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==Introduction==
==Purpose of this document==
<div style="margin-bottom: .5em; float: right; padding: .5em 0 .8em 1.4em; background: none; width: auto;">__TOC__</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .5em; float: right; padding: .5em 0 .8em 1.4em; background: none; width: auto;">__TOC__</div>THIS SITE IS A BIT OUT OF DATE - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vdx5qAV5Ig2U9wDNRKDGtxQQuwfTihPh/view?usp=sharing for correct constitution
* 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.


'''''York Student Television''''' (often referred to as '''''YSTV''''') is a student society based at the University of York which 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, and should be read within the context of both the current Society Policy (see section 10) and with the constitution of YUSU (the University of York Students’ Union, at [http://yusu.org/ yusu.org]).
==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==
==Aims and Objectives of YSTV==
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 as possible at the University of York and to provide opportunities, wherever possible, for members to meet and network with members of the TV industry.
# 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 training and experienced members.
# These aims shall be:   
## To provide a television service to the University of York campus;
## To produce original programme content of interest and relevance to YSTV’s membership and the student body;
## To provide opportunities for members to meet and network with members of the TV industry.
# These objectives shall be:
## To provide coverage, where possible and desired, of major campus and local events;
## To provide resources and framework for members to make productions of their choosing, subject to approval by YSTV as defined in the Policy;
## To provide a method of broadcasting content, open to all productions and freely accessible to the public;
## To maintain links with the substantial network of YSTV alumni, and develop links with the television industry.


==Terms and Definitions==
==Code of Practice==
# YSTV is an abbreviation of York Student Television.
# A member must not participate in or omit to mention anything which might cause injury/damage to themselves or others.
# YUSU is an abbreviation of University of York Students’ Union.
# All members must adhere to the health and safety rules and procedures of YUSU, YSTV and the University.
# YUM is an abbreviation of York University Media, the informal collection of media societies at the University of York.
# No members should attend activities and meetings under the influence of drink and/or drugs.
# AGM is an abbreviation of Annual General Meeting.
# No member should undertake any action that may bring the reputation of YSTV, YUSU or the University into disrepute.
# The terms "YSTV" and "the Society" refer to the Society’s membership as a whole.
# Respect the different viewpoints of YSTV members if different from your own.
# An "Officer" is an member of the Society elected to a named position concerned with the running of the Society.
# Respect the property of the University, YUSU, YSTV and media group members.
# The "Committee" is a subset of the Officers, defined as those roles specified in the Constitution. Committee members have certain powers and responsibilities, as laid down in the Constitution and Policy, which exceed those of the remaining Officers defined in the Policy.
# All members should have access to the contact details of the whole committee.
# "The Station" refers to the rooms occupied by YSTV that are used for the production of television programmes.
# The Committee shall oversee health and safety, coordinate safety checks and PAT test electrical goods owned by YSTV.
# "Facilities" refers to all of the rooms and equipment owned or occupied by YSTV.
# Participant selection for media group activities should be objective.
# "The Studio" is the room within the Station used for the set of television programmes.
# Socials (and the activities within) are opt-in only and shall have no bearing on any status within YSTV, and/or media group elections.
# "The Control Room" is the room within the Station which holds the electronic and computer equipment used in the production of programmes.
# 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.
# "The Workshop" (colloquially referred to as the "Techie Room") is the room within the Station used for the construction and maintenance of equipment.
# Members of YSTV will not apply what may be perceived as peer pressure upon individuals in any social situation.
# "in writing" means a printed or handwritten document, which must be signed in person.
# Breaches of this code of practise may result in a disciplinary hearing carried out by the Student Activities Officer.
# "OB" is an abbreviation of Outside Broadcast. Any live programme produced outside of the Studio is considered an Outside Broadcast.
# Additional Code of Practice: 
## 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==
==Membership of the Media Group==
# Ordinary members are those members who have paid a membership fee and in doing so agree to abide by the rules and regulations established in this document and the current Policy.
# Membership of YSTV will be open to all registered students of the Union of the University of York.  
# Ordinary membership is open to all, subject to the rules defined by YUSU. Ordinary Members who are not members of YUSU are ineligible for an Officer position and may not vote in elections.
# 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.
# 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 Station 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 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 YUSU Student Activities Officer if they feel their expulsion was unfair.
# Honorary membership may be conferred upon anyone by means of a majority vote at a Station Meeting. It may also be withdrawn by majority vote at a Station 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 Station Meeting.


