MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS OF COLOUR

CONSTITUTION
Official Update: September 21, 2020

Table of Contents

Article I: DEFINITION 2

Article II: MISSION, VISION, VALUES 2

Article III: MEMBERSHIP 3

Article IV: COMPOSITION 3

Article V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FORMATION/ELECTION 5

Article VI: TERMINATION AND RESIGNATION 6

Article VII: FINANCES 6

Article IX: AMENDMENTS 7

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Article I: DEFINITION
1.01 The name of the Organization shall hereafter be known as the Museum Professionals of Colour
(henceforth referred to as MPOC).

1.02 The Treasurer, Outreach Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, and
First-Year Coordinator of MPOC shall henceforth be referred to collectively as the Executive
Committee.

Article II: MISSION, VISION, VALUES

2.01 Mission

Museum Professionals of Colour (MPOC) is a University of Toronto based student association aimed at
addressing the lack of racial diversity and representation within the Faculty of Information’s Master of
Museum Studies (MMSt) program. 

2.02 Vision

Through having open conversations regarding racial diversity with and within the MMSt program, our
vision is that:
a. We will build a community of support for prospective and current students of colour in the
program pursuing a career in the museum sector.
b. The program/department will be more proactive in becoming an inclusive space for marginalized
people of colour (POC) through decisions made regarding syllabi, guest lecturers, hiring
practices, recruitment, student acceptances, etc.
c. Our work at the university will prepare us, as the next generation of museum professionals, to
dismantle hierarchies that still exist within cultural institutions today.

2.3.1 Values

SUPPORT: Creating a place to talk about our own experiences and have discussions about diversity,
equity, and inclusion practices. Addressing POC students’ experiences of racial oppression or
marginalization at the hands of an MMSt program member; including fellow students, professors,
lecturers, teaching assistants, etc.

NETWORK: Building a network of POC museum professionals to invite to attend faculty events,
including but not limited to: future panels, networking nights, and class discussions.

LEARN/RESEARCH: Learning more about best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion and how
they can most effectively be applied in both the professional field and in the Museum Studies program. 
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OUTREACH: Using our positions as current students of the program to show other students of
colour that this is a path that they can also pursue. 

DISCUSS/ENCOURAGE: Encouraging others to join us in this conversation and to learn more

about what we can all do together to create change, including individuals who consider themselves:
POC, white passing POC, non-POC, etc.

Article III: MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Membership shall be open to all University of Toronto students, and must comply with University of
Toronto policies prohibiting the restriction of membership on the grounds of national origin, race,
religion, colour, gender or sex.

3.2 All University of Toronto community members have the right to vote during any MPOC executive team
election.

Article IV: COMPOSITION

4.01 The MPOC General Committee shall consist of all members of the University of Toronto community
who wish to support the mission, vision, and values of MPOC. A record of General Committee
members shall be kept in the form of an email contact list, to which the Executive Committee will refer
when communicating with the General Committee. General Committee members may be called upon
to volunteer in support of MPOC initiatives (e.g. performing duties at events, disseminating information
to the wider University of Toronto community, etc.).

4.02 We welcome and strongly encourage self-identifying Black, Indigenous, and POC (including
white-passing) applicants from marginalized communities and intersecting identities, to apply for
executive positions. MPOC’s term of office for Executive Committee members shall be from the
beginning of the academic year (September) to the beginning of the following academic year (September)
of the following year, with the exception of Executive Committee positions that are left unfilled.
Elections will be held in September for open positions.
Note: See Article V Elections for exceptions.

4.03 The MPOC Executive Committee shall consist of the following:

a. The Treasurer, who:

i. Regulates and maintains up-to-date information on MPOC’s financial budget;
ii. Is responsible for seeking any financial support that is available inside and outside of
the faculty;
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iii. Calls MPOC’s Annual General Meeting;

iv. Oversees all electoral logistics and regulations;
v. Serves as a signing authority of MPOC;
vi. Sets the Agenda for MPOC meetings in the Administrative Coordinator’s absence;
vii. Assists in administering MPOC’s email, alongside the rest of the Executive
Committee;
viii. Oversees special initiatives and projects, as mutually determined by the Executive
Committee;
ix. Is expected to attend all monthly committee meetings;
x. Officially represents MPOC;
xi. Is accountable to members of MPOC.

b. The Outreach Coordinator, who:

i. Researches and contacts potential speakers and network members;
ii. Coordinates event logistics (e.g. booking venues and catering, tracking attendees,
etc.);
iii. Corresponds with the Recruitment and Admissions Officer of the Faculty of
Information to represent MPOC in faculty outreach initiatives
iv. Assists in administering MPOC’s email, alongside the rest of the Executive
Committee;
v. Oversees special initiatives and projects, as mutually determined by the Executive
Committee;
vi. Is expected to attend all monthly committee meetings;
vii. Officially represents MPOC;
viii. Is accountable to members of MPOC.

