SASS Constitution and Mandate

SASS Constitution Final Draft (Nov. 9, 2011)

Definitions
1. “SASS” shall refer to the Society of Arts and Social Sciences of Simon Fraser University.
2. “Council” shall refer to the SASS Council.
3. “University” shall refer to the Simon Fraser University.
4. “SFSS” shall refer to the Simon Fraser Student Society.
5. “FASS” shall refer to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Simon Fraser University.
6. “Executive” shall refer to the committee consisting of the President, the Vice President
Internal, the Vice President Student Life, the Vice President External, the Vice President
Academic, the Vice President Communications and Marketing, and the Vice
President Finance.
7. “Policy Decisions” shall be motions requesting Council to speak on behalf of all Arts
and Social Science students.
8. “General Business” shall refer to any business, which does not involve changing
Constitution or by-laws, the Budget, or any policy decision.
9. “Alternate” shall refer to a member of the SASS named to replace a Council member
at a set meeting.
10. “Constitution” shall refer to the SASS Constitution.
11. “Members in good standing of the SASS” shall conform to SFSS By-Laws for
membership status.
12. “Signing officer” shall refer to members of the Executive Committee who have signing
authority on behalf of the SASS.
Part I: The S.A.S.S. Constitution
Section 1 — Name
1.1 The organization shall be known as the “Society of Arts and Social Sciences” of
the Simon Fraser University, hereinafter referred to as the SASS.
Section 2 — Mandate
2.1 The SASS exists to:
2.1.1 Provide a structure to unite students from the departments of the Faculty
of Arts and Social Sciences [FASS], while working in collaboration with
the Simon Fraser Student Society [SFSS].
2.1.2 Represent the diverse needs of and to advocate for student interests
within the FASS to the SFSS, the FASS Administration, the university
Senate, the government, and other organizations.
2.1.3 Establish a framework where students can share experiences, skills and
ideas, and where they can communicate, exchange information, and
debate, thereby building a sense of community among the students
and faculty in FASS.
2.1.4 Collaborate and work with other Arts and Social Sciences Societies
faculties across the country.
2.1.5 Advocate for a system of post-secondary education which is accessible
to all, which is of high quality, which recognizes the legitimacy of student
representation and the validity of student rights, whose role in society is
recognized and appreciated.
2.1.6 Assure the distribution and efficient utilization of SASS funds.
Part II: S.A.S.S.
Section 3 — Membership By-Laws
3.1 Membership shall consist of all undergraduate students currently registered in the
FASS at Simon Fraser University, subject to payment of fees when applicable.
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Section 4 — Membership Fee By-laws
4.1 The SASS may establish a society fee subject to ratification in a referendum, which
shall be paid by every member of the SASS.
4.1.1 Members who are full-time Bachelor of Arts students (as defined by
Simon Fraser University) shall pay one hundred percent (100%) of the
society fee.
4.1.2 Members who are part-time Bachelor of Arts students (as defined by
Simon Fraser University) shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the society fee.
4.2 The society fee shall be collected by the SFSS and redistributed to the SASS
accordingly.
4.3 Any change in the society fee shall be subject to ratification by the SASS
members voting in a referendum called for that purpose.
Section 5 — Finances By-laws
5.1 The financial year of the SASS shall be from May 1st until April 30th.
5.2 At no point shall the SASS intentionally enter into a budget deficit.
5.3 There shall be a set of Financial Regulations inscribed in the policies of the SASS,
governing the finances of the SASS.
5.4 The accounts of the SASS shall be maintained according to standard accounting
practices and shall be available to the membership.
5.4.1 Any member wishing to see the accounts of the SASS must submit a
request in writing to the chair of the Finance Committee.
5.4.2 The chair of the Finance Committee shall respond to any requests by
members to see the accounts of the SASS within two (2) full weeks.
