Constitution and Policies

The Constitution for the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill is a document that governs the internal affairs and management of the Union. The AGSEM Constitution can be found here.

Equity Policies

At the 1 April 2014 All-Units General Assembly, AGSEM adopted an Equity Statement to be read aloud before all Delegates’ Council and General Assemblies. The AGSEM Equity Statement can be found here.

AGSEM also adopted an Equity Policy and Internal Complaints Procedure in April 2013, which provides AGSEM with a procedure by which to address complaints related to harassment and/or discrimination within the Union. The AGSEM Equity Policy and Internal Complaints Procedure can be found here.

Please note that issues of psychological harassment and/or discrimination within the workplace (i.e., on the job as a Teaching Assistant or Invigilator) are handled using the grievance process.

Policy Manual

In addition to the Constitution, AGSEM has a Policy Manual—a formal, but living, document that records a set of procedures for the smooth functioning of the Union. AGSEM Executives, staff and volunteers should abide by these policies. The manual is updated throughout the year with current information. The AGSEM Constitution, Bylaws, General Assembly and Delegate Council Decisions supersede all articles and policies contained in the Manual. If you are interested in accessing the current iteration of the AGSEM Policy Manual, please contact the Mobilization Officer.

Land Recognition

At the 24 October 2018 General Assembly, AGSEM adopted the following land recognition statement. The statement was to be posted on the AGSEM website, included in the AGSEM Constitution, and read at all General and Unit Assemblies. The text of the land recognition reads as follows:

We acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional land of the Kanien’kehá:ka, which has also been a place of gathering for other Indigenous peoples, including other members of the Haudenosaunee confederacy and Anishinaabe communities. AGSEM honours and respects these diverse indigenous peoples, and recognizes that our presence on this land is but one outcome of an ongoing colonial legacy. We reflect upon the impact of this heritage on our presence here today, and make this statement as a first step in interrogating the diverse effects of these under-acknowledged colonial histories.

CSN Rules of Order

AGSEM’s Delegates’ Council meetings and General Assemblies are chaired according to the CSN Rules of Order. A brief, simplified version of the Rules of Order can be found here.