Bylaws

Updated October 24th, 2017

The Bylaws of the Post-doctoral Association at Western (PAW) shall serve as the operational rules of the PAW, as a companion document to the Constitution of the Post-doctoral Association at Western. Should any conflict exist between the two documents, the Constitution shall prevail.

BYLAW 1: The Executive

1.1 Purpose

1.1.1 The Executive shall:

  • act as the steering committee of the PAW, for a term of office from July 1 to June 30;
  • uphold the Constitution and Bylaws of the PAW;
  • administer the finances of the PAW;
  • implement the policies of the PAW;
  • report to each meeting of the PAW Council, and act in accordance with any decisions of that body;
  • meet at least once in every calendar month at the call of the PAW President or any Executive member;
  • be responsible for instructing and informing the members of the incoming Executive of their duties.

1.2 Membership

1.2.1 Membership of the Executive shall be defined in Constitution (Article VII).

1.2.2 The Executive of the PAW shall be elected in accordance with the procedures specified in Bylaw 4.

1.3 Duties of the President

1.3.1 The President shall:

  • preside over the Executive as outlined in the PAW Constitution, Article VII, section 1a;
  • ensure that other members of Executive are properly instructed in their duties and responsibilities;
  • act as the official representative and spokesperson for the PAW, except as specified in Bylaw 1.5.1;
  • act as a signing officer of the PAW in financial transactions in accordance with Bylaw 9.1.6 ;
  • be responsible for the hiring, dismissal, supervision, and evaluation of PAW employee(s) jointly with the Vice-President (Internal);
  • have the authority to call meetings of any PAW body provided one (1) week notice is given to all members of that body and in accordance with Bylaw 3.1.2;
  • be a voting member of the Finance Standing Committee and act as an ex-officio, non-voting member of all other PAW committees;
  • be responsible for calling the Annual General Meeting in November.

1.3.2 The President (or President's representative) shall serve ex-officio on the following bodies as required, and as approved by these same bodies

  • The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA);
  • The Society of Graduate Students at the University of Western Ontario (SOGS).

1.3.3 In the event that business must proceed in the absence of the President, the function of the President shall be assumed by a member of the Executive in the following order of precedence:

  • Vice-President (Internal)
  • Vice-President (External)
  • Vice-President (Communications)
  • Vice-President (Finance)
  • Secretary

1.4 Duties of the Vice-President (Internal)

1.4.1 The Vice-President (Internal) shall:

  • be generally responsible for promoting the interests of the PAW members by making representations to people and organisations internal to the University.
  • be responsible for the maintenance of an up-to-date list of all PAW positions and representatives on University Committees, in accordance with Bylaw 7.1.4;
  • be responsible for appointments to all University Committees, in accordance with Bylaw 7.1;
  • perform any function of the President, in accordance with Bylaw 1.3.3;
  • perform any function of the Secretary, in accordance with Bylaw 1.8.3;
  • act as a signing officer of the PAW in financial transactions in accordance with Bylaw 9.1.6;
  • be responsible for the hiring, dismissal, supervision and evaluation of PAW employee(s) jointly with the President, as required according to Bylaw 1.3.1e;
  • keep all employee records;

1.5 Duties of the Vice-President (External)

1.5.1 The Vice-President (External) shall:

  • be generally responsible for promoting the interests of PAW members by making representations to people and organisations external to the University.
  • act as the PAW chief delegate to the External Associations defined in Bylaw 8;
  • perform any function of the President, in accordance with Bylaw 1.3.3;

1.6 Duties of the Vice-President (Finance) 

1.6.1 The Vice-President (Finance) shall:

  • supervise all financial transactions of the PAW;
  • act as the signing officer of the PAW in all financial transactions jointly with the President or Vice-President (Internal) in accordance with Bylaw 9.1.6;
  • present an Annual PAW Budget to Council on or before February 1;
  • present to PAW Council in September a Balance Sheet and Income Statement, in accordance with Bylaw 9.4.2.
  • present a Balance Sheet and Income Statement from December 1 to the present at Annual General Meeting;
  • chair the Finance Standing Committee in accordance with Bylaw 6.1.2
  • be authorized to approve any non-budgeted expenditure of one hundred ($100) dollars or less, and report such expenditures to the PAW Council, in accordance with Bylaw 9.3.2;
  • arrange that the PAW financial books be independently audited in accordance with Bylaw 9.5.1;
  • perform any function of the President, in accordance with Bylaw 1.3.3;

1.7 Duties of the Vice-President (Communications)

1.7.1 The Vice-President (Communications) shall:

  • be responsible for publicising the PAW and its activities in consultation with other members of the Executive;
  • act as the PAW liaison with other campus groups and associations.
  • ensure through consulting legal advisors that the PAW Constitution, Bylaws, Policies and Agreements are legally valid, and that the PAW and its Executive are aware of their legal obligations.
  • perform any function of the Chief Electoral Officer, in accordance with Bylaws 4.1.7 and 4.1.8.
  • perform any function of the President in accordance with Bylaw 1.3.3;
  • be responsible for the day-to-day management of the PAW office including maintenance of the PAW registry, e-mail database, and the Internet homepage/website;