Part III: Organization By-laws
Section 6 — Powers and Duties of the SASS Council
6.1 The governing body of the SASS shall be known as the Council and as such shall:
6.1.1 Recognize the authority of the SASS Constitution and be bound by it.
6.1.2 Be empowered to make all decisions and take action on behalf of the
SASS
6.1.3 Create the SASS annual budget.
6.1.4 Establish Committees of Council where and when it deems necessary.
6.1.5 Establish new executive positions where and when it deems necessary.
6.1.5.1 New positions must be filled by vote at general elections.
6.2 The terms of office for members of the SASS Council shall be for one (1) fiscal year.
Section 7 — Members of the SASS Council
7.1 The Council shall consist of:
7.1.1 The members of the executive committee as defined by Section 12.
7.1.2 An elected representative for first, second, third, and fourth year as
defined by Section 7.3 through Section 7.6.
7.1.3 A representative of each of the FASS DSUs to be chosen in accordance
with their respective union`s constitution.
7.1.4 The SFSS Arts Representative.
7.1.5 Speaker of Council (non-voting).
7.1.6 Recording Secretary (non-voting).
7.2 The Arts Representative to SFSS shall:
7.2.1 Be a voting member of Council and be bound by the Constitution and
By-Laws.
7.2.2 Consult with Council and reasonably represent the prevailing views of
Council at SFSS meetings.
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7.2.3 Report the relevant and/or important discussions and decisions of SFSS
to Council and of Council to SFSS.
7.2.4 Serve as a liaison between Arts students and the SFSS.
7.3 The First Year Representative shall:
7.3.1 Chair a First Years Committee.
7.3.2 Encourage and, in conjunction with appropriate committees, organize
such events that will benefit SASS members in their first year of university.
Specific projects may include involvement with orientation, Frosh and
the adjustment to university life.
7.3.3 Encourage and support the involvement of first year students with the
SASS.
7.3.4 Act as a liaison between the SASS and first year FASS undergraduate
students.
7.3.5 At time of election, be within the credit range for this year, as defined by
the university.
7.4 The Second Year Representative shall:
7.4.1 Serve on at least one committee of the SASS.
7.4.2 Encourage and support the involvement of second year students with
the SASS.
7.4.3 Act as a liaison between the SASS and second year FASS
undergraduate students.
7.4.4 At time of election, be within the credit range for this year, as defined by
the university.
7.5 The Third Year Representative shall:
7.5.1 Serve on at least one committee of the SASS.
7.5.2 Encourage and support the involvement of third year students with the
SASS.
7.5.3 Act as a liaison between the SASS and third year FASS undergraduate
students.
7.5.4 At time of election, be within the credit range for this year, as defined by
the university.
7.6 The Fourth Year Representative shall:
7.6.1 Serve on at least one committee of the SASS.
7.6.2 Encourage and support the involvement of fourth year students with the
SASS.
7.6.3 Act as a liaison between the SASS and the fourth year FASS
undergraduate students.
7.6.4 At time of election, be within the credit range for this year, as defined by
the university.
7.7 Speaker of Council:
7.7.1 Is the neutral Chair of Council.
7.7.2 Is a non-council member nominated by the Executive Committee, and
ratified by Council.
7.7.3 Shall be a non-voting member of Council, unless there is a tie in council,
in which case the speaker shall cast the tie breaking vote.
7.7.4 May be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of Council.
7.8 The Recording Secretary:
7.8.1 Shall take the minutes of Council.
7.8.2 Shall be a non-voting member of Council.
7.8.3 Be responsible for setting and sending out Council agendas and related
documents prior to Council.
7.8.4 Oversee the preparation of the minutes of SASS meetings.
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7.8.5 Shall transmit the minutes to the Vice-President Internal.
7.9 No member of the SASS may concurrently hold more than one position on
Council.
7.10 No member of the SASS Council, including the Executive Committee, shall be a
paid position.
Section 8 — Departmental Student Unions
8.1 Each Departmental Student Union [DSU] in the FASS, as defined by the SFSS, shall
be entitled to a representative on council.
8.2 DSUs must hold annual elections in accordance with the SFSS Departmental
Student Union Electoral by-laws and their own constitutions.
