YSTV Constitution
This is the current YSTV constitution. Copies should also be available within the Station.
Introduction
York Student Television (often referred to as YSTV) is a student society based at the University of York, and provides a television service to the staff and students of the University. This document sets out the details of how the society is organised and administered. It may be helpful to read this constitution in conjunction with the current society Policy (see section 10) and with the constitution of York University Student Union.
Aims and objectives
The society aims to provide a television service to the University of York campus, and involve its members in all aspects of the operations of this service. As a part of this, the society seeks to produce original programme content of interest and relevance to the society’s membership and to the student body at large. It seeks to extend the opportunity to produce TV to as many students at possible and the University of York and provide opportunities, wherever possible, for members to network and meet with members of the TV industry.
Terms and definitions
3.1 YSTV is an abbreviation of York Student Television.
3.2 YUSU is an abbreviation of York University Student Union.
3.3 YUM is an abbreviation of York University Media.
3.4 AGM is an abbreviation of Annual General Meeting.
3.5 The terms “YSTV” and “the society” refers to the society membership as a whole.
3.6 “The Station” refers to the rooms occupied by YSTV that are used for the production of television programmes.
3.7 “Facilities” refers to all of the rooms and equipment owned or occupied by YSTV.
3.8 “The Studio” is the room within the Station used for the set of television programmes.
3.9 “The Control Room” is the room within the Station which holds the electronic and computer equipment used in the production of programmes.
3.10 “The Workshop” (colloquially referred to as the “Techie Room”) is the room within the Station used for the construction and maintenance of equipment.
3.11 “in writing” means a printed or handwritten document, which must be signed in person.
3.12 “by email” refers to communication by electronic mail.
3.13 “O.B.” is an abbreviation of ‘Outside Broadcast.’ Any programme produced outside of the studio is considered an outside broadcast.
Membership
4.1 Ordinary members are those members who have paid a subscription fee and in doing so agree to abide by the rules and regulations established in this document and the current policy.
4.2 Ordinary membership is open to all, subject to the rules defined by YUSU.
4.3 Ordinary membership may be withdrawn from any member in the event that they have committed a flagrant and wilful breach of the society Constitution or Policy. The member must be notified in writing or by email at least six days in advance of the society meeting at which the decision will be taken. The member in question has the right to defend themselves in person at the meeting or issue a written statement to the Secretary of the society defending their actions. The matter must be discussed, and then a majority vote will decide whether the membership is to be retracted. Anyone losing their membership forfeits their subscription. The expelled member may appeal to the Student Activity Officer if they feel their expulsion was unfair.
4.4 Honorary membership may be conferred upon anyone by means of a majority vote at a society meeting. It may also be withdrawn by majority vote at a society meeting, but the member in question should receive at least six days notice, by email, of the impending vote. Honorary members do not pay a subscription. They may not serve as officers and have no voting rights at a society meeting.
Officers
5.1 The activities of the society have been divided into five distinct areas. Each area has a team of members associated with it, and each team consists of one or more officers and any other interested members.
5.2 All officers have a right of access to the Station and a right to an official society email address.
5.3 All officers have a responsibility to uphold the society Constitution and Policy and to carry out their duties as defined by the Constitution and Policy.
5.3.1 All officers are expected to abide by YSTV’s Health and Safety Policy and Computing Policy and make sure that all visitors to YSTV are aware and abide by these. Failure to do so may result in ejection from the station.
5.4 No member may hold more than one officership. After the A.G.M. however, vacant posts may be covered by assigning the responsibilities of the post to another officer. Otherwise, the responsibilities fall to the appropriate team leader. If the team leader post is vacant then the responsibility is shared between the Station Director and Deputy Station Director.
5.4.1 A delegate to a post is defined as an officer who has been assigned the responsibilities of an otherwise unheld post.
5.4.2 A post to which a delegate has been assigned is defined as a delegated post.
5.4.3 The Station Director, Deputy Station Director, Production Director, Technical Director, and Computing Officer are exempt from delegations. These posts must be held by a dedicated officer, who in turn should not take on any other post's responsibilities.
