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Constitution of the Graduate Student Senate
By-Laws of the Graduate Student Senate
Constitution of the Graduate Student Senate (Download as PDF)
In accordance with the provisions of the previous Senate Constitution, the present revised document was presented at a General Meeting of Graduate Students on February 5, 2007, and was then adopted at a second such meeting on March 1, 2007.
ARTICLE I. Preamble
ARTICLE II. Powers
ARTICLE III. Representation
ARTICLE IV. Election of Senators
ARTICLE V. Election of Officers
ARTICLE VI. Meetings
ARTICLE VII. Committees
ARTICLE VIII. General meetings of Graduate Students
ARTICLE IX. Amending procedure
ARTICLE X. Ratification
ARTICLE I. Preamble
Recognizing the necessity of organizing in order to attain the just, cooperative society which alone can be in the absolute interests of graduate students;and further recognizing the necessity for immediate and ongoing action to effectuate cooperation and participation among graduate students; the graduate students of this campus hereby establish a Graduate Student Senate for the University of Massachusetts (hereinafter 'The Senate").
ARTICLE II. Powers
The Senate shall have the authority:
a. to speak and act in the name of the graduate students of the University in all appropriate contexts and arenas; which includes, but shall not be limited to, relations with University administrators, trustees, regents, staff, and faculty;
b. to organize and administer, and/or to join with other groups within and outside the University community in organizing and administering, projects and programs benefitting graduate students and building mutual aid and cooperation among graduate students and in the larger society;
c. to levy and administer the Graduate Student Senate Tax;
d. to enact, amend and repeal By-Laws for its internal functioning.
ARTICLE III. Representation
a. The graduate students in every department, school or division offering a graduate degree, as recognized by authoritative University sources, shall have the right to elect at least one representative to the Senate.
b. The Senate may, from time to time, enact By-Laws recognizing other groups of graduate students as constituencies having the right to elect at least one representative to the Senate.
c. Representation shall be proportional to the number of graduate students in the department, school, division, or other constituency. The proportion of senators to graduate students shall be determined by the By-Laws.
ARTICLE IV. Election of Senators.
a. Any enrolled or fee-paying (including program fee, as long as the Senate tax is also paid) graduate student shall be qualified to vote in elections for senators and be elected to the Senate, and to vote in general meetings of graduate students.
b. Elections for senators shall be conducted within guidelines established by the Committee on Elections and as directed by the By-Laws. Such elections shall be in full compliance with Affirmative Action Policies of the Senate.
c. Senators shall take office in June or September of each year, following procedures specified by their constituent organizations. A term of office shall run for no more than one year, but a Senator may serve for more than one term if duly elected.
d. Special elections of senators shall be held to fill vacancies in a timely manner.
e. Any constituency represented in the Senate shall have the power to recall its representative(s) at any time, according to procedures specified by that organization.
f. In the event that a senator is recalled by said constituency, notice shall be given to the Senate within 48 hours.
ARTICLE V. Election of Officers.
a. The Executive Committee of the Senate shall consist of the President, the Vice President, and the Treasurer.
b. Elections for the offices of President, Vice President, and the Treasurer shall begin at a General Meeting of graduate students, followed by two days of open balloting. Elections for officers shall follow these guidelines:
● Nominations shall begin and end in April, and shall be open for two weeks. Nominations shall be open to all Senate tax-paying graduate students at the University (Amherst campus)
● Elections shall be held no less than one and no more than two weeks after the close of nominations in the Campus Center or Student Union building.
● There shall be at least one regularly scheduled Senate meeting between the close of elections and the end of the school year.
The Executive Committee shall serve from 1 June to 31 May of the following year. The President and the Treasurer shall serve as paid staff from 1 June to 31 August. Should the Vice President perform substantive work during this period, appropriate compensation shall be made.
