Act 0405-SP-18
An Act Amending the Bylaws
Sponsor: The Executive Committee
Section 1. The purpose of this act is to make various amendments to the CGS Bