

Declaration (All Committee Members)

As a YSTV Committee Member I agree to abide by, enforce and operate in accordance with this Constitution, YUSU’s Constitution, YUSU’s Policies and guidelines in the Resource Hub.

(In the form as originally submitted to YUSU, each member of the committee signed below)