8.2.1 The DSU may elect its own representative, but in the absence of an
elected council representative the duty shall fall to the president of the
DSU.
8.3 Each DSU shall have a single representative with a single vote on council, in
accordance with Section 9 of the Constitution.
8.4 Each DSU must send a minimum of one (1) student representative from its DSU to
sit on a minimum of one (1) SASS committee, not including council.
8.5 DSUs must have their own Constitution. The Vice-President Internal of the SASS
must keep updated copies of all DSU Constitutions.
8.6 DSUs may not issue their own compulsory student fee, independent of any SASS
base fees.
8.7 DSUs shall recognize the authority of the SASS Constitution, By-laws, and Council.
Section 9 — Meetings of Council
9.1 The Council shall hold regular meetings at least once (1) per month while classes
are in session during the fall and spring semesters.
9.1.1 The Council shall hold at least two (2) meetings while classes are in
session during the summer semester.
9.2 Council meetings shall be open to all members of the SASS whom are in good
standing as defined by the SFSS. With the exception stated in Article 9.6.
9.3 Council meetings shall be such that only Council members may move or second
motions.
9.4 Except where otherwise specified in this Constitution and by-laws, voting and
procedure shall be as specified in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order
Newly Revised.
9.5 Notice of all meetings shall be given to all members of Council at least three (3)
days in advance. In pressing and substantial cases, the President or Executive
Committee may call an emergency meeting no less than twenty-four (24) hours in
advance.
9.5.1 DSUs will have their seat on SASS Council suspended indefinitely if they
fail to attend two (2) or more scheduled meetings or two or more
emergency meetings over the course of the semester.
9.5.1.1 DSUs with suspended seats must notify the President in writing five
(5) days prior to the next Council meeting to be put on the
agenda, should they wish to reclaim their seats and funding.
9.5.1.2 The seats can be reclaimed by a majority vote at the above
council meeting.
9.5.2 DSUs who fail to attend two (2) or more Council meetings per semester
will lose their funding for the semester.
9.6 The Council may, when deemed necessary, conduct closed meetings, with a
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Council in favor of such a motion.
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Section 10 — Quorum for meetings
10.1 Quorum for a meeting of Council shall be met when one-half (50%) plus one of
the voting members of council, or their alternates, are in attendance.
10.2 For policy decisions, a motion shall be passed by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of
voting council members in attendance.
10.3 If, fifteen (15) minutes after the beginning of the meeting, quorum is not met,
Council may conduct general discussions, but may not conduct any business.
10.4 The Speaker shall not recognize a suspended seat for the purposes of quorum.
Section 11 — Committees of Council
11.1 Standing Committees of Council shall include, but are not limited to:
11.1.1 The Executive Committee
11.1.2 The Finance Committee
11.1.3 The Internal Relations Committee
11.1.4 The Student Life Committee
11.1.5 The Communication and Marketing Committee
11.1.6 The Academic Committee
11.2 Each committee shall be chaired by a member of the Executive Committee and
must have at least three (3) members of the SASS.
11.3 All standing Committees must submit a written report of their activities to Council
at least once a semester.
11.3.1 A copy of all minutes taken at committee meetings must be sent to the
Vice President Internal within two (2) weeks of the meeting.
11.4 Council may establish new Standing or Ad-Hoc Committees as it sees fit to carry
out the SASS objectives.
11.5 All members of the SASS are eligible to become members of SASS committees.
Section 12 — The Executive Committee
12.1 There shall be a Committee of Council called the Executive Committee, which
shall govern the SASS between meetings of Council in a manner consistent with
policies set out by council.
12.2 The Executive Committee shall be composed of:
12.2.1 The President
12.2.2 Vice-President Internal
12.2.3 Vice-President External
12.2.4 Vice-President Academic
12.2.5 Vice-President Communications and Marketing
12.2.6 Vice-President Student Life
12.2.7 Vice-President Finance
12.3 No member of the SASS Executive Committee may concurrently serve as a
Departmental Representative.