==Officers==
==Management of YSTV==
# 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.
# Management of YSTV will be entrusted to the Committee (see point 9.0).
#* 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.  
# The management of YSTV is conducted by the Station Management Team, which consists of: the Administration Director, the Production Director, the Technical Director, the Computing Director, the Marketing Director and is led by the Station Director.
#* 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 of and abide by these. Failure to do so may result in ejection from the Society.  
## The Station Management Team should have at least one meeting a term to discuss the overall direction of YSTV and review longer term plans for the year. The first meeting should take place as soon as possible following elections and the newly elected team having received their handovers.
#* All Officers have a right of access to the Station via the key list, their own key to the Station, and a right to an official Society email address.
#* 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’s Officer Reports function.
#* All Officers are responsible for organising and providing adequate training of new and existing members in areas relating to the Team to which they belong.
# Within each Team, one officership is defined as the Team Leader. Team Leader positions may not be held by more than one individual.
#* Team Leaders are responsible for coordinating the activities of their Team and YSTV’s functions within their remit, and report directly to the Station Director.
#* Team Leaders are responsible for carrying out the duties of any vacant officerships within their Team.
#* Team Leaders are expected to hold a Team meeting, open and publicised to all, at least twice a term.
# No member may hold more than one officership. After the AGM 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.
#* A delegate to a post is defined as an Officer who has been assigned the responsibilities of an otherwise unoccupied post.
#* A post to which a delegate has been assigned is defined as a delegated post.
#* The positions of Station Director, Deputy Station Director, Production Director, Commercial Director, Technical Director, and Computing Officer (as Team Leaders) are exempt from delegation. These posts must be held by a dedicated Officer. If the Team Leader post is vacant then the responsibility is shared between the Station Director and Deputy Station Director.
#* An Officer may only take on one delegated post in addition to their primary officership.
#* 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 and 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.
#* Should another member (who does not hold an officership) wish to stand for the delegated post at a later date, a normal by-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.
#* Any delegated posts will be reset at the AGM as with any normal officership.
# 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 Station 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.
# Officers must resign if they stand for election to Parliament or to a sabbatical position within YUSU.
# The '''Station 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 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.
# The '''Administration Team''' are responsible for the maintenance of the Society’s records, both secretarial and financial, and other general administrative matters.
#: 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, and to keep YUSU’s details of Society signatories current;
#::* to act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes within the Society;
#::* to coordinate 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 OBs are left in an acceptable condition;
#::* to maintain the Control Room's smooth running by ensuring that it is 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 maintain overall control of and distribute Station keys to the officership;
#::* to oversee the upkeep of YSTV’s documentation.
#: 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 Station Meeting, as appropriate;
#::* to ensure that records of the Society’s membership are kept up-to-date;
#::* to ensure that detailed, complete, and accurate minutes of all Station Meetings are kept on the YSTV website and with YUSU (when requested);
#::* to hold the Society’s Planon room bookings system password and book rooms for YSTV members when requested;
#::* to coordinate the writing of Team Leader reports, and reports from any other Officers;
#::* to work with the Station Director to ratify the Society with YUSU.
#: 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 yearly budget proposal, when requested to do so by YUSU;
#::* to manage the Society’s finances efficiently, including the payment of bills, collection of debt and reimbursement of claims made;
#::* 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.
# The '''Production Team''' are responsible for all in-house productions and any rebroadcasting of third party material.
#: The '''Production Director''' has the following duties:
#::* to be Team Leader for the Production Team;
#::* to manage the Team’s 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.
#: 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 advise 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 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 '''Commercial Team''' are responsible for YSTV’s public image and for raising money for the Society through commercial activities.
#: The '''Commercial Director''' has the following duties:
#::* to be the Team Leader for the Commercial Team;
#::* to manage the Commercial Team’s 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 its 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 coordinate recruitment campaigns for new members;
#::* to hold the password of YSTV’s social media accounts and be responsible for their frequent updating.
#: 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.
# 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.
#: 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 Workshop's smooth running by ensuring that they are tidy and organised, and by monitoring the working order of equipment used for programme making.
# The '''Computing Team''' are responsible for all computer and network equipment of the Society, their operation, and maintenance.
#: 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’s IT Services;
#::* 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 any and all of YSTV’s network-attached broadcasting screens are serviced and functioning.


==Rules and Regulations==
==Rules of the Media Group==
# 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 5.6).
# The Committee shall have the power to set YSTV's rules, in accordance with YSTV's Constitution.
# 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 occurred should contact the Station Director or YUSU Welfare Officer.
# 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.
# 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.
# 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.
# A decision may be taken by a Station 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 Station Meeting.
# Keys to the Station may be allocated to Ordinary Members 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 majority vote at a Station Meeting. Unauthorised holding of a key may be grounds for disciplinary action involving YUSU, the University or the Police.