All members of the Executive Committee shall have full voting rights from 1 June to 31 May.
c. Officers of the Senate shall receive from the senate for the academic year a stipend equal to the median stipend received by full-time Teaching Assistants at the University for that academic year.
d. To ensure the effective transition of Executive Committee duties, each officer and officer- elect shall document that a comprehensive transition plan has been developed and agreed to by both the incumbent and the officer-elect. The plan will terminate when both parties have attested to the accomplishment of the goals set forth in the plan by way of their signatures.
e. Duties of the President and Treasurer shall be those usually assigned to those offices. Duties of the Vice President shall be apportioned by the Executive Committee and the Senate as they see fit.
f. In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall act for the President. In the event of the extended absence, disability, or resignation of any other officer, the Senate shall elect at the next regularly scheduled Senate Meeting an officer pro term who shall act as that officer. The By-Laws shall further specify procedures to be followed.
g. Each member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to one vote as a member of the Senate during her/his term of office.
h. The Senate may prescribe in its By-Laws the method of election of officers; however, elections shall be held in full compliance with Affirmative Action Policies of the Senate as detailed in the By-Laws.
i. Officers may be recalled at any time by (i) a two-thirds vote of the Senate, or (ii) a simple majority vote of no confidence by the electorate at a general meeting of graduate students consisting of now fewer than 75 graduate students including Senators.
ARTICLE VI. Meetings.
a. The Senate shall hold regular meetings at such times as may be determined by the Senate, but shall meet at least four times during the Academic Year. Dates for regular meetings from June Commencement to September registration day shall be decided at the last meeting of the Spring semester.
b. Either the President or the Executive Committee of the Senate shall have the power to call special meetings of the Senate, and shall call special meetings on petition of ten senators.
c. An agenda for each regular or special meetings shall be available to every senator at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting. Every senator shall be contacted individually at the address or telephone number filed with the Senate at least twenty-four hours in advance of a special meeting.
d. A quorum for business on the published agenda for either a regular or a special meeting shall be those present. A quorum for business not on the agenda from September registration day to May Commencement shall be 50% of the total number of currently accredited senators on the Senate.
e. The Executive Committee shall have the power to act for the Senate between 1 June and 1 September of each year and to call special meetings during that period. The Senate shall have the power to limit the amount of funds which the Executive Committee may spend during the summer, the procedure for setting the limit shall be outlined in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VII. Committees.
a. The Senate shall have the power to establish and/or appoint such standing and ad hoc advisory committees to the Senate as are deemed necessary for the successful conduct of its business. The composition, powers and function of each standing committee shall be clearly set out in the By-Laws. In general:
i. committees shall function collectively according to principles of maximum participation of the membership;
ii. committees shall keep accurate written minutes of their meetings and shall forward them promptly to the Senate for review;
iii. the Executive Committee shall be responsible for the initial organizing of standing committees no later than the fifteenth of October of each year;
iv. committees shall be responsible for electing their own chairpersons, subject to formal ratification by the Senate.
b. The President or her/his designee shall appoint representatives to committees of other groups or organizations, or such joint boards as shall have been established with other groups or organizations according to the Senate's entitlement. All such appointments shall be subject to formal ratification by the Senate. The President and/or the Executive Committee shall be able to recall all such appointees to the approval of the Senate. (In all cases where the President is listed as having such right, it shall be understood that the decision may be overturned by the other three members of the Executive Committee.) Appointees shall be bound by standing or otherwise expressed policies of the Senate at all times.
c. The Senate shall have the right to recall its representatives on any Senate (standing or ad-hoc) or external committee or board at any time.
d. AH appointees shall be selected in full compliance with Affirmative Action Policies of the Senate, as detailed in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII. General meetings of Graduate Students
a. The Executive Committee and/or the Senate shall have the power to call a general meeting of graduate students. The Executive Committee shall call such a meeting on the petition of a number of graduate students as stipulated in the By-Laws. However, such a meeting shall be called at least once each academic year.
b. Any action of the Senate may be rescinded by a majority vote of those present and voting at a general meeting of graduate students; such a body consisting of no less than 75 graduate students, including senators.
Rules for voting at such a meeting shall be outlined in the By-Laws.
c. A call shall be issued for a general meeting of graduate students at least one full week in advance of the meeting, and shall include a specified provisional agenda. The call shall receive wide-ranging advertisement. Further notification, including a final agenda, shall be posted in each constituency at least three days in advance of the meeting. A motion for recall of an officer under Article VI (g) must appear on both provisional and final agendas.
d. One general meeting of graduate students to be held in the spring of each year, as specified in Article V (b), shall include in its agenda the election of Senate officers.
e. All senators shall be required to attend said electoral meeting. In the event that a senator cannot attend said senator shall send an alternate as outlined in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE IX. Amending procedure.
This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of those present and voting at any general meeting of graduate students, provided that the proposed amendment(s) has/have been presented at a previous general meeting of graduate students.
ARTICLE X. Ratification.
This amended Constitution shall be ratified when approved by a majority of those present and voting at a general meeting of graduate students, provided that it shall have been presented at a previous general meeting of graduate students, and shall become effective as of that date.
By-Laws of the Graduate Student Senate (Download as PDF)
The By-Laws and Revenue Sharing Plan of the Graduate Student Senate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
In accordance with the provisions of the previous Senate By-Laws the present revised document was presented to a meeting of the Graduate Student Senate on February 5, 2007 and then adopted at the Senate meeting on March 1, 2007.
Title I.
1. By-Laws of the Senate may be adopted, amended or repealed by a three-fifths vote of those present at a regular or special meeting of the Senate, or by a majority vote of the graduate students present at a general meeting of graduate students, provided that in either case the proposed action(s) shall have been presented at a previous meeting of the same body.
2. Meetings of the Senate and General Meetings of graduate students shall be conducted in
reference to parliamentary procedure as defined by Robert's Rules of Order (Newly Revised
Edition).
3. Representation and Elections
Representation of graduate students to the Senate shall be as follows:
a. One senator for every fifty graduate students or fraction thereof in each department, school or division offering a graduate degree, as recognized by authoritative University sources. Constituencies may additionally elect one alternate for each Senate seat to which they are entitled, who shall hold all of the privileges normally held by the senator in that senator's absence.
b. The Senate recognizes the following additional constituencies for the purpose of both representation and revenue sharing (see By-Law 10);
Prince House. This constituency shall be defined as those graduate students who reside full-time in Prince House Dormitory during each semester. Representation shall be assigned in section I(a).
School of Education Clusters. The School of Education shall be considered 3 constituencies for the purpose of collection of revenue sharing funds, yet shall maintain full representational powers (as outlined in section I(a)).
MBA and Ph.D. Programs in the School of Business Administration.
These constituencies shall be defined as separate constituencies, replacing the entitlement of students in the school itself under section I(a). Representation shall be assigned in section I(a).
North Village and Lincoln Apartments. These constituencies shall be defined as those graduate students who reside full-time in either North Village or Lincoln Apartments during each semester. The North Village and Lincoln Apartments constituencies shall each be considered 1 (one) constituency for the purpose of collection of revenue sharing funds, yet each shall maintain full representational powers as outlined in Section 3.1(a).
[The Senate voted to recognize North Village/Lincoln Apartments & GSO constituencies on October 18, 1994. As required by Section 3.1 (c) of these By-laws, the Senate voted 31st October 1995 to include the new constituencies permanently in the By-laws.]
Graduate Student Organizations (GSOs) These constituencies shall be defined as those graduate student organizations which have been certified by the Graduate Student Senate each year. GSOs shall not be considered constituencies for the purpose of revenue sharing funds, and each shall be limited to one representative.
c. Upon vote of the Senate, other constituencies for representation and/or revenue sharing may be recognized for a period of one academic year. In October of the academic year following such a vote, the Senate shall evaluate each such constituency and shall vote whether to include this constituency permanently within section I(b) of this By-Law, for the purpose of either representation only, or of representation and revenue sharing.
d. Each representative is limited to representing only 1 (one) constituency.
Title II.
Elections to seats on the Senate, and elections of alternates where applicable, shall be held independently in each constituency defined in Section I of this By-Law. The Committee on Elections must review the nomination and election procedures of each such constituency. The Committee on Elections shall also, where necessary, recommend to the Senate for approval, changes in the election procedures of any such recognized constituency.
Title III.
The Committee on Elections shall be constituted by the Senate, by elections of three senators. The duties of members of the Committee on Elections shall be assigned by the members of the Committee.
The Committee shall elect a Chairperson from among their number once in each semester, subject to formal ratification by the Senate. The Chairperson shall be responsible for calling and chairing meetings of the Committee.
One officer of the Executive Committee, as designated by the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for calling the first meeting of the academic year in conformity with Article VII (a) (iii) of the Constitution. The same officer shall serve in a nonvoting capacity on the Committee on Elections throughout that academic year, ex officio.
(The Committee on Elections shall also be responsible for elections of Senate officers, as
required by Article V of the Constitution, and for recommending rules and policies concerning such elections.)
Title IV.
In the event of a tie vote for an office in a general election, the following procedure shall be used to fill the position. Unless one of the candidates objects, a run-off election, will be held at the Senate meeting immediately following the election. If one candidate objects, and there is an additional scheduled Senate meeting the same semester, then the run-off election will be delayed until that additional meeting.
Procedure for Run-Off: All candidates involved in the tie shall be the only candidates in the run-off election. If they desire, each candidate may give a "reminder" speech limited to two minutes in length. All senators present at the meeting will be eligible to vote in the run-off election (identification cards will be checked and names checked off on the list of fee-paying graduate students.) The voting shall be by closed ballot.
Title V.
Administration of all aspects of this By-Law shall be assigned to the Committee on
Elections of the Senate, except that questions concerning nondiscrimination and affirmative
action shall in addition be referred to the Committee on Nondiscrimination and
Affirmative Action.
Title VI.
Re-count Procedures: Candidates may contest the election up to 48 hours following the
closing of the polls. Ballots will automatically be re-counted, in the event of a margin of
twenty votes or less. Results of the election will not be officially made public until the re
count grace period has passed, and during that time strict security measures will be
maintained.
4. Executive Committee
I. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the President as required for the conduct of necessary business. A quorum for all business shall be three members of the Committee. Meetings shall be open to all who wish to attend except during closed session.
II. The Committee shall be charged with the following tasks:
a. To fulfill those functions required of it under the Constitution and By-Laws.
b. To review motions submitted for inclusion on the agenda of a regular or special meeting of the Senate. No such motion submitted may be omitted from the agenda.
c. To organize and to execute efficient day-to-day functioning of the Senate Office. Such duties may include but are not limited to purchase of necessary materials, maintenance of files and archives, disbursement of wages and issuance of Senate documents.
d. To maintain an accurate and current record of income and expenditure of Senate funds, this record to be open to inspection by any graduate student during advertised office hours.
e. To act in full, on behalf of the Senate, in such areas and for such terms as the Senate may determine (e.g., Intercession, Summer Vacation).
f. To administer the Executive Emergency Fund. With the explicit approval of three members of the Committee, the Treasurer or President may authorize disbursements from this budget category. Such expenditures shall be reported to the Senate at the next regular or special meeting.
III. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be strictly subject to review and amendment or repeal by a regular or special meeting of the Senate, or by a general meeting of graduate students.
5. Finance Committee
I. The Finance Committee shall consist of eight voting members as follows:
a. The Treasurer of the Senate who shall act as Chairperson of the Finance Committee.
b. The Vice President who will serve as Vice Chairperson of the Finance Committee.
c. Six members, either senators or alternates, who shall be elected to seats on the Committee at a regular or special meeting of the Senate in September of each year, or whenever vacancies arise. Such elections must have been previously included as agenda items for those meetings. Each term of office shall not exceed nine months.
II. Committee meetings shall be called as required for the conduct of necessary business. A
quorum for all business shall be' four members. Meetings shall be open to all those who wish to attend.
III. The Committee shall be charged with the following tasks:
a. To review requests to the Senate for funds submitted by any organization, excluding only revenue sharing requests and emergency items for which the Executive Emergency Fund is used.
b. To advise all petitioners for funds on the budgets they have submitted and their supporting documentation, clarifying where possible problems in funding requests.
c. In pursuance of (b), to recommend to the Senate for approval such regulations, policies and documents as shall be considered necessary to the efficient conduct of their charge.
d. ON REQUESTS FOR FUNDING WHICH EXCEED $300.00 AS SUBMITTED:
To forward to the next regular meeting of the Senate with each request (abbreviated as necessary) a written committee report, including a summary of relevant committee debate, and details of a Committee vote recommending the level at which the request should be funded.
e. ON REQUESTS FOR FUNDING WHICH DO NOT EXCEED $300.00 AS SUBMITTED: To approve, reject, or amend such requests in Committee and to forward details of such decisions in writing to the next regular meeting of the Senate. (Such approval/rejections of amendment shall not become operative until the day following the next regular meeting of the Senate. The motion shall appear on the agenda for that meeting as being "On the Table", and may be removed from' the table for discussion by the unseconded motion of any Senator or by the petitioner her/himself. If brought off the table, the motion may be approved, amended or repealed by the Senate.
