The following is GSA Council's standing order concerning individual advocacy. It is meant to be a guide for both GSA executives and members concerning possible advocacy cases. It was adopted March 25, 2010.
STANDING ORDER 10 – INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY
ARTICLE 1: The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) provides advocacy services for graduate students who are members (full time and part time students) of the Association.
ARTICLE 2 - CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE GSA CAN ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF GRADUATE STUDENTS: If the student is having problems with his/her supervisor, are facing allegations of academic dishonesty or are experiencing discrimination (e.g. racial, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) we may be able to help. The GSA can assist students under the following circumstances:
2.1 - Grade reprisals.
2.2 - Requesting formal re-evaluation of course work or exams by a third party.
2.3 - Addressing problems with professors, supervisors, graduate program directors, staff, faculty or offices on campus.
2.4 - Defending graduate students who are members of the association against allegations of academic dishonesty or other non-legal misconduct.
2.5 - Experiencing racial, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, religious, ability or other forms of discrimination.
2.6 - Experiences of harassment.
2.7 – Any other instance where a graduate student is being treated unfairly and the executive committee believes that it is appropriate, reasonable and possible for the Association to intervene on the graduate student’s behalf.
ARTICLE 3 - WAYS IN WHICH THE GSA CAN ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF GRADUATE STUDENTS: The Vice-President Equity & Community Relations or another GSA executive may provide the following services in regards to graduate student advocacy:
3.1 - We advise students on what we feel the appropriate course of action is regarding the specificities of the particular case at hand.
3.2 - We arrange meetings with departments and the Faculty of Graduate Studies to discuss the situation in the hope of resolving the conflict.
3.3 - We also write letters of support and defend student rights as appellant representatives at hearings.
ARTICLE 4 – ADVOCACY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION: Graduate students can expect some or all of the following services from a representative:
4.1 - Someone who will listen to student concerns carefully and takes them seriously.
4.2 - Someone who will ask students to clarify their situation and make an assessment based on the information provided.
4.3 - Someone who can direct students to information regarding appeal mechanisms so that students can help themselves understand the policies, procedures and practices that are appropriate for their given situation.
4.4 - Discuss possible solutions.
4.5 - Advise students on how to rectify the situation.
4.6 - Offer to make inquires to obtain the facts when appropriate.
4.7 - Offer to intervene by setting up meetings with departments, Deans from FGS or other individuals or institutions if this course of action is appropriate and depending on the specificities of the case.
4.8 - Keep confidential records of the student’s case.
4.9 - Keep race, gender, and ability statistics on graduate students who use our advocacy services in order to determine if there are systemic issues of discrimination on York University campuses.
Students who use the GSA’s advocacy service are asked to keep in mind that the executive committee is only permitted to work a maximum of 10 hours per week as mandated by the GSA constitution. Depending on the specificities of the case and time constraints the executive committee will provide some or all of the aforementioned services at the executive’s discretion. The GSA executive reserves the right to determine which services the Association provides. All of the aforementioned services may not be necessary depending on the specificities of the case.
ARTICLE 5 – CONFIDENTIALITY: All information students provide will be kept confidential. Information will only be shared with third parties with verbal or written consent from the student the Association is representing. Without the student’s consent the Association cannot release any information pertaining to a particular case.
ARTICLE 6 – SERVICES THE ASSOCIATION DOES NOT PROVIDE: In terms of individual advocacy, the GSA primarily takes on an advisory role for the student. The student is expected to carry out the majority of the “legwork.” The GSA will not conduct the following tasks:
6.1 - The GSA does not provide legal advice, as our executive committee may not be trained lawyers. The GSA is not a law office or legal service. We do not and will not provide legal services.
6.2 - Fill out forms on the student’s behalf for the petitions committee or the Appeals and Academic Honesty Committee.
ARTICLE 7 – THE ASSOCIATION’S EXPECTATIONS OF GRADUATE STUDENTS
7.1 – If an advocacy case the Association is working is to go before a committee for a hearing, the Association expects students to provide the Association with factually accurate information relevant to the case. We cannot defend students against issues we are not aware of.
7.2 – Possess some knowledge of the academic and non-academic policies and procedures of the program, department and faculty. There are over 50 graduate programs at York University. The executive committee may not be familiar with the rules and regulations of every program or department. A well informed student and GSA executive increases the likelihood of the student winning his or her case.
7.3 - The GSA expects that graduate students do not make unreasonable demands of the executive committee.