1.8 Duties of the Secretary 

1.8.1 The Secretary shall:

  • organize and act as Speaker for all Council, General and Annual General Meetings of the PAW, in accordance with Bylaws 2 and 3;
  • ensure that the minutes and documents of the legislative bodies of the PAW and its committees are recorded and kept available for inspection by the PAW members;
  • ensure that the Constitution and Bylaws are kept up to date;
  • provide authoritative interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws;
  • be responsible for the maintenance and distribution of an official, up-to-date list of all current PAW Council members;
  • be responsible for the distribution of a summary of the rules of procedure from Robert's Rules of Order to each member of the PAW Council;
  • ensure that all motions presented to PAW Council, General Meetings and the Annual General Meeting are worded clearly and appropriately;
  • inform in writing the PAW members of a group/department when it has not been represented at two successive PAW Council meetings;
  • be responsible for the maintenance of an up-to-date Policy manual in accordance with Bylaw 2.4.9;

1.8.2 In the event that business must proceed in the absence of the Secretary, her/his duties shall be assumed by the Vice-President (Internal) or an appointee of the PAW Council.
 
1.8.3 The Secretary will not take part in debate in any meeting which she/he chairs. Should it become necessary for the Secretary to participate in the debate, the Vice-President (Internal) or an appointee of the PAW Council will take the chair until debate on that matter is concluded.

1.9 Duties of the PAW Senator

1.9.1 The PAW Senator shall:

  • represent the concerns and interests of the members of the Post-Doctoral Association at Western to the UWO Senate;
  • report to the PAW Council on the activities of The University of Western Ontario Senate;
  • report to the Anual General Meeting of the PAW.

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BYLAW 2: The PAW Council

2.1 Purpose

2.1.1 The PAW Council (as defined in Article VIII of the Constitution) shall:

  • generate and formulate policies only on issues that are of significance to post-doctoral associates, in particular, at The University of Western Ontario and in Canada , in the interests of the members of the PAW;
  • act as a liaison between the Executive and the rest of the PAW.

2.2 Voting and Speaking Rights

2.2.1 All members of the PAW Council with the exceptions noted below are voting members with one vote.

2.2.2 The President (or delegate) of the University Student Council (USC) or Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) The University of Western Ontario may speak on the behalf of their respective organizations, but may not vote.

2.2.3 The Secretary is also a voting member, but she/he will not participate in debates, unless obliged to as described in Bylaw 1.8, and may only cast a single vote.

2.2.4 The Chief Electoral Officer is also a voting member with a single vote, but she/he can not vote in PAW Council on the setting of referendums questions, the ratification of members of the Executive, or other matters pertaining to referendums, elections and impeachment procedures. The participation of the Chief Electoral Officer in debates referring to referendums, elections and impeachment procedures must be restricted to technical points, and may not be on the content of questions, the candidates in any election, or the person being impeached.

2.3 Meetings

2.3.1 The President or Secretary may call a PAW Council meeting at any time, provided at least three (3) days notice is given to all PAW Council members.

2.3.2 Any five (5) members of the PAW Council may at any time petition the Secretary to call a meeting.

2.3.3 Quorum shall be ten (10) voting members of the PAW Council, excluding the Secretary.

2.3.4 Minutes of Executive meetings and summaries of Committee meetings that are non-confidential shall be taken and kept under the supervision of the Secretary.

2.4 Rules for PAW Council Meetings

2.4.1 The reference source for all rules of order not covered in these Bylaws shall be Robert's Rules of Order.

2.4.2 Unless otherwise amended by a two-thirds majority vote of PAW Council, the order of business for PAW Council meetings shall be:

  1. Approval of the Agenda
  2. Secretary's Report
  3. Approval of the Minutes (of the previous meeting)
  4. Business Arising from the Minutes
  5. President's Report
  6. Vice-President (Internal)'s Report
  7. Vice-President (External)'s Report
  8. Vice-President (Communications)'s Report
  9. Vice-President (Finance)'s Report
  10. Senator's and Committee Reports
  11. Question Period/Departmental Complaints
  12. New Business
  13. Adjournment

2.4.3 Any active member of the PAW wishing to have items placed on the agenda should give written notice to the Secretary at least ten (10) days in advance of the PAW Council Meeting.

2.4.4 If a motion is not submitted in time to be included in the agenda, or if Notice of Motion has not been given at a previous meeting of PAW Council, a motion may be submitted immediately prior to or during a meeting, at the discretion of the Secretary, but only if the matter is of sufficient urgency that it be dealt with immediately. In this case, the motion shall proceed only with the consent of two-thirds of the voting members present.

2.4.5 The agenda for a forthcoming PAW Council meeting shall be distributed in time to reach each member of the PAW Council at least three (3) days before the meeting.

2.4.6 No meeting of PAW Council shall exceed two hours in length except by a simple majority vote. If the meeting is to be extended, it shall be extended in twenty minute increments.

2.4.7 The Secretary may direct anyone who persists in irrelevance or repetition to discontinue speaking.

2.4.8 Prior to the consideration of any motion concerning an organisation external to the PAW, voting members must declare to the Secretary any conflict of interest.

2.4.9

  • Any motion of PAW Council which is of a general nature, as opposed to a specific directive, shall be considered a PAW Policy Motion, and shall require two (2) readings, as shall Policy amendments.
  • All Policy Motions approved by PAW Council shall be kept by the Secretary in a PAW Policy Manual, which shall be appended to the Bylaws.
  • If there is ambiguity as to whether a motion is a Policy Motion, the interpretation of the above definition of "Policy Motion" shall be made by the Secretary, with the approval of PAW Council.

2.4.10 The Annual PAW Budget, including guidelines, shall require two (2) readings by the PAW Council.

2.4.11 All PAW Council meetings shall be open to PAW active members and the public.

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BYLAW 3: Annual General Meeting and General Meetings

3.1 Calling of Meetings

3.1.1 Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting must be held in October of each year, with the precise date, time, and location to be set by the President.

3.1.2 General Meetings

  • A General Meeting may be called at any time during the academic year by a majority vote of PAW Council or by the President.
  • A General Meeting must be called within one week upon presentation to the Secretary of a petition to do so signed by five (5) percent of the active members of the PAW. The meeting must be held at the earliest possible date after the presentation of the petition.

3.1.3 The Secretary shall ensure that not less than one week's notice of the Annual General Meeting or a General Meeting is given to all the PAW's active members.

3.2 Quorum for Annual General Meeting and General Meetings

3.2.1 The quorum for the Annual General Meeting or any General Meeting of the PAW is ten (10) per cent of active members

3.2.2 If there is no quorum at such a meeting, but at least fifteen (15) active members are present, business may proceed at the discretion of the Secretary as though a quorum was present. All decisions made will be binding except as follows:

  • The decisions of the meeting may be challenged by presenting to the Secretary a petition containing the signatures of fifteen (15) active members of the PAW, asking that a Special General Meeting be held.
  • This petition must be received by the Secretary within one (1) week of the adjournment of the meeting in which decisions are in dispute.
  • The Special General Meeting must be held within ten (10) days of the receipt of the petition.
  • The quorum for the Special General Meeting is fifteen (15) active members of the PAW and, if quorum is present, the meeting may review any decision of the disputed meeting and confirm or reject it.
  • If no quorum is present, the Special General Meeting cannot convene and the decisions of the disputed meeting become binding.

3.3 Rules for the Annual General Meeting and General Meetings

3.3.1 The Secretary shall preside over the Annual General Meeting and all General Meetings.

3.3.2 The conduct of the Annual General Meeting and General Meetings shall be governed by Bylaw 2.4, with the exceptions included in this Bylaw.

3.3.3 Unless amended by a 2/3 majority vote of the active members present at the meeting, the order of business at the Annual General Meeting shall be as follows:

  1. Approval of the Agenda
  2. Executive Reports
  3. Financial Report
  4. Committee Reports
  5. Senator's Reports
  6. Other Reports
  7. New Business
  8. Adjournment

3.3.4 The order of business at General Meetings shall be set by the Secretary.

3.3.5 Full minutes of the Annual General Meeting and General Meetings shall be taken and kept under the supervision of the Secretary.

3.3.6 At an Annual General Meeting or a General Meeting, any PAW active member may hold one proxy vote on behalf of an absent active member, provided that written notice, signed by the member who is giving the proxy, is presented to the Secretary before the Meeting is called to order. Such written notice must include a UWOID number. The Secretary will verify that the person giving the proxy is an active member of the PAW. Proxy votes are not to be included in any quorum count.

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BYLAW 4: Elections and Referendums

4.1 Duties of the Chief Electoral Officer

4.1.1 The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for all aspects of the administration of PAW elections and referendums, and is authorized to spend the funds allocated by the PAW budget for such administration.

4.1.2 The Chief Electoral Officer is specifically responsible for:

  • the printing and distribution of posters giving notice of the election and/or referendum;
  • maintenance of polling stations at locations and times given on election and/or referendum posters;
  • the printing of ballots;
  • the procurement of ballot boxes and other necessary supplies;
  • the counting of ballots and the conduct of recounts if necessary in accordance with Bylaws 4.3.6 and 4.3.7;
  • announcement of the results of an election or referendum.
  • selection through PAW Council of 2 Deputy Returning Officers to aid the Chief Electoral Officer in the performance of her/his duties.

4.1.3 The Chief Electoral Officer shall set election or referendums date(s) provided at least three (3) weeks notice is given to all members of the PAW.