NOTE: ALL PETITIONERS SHALL BE MADE FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROCEDURE.
f. To aid and advise the Treasurer in drawing up the Annual Budget Proposal for consideration by the Senate.
g. To fulfill responsibilities under section V of the Revenue Sharing Plan.
IV. The Graduate Student Senate shall reserve the power to investigate evidence or
accusations of malfeasance or misconduct by groups funded by the GSS. This may result in the suspension of payments or assignments of money to said group until the accusations are investigated and their credence established. This investigation is to be carried out by an ad hoc committee convened for that purpose. If such accusations are found to be true no further funding will be forthcoming until such time as the Senate is satisfied that it will be well spent. The Senate also reserves the right to demand the return of misspent funds.
6. General Meeting of Graduate Students
I. On receipt of a petition by ten senators or fifty graduate students representing at least three departments, the Executive Committee shall, within three days, issue a call for a general meeting of graduate students. Any matters mentioned, in the petition shall appear on the provisional agenda for the meeting, as also shall any motion for recall of a Senate officer.
II. The finalized agenda for each meeting shall include (a) those items mentioned in the
provisional agenda and (b) further items added by petition of ten graduate students
received at least five days before the general meeting.
III. Each graduate student paying the Graduate Student Senate Tax shall be entitled to one
vote at a general meeting of graduate students. Proxy voting shall be strictly forbidden.
IV. The President shall preside over a general meeting. If however, the agenda includes a
motion to recall the President, the Vice President shall preside.
7. Employment Terms and Recall of Officers
I. The President shall not engage in paid employment outside the Senate unreasonably in excess of ten hours per week. For other officers, the limit shall be seventeen hours per week.
II. The President shall receive the resignations of other officers and all committee members. The President shall resign to the Vice-President.
III. The Executive Committee, upon the substantial failure of an officer to perform the duties
assigned to that office, shall certify by majority vote the default of that officer under Article V(e) of the Constitution. Such default shall extend over a period of two weeks, and shall be waived in case of reasonable excuse. The Executive Committee shall communicate their decision to the officer concerned by certified mail at her/his last known address.
At the next regular meeting of the Senate, provided that such meetings occur no less than four full class days from the time of the Executive Committee's communication, the Senate shall vote either to confirm or deny such default.
IV. Motions for recall of an officer by the Senate under Article V(i) of the Constitution, when not initiated by the Executive Committee must appear on the agendas of two regular meetings of the Senate.
V. If an officer is recalled, the Senate shall proceed immediately to elect an officer pro term to
serve the remainder of that officer's term. (An officer pro term shall be entitled to the
appropriate proportion of the salary allocated for the post. A recalled officer shall not
receive any payment from the Senate subsequent to the date of the recall vote.)
VI. In the event of the extended absence or disability, or upon the resignation of the President, the Vice President shall assume the office of the President. The Senate shall then elect a new Vice President pursuant to Article V(f) of the Constitution. In event of a vacancy in any other office, the Senate shall then elect a replacement pursuant to Article V(f).
8. All motions presented to the Senate must be given to the Senate Recorder or to a Senate Officer in writing upon presentation. As a courtesy, motions shall also be made available to senators at the earliest possible opportunity, if it has not been possible to include them on the published agenda.
9. At all times the Senate shall seek to maximize the participation of Senators and graduate students in the decisions that affect their lives at all levels. All internal procedures shall be conducted in reference to principles and practices laid out in such documents as Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, whenever these documents are not in contravention of Robert's Rules of Order.
10. The Senate shall additionally treat the following documents as Senate By-Laws by attaching copies of them to the Constitution and By-Laws wherever made available, and by following strictly the provisions of By-Law 1 when amending or repealing them:
a. The Revenue Sharing Plan
b. The Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy
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