BYLAWS & POLICY
Our Governing Documents
The Constitution, By-laws and Policies are the governing documents of the students’ union. The by-laws outline the structures which govern the students’ union while the policies outline the day-to-day operations of the students’ union. The by-laws and policies can be amended by a vote of the Board of Directors.
MUNSU Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
The MUNSU Board of Directors meets bi-weekly during the Fall and Winter semesters, as well as monthly during the Spring/ Summer semesters. All MUNSU members are welcome to join these meetings as guests and observers.
2025 - 2026 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
2024 - 2025 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes [Board Secretary]
2024 - 2025 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes [Executive Directors]
Bylaws & Policies Under Review
MUNSU adopts policies on a range of issues that affect students in their daily lives, but also issues that are of regional and global in scope. These range from issues like the cost of education, to environmental sustainability, to removing barriers impacting students’ identities (gender, sexuality, religion, etc), to broader global issues.
These policies are adopted through a range of mechanisms. Some policies are adopted at our national level through the Canadian Federation of Students. Other policies are adopted our Board of Directors or by means of referendum of our entire membership. It is the role of the Executive Committee and other standing committees of the Union to interpret policies or develop stances in response to urgent developments.
The MUNSU Policy and Bylaw Review Committee also meets regularly and recommends to the MUNSU Board of Directors policies and bylaws that should be updated or adopted. MUNSU endeavours to ensure widespread consultation among its membership in reviewing, adopting or amending policies.
In order to ensure it is able to adequately focus attention on the policies under review, the number of policies which can be under review at any one time are restricted to a total of three:
New policies to be adopted;
Existing policies to be amended or revised; and
Outdated policies to be archived or removed
The latter refers to policies which no longer serve an effective purpose or whose existence has been rendered redundant in response to legal/legislative changes.
You are encouraged to share any feedback on them by emailing our BoD Secretary at resource@munsu.ca
Proposed Policy Amendments
There are currently no MUNSU Policies under review.
Proposed Bylaw Amendments
Motion #1
BE IT RESOLVED, that Section 11(B) of the MUNSU bylaws be amended by adding the following clauses after Section 11(B)(e):
f. For the purposes of this Section:
i. A member is any person who has joined a group in accordance with its constitution and participates in its activities. Membership alone does not imply executive office or day-to-day managerial authority over the group’s operations, finances, or governance, except where otherwise provided by the group’s constitution.
ii. An executive is a member who holds a named leadership position within the group and is responsible for the administration, governance, or financial management of the group.
g. To be eligible for recognition, a group must have a minimum of two (2) executives. A majority of the group’s executives must be members of the MUN Students’ Union.
h. To be eligible for ratification, a group must have a minimum of ten (10) members, of which at least three (3) must be executives. A majority of the group’s executives must be members of the MUN Students’ Union.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 11(C)(2) of the MUNSU bylaws be amended by adding the following new clause after Section 11(C)(2)(d):
e. submission of a current constitution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 11(C) of the MUNSU bylaws be amended by adding the following new clause after Section 11(C)(5):
6. The Student Life and Funding Committee may deny recognition or ratification where a proposed group’s stated mandate substantially duplicates that of an existing recognized or ratified group, unless the applicant group demonstrates a sufficiently distinct purpose, constituency, or function. Groups with similar interests are encouraged to collaborate or differentiate their mandates before reapplying.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 11(E)(4)(c) of the MUNSU bylaws be deleted and replaced with the following:
c. A recognized club or society that for any reason operates without its own constitution shall be governed by the MUNSU Constitution and Bylaws and the MUNSU Sample Constitution for Clubs and Societies until it adopts its own constitution or applies for ratification.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 11(H) of the MUNSU bylaws be amended by adding the following new clauses after Section 11(H)(2):
3. A group denied recognition or ratification may submit a written request for reconsideration to the Student Life and Funding Committee within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the decision. The Committee shall consider the request at its next regular meeting.
4. If the Student Life and Funding Committee upholds its original decision, the group may submit a written appeal to the Board of Directors within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the Committee’s reconsideration decision. The decision of the Board shall be final.
5. Where a group is granted recognition or ratification following reconsideration or appeal, that recognition or ratification may, at the discretion of the Student Life and Funding Committee or the Board of Directors, as applicable, be made effective retroactively to the semester in which the group originally applied.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a new Section 11(I) of the MUNSU bylaws be added to read as follows:
I. Ongoing Obligations
1. All ratified groups shall maintain the following on an ongoing basis:
a. up-to-date executive contact information on file with the Executive Director of Student Life;
b. a current constitution on file with the Students’ Union; and
c. communication of any constitutional amendment to the Student Life and Funding Committee within ten (10) business days of adoption.
2. At each application for ratification or re-ratification, a group shall submit a current membership list to the Executive Director of Student Life, including the name, email address, and membership status of each member, indicating whether the person is an undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty member, staff member, alumni member, or community member.
3. Membership lists submitted under Section 11(I)(2) shall be used only to verify eligibility and membership thresholds under Section 11.
4. A group that fails to comply with the requirements of this Section is not eligible for ratification or re-ratification until the deficiency is remedied.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these amendments come into force upon adoption, and that the requirements respecting minimum membership thresholds and ongoing obligations apply immediately to new applications for recognition or ratification and apply to currently recognized or ratified groups at their next application for recognition or re-ratification;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 22(A) of the MUNSU bylaws be amended by adding the following new clause after Section 22(A)(16):
17. As amended [MEETING DATE]
Motion #2
BE IT RESOLVED, that Section 2: Bylaws Pertaining to Bylaws of the MUNSU Bylaws be amended to remove the following clause:
6. The bylaws may be amended only during the Fall and Winter semesters.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 2: Bylaws Pertaining to Bylaws of the MUNSU Bylaws be amended to add the following clause:
6. Bylaws amended during the Spring semester shall require a majority of elected members present in order to pass.
Motion #3
BE IT RESOLVED, that MUNSU the last day CHMR will air as a service will be before or on
Monday 1 June 2026.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MUNSU work with each other, the Board, relevant staff
people, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MUNSU and CHMR staff complete the process of cluing up
operations by 28 August 2026.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2026-27 Executive work out a plan on what will be done with the remaining equipment, space, and the media levy
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the entire Section 13: Student Media of the MUNSU
Bylaws be amended and replaced entirely with the following:
A. Student Levy
1. Pursuant to the student media levy referendum [October 2001], every full and
part time undergraduate student registered with the St. John’s campus of
Memorial University will be charged a four-dollar ($4) student media levy
each semester. No less than two dollars ($2) of that levy will be dedicated
toward the operations of MUNSU communications. The other two dollars ($2)
is directed by Memorial University of Newfoundland towards the operations of
The Muse.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 1: Constitution Part II of the MUNSU Bylaws be
amended to read the following:
10. “Appropriate Student Media” shall be defined to include The Muse, the Internet,
social media, and posters.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section 8(B)(6j) of the MUNSU Bylaws remove the
following clause:
j. liaise with the Board of Directors and the Manager of CHMR-FM to ensure and
facilitate its operation;