==Meetings==
==YSTV's Finance==
# Society meetings (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 all members.
# All YSTV’s funds will be lodged with the Students’ Union; all monies should be banked with the YUSU Finance Office.
# 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.
# 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.
# 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 5.4.
# 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.
# The meeting shall ordinarily be chaired by the Station Director. In their absence, the person present who is highest in the following list shall chair the meeting:
# 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.
#* Deputy Station Director
# 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.
#* Production Director
# Students’ Union members shall receive no payment from YSTV, except in legitimate expenses incurred in connection with YSTV business.
#* Commercial Director
#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.  
#* Technical Director
#The current balances for accounts are available through a spreadsheet saved in the YSTV admin  drive, updated by the treasurer daily and on-request.
#* Computing Officer
#* Treasurer
#* Head of Presentation
#* Social Secretary
#* Secretary
# The agenda for Station Meetings is split into two sub-meetings; the ‘Officers’ Meeting’ and the ‘Production Meeting’. Matters likely of interest only to those involved in the running of the society should be brought to the Officers’ Meeting, though any member may attend if they wish. The separation from the Production Meeting is to allow those members only interested in production work (direct involvement in shows) to attend only the section that interests them and avoid topics such as the passing of budget funds.
# The specific format of Station Meetings is at the discretion of the Chair, however it is advised that they include:
#* Apologies for absence
#* Elections for vacant posts
#* Production de-brief
#* Shows going out this week
#* Officer Reports and Questions
#* Any other business
# 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.
# 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 votes (via a secure and sufficiently real-time method) are permitted in the case of unavoidably absent officers, agreed at the start of the meeting. 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, and the results and voting figures noted in the Minutes.
# Quorum for a Station 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.
# 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.
# 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.
# The Secretary should circulate copies of the Minutes of all previous meetings that await ratification, via email and the relevant folder in the Documents drive on the Station network. The Minutes should be circulated to the membership within two days of the Station Meeting. A member may contest that the Minutes are a true and accurate record of the events of the meeting, and a vote may be taken to amend the document.  
# The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once per academic year, during week 4 of the Summer term. 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 Station Meeting and replaces it for that week.  
# The outgoing Committee shall review the Society Constitution and Policy in advance of the AGM to determine if revisions are required to reflect current practice and conditions.
# The Station Meeting may create (by majority vote) a working party to address specific matters. This must report to the Station Meeting on request.


==Elections==
== YSTV’s Committee==
# Annual society elections take place in week 4 of the Summer term, along with the Annual General Meeting. All Society officerships come up for election. The Officers shall serve from the end of the annual election until the end of the following annual election, subject to their resignation or being deprived of their officership by a vote of no confidence at a Station Meeting.
# A Committee will conduct YSTV’s administration. This will not operate in an autonomous manner, but will satisfy all members.
# In the event of abdication from a position, a vote of no confidence or a vacant position, a by-election may take place at any Station Meeting.
# The democratically elected Committee must consist of:
# The membership and the YUSU Student Activities Officer 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.
##President (Chair)
# The Returning Officer shall be the Chair of the Station Meeting, as described above. They are entitled to vote in the elections or abstain as they wish. 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, the duty of Returning Officer for the position passes to the next most senior position.
##Secretary
# 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.
##Treasurer
# Candidates for Officer positions must have read the YSTV Constitution and Policy before standing for election.
#The Committee should also consist of: 
# If more than one position is up for election, they will be decided in seniority order:
## Station Director (also the President/Chair of YSTV);
#* Station Director
## Administration Director (also the Secretary of YSTV);
#* Deputy Station Director
## Production Director;
#* Production Director
## Technical Director;
#* Commercial Director
## Computing Director;
#* Technical Director
## Marketing Director;
#* Computing Officer
## Head of Presentation;
#* Secretary
## Social Secretary.
#* Treasurer
# All of the Committee must be current registered students of the University of York.
#* Head of Presentation
# Each Committee shall serve one complete year, unless re-elected or they autonomously choose to step-down prior to their one year within the role.  
#* Social Secretary
## 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.  
#* Assistant Production Director
# 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.
#* Assistant Commercial Director
#* Deputy Technical Director
#* Deputy Computing Officer
#* Scheduling Manager
#* OB Coordinator
#* Webmaster
# All candidates shall be invited to give a speech, which is not to exceed five minutes for Committee positions or three minutes for all other officerships. During each speech 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 jointly. The order of answering shall be determined by the Chair.
# 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 (commonly known as RON). 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.
# Only paid members of the Society present at the meeting are eligible to vote. An exception may be made, at the discretion of the Chair, to allow paid members to vote remotely in real time via a secure connection.
# 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.
# 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==
==Election of the Committee==
# 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.
# The committee members must be democratically elected, by using the system of Single Transferable Vote.
# 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 Station Meeting. Notice of a constitutional amendment shall be given at the previous Station Meeting, and the membership shall be notified of the proposed amendment at least seven days before the vote, in writing or by email.
# Only current members are allowed to stand for elections.
# If amended, the constitution shall be re-ratified by the YUSU Student Activities Officer before coming into effect.
# 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.
# It is the Secretary and Computing Officer’s joint 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.
# All members should be made aware of their ability to stand for election and vote.
# The Society Constitution should be on display prominently within the Station, and also made available in electronic form on the Society’s website.
# Non-members and non-YUSU members shall not be permitted to vote or stand for election.
# The Secretary should also ensure that YUSU hold an up-to-date copy of the Society Constitution.
# 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.
## 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.
## In committee-only votes, the members which hold a joint position shall only have one collective vote.
## 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.
## 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.
## 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
## 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 any member of the Station Management Team.


