Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A)
The name of the
organization shall be the "Graduate Student Senate" of Kent state university,
and for the purpose of this rule will be referred to as the
GSS.
(B)
University sanction. The GSS shall operate in
compliance with all university regulations and will observe the policies set
forth in paragraph (G)(5) of rule
3342-2-01 of the Administrative
Code.
(C)
Purpose.
(1)
The GSS shall:
(a)
Operate in
compliance with its charter and bylaws;
(b)
Allocate the
funds it receives from the university in compliance with university funding
policies and the funding policies of the GSS as set forth in this
document;
(c)
Provide a channel for communication among graduate
students, the university, and the local, state, and national
communities;
(d)
Serve graduate students and represent their interests
in the university and the local, state, and national
communities;
(e)
Promote understanding and intellectual stimulation
among graduate students, Kent state university, and the community at
large;
(f)
Facilitate collaboration with other representative
student groups;
(g)
Advise Kent state university administration, the
graduate schools and graduate policy councils on matters of graduate student
concern.
(2)
The GSS shall endeavor at all times to:
(a)
Advocate for
graduate students in academic and extracurricular matters;
(b)
Promote the
quality in graduate education; and
(c)
Secure the rights
and privileges of graduate students as members of Kent state university and the
community at large.
(D)
Membership.
Members of the GSS shall be graduate students, selected/elected by graduate
students (on a departmental basis).
(1)
The number of representatives to the GSS from each
academic department, school, or college will be determined yearly on the basis
of the enrollment and guidelines to be set in GSS bylaws.
(2)
Each graduate
college/school within the Kent state university shall provide a process for the
election of voting representatives and alternates.
(3)
Each
representative and alternate will be elected by a majority of those students
from the academic unit, department, program, or a group of selected programs as
determined in advance.
(4)
Election of representatives and alternates shall take
place annually.
(5)
Representatives or alternates serve for one twelve
month period and may be reelected.
(6)
Recall of a
representative shall be the responsibility of the students from the academic
unit, department, program, or group of programs that elected the
representative.
(7)
When the representative is absent from a meeting, the
alternate assumes the vacant position until the representative
returns.
(8)
A representative who has two consecutive absences from
the GSS meetings can be removed from the GSS, unless an alternate is present in
the representative's place. The executive shall govern the removal of a
representative and determine whether the absences were excusable. All GSS
vacancies arising from absences shall be filled by the affected academic unit,
department, program, or group of programs within three weeks of notification of
the removal.
(9)
Should a representative resign, the alternate shall
immediately become the representative and an alternate shall be elected from
the academic unit, department, program, or group of programs to complete the
remainder of the term.
(10)
The duly designated and alternate representative of any
graduate student organization shall be entitled to all privileges of the floor
at the meetings of the GSS. The alternate shall be eligible to vote only in the
absence of the designated representative.
(E)
Officers. The
executive vice-chair, information services chair, finance chair, colloquium
chair and executive chair of the GSS shall be elected at the second to the last
regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester of each year. In order to
promote continuity, a smooth transition and understanding of functions, the
previous committee chair will become the executive chair and the previous
executive chair will become the colloquium chair. An elected officer shall
officially assume his or her duties at the last scheduled GSS meeting of the
spring semester. Vacancies shall be filled at this meeting.
(1)
The executive
committee of the GSS shall consist of the executive chair, colloquium chair,
executive vice-chair, finance chair, information services chair and any and all
ex-officio members.
(a)
The executive committee shall conduct business of the
GSS between meetings and prepare the agenda for these general
meetings.
(b)
All decisions affecting funding shall originate in the
executive committee. Any action taken by the executive committee shall be
subject to appeal and possible revision by the full membership of GSS. Appeal
procedures shall fall under new business at the next regular general meeting of
the GSS.
(c)
Should an elected office become vacant, the executive
committee may appoint on interim until a special election can be held to choose
a person to complete the term of office. The special election shall take place
on or before the second regularly scheduled meeting of the GSS after the office
is vacated.
(d)
The executive committee shall report on all actions
taken by the executive committee at the GSS general meeting. In all matters,
the GSS as a whole retains the right to approve, overrule, or amend any
decision of the executive committee by a quorum majority.
(e)
Former members of
the executive committee shall be entitled to sit as "ex officio" and nonvoting
members of the executive committee as long as they shall maintain the status of
graduate students at Kent state university.
(2)
The executive
chair of the GSS shall preside at all meetings of the GSS.
(a)
The executive
chair shall be the official spokesperson and representative of GSS to the
administration of Kent state university.
(b)
When acting for
or representing the GSS in any official capacity, the executive chair and all
the other officers of the GSS shall consider themselves bound by all decisions
of the GSS and the executive committee.
(c)
The executive
chair shall act as the official delegate to any state, regional or national
convention involving graduate students.
(d)
The executive
chair shall schedule and preside over all meetings of the executive
committee.
(3)
The executive vice-chair of GSS shall assume all of the
duties of the executive chair in the absence of the executive chair.
(a)
Should the
position of executive chair become permanently vacant for any reason, the
executive vice-chair shall become the executive chair in name and fact, and a
new executive vice-chair shall be elected from GSS.
