Governance – McGill Dental Students' Association

DENTAL STUDENTS’ SOCIETY OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE

Executive President
Executive Vice-President
Vice-President Communications
Vice-President Finance
Vice-President External Affairs
Two (2) Vice-President Social Affairs
Vice-President Health and Wellness
SSMU Representative
Four (4) Class Presidents from each year of the DMD program
FCDSA Senior Representative*
FCDSA Junior Representative*
DMD IV Class Academic Representative*
DMD IV SCIC Representative*
Dent-P Class Representative*

*Non-voting member

GOVERNING BODIES (ref. article 6 of the DSS Constitution)

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall supervise the management and administer the business and affairs of the Society and shall exercise all of the powers of the Society, except for those which the Act expressly reserves to the Members, the whole subject to the provisions of the Act, the Constitution and the Internal Regulations. In making any decisions or taking any actions on behalf of the Society, the Board of Directors shall consider, where applicable and appropriate, any recommendation in respect thereof provided by the General Council.

Executive President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President Finance

Executive Committee

There shall be a body of the Society called the Executive Committee, which shall govern the Society between meetings of Board of Directors and General Council, in a manner not inconsistent with a Policy set out by the Board of Directors or the General Council. The Executive Committee does not hold legislative power, but rather serves as a committee to facilitate the activities of the Society. Any decisions requiring the vote of the General Council must be decided at a General Council meeting, not by the Executive Committee.

Executive President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President Finance, Four Class Presidents from each year of the DMD program, Dent-P Class Representative

General Council

The governing body of the Society, the General Council is empowered to legislate and execute all regulations, and policies of the Society. A decision of the General Council can only be superseded by one made by a General Assembly. The General Council is empowered to transact all business and engage in all affairs of the Society in the name of the Society, unless elsewhere indicated.

Executive President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President Finance, Vice-President Communications, Vice-President External Affairs, Two Vice-President Social Affairs, Vice-President Health and Wellness, SSMU Representative, Four Class Presidents from each year of the DMD program.

Class Council

Each year of study shall have its own governing body, hereinafter referred to as the Class Council. The members of a class shall be those Society members who appear on the college registrar for the year in question, unless otherwise specified.

Class President, Class Vice-President, Class Treasurer, Two (2) Class Social Representatives, Class Academic Representative, Class External Affairs Representative, Class Community Initiatives Representative.

General Assembly

The General Assembly consists of all active members of the Society. The Executive President or their delegate shall be the Chair/Speaker of the General Assembly. A General Assembly shall receive and take notice of the annual report of the Board of Directors/General Council, the financial statements of the Society, including the balance sheet and statements of revenue and expenditures and the report of the auditors, and take notice of, and decide on, any other matter which the General Assembly may legally consider.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (ref. article 7 of the DSS Constitution)

Executive President

To be the official spokesperson of the Dental Students’ Society of McGill university and represent the Society at all occasions.
To serve as Chair of Executive Committee, General Council and Faculty Liaison Committee meetings.
To manage all activities of the Society efficiently.
To ensure that the Society’s Constitution is observed.
To serve as member ex-officio of all committees of the Society.
To make decisions on behalf of the Society, subject to subsequent ratification by the General Council, in such instances as a meeting of the General Council is impossible.
To convene meetings of the General Council and General Assembly and ensure that proper parliamentary procedure is respected, as set out in Robert’s Rules of Order.
To ensure that the Society’s constitution is kept up to date and to ensure that copies of the constitution are available to Society members.
To maintain proper avenues of communication, in conjunction with the Vice President External Affairs, between the Society and organizations external to the University. These organizations include, but are not limited to, the Federation of Canadian Dentistry Student Associations (FCDSA), the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), the Association des Chirurgiens Dentistes du Québec (ACDQ) and the Order of Dentists of Québec (ODQ).
To attend and actively participate in all committee meetings of the above mentioned organizations that the Executive President is appointed to, as long as responsibilities to these external organizations do not conflict with responsibilities to the Society.
To maintain proper avenues of communication between the Society and other University offices and organizations. These include, but are not limited to, the offices of the Dean and Associate Deans of Dentistry, the office of the Dean of Students, the other Faculty Associations of McGill University, and the President’s Council of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).
To cast an active vote, and not abstain on motions brought before the General Council in the event of a tied vote.

Executive Vice-President

To aid the Executive President in fulfilling all presidential duties, and to fulfill those duties if the Executive President should become unable to.
To assume the office and title of interim Executive President if the Executive President should resign or become unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency until an Emergency Election is held.
To ensure that all actions taken by the General Council are in accordance with the Society’s constitution.
To maintain the collection, organization and distribution of correspondence directed at the Executive Committee and General Councils.
To arrange the venue for every Executive and General Council meeting, and to provide the equipment and documents necessary for the appropriate functioning of those meetings.
To coordinate and pursue the solicitation of large, or corporate sponsorship agreements for the Society, its publications, and its website.
- To prepare and update a sponsorship kit, and ensure its distribution to past and potential sponsors.
- To facilitate the solicitation of large DSS sponsors for all DSS clubs, events, organizations, publications and class councils.
- To keep accurate account of the sponsorship obtained independently by all DSS clubs, events (in association with the VP Communications & VP Social Affairs), organizations, activities, publications, and class councils.