5.4.4 An officer may only take on one delegated post in addition to his/her primary officership.
5.4.5 An officer can be delegated to a post by a simple majority vote at a station meeting. This vote occurs in the same way as a regular election as is open to all paid members. A show of hands vote is sufficient, although the officer must leave the room and, as always, any present member may request a secret ballot.
5.4.6 Should another member (who does not hold an officership) wish to stand for the delegated post at a later date, a normal election should take place. The delegate to the post shall be required to relinquish the duties if the election decides in favour of the candidate, however if the election result is to reopen nominations, the delegate to the post shall continue their responsibilities.
5.4.7 Any delegated posts will be reset at the A.G.M. as with any normal officership.
5.4.8 All officers are expected to produce a weekly officer report, either orally in the Station Meeting or, preferably, a written report via the YSTV website.
5.5 In the event of an officer failing to carry out their duties in accordance with the society Constitution and Policy or abusing their powers, a society meeting may take a vote of no confidence in them. The officer must be notified in writing or by email at least six days in advance of the meeting at which the vote is to take place. They have the right to defend themselves in person at the meeting, or to issue a written statement to the Secretary of the society defending their actions. The matter must be discussed, and a majority vote will decide whether the officership is to be retracted. Any member can request to defer the motion to the next station meeting, and the vote to defer the motion will take place before any discussion is carried out. An individual no-confidence motion may only be deferred once.
5.6 Officers must resign if they stand for election to Parliament or to a sabbatical position within YUSU.
5.7 Within each team, one officership is defined as the Team Leader. Team Leader positions may not be held by more than one individual.
5.8 Team Leaders have a right to their own key to the Station, in addition to their rights as officers of the society.
5.9 Team Leaders are responsible for carrying out the duties of any vacant officerships within their team.
5.10 Team Leaders are required to produce a written report to each society meeting describing the activities of their team. This is to submitted via the YSTV website and can be questioned at a station meeting.
5.11 Team leaders at expected to hold a team meeting, open and publicised to all, at least twice a term.
5.12 All officers are responsible for organising and providing adequate training of new and existing members in areas relating to the team in which they belong.
5.13 The Director is responsible for the society as a whole and has the following duties:
- to be the chair of the society.
- to ensure that YSTV is promoted within YUSU and University bodies.
- to call and chair all meetings of the society in normal circumstances. See section 7 for details of meetings.
- to organise and chair the AGM.
- to coordinate and support the other officers of the society.
- to act as an initial point of contact for general enquiries about the society and its activities, from both within the University and from the general public.
- to ensure that the membership are kept informed of and encouraged to participate in all the society’s activities.
- to ensure that the Constitution and Policy are in accordance with the constitution of YUSU, the ordinances and regulations of the University of York and English law and make sure that the members of YSTV are aware of law and minimise risk.
- to hold the code to the cash box and to be a signatory of any bank accounts held by the society.
- to work with YUSU and the University to secure the continued independence of YSTV.
- to be responsible for health and safety within the day-to-day working of the society.
- to attend YUM co-ordination meetings, with the Production Director, and another member of YSTV.
- to communicate the views of the society to YUSU and the university.
- to deal with the press and media (both campus and commercial), in association with the Commercial Director.
5.14 The Administration team are responsible for the maintenance of the societies records, both secretarial and financial, and other general administrative matters.
5.14.1 The Deputy Station Director is responsible for the smooth running of the station and has the following duties:
- to deputise the Station Director.
- to be the Team Leader for the Administration Team.
- to act as a signatory of any bank accounts held by YSTV.
- to act as a first point of call for any internal disputes within the society.
- to co-ordinate and support the other officers in the society.
- to coordinate usage of the Station and ensure fair distribution of time between producers and programmes.
- to work closely with the social secretary to encourage friendship within the society.
- to ensure the upkeep of any rooms occupied by the society and to maintain a pleasant working environment, liaising with University administration where necessary.
- to ensure that all rooms used by the society for meetings and O.B.s are left in an acceptable condition
- to maintain the control room's smooth running by ensuring that they are tidy and organised, and by monitoring the working order of equipment used for programme making.
- to ensure that the cameras are signed out, and look after tape stock.
- to make sure that YSTV documentation is kept up to date.
5.14.2 The Secretary has the following duties:
- to ensure that all official correspondence is dealt with appropriately, and brought to the attention of other officers and/or a society meeting, as appropriate.
- to ensure that records of the societies membership are kept up to date.
- to ensure that detailed, complete, and accurate minutes of all society meetings are kept on the YSTV website and with YUSU (when requested).
- to hold the planon password and book rooms for YSTV members when asked.
- to co-ordinate the writing of Team Leader reports, and reports from any other officers.
- to work with the Station Director to certify the society with YUSU.
5.14.3 The Treasurer has the following duties:
- to keep detailed and accurate records of the society’s financial status.
- to manage the general station maintenance budget.
- to compile, in consultation with the other officers and the society in general, a budget proposal, when requested to do so by YUSU.
- to manage the society’s finances efficiently, including the payment of bills and collection of debt.
- to be a signatory of any bank accounts held by the society.
- to hold the code to the cash box.
- to be ultimately responsible for all team budgets.
5.15 The Production team are responsible for all in house productions and any rebroadcasting of third party material.
5.15.1 The Production Director has the following duties:
- to be Team Leader for the Production Team.
- to manage the production team budget.
- to encourage production of a wide range of high quality programming, assisting producers if needed.
- to exercise editorial control over all broadcast output, whether in-house or third-party.
- to coordinate and support producers of all YSTV Productions.
- to liaise with all other campus societies who are interested in television coverage of their activities.
- to coordinate and collate YSTV’s entries for the National Student Television Awards alongside the Head of Presentation.
- to encourage all members of the Production Team to feel part of the team.
- to work with the Station Director and Commercial Director to encourage new members to get involved with YSTV and promote new shows
5.15.2 The Head of Presentation has the following duties:
- to ensure a coherent and consistent brand identity for the station.
- to work with the commercial team to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding.
- to monitor the quality of all output, and advice producers on ways to improve the appearance and technical quality of their programmes.
- to work closely with the Production Director to nurture producers and productions, encouraging the development of high quality output.
- to work closely with the individual team leaders to equip producers and other members with the skills necessary to maintain high standards of output.
- 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.
- to co-ordinate the logistics of the NaSTA conference and be the first point of call for NaSTA queries.
- to assist the Production Director in preparing YSTV’s entries for the National Student Television Association awards.
5.16 The Commercial team are responsible for YSTV’s public image and for raising money for the society through commercial activities.
5.16.1 The Commercial Director has the following duties:
- to be the Team Leader for the Commercial team.
- to manage the Commercial Team budget.
- to coordinate the raising of money for the society through advertising, sponsorship and other commercial activities.
- to ensure that contracts entered into with commercial organisations are “watertight” and in the interests of the society, whilst liaising with YUSU.
- to ensure that all contracts entered into with advertisers and sponsors are met.
- to coordinate the promotion of YSTV and its activities to students and the general public.
- to be responsible for the acquisition of merchandise for the society, and actively seek the best quality and best value for the society and it’s members.
- to ensure that YSTV, both as a society and as a television station, is well promoted within the student body and the general public.
- to encourage new members and the student population to interact more with YSTV.
- to co-ordinate recruitment campaigns for new members.
- to hold the password of YSTV’s social media accounts and be responsible for their frequent updating.
5.16.2 The Social Secretary has the following duties:
- to encourage members of the society to socialise together.
- to promote friendship and understanding between members of the society.
- to organise social events for members of the society to facilitate the above.
- to encourage people to get involved with YSTV through socials.
5.17 The Technical team are responsible for the technical operations of the society, the maintenance of the society’s equipment, and liaison with other officers of the society with respect to technical matters.
5.17.1 The Technical Director has the following duties:
- to be Team Leader for the Technical team.
- to manage the Technical Team budget.
- to supervise and direct the technical operations of the society.
- to ensure all equipment owned by the society is adequately maintained.
- to advise the society on technical equipment purchases.
- to advise the society on technical matters.
- to ensure that all equipment owned by the society is safe to use.
- to maintain an up to date audit of all society equipment, assets and risk assessments, alongside the Station Director and Deputy Station Director.
- to train all new members of YSTV in technical issues and deliver relevant technical training to all YSTV members.
- to maintain the studio and techie room's smooth running by ensuring that they are tidy and organised, and by monitoring the working order of equipment used for programme making.