==The Policy==
==Duties of YSTV’s Committee==
# 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.
# YSTV's President is responsible for:
# Amendments to the Policy should be discussed at a Station Meeting and may be voted on by a simple majority vote of those members present at the meeting.
## Ensuring that YSTV's policies are adhered to
# It is the Secretary and Computing Officer’s joint 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.
## Ensuring the YSTV Committee contains officers named in 8.2
# The Society Policy should be on display prominently within the Station, and also made available in electronic form on the Society’s website.
## Attending YSTV Officer Training and YSTV AGM
## Calling, creating agendas for and chairing meetings of YSTV's committee
##Delegating tasks
##Being a spokesperson/figurehead
##Maintaining committee enthusiasm
## Publicising YSTV
##Any other duties as agreed by the Committee.
##Ensuring the actions taken by YSTV do not damage its longevity and taking measures to future-proof the operation of the station.
#The Administration Director is responsible for: 
##Acting as YSTV’s Secretary;
##To be the Team Leader for the Administration Team;
##Taking care of YSTV's admin;
##Keeping YSTV’s backpages up-to-date, including signatories and memberships;  ## Arranging meetings and booking rooms or venues;
##Creating agendas and keeping minutes of meetings as necessary;
##Collecting post from Activities Office when you receive an email;
##Reading and managing YSTV emails, post, and ensuring official requests on social media have  received a response;
##Organising the AGM (Annual General Meeting) in association with YSTV's President
##Overseeing 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;
##To oversee the management of key card access and ensure that only members on the key  list have key-card access to the Studio;
##Updating any spelling or 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 but  secretary must alert committee in an admin meeting.
##To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes and welfare issues within YSTV;
##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;
##To ensure that all new members when signing up have an option to declare any additional needs, and that these needs are met, with the Station Director and YUSU where necessary
##To regularly communicate with members, in addition to writing a section of the weekly emails and support the other Officers in YSTV;
##To work with the Technical Director to be responsible for Health and Safety within the day-to-day working of YSTV;
##Working with Treasurer to ensure facilities and spaces are accessible for all members, and YUSU where necessary, to ensure a pleasant working environment;
##To organise and lead a termly welfare meeting with the committee and implement any agreed changes;
##To coordinate with the Social Secretary before and during social events to ensure all members’ welfare is considered.
#The Treasurer is responsible for: 
## Administering YSTV’s finances in accordance with the Constitution, Laws and By-Laws of  YUSU;
##Learn and understand the Students’ Union financial system;
##Keep track of all income/expenditure;
## Keep the committee and members informed of the YSTV’s financial situation;
##Oversee the budget for each event or production that requires expenditure;
##To set fees and manage invoices for equipment hire for non-YSTV projects in association  with the Technical Director and Head of Commercial;
##To manage YSTV’s inventory (insurance list) and keep it up to date in liaison with the  Technical or Computing Director;
## To coordinate usage of YSTV's space, equipment and members with the Production Team to  ensure fair distribution of time between producers and programmes;
##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 Head of  Welfare and Training, and where necessary University administration;
##To ensure that all rooms used by YSTV for meetings and OBs are left in an acceptable  condition;
##To maintain the Station’s smooth running by ensuring that it is tidy and organised;
### To organise (with the Administration Director) and chair the AGM;
###To coordinate and support the other Officers of YSTV;
###To ensure that the membership are kept informed of and encouraged to participate in all YSTV’s activities;
###To work with YUSU and the University to secure the continued independence of YSTV;
###To deal with external clients, the press and media (both campus and commercial), in association with the Marketing Director and Head of Commercial.
###To be YSTV's Media Committee representative or to delegate the position to another member of the committee.
## To work with the head of marketing on the application for merchandise and placing the order.
#The Head of Welfare and Training is responsible for:
##To deputise the Station Director;
##To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes and welfare issues within YSTV;
##3. 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;
## To ensure that all new members when signing up have an option to declare any additional  needs, and that these needs are met, with the Station Director and YUSU where necessary;
##To coordinate and support the other Officers in YSTV;
##To regularly communicate with members, in addition to writing a section of the weekly  emails and support the other Officers in YSTV;
##To work closely with the Social Secretary to encourage friendship within YSTV;
##To be responsible for Health and Safety within the day-to-day working of YSTV;
## Working with Treasurer to ensure facilities and spaces are accessible for all members, and  YUSU where necessary, to ensure a pleasant working environment;
## To organise and lead a termly welfare meeting with the committee and implement any  agreed changes;
##To oversee YSTV training;
## To coordinate with the team leads to ensure training is delivered consistently, effectively,  and frequently;
##Set out learning objectives for training;
##To be the point of contact for training requests and defer to team lead's where necessary;
##To ensure that communication of training is handled correctly;
##Aim to give at least a week's notice for any training opportunities;
##Communicate training opportunities on appropriate mediums;
##Recommend members to appropriate training opportunities;
##Where possible, encourage and develop different mediums of training delivery;
##Maintain list of who has been trained;
##Maintain list of training opportunities.
 
