FAQ

The SSMU Board of Directors governs YOUR Student Union. It is composed of members, just like you.

• Full-time or Part-time status as an undergraduate student at McGill University
• 18 years of age at the point of ratification
• Canadian Citizen or Permanent Residence

Exceptions include:

• Persons who have not yet reached the age of majority
• Persons who are not qualified to be a Director due to the institution of a regime of protective supervision in their respect or by one of the common causes of extinction of obligations provided for by law, such as if such person is recognized by a court as having lost the ability to reason, if such person becomes bankrupt, suspends their payments or if such person makes arrangements with their creditors
•  Persons who do not possess Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
•  Persons who are neither Members of the SSMU nor Officers. 

Please visit our “Board Structure” page under “How We Run” for more information.

As a Board member, you will have access to benefits that will enrich your personal, social and professional life.

Personal → Board membership will assist you in developing a robust set of skills that can be applied to your personal and professional life. These skills include leadership, communication expertise, financial management insights, and more. Directors will also receive the personal satisfaction of contributing to positive change at SSMU and McGill University for other students (and themselves!)
Social → Board members are also given many networking opportunities with University and external actors, which will enhance your confidence and introduce you to new avenues of growth.
Professional → The skills and experiences granted by Board membership will allow you to refurbish your CV with new impressive information. Board membership, and your adjacent volunteering experiences, is also included on your Co-Curricular Record, which enables you to receive post-graduate recognition for your contributions to SSMU.

1. By the Nominating Committee:

The Nominating Committee shall solicit, through an application process, and nominate four (4) Members who are not members of the Legislative Council to the Board of Directors, in accordance with Section 6.2 hereof.

2. By Appointment:

The Legislative Council shall nominate four (4) members of the Legislative Council, who are not Officers, to the Board of Directors, in accordance with Section 6.2 hereof.

3. By Election:

Some officers elected for the Executive Committee have seats on the Board; these are:

• President
• Vice President Finance
• Vice President (Sustainability & Operations)

In the event that one or more Officers holding ex-officio seats on the Board of Directors do not meet the requirements provided for in Section 6.3 hereof, their seat shall be filled by another Officer. 

Note: the Vice-President (Sustainability & Operations) position has not been elected since summer 2017.

A General Assembly (GA) is an opportunity for the student body to directly participate in student governance by voting on items such as motions, nominations, policy amendments and more. GA(s) have equivalent power to the Legislative Council, but there are restrictions on what can be done via GA. These restrictions include policies concerning the SSMU’s Constitution, any financial matters of the Society, or the composition of the Society’s staff. General assemblies can be further divided into regular, special, and strike GAs.
Regular general assemblies are held once per semester and facilitate regular feedback between student governance and its members.
Special general assemblies are those held outside of regularly scheduled meetings to address a specific cause or concern within the student body. Special assemblies can be requested by 200 members, with no school or faculty representing more than 50% of signatures, or 8 Councilors, with the representation of at least 4 faculties or schools, and quorum will remain 350.
Strike general assemblies are special general assemblies held to call for, or address a call for, a general strike of the student body. Strike GAs are requested in the same way as special assemblies, but have a quorum of 500 instead of 350.

‘Quorum’ is the minimum number of members that must be present in order for the proceedings of a General Assembly to be considered ‘valid’. That is, quorum must be met or exceeded in order for the meeting to continue. The quorum for regular GAs is 350 members.

SSMU is committed to ensuring the accessibility of its meetings and events. The following accommodations will always be available:

• Meetings will be held in a physically accessible space near or on the McGill downtown campus. 
• Repetition of all statements in both English and French by a translator. 
• Whisper translation between English and French will be available.
• Advertisement in advance to allow students to anticipate and request accommodations.
• Clear signage during the meeting to instruct participants in locating the space.

There are a variety of additional accommodation options available to members upon request by contacting the Speaker (speaker@ssmu.ca). This includes (but is not limited to):

• Sign language interpretation. 
• Family care. 
• Reduced stimulus areas.
• Adapted physical access. 
• Other reasonable accommodations as necessary.

For more information, or any concerns about the accessibility of SSMU meetings or events, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator (accessibility@ssmu.ca).

The Executive Committee, governs the Society between meetings of the Board of Directors, in a manner not inconsistent with a Policy set out by the Board of Directors. It comprises seven (7) elected officers and the ex-officio non-voting General Manager.

It comprises seven (7) elected officers and the ex-officio non-voting General Manager.

The Officers of the Society shall be the following: the President, the Vice-President (Student Life); the Vice-President (Internal Affairs); the Vice-President (External Affairs); the Vice-President (Finance), the Vice-President (Sustainability & Operations); and the Vice-President (University Affairs).