Bylaw 400 – A Bylaw Respecting Organizational Structure.

1. Types of the Organizational Structure

   1. The ISA shall be governed by three entities namely, the ISA Board, ISA Graduate Council, and the ISA Undergraduate Council.

   2. The Hearing Board and the Election Office shall be independent entities of the ISA.

   3. The ISA shall have an advisory committee consisting of all the advisors of the ISA, that shall be chaired by the ISA President and meet at the request of any of its members. The advisors shall have a vote in the advisory committee and shall be non-voting members in the Board and Councils.

   4. The ISA shall have seven (7) departments respectively led by each Vice President and an office of the president lead by the President, that shall be directly administered and managed at the discretion of the ISA Board.

2. Roles and Duties

   1. The ISA graduate and undergraduate councils shall handle ISA’s advocacy policies and public standings, oversee the rules/bylaws of the ISA, set the direction for the board, and hold the board accountable.

   2. The Board shall manage day-to-day operations of the ISA as per ISA Calendar, execute the decisions of the councils, represent the ISA as an organization, advocate for international students, and run the ISA along with its departments.

   3. Any entity of the ISA shall further delegate or retain its duties and roles to committees, boards, student groups, or task forces at its discretion.

   4. The Advisory Committee shall recommend anything that it deems essential for ISA’s long-lasting/sustainability to the board or councils.

   5. Any other power as outlined in the Societies Act and not accounted for in these bylaws shall be executed by the Board.

3. Powers and Conflicts:

   1. The Councils have the final decision over all matters pertaining to international students, the ISA bylaws and ISA’s advocacy.

   2. The undergraduate council shall have the final decision over all matters pertaining to the undergraduate general members of the ISA.

   3. The graduate council shall have the final decision over all matters pertaining to the graduate general members of the ISA.

   4. In case of conflict between the graduate and the undergraduate councils, the Board shall decide the ISA’s standing, however, the respective chancellors shall advocate for their councils' interests independently.

   5. The Board shall have the final decision over the functioning of the ISA’s internal departments and its day-to-day operations.

   6. The Advisory Committee can initiate a referendum with fair rules without council or board approval, which shall be binding to the ISA.

4. Composition

   1. The Board and Councils shall expand its composition with non-voting members.

   2. The ISA Board:

      1. Voting:

         1. the President (Undergraduate);

         2. the Vice President Academic (Graduate);

         3. the Vice President Communications (Undergraduate);

         4. the Vice President External (Undergraduate);

         5. the Vice President Finance and Marketing (Undergraduate);

         6. the Vice President Graduate Affairs or the Graduate President (Graduate);

         7. the Vice President Internal (Undergraduate); and,

         8. the Vice President Student Life (Undergraduate).

      2. Non-voting:

         1. the Graduate Chancellor (Graduate);

         2. the Undergraduate Chancellor (Undergraduate);

         3. Student-Governance Officer;

   3. The Graduate Council:

      1. Voting:

         1. All the elected graduate board members of the ISA.

         2. One (1) seat for a delegate from the University of Alberta Graduate Students’ Association (UAGSA).

         3. One (1) seat for a Faculty of Arts graduate general member.

         4. One (1) seat for a Faculty of Business graduate general member.

         5. One (1) seats for a Faculty of Engineering graduate general member.

         6. One (1) seats for a Faculty of Science graduate general member.

         7. One (1) seats for other faculty graduate general members.

      2. Nonvoting:

         1. Graduate Chancellor

         2. All the undergraduate board members of the ISA.

   4. The Undergraduate Council:

      1. Voting:

         1. All the elected undergraduate Board members of the ISA.

         2. One (1) seat for a delegate from the University of Alberta Students’ Union (UASU).

         3. One (1) seats for a Faculty of Arts undergraduate general member.

         4. One (1) seat for a Faculty of Business undergraduate general member.

         5. One (1) seats for a Faculty of Engineering undergraduate general member.

         6. One (1) seats for a Faculty of Science undergraduate general member.

         7. One (1) seats for other faculties undergraduate general members.

      2. Nonvoting:

         1. Undergraduate Chancellor

         2. All the graduate board members of the ISA.

5. Communications

1. The Chair of any ISA entity/committee/task force shall be their spokesperson and be responsible for all communications between that entity/committee/task force and the other ISA entities/committees/task forces.

6. Governing/Operational documents

   1. The Bylaws of the ISA are the primary governing documents of all entities of the ISA.

   2. The ISA Councils shall create, amend, recline and implement the political standings or other governing/operational documents that shall bind the entire ISA.

   3. The ISA Board shall create, amend, recline, and implement the operational policies for its departments and standing orders for its functioning.

   4. The Advisory Committee shall create, amend, recline, and implement its own standing orders or terms of reference for its functioning.

   5. Anything that shall not be accounted for by the governing/operational document does not imply is allowed or disallowed. It needs to be discussed by the entity whose jurisdiction allows and needs to be accounted for in the relevant governing/operating document.

7. Clubs and Affiliated Student Groups:

   1. The ISA Board shall recognize and derecognize any student group's affiliation with the ISA as per the directives of the Councils.

   2. The ISA shall manage the affiliated student groups’ affairs as per its councils’ discretion.

   3. The ISA is not responsible or liable for any damages, costs, suits, or claims arising from the actions of any affiliated student group.

8. Committee on International Students’ Affairs (CoISA)

   1. The ISA shall have a committee to discuss the challenges and problems faced by international students and recommend actions to the ISA Councils and Board that shall be more regionally focused and serve the interests of different constituents of the ISA.

      1. The Committee shall have delegated authority at the discretion of the councils or the board.

9. Financial Oversight Committee (FOC)

   1. The committee shall consist of board/council members and shall oversee the financial standing, policies, and procedures of the association twice every trimester and submit a report to the ISA Board and Council. The committee shall conduct any financial-related delegated responsibility by the ISA Council or Board.