4.1.4 The Chief Electoral Officer shall vote twenty four (24) hours in advance of an election or referendum, and place the ballot in a sealed envelope. This envelope shall be opened and the ballot cast only in the event of a tie vote.

4.1.5 The Chief Electoral Officer shall keep the ballots from an election and/or referendum for a period of not less than four (4) months. After that time they shall be destroyed after issuance of a directive to do so from PAW Council.

4.1.6 The Deputy Returning Officers shall be selected from the active members of the PAW Council after the close of the initial nomination period. The persons selected as Deputy Returning Officers shall not be running for a position within the PAW, and must resign as Deputy Returning Officer if they decide to run for such a position.

4.1.7 In the event that the Chief Electoral Officer or a Deputy Returning Officer is in a position of conflict of interest with respect to a particular election or referendum, that person must resign his or her position, and be replaced by an appointee of the PAW Council (Bylaw 1.7) until such time as a replacement can be elected according to the Bylaws.

4.1.8 Any member of the PAW who believes that the Chief Electoral Officer or Deputy Returning Officer may have a conflict of interest with respect to an election or referendum should make her/his concerns known to the Executive. The person approached must contact the PAW Judicial Board, who will be asked to determine if a conflict of interest exists.

4.2 Elections in General

4.2.1 Once notice of an election or referendum is given in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.3, nomination and/or referendum questions shall be received by the Chief Electoral Officer until two weeks before the first day of the election or referendum period. If at all possible, the nomination period for the Secretary shall not coincide with a PAW Council, General, or Annual General Meeting.

4.2.2 The nomination form for a PAW Executive Member, Chief Electoral Officer, or PAW Senator must read:

"We the undersigned, as active members of the PAW at The University of Western Ontario, do nominate ...(Name of nominee)... for the position of ...(Office sought)... (of the PAW / in The University of Western Ontario Senate)." and must bear the signatures and UWO ID numbers of at least five (5) active members of the PAW.

4.2.3 Nominees for elected positions within the PAW must be active members of the PAW.

4.2.4 The nomination period shall be set by the Chief Electoral Officer, and shall extend for not less than seven (7) days.

4.2.5 If no nominations are received for an office by the Chief Electoral Officer at the end of the nomination period, the nomination period for that office shall be extended at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer, and an election date shall be set for a minimum of one week after the end of the extended nomination period.

4.2.6 If only one nomination for an office is received by the Chief Electoral Officer at the end of the nomination period, the nominee shall be acclaimed to that office, subject to the ratification by the PAW Council.

4.2.7 The voting for the elected officers of the PAW shall be by secret ballot.

4.2.8 No person may run for more than one elected position within the PAW, nor may more than one nomination form be submitted for a single person.

4.2.9 If the Chief Electoral Officer seeks election to another position within the PAW she/he must resign as Chief Electoral Officer. A new Chief Electoral Officer will then be elected from among the active members of the PAW Council.

4.3 Election of Executive Members and Senators 

4.3.1 Elections of Executive Members will be held annually in November, with the exact date being set by the Chief Electoral Officer in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.3. Elections may also take place as described in Bylaw 4.5.1.Election of the PAW Senator will be held at the same time as those of the Executive members.

4.3.2 The campaign period shall commence at the end of the nomination period, and end at midnight of the day before the election date.

4.3.3 The Secretary shall arrange for those candidates who wish to do so to address any PAW meeting that takes place within the campaign period.

4.3.4 All ordinary members of the PAW are eligible to vote for all PAW Executive and Senatorial offices upon presentation of UWOID at a designated polling station, with the exception of the Chief Electoral Officer, who votes in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.4.

4.3.5 There is no quorum requirement for election of PAW Executive Members or Senators.

4.3.6 The counting of ballots in an election shall be conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer.

4.3.7 Recounts in an election, if required, shall be conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer and scrutinized by the President of the PAW and one scrutineer provided by each candidate in the disputed election(s). Recounts will be held if a candidate so requests within twenty four (24) hours of the announcement of election results.

4.3.8 Election results should be first announced to the candidates. If the candidates are not immediately available, the results must be made public not more than two (2) hours after the results have been confirmed.

4.4 Election of Representatives of the PAW Council

4.4.1 The term of office of the Chief Electoral Officer shall be from February 1st to January 31st.

The term of office for other representatives of the PAW Council will be set out in a policy statement.

4.4.2 Nominations for representatives of Council will be handled at the same time and in the same manner as the nominations for members of the Executive and the PAW Senator, with the exception that the nomination period for the Chief Electoral Officer must start not more than 4 weeks before the January Council meeting, and must close not less than one (1) week before the January Council meeting.

4.4.3 The election of the Chief Electoral Officer will be by a vote of the active members at the next PAW Council, Annual General Meeting or General Meeting of the PAW after the close of nominations.