5.18 The Computing team are responsible for all computer and network equipment of the society, their operation, and maintenance.
5.18.1 The Computing Officer has the following duties:
- to be Team Leader for the Computing team.
- to manage the Computing Team budget
- to be responsible for the operations and maintenance of all general purpose computing equipment owned by the society.
- to be responsible for the society’s compliance with the regulations laid down by the University of York Computing Service.
- to advise the society on purchases of computing equipment.
- to keep adequate backups of data and software owned by the society.
- to liaise with the Technical Director in matters concerning broadcast critical computing equipment.
- to ensure the security of all network connected computer equipment.
- to control access to all computers within the station.
- to ensure all of YSTV’s network attached broadcasting screens are serviced and functioning.
Rules and regulations
6.1 The society shall conduct its affairs in accordance with the constitution of YUSU, the YUSU Media Charter, OFCOM, the ordinances and regulations of the University of York, and English law. It is the Station Director’s responsibility to uphold this (see 5.13).
6.2 Further to the above, the society shall conduct its affairs without discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other basis. Any member who feels that discrimination has/is occurring should contact the Station Director or YUSU Welfare officer.
6.3 All members of the society are required to comply with the society’s policy on health and safety matters when making use of the society’s facilities.
6.4 The society shall be guided by the Independent Television Commission’s Codes of Practice for Advertising and Journalism, the Advertising Standards Authority’s Code of Practice and by the NUS/NUJ Guidelines for student journalists.
6.5 No member of the society shall be liable for any loss, damage or misfortune which may happen to be incurred by the society during any society business. However, this does not affect their liability for the consequences of any wilful misconduct or negligent act on their part.
6.6 A decision may be taken by a society meeting (or, in an emergency, by a team leader) to withdraw the use of any society facilities from a member if it is decided that the Constitution has been or would have been breached. Any action taken by a team leader under this provision must be reported to and ratified by a subsequent society meeting.
6.7 Keys to the station may be allocated to members other than team leaders at the discretion of the station meeting. The holding of a key to the studio, including those held by team leaders, can be removed by a vote at a station meeting.
Meetings
7.1 Society meetings (sometimes referred to as Station Meetings) shall be held weekly during the term time of the University of York. At least 24 hours of notice is required to members.
7.2 All officers are required to attend station meetings, or present a verbal or written apology to the Secretary, Station Director, or their team leader, giving reasons for their absence.
7.3 If an officer does not attend, and fails to provide an apology, for three consecutive society meetings, a vote of no-confidence may be taken in them, in accordance with the rules laid down in section 5.5.
7.4 Quorum for a society meeting shall be one quarter of the number of serving officers at the time of the meeting and not less than 10% of the total number of ordinary members present.
7.5 The meeting shall ordinarily be chaired by the Station Director. In his or her absence, the person present who is highest in the following list shall chair the meeting:
- Deputy Station Director
- Production Director
- Commercial Director
- Technical Director
- Computing Officer
- Treasurer
- Head of Presentation
- Social Secretary
- Secretary
7.6 The chair of the meeting may be required to defer the chair to the next available person on the above list if they are deemed to be unfit to chair the meeting or have a perceived conflict of interest in the matter under discussion. The decision to defer the chair shall be taken by a simple majority vote.
7.7 All binding decisions regarding the society (except where explicitly described elsewhere in the constitution) shall be passed by a simple majority vote of quoracy except the chair of the meeting. Proxy and postal votes are not permitted. Members may abstain, in which case their vote does not count towards either side. In the event of an even split, the chair of the meeting shall have the casting vote. After the vote, the chair should announce that the motion has been carried or defeated.
7.8 Votes should ordinarily be taken by show of hands, but any member of the society present at the meeting may request a secret ballot. In this case, the ballot should be counted by the Deputy Station Director, or in their absence, by an officer nominated by the chair. They should pass the result to the chair to be announced. The voting figures should also be announced.
7.9 All officers are expected to submit an officer report for the station meeting. They may give a verbal report if preferred at the meeting, however, a written report submitted via the website is preferred.
