These By Laws detail the operating procedures of the GSC. Changes to the by laws are proposed and voted upon at GSC meetings and must pass by a 2/3 majority, as outlined by the constitution.
The text below became the active by-laws of the GSC on May 4th, 2005.
Article I. Representatives
Section 1: Departmental representatives shall act on behalf of the interests of the graduate students within their respective departments as well as on behalf of the general graduate student population.
Section 2: Departmental representatives shall be responsible for notifying the graduate students in their respective departments of all information disseminated from the GSC either at GSC meetings or by the GSC Board.
Section 3: Departmental representatives shall be expected to attend all meetings of the GSC, and they shall sign in at meetings to indicate their attendance.
Section 4: If a representative is unable to attend a GSC meeting, he or she shall appoint a proxy from the graduate students in his or her department.
Section 5: At the December GSC meeting, departmental representatives shall be notified of any changes to representation, which would result from a change in the number of graduate students enrolled in that department. Any such changes shall become effective at the February meeting.
Section 6: If a department fails to select a representative, any graduate student from that department who expresses a desire for the position to the GSC Secretary at a GSC meeting shall be recognized as a representative of that department and voting member. If more than one student in attendance desires the same position, the GSC shall recognize the departmental representative by a majority vote of the voting members present.
Article II. Meetings
Section 1: The GSC shall meet the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm in the Graduate Student Lounge. Meetings shall take place in September, October, November, December, February, March, April, and May.
Section 2: The GSC shall meet during the summer on an ad hoc basis.
Section 3: In case of an emergency, representatives shall be notified of any changes to the time or place of monthly meetings at least 24 hours in advance.
Section 4: The order of business at each meeting shall be determined at the discretion of the GSC Board.
Section 5: The agenda for each meeting shall be distributed to representatives at least 5 days prior to the upcoming meeting.
Section 6: Whether a quorum is met shall be determined by counting the number of departments whose representatives have signed in. A GSC meeting may begin before quorum is met, though no vote shall be official until representation from 1/2 of the departments is present.
Section 7: The meetings shall run in an informal manner based loosely on Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 8: Upon request of a majority of the representatives present, the meeting shall be run in strict accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. Once approved this motion may be reversed by approval of a majority of the representatives present.
Section 9: Any decision the President makes concerning the running of the meeting may be reversed by approval of a majority of the voting members present.
Article III. The Office of the President
Section 1: The President shall have the ability to create standing committees and ad hoc committees to facilitate the functioning of the GSC.
Section 2: The President shall ensure that the GSC officers are fulfilling their duties to their best capability.
Section 3: The President shall be responsible for facilitating and maintaining communication with the University Administration, especially the Graduate School Deans, the Student Activities Office, the Faculty Executive Committee, and the Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services.
Section 4: The President shall submit a report to the Graduate School Deans at the end of each semester detailing the activities of the GSC as well as its future goals.
Section 5: The President shall serve on the Brown University Community Council and represent the graduate student community at Corporation meetings, ex officio.
Section 6: The President shall present the Wilson-DeBlois Award certificate at the Graduation ceremony in May.
Article IV. The Office of Vice President of Administration
Section 1: The Vice President of Administration shall be responsible for communicating with chairs of external committees concerning vacancies and changes in representation.
Section 2: The Vice President of Administration shall be responsible for maintaining a list of all external committees on which there is graduate student representation as well as the names of the graduate representatives.
Section 3: The Vice President of Administration shall notify the departmental representatives of any vacancies on external committees and seek nominations to fill those positions as described in Article VII of the Constitution and Article XVIII of these By Laws.
Section 4: The Vice President of Administration shall oversee the process of graduate student group recognition as detailed in Article XX of these By Laws.
Section 5: The Vice President of Administration shall oversee the selection of the Wilson-DeBlois Award recipient(s) and the Graduate Speaker.
Section 6: The Vice President of Administration shall coordinate and organize the Graduate Student Orientation for incoming graduate students.
Article V. The Office of Vice President of Social Events
Section 1: The Vice President of Social Events shall be responsible for coordinating and confirming the location, support, food, and beverages for all social events with necessary offices, such as Facilities Management, the Student Activities Office, Dining Services, Graduate Center Bar, and outside vendors.
Section 2: The Vice President of Social Events shall disseminate a schedule of the semester’s socials and special events by the first GSC meeting of each semester.
Section 3: The Vice President of Social Events shall maintain a calendar of events held in the Lounge and manage requests for events to he held in the Lounge.
Section 4: The Vice President of Social Events shall provide a schedule of summer events by the May GSC meeting.
Section 5: The Vice President of Social Events shall facilitate the advertising of GSC socials and special events through flyers and/or electronic media.