4.4.4 Candidates for Chief Electoral Officer will not participate in any campaign.

4.4.5 Bylaw 4.2.8 does not apply to the Chief Electoral Officer. If the Chief Electoral Officer is running again for the same position, the Vice-President (Communications) will act as Electoral Officer for that particular election with the same duties as described in Bylaw 4.1.2.

4.5 Vacancy of Office

4.5.1 If the office of a PAW Executive Member, Speaker, Senator or Chief Electoral Officer is vacated or will be vacated due to resignation, impeachment, end of term, etc., an election shall be held for the said office at the earliest possible convenience.

4.5.2 Until an election is held for a vacated office, the duties of:

  • the President shall be assumed in accordance with Bylaw 1.3.3;
  • an Executive Member other than the President shall be divided among the remaining PAW Executive members;
  • the Secretary shall be assumed by the (acting) Vice-President (Internal);
  • the Chief Electoral Officer shall be assumed by the (acting) Vice-President (Communications);
  • the PAW Senator shall remain unattended.

4.5.3 In the event that a PAW Executive office becomes vacant less than six (6) months into the normal term of office, the PAW Council may choose to elect a replacement at a regular meeting of Council. The requirements for nomination specified in these Bylaws (4.2) must still be fulfilled.

4.6 Impeachment of a PAW Executive Member, Senator, or Chief Electoral Officer

4.6.1 Impeachment proceedings against an elected officer of the PAW or a Senator shall only be undertaken after the receipt by the Chief Electoral Officer of a petition requesting impeachment and bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) per cent of the active members of the PAW.

4.6.2 If the impeachment proceedings are against the Chief Electoral Officer, or if she/he is deemed to be in conflict of interest with regards to the impeachment, then the motion or petition requesting impeachment should be delivered to the Vice-President (Communications). In this case alone the Vice-President (Communications) shall fulfill the duties of the Chief Electoral Officer that are described under Bylaw 4.1.2.

4.6.3 PAW Council may appoint a substitute officer to fulfill the duties of the Vice-President Communications) and/or Chief Electoral Officer if she/he is deemed to be in conflict of interest with regard to the impeachment proceedings.

4.6.4 On receipt of a petition or motion as defined in Bylaw 4.6.1, the Chief Electoral Officer must call a Special General Meeting solely for the consideration of the impeachment at the earliest possible convenience, in accordance with Bylaw 3.

4.6.5 The Rules for General Meetings outlined in Bylaw 3 will be followed at the Special General Meeting with the exception that business may not proceed without quorum.

4.6.6 The motion for impeachment to be considered at the meeting must read:

"Shall ...(Name of PAW Executive Member or Senator)... continue to serve as ...(Office held)...?

4.6.7 The incumbent PAW Executive Member or Senator shall be removed from office by a simple majority vote.

4.6.8 The procedure for impeaching the Secretary or the Chief Electoral Officer is identical to that described above, with the exception that the incumbent shall be removed from office by:

  • a simple majority vote on the impeachment motion at a PAW General Meeting; or b) a two/thirds (2/3) majority vote at each of two consecutive PAW Council meetings on the impeachment motion.

4.6.9 The procedure for impeaching other appointees of the PAW Council is identical to that described above, with the exception that the petition described in Bylaw 4.6.1. need only contain the signatures of five percent (5%) of the active members of the PAW.

4.6.10 At least seven (7) days notice must be given of any meeting that will consider the impeachment of an officer of the PAW.

4.6.11 Once a petition or motion requesting impeachment has been received, the person affected by it must take a leave of absence from her/his duties until the impeachment process is completed. The execution of those duties will be performed in accordance with Bylaw 4.5.2.

4.7 Referendums

4.7.1 The PAW may conduct referendums on any matter within the jurisdiction and affecting the interests of the PAW.

4.7.2 All changes in fees paid by the membership shall be set by referendums, with the exception of fees paid to an external organisation for a service when that organisation has itself decreased or dropped the fee. In that case alone the PAW must automatically reduce or drop the fee charged to its members to the new value being charged by the external organisation.

4.7.3 A referendum shall be held at the earliest possible convenience upon receipt by the Chief Electoral Officer of a referendum question(s) bearing the signatures of at least ten (10) percent of the active members of the PAW or following a motion of the PAW Council.

4.7.4 If a referendum date has been set in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.3, additional referendum questions may be added to the referendum at any time up to two weeks before the referendum date. Additional questions must also be the result of a petition bearing the signatures of at least five (5) per cent of the active members of the PAW delivered to the Chief Electoral Officer or the result of a motion in PAW Council.

4.7.5 The voting on referendums shall be by secret ballot.

4.7.6 All active members of the PAW are eligible to vote upon presentation of a valid UWO ID card at a designated polling station, with the exception of the Chief Electoral Officer who votes in accordance with Bylaw 4.1.4.