#The Production Director has the following duties:
##To be Team Leader for the Production Team;
##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 Marketing Director to encourage new members to get involved with YSTV and promote new shows.
##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;
##To work alongside the Head of Commercial and, when relevant, Head of Outreach to: determine which Productions are deemed Commercial, liaise with external clients and appoint producers for commercial production
##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;
##To make members aware of upcoming events or other potential productions.
##To assist Head of Presentation with coordination of the logistics of YSTV’s entries to NaSTA Awards and Conferences.
# The Technical Director has the following responsibilities:
##To be Team Leader for the Technical Team;
##To oversee the spending of Technical Team;
##To supervise and direct the technical operations of YSTV;
##To advise, alongside the equipment officer, YSTV on technical equipment purchases;
##To advise YSTV on technical matters;
##To work with the training officer to deliver relevant technical training to all YSTV members.
##To oversee equipment bookings, allocations and hires through the internal equipment booking system;
##To liaise with Head of Commercial on technical opportunities for commercial productions
##To be responsible for the keys to the server rack;
##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.
##To get at least two hours of sleep every night.
##To actively encourage all members within the society to engage with tech and reduce the barrier to entry.
##To advise producers on ways to improve the technical quality of their programs
##Ensure productions have trained technical members present when needed
# The Computing Director has the following responsibilities:
##To be Team Leader for the Computing Team;
##To oversee the spending of Computing Team;
##To be responsible for the operations and maintenance of all general purpose computing equipment owned by YSTV;
##To be responsible for YSTV’s compliance with the regulations laid down by the University of York’s IT Services;
##To advise YSTV on purchases of computing equipment;
##To keep adequate backups of data and software owned by YSTV;
##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 work with the YUSU Data Protection Officer to ensure all information is stored appropriately;
##To ensure the continued running and security of YSTV’s Computing Services, including the encryption of all sensitive information;
##To ensure the privacy of all users and their data in accordance with the appropriate laws from governing bodies;
##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;
###To be the "Primary Owner" of YSTV's Slack.
##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;
##To be responsible for the keys to the server rack;
##To maintain the relationship between YSTV and IT Services;
##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.
##To actively recruit new members and encourage members within the society to engage with computing and reduce the barrier to entry.
# The Marketing Director has the following responsibilities:
##The Marketing Director has the following responsibilities:
##To be Team Leader for the Marketing Team;
##To oversee the spending of Marketing Team;
##To coordinate the raising of money for YSTV through advertising and sponsorship, in collaboration with the Treasurer and Head of Commercial;
##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;
##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 ensure that YSTV, both as a media group 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 coordinate recruitment campaigns for new members;
##To be the key contact for external clients alongside the Production Director;
##To oversee YSTV’s presence on Social Media;
##Being responsible for the acquisition of merchandise for YSTV, and actively seek the best quality and best value for YSTV and its members;
##Organise the design of merchandise and work with the treasurer to organise the application of the merch order
#The Head of Presentation has the following responsibilities:
##To work with the Marketing Director to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding;
## To monitor the quality of all output, and advise 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 Liaise with  the Training Officer to train and standardise the display of motion-graphics for video content.
##To coordinate, alongside the Production Director, the logistics of YSTV’s entries to the NaSTA conference and awards.
##To, alongside the Station Director, help to arrange attendance to Nasta conference and awards and be a point of contact for NaSTA queries
##To coordinate post-production for all YSTV videos, assigning editors and offering them training and support;
##To give constructive feedback on all edit drafts, and to exercise editorial and quality control;
##To manage video content, and publish finished videos to, YSTV platforms;
##To advise the Production Director on decisions related to scheduling and commissioning.
##Update language for NaSTA stuff as above
##To work with the Marketing Director to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding;
##To monitor the quality of all output, and advise producers on ways to improve the appearance and technical quality of their programmes;
##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;
#The Social Secretary has the following responsibilities:
##To encourage members of YSTV to socialise together;
##To promote friendship and understanding between members of YSTV;
##To organise social events for members of YSTV to facilitate the above;
##To encourage people to get involved with YSTV through socials.
Data Protection
*All membership personal data is subject to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), law and YUSU procedures.
*The Lead Signatory is responsible for the safety and security of all membership personal data held outside of YUSU software and systems and must take all reasonable steps to ensure access to YUSU software and systems is not shared without YUSU consent.
*The Lead Signatory is required to successfully undertake GDPR online awareness and compliance training supplied by YUSU.
*The Lead Signatory must advise YUSU of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of any such breach.
* The Lead Signatory can formally nominate a Data Protection Officer from the Lead Signatory who is responsible for overseeing the society’s compliance to GDPR and YUSU procedures.
Key responsibilities include:
#Membership personal data including email addresses are private and confidential and should only be used for society membership purposes and contact that would be reasonably expected as part of the membership offer.
#Bulk or multiple emailing must only be done as “bcc”.
#The Lead Signatory is responsible for obtaining the necessary consents from members to hold and process personal data in relation to membership.
#The Lead Signatory must not share membership personal data with any other society, university department or external organisation without the prior written consent of the data subject or YUSU.
#The Lead Signatory must advise YUSU of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of the breach.
#Failure to follow YUSU’s data protection guidance and procedures will constitute grounds for de-ratification and/or disciplinary procedures.
 
