AMS ASSEMBLY  

AMS Assembly is the highest legislative body for undergraduate students at Queen's.  Assembly is the ultimate decision-making body for the non-service policy and political affairs of the Alma Mater Society.  Therefore, the Assembly has full power, within the restrictions of the Constitution, to create, alter and/or terminate any policy statements which are considered to be Society Policy, and to deal with any reports, recommendations and/or conclusions of any groups, committees and organization which fall within the purview of Assembly.

Relevant Constitution is below:

Section 5.02 Terms of Reference of the Assembly       

5.02.01 The Assembly is the ultimate decision-making body for the non-service, policy and political affairs of the Society. The Assembly has full power, within the restrictions of this Constitution, to create, alter and/or terminate any policy statements, which are considered to be Society Policy, and to deal with any reports, recommendations and/or conclusions of any groups, committees and organizations which fall within the purview of the Assembly.

5.02.02 Without in any way restricting the generality of the foregoing, the Assembly shall aim to fulfil its mandate by debating and dealing with any reports, including their recommendations and conclusions; with motions, as submitted by the Council, Assembly or the student body at large; with policy decisions regarding the official stance of the Society on any issue within the purview of Assembly; and with granting allocations for all moneys assigned to grants in the current Assembly Budget. The Assembly shall also be empowered to direct the Executive and/or the Council to represent the Society where it is deemed necessary, and to carry out various duties in the interest of the student body.  

5.02.03 The Assembly shall be directly responsible for the actions and activities of the various commissions, as outlined in sections 6.03 to 6.08, all Assembly committees and any groups, organizations and clubs which are within the jurisdiction of the Assembly.  

5.02.04 The Assembly shall participate in the affairs of the Society carried out by the Corporation only as provided for in parts 16 and 17 of this Constitution and the by-laws of the Corporation. For greater certainty, the Board is the ultimate decision-making body for the Corporation.

5.02.05 In all debate and decision-making the Assembly shall be guided, as far as possible, by the objects contained in this Constitution.

5.02.06 The Assembly shall have the authority except as otherwise specified to appoint representatives of the Society to any committees, commissions, boards etc., external to the Society. Such appointees shall report to Assembly at least twice per term, or be subject to removal.

Section 5.04 Assembly Meetings and Quorum

5.04.01 The Assembly will meet at least ten (10) times during the course of the regular school year, September to April. Meetings will be held in accordance with the Rules of Order as outlined in Part 8.

5.04.02 The Scribe of the Assembly, together with the Internal Affairs Commissioner, shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all regular meetings of the Assembly and for ensuring the duplication and distribution of all minutes, papers and reports or other documents to Assembly members.

5.04.03 The meetings of the Assembly shall be open to the public, however, there shall be recourse to closed sessions if so decided by a majority of the members present. If a closed session is held, the reason therefore shall be announced immediately following the closed session.

5.04.04 A majority plus one of voting Assembly members, not including proxies, shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. If quorum is not maintained, the meeting shall be adjourned and the time and names of members still present shall be recorded in the minutes.

 5.04.05 Assembly members may vote at meetings by proxy if permitted by the constitutions of their member societies/residence committees. Such proxy need not himself/herself be an Assembly member. Before every meeting at which a proxy votes, he/she shall produce and deposit with the Speaker sufficient appointment in writing from his/her constituent. A proxy shall stand in the stead of his/her constituent in accordance with the terms of the written appointment. Attendance by proxy, nonetheless, shall be treated as an absence by the constituent Assembly member for the purposes of subsection 5.03.03.

5.04.06 All motions of the Assembly shall be decided by a majority vote, with each Assembly member entitled to one vote. In the case of an equality of votes, the Speaker shall cast the deciding vote in accordance with the procedure outlined in the Society Policy on Assembly Rules of Order. All votes at such meetings shall be taken by ballot with the approval of the Speaker, or the support of a majority of Assembly members present. If no demand is made, the vote shall be taken in the usual way by a show of hands.

5.04.07 Any Assembly meeting shall adjourn at a point no later four (4) hours after the time when it was scheduled to begin, less a motion to extend by thirty (30) minutes is passed by a two/thirds (2/3) majority at each thirty (30) minute interval for a maximum of five (5) intervals.

Section 5.05 Notice of Assembly Meetings

 5.05.01 Notice of regular meetings shall be made to members of Assembly at least two weeks before each meeting. Notice of the time and place of regular meetings shall also be published in the edition of the Queen's Journal immediately preceding the meeting, but failure to do so does not render the meeting invalid.

5.05.02 The President or either Vice-President of the Society shall have the power to call, at any time, a special meeting of the Assembly. Further, such meetings shall be called by the Internal Affairs Commissioner upon receipt of a petition to do so signed by ten (10) Assembly members. Notice of a special meeting of the Assembly shall be forty-eight (48) hours.

5.05.03 Notwithstanding subsection 5.05.02, the President of the Society, in the case of an emergency, may call a special meeting of the Assembly at any time without being subject to the forty-eight (48) hour notice requirement.