4.7.7 Decisions made by referendum shall be binding upon the PAW and actively enforced by the PAW Executive.

4.7.8 A referendum question shall not be reintroduced for a period of at least eleven (11) months.

4.7.9 Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws, no question put to referendum shall include any statement about the consequence of the referendum's outcome. Arguments and information about a question, including claims about the consequence of a question receiving an affirmative or negative response from the membership may be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer for distribution in an information bulletin.

4.7.10 Quorum for a referendum shall be ten (10) per cent of the active members of the PAW.

4.7.11 In the event that quorum is not achieved:

  • the Chief Electoral Officer shall immediately announce this fact to the PAW membership;
  • the referendum questions shall be reconsidered at a new referendum if, within seven (7) days of such announcement, the Chief Electoral Officer receives a petition to do so signed by at least five (5) per cent of the active members of the PAW; c) the original referendum results will stand if no such petition is received.

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BYLAW 5: PAW Committee Regulations

5.1 General

5.1.1 The reference source for all PAW Committees shall be Robert's Rules of Order, with the exceptions made in this Bylaw.

5.1.2 Membership:

  • PAW Committee members must be active members of the PAW.
  • Membership in any PAW Committee shall be limited to a maximum of five (5).
  • The President shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of all PAW Committees and a voting member of the Finance Standing Committee.
  • Committee vacancies shall be filled by submitting nominations to the Vice-President (Internal) for ratification by the PAW Council.
  • An up-to-date list of the names of PAW Committee members shall be kept by the Vice-President (Internal).

5.1.3 All Committee expenditures shall be made in accordance with Bylaws 9.3.1, 9.3.2, and 9.4.1.

5.1.4 Each PAW Committee chairperson shall present a written annual report at the Annual General Meeting. This report shall include information on the previous year's activities, details of expenditures, and recommendations for future activities of that Committee.

5.1.5 The Committee chairperson shall ensure that regular progress reports are presented to the PAW Council.

5.1.6 Adequate notice of Committee meetings shall be given to all members of the appropriate PAW Committee at least three (3) days in advance of said meeting.

5.1.7 The Committee chairperson may delegate authority to any other Committee member upon consent of the said Committee.

5.2 Standing Committees

5.2.1 Standing Committees are established to consider continuing questions.

5.2.2 The term of office for members of Standing Committees are for one (1) year and expire November 30.

5.2.3 Terms of Reference for PAW Standing Committees are defined in Bylaw 6.

5.3 Special Committees

5.3.1 Special Committees are established for the purpose of examining questions for which no appropriate Standing Committee exists, as determined by the Secretary.

5.3.2 The membership and terms of reference of Special Committees shall be determined by a resolution of the PAW Council.

5.3.3 A Special Committee shall be dissolved:

  • by resolution of the PAW Council; or b) following the presentation of its final report to the PAW Council, Annual General Meeting, or General Meeting.

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BYLAW 6: Terms of Reference for PAW Standing Committees

6.1 Finance Standing Committee

6.1.1 Purpose The Finance Standing Committee shall be responsible for:

  • aiding the Vice-President (Finance) in preparation of the Annual PAW Budget, to be presented to the PAW Council by February 1;
  • ensuring that Budget guidelines are set for the expenditure of all funds included in the Annual PAW Budget. Such Budget guidelines shall be brought to the PAW Council for approval at the same time as the Annual PAW Budget;
  • ensuring that all PAW funds allocated to PAW Committees or outside organisations are spent for the purpose(s) for which they were allocated;
  • recommendations to PAW Council regarding the fee; this fee shall be reviewed each year by the Committee, but shall only be changed by simple majority on a referendum in accordance with Bylaw 9.1.3.
  • making recommendations to the PAW Council regarding the allocation of grants.
  • reviewing the detailed Income/Expense Statement of the PAW every three months and report the observations made to PAW Council.
  • recommending financial Policy objectives for the PAW.

6.1.2 Membership

The membership of the Committee shall be:

  • the Vice-President (Finance), who shall chair the Committee;
  • the President;
  • a maximum of three (3) appointees of the PAW Council.

6.2 Other Standing Committees

Other Standing Committees shall be formed, as required, by the PAW Council.

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BYLAW 7: University Committees

7.1 Appointment of Representatives

7.1.1 The Vice-President (Internal) shall call for and receive nominations to these positions following the election of the the PAW Executive.

7.1.2 Representatives on University Committees must be active members of the PAW.

7.1.3 Subject to ratification by the PAW Council, the Vice-President (Internal) shall, in consultation with the President, appoint representatives to University Committees.

7.1.4 The Vice-President (Internal) shall be responsible for the maintenance of an up-to-date list of PAW representatives on University Committees.

7.1.5 Appointments to University Committees shall be for one year.

7.1.6 On the instruction of the Vice-President (Internal), PAW representatives on University Committees shall report to:

  • The PAW Council;
  • The Annual General Meeeting

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BYLAW 8: External Post-Doctoral Organisations and Other Associations

8.1 External Post-Doctoral Associations

8.1.1 The PAW shall be a member of external post-doctoral organisations as determined by referendum.

8.1.2 Increases in membership fees must be ratified by referendum, except where provision was made for such increases in the membership referendum question under Bylaw 4.7.2.