12.4 Quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be four (4) Executive
Officers, including at least two (2) signing officers.
Section 13 — Powers and Duties of Executive Officers
13.1 The Executive Committee shall facilitate communication between Council and
the members of the SASS.
13.2 The Executive Committee shall liaise with and work in collaboration with the Simon
Fraser Student Society.
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13.3 The Executive Committee shall have all the powers of Council between meetings
of Council, except that it shall not consider motions to amend this Constitution
and by-laws.
13.4 All resolutions and actions of the Executive Committee taken between Council
meetings must be submitted to the next Council meeting for ratifications.
13.5 The President shall:
13.5.1 Coordinate and supervise the affairs of the SASS.
13.5.2 Call and preside over meetings of the Executive Committee.
13.5.3 Be the official spokesperson for the SASS in a manner consistent with the
policies set up by Council.
13.5.4 Call meetings for Council.
13.5.5 Be ex officio on all SASS Committees.
13.5.6 Chair council meetings in the Speaker’s absence.
13.5.7 Be a signing officer.
13.6 Vice President Internal shall:
13.6.1 Be responsible for the internal relations and organizational concerns of
the SASS.
13.6.2 Be responsible for monitoring adherence to the SASS Constitution, By-
Laws, and Policies.
13.6.3 Maintain relations with all Arts DSUs.
13.6.4 Coordinate preparation and submittal of recommendation reports for
all SASS projects and events to the respective committees.
13.6.5 Be responsible for maintaining all SASS files.
13.6.6 Keep copies of all FASS DSU Constitutions.
13.6.7 Be a signing officer.
13.7 Vice President External shall:
13.7.1 Serve as a liaison between the SASS and all external organizations.
13.7.2 Promote relations with other faculties and their respective
constituencies.
13.7.3 Be responsible for coordinating sponsorships and building those
relationships.
13.7.4 Seek potential expansion or improvement of programming by way of
partnerships with other groups.
13.7.5 Liaise with alumni organizations in the coordination of alumni-student
events.
13.7.6 Reasonably represent the prevailing views of Council at all Faculty
Committees.
13.7.7 Coordinate all relations with Simon Fraser Security Services, where
necessary.
13.7.8 Be responsible for procuring and maintaining all alcohol permits.
13.7.9 Establish and maintain relations with the communities of the Lower
Mainland.
13.8 Vice President Academic shall:
13.8.1 Be responsible for all educational and curricular concerns of the SASS.
13.8.2 Be responsible for the representation of the SASS on Faculty and
Academic Committees.
13.8.3 Be a liaison between the faculty administration and Arts and Social
Science students.
13.8.4 Preside over the Academic Committee.
13.9 Vice President Communications and Marketing shall:
13.9.1 Be responsible for communicating to students the goals and activities of
the SASS.
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13.9.2 Aid in the production of all SASS publications.
13.9.3 Take minutes at meetings in the Recording Secretary’s absence.
13.10 Vice President Student Life shall:
13.10.1 Be responsible for the organization of social and cultural activities for the
members of the SASS.
13.10.2 Work with the DSUs in running social events.
13.10.3 Work with the Vice President Communications to actively seek input on
the programming interest of the members of the SASS.
13.10.4 Coordinate and run the Student Life committee.
13.10.5 May appoint a Frosh Director to head a working group that will report
back to the event planning committee.
13.11 Vice President Finance shall:
13.11.1 Advise the SASS council on all financial matters of the SASS.
13.11.2 Prepare the SASS budget, including the budget of the SASS committees,
in accordance with the financial regulations of the SASS.
13.11.3 Keep proper accounts and records in accordance with the SASS Bylaws.
13.11.4 Prepare and present to members of Council a bi-annual accounting
report.
13.11.5 Prepare a yearend financial statement by the last day of term in April.
13.11.6 Seek out alternative and improved methods of procuring funds for the
SASS.