 
== Representation in YUSU Media Comittee==
#YSTV shall be represented at YUSU’s Media Committee by the Media Committee Representative.
#The Media Committee Representative is responsible for:
## Organising, submitting and arguing for YSTV’s annual grant application, and any other grant application that may go through the Media Committee.
##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.
##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.
##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 Administration Director 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 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==
 
This procedure allows members to raise complaints about any issues relating to the
Society, including (but not limited to):
16.1.1. The safety of activities.
16.1.2. The standards of instruction.
16.1.3. The standard of equipment used for the activities.
16.1.4. Bullying and harassment.
16.1.5. Disregard for operational policies of YUSU including the Equal Opportunities and Safe Space policies.
16.2. Complaints should first be addressed in writing to the Society President/Chair. When a complaint is made, the President/Chair must consult YUSU for advice.
16.3. If this initial process does not provide a satisfactory outcome, a Formal Complaint should be made to the Student Activities Officer in writing, triggering the use of YUSU’s Code of Conduct (Bye-Law 12) which will be followed in addressing Formal Complaints.
16.4. In serious or unresolved cases, the member will be supported by YUSU 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)


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Latest revision as of 15:27, 2 April 2024

Purpose of this document

THIS SITE IS A BIT OUT OF DATE - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vdx5qAV5Ig2U9wDNRKDGtxQQuwfTihPh/view?usp=sharing for correct constitution

  • 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

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

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 on behalf of and in the interests 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 and the student body;
    3. To provide opportunities for members to meet and network with members of the TV industry.
  6. These objectives shall be:
    1. To provide coverage, where possible and desired, of 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.

Code of Practice

  1. A member must not participate in or omit to mention anything which might cause injury/damage to themselves or others.
  2. All members must adhere to the health and safety rules and procedures of YUSU, YSTV and the University.
  3. No members should attend activities and meetings under the influence of drink and/or drugs.
  4. No member should undertake any action that may bring the reputation of YSTV, YUSU or the University into disrepute.
  5. Respect the different viewpoints of YSTV members if different from your own.
  6. Respect the property of the University, YUSU, YSTV and media group members.
  7. All members should have access to the contact details of the whole committee.
  8. The Committee shall oversee health and safety, coordinate safety checks and PAT test electrical goods owned by YSTV.
  9. Participant selection for media group activities should be objective.
  10. Socials (and the activities within) are opt-in only and shall have no bearing on any status within YSTV, and/or media group elections.
  11. 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.
  12. Members of YSTV will not apply what may be perceived as peer pressure upon individuals in any social situation.
  13. Breaches of this code of practise may result in a disciplinary hearing carried out by the Student Activities Officer.
  14. Additional Code of Practice:
    1. Additional code of practice for YSTV may be found in the YSTV Policy.
  15. 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

  1. Membership of YSTV will be open to all registered students of the Union of the University of York.
  2. 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

  1. Management of YSTV will be entrusted to the Committee (see point 9.0).
  2. The management of YSTV is conducted by the Station Management Team, which consists of: the Administration Director, the Production Director, the Technical Director, the Computing Director, the Marketing Director and is led by the Station Director.
    1. The Station Management Team should have at least one meeting a term to discuss the overall direction of YSTV and review longer term plans for the year. The first meeting should take place as soon as possible following elections and the newly elected team having received their handovers.

Rules of the Media Group

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

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. A Committee will conduct YSTV’s administration. This will not operate in an autonomous manner, but will satisfy all members.
  2. The democratically elected Committee must consist of:
    1. President (Chair)
    2. Secretary
    3. Treasurer
  3. The Committee should also consist of:
    1. Station Director (also the President/Chair of YSTV);
    2. Administration Director (also the Secretary of YSTV);
    3. Production Director;
    4. Technical Director;
    5. Computing Director;
    6. Marketing Director;
    7. Head of Presentation;
    8. Social Secretary.
  4. All of the Committee must be current registered students of the University of York.
  5. Each Committee shall serve one complete year, unless re-elected or they autonomously choose to step-down prior to 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.

