Victoria Shanghai Academy

Student Government:

General Information

Prepared By:
Student Government Drafting Committee

Academic Years: 2008 - 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Introduction 1

Aim 1

Objectives 1

Structure 1

The Cabinet 2

Introduction 2

Members 2

President 2

Vice President 2

Secretary of Community Affairs 2

Secretary of External Affairs 3

Secretary of Welfare 3

Secretary of Promotion 3

Secretary of the Treasury 3

Clerk 3

Independent Commissioner for Complaints (ICFC) 3

Deputy Secretaries/Commissioners 3

Cabinet Meetings 3

Sub Committees 4

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 Teacher Advisor 4

Removal from Office 4

President and Vice President 4

Other Cabinet Members 4

Deputy Secretaries/Commissioners 4

Presidential Line of Succession 4

The Congress 5

Introduction 5

The Congress Regulations and Procedures 5

Permanent Members 5

The Chairperson 5

Clerks 5

Class Representatives 5

Prefects 6

Teacher Advisor 6

Non-Permanent Members 6

The Cabinet 6

House Officials 6

Prefect Team Officials 6

The Public 6

Session Venue and Seating Arrangements 6

Proposals 6

Inauguration Ceremony 7

Oath 7

Removal from Office 7

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 Clerks 7

Class Representatives 7

Election 8

Introduction 8

Student Government Election Committee 8

Timeline 8

Election Week/Day 9

Winning Conditions and Inauguration 9

Inauguration Ceremony 9

Oath 9

Voter Requirements 9

A voter must: 9

Candidate Party Requirements 9

Members of a candidate party must: 9

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VSA Student Government

Introduction

Introduction
The Student Government is an elected body of students for, by and of the students of Victoria Shanghai
Academy. It comprises of two main bodies, which is the Cabinet that deal with executive affairs, and the
Congress that is an assembly of representatives from each class.

Aim
The aim of the VSA Student Government is to provide an opportunity for students to understand the concept of
democracy and the right to vote. These two concepts are critical in the society that we belong, and deeply
understanding them will greatly prepare us to improve our society and adapt to possible changes in the future.

Objectives
The objectives of the Student Government are to act as a bridge of communication between the students and
the school body and the PTA, to build and maintain a high spirit within the school community, and to seek,
provide and maintain welfare opportunities for students within the school community.

Structure
The structure of the VSA Student Government imitates those of modern democracies, with the exception of the
absence of a judiciary. The Student Government is led by the President, who at the same time leads the
Cabinet, which is the executive branch of government. The Vice President leads the Congress, which is the
legislative branch of government. Both branches offer great learning opportunities to nurture future leaders.

President

Vice President

Independent
The Congress The Cabinet Commissioner for
Complaints
Clerks Clerk
Class Representatives Secretary of Community Affairs
House Officials Secretary of External Affairs
Prefect Team Officials Secretary of Welfare
Secretary of Promotion
Secretary of the Treasury

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The Cabinet

Introduction
The Cabinet is the executive branch of the Student Government, responsible for generating and implementing
plans for the benefit of students. The Cabinet of the Student Government comprises of nine students, each with
a role. The Cabinet is elected through universal suffrage, and is voted as a whole party, not as single individuals.

Secretaries should come up with proposals for anything that they wish to put into action. Each proposal must
be sent to the Congress for approval in order for implementation. If the Congress approves, it must also be sent
to the President, who has the right to make the final decision, for approval. The Cabinet may collect fees of an
amount no more than $50 per student at the beginning of each school year.

Members

Clerk President ICFC

Vice President

Secretary of Secretary of External Secretary of Secretary of the

Secretary of Welfare
Community Affairs Affairs Promotion Treasury

President
The President is the chief officer of the Student Government as a whole, as well as leader of the Cabinet. He/
she is in charge of holding Cabinet meetings and public speech making. All proposals approved by the
Congress must be signed by the President before implementation, thus giving him/her veto power.

Vice President
The Vice President is the secondary officer of the Student Government as a whole. He/she is the advisor and
assistant of the President within the Cabinet, and is the official replacement of the President in case of any
vacancy. The Vice President is also the Chairperson of the Congress.

Secretary of Community Affairs

The Secretary of Community Affairs is in charge of building and maintaining school spirit. This can be done by
organizing events such as competitions, shows, outings, etc for both teachers and students to enjoy.