Vice-President External Affairs (2-Year Term)

To represent and further the objectives and best interests of the Society within external organizations.
To transmit pertinent information from these organizations to the General Council and members of the Society.
To attend all meetings of, and actively participate in these organizations.
To act as liaison between the Society and other dental schools’ student societies within Canada.

Vice-President Finance (2-Year Term)

To manage all Society funds as mandated by the General Council.
To keep accurate account of all the finances of the Society.
To publish a statement showing the assets, liabilities, and financial condition of the Society.
To keep accurate account of all bank accounts opened with the Society’s authorization, and to ensure proper maintenance of these accounts.
To arrange for a yearly audit of all finances to be performed by a registered Chartered Accountant and to submit the completed audit to the University by December 31st, in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement signed with McGill University.

Vice-President Communications (2-Year Term)

To oversee the dissemination of information from the General Council to all Society members.
To keep the minutes and notify Society members of upcoming meetings of the General Council.
To be responsible for the advertisement and the promotion of Society events to its members.
To oversee the production of all publications of the Society.
To be responsible for the distribution of press releases to media corporations, in conjunction with the Executive President and Executive Vice President.
To maintain an official Society website.
To organize incoming undergraduate dental students into pre-existing “Big Sib / Little Sib” families, chosen at random.
To oversee all affairs regarding Clubs of Society members.
- To assist club representatives with regards to their responsibilities to the General Council.
- To maintain a contact list of club representatives.
- To facilitate the delivery of DSS club mail and electronic mail.
- To support the Society’s clubs in creating and maintaining club websites linked to the Society site.
- To collect and publish the yearly club reports submitted by all Society clubs.
- To keep accurate account of the sponsorship obtained independently by all clubs with the goal of preventing redundancy and conflicts with the sponsorship contracts of the DSS itself. The VP Communications will cooperate with the VP Finance and Executive Vice President in this matter.

Vice-President Social Affairs

To organize, coordinate and promote all social events organized by the Society.
To solicit sponsors for all social events organized by the Society.
The position of Vice-President Social Affairs is held by two (2) individuals.

Vice-President Health and Wellness

To organize student-led events which promote health and wellness within the dental student body.
To develop, promote and support sports clubs organized by the Society.
To solicit sponsors for all sports events organized by the Society.

SSMU Representative

To represent the best interests of the General Council and Society to the Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU).
To act as a liaison between the Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU), the General Council, and members of the Society.
To attend all meetings of, and actively participate in the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) so long as responsibilities to the SSMU does not conflict with responsibilities to the Society.

Federation of Canadian Dentistry Students’ Association (FCDSA) Senior Representative

To mentor the FCDSA Junior Representative and assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities toward the FCDSA.
To act as a liaison between the Society and other dental schools’ student societies within Canada.
To attend meetings of the FCDSA and actively participate in this organization.
To recruit members of the Society for the various FCDSA positions available and encourage their involvement in this organization.
No voting rights are granted to this position.

Federation of Canadian Dentistry Students’ Association (FCDSA) Junior Representative

To assist the FCDSA Senior Representative in fulfilling their responsibilities towards the FCDSA.
To act as a liaison between the Society and other dental schools’ student societies within Canada.
To attend meetings of the FCDSA and actively participate in this organization.
To recruit members of the Society for the various FCDSA positions available and encourage their involvement in this organization.
No voting rights are granted to this position.

DMD IV Class Academic Representative

To promote the improvement of the academic life of Society members.
To represent the General Council on the Faculty’s Curriculum Committee and debrief the General Council on activities and decisions of the Committee.
The Academic Representative must attend all General Council meetings.
No voting rights are granted to this position.

Class President

To manage all of his/her class’s activities efficiently.
To represent his/her class on all official occasions.
To represent his/her class to members of the Faculty of Dentistry of McGill University deanery.
To represent his/her class at meetings of the General Council.
To represent of his/her class on subcommittees of the DSS.
To represent his/her class at Student Faculty Liaison Committee meetings.
To find and appoint a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) and an Adjunct Returning Officer (ARO) to organize and coordinate class elections.

Class Vice-President

To aid the Class President in fulfilling all presidential duties.
To assume the office and title of interim Class President if the Class President should resign or become unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency until an Emergency Election is held.
To organize, coordinate and promote fundraising activities for their class.

Class Treasurer

To manage the finances of his/her class and conduct affairs of business on behalf of the class.
To ensure that sponsorship of events organized by his/her class is in line with the Society Sponsorship Policy. The Class Treasurer will cooperate with the VP Finance and Executive Vice President in this matter.

Class Social Representative

To organize, coordinate and promote social events for their class.
The position of Class Social Representative is held by two (2) individuals.

Class Academic Representative

To promote the improvement of the academic life of their class.
To represent their class on the Faculty’s Curriculum Committee.

Class External Affairs Representative

To act as liaison between their class and between the Society and organizations external to the University.
To attend all meetings of the Association des Chirurgiens Dentistes du Québec (ACDQ) , and actively participate in this organization.

Class Community Initiatives Representative

To promote and support community initiatives within their class.
To represent their class on the Faculty’s Student Community Initiatives Committee.

Dent-P Class Representative

As the members of the Dent-P class will become members of the Society in the following year, the Dent-P Class Representative must attend all General Council meetings.
No voting rights are granted to this position.

For the duties and responsibilities of additional ‘special’ positions, please refer to the DSS constitution by clicking here.