Election of the Committee

  1. The committee members must be democratically elected, by using the system of Single Transferable Vote.
  2. Only current members are allowed to stand for elections.
  3. 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.
  4. All members should be made aware of their ability to stand for election and vote.
  5. Non-members and non-YUSU members shall not be permitted to vote or stand for election.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. The entire committee shall automatically step down at the beginning of the yearly Elections Meeting.
  9. 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 any member of the Station Management Team.

Duties of YSTV’s Committee

  1. 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, creating agendas for and chairing meetings of YSTV's 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 taking measures to future-proof the operation of the station.
  2. The Administration Director is responsible for:
    1. Acting as YSTV’s Secretary;
    2. To be the Team Leader for the Administration Team;
    3. Taking care of YSTV's admin;
    4. Keeping YSTV’s backpages up-to-date, including signatories and memberships; ## Arranging meetings and booking rooms or venues;
    5. Creating agendas and keeping minutes of meetings as necessary;
    6. Collecting post from Activities Office when you receive an email;
    7. Reading and managing YSTV emails, post, and ensuring official requests on social media have received a response;
    8. Organising the AGM (Annual General Meeting) in association with YSTV's President
    9. Overseeing 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;
    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. Updating any spelling or 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 but secretary must alert committee in an admin meeting.
    12. To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes and welfare issues within 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;
    14. To ensure that all new members when signing up have an option to declare any additional needs, and that these needs are met, with the Station Director and YUSU 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. Working with Treasurer to ensure facilities and spaces are accessible for all members, and YUSU where necessary, to ensure a pleasant working environment;
    18. To organise and lead a termly welfare meeting 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 is responsible for:
    1. Administering YSTV’s finances in accordance with the Constitution, Laws and By-Laws of YUSU;
    2. Learn and understand the Students’ Union financial system;
    3. Keep track of all income/expenditure;
    4. Keep the committee and members informed of the YSTV’s financial situation;
    5. 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 or 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 Head of Welfare and Training, 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;
      1. To organise (with the Administration Director) 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 Marketing Director and Head of Commercial.
      6. To be YSTV's Media Committee representative or to delegate the position to another member of the committee.
    12. To work with the head of marketing on the application for merchandise and placing the order.
  4. The Head of Welfare and Training is responsible for:
    1. To deputise the Station Director;
    2. To act as a first point of contact for any internal disputes and welfare issues within YSTV;
    3. 3. 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;
    4. To ensure that all new members when signing up have an option to declare any additional needs, and that these needs are met, with the Station Director and YUSU where necessary;
    5. To coordinate and support the other Officers in YSTV;
    6. To regularly communicate with members, in addition to writing a section of the weekly emails and support the other Officers in YSTV;
    7. To work closely with the Social Secretary to encourage friendship within YSTV;
    8. To be responsible for Health and Safety within the day-to-day working of YSTV;
    9. Working with Treasurer to ensure facilities and spaces are accessible for all members, and YUSU where necessary, to ensure a pleasant working environment;
    10. To organise and lead a termly welfare meeting with the committee and implement any agreed changes;
    11. To oversee YSTV training;
    12. To coordinate with the team leads to ensure training is delivered consistently, effectively, and frequently;
    13. Set out learning objectives for training;
    14. To be the point of contact for training requests and defer to team lead's where necessary;
    15. To ensure that communication of training is handled correctly;
    16. Aim to give at least a week's notice for any training opportunities;
    17. Communicate training opportunities on appropriate mediums;
    18. Recommend members to appropriate training opportunities;
    19. Where possible, encourage and develop different mediums of training delivery;
    20. Maintain list of who has been trained;
    21. Maintain list of training opportunities.
  1. The Production Director has the following duties:
    1. To be Team Leader for the Production Team;
    2. To encourage production of a wide range of high quality programming, assisting producers if needed;
    3. To exercise editorial control over all broadcast output, whether in-house or third-party;
    4. To coordinate and support producers of all YSTV productions;
    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 Presentation;
    7. To encourage all members of the Production Team to feel part of the 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 bring forth their ideas for new projects;
    10. To work alongside the Head of Commercial and, when relevant, Head of Outreach to: determine which Productions are deemed Commercial, liaise with external clients and appoint producers for commercial production
    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 YUSU for advice;
    12. To make members aware of upcoming events or other potential productions.
    13. To assist Head of Presentation with coordination of the logistics of YSTV’s entries to NaSTA Awards and Conferences.
  2. The Technical Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. To be Team Leader for the Technical Team;
    2. To oversee the spending of Technical Team;
    3. To supervise and direct the technical operations of YSTV;
    4. To advise, alongside the equipment officer, YSTV on technical equipment purchases;
    5. To advise YSTV on technical matters;
    6. To work with the training officer to deliver relevant technical training to all YSTV members.
    7. To oversee equipment bookings, allocations and hires through the internal equipment booking system;
    8. To liaise with Head of Commercial on technical opportunities for commercial productions
    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 get at least two hours of sleep every night.
    12. To actively encourage all members within the society to engage with tech and reduce the barrier to entry.
    13. To advise producers on ways to improve the technical quality of their programs
    14. Ensure productions have trained technical members present when needed
  3. 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;
      1. 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.
  4. The Marketing Director has the following responsibilities:
    1. The Marketing Director has the following responsibilities:
    2. To be Team Leader for the Marketing Team;
    3. To oversee the spending of Marketing Team;
    4. To coordinate the raising of money for YSTV through advertising and sponsorship, in collaboration with the Treasurer and Head of Commercial;
    5. 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;
    6. To ensure that all contracts entered into with advertisers and sponsors are met;
    7. To coordinate the promotion of YSTV and its activities to students and the general public;
    8. 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;
    9. To encourage new members and the student population to interact more with YSTV;
    10. To coordinate recruitment campaigns for new members;
    11. To be the key contact for external clients alongside the Production Director;
    12. To oversee YSTV’s presence on Social Media;
    13. Being responsible for the acquisition of merchandise for YSTV, and actively seek the best quality and best value for YSTV and its members;
    14. Organise the design of merchandise and work with the treasurer to organise the application of the merch order
  5. The Head of Presentation has the following responsibilities:
    1. To work with the Marketing Director 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 Liaise with the Training Officer to train and standardise the display of motion-graphics for video content.
    7. To coordinate, alongside the Production Director, the logistics of YSTV’s entries to the NaSTA conference and awards.
    8. To, alongside the Station Director, help to arrange attendance to Nasta conference and awards and be a point of contact for NaSTA queries
    9. To coordinate post-production for all YSTV videos, assigning editors and offering them training and support;
    10. To give constructive feedback on all edit drafts, and to exercise editorial and quality control;
    11. To manage video content, and publish finished videos to, YSTV platforms;
    12. To advise the Production Director on decisions related to scheduling and commissioning.
    13. Update language for NaSTA stuff as above
    14. To work with the Marketing Director to ensure consistency between on-screen and printed branding;
    15. To monitor the quality of all output, and advise producers on ways to improve the appearance and technical quality of their programmes;
    16. 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. 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.

