MSA Policies
ATTENDANCE OF EXECUTIVE MEMBERS AT MSA EXECUTIVE MEETINGS
An executive member who cannot attend an executive meeting must send regrets to the secretary at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. The executive member must also provide the secretary with an explanation for this absence.
An executive member who misses 2 consecutive meetings or 2 out of 3 consecutive meetings will be asked to give an explanation for this behaviour to the executive committee at the subsequent executive meeting, at which time the executive committee will automatically review this executive’s performance
If the executive committee does not find the explanation satisfactory, the executive member may be asked to resign. For this decision to take effect, it must be passed according to the decision-making model adopted by the executive committee.
ATTENDANCE OF GENERAL BODY MEMBERS AT MSA EXECUTIVE MEETINGS
MSA members are welcome to observe MSA executive Committee meetings.
If an MSA member wishes to speak during the executive meeting, he/she should give the executive sufficient notice (48 hours before the meeting). He/she should also send a brief description of his/her points, which he/she wishes to raise during the meeting to the MSA execs [msa.exec@utoronto.ca] at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
The guest will receive a notice from the executive confirming his/her attendance at the date specified by him/her, or at another date specified by the executive, considering the time constrains of the executive meeting.
EXTERNAL PROPOSALS SENT TO THE EXECUTIVE
If a proposal is sent to a member of the executive, it goes through the most applicable committee. If the committee decides the project is useful, it forwards the proposal to the executive for approval. MSA does not sign on to proposals if it is not included on the organizing committee.
FLYER DISTRIBUTION POLICY
The ‘Jumuah’ (‘Friday’) prayers are recognized by the wider campus community, including the Muslim community on campus, to be an ‘event’ of the MSA. Thus, the MSA is responsible for what occurs before, during and after this ‘event’. The MSA will thus endeavor to act in a manner that takes this responsibility, and the MSA’s role on campus, into account.
The MSA will only approve the distribution of materials at Friday prayers for purposes directly related to the operations of the MSA and its committees. No other materials will be authorized to be distributed during Friday prayers.
The above policy appears to be supported by Hart House policy, where the Friday prayers are held, at the writing of this policy.
The MSA deems this policy necessary to maintain control over an otherwise uncontrollable scenario in which various organizations external to the MSA distribute their material, good or otherwise, at the Friday prayers. This policy is further enacted to allow for continued efficiency in the logistical concerns of holding Friday prayers.
This policy shall be applied without exception. The MSA apologizes for any inconvenience.
FUNDRAISING POLICY
Cognizant of the fact that the MSA receives requests throughout the year for fundraising at the Friday prayers for various causes, the MSA has adopted the following policy to set guidelines for fundraising as a whole:
1. The MSA operates through its constituent committees. All activities are formulated within the MSA’s committees and proposed for approval to the executives.
2. (a) Given clause 1, the MSA as a whole is only able to raise funds for causes that fall within the scope of its constituent committees. [For example, committees may deem it necessary to fundraise for various causes; Students for World Justice may wish to raise funds for Orphan Sponsorship, while Community Affairs may wish to raise funds for local charities.]
2. (b) Clause 2 (a) does not preclude the MSA from raising funds to cover its administrative costs for the upkeep of the organization.
3. Funding proposals, like all other activities, come from within the committee structure. Similarly, all fundraising initiatives must be proposed to the MSA exec.
4. Generally, fundraising initiatives should be within the scope of the committee in that it can be covered within the budget and operations of the committee.
5. If a member wishes for funds to be raised for a specific cause, the appropriate committee through which funds may be raised should be contacted; said committee will proceed according to clause three, above.
6. Funds for specific causes are always raised in conjunction with known organizations, rather than individual persons, to ensure transparency, maintain the integrity of the MSA, and guarantee that funds raised by the general body are given to the cause for which they were raised.
7. If an external request is made for the MSA to fundraise specifically at the Jumuah prayers for a certain cause:
(a) The request should be forwarded to the appropriate committee that would generally deal with the subject matter of the request; it will decide whether or not to forward a proposal to the MSA exec for fundraising at Jumuah for said cause, according to clauses 1 to 6.
(b) The committee will also be responsible for determining all aspects of the proposal, including the organization through which funds are to be donated.
(c) The MSA exec will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis, considering but not limiting itself to:
(i) the general feeling or perceived general feeling of the general body;
(ii) the desirability among the general body of entertaining such a ;
(iii) the financial viability of the MSA doing such a collection, considering the MSA’s heavy reliance on the Jumu’ah collections to cover its costs and maintain its budget
(d) The MSA exec will entertain at the maximum one such request per month, subject to clause 7 (c); however, the MSA will only consider such requests given extenuating circumstances.
(e) The MSA exec will endeavour to ensure that this entire process is carried out in an efficient and timely fashion.
8. The aforementioned policy is open to interpretation by the MSA exec, given the policy’s intended meaning.
