diff --git a/content/pages/constitution.md b/content/pages/constitution.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..377204e --- /dev/null +++ b/content/pages/constitution.md @@ -0,0 +1,322 @@ +Author: Fatema Boxwala +Title: Constitution +hidden: true + +# Structure of Organization # + +The “Women in Computer Science Undergraduate Committee” is a +subcommittee of Women in Computer Science, a standing committee of the +Cheriton School of Computer Science. For the remainder of this document, +this standing committee will be referred to as the "WiCS Committee". All +references to: “the undergraduate committee”, “the committee”, and +“committee members” refer to the Undergraduate Committee unless +otherwise specified. + +## Purpose and Vision ## + +The undergraduate committee aims to foster a safe environment for cis +and trans women and non-binary individuals in computer science, +and to advocate for the inclusion of these underrepresented groups in the +computer science community at large. + +## Representation ## + +The Women in Computer Science Undergraduate Committee aims to +represent and support undergraduate cis and trans women, and non-binary +individuals enrolled in computer science and related undergraduate programs +at the University of Waterloo. Additionally, we seek to include and support +members of all underrepresented groups in the fields of technology and +computing, with the most varied and diverse backgrounds possible. + +## Values ## + +1. *Inclusiveness*: The undergraduate commitee is committed to fostering + an inclusive environment in which women of all backgrounds will + feel welcome, and to which they can contribute. + +2. *Humility*: The committee will acknowledge and + respect the perspectives of those with experiences different to + ours, and will strive to understand and incorporate these + perspectives. + +3. *Respect*: All members of the community will be treated with respect, regardless of + difference in opinions and values. + +4. *Transparency*: As leaders, our actions and decision-making must be visible to + promote accountability, and all decision-making will be open and + well-documented within the committee and with the public when possible. + +5. *Honesty*: The committee will foster an environment to promote honest + disclosure. All community members should feel free to voice their opinions and feelings. + We acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes: honest disclosure and taking responsibility + will always be supported. + +6. *Technical Excellence*: The committee acknowledges that its + fundamental goal is to support diversity in technical work, and + members will strive to achieve excellence in this work themselves. + +# Committee Composition # + +1. Only undergraduate cis and trans women and non-binary individuals + enrolled in computer science or a related undergraduate program may + serve on the committee. The committtee will be comprised of the following roles: + + - Chair, + + - Secretary, + + - Finance Director, + + - Office Manager, + + - Systems Administrator, + + - Big CSters Director, + + - Director of Publicity, + + - Up to three additional positions as necessary, with titles + chosen by the committee. + +2. The duties of the Chair are: + + - To chair all meetings; + + - To publicly represent the committee as the primary contact for + external groups; + + - To represent the undergraduate committee at meetings of the WiCS + Committee; + + - To represent the undergraduate committee at meetings of any + other external organization to which the committee is + accountable, when appropriate, such as the Mathematics Society; + + - To secure funding for the committee's endeavours in + collaboration with the Finance Director. + +3. The duties of the Secretary are: + + - To take minutes at all meetings; + + - To call meetings; + + - To represent the undergraduate committee at meetings of the WiCS + Committee; + + - To track the completion of all duties assigned to members of the committee; + + - To maintain the non-financial records of the committee. + +4. The duties of the Finance Director are: + + - To process financial paperwork; + + - To maintain accurate budgets and financial records; + + - To secure funding for the endeavours of the committee, in + collaboration with the Chair; + + - To represent the organization in a financial capacity, in all + relevant meetings. + +5. The duties of the Office Manager are: + + - To maintain and uphold the Office Policy; + + - To train and manage office staff; + + - To ensure the office is a clean, orderly, and respectful space; + + - To create and manage the schedule of office hours; + + - To ensure the office is equipped with adequate supplies. + +6. The duties of the System Administrator are: + + - To chair the Systems Committee (“wics-sys”); + + - To be the authority on matters regarding usage of systems; + + - To maintain access control lists for the committee's computing resources, + including office terminals and servers; + + - To maintain and enforce the Machine Usage Agreement, dictating acceptable use + of the committee's computing resources. + +7. The duties of the Big CSters Director are: + + - To maintain the Big CSters community through supportive and + inclusive programming, such as workshops and discussion circles; + + - To lead the Big CSters mentoring program, running no fewer than + two events per term; + + - To administer the CSters mailing list. + +8. The duties of the Diretor of Publicity are: + + - To publicize events and other committee activities through physical and + electronic means; + + - To design all media circulated by the committee including: + posters, social media profiles and the official website. + +All committee memebers are free to delegate their responsibilities to others as +as they see fit, but are ultimately responsible for the completion