13.11.7 Appoint a treasurer and/or accountant to be ratified by Council.
13.11.8 Preside over the Financial Management Committee.
13.11.9 Shall be a signing officer.
13.12 Each member of the Executive committee shall be responsible for the
preparation of a transition manual for his/her successor.
13.12.1 These shall include procedures, records, and previous transition
documents.
13.13 In the event of the resignation or the impeachment of the President, the Vice-
President Internal shall assume the duties of the President until a by-election if
deemed necessary by council is held. Shall a by-election not be held, the Vice
President Internal will remain President for the remainder of the term.
13.14 In the event that one of the Vice Presidents positions is or becomes vacant, the
Council shall elect a replacement, in accordance with the electoral by-laws,
from amongst its members until a by-election, if deemed necessary, is held.
13.15 In the event of a leave of absence by any member of the Executive Committee
or Arts Representative to SFSS, Council shall have the authority, if deemed
necessary, to appoint a temporary replacement who is not already holding a
voting position on Council.
Part IV: Elections and Referenda By-Laws
Section 14 — Elections
14.1 In addition to any rules or requirements as set out in the SFSS constitution and bylaws
the following rules apply to the election of members to positions on council.
14.2 General Requirements:
14.2.1 The Independent Electoral Commission shall be responsible for the
administration of elections and by-elections.
14.2.2 The Independent Electoral Commission shall be appointed by the VP
Internal as non-partial administrators of the SASS elections process.
14.2.3 Elections shall be held on the date specified by the Independent
Electoral Commission.
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14.2.4 General Elections shall be held once a year, during the Spring Semester.
All positions shall be open.
14.2.5 By-Elections shall be held once a year, during the Fall Semester or upon
unanimous resolution by the Executive. All vacant Council positions shall
be open for election.
14.2.6 No member of the Independent Electoral Commission may run in the
elections.
14.2.7 The Independent Electoral Commission may not regularly vote in
elections. However, in the case of a tie the Independent Electoral
Commission shall cast the deciding vote.
14.3 Nominations:
14.3.1 Candidates nominated to any office shall be members in good standing
of the SASS.
14.3.2 No member shall run for or hold more than one position on Council.
14.3.3 Nominations must be submitted to the Independent Electoral
Commission by a date and time specified by the Electoral Commission.
14.3.4 Nominations must contain signatures and corresponding student
numbers of at least ten (10) members of the SASS who are not presently
elected members of Council.
14.3.5 The call for nominations shall be publicized in the student newspaper and
on the SASS website.
14.3.6 Nominations will close a minimum of ten (10) days after the independent
electoral commission declares the nominations open.
14.4 Any student who is an active member and in good standing of the Society may
run and may vote for any position on council.
14.5 There shall be a set of Elections Regulations inscribed in the policies of the SASS,
governing the elections of the SASS.
Section 15 — Referenda
15.1 General Provisions:
15.1.1 The members may vote on resolutions concerning the activities of the
SASS by means of a referendum.
15.1.2 Any such resolution shall require a majority of the votes cast except
where prohibited by these by laws or the Society Act.
15.2 Such resolutions as are presented to the SASS shall be placed on a ballot
concurrently with the next regularly scheduled SASS election.
15.3 Resolution may be put to referendum by a simple majority vote of Council,
except where prohibited by these by-laws, or upon presentation of a petition to
the executive which contains the text of the proposed resolution and the
signatures of five percent of the members in good standing of the SASS.
15.4 Upon presentation of a duly signed petition for referendum the executive must
place the question on the ballot of the next regularly scheduled election.
15.5 The referendum shall be conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission in
accordance with Section 16.
15.6 Due notice shall be deemed sufficient if given at least two (2) weeks in advance
of any voting.
15.7 No referendum shall be deemed valid or binding on the SASS unless a minimum of
five percent of the members in good standing of the Society have cast ballots in
the referendum
15.8 The Independent Electoral Commission shall report on the conduct and results of
the referendum to Council for ratification.
