Policies and Risk Management

To provide guidance and support to GSA's, the Board of Directors, in consultation with the Graduate Executive Committee, has adopted a series of policies.

• The actions of a Graduate Students' Association (GSA) must not be contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code, RSU Policies, or the Policies of the University.

• No individual connected with the GSA can realize any financial gain from the GSA's actions or activities.

• Since GSA's are funded by RSU for the benefit of Ryerson students, all activities must be directed toward students.

• GSA's must submit the required Student Risk Assessment form to the Office of Student Community Life when an off-campus event is directly sponsored by the GSA.

• All GSA's are required to have a valid constitution and must submit a copy to the Campus Groups Administrator annually, signed by the GSA signing officer no later than October 31.

• All GSA's are required to file an executive list with active student numbers, addresses, telephone numbers of executive members, and signatures of all signing officers on an annual basis and no later than September 30.

• No membership fee may be levied on RSU members.

• All GSA's are expected to undertake projects and programs to benefit their members.

• The Campus Groups Administrator is responsible for providing GSA's with a copy of all RSU GSA policies. 
  
  

• Approval of all grant applications for funding must be obtained by the Graduate Executive Committee prior to the event or activity.

• An official receipt or invoice must be presented to the Campus Groups Administrator with a cheque requisition form signed by two of designated signing authorities. The receipt must indicate information regarding the supplier.

• A revenue deposit form must be completed whenever revenue is realized from an event or activity and submitted with the corresponding funds to the Campus Groups Administrator for deposit.

• Each GSA has a RSU administered trust account. If it has been determined that an event realized a profit and the monies were not submitted to the Campus Groups Administrator for deposit within one week of the event, all monies will remain in the trust account.

• There are to be no separate bank accounts except in the case of programs joint with other Universities. The RSU trust account system removes the need to operate bank accounts. If it is discovered that a GSA is holding a separate bank account, all assets will be immediately frozen until such time that the account is closed and the balance is transferred by the Campus Groups Administrator in the trust account.

• No loans will be issued by RSU for any reason or purpose.

• No grants will be issued for social events.
  
  

Each official GSA is allotted a yearly fiscal budget of $250 from the RSU. The breakdown below represents the amount that can be allocated in each category. Any expenses above or not included in the budget must be applied for through a Grant Application prior to the purchase of the item or be funded through your trust account.

Education: $100
Funds available towards academic events. For speakers, a small gift is recommended in lieu of an honorarium. To save on items purchased from the Ryerson Bookstore, pickup a purchase order form from the Campus Groups Administrator. It is a non-cash transaction.

Social Events: $100
Funds available towards social events for prizes, food, and decorations.

Miscellaneous: $50
Funds available for supplies, printing costs for meetings, and other operational expenses.

To access funding:

• Spend money within the above framework from a personal account (usually an executive member)

• Keep your original receipts

• Fill out a Cheque Requisition Form available from our website or the RSU Main Office on the 3rd floor of the Student Centre

• Submit the form and receipts to the Campus Groups Administrator in SCC311

• After two weeks from submitting all the required information, pickup your cheque from the RSU Main Office
  
  

To get access to grant funding:

Fill out and submit a grant proposal. Forms are available from the Campus Groups Administrator. You will be required to send a representative from your GSA to a Graduate Executive Committee meeting to make a presentation to the Executive members.