of their +assigned duties. + +# Procedures # + +## Policy ## + +Any changes to policy must be proposed with at least one week's +notice, and ratified at an official meeting of the undergraduate +committee. + +### Code of Conduct ### + The Code of Conduct outlines expected behaviour for all members of + the community at any community venues, online and in-person, and in + any communications pertaining to committee business. Any member of + the committee may prpose an amendment to the CoC. The committee must + ratify any proposed amendments to the Code of Conduct. + +### Machine Usage Agreement ### + The Machine Usage Agreement outlines expected conduct when using any + machines maintained by the undergraduate committee. Any + proposed changes must be first ratified by the Systems Committee, + followed by the entire committee. + +### Office Policy ### + Office Policy outlines expected behaviour in the WiCS Undergraduate + Committee office, M3 1003. Any proposed changes must be ratified by the + committee. + +## Succession Procedures ## + +1. No later than the last day of classes of current term, a call for + committee members for the upcoming term shall be announced on the + website and sent out to all affiliated mailing lists. + +2. New volunteers can apply to be on the committee for the following + term, and the current committee will select applicants for + interviews. A new volunteer shall be anyone who has never served on + the committee before, or has not served on the committee for 4 or + more terms. Interviewers should be chosen by the current committee. + If an interviewer has a conflict of interest with the interviewee, + an alternate interviewer will be chosen. In any case, if no + interviewer is explicitly chosen, the current Chair shall conduct + interviews. The interviews are intended to welcome the new member to + the committee, give them background on the committee's activities, + and help them find a role for the next term. The current committee + will ultimately select the comoposition of the committee for next + term. + +3. Existing committee members can nominate themselves for positions on + the next term's committee given the following conditions: + + - No member may serve more than three consecutive terms; + + - No member may serve as Chair for more than one term + consecutively; + + - No member intending to serve as Chair or Secretary may be on + co-op; + + - Members wishing to nominate themselves for chair should be a + previous WiCS committee member. If no such volunteer exists, the + position opens up to new members; + + - Excluding that of Chair, no positions may be chosen until the + first official meeting of the new term's committee; + + - Existing committee members may compose no more than 75% of the + new committee, if more existing members are nominated than 75% + can accomodate, each returning member will submit a new + application to be reviewed by the serving Director of the WiCS + Committee. + +4. If there are any objections to an applicant, this procedure should + be followed: + + 1. The objection will be presented to the committee, with + sufficient evidence; + + 2. The person being objected to may present a defense; + + 3. The current committee will then take a vote, if a majority of + members agree with the objection, the objected person will be + denied a position on the committee. + + If the objection is a sensitive concern, it can be brought up to the + Chair or Secretary, where they will decide whether to bring the case + to the committee and how to proceed. Otherwise, the objected person + will be automatically accepted for the next term. + +5. Once the committee has been chosen, the Director of the WiCS + Committee must ratify the new committeee. + +## Standing Committees ## + +- The Systems Committee (wics-sys) shall: + + 1. Be chaired by the systems administrator; + + 2. Consist solely of members appointed by the systems administrator; + + 3. Operate all computing equipment in the possession of the committee; + + 4. Maintain and upgrade all systems in possession of the committee, including + office terminals and servers; + + 5. To maintain the committee's source code repositories and software; + + 6. To maintain the committee's official website, wics.uwaterloo.ca. + + +- Other Committees\ + The undergraduate committee can create and task standing committees + as necessary. Such standing committees can be dissolved by the + undergraduate committee. + +## Keys ## + +- Keys will be allocated to the undergraduate committeee as per policy + set out in the Memorandum of Understanding with the Mathematics + Society; + +- Office Manager and Systems Administrator will both receive keys. + Remaining keys will be allocated as the undergraduate committee sees + fit. + +## Holding Committee Meetings ## + +1. The Secretary is tasked with calling meetings; + +2. Meetings are suggested to be weekly and must occur biweekly; + +3. Meetings must be announced with at least 48 hours of notice; + +4. If the Secretary does not schedule a meeting within a two-week + period, any committee member may call a meeting + +5. There will exist two types of meetings, open and closed. + + - Open Session Meeting - This type of meeting is open to all + committee members and guests, by invitation only. In order to + invite guests a member must give the committee notice before the + meeting officially starts. + + - Closed Session Meeting - These meetings are open only to + committee members and individuals unanimously invited by the + committee. Any committee member may call a closed session + meeting. Internal discipline, Code of Conduct violations, and + funding proposals must be discussed in a closed session meeting. + +# Procedure for Amending This Document # + +1. Any committee member may propose a change; + +2. Changes must be proposed with at least two weeks of notice. + +