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Constitution of the Graduate Student Council of the University of Virginia
ARTICLE I – STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE
Section 1: The Graduate Student Council (hereafter Council) of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (hereafter GSAS) shall be composed of the officers of the Council, representatives from the various departments and degree-granting programs of the GSAS, and the GSAS representatives to the Honor Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Student Council of the University of Virginia.
Section 2: The purpose of the Council shall be:
A. to maintain cohesion and foster interchange of ideas among the graduate students of the GSAS;
B. to coordinate and promote activities of interest to GSAS students;
C. to serve as liaison between the student body and the faculty and administration;
D. to receive and consider any criticisms, problems, suggestions, or petitions submitted by a member or members of the student body or faculty and administration and take the necessary, proper, and responsive action;
E. to hold regular meetings to conduct Council business.
ARTICLE II – REPRESENTATION
Section 1: Any student registered for a degree offered by the GSAS, and regularly enrolled for any course or courses in the GSAS, shall be eligible to serve on the Council.
Section 2: Each student registered and enrolled as such shall contribute a designated fee, as set by the University Board of Visitors and assessed through the University Bursar, at the start of every enrolled semester, for the maintenance of the Council, its programs, and its activities.
Section 3: The students of the GSAS shall be represented on the Council as follows:
A. Each GSAS department, as well as each GSAS degree-granting program not affiliated with a GSAS department, shall have a minimum of one voting representative on the Council.
B. Departments and degree-granting programs with enrollments at least twice as large as the median average for the GSAS shall have a second voting representative on the Council.
C. Departments and degree-granting programs with enrollments at least four times as large as the median average for the GSAS shall have a third voting representative on the Council.
D. The number of representatives per department shall be determined using the official enrollment figures from the previous academic year.
Section 4: The Council shall also include the following non-voting representatives:
A. The GSAS representatives to the University Student Council, Honor Committee, and Judiciary Committee shall be ex officio members of the Council and shall keep the Council and graduate student body informed of the affairs of their respective organizations.
B. At the discretion of the Council, graduate student representatives from any of the professional schools at the University, as well as graduate student organizations not specifically affiliated with any GSAS department or program, may serve on the Council in an advisory capacity.
Section 5: Quorum for meetings will be no less than 7 voting members of the Council, each representing a different department. Meetings of the Council shall only be held during the regular academic year when classes are in session.
Section 6: No voting member may represent more than one department, or cast more than one vote under any circumstances. Any voting member acting as chair may only vote to break a tie.
Section 7: Except as the Chair may designate, meetings of the Council shall be open to all GSAS students and the University community at large.
ARTICLE III – OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of the Council shall be the President, Vice-President, Second Vice-President, and Treasurer.
A. The President:
1. shall represent the Council to the GSAS and University administrations, as well as the University at large;
2. shall chair the Council and preside over all its meetings, but shall relinquish the chair to another voting member whenever a conflict of interest exists;
3. shall be an ex officio member of all Council committees;
4. shall form committees of the Council as the need arises;
5. shall determine a meeting schedule for the academic year and make arrangements for a regular meeting place, in consultation with the Council.
6. shall appoint an interim Vice-President, Second Vice-President, or Treasurer in the event of such vacancies, subject to the approval of the Council;
7. shall have the power to appoint graduate students to serve on University governing bodies or committees, subject to the approval of the Council;
8. shall vote in Council meetings only to break a tie, except when another member of the Council is acting as chair.
B. The Vice-President:
1. shall assist the President by performing whatever additional executive duties are required;
2. shall recruit representatives to the Council, and represent the Council to all departments, programs, and graduate student organizations in the GSAS;
3. shall make contact with graduate students in other schools at the University;
4. shall be an ex officio member of all Council committees;
5. shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence and shall become the President in the event of such a vacancy;
6. shall be a voting member of the Council, except when acting as chair.
C. The Second Vice-President:
1. shall keep minutes of all meetings and distribute them to members in a timely fashion;
2. shall maintain the records of the Council;
3. shall oversee the Council's web page;
4. shall maintain the Council's mailing list;
5. shall be a voting member of the Council, except when acting as chair.
D. The Treasurer:
1. shall, in conjunction with the University administration, maintain the financial records of the Council and report the current financial status at all meetings;
2. shall be in charge of the disbursal of funds in payment of legitimate debts incurred by the Council;
3. shall coordinate all funding requests from outside parties;
4. shall be a voting member of the Council, except when acting as chair.
Section 2: The officers of the Council shall, as necessary, represent the Council and the students of the GSAS in local, state, regional, or national boards, panels, or organizations.
Section 3: All officers of the Council, except for the President, may continue to serve as representatives during their term in office.
ARTICLE IV – ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES
Section 1: The officers and representatives of the Council shall be elected as follows:
A. The President, Vice-President, Second Vice-President, and Treasurer shall be elected by the Council, a majority of votes cast being necessary for election to office. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes.
B. Representatives shall be elected or appointed by the graduate students enrolled in each GSAS department or program. No individual shall represent a department or program in which he or she is not currently enrolled.
Section 2: The term of office for the officers of the Council shall begin on April 1 and end on March 31. Notwithstanding this term, each department retains the right to recall and replace its representatives according to its own method and schedule of selecting representatives to the Council.
Section 3: Vacancies shall be filled as follows::
A. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice-President, Second Vice-President, or Treasurer, the President will nominate, in a timely manner, an individual to complete the remainder of the term, subject to approval by the Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
B. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President will assume the office of President and fill the vacancy in the office of Vice-President according to the preceding provisions.
C. The graduate students in each GSAS department or degree-granting program shall be responsible for replacing representatives as vacancies occur.
ARTICLE V – IMPEACHMENT
Section 1: Any officer of the Council may be impeached and removed from office for gross or continued failure to perform constitutional duties. Any member of the Council may initiate impeachment proceedings by introducing an appropriate resolution at a meeting with at least 10 voting members present representing different departments.
Section 2: Should two-thirds of the voting members present, or 10 voting members, whichever is greater, vote in favor of an impeachment resolution, the officer will be notified of the vote result and be given one week to request the opportunity, at the next regularly scheduled meeting, to address the Council and have a vote to confirm the removal from office. Two-thirds of the voting members present voting in favor of the confirmation shall be sufficient for immediate removal from office.
Section 3: Should the officer in question decline to request a confirmation vote within one week of notification, or should the officer fail to appear at the next regularly scheduled meeting, the removal from office will be automatic and immediate.
ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS AND BY-LAWS
Section 1: Amendments to this constitution shall be proposed by a majority vote of the Council. Amendment proceedings shall not be initiated unless 10 voting members of the Council representing different departments are present. Three-fourths affirmative vote of voting members present at the next regularly scheduled meeting is necessary for final approval.
Section 2: By-laws may be adopted to facilitate the implementation of any article of the Constitution by a simple majority of the Council.
ARTICLE VII – ADOPTION
Upon adoption, these amendment provisions shall take effect April 1, 1994. Recognizing the disparity of the current operation of the GSG with the GSG Constitution passed in 1979, until April 1, 1994 the GSG shall continue to operate in its provisional form.
Upon adoption, the amendment provisions presented to the Council on April 19th, 2004 shall take effect immediately.
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