E.6 — Student Council

Document Control Information

Policy Code

E.6

Standard

E. Students

Status

published

Version

2

Process Owner

Director of Student Affairs

Prepared By

Director of Student Affairs

Reviewed By

QAIE

BOT Approval

approved

First Issue Date

12 Sept 2024

Last Review Date

25 Feb 2025

Relevant To

DMU Students

Used With

—

Modification History

Purpose and Scope

Abbreviations and Definitions

• Council:

• Student Council Treasurer

• Student Council President: UAE National
• Student Council Vice President
• Student Council General Secretary
• Student Council Assistant General Secretary
• Student Council Events Coordinator
• Sports Initiatives Coordinator
• Sustainability Initiatives Coordinator
• Emirati Representative – College of Medicine (Updated: introduced)
• Emirati Representative - College of Pharmacy
• Emirati Representative - College of Nursing
• Volunteering Initiatives Coordinator - College of Medicine
• Volunteering Initiatives Coordinator - College of Pharmacy
• Volunteering Initiatives Coordinator - College of Nursing

• Student Clubs & Hives:

• Women’s Health and Empowerment Club
• Take Care Club
• Scientific Research Club
• The Voices and Verses Circle Club: Book Hive, Debate Hive, Poetry Hive, Language Hive)
• The Joy and Creativity Hub: Happiness Hive, Social media Hive, Art Hive

• Surgical Hive
• Orthopedics and Trauma Hive
• Emergency Medicine Hive
• Pediatrics Hive
• Internal Medicine Hive
• Obstetrics and Gynecology Hive
• Anesthesia Hive
• Dermatology Hive
• Psychiatric Hive
• Clinical Skills and Simulation Hive

• IPSF: International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation

Policy Statement

• There is a “Student Council” consisting    of    members    from   student community elected from all student years at DMU
• The Elections should be held regularly at the beginning of the second semester.
• The Student Council serves as the principal student programming organization at DMU. The Student Council is responsible for providing a balanced program of social, recreational, scientific, artistic, and cultural activities aiming to enrich the University experience of the students enrichment.
• The students should be encouraged to participate and interact in the activities with the aim of relieving study related stress.
• The Students Council should help to maintain close links between the College administration, staff, and the students, links which are essential for the efficient functioning of the College.

Policy Statement — Continued

• All student activities are planned and listed in the Student Council Calendar, per semester. The calendar of events must be approved by Student Engagement and clubs Officer
• , Faculty Club Coordinators and Director of Student Affairs.
• The conduction of the activities is supervised by the Student Engagement and clubs Officer
•  and Faculty Club Coordinators
• Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in and support all Student Council and Club events. They can approach Student Council members to provide guidance, review presentations for students on internal or external events.
• The rest of the students are encouraged to take part and be members in the different Student Council Committees and Student Clubs.

• Functions of Student Council:

• Provide inputs for review of the strategic plan of the university.
• Feedback regarding review of mission and vision of the university.
• Provide feedback from students regarding areas of improvement.
• Represent DMU in local and global scholarly activities as needed and approved by the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Support Services.

• To organize and arrange International and National events.
• To propose functions and special occasions that the students want to hold.
• To assist in DMU events such as White Coat Ceremony and New Students Orientation.
• To organize educational and recreational trips on an average of at least once per semester.

• To propose and hold educational, scientific, cultural, sports and sustainability Contests and competitions.
• Talks on Health-related topics agreed by the Student Council
• To announce important highlights about the activities running in the University through various means of social media, primarily on the DMU Instagram account and the DMU Website.

Procedures & Guidelines

• The Student Council Elections are held at the beginning of the second semester in each academic year according to the rules and regulations framed by the university administration.
• The Director of Student Affairs department undertakes issuing the decision about the formation of a new Student Council. The Election process must commence within two weeks of the beginning of the first semester.
• The Student Engagement and clubs Officer and Faculty Club Coordinators prepare and follow up the announcement for opening the registration for the Student Council Elections. The announcement is approved by the Direcor of Student Affairs and announced through student university emails.
• Student Engagement and clubs Officer appoints the members of the Election Organizing Team (EOT).
• A registration form link is shared with the students through their university email, and it is kept open for one week.
• A student is allowed to run for one position only.
• All students are allowed to run for the declared posts. It is preferable to have Y1 students run for the Vice President and the Assistant General Secretary posts.
• The treasurer of the Student Council is nominated from the Dean's list could be occupied uncontested.
• Once the week is over, a list of candidates is prepared and announced to the students through the student university emails.
• Once announced, a list of the members of the Elections Organizing Team is prepared.
• Responsibilities of the Elections Organizing Team:

