General Meetings
General Meetings are a key part of how the Carleton Computer Science Society (CCSS) operates transparently and democratically. They’re where we inform the student body about our activities, present and ratify our budget, and vote on constitutional changes.
We host two General Meetings per academic year:
- Fall General Meeting — Typically held early in the Fall term
- Winter General Meeting — Usually hosted in the first half of the Winter term
To encourage attendance, we provide free food (like pizza) — it’s a casual, open-door event that all students are welcome to attend.
❗ Historically Poor Attendance
Before 2022, General Meetings were often poorly attended, with turnout usually just on the line to ratify the budget or make constitutional changes.
If you're planning a General Meeting, it's critical that you read the Things to consider sections below — they explain how we addressed these issues and significantly improved turnout.
🧭 Purpose of General Meetings
Each General Meeting serves multiple functions:
- Inform students about what the CCSS has been doing and how they can get involved
- Present and ratify the term’s budget
- Propose and vote on changes to the CCSS Constitution
- In the Winter, support the Board of Directors election process
📋 Requirements for Validity
For a General Meeting to be valid and any votes to be binding:
- There must be at least 3x the number of BOD members in attendance
- The budget must be presented and approved by majority vote
- Any proposed constitutional changes must pass by a majority vote of attendees
⚠️ Things to Consider
Framing the Meeting Around Involvement
To encourage better meeting attendance, we have changed the way we market this event to be about "How students can get involved" which gives them something tangible they can get out of coming to the event.
Schedule Early In The Semester
To encourage attendance, schedule this event early in the term (September / January) when people are the most free.