CONSTITUTION OF STUDENT COUNCIL
Introduction
A Student Council is a team of student representatives for curricular or extracurricular activities for students. The purpose of the Student Council is to serve as a channel through which the student community can put forward their opinions and concerns. The Student Council shall continuously work to identify student-related issues and help resolve them, thus building a healthy environment and all round development of the students in the college. The establishments of student councils play an integral and important role in the student community. Student councils provide a representative structure through which students can debate issues of concern and undertake initiatives of benefit to the college and the wider community Students have a voice and a contribution to make to their college. It is important that they be given the opportunity to express their views on issues of concern to them in the college. It is equally important that they are listened to and encouraged to take an active part in promoting the aims and objectives of the college.
Purpose
The purpose of the Student Council (SC) is to serve as the effective communication medium between the administration and students. Even though there is a fair chance to every student to communicate at any time with the administrative officials, Student Council acts as the interactive body facilitating primary level of communication. Student Council also assists in planning and development of various cultural, sports, social, recreational and other educational interests of students in the institution. The Student council provides scope to contribute in the development of students’ leadership skills, program planning and volunteering.
Objectives
- To enhance communication between students, management and staff
- To promote an environment conducive to educational and personal development
- To promote friendship and respect among pupils
- To support the management and staff in the development of the college
- To represent the views of the students on matters of general concern to them
- To identify and help solve problems encountered by students in the University.
- To communicate its opinion to the University administration on any matter that concerns students and on which the council wishes to be consulted.
- To promote and encourage the involvement of students in organizing college activities.
The Composition of student council
The Institution Students’ Council shall consist of the following members, namely:
1. President 2. Vice President
3. Secretary 4. Joint Secretary
5. In-charge such as: Discipline, Sport, Cultural, Literary, Excursion, Photography etc
6. Coordinator- One Senior Faculty as coordinator of the Students’ Council primarily acts as the advisor of the student members in the Student Council.
7. Representatives from Each class section and each class called Class Representatives (CR).
Establishing a Student Council
The college should provide them, in a timely manner, with a copy of the Rules it has drawn up in accordance with these guidelines. Size and Composition of a Student Council The size and composition of a Student Council shall be determined by the college having regard both to the need for the Council to be representative of all students in the college and the need for it to function effectively. It may not always be appropriate for each class to have a representative on the Council.
Procedure
All the student office bearers are the nominated posts. This nomination is purely based on the merit of their leadership activities exhibited during the previous years. The Class representatives otherwise known as “CR” are nominated by the Head of the department in consultation with the class mentors. Cultural activities representative and Sports activity representative are nominated by Cultural Coordinator and Sports Coordinator of the institution respectively and so on others. Appropriate gender balance in the Council shall be given priority.
Eligibility
1. All the bonafide students on the rolls of the institution are eligible to be nominated.
2. Candidate should not have any academic arrears in the year of nomination
3. The candidate shall not have been subjected to any disciplinary action by the Institute authorities
Nominations
The Principal should set a date for the selection of representative(s) to the Student Council and its formation.
Tenure
The student representatives on the Student Council shall hold office from 1st August of the ensuing year, for a period of 1 year.
First Meeting
The Principal or a designated member of staff should convene the first meeting of each newly formed Council. The first meeting of a newly formed Council will take place early in the academic year.
Student Council Meetings
The Student Council shall meet twice in a year. It is mandatory for the faculty co-coordinator to attend meetings of the Council. The support and suggestions of the faculty members will be very useful in grooming up the leadership skills of the student members in the council.
The Student Council meeting shall be intimated at least two days in advance to the members of the council. The SC meeting cannot me convened if the faculty co-coordinator, President and Secretary are absent. The Minutes of the meeting shall be recorded and should be made available with the Faculty co-coordinator of the Council after getting signature from the President. Copies of the minutes of the meeting to be handed over to the secretary of the next student council at the end of the term.
The role of the Officers
President:
The President is responsible for presiding over meetings of the Council. The President, with the Secretary, prepares the agenda for each meeting and, where necessary, signs the minutes once they have been agreed by the Council. The President may also be designated to represent the Council at meetings with management.
Vice-Presidents:
The Vice-Presidents are responsible for assisting the President, and when the President is absent from a meeting s/he assumes the role of the President for that meeting.
Secretary:
The Secretary, with the President, prepares the agenda for each meeting and the Secretary then circulates it to all the members of the Council either in advance of the meeting or at the start of the meeting. This will involve consulting with the other Council officers in order to decide what will be included on the agenda. The Secretary also keeps a record of Council meetings and any decisions taken by the Council (the minutes). If necessary these minutes can be circulated to all members of the Council either with the agenda for the next meeting or at the start of the next meeting. The Council can be given the opportunity to make any changes to the minutes before they are signed by the President.
In-charge:
All in-charge should coordinate with the staff advisors whenever necessary. Such as:
The Cultural incharge will be responsible for planning and conducting cultural events. The Sports incharge will be responsible for all sports activities. The literary incharge will be responsible for organizing literary events. The excursion inchage will be responsible for organising excursion tour or field trip.
Treasurer:
The Treasurer is responsible for managing any funds raised by the Student Council and should keep a complete account of all income and expenditure of the Council. Given the responsibility of the post, a Student Council may reasonably require the Treasurer to be a senior student. It is the responsibility of the treasurer to obtain and maintain all documents from the outgoing treasure. As a general rule any payments made by the Treasurer should be countersigned or endorsed by another member of the Council or a teacher designated for this purpose and principal.
Key functions of Student Council:
The functions and activities of a Student Council should support the aims and objectives of the Council and promote the development of the college and the welfare of its students. In planning and undertaking activities during the course of the college year, the Council will:
- Work closely with the management, teachers and fellow students,
- Consult regularly with students in the college, and Involve as many students as possible in the activities of the Council.
- Planning and managing the Council’s programme of activities for the year
- Managing and accounting for any funds raised by the Council
- To promote the interest of students among the college administration, staff and parents.
- To inform students about any subject that concerns them
- To Identify and help solve problems encountered by students in the college.
- To consult students on any issue of importance.
- To organize educational and recreational activities for students.
- To participate in developing the college’s educational projects and to promote the same amongst the students.
- To organize an activity to recognize the efforts of students in organizing college activities.
- To propose activities to the college administration that would improve the quality of life in the college.
Dissolution of a Student Council
Normally a Student Council shall stand dissolved when the term of office of the members expires. Management may dissolve the Student .The Dissolution of the complete Student Council (or any one student/faculty member) shall be taken place at any time (on special situations leading to such act) without prior notice by the principal, otherwise a notice of one week shall be given seeking explanation to show the cause/explanation for not to dissolve the council. The final decision of dissolution always rests with the principal of the Institution. Council before the expiry of its term in accordance with the rules and procedures governing dissolution. This will only happen in exceptional circumstances after consultation with all concerned. Where Management intends dissolving the Council, it will give the Council adequate notice of the proposal, and the reasons therefore. The Council will be allowed to appeal the dissolution to the Management or Principal of the college.