Section 6: The Vice President of Social Events shall spearhead at least one community service project each semester.
Article VI. The Office of Treasurer
Section 1: The Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing the assets of the GSC, including but not limited to the Graduate Student Lounge and all items therein, the GSC’s mailbox, and the GSC’s office in Faunce House.
Section 2: The Treasurer shall oversee funding and grant requests and disseminate all relevant information to the representatives at least 5 days before the GSC meeting at which such motions will be heard.
Section 3: The Treasurer shall submit all Check Requests and Interdepartmental Invoices pertaining to approved event funding, grants, or departmental rebates.
Section 4: The Treasurer shall be responsible for submitting Internal Purchase Requests for expenses relating to GSC meetings and social events.
Section 5: The Treasurer shall maintain records of proposed and executed budgets, funding and grant requests made and approved, and requests for departmental rebates made and approved.
Article VII. The Office of Secretary
Section 1: The Secretary shall be responsible for creating and disseminating the agenda for upcoming GSC meetings in accordance with Article II, Sections 4 and 5 of these By Laws.
Section 2: The Secretary shall keep a record of attendance at GSC meetings and notifying the President when quorum is met.
Section 3: The Secretary shall keep a list of representatives absent at each meeting and shall notify them of relevant information.
Section 4: The Secretary shall include in the minutes a list of representatives present, motions voted upon, and a record of the margin of votes.
Section 5: Within a week after each GSC meeting, the Secretary shall disseminate the minutes of that meeting to the representatives and the graduate community at large.
Section 6: The Secretary shall be responsible for contacting departments who have no representation on the GSC and encouraging their participation.
Article VIII. The Office of Technology Officers
Section 1: The Technology Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that the website contains the GSC Constitution and By Laws, a record of the minutes of GSC meetings, a current list of departmental representatives, a current list of graduate student representation on external committees, and a calendar of GSC events.
Section 2: The Technology Officer shall be responsible for updating the GSC website on at least a weekly basis and ensuring its proper functioning.
Section 3: The Technology Officer shall be responsible for maintaining listserves internal to GSC, specifically those for the officers and for the representatives.
Section 4: The Technology Officer shall be responsible for maintaining the listserves of the graduate student community external to GSC and overseeing all issues related to subscription and unsubscription of members.
Section 5: The Technology Officer shall manage the moderated listserves often enough to enable a lively discussion.
Article IX. The Office of Chancellor
Section 1: The Chancellor shall be responsible for facilitating the transition of new officers after elections are held and ensuring that all records are transferred to the incoming GSC Board.
Section 2: The Chancellor shall keep a record of former officers of the GSC.
Section 3: The Chancellor shall be responsible for notifying the Graduate School before April 15th of the names of former GSC officers who are graduating so that their service may be recognized in the Commencement Bulletin.
Section 4: If the outgoing President is unable to serve as Chancellor for any reason, the incoming GSC Board shall elect a former GSC officer to serve in that capacity.
Article X. Elections
Section 1: Elections shall take place at the December meeting of the GSC.
Section 2: Nominations shall be opened at the November meeting and shall be heard until the election takes place.
Section 3: All those running for office shall be made aware of the general responsibilities of that office before accepting their nomination.
Article XI. Budget
Section 1: The budget shall include the amount of money allocated to each section and sub-section for the current fiscal year and any changes from the previous year.
Section 2: A statement shall be attached to the budget explaining the purpose and meaning of each section and sub-section, enabling the GSC representatives to understand the budget before voting.
Section 3: The budget shall be distributed to all representatives at least 1 week before the first GSC meeting of each fiscal year.
Section 4: At the first meeting, the GSC representatives may amend the amount of money allocated to each section and sub-section.
Section 5: Each section of the budget shall then be approved by a vote of the majority of the representatives present.
Article XII. Departmental Rebate
Section 1: The Departmental Rebate shall be in the amount of $5 for each graduate student currently enrolled in that department through the Graduate School.
Section 2: To receive the Departmental Rebate, a GSC representative must
a) Collect the signatures and SIS numbers of 50% + 1 of the total number of graduate students currently enrolled in their department. This official number may be obtained from the GSC Treasurer or the Graduate School.
b) Submit to the GSC Treasurer this list and the departmental account number into which the funds will be transferred.
Article XIII. Event Funding
Section 1: The maximum funding that may be requested from the GSC for any one event or activity shall be $400, or half of the total budget for the event or activity, whichever amount is less.
Section 2: The event or activity must be adequately advertised, explicitly stating that the GSC has partially or fully funded the event or activity.