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Secretary of External Affairs

The Secretary of External Affairs is in charge of liaising with external persons and organizations. He/she is
responsible for representing the Student Government in meetings with the school body, the PTA, the HKFSU,
other schools, charities, and other external bodies.

Secretary of Welfare
The Secretary of Welfare is in charge of the planning and implementation of student welfare programs. He/she
responsible for surveying students regarding their needs, and responding to them through both in school and
external welfare programs.

Secretary of Promotion
The Secretary of Promotion is in charge of creating a good image and reputation of the Student Government,
and promoting the Student Government’s welfare programs and events. He/she is also responsible for the
decoration of event venues for the Government’s functions.

Secretary of the Treasury

The Secretary of the Treasury is in charge of the management of all monetary and financial issues of the Student
Government. He/she is responsible for collecting fees from students and producing budget reports in
collaboration with the other secretaries for their proposals.

Clerk
The Clerk is in charge of the documentation of all meetings of the Cabinet. He/she is responsible for producing
official meeting records, preparing documents for upcoming meetings, and writing notification circulars and
letters to students or external persons and organizations.

Independent Commissioner for Complaints (ICFC)

The Independent Commissioner for Complaints is responsible for monitoring the actions of all members of the
Student Government, and taking action to investigate when members do not execute their duties properly with
integrity, or when he/she receives complaints from students. He/she reports directly to the President.

Deputy Secretaries/Commissioners
Each Secretary/Commissioner must directly appoint one Deputy Secretary/Commissioner to assist them with
their duties. Deputy Secretaries/Commissioners must be students of S3 level or above, and must not be a
permanent member of the Congress.

Cabinet Meetings
All members of the Cabinet must meet regularly to discuss any issues regarding the Student Government. The
meetings are a required process to generate any ideas to benefit students, and they must be thoroughly
discussed in meetings.

In order to implement a proposed project, the following must be done in order:

1. Thorough discussion in Cabinet meetings

2. Gained mutual consent from all Cabinet members
3. Discussion with Teacher Advisor
4. Approval from the Congress
5. Approval from the President
6. Approval from the school body

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Sub Committees
For every project that the Cabinet implements, Secretaries may recruit sub committees to help with
organization, planning and implementation. Generally speaking, each Sub Committee comprises of 5 to 7
students, who are allocated to assist Secretaries involved in the project.

Teacher Advisor
For every Cabinet that takes office, the school will appoint a teacher advisor to follow up with the Cabinet’s
progress. The teacher advisor merely advises by giving opinions from the perspective of the school body, and
should not go beyond this by any means. The teacher may or may not be the teacher advisor of the Congress.

Removal from Office

President and Vice President

Only Class Representatives have the right to propose the removal of the President or Vice President from office.
Reasons must be discussed thoroughly in a Congress meeting session, and in the next session, a vote will be
called by the Chairperson of the Congress for Class Representatives to make the final decision. To remove the
President or Vice President from office, a two-thirds vote is required.

Other Cabinet Members

Only the President has the right to propose the removal of any member of the Cabinet (except Vice President)
from office. Reasons must be discussed thoroughly in a Congress meeting session, and in the next session, a
vote will be called by the Chairperson of the Congress for Class Representatives to make the final decision. To
remove a cabinet member from office, a two-thirds vote is required.

Deputy Secretaries/Commissioners
With the President’s approval, Secretaries/Commissioners may remove their deputies from office when
necessary. The Congress must be notified of the decision.

Presidential Line of Succession

The Presidential Line of Succession defines who may become or act as President of the Student Government
upon the incapacity, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president in the following order:

1. Vice President
2. Secretary of Welfare
3. Secretary of the Treasury
4. Secretary of External Affairs
5. Secretary of Community Affairs
6. Secretary of Promotion

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The Congress

Introduction
The Congress is a formal meeting of student representatives with the aim of discussing issues regarding
students’ welfare, events and opinions. It acts as a platform for students to voice their opinions on school issues
and raise issues that is of importance to students.

The main duty of the Congress is to decide on whether to allow the Cabinet to organize a certain project. The
Cabinet prepares proposals of its projects to the Congress, in which its members will vote to decide whether to
approve or disapprove.

