Skip to main content Skip to local navigation
Home » Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference

The Executive shall: 

  1. Be responsible for directing the activities of the YUBSN subject to the provisions of the Terms of Reference and following policies agreed to by the membership; 
  2. Report to the YUBSN regularly, and as circumstances warrant; 
  3. Establish new committees or working groups and recruit volunteers to fill these vacancies as required;
  4. Appoint new executive member(s) from amongst the membership if a vacancy should arise between elections; and 
  5. Hold regular meetings to discuss matters with the chairs of the standing committees in attendance. 

Any member of the Executive who ceases to be eligible for membership in the YUBSN will automatically lose the right to hold office. 

The duties of the Executive Committee shall be as follows: 

  • Call and preside at all full membership meetings of the YUBSN and of the Executive; 
  • Facilitate communication between the University senior administration and the YUBSN including joint meetings with University senior administration;  
  • Maintain oversight of the YUBSN budget and partner with Financial Officer in its overall management; 
  • Contact members of the YUBSN who may be willing to serve as members of the Executive, Standing Committees, or as YUBSN representatives on University committees, and secure their agreement to run in elections; 
  • Chair the Content Creation Working Group Meetings and share relevant updates with the Executive including those requiring group approval;
  • Time Commitment: 4 hours monthly, including attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn).
  • Call and preside over YUBSN meetings in the President’s absence;
  • Support the President in facilitating communication between the University senior administration and the YUBSN including joint meetings with University senior administration;  
  • Act as the YUBSN liaison with other institutional employee groups, external organizations and other post-secondary institutional affinity groups; 
  • Chair the Programming Committee and share relevant updates with the Executive including those requiring approval; ​
  • In collaboration with the Programming Committee, plans and organizes professional development and networking events for the YUBSN membership (1-2 annually); ​plans and coordinates  the execution of the Annual General Meeting and Annual Membership Breakfast;​
  • Time Commitment: 4 hours monthly, including attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn).
  • Schedule Executive meetings including recording minutes at meetings of the Executive committee and full membership;​
  • Develop and implement File Management SOP for the Executive and standing committee(s) to maintain accurate recordkeeping for the YUBSN;
  • Primary support for YUBSN email, website and Teams site;​
  • Provide additional support as may be requested from time to time by the President, Vice-President or Executive (e.g. new initiatives, special projects, working groups);
  • Time Commitment: 3 hours monthly, including attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn).
  • Manage the YUBSN budget including monitoring all financial activities and forecasting to support YUBSN activities;​
  • Develop and implement Financial SOP to support YUBSN; ​
  • Maintain a record of the financial operations of the YUBSN including providing periodic updates to the Executive;​
  • Oversees financial reporting, including preparing the year-end financial statement and a budget for the current fiscal year;​
  • Present the statement and budget, as approved by the Executive, at the Annual General Meeting; ​
  • Provide additional support as may be requested from time to time by the President, Vice-President or Executive (e.g. new initiatives, special projects, working groups);​
  • Time Commitment: 2 hours monthly, in addition to attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn)​.
  • Provide technical and operational management of the YUBSN website; ​
  • Secondary support for YUBSN email, website and Teams site; ​
  • Develop and implement key messaging to support Executive presentations and other annual YUBSN events as required; ​
  • Periodic analytics and metrics reporting; ​
  • Provide additional support as may be requested from time to time by the President, Vice-President or Executive (e.g. new initiatives, special projects, working groups).;
  • Time Commitment: 3 hours monthly, in addition to attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn)​.
  • Fill and support vacant positions on the Executive committee as required; 
  • Partner with the Membership & Community Outreach Coordinator to develop and implement a strategy for recruiting and onboarding new YUBSN members;
  • Lead the development and implementation of a process for filling YUBSN committee vacancies;​
  • Develop and implement a process for managing YUBSN elections process; ​
  • Periodic analytics and metrics reporting; ​
  • Provide additional support as may be requested from time to time by the President/Vice-President or Executive (e.g. new initiatives, special projects, working groups);
  • Time Commitment: 2 hours monthly, in addition to attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn)​.
  • Onboard new members on the Executive committee; 
  • Partner with the Stakeholder & Community Relations Coordinator (previously S&CC role) to develop and implement a strategy for recruiting and onboarding new YUBSN members
  • Develop and implement recruitment poster insert for inclusion in York’s institutional staff orientation sessions to connect incoming non-academic Black employees to the YUBSN; ​
  • Develop and implement special programs and/or initiatives that enhance YUBSN recruitment efforts (ie. Ambassador Program, Mentorship Program)
  • Periodic analytics and metrics reporting; ​
  • Provide additional support as may be requested from time to time by the President, Vice-President or Executive (e.g. new initiatives, special projects, working groups)
  • Time Commitment: 2 hours monthly, in addition to attending scheduled committee meetings. Additional time may be required during key times throughout the year for scheduled events (e.g. AGM, Membership Breakfast, Lunch & Learn)​

The following provisions shall govern the operations of the Executive Committee: 

  • The Executive shall meet regularly but no less than quarterly; 
  • A meeting of the Executive may be held at any time at the call of the President, Vice-President, or upon the request of any two (2) members of the Executive; 
  • Four (4) members of the Executive constitute a meeting quorum; 
  • Each member of the Executive has one (1) vote; 
  • If the votes of the Executive are equally divided, the President has the deciding vote; 
  • A decision or resolution of the majority of the Executive present and constituting a quorum is a decision or resolution of the Executive, except where otherwise provided; 
  • Signing officers shall be either the President, Vice-President, or Financial Officer. 

Meetings shall be held throughout the year, including the Annual General Meeting in May/June of each year, the Membership Breakfast in October/November of each year, and no less than one general meeting of the members. A special meeting may be called by the Executive by giving 14 calendar days' notice to the YUBSN membership or by any YUBSN member provided that it is supported by a written request to the Executive Committee. 

The Executive shall meet with YUBSN Executive Sponsor (Vice-President Equity, People and Culture) on an ad hoc basis. Ad hoc meetings, if required, can be requested by the President and Vice-President. Meetings with the Executive Sponsor are for the purposes of: 

  • Discussing issues within the University which may affect members of the YUBSN; 
  • Presenting committee findings and proposals on behalf of the YUBSN Membership.