Section 3: Funding requests shall be submitted to the GSC Treasurer at least 1 week prior to a GSC meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. The funding request shall include:
a) The amount of funding being petitioned for from the GSC, either the maximum amount of $400, or some lesser amount
b) The Brown University Account number to receive the funds, if available
c) A copy of the event or activity’s complete budget
d) The approximate number of graduate students expected to be in attendance
e) A list of all other sources of support, which have agreed to sponsor or have been petitioned to sponsor the event or activity.
Section 4: The individual or a representative of the organization requesting funds from the GSC must be a currently enrolled graduate student and make a brief presentation at a GSC meeting detailing their funding request.
Section 5: The GSC Treasurer shall notify the GSC representatives of all pertinent information about the funding request at least 5 days before the GSC meeting at which voting will take place.
Section 6: If the funding request is denied, the individual or organization may attempt to alter their funding request or advertising campaign and re-petition for sponsorship at a later GSC meeting. Only one additional petition shall be allowed per fiscal year.
Article XIV. Minimum Reserve
The minimum reserve of monies shall be $15,000.
Article XV. Grant Funding
Section 1: Grants may be requested for projects or equipment that will have a lasting impact on Brown University graduate student body at large.
Section 2: Grant requests shall be submitted to the GSC Treasurer at least 1 week prior to a GSC meeting to be considered at that meeting. The grant request shall include:
a) The amount of funds being petitioned for from the GSC
b) A proposal describing the lasting impact of the project or equipment
c) A complete budget
d) The Brown University Account number to receive the funds, if available.
Section 3: The individual or a representative of the organization requesting a grant from the GSC must be a currently enrolled graduate student and make a brief presentation at a meeting of the GSC regarding their grant request.
Section 4: Voting on a grant request shall take place at the next GSC meeting following the one at which the initial proposal was heard. The individual or a representative of the organization requesting the grant shall return at that meeting to answer questions before voting takes place.
Section 5: If the grant request is denied, the individual or organization may alter their grant request and re-petition the GSC at a later meeting. Only one additional grant request or funding request shall be allowed per fiscal year.
Section 6: If any of the GSC approved funding goes unused, the GSC Treasurer must be contacted immediately to return the funds.
Section 7: Once the equipment has been purchased or the project is underway, the individual or a representative of the organization who requested the grant shall return to give a brief status report at a subsequent GSC meeting.
Article XVI. Graduate Student Lounge
Section 1: The Graduate Student Lounge, hereafter referred to as the “Lounge,” shall be maintained under the auspices of the GSC, including custodial arrangements and fire safety regulations.
Section 2: The Lounge shall be open to all graduate students in good standing as an informal gathering space, unless it is otherwise reserved.
Section 3: All those utilizing the Lounge shall be responsible for ensuring the security of Lounge property and ensuring its cleanliness.
Section 4: For any gathering taking place in the Lounge, a majority of those participating must be Brown graduate students.
Section 5: All those in violation of the responsibilities stated in Section 3 of this Article may be charged for the cost of property damaged or for cleaning fees in an amount up to $200. In addition, their access to the Lounge may be revoked.
Section 6: The Lounge may be reserved for group gatherings, such as social events, dance classes, private gatherings, and small theatrical productions, based on the approval of the Vice President for Social Events.
Section 7: Priority for reserving the Lounge shall be given to GSC sponsored events. For all other events, reservations shall be made on a first come first served basis.
Article XVII. Internal Committees
Section 1: Any standing committee or ad hoc committee of the GSC, henceforth referred to as an “internal committee,” shall meet at the discretion of the members of that committee.
Section 2: Any internal committee may be disbanded by majority vote of the members of the committee or at the discretion of the President.
Article XVIII. External Committees
Section 1: In the event of a vacancy on an external committee, the Vice President of Administration shall send a call for a representative within one week from the notice of the vacancies or within five days before the following GSC general meeting, which ever is sooner.
Section 2: Once a representative has been chosen, the Vice President of Administration shall inform the contact person of the committee and the graduate community as soon as possible.
Section 3: When an external committee carries out activity that impacts the graduate student community, the representative(s) of the committee shall report such activity at the next GSC meeting in writing or orally.
Section 4: If there is any complaint about an external committee representative, the Vice President of Administration shall present such complaints anonymously in the GSC general meeting and make a motion of no confidence.
Section 5: If a motion of no confidence for an external committee representative is passed as outlined in Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution, and the representative is duly removed from office, an election shall be held at the same GSC meeting to fill the vacant position.
Article XIX. Social Events
Section 1: The GSC shall host regular social events whose time, date, location, and food and beverage selection shall be determined by the Vice President of Social Events in accordance with the annual budget.