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Section 16 — Independent Electoral Commission
16.1 The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) shall be responsible to ensure that
the SASS elections and referenda occur in the prescribed manner as set out in this
constitution and by-laws, and any regulations governing the conduct of elections
or referenda.
16.2 The IEC may delegate to a group of students the task of supervising polling for
any positions and may appoint members in good standing of the Society to assist
in counting the ballots.
16.3 The IEC shall require all candidates to produce a signed statement of campaign
expenses within seventy-two (72) hours of the close of elections.
16.4 The IEC may rule a candidate’s candidacy or election invalid, or may impose a
fine of up to one hundred (100) dollars for any violation of the by-laws or election
regulations which from time to time may be established
Part V: General Assembly and Annual General Meeting By-Laws
Section 17 — General Assembly
17.1 A General Assembly may establish, amend or rescind any policy of the SASS
except:
17.1.1 The constitution and the by-laws of the SASS.
17.1.2 Membership fees or other financial matters of the SASS.
17.2 A general assembly shall be convened by the Speaker of council, either at the
request of eight (8) councilors or by a request signed by at least two hundred
(200) members.
17.3 At least seven (7) days public notice must be given for a general assembly.
17.4 Quorum of a General Assembly shall be one hundred and fifty (150) members of
the SASS
17.5 General Assemblies shall be chaired by the Speaker.
Section 18 — Annual General Meeting
18.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held between September
15th and October 31st each year.
18.2 In addition to any other business set forth by the Executive, Council or members of
the Society, the following business shall be conducted at the Annual General
Meeting:
18.2.1 Appointing a Chair for the Annual General Meeting.
18.2.2 Receiving and filing the minutes of the previous year’s Annual General
Meeting and any Special General Meetings held since the last Annual
General Meeting.
18.2.3 Receiving the Annual Report of the Board.
18.2.4 Receiving the Treasurer’s Report.
18.3 Notice of the Annual General Meeting or of any Special General Meeting shall be
given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days prior to the date on which the
meeting is to be held, and all notices shall clearly state the date, time, location,
and proposed agenda. Sufficient notice will be deemed to have been given with
the posting of no less than the following:
18.3.1 A prominent notice not less than eleven inches by seventeen inches in
size upon three or more different bulletin boards about the Burnaby
Campus and upon at least one bulletin board at the Harbor Centre
Campus.
18.3.2 Written or electronic memoranda to all active Unions and Caucuses.
18.3.3 An advertisement in the student newspaper or other student publication
normally available to all members of the Society.
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18.3.4 A notice not less than eleven inches by seventeen inches in the vicinity of
the Society’s offices.
18.3.5 Accidental omission in giving notice of the Annual General Meeting or a
Special General Meeting, or the non-receipt of notice by the members of
the Society, shall not constitute a violation of the proceedings of the
meeting.
18.4 Each member in good standing of the Society shall be entitled to vote at the
Annual General Meeting or at any Special General Meeting. In order to exercise
her or his vote the member shall be present at the meeting at the time the vote is
put, and no votes by proxy shall be allowed.
18.5 If within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for the Annual General Meeting
a quorum is not present, quorum shall be twenty members in good standing of
the Society, and the meeting shall transact only such business as is specifically
referred to in Section 10.3.
18.6 Special General Meetings may be convened at any time by resolution of twothirds
(2/3) of the members of the Council.
18.6.1 The President shall convene a Special General Meeting within thirty (30)
calendar days of receipt of a petition signed by five per cent or more of
members in good standing of the Society.
18.7 Resolutions of the Annual General Meeting and of any Special General Meeting
shall be governed by a simple majority of votes cast, except where the provisions
of these By-Laws or the Society Act require otherwise.
18.8 Quorum for the Annual General Meeting and any Special General Meeting shall
be one hundred and fifty (150) members of the SASS.
18.9 Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of the Annual General Meeting
and of any Special General Meeting.
Part VI: Removal from Office By-Laws
Section 19 — Procedure
19.1 Any member of the SASS Executive or representative to SFSS may be removed
from office for impropriety, violation of the provisions of this Constitution and bylaws,
delinquency of duties or misappropriation of funds.