The Congress Regulations and Procedures

The Congress Regulations and Procedures is a document that is the basis and foundation of the Congress. It
outlines all regulations and procedures that members of the Congress must abide by. Those who fail to do so
will suffer consequences as stated in the document.

Permanent Members

The Chairperson
The Vice President of the Cabinet takes on the role of the Chairperson of the Congress. The Chairperson’s duty
is to uphold and ensure that the Congress Regulations and Procedures are faithfully executed. The Chairperson
is the speaker of the Congress, who is responsible for raising agenda, moderating debate, making rulings on
procedure, and announcing results of votes in each session. In the case of a tied vote, the Chairperson is
entitled to cast a tie breaking vote.

Clerks
2 Clerks are appointed directly by the Chairperson, and are responsible for the preparation and the
documentation of each meeting. They must not be members of the Cabinet in office, and must not take on any
other role within the Congress. They are in charge of preparing documents regarding meeting agenda for
distribution to all Congress members under the instruction of the Chairperson. During each meeting, they must
record every single event, raised and discussed issues, voting results, etc in the form of notes.

Class Representatives
The Class Representatives comprise of 2 elected representatives from each class in all year levels, from S1
through DP2. They must not be members of the Cabinet in office, and must not take on any other role within the
Congress. Representatives should represent their class, and their primary duty is to vote on issues during each
session. Representatives are also responsible for collecting opinions regarding certain issues from their classes,
and expressing them during each session, and notifying their corresponding classes about the results of votes.
In addition to these tasks, Representatives also act as the workforce of the Student Government, and may be
called upon to take part in projects led by Secretaries of the Cabinet. Please refer to the Job Description of
Class Representatives for further details.

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Prefects
Prefects will be on duty during meetings to maintain order. They are responsible for carrying microphones to
those who wish to speak, as well as the collection and counting of votes. Prefects have the right to give verbal
warnings to anyone who fails to comply with the Regulations.

Teacher Advisor
For every Congress that is newly formed, the school will appoint a teacher advisor to follow up with the progress
of the Congress. The teacher advisor must be present in every meeting session of the Congress, but must not
intervene unless disciplinary issues arise. The teacher may or may not be the teacher advisor of the Cabinet.

Non-Permanent Members

The Cabinet
When proposals are sent to the Congress for approval, then the responsible Cabinet member(s) must attend the
meeting to introduce the project and to answer questions raised by Congress members. The President may also
deliver speeches on behalf of the Cabinet at this occasion with prior notification to the Chairperson.

House Officials
If issues discussed concerns the four houses of the school (Amazon, Danube, Nile, Yangtze), then all House
Officials including the House Captains, Vice House Captains, and any other officials must attend the meeting to
raise concern on behalf of their respective houses.

Prefect Team Officials

When discussing issues regarding school policies, or issues concerning the school Prefect Team, the Head
Prefect(s), along with the Senior Prefects, may be called upon to attend meetings to provide a perspective from
the Prefect Team, and to assist with the interpretation of school rules.

The Public
All students have the right to join and observe meetings. They may raise issues that they concern and join
discussions, or they may simply observe the session.

Session Venue and Seating Arrangements

Venue: 4/F Auditorium

Upper Seats: The Public

Center Seats: Class Representatives

Left Seats: House
Right Seats: Cabinet
Officials, Prefect Team
Members
Officials
Stage: Chairperson & Clerk

Proposals
Every single action that the Cabinet makes must comply with students, thus must be approved by the
Congress. The Cabinet prepares proposals for its plans, such as interclass competitions, concerts, welfare
programs, etc with details regarding the use of money, and sends it to the Congress for approval.

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During each meeting session, the Secretary will prepare documents regarding details of the proposal to be
discussed, and distribute them to the members of the Congress. The involved officials from the Cabinet will then
give an introduction to the proposed project, allowing the discussion to begin. At this point, any member of the
Congress, including the public, may suggest ideas, question the involved Cabinet member(s), and discuss the
pros and cons of the proposal.

After discussion, Class Representatives must vote for or against the proposal using paper ballots prepared by
the Secretary. If the proposal gains more than 50% approval rate, then it will be officially approved and sent to
the President to make the final decision on submitting it to the school body. If it gains less than 50% approval
rate, then it will be disapproved and sent back to the involved Cabinet official(s), who may choose to modify or
abandon the project. In the case of a tied vote, the Chairperson is entitled to cast a tie breaking vote.