• Ensure the candidates are following the rules for running for the Elections.​
• Review the campaign material before publishing on DMU Instagram and shared by email to students​.
• Control the campaign, virtual and/or on campus.​
• Hold a (Meet and Greet) virtual/FTF meeting prior to the elections; to allow the students of all batches to socialize with the candidates. ​
• Planning the Ceremony: preparing the presentation, preparing, and emailing invitations. Students will be provided with the PowerPoint presentation template to use during the ceremony. ​
• Host the Elections Ceremony on the planned date, ensuring a free and fair Elections and that each candidate adheres to her given speech time (3 minutes).​
• Write a report after the event, sign it, and submit it to the Students Happiness & Support Services and Director of Student Affairs. ​
• The members of the team are prohibited from promoting to any of the candidates or participating in any way that would be considered as bias. Also, they are prohibited from voting. ​
• Should any issue arise, it must be reported to the The Student Engagement and clubs Officer.
•  The members must be of good conduct, abiding by the University rules, demonstrating professional behaviour, with team playing, flexible and problem-solving characters. The list of members is approved by the Director of Student Affairs Department in consultation with the Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs & Support Services. The results are announced to the students through their university emails.
• After the announcement of the Elections Organizing Team, the candidates running for the Elections are allowed to run a one-week campaign after getting their campaigning material reviewed and approved by the Elections Organizing Team.  The aim of the campaign is for the candidates to get the chance to introduce and promote themselves to the students of DMU. The campaigning can be done on the DMU Instagram account / online and/or on campus.
• Once the week is over, the Elections Ceremony Day must be planned and organized by the Elections Organizing Team under the supervision of the The Student Engagement and clubs Officer.
• The voting in the ceremony is casted though MS Forms. All candidates are to give a three-minute speech before the voting is cast. The voting duration is 10 minutes.
• All students at DMU have the right to vote except the members of the Elections Organizing Team.
• The candidates have the right to vote for all Student Council Posts except that one they are running for.
• The results of the Elections are announced after the end of the voting period.
• After the announcement of the results, a list of nominated students for the post of Treasurer is prepared by The Student Engagement and clubs Officer to Director of Student Affairs department for approval by the Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs & Support Services   and the Chancellor.
• The period of the elected Student Council and Student Clubs is only one academic year.

• The club posts are occupied by Student who are not occupying leadership roles in the student Council.

• Once active, the General Secretary and the Assistant General Secretary of the Student Council are responsible for all documentation and record keeping of the Student Council and Student Clubs on the Student Council One drive.
• The first meeting must address and discuss the Student Council Events Calendar and the fund needed for the planned events and the list is presented to the Director of Student Affairs for approval.
• Thereafter, Student Council must meet at least once monthly upon the request of the Student Council President or the request of the one third of the Council Members.
• During the meeting the duties of each member are discussed, tasks assigned are followed-up, and all suggestions, recommendations and decisions of the Council must be recorded in and made available as the Student Council Minutes of Meeting.
• In each meeting the Members review the execution of the decisions taken in previous meetings.
• Formal email group is created to facilitate daily updates and information sharing between The Student Engagement and clubs Officer, Faculty Club Coordinators, Director of Student Affairs, Student Counsellor and Student Council and club members. Any other social media groups not allowed to be established by the clubs or student Council.

Procedures & Guidelines — Continued

• To direct the meetings of the Student Council
• To prepare the agenda of the Student Council meetings with the cooperation of the General Secretary and send out invitations to the members of the Student Council.
• To allocate the duties of the Council members and to call for meetings in collaboration with the General Secretary.
• To undertake the execution of the Student Council decisions in cooperation with the General Secretary.
• To undertake the payment of bills for expenditure in conducting Student Council activities from the approved fund in co‐operation with the Treasurer.

• To substitute for the President in her absence.
• To assist the President in her work.

• To co‐ordinate the activities of different Student Council Initiatives and Student Clubs.
• To implement the suggestions given by the students to activate the Student Council and Student Clubs.
• To be responsible for execution of all the decisions of the Student Council.
• To organize and co‐ordinate the activities between the DMU colleges
• To keep all the documents of the Student Council on student Council Drive and be responsible for writing and distribution of the minutes of the Student Council meetings.

• To officiate for the General Secretary in her absence.
• To assist the General Secretary in coordinating the various activities of the Student Council.
• To assist the General Secretary in collecting the suggestions of the students.

• Propose and organize functions and extracurricular activities the students want to undertake.
• To organize educational and recreational trips off campus.
• To organize the semester trip.
• To compose the Student Council Semester Events Calendar at the beginning of each semester and to ensure that it lies in accordance with the free hours allocated by the University administration.

• Write up the budget proposals to request a specific budget for an event.
• Coordinate with the University administration about the funds required.
• To oversee all monetary duties of the Student Council.

• Promote Emirati Culture & Heritage by organizing and overseeing cultural events, celebrations, and initiatives that highlight Emirati traditions and foster cross-cultural understanding such as National Day and Flag Day in collaboration with the Events Coordinator.
• Act as a Liaison for Emirati Students, Represent Emirati students within the Student Council, addressing their concerns and ensuring their cultural identity is integrated into university activities.

• Organize and oversee sports events and activities.
• Encourage student participation in recreational and competitive sports.
• Collaborate with the Student Council and university administration for facility use.

• Promote environmental awareness through campaigns and activities.
• Work with students and faculty to implement green initiatives on campus.

• Organize and oversee volunteering opportunities across all colleges.
• Facilitate participation in healthcare, community service, and outreach programs.
• Collaborate with student clubs, external organizations, and faculty for impactful initiatives.
• Ensure equal representation and engagement of students from all three colleges in volunteering activities.

• All activities conducted by the Student Council posted on DMU Instagram and DMU Website only after approval by the Director of Student Affairs.
• All announcements by the Student Council must be approved and signed by the Student Engagement and clubs Officer or Director of Student Affairs before dissemination.
• Any email to be sent out through Student Council email address should be approved by the Student Engagement and clubs Officer or Director of Student Affairs.

• All events planned and published through the Student Council Events Calendar are bound by the following regulations:
• Event Proposal:
  • Prior to each event, a detailed proposal must be submitted for approval at 2 weeks ahead of the planned date of conduction.
  • The proposal of the event should be discussed in the Student Council meeting and must include:
• Aim of the event.
• ​Timings: day, date, time slot in the timetable, Student Activity hours required.
• ​Venue.
• Target audience.
• Agenda​.
• Approvals:
  • ​Booking the Round Hall, catering (Operation Manager) ​.
  • Timetable for Student Activity hours (Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Student Affairs)
  • Supervisor​ of the event.
• Once finalized, the Event Proposal must be signed by:
  • Author of the proposal
  • Student Council President
• Then the proposal will be reviewed by the Student Engagement and clubs Officer and the Director of Student Affairs for the following:
  • Relevance for university students.
  • Feasibility of the activity (time, place, transportation, etc.
  • Cost effectiveness. 
• Upon approval, the proposal must be signed by:
  • Director of Student Affairs
  • Copies of the signed Event Proposal must be shared with Student Engagement and clubs Officer & Director of Student Affairs
• The supervisor of the event will support the council and guide them when needed.
• Student Engagement and clubs Officer and Director of Student Affairs need to be approached to facilitate any event or activities that require Student council or Club member’s collaboration with other departments.
• Faculty and staff can be approached by Students Council members to support their events and activities. They can provide guidance, review presentations or chaperone students on internal or external events.
  • Post event feedback survey and reports must be documented and saved in the Student council One Drive and made available upon request.
  • Invitations to the events must be sent at least three days ahead of the event.
  • Students should follow the rules of the University & abide by the Code of Conduct and the Dress Code of the University in all internal and external activities.
• Student Council will be responsible for breaking the above regulations.

• Prior to each event, a budget proposal must be submitted for approval at least two weeks ahead of the planned date of conduction.
• The Treasurer , Events Coordinator and the President must discuss the budget proposal and must include:
  • Title of the event.
  • ​Aim of the event.
  • ​Estimated total budget, covering how many attendees.
  • Breakdown of the budget.
• Once finalized, the Budget Proposal must be signed by:
  • Treasurer
  • Student Council President
  • Then the budget proposal must be approved by the Director of Student Affairs and signed by the Director of Student Affairs and the Vice Chancellor.
  • A copy of the signed budget proposal must be filed with the Student Council and the original is submitted to Student Affairs Department for submission to Finance. 

• The budget proposal approved and signed by the Director of Student Affairs is submitted to the Finance Manager in charge of petty cash, based on the amount as follows:
  • Amounts up to AED 1000 will be handled by the in charge of petty cash.
  • Amounts above AED 1000 will given in the forms of cheques.
• The fund is received by the Student Affairs member who hands it over to the Treasurer of the Student Council or the President or the Student Engagement and clubs Officer.
• The Treasurer is responsible for using the funds as planned.
• The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining and presenting receipts/invoices/bills with balance amounts to Student Affairs member within two weeks after the event.
• The Treasurer will prepare a document listing all the receipts/invoices/bills to show how the funds were utilized, then sign the file, get the signature of the President, and revise the document with the Student Affairs member to obtain her signature.
• Student Affairs member in charge of petty cash must sign the receiving of the document and receipts/invoices/bills and give the Treasurer a copy of all documents for Student Council filing purposes.
• All transactions are signed by the distributor and receiver.

Responsibilities for Application

Attached Documents & References

• AI-F-07 Student Hub - Association initiation form.docx
• BP-F-09 Student Hub - Budget Proposal.docx
• BR-F-06 Student Hub - Batch representative nomination.docx
• CV-F-04 Student Hub -Call For Volunteers Form.docx
• EP-F-08 Student Hub - Event Proposal.docx
• ER-F-01 Student Hub - Event Registration.docx
• SE-F-05 Student Hub - Student Union Elections Voting Form.docx
• SN-F-02 Student Hub - Student Union Nomination Form.docx
• SV-F-03 Student Hub - Student Union EOT Volunteering Form.docx