GSAS Graduate Student Council Constitution

ARTICLE I
THE GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL

 Section 1. The Graduate Student Council (henceforth GSC, or simply “the Council”) is composed of all students currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) who have paid the Student Activity Fee, which is included in the University General Fee assessed each semester.

Section 2. The GSC works in partnership with the GSAS and its respective Deans in order to serve the needs of the graduate students.

Section 3. The affairs of the GSC shall be directed by the Graduate Student Council Officers and Representatives.

ARTICLE II
THE GSC REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1. The GSC is the representative body of all matriculated students of the GSAS, and as such is responsible for conducting the GSC so as to attain its proper ends by articulating and realizing the general interests of GSAS students.

Section 2. The Council shall be composed of one Representative from each department that offers at least one graduate degree in the GSAS. In addition, each GSAS degree program not under the direction of a single department (programs designated as interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, or interschool) shall have one Representative. One Representative for international students shall also serve on the Council. Each Representative shall have both voice and vote at meetings. The GSC Officers serve on the Council by virtue of their positions ex officio. The President and Vice President shall have a voice at the meetings but only the latter will vote and only in the instance of a tied vote. 

Section 3. It is the responsibility of each constituent group to select a Representative for each academic year. If no Representative has been selected by the second meeting of the academic year, the Council may select a Representative to serve for that group. Representatives shall assume all duties on the last day of the Spring semester and serve one academic year or, in 12-month MA programs, one semester. Only GSAS students currently matriculated and in good standing with the GSAS may serve as Representatives.

Section 4. Representatives shall present the specific interests, viewpoints and concerns of the students they represent during the general discussions of the GSC and vote accordingly. Representatives shall encourage the input and participation of their constituents. 

Representatives shall attend all meetings of the Council or shall request that an alternate attend in their absence. Representatives who fail to attend two or more meetings per semester or designate an alternate to attend in their absence shall be deemed inactive.   

Section 5. The Council may call for the removal of a Representative due to malfeasance or nonfeasance in office. Any action taken by a representative that runs counter to the purposes of the GSC, any planned program of the GSC, or the integrity of the GSC shall constitute malfeasance. When the Council calls for the removal of a Representative, he or she may reply to the Council’s charge in writing. At the next scheduled meeting of the Council, the Representative so charged may speak on his or her behalf. The Council may remove the Representative by a majority vote of three-fourths of the active Council members.   

Section 6. For services rendered to the GSC, each Representative shall receive a stipend in the amount approved in the GSC budget. This stipend will be distributed at the end of either each semester or each academic year depending on the service given. Malfeasance or nonfeasance may result in a reduction or suspension of compensation at the discretion of the Council.

ARTICLE III
THE GSC OFFICERS

Section 1. The GSC has two standing Officer positions, a President and a Vice President. The Officers serve to coordinate and lead the activities of the GSC, acting as chief stewards of the GSC budget and primary spokespeople for the Council. As members of the Council, they coordinate its activities towards the end of representing the specific interests, viewpoints, and concerns of the constituents of each department and program.   

As representatives of the graduate student body at large, the President and Vice President represent and serve the interests of the graduate students within the GSC more generally, both on the GSC and among the wider University community.   

Section 2. The President will be responsible for up to eighteen hours of service per week and attendance at core functions of the GSC, except under exceptional circumstances, in which case Council members will be notified.

 In accordance with Article 3, Section 1, the President shall: 

• Act as the liaison between the administrative offices of the University, including and especially that of the Dean of the GSAS, the Office of Student Development, and the GSC Council
• Act as liaison between the GSC and any external graduate student associations 
• Be the sole, primary spokesperson for the GSC; this includes ratifying university-wide communication with the student body and administration
• Represent the interests of graduate students on University-wide bodies seeking graduate student representation, such as the Graduate Council and the Arts & Sciences Council
• Oversee committee activities in conjunction with the Vice President
• Chair the Budget Committee and propose the annual budget as crafted by that committee
• Oversee programs and activities planned by the Council, standing or ad hoc committees, or the Officers
• Preside and call to order Council meetings in conjunction with the Vice President
• Set the Council agenda in consultation with the Vice President 

Section 3. The Vice President will be responsible for up to fifteen hours of service per week and attendance at core functions of the GSC, except under exceptional circumstances, in which case Council members will be notified.