Inauguration Ceremony
The inauguration ceremony of Congress Clerks and Class Representatives takes place in the first Congress
Meeting of the school year, which occurs shortly after the inauguration of elected Cabinet members. During the
ceremony, all Clerks and Representatives must rise facing to the Chairperson. The oath taking will be led by the
Chairperson, who will read the oath in segments, followed by recital by Clerks and Representatives. After the
oath taking, the Chairperson will announce the beginning of the term of office of Clerks and Representatives,
marking the end of the ceremony.

Oath
I do solemnly swear, that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to
enter to the best of my ability, without fear or favor, affection or ill-will, and serve the VSA Student
Government conscientiously, dutifully, in full accordance with the school rules, honestly and with integrity.

Removal from Office

Clerks
The Chairperson may remove one or both of the Clerks from office when necessary. The Congress must be
notified of the decision.

Class Representatives
Only the Chairperson of the Congress has the right to propose the removal of a Class Representative from
office. The Chairperson would inform the related class and ask for its students to vote on whether or not to
remove their Class Representative. The Congress must be notified of the decision. To remove a Class
Representative from office, a two-thirds vote is required from the related class.

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Election

Introduction
In order to set up a Student Government every year, an election will be held for all eligible students to choose
the most suitable party to take the role of the Cabinet. A Student Government Election Committee will be set up
at the beginning of the school year to prepare for, organize, and oversee the election.

Eligible students may form parties with members each taking on one required role in the Cabinet structure, and
apply for candidacy. After the deadlines for applications, the Committee will organize debates, open forums, etc
for students to put forth inquiries regarding the candidate parties’ aspirations.

Student Government Election Committee

The Cabinet of the previous school year will take on the role as the Student Government Election Committee at
the beginning of each school year. The Committee is responsible for preparing for, organizing, and overseeing
the Student Government Election. The Committee must come up with a detailed timeline and, with the help of
Class Representatives, implement it.

Timeline
Date Procedure Remarks
Introduction of Student Government
to students
Notification and promotion of
Student Government Election
Distribution and collection of
application forms

Deadline of application

Evaluation of applicants’ eligibility

Introduction of candidate parties to

students

Preparation of eligible voters list

Election Day/Week

Vote count

Announcement of election results

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Date Procedure Remarks

Official inauguration of members of
the Cabinet

Election Week/Day
An election will be held to decide which party will take office as the Cabinet of the Student Government. The
election venue will be within the school campus, and it will be held within 30 minutes before and after normal
school hours. The election may be held over a period of one or more days, depending on the preference of the
Committee. The plurality voting system will be used, meaning that the party that obtains a relative majority of
votes wins. Pre-printed secret ballots will be used to ensure political privacy.

Winning Conditions and Inauguration

After the election, the Committee will count the number of votes and announce the results to all students in an
assembly. The winning party will be inaugurated by the Committee and officially take office. In order to win the
election, a party must receive over 50% of votes from those who voted. Thus, the decisions of those who
choose to not vote will not be taken into account and will not affect the result of the election.

Inauguration Ceremony
The inauguration ceremony of the Cabinet takes place shortly after the announcement of election results. During
the ceremony, the members of the Cabinet-elect must take an oath before the presence of a majority of the
student body. The oath taking will be led by the Head Prefect, who will read the oath in segments, followed by
recital by members of the Cabinet-elect. After the oath taking, the Head Prefect will announce the beginning of
the term of office of members of the Cabinet.

Oath
I do solemnly swear, that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to
enter to the best of my ability, without fear or favor, affection or ill-will, and serve the VSA Student
Government conscientiously, dutifully, in full accordance with the school rules, honestly and with integrity.

Voter Requirements

A voter must:
• Be a student of Victoria Shanghai Academy

Candidate Party Requirements

Members of a candidate party must:

• Be students of Victoria Shanghai Academy
• Be studying at S4 level to DP1
• Not be a newly admitted student at the year of the election (President and Vice President only)
• Not be a be a permanent member of the Congress (except Vice President)

In addition, members of a candidate party are not recommended to take on multiple roles such as House
Official, Prefect, and committee/board member of any other organization within the school.

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