c. The Administrative Coordinator, who:

i. Sets the Agenda for MPOC meetings;
ii. Takes minutes at all MPOC meetings;
iii. Distributes the minutes within 48 hours of the last meeting to MPOC members;
iv. Ensures online posting of official meeting minutes;
v. Acts as an intra-faculty liaison within the Faculty of Information & reports on
Committees’ actions to MPOC;
vi. Is the main administrator of MPOC’s email, alongside the rest of the Executive
Committee;
vii. Oversees special initiatives and projects, as mutually determined by the Executive
Committee;
viii. Is expected to attend all monthly committee meetings;
ix. Officially represents MPOC;
x. Is accountable to members of MPOC.

d. The Communications Coordinator, who:

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i. Collaborates with other student groups within the faculty;

ii. Develops content and promotes MPOC within the faculty (e.g.. designing and placing
posters, writing copy, etc.);
iii. Is responsible for maintaining MPOC’s online presence including, but not limited to,
Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram;
iv. Assists in administering MPOC’s web presence (Gmail) alongside the rest of the
Executive Committee;
v. Oversees special initiatives and projects, as mutually determined by the Executive
Committee;
vi. Is expected to attend all monthly committee meetings;
vii. Officially represents MPOC;
viii. Is accountable to members of MPOC.

e. The First-Year Coordinator who:

i. Assists the Communications Coordinator in maintaining MPOC’s online presence
including, but not limited to, Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
ii. Assists in administering MPOC’s email, alongside the rest of the Executive
Committee;
iii. Oversees special initiatives and projects, as mutually determined by the Executive
Committee;
iv. Is expected to attend all monthly committee meetings;
v. Officially represents MPOC;
vi. Is accountable to members of MPOC.

Article V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

FORMATION/ELECTION
5.01 The Treasurer will announce the application and election dates.

5.02 MPOC holds bi-annual committee elections: September and April of every academic year.

5.03 The Treasurer, Outreach Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, and
First-Year Coordinator shall be elected by April 14 .
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5.04 Executive members will be selected through a process of application, presentation of

platforms, and voting period (via online poll).

5.05 Nominations shall open at least one week before the presentation of platforms. 

5.06 Members may only nominate themselves for one Executive Committee position. If there are unfilled
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positions after the September election period, MPOC members may acclaim those unfilled positions.

5.07 Presentation of platforms will be held within a week after the nominations
period, which will be conducted by the existing executive team. Results of voting will be announced no
more than one week after interviews finish.

5.08 Any unfilled positions shall be elected by October 30 . However, elections are encouraged to take place
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as early in the fall term as possible.

5.09 Official executive terms run from September to August of the following school year. A period
of transition between April to August will occur, in which the current executive team will
guide succeeding members and help them adjust in time for September.

5.10 Exceptions:

a. If a position is left unfilled after April and September elections, MPOC is able to vote in a new
or existing member to fulfill the position without having to hold an election.
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Article VI: TERMINATION AND RESIGNATION

6.01 If a majority of the Executive Committee feel that an MPOC member (Executive or General
Committee)
is not acting according to MPOC’s mission, vision, and values or otherwise not fulfilling their
responsibilities, it is the Executive Committee’s responsibility to sit down and have a meeting with the
individual about their performance.
a. MPOC Executives have the authority to ask any MPOC member to respectfully resign or to be
voted for removal, if they are not fulfilling their duties as outlined in the constitution.
i. The member up for removal shall have the right to appeal termination.
ii. Majority vote of the Executive Committee is required for removal of the member to
take place.

6.02 Following a representative leave, MPOC is able to vote in a new member to fulfill the empty
position without having to hold an election. 

Article VII: FINANCES

7.01 The Treasurer shall keep records of all income and expenses. The Treasurer shall present the group’s
financial health at the annual general meetings. The Executive Committee will vote on expenditures of
over $100.00 by majority vote at an executive meeting.

7.02 The group’s executive or members may not engage in activities that are essentially commercial in
nature. This is not intended to preclude the collection of membership fees to cover the expenses of the
group, or of charges for specific activities, programs or events, or to prohibit groups from engaging in
legitimate fundraising. However, the group will not have as a major activity a function that makes it an
on-campus part of a commercial organization, will not provide services and goods at a profit when that
profit is used for purposes other than those of the organization, and will not pay salaries to some or all
of its officers.

Article VIII: MPOC MEETINGS & PROCEDURE

8.01 MPOC holds at least one Annual General Meeting each academic year, usually during the
month of September. 

8.02 After the Annual General Meeting, MPOC shall meet until the end of the academic year
(April), at which time formal meetings cease, not resuming until the next Annual General Meeting.

8.03 MPOC Executive Committee meetings will occur on a bi-weekly basis (or more frequently, if needed).

8.04 MPOC General Committee meetings will occur at least bi-monthly.

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Article IX: AMENDMENTS

9.01 This constitution may be amended, modified, or translated by a decision of the members
present at an Annual General Meeting, provided that:
a. It was publicized that constitutional changes would be submitted at the Annual General Meeting;
b. The proposed constitutional changes were advertised to the members prior to the meeting;
c. Fifty one percent (51%) of the members present vote in favour of the constitutional changes.
d. MPOC can dissolve itself following the procedures set for constitutional amendment s.