Section 2: The GSC shall host at least one special event each semester. The Vice President of Social Events shall determine the location as well as food and beverage selection for the events.
Section 3: All officers of the GSC shall be certified as social event managers by the Student Activities Office before the first social event of the year.
Section 4: For GSC events held on campus, the GSC shall uphold the University’s guidelines for social events.
Article XX. Graduate Student Groups
Section 1: The GSC shall have the power to recognize official graduate student groups by approval of a majority of representatives present at a GSC meeting.
Section 2: A graduate student group shall meet the following criteria:
a) That it has at least 10 members
b) That a majority of its membership be graduate students, faculty, or staff at Brown University
c) That it has at least one officer who is a graduate student
d) That it does not duplicate the stated purpose of an existing graduate student group.
e) That it should seek recognition from both Graduate Student Council and Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life if the graduate student group concerns mainly religious activities.
Section 3: Any group meeting the above criteria in Section 2 and seeking recognition by the GSC shall submit an application for recognition to the GSC Vice President of Administration at least 1 week prior to a GSC meeting. The recognition application shall include:
a) The name of the group
b) The purpose of the group
c) The proposed activities of the group
d) A list of members, including the SIS numbers for the graduate students
e) A list of officers
f) A list of at least 2 contact names.
Section 4: The GSC Vice President for Administration shall notify the GSC representatives of all pertinent information about the recognition application at least 5 days before the GSC meeting at which voting will take place.
Section 5: A graduate student representative of the group seeking recognition, preferably an officer, shall make a brief presentation applying for GSC group recognition at the GSC meeting, after which the vote shall take place.
Section 6: Groups recognized by the GSC shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of an official student group of Brown University, including:
a) Access to University mail services and material distribution
b) Ability to reserve rooms and promotional space on campus
c) Ability to petition the Student Activities Advisory Board for office or storage space
d) A financial account through the Student Activities Office
e) Ability to create University e-mail accounts, websites, and listserves for their organization
f) Ability to participate in activity fairs.
Section 7: Groups recognized by the GSC shall adhere to the responsibilities of an official student group of Brown University, specifically:
a) That they must exist within the confines of University policy and that their activities must be consistent with such policy
b) That they must maintain a current list of leadership and contact information with the GSC and the Student Activities Office.
Section 8: Each officially recognized graduate student group must renew its recognition each year by the December meeting of the GSC by submitting a current membership and officer list to the GSC Vice President for Administration. Group recognition shall be renewed if the group continues to meet the criteria set out in Section 2 of this Article.
Section 9: A graduate student group’s recognition shall be rescinded for any of the following reasons:
a) If it is unable to maintain the criteria for application stated in Section 2.
b) If it does not renew its recognition as prescribed in Section 8.
c) If the GSC Vice President for Administration cannot contact any of the group’s contact names by the December meeting.
d) If a majority of the representatives present at a GSC meeting vote to rescind their recognition.
Section 10: Graduate student groups that are unable to fulfill the requirements to renew their recognition because a majority of their members are undergraduates may petition the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) for recognition in accordance with procedures determined by the UCS.
Article XXI. Awards and Honors
Section 1: The GSC shall be entitled to present the Wilson-DeBlois Award to an individual or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the graduate student community throughout the academic year.
Section 2: The GSC shall be entitled to select the Graduate Speaker from among those students who are graduating in that term with Masters or Doctorate degrees from Brown University.
Section 3: Nominations for both honors shall be opened during the February GSC meeting and shall be valid in written or oral form upon receiving a second.
Section 4: Nominees for Graduate Speaker shall present an excerpt of their full speech at the April meeting before the vote is taken, unless another selection process is specified.
Section 5: Voting for both honors shall take place at the April GSC meeting, and the winner shall be decided upon approval by a plurality of representatives present at that meeting.
Section 6: After the selection processes are complete, the Vice President of Administration shall be responsible for notifying the awardees, the administration, and the community within one week.
Article XXII. Outside Affiliations
Section 1: The GSC shall maintain membership in the National Association of Professional and Graduate Students (NAPGS) at the membership level approved in the annual budget.
Section 2: The GSC shall pay for all graduate students to be members of the Graduate Center Bar (GCB).
Article XXIII. Suspension of These By Laws
A section or article of these By Laws may be suspended at a meeting of the GSC by approval of a majority of the representatives present.
Article XXIII. Amendments
Section 1: A written record of any amendments to the Constitution or these By Laws shall be kept by the Secretary.
Section 2: Any amendments made to the Constitution or these By Laws shall be formally added and disseminated to the representatives and the graduate community at large by the end of the semester in which they are passed.