8.1.3 Meetings of any external organisation of which the PAW is a member shall be attended by delegates of the PAW by, in order of preference, the Vice-President (External), the President, and/or a representative. Additional delegates may be appointed at thediscretion of the PAW Council.

8.1.4 Any measure approved by any external post-doctoral organisation of which the PAW is a member is subject to ratification by the PAW Council.

8.2 Other External Organisations

8.2.1 Other organisations which are substantially external to the University shall be recognized by the PAW on recommendation to do so by the PAW Council. Such recommendation requires a 2/3 majority in its favour by the PAW Council, with the notice of such a motion being given at least 7 days in advance of the meeting in which it will be voted.

8.2.2 The PAW Council may rescind any recommendation at any time by following the same procedure used to make the recommendation.
 
8.2.3 The PAW will only give financial assistance to those organisations that it has recognized in accordance with this Bylaw. Any financial assistance from the PAW must be spent for the purpose for which it was requested.

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BYLAW 9: Financial Affairs

9.1 General

9.1.1 The financial year of the PAW shall be from December 1 to November 30.

9.1.2 The PAW shall have the power to levy a membership fee, the amount of which is subject to the approval of the PAW Council, with such fee paid annually by all active members.

9.1.3 The PAW Council shall have the authority to set the amount of the membership fee,provided the amount of the membership fee does not exceed the previous years fee by ten (10) per cent. The membership fee may only be increased by more than ten (10) per cent by resolution of a General Meeting or by Referendum.

9.1.4 If such a procedure is acceptable to the Board of Governors of The University of Western Ontario, the fee shall be collected annually as a deduction from PAW active members' pay.

9.1.5 All PAW fees paid to the Controller of The University of Western Ontario shall be credited to a PAW account or accounts at a certified financial institution in London , Ontario , the appointment of such institution shall be subject to approval by the PAW Executive Committee.

9.1.6 The signing officers for the PAW accounts shall be the President ,Vice-President (Finance) and Vice-President (Internal). Two signatures are required for all financial transactions and should be those of the President and the Vice-President (Finance) whenever possible. Cheques issued to one of the signing officers must be signed by the other two signing officers.

9.1.7 The Vice-President (Finance) of the PAW shall be directly responsible for the administration of all PAW accounts and shall keep adequate records of all transactions.

9.1.8 The PAW Finance Standing Committee shall prepare a budget of revenues and expenditures for its terms of office. Once this budget has been approved by the PAW Council, the PAW Executive Committee shall have the power to expend such monies within the limit of the budget. Any extra budgetary expenditures shall require approval of the PAW Council, and any budget shortfalls shall require that the PAW Council be notified at its next meeting.

9.1.9 The PAW Executive Committee, in consultation with the PAW Council and the Finance Standing Committee, shall have the power to invest monies in the name of and onbehalf of the PAW while having due regard to the security of such investment. The PAW Executive Committee shall, with the consent of the PAW Council, have the power to borrow funds or conduct transactions in the name of the PAW.

9.1.10 Financial records and books of the PAW may be examined at any time by any active member of the PAW after due notice has been given the Vice-President (Internal) or the Vice-President (Finance). The Vice-President (Internal) or the Vice-President (Finance) shall establish a suitable time and place, with the examination of the financial records taking place at The University of Western Ontario in the presence of a PAW Executive Committee officer. This examination may take the form of an independent audit by a Chartered Accountant.

9.1.11 The PAW may pay honoraria to any person upon approval of the PAW Council.

9.2 Accounts

9.2.1 There shall be a general account which shall be used to carry out the normal business of the PAW.

9.2.2. There shall be one or more savings accounts which shall be used for the purpose of improving the capital assets of the PAW, to be created at the discretion of the Vice-President (Finance).

9.2.3 The Finance Standing Committee may decide to make use of a term deposit at a financial institution.

9.3 Expenditures

9.3.1 All budgeted expenditures shall be made in accordance with the budget guidelines as approved by the PAW Council.

9.3.2 All expenditures not included in the Annual PAW Budget shall be made in the following manner:

  • Amounts up to $100 shall require the authorization of the Vice-President (Finance) and such expenditures shall be reported to the PAW Council.
  • Amounts greater than $100 but less than $250 shall require the prior authorization of the PAW Council.
  • Amounts greater than or equal to $250 shall require two (2) readings by the PAW Council.

9.4 Financial Records

9.4.1 All expenditures from PAW accounts shall be documented by appropriate receipts, invoices, cheque stubs or other satisfactory evidence.

9.4.2 The Vice-President (Finance) shall present to the PAW Council in September a Balance Sheet and Income Statement outlining PAW transactions for the last fiscal year.