7.10 The Secretary should circulate copies of the minutes of all previous meetings that await ratification. A vote should be taken at the end of the society meeting to confirm that the minutes are a true and accurate record of the events of those meetings. The minutes should be circulated to the membership within two days of the Station Meeting.
7.11 The agenda for society meetings should take the following format, however, the specific format is at the discretion of the chair:
- Apologies for absence
- Elections for vacant posts
- Show de-brief
- Agenda decided by the Chair of the Meeting
- Any other business
- Shows going out this week.
- Officer Reports and Questions
- Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting
- Vote of approval of the minutes of the last meeting
7.12 The society shall hold an AGM once per academic year, during the first half of the Summer term of the University of York. Ten days notice should be given in writing or by email to all members of the Society. The AGM has the full powers of a society meeting. At the AGM, all of the officerships come up for election. The officers shall serve from the end of the AGM until the end of the following AGM, subject to their resignation or being deprived of their officership by a vote of no confidence at a society meeting.
7.13 The society meeting may create (by majority vote) a working party to address specific matters. This must report to the society meeting on request.
Elections
8.1 Elections may take place at any society meeting.
8.2 The membership shall be notified in writing or by email at least 7 days in advance of the election. The details of the vacant post(s) shall be included in the notification.
8.3 The returning officer shall be the chair of the society meeting, as described above. They are entitled to vote in the elections. If the returning officer wishes to stand for an individual officership they must pass the chair of the meeting to the secretary for the individual position. If both the secretary and returning officer are standing for the same position, then a majority vote will decide who acts as returning officer for the position.
8.4 Members wishing to stand for election should be nominated in writing by two members of the society. The person nominated must be present at the election for the nomination to be valid, and must publicly accept the nomination at the meeting. In the event that a nominated candidate fails to attend, the election will be postponed. Only paid members of the society are eligible to stand.
8.5 All candidates shall be invited to give a speech, which is not to exceed five minutes. During each speech and the subsequent questions, other candidates for the same officership shall be excluded from the room. Candidates should be invited to give speeches in alphabetical order by surname. When all of the candidates have given their speech, the candidates shall return to answer questions put to them all jointly. The order of answering shall be determined by the chair.
8.6 Voting in all elections shall be by secret ballot, according to the Alternative Transferable Voting system, with the addition of an option to reopen nominations. However, if there is only one candidate standing for an officership, a vote of confidence may be taken by show of hands, with the candidate excluded from the room. The candidate shall be elected if they receive more votes in favour than against.
8.7 Only paid members of the society present at the meeting are eligible to vote.
8.8 The returning officer may release the voting figures with the consent of all the candidates, or by request of a majority of two thirds of the membership present at the meeting.
8.9 Any candidate who is elected to an officership shall be deemed to have resigned at the end of the meeting from any other officership that they may hold in the society. Their new officership commences from the end of the meeting. The Constitution
9.1 The society Constitution outlines the aims, objectives, rules, regulations and procedures of the society as an association. It does not cover the specific rules, regulations and procedures required in the day-to-day use of the society’s facilities and equipment.
9.2 The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote (abstentions should be deducted from the number of those eligible to vote) of all members present at a society meeting. Notice of a constitutional amendment shall be given at the previous society meeting, and the membership shall be notified of the proposed amendment at least six days before the vote, in writing or by email.
9.3 It is the Secretary’s responsibility to ensure that whenever the constitution is amended, the out of date copies are destroyed or marked as invalid, and that a new edition is published.
9.4 The society Constitution should be on display prominently within the station, and also made available in electronic form on the society’s web site.
9.5 The Secretary should also ensure that YUSU hold an up-to-date copy of the society Constitution.
The Policy
10.1 The society Policy sets out the rules, regulations and procedures governing the day-to-day use of the society’s facilities and equipment. It covers matters such as equipment loans, production guidelines, charges for commercial services, safety, security, purchasing and other such matters.
10.2 Amendments to the policy should be discussed at a society meeting and may be voted on by a simple majority vote of those members present at the meeting.
10.3 It is the Secretary’s responsibility to ensure that whenever the Policy is amended, the out of date copies are destroyed or marked as invalid, and that a new edition is published.
10.4 The society policy should be on display prominently within the station, and also made available in electronic form on the society’s web site.