(b)
The executive
vice-chair shall be responsible for filling all Kent state university-wide
committee appointments made by GSS.
(c)
The executive
vice-chair shall act as the official liaison of the GSS with the faculty
senate.
(4)
The finance chair shall be responsible for the
execution of the financial obligations of the GSS, in accordance with Kent
state university policies and procedures.
(a)
The finance chair
shall be authorized to disperse funds for executive committee officers' claims
for reimbursement from the treasury, not to exceed a limit as established by
the GSS without formal executive committee approval.
(b)
The finance chair
shall be authorized to disperse funds in accordance with the GSS travel policy
without formal executive committee approval.
(c)
The finance chair
shall submit financial reports at every general meeting.
(d)
All requests for
funds from the treasury shall be submitted, in writing, through a
representative to the finance chair.
(e)
The finance chair
shall be responsible for processing all claims against the
treasury.
(5)
The information services chair shall be responsible for
recording and distributing minutes and other records of the GSS.
(a)
Whenever
possible, the information services chair shall be assisted by an administrative
assistant. In such cases the information services chair shall have the duty of
approving, by signature, the preparation of minutes, records, and
correspondence.
(b)
The information services chair shall be responsible for
the maintenance of membership lists, and shall bring vacancies and absences to
the attention of the executive committee.
(c)
The information
services chair shall provide copies of all records, excluding those which
require confidentiality from higher authority, without approval of the entire
executive committee, to any member of GSS upon written request.
(6)
The
colloquium chair shall serve on the executive committee and in an advisory
capacity to the executive committee and to GSS. The colloquium chair shall
perform specific duties as designated by the executive chair and the executive
committee.
(a)
The colloquium chair shall be responsible for the
coordination and organization of special GSS events as designated by the
executive chair and the executive committee.
(b)
The colloquium
chair shall serve on special committees and act as public relations officer for
GSS.
(7)
The GSS retains all powers not delegated in this
document, and may assign other duties as it chooses.
(8)
GSS election of
officers shall be by quorum majority.
(F)
Committees. The
GSS shall create, staff, and disband such committees as it wishes to conduct
its business.
(1)
Appointments to standing council, Kent state
university, and college committees shall be made by the executive
vice-chair.
(2)
Appointees to such committees may include graduate
students other than members of the GSS.
(3)
The graduate
student representatives to Kent state university committees shall submit a
summary report to the GSS.
(G)
Impeachment. The
impeachment of an officer shall be by quorum majority of the GSS.
(1)
The accuser must
present a petition for the impeachment of an officer to the provost or her/his
designee. The petition must contain the signatures of a majority of the GSS
representatives, excluding alternates or one-third of the graduate student body
as determined by the registrar's office.
(2)
A special meeting
of the GSS shall be called by the provost or her/his designee for this specific
purpose.
(3)
The accused officer must be notified, in writing, at
least seven days prior to the date of the special meeting.
(4)
The provost or
her/his designee shall designate a representative to preside at the meeting and
a full transcript shall be made.
(5)
Both the accused
and the accuser shall have the right to counsel and to present evidence and
testimony at the special meeting.
(6)
The meeting shall
be closed to all persons except the above.
(7)
All voting shall
be by secret ballot. The count shall be made by the person presiding, verified
by the accused, and the ballots shall be sealed with the transcript to be held
with the official records of GSS.
(8)
The verdict shall
be mailed to all members of the GSS and the accused officer by the provost or
his/her designee within one week of the special meeting.
(H)
Voting.
(1)
A quorum must be present to conduct business. A quorum
shall consist of at least ten elected representatives to the GSS or their
alternates.
(2)
Unless otherwise noted, a quorum majority shall be
required for approval of any GSS action. A quorum majority shall mean more than
one-half of the number of representatives present at the
meeting.
(3)
All GSS members (representatives and executive
committee members) with the exception of the executive chair have voting
privileges. The executive chair shall exercise the privilege to settle the
issue of a tie vote.
(I)
Amendments.
(1)
To propose an
amendment to this document, a GSS representative (or alternate! shall read and
present a written copy of the amendment at a general meeting of the GSS. A copy
of the proposed amendment shall be sent to all GSS representatives (or
alternates) within two weeks of the meeting for their review.
(2)
The amendment
proposal shall be placed on the agenda of the next general GSS meeting
following its introduction. A two-thirds majority vote will be required to
bring the amendment to the floor for discussion.
(3)
Amendments shall
be adopted by a two-thirds quorum majority of the GSS and shall take effect
upon adoption and ratification by the Kent state university president and the
board of trustees and fulfillment of the requirements of
Section
111.15 of the Revised
Code."
(J)
Ratification. Ratification of this document shall be by
quorum majority of the GSS. the president of Kent state university, and the
board of trustees.
(1)
Upon ratification, this document, or a revised version
thereof, shall supersede all previous governing documents and practices of the
GSS of Kent state university.
(2)
Upon ratification
of this document, or a revised version thereof, all persons holding office in
the GSS shall continue as officers of the GSS until the end of their terms or
their resignations.
(K)
Bylaws. Bylaws
may be established as long as they operate in compliance with this
charter.
Replaces: 3342-2-09