Data Protection

  • All membership personal data is subject to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), law and YUSU procedures.
  • The Lead Signatory is responsible for the safety and security of all membership personal data held outside of YUSU software and systems and must take all reasonable steps to ensure access to YUSU software and systems is not shared without YUSU consent.
  • The Lead Signatory is required to successfully undertake GDPR online awareness and compliance training supplied by YUSU.
  • The Lead Signatory must advise YUSU of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of any such breach.
  • The Lead Signatory can formally nominate a Data Protection Officer from the Lead Signatory who is responsible for overseeing the society’s compliance to GDPR and YUSU procedures.

Key responsibilities include:

  1. Membership personal data including email addresses are private and confidential and should only be used for society membership purposes and contact that would be reasonably expected as part of the membership offer.
  2. Bulk or multiple emailing must only be done as “bcc”.
  3. The Lead Signatory is responsible for obtaining the necessary consents from members to hold and process personal data in relation to membership.
  4. The Lead Signatory must not share membership personal data with any other society, university department or external organisation without the prior written consent of the data subject or YUSU.
  5. The Lead Signatory must advise YUSU of any breaches of data protection as soon as they are made aware of the breach.
  6. Failure to follow YUSU’s data protection guidance and procedures will constitute grounds for de-ratification and/or disciplinary procedures.


Representation in YUSU Media Comittee

  1. YSTV shall be represented at YUSU’s Media Committee by the Media Committee Representative.
  2. 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:

  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.
    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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

  1. YSTV can hold committee meetings, general meetings, AGMs (Annual General Meetings) 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 YUSU Student Activities Officer.
  4. The quorum at an AGM shall be 25% of the members of the Media Group or 10 members, whichever is the most.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

  1. The Constitution may be amended by ½ 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 YUSU 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

This procedure allows members to raise complaints about any issues relating to the Society, including (but not limited to): 16.1.1. The safety of activities. 16.1.2. The standards of instruction. 16.1.3. The standard of equipment used for the activities. 16.1.4. Bullying and harassment. 16.1.5. Disregard for operational policies of YUSU including the Equal Opportunities and Safe Space policies. 16.2. Complaints should first be addressed in writing to the Society President/Chair. When a complaint is made, the President/Chair must consult YUSU for advice. 16.3. If this initial process does not provide a satisfactory outcome, a Formal Complaint should be made to the Student Activities Officer in writing, triggering the use of YUSU’s Code of Conduct (Bye-Law 12) which will be followed in addressing Formal Complaints. 16.4. In serious or unresolved cases, the member will be supported by YUSU in progressing the complaint through the University's Code of Practice on Harassment and/or Complaints Procedure.

Declaration (All Committee Members)

  1. 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)

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