19.2 A motion to remove a member of the Executive or representative to SFSS must be
presented in writing to the Speaker of Council and signed by at least eight (8)
members of the Council, or one hundred and fifty (150) members of the SASS and
distributed to all members of the Council at a regular meeting of the SASS
Council. The motion to remove will then be inscribed on the agenda of the next
regular meeting of the SASS. A person against whom a motion to remove is
directed shall be afforded the opportunity to respond to the allegations made at
Council
19.3 Quorum for a motion to remove shall be two thirds (2/3) majority of Council
19.4 Passage of a motion to remove shall require two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of
Council
19.5 If any member of council has missed two (2) scheduled meetings in a semester,
notwithstanding sending an alternate or receiving explicit permission from the
President on behalf of the Executive, he/she shall be automatically removed from
office at the time of adjournment of the relevant meeting. A courtesy letter shall
be sent by the Vice President Communication for notification, but this letter does
not affect the removal from Office.
Part VII: Miscellaneous Provision By-Laws
Section 20 — Freedom of Information
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20.1 All documentation of Council and its Committees shall be public, except those
minutes and documents described in article 16.3.
20.2 Requests to see the minutes and documents of Council and its Committees shall
be addressed to the Vice President Communications.
Part VIII: Constitution and Policy By-laws
Section 21 — Policies of the constitution
21.1 Appended to this Constitution are a set of policies, which may be adopted by
Council as it sees fit, providing that such policies conform to the principles
embodied in this Constitution and by-laws.
21.2 Quorum of a motion to enact, amend, or rescind a policy of the SASS shall be fifty
percent (50%) plus 1 of Council, including at least two (2) signing officers.
21.3 Passage to enact, amend, or rescind a policy shall require two-thirds (2/3)
majority of those in attendance, assuming quorum has been met.
Section 22 — Amendments to the Constitution
22.1 This Constitution may only be amended by a seventy-five percent (75%) majority
of voters in a quorate Council, or by a seventy-five percent (75%) majority of
voters in a quorate Annual General Meeting or Special Assembly, in accordance
with the By-Laws in Section 18.
Section 23 — Interpretation
23.1 Disputes as to the interpretation of this Constitution shall be decided by the
President, the Executive, or Council, with the ultimate authority residing in the
President.
Section 24 — Superseding Clause
24.1 This Constitution repeals and supersedes all previous constitutions.
24.2 If conflicts arise between this Constitution and the SFSS Constitution and By-Laws,
the SFSS Constitution shall supersede this Constitution in those conflicting areas.
Section 25 — Dissolution Clause
25.1 Should the SASS be inactive for two (2) consecutive fiscal years, all student fees
shall cease and all SASS assets shall revert to the SFSS.

Mission Statement

The Society of Arts and Social Sciences is a group of elected students who work to create social, academic and professional experiences for all students from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Purpose

• To provide a structure to unite students from the departments of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
•  To represent the diverse needs and to advocate for student interests in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to the Simon Fraser Student Society, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Administration, Senate, the government and other organizations.
• To establish a framework where students can share experiences, skills and ideas, communicate, exchange information and debate, thereby building a sense of community among the students and faculty in Arts and Social Sciences.
• To build relationships with other Arts and Social Sciences Faculties across the country.
• To advocate for a system of post-secondary education which is accessible to all, which is of high quality, which recognizes the legitimacy of student representation and validity of student rights
  and whose role in society is recognized and appreciated.
• To assure the distribution and efficient utilization of SASS funds.

Goals

• To plan events such as SASS Arts Week, SASS Frosh and SASS socials.
• To host fairs such as a Graduate Schools Fair, Career Fair, Charity Fair, and Department Student Union Fair.
• To work with the Faculty to organize academic related events such as Meet the Dean, Dialogues, Guest Speakers, Focus Groups, and Skills Training.
• To maintain a student lounge and provide student space.
• To fund Departmental Student Unions and special projects
  from SASS funds.