Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Organization (A&S - GSO) of the University of Pittsburgh.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to represent the interests of the graduate students of the Arts & Sciences of the University of Pittsburgh.
Article III: Membership
All full-time and part-time graduate students enrolled in the departments of the Arts & Sciences of the University of Pittsburgh are considered to be members.
Article IV: Council
Section 1.
The Council is the legislative body of the A&S - GSO. All sovereign power of the A&S graduate students shall reside in the Council. It shall have the sole power to authorize expenditures of funds in the treasury. It shall have the power to enter into contracts with other organizations within and outside the University of Pittsburgh.
Section 2.
The Council shall be composed of one delegate from each department of A&S. Each delegate shall be elected by the members of her/his department.
Section 3.
The Council shall meet at least once every month, excluding August and December. The presiding officer shall conduct each meeting in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
Section 4.
A quorum shall consist of at least ten (10) delegates.
Section 5.
The Council shall elect the officers of A&S - GSO and the representatives of A&S - GSO to various A&S and University committees. The Council shall make appointments to various committees when and where this is appropriate. These officers, representatives, and appointees shall be responsible to and accountable to the Council.
Article V: Officers
Section 1.
The following officers shall be elected annually by the Council:
- President
- Vice-President
Section 2.
- Nominations for officers shall be opened during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Council held during the month of March. If no regularly scheduled meeting is held during March, a special meeting should be convened for this purpose. Nominations shall remain open for a period of no less than two weeks after the March meeting and should be closed no less than one week before the election of officers. The exact date for the closing of nominations shall be determined by the current officers and announced at the March meeting.
- Any graduate student in A&S may nominate a candidate. A nomination shall require a nominator and a second to be valid.
- Nominations may be made orally at the March Council meeting. After the adjournment of this meeting, all further nominations are to be submitted in writing to the Administrative Assistant and must be signed by the nominator and second. A valid nomination shall be entered onto the ballot once the candidate’s assent has been obtained.
Section 3.
Elections shall occur at the April meeting. If no regular meeting is scheduled for April, a special meeting shall be convened for this purpose. Eligible voters are the members of the Council.
Section 4.
Any graduate student in A&S is eligible to run and to serve as an officer.
Section 5.
Officers shall serve for a period of one year. Term of office shall commence on 1 May.
Section 6.
Vacancies in any office shall be filled by the Council.
Article VI: Duties of Officers
Section 1.
The President shall administer the affairs of the organization in line with its general policies and procedures. She/he shall preside at all meetings of the Council. She/he shall be ex-officio member of all committees created by the Council, except a nominating committee. She/he shall chair the committee of the Council that will make the final recommendation on the hiring of the Administrative Assistant.
Section 2.
The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in the absence of that officer.
Section 3.
The Administrative Assistant (an unelected official) shall act as Treasurer, and, as such, she/he shall pay all bills incurred by the A&S - GSO with the approval of the President. She/he shall pay bills from officers and departmental representatives according to A&S - GSO guidelines. She/he shall keep records of all financial transactions and give a statement of finance to the Council as often as required. The Administrative Assistant shall issue all notices, shall send and answer correspondence at the direction of the President and the Council. She/he shall record the roll and minutes of the Council meetings. She/he shall keep the records of the organization. She/he shall perform any and all other duties as directed by the President and/or Council in accordance with the position's description.
Article VII: Representatives
Section 1.
The Organization has representatives to the following:
- Two (2) to the Arts & Sciences Council.
- Five to the A&S Graduate Council (one of whom shall serve on the A&S Budget and Policies Advisory Committee).
- Three to the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
- One to the University Senate Council.
- And to any other A&S or University committees as appropriate.
Section 2.
It is the responsibility of the A&S Council members to provide representatives to the university bodies listed above. Representatives shall be elected at the September meeting.
Section 3.
Any graduate student in A&S is eligible to serve as a representative.
Section 4.
Representatives shall assume their duties at the first scheduled meeting of the Council or the committee or council to which they are a representative, whichever occurs first, immediately following the elections.
Section 5.
Vacancies shall be filled by the Council.
Article VIII: Duties of Representatives
Section 1.
Representatives should attend regularly scheduled meetings of their committees.
Section 2.
At least one representative to a A&S or University committee or council shall report to each regularly scheduled meeting of the Council the issues discussed at their meeting, the votes of all representatives on all motions, and the issues that will be discussed at future meetings.
Section 3.
Representatives shall request that motions having great significance for A&S graduate students be tabled so that such representatives may consult the Council before voting.
Section 4.
The Council shall remove any representative for dereliction of her/his duties and responsibilities.
Article IX: Departmental Delegates to the Council
Section 1.
Each department's duly authorized delegate to the Council shall submit the following information to the President or Administrative Assistant at the beginning of each academic year:
- Names of the officers of the department's GSO.
- Name of the person responsible for the department's account.
- Name of the department's delegate and alternates.
Section 2.
If the officers of a department's GSO or the person responsible for a department's account should change, the delegate shall forward this change to the President. Any change must be accompanied by the signatures of the formerly and newly authorized persons.
Section 3.
Any department not represented at every other meeting an academic term or that does not make use of its annual allocation shall be subject to reprimand by the Council, up to and including forfeiture of all funds.
Section 4.
At the end of each academic year, any funds exceeding $100.00 in a departmental account will be forfeited to a general graduate student fund. The Council may dispense with such funds, subject to majority vote, for activities open to all members of this organization or such activities/events/ causes that are deemed of interest to the graduate students of this University.
Article X: Finance
Section 1.
The A&S - GSO shall be supported by a fraction of the funds allocated to the Graduate and Professional Student Association from the "Activity Fee."
Section 2.
The Administrative Assistant shall present to the Council a budgetary report at the beginning of each academic year.
Article XI: Amendment
This Constitution shall be amended by a 3/4 vote of the Council when at least 50% of A&S departments are represented. Votes on amendments to this Constitution shall be by secret ballot.
Article XII: Adoption
This Constitution shall become effective immediately following a simple majority approval of A&S graduate students voting in a secret ballot.
Article XIII: Bylaws
- At the beginning of the fiscal year, each department will receive an allotment of money based on the number of students enrolled.
- If departments have plans to spend their money after June 30th, then they must submit a request for exemption from the forfeiture stipulated above with an explicit purpose for the money. Request for exemption must be submitted before the March meeting and exemptions will be voted on at the April meeting.
- As in the past, funds of inactive departments will be forfeited to the general account to at the April meeting.
- The council should dispense of the funds in the General Graduate Student Organization fund, subject to majority vote.
- Departments who have lost money through the forfeiture mechanisms outlined here may appeal to the A&S - GSO. At the discretion of the GSO, this money may be returned in part or in full to the department account.