9.4.3 At the Annual General Meeting the Vice-President (Finance) shall present a Balance Sheet and an Income Statement from December 1 to the present.

9.5 Audits

9.5.1 The books and business transactions of the PAW must be audited each year by a Chartered Accountant and the results of the audit reported to the PAW Council.

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BYLAW 10: The PAW Judicial Board

10.1 Judicial Board Membership

10.1.1 The Judicial Board of the PAW shall be composed as outlined in Article IX of the PAW Constitution.

10.1.2 The chairperson shall be appointed by the PAW Council from the five (5) PAW Councillors comprising the Judicial Board.

10.1.3 In the event that the chairperson or any Judicial Board member is in a position of conflict of interest with regards to the case to be considered, they must withdraw from the Board, and will be replaced as outlined in Article IX, section 4 of the PAW Constitution.

10.1.4 Any member of the PAW who believes that any member of the Judicial Board may have a conflict of interest regarding the case to be considered should make her/his concerns known to the Executive, and/or Chief Electoral Officer. An outside mediator will be used to determine if a conflict of interest exists.

10.2 Juristiction

The PAW Judicial Board shall exercise jurisdiction over all matters within the authority of the PAW as defined by the PAW Constitution and Bylaws. In particular, but without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the PAW Judicial Board shall exercise jurisdiction regarding:

  • any violation of an appropriately published non-academic rule or regulation of The University of Western Ontario, including, but not limited to: i) the PAW Constitution, ii) the handbook, or similar such documents of the PAW, iii) the University Code of Conduct;
  • any failure to comply with the directions of a University Official acting within the scope of that Official's authority;
  • damage or disturbances caused by a University of Western Ontario post-doctoral associate;
  • assault, or other forms of intimidation, theft, vandalism, and willful or negligent damage to the property of The University of Western Ontario or a member of the University community or any other University organisation;
  • public disturbances at PAW-sponsored events;
  • any other disciplinary jurisdiction delegated to the PAW by The University of Western Ontario and approved by the PAW Council.

10.3 Exercise of Juristiction

10.3.1 Procedure governing the conduct of the hearing is such that:

  • The Chair shall open with a brief explanation of the proceedings;
  • The complainant shall state his/her case first; the respondent will follow with his/her case;
  • The complainant and the respondent may cross-examine one another;
  • The complainant and/or the respondent may present witnesses; if witnesses are presented, the other party may cross-examine said witnesses;
  • The Judicial Board may question any individual at the hearing who is concerned with the case;
  • The complainant and respondent may be represented by an agent in the proceeding.

10.3.2 The Judicial Board is empowered to establish such additional regulations and rules of procedure for its deliberations as it may consider necessary.

10.3.3 Procedure governing the functioning of the Judicial Board is such that:

  • All decisions shall be made by the Judicial Board members;
  • Quorum of the Board shall consist of the Chair and all members;
  • Majority opinion will decide a question and all Judicial Board members must vote;
  • A decision, with supporting reasons, may be rendered orally at the time of the hearing, and shall be rendered in writing as soon as possible thereafter. The written decision shall be forwarded to all parties and be kept on file by the PAW Secretary;
  • In the event that a decision is not unanimous, the dissenting Judicial Board member may include with the written majority decision, a written dissent; said dissent is for the purpose of information only, and is not to be used as grounds for appeal.

10.3.4 Should either party fail to appear at the hearing and fail to show reasonable cause for their absence within a week of the date of the hearing, the Judicial Board shall be entitled to proceed on the matter for which the parties were summoned, subject to the following conditions:

  • Notice of the Judicial Board's ability to proceed under this section must be provided to all parties at the time at which they are notified of the hearing. The Judicial Board shall not proceed until satisfactory evidence of the service of such notice is presented;
  • Should the respondent fail to appear and fail to demonstrate reasonable cause for such failure, the Judicial Board is empowered to hear the matter;
  • Should the complainant fail to appear and fail to demonstrate reasonable cause for such failure, the Judicial Board shall dismiss the complaint. The dismissed complaint shall not be the subject of further proceedings before the Judicial Board;
  • Failure to appear without reasonable cause does not constitute grounds for appeal against a decision of the Judicial Board.

10.3.5 The following sanctions or any combination thereof may be imposed by the Judicial Board:

  • censure;
  • disciplinary probation for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months from the date of the decision of the Judicial Board;
  • restitution;
  • suspension of privileges;
  • community service, upon agreement of the concerned party;

10.3.6 Any decision of the PAW Judicial Board may be appealed to the Senate of The University of Western Ontario.

10.3.7 The PAW Judicial Board is to remain as independent as possible of all other functionaries of the PAW. Accordingly, disciplinary decisions of the PAW Judicial Board shall not be reversed by any body or officer of the PAW.

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BYLAW 11: The PAW Insignia

11.1 Official insignia of the PAW and their proper use will be set by policy statement.

11.2 The insignia of the PAW shall not be used without the written authorization of the PAW Council or the Executive.

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