In accordance with Article 3, Section 1, the Vice President shall: 

• Call Council meetings, set the Council agenda in consultation with the President, take minutes or designate the taking of them, and distribute the minutes and Council agenda
• Oversee committee activities in conjunction with the President
• Be the primary source of coordination and communication between the Officers and the Council, as well as between the Council and the student body. 
• Communicate the activities of the Council through email, maintenance of web sources, and/or  print media
• Oversee Representatives’ fulfillment of their duties and inform the Council of any malfeasance or nonfeasance

Section 4. With the assent of the Council, the officers may share or shift responsibilities between them. The Officers are responsible for holding regular office hours during the academic year.   

Section 5. The Council may call for the censure or removal of the President or Vice President due to malfeasance or nonfeasance. Malfeasance is any action taken against the GSC which runs counter to the purposes of the GSC, a planned program of the GSC, or the integrity of the GSC. Nonfeasance is the failure to carry out the duties requisite to the office.   

At the next scheduled meeting, after a motion for censure or removal has been made, both the initiator of the motion and the Officer so moved against shall have the opportunity to address the Council. The Council may remove the Officer by a three-fourths majority vote of active Council members. 

Section 6. For services rendered to the GSC, Officers shall receive a stipend for both the summer and academic year, which shall be fixed at the May budget meeting each year, but which shall be no less than the lowest full stipend of any graduate student worker and no higher than the highest full stipend of any graduate student worker in the GSAS. In addition, they shall receive full remission of tuition at the discretion of the Dean of the GSAS.

Section 7. The Officers may serve no more than two full terms, except in cases where there is no qualified candidate (as determined by the Council) to take the positions of President or Vice President. In the latter case, a three-fourths majority vote can keep an Officer in their position.

Section 8. The election of an Officer is by majority ballot of a three-fourths quorum of active Representatives.  If the current Officers wish to serve a second term, they must indicate such at the February Council meeting, with a vote to be taken at the March meeting.  If no Officer is elected at the March meeting, then at that meeting any Representatives wishing to run for an Officer position should indicate such to the Council, with a vote to be taken at the April Council meeting.  If no Officer is elected at the April meeting, then the President shall open the elections to all eligible students in the GSAS within twenty-four hours of the April meeting.  The window for open nominations shall be ten working days after the call for nominations is presented to the GSAS student body.  In the case of open nominations, the GSC shall create an ad hoc elections committee to read the resumes and letters, selecting the five most qualified candidates for an interview at a special session of the Council, with a ballot vote to be taken at the end of that meeting. 

Section 9. In any instance where there are more than two candidates on the ballot for a vacant position and there is no clear majority winner, a second vote shall be taken from among the two candidates receiving the most votes on the previous ballot. All ballots shall be written and confidential. 

Section 10. The President shall issue a tie-breaking vote in the case of a tie for electing a Vice President. The Vice President shall issue a tie-breaking vote in the case of a tie for electing a President.

ARTICLE IV
COUNCIL MEETINGS

Section 1. Unless otherwise specified here, all meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
 
Section 2. The Council shall meet at least once every month of the academic year.  All meetings are open to GSAS students, as well as other guests or student groups as approved by the Council. Minutes of these meetings are to be a matter of public information for all GSAS students or interested parties, except those sections of the meetings designated as Executive Council by a majority vote of the Representatives. 

Section 3. All questions put to a vote by the Council shall be decided by a simple majority of a quorum unless specified otherwise by this constitution below:

• Votes affecting all graduate students under the purview of the Graduate Student Council, including unionization, representation by outside parties, and external affiliations such as affixing the GSC name to petitions, shall be decided by a three-fourths majority
• Votes concerning themselves with the dissolution of the Council or of a Representative role shall be decided by a unanimous decision.

Section 4. Unless objection is raised by an Officer or Representative, the Council may pass resolutions outside of a Council meeting by use of email voting.

ARTICLE VI
THE GSC BUDGET

Section 1. The President sets the yearly budget for the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) in conjunction with the Vice President and must present this budget to the Council at the first meeting of the Fall semester.

Section 2. Unused monies shall be carried over into next year’s budget. All unused monies may be redistributed to other budget items at the Officers’ discretion.

Section 3. The GSC Budget is drawn from a small percentage of every Student Activity Fee paid to Fordham university. As such, the Council must act with the directive to be responsible stewards of the fund.