Instatement manual for SUPRA council

1. Transparency and accountability

To constituents

There are many ways we can communicate with our constituents.

Formal documents like ratified council meeting and committee minutes should be readily available on our website or by request. But remember that some things are confidential and should not be shared, like staffing matters or funding plans that have not yet been made public.

Our publications and social media are the main way we communicate with constituents and members. Our website is updated regularly with useful information and Grad Post is sent weekly to inform our members about events, elections, news and to give timely information about postgrads’ studies and Uni policy changes. We also make a limited number of printed publications, like flyers and our popular wall calendar.

Councillors maintain our social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and WeChat. These platforms are central to our up-to-the-minute communications with our constituents and are a good space to learn more about their needs.

To each other

To ensure proper accountability to your membership and constituents, you must also insist upon it from each other.

Some ways for you to do this are:

• enforce proper reporting for positions that receive stipends
• have your own reports ready when required
• insist that your work and other councillors’ work is consistent with policy requirements
• ask questions of SUPRA executive
• attend every possible council meeting
• avoid going in camera at council meetings, wherever possible.

(Going in camera means having the meeting without observers, and subsequent minutes will not be available to the public. There are situations where you are required to do this, for example, when you discuss any staffing matter or competitive funding applications).