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Constitution of the Graduate Student Association of The University of Memphis

PREAMBLE

This Constitution of the Graduate Student Association of the University of Memphis sets forth the laws which will serve as the guiding principles of the Association. It provides a formal channel for communication among Graduate Students, Graduate Faculty, and University Administration. As the Graduate School of the University of Memphis continues to grow in size, the Students, Faculty, and Administration will realize a concomitant increase in problems and issues. The interests and concerns, specific to Graduate Students, will often diverge from those characteristics of Undergraduate Students and those of the Undergraduate Student Government Association. The Graduate Student Association, as developed in this Constitution, will deal with such issues which are of primary concern to the Graduate School, its Students, Faculty, and Administration. 

ARTICLE I: DEFINTIONS

Section 1 - Graduate Student: A graduate student is defined as anyone registered as a degree seeking Graduate Student at the University of Memphis. The term student does not impinge upon the right of students to act as citizens of the greater community but recognizes that when they do so, they act exclusively as citizens and not as officially recognized or sanctioned students of the Graduate Student Association of the University of Memphis. 

Section 2 - Member: Membership in the Graduate Student Association is granted to any Graduate Student as defined under Article I, Section 1. 

Section 3 - Department: A department is defined as a group of Graduate Faculty and Students in a field of study organized under a Department Chairperson and recognized by the Graduate School as having a graduate program. 

Section 4 - College or School: An independent College or School of the University of Memphis is determined by the University Council of Graduate Studies and Research. There are currently nine of these schools. 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES

Section 1: To provide the opportunity for communication, cooperation, and the exchange of ideas among Graduate Students, Faculty, and the Administration of the Graduate School and the University of Memphis in order to enhance intellectual development through faculty/student interaction. 

Section 2: To provide services to the Graduate Student Body across all colleges and departments of the University of Memphis. 

Section 3: To serve as a Central Body to direct Graduate Student recommendations and/or grievances to the appropriate body, office, or individual of the University of Memphis. 

Section 4: To strive to improve the quality of Graduate and Undergraduate education at the University of Memphis. 

Section 5: To encourage and conduct such social activities as are desired by the Graduate Students of the University of Memphis. 

ARTICLE III: THE LEGISLATURE

Section 1 - The Graduate Student Assembly: The General Assembly is composed of one voting member from each independent college/school of the University of Memphis as defined under Article 1, Sections 3 and 4. 

Each Graduate Student Representative vacancy shall be filled at the first meeting of each academic year. Executive officials shall serve a two-year term, while college representatives serve a one-year term. The Graduate Student Advisor (in the absence of an election) of each college/school has the right to nominate or affirm a Graduate Student Representative from his/her college/school. Each Graduate Student Representative shall be enrolled as a Graduate Student, as defined under Article I, section 1, and be in good standing. 
The term of office of a Graduate Student Representative will be from the first GSA meeting of the academic. Graduate Student Representatives may be appointed at any time within this period to serve out the rest of the term. Graduate Student Representatives may be elected or affirmed by the Graduate Student Association or by the College/School Graduate Director to more than one term. 
Colleges/Schools not providing representation in no way affect the numerical percentages necessary to conduct the business of the Graduate Student General Assembly. 
The Graduate Student Assembly will be presided over by the Executive Vice President of the Graduate Student Association. 
The Graduate Student Assembly will appoint a Recording Secretary who will take the minutes of each meeting and forward those minutes to the Secretary of the Graduate Student Association for publication. 
The meetings of the Graduate Student Assembly will be open to the members of the Academic Community, but only Representatives shall vote on issues before the General Assembly. 
The Executive Cabinet shall have the power to replace any officers within the Graduate Student Association Executive Cabinet should those offices become vacant during the academic year. 
The proposed nature and frequency of the meetings and activities of the Graduate Student Assembly will be according to "Roberts Rules of Order-New Revised," and they are to be held once a month, beginning in September to April of each academic year. 
A quorum of one-fourth of the members of the Graduate Student General Assembly will be required to conduct a meeting. 
A quorum of two-thirds of the Executive Cabinet and College Representatives is required for any votes. 
If a Representative of the Graduate Student General Assembly cannot be present at a meeting of the Assembly, then the Representative may issue a written proxy to another member of the Assembly. 
A Representative of the Graduate Student General Assembly is entitled to two unexcused absences per academic year. Any excessive absences will result in the review of the Representative’s position. 
Other than stipulated by this document, the Graduate Student General Assembly shall determine and record the rules governing its procedures. Such procedures are subject to the approval of the Parliamentarian of the Graduate Student Association. 
Two Faculty advisors will be appointed by the Graduate School for one-year terms but shall not be voting members of the Graduate Student General Assembly. 
The Dean of the Graduate School shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Graduate Student General Assembly. 

ARTICLE IV: THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Section 1 - The President of the Graduate Student Association: The President of the Association will agree to hold a full time Graduate Assistantship in the Graduate School from May 1 of the appointed/elected year to April 30 of the following academic year.
The President shall appoint all Executive Committees and their respective chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Cabinet as defined under Article IV Section 7. The President shall act as presiding officer over the Graduate Student Orientation and Graduate Research Forum committees. The President shall serve as a voting member of the Graduate Travel committees. The President shall call for special elections as the need arises for the Graduate General Assembly. The President will also retain the right, with majority vote of the Graduate Student Assembly to accept nominations by the College Directors. 
The President shall be a voting member of the Graduate Student Assembly. 
The President will chair all meetings of the Executive Cabinet of the Graduate Student Association. 
The President will keep and maintain the records of the Graduate Student Association, to be stored in the Graduate School. 
The President will also be responsible for all official Graduate Student Association Correspondence. 
The President must update the GSA Constitution webpage each semester for any and all changes in legislation. 
The President will serve as the Webmaster of the Graduate Student Association. The President may serve more than one term in office. 

Section 2 – The Executive Vice-President of the Graduate Student Association: The Executive Vice-President shall preside over the Graduate Student General Assembly but shall have no vote in that body except in cases of a tie. The Executive Vice-President shall coordinate all academic and social activities and programs. The Vice-President may serve more than one term of office. 

Section 3 - The Vice President of Communications of the Graduate Student Association: The Vice President of Communications will keep and publish (by forwarding to the webmaster) the minutes of each meeting of the Graduate Student Association. The Vice President of Communications of the Association shall be a voting member of the Graduate Student Assembly. 
The Vice President of Communications will keep and maintain the records of the Graduate Student Association, to be stored in the Graduate School under the supervision of the President. 
The Vice President of Communications will keep a file of all documentation necessary for the operation of the Graduate Student Senate, to be stored in the Graduate School under the supervision of the President. 
The Vice President of Communications may serve more than one term of office. 

Section 4 - The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards of the Graduate Student Association: The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards shall manage and be accountable for Graduate Student Association funds. 
The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards of the Association shall be a voting member of the Graduate Student Assembly. 
The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards will be a permanent member of the Graduate Travel Committee. 
The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards shall be accountable for the financial plans of the Graduate Student Association, including any proposed fees, dues, and assessments, if they are applicable to the Graduate Student Association. 
In the event of dissolution, after all debts are satisfied, the Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards shall be responsible for ensuring that any and all remaining funds shall and have been transferred to the Graduate School. 
The Vice President of Fiscal Affairs & Awards may serve more than one term of office. 

Section 5 - The Vice President of Student Innovation of the Graduate Student Association: The Vice President of Student Innovation will maintain proper parliamentary procedures as defined by "Roberts Rules of Order-New Revised." 
The Vice President of Student Innovation of the Association shall be a voting member of the Graduate Student Assembly. 
The Vice President of Student Innovation is the court of last resort in parliamentarian disputes in the Graduate General Assembly. 
The Vice President of Student Innovation may serve more than one term of office. 

Section 6 - Vice President of Student Engagement of the Graduate Student Association: The Vice President of Student Engagement will promote all events hosted by the Graduate Student Association. 

The Vice President of Student Engagement of the Association shall act as the social media coordinator for all GSA meetings, committees, and events. 
The Vice President of Student Engagement of the Association shall maintain correspondence with the Coordinator of Graduate Publications and Recruitment to promote events. 
The Vice President of Student Innovation assists other GSA executive members as needed for sourcing committee speakers. 
The Vice President of Student Innovation confirms speaking engagement and satisfies all other necessary prerequisites with the speaker(s) prior to each event. 
The Vice President of Student Innovation may serve more than one term of office. 

Section 7 - The Executive Cabinet:

The President of the Graduate Student Association, the Vice- President of the Graduate Student Association, the Secretary of the Graduate Student Association, the Treasurer of the Graduate Student Association, and the Parliamentarian of the Graduate Student Association shall make up the Graduate Student Association Executive Cabinet. 
The Chairs of the Executive Committees shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Cabinet. 
In the absence of an executive position, the Executive Cabinet may appoint a member of GSA to fulfill the position. 
Special meetings of the Executive Cabinet will be called by the President of the Graduate Student Association as needed or at the request of the Executive Cabinet. 
Upon a week’s notice, emergency meetings of the Executive Cabinet may be called by the President (or, in the absence thereof, by the Executive Vice President). Decisions made at emergency meetings must be ratified at the next general assembly that meets the voting quorum. 

Section 8 - Executive Committees:

The Graduate Student Association Committee composition shall not be restricted to the elected members of the Graduate Student General Assembly but may include appointed individuals from the Graduate Student Body as defined under Article I. 
The Graduate Travel Committee will be chaired by the SGA Finance Chairman under the special conditions laid out by the Senate Bill 51, approved, and signed by the SGA and the GSA in the 2005/2006 academic year. The President of the GSA is mandated to be a member of the Committee along with two other appointed members of the GSA. One additional SGA member is allowed to sit on the Committee. 
The Graduate Student Orientation Committee shall be chaired by the President of the Graduate Student Association. 
The Graduate Research Forum Committee shall be chaired by the President of the Graduate Student Association. 
Other committees shall be formed and dissolved as needed by the President of the Graduate Student Association. 
The President of the Graduate Student Association or his/her appointed representative shall be ex-officio members of all executive committees. 

Section 9 - Elections:

The Executive Cabinet, excluding the President, will be (if possible) elected by the entire Graduate Student Body at the first Graduate Student Association meeting of the academic year, to take office immediately, and shall serve for two academic years before reelection. For whatever reason if election is not possible, then the Graduate Student Assembly may hold elections within that body to fill such positions/offices as are vacant. Should any office or position of the Graduate Student General Assembly, a special election will be held to fill the vacancy. Such election shall be called by the President of the Graduate Student Association or the Executive Vice President acting in that capacity. Such elections will be overseen by the appropriate officials of the departments/schools or colleges/schools as needed. Any members of the Executive Cabinet who assumed position via special election will be subject to reelection at the beginning of the next academic year. If elections are not held in a timely manner, the Student Representatives shall have the appointment of the Graduate Advisor/Director of the respective department/school or college/school. The elected member shall be enrolled as a Graduate Student as defined under Article I, Section 1, and be in good standing. 

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENT PROCESS

Section 1: Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by a one-third vote of the Graduate Student General Assembly.
Amendments to this Constitution may be initiated by a petition signed by fifty (50) Graduate Students and presented to either one of the two bodies of the Graduate Student Association: the Graduate Student Association Executive Cabinet or the Graduate Student General Assembly.

Section 2: Amendments to this Constitution must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the Graduate Student Assembly or Executive Cabinet.

Section 3: The right to amend this Constitution by administrative action is retained by the Graduate School of the University of Memphis and is vested in the Dean of the Graduate School.

ABOUT THE GSA

The University of Memphis Graduate Student Association:

  • Provides opportunity for discussion and recommendations on matters of concern to graduate students
  • Represents the interests of all graduate students campus-wide
  • Is the official liaison for graduate students to communicate as a group with University and Graduate School administrators
  • Advocates for support of graduate student research and teaching experience

Who are the members of the Graduate Student Association?
All enrolled graduate students are automatically members of the GSA, are encouraged to participate in GSA discussions and activities, and may serve on GSA committees and working groups.

How is the Graduate Student Leadership Council Chosen?
Every fall, and as needed throughout the academic year, a student from each department is elected or chosen to represent that department as a voting member of the GSA Assembly. If you are interested in serving as a representative please contact the GSA President