Presidential Regulation 4: What is it?

Compiled by Devin P. L. Edwards
Copy & Bulletin Editor
The phrase “Presidential Regulation 4” has been tossed around by both the York Federation of Students (YFS) and York administration over the past two years, most recently at the YFS Annual General Meeting. This regulation, which governs the relationship between the two bodies, has rarely been explored.
Presidential regulation 4A states, “Student governments […] must be conducted on a democratic, orderly, and responsible basis. The possibility of orderly and democratic change must also be guaranteed.”
The regulation does not specify what actions the York administration may take if this primary directive is violated.
It seems to indicate York administration retains some power, as the “legal powers and responsibilities […] conferred on the President and the Board of Governors in relation to student government […] prevent the full devolution of authority by them.”
The regulation fails to state, however, what “full devolution of authority” means, or what parts of authority the admin has the power to devolve. Regulation 4 does not outline any steps the university should, or even can, take in the event that this democracy fails.
Presidential regulation 4B states, “Every student must be represented by, and pay a fee to, a central student government.” Preventing students from withdrawing from participation and financial support of a student government.
Immediately after, the regulation specifies “the Council of the York Federation of Students (CYFS) is recognized as the central government for all undergraduate students.”
A student government is generally defined, however, as “a body formally recognized as representing all students enrolled in one of the following constituencies: a college, a faculty, or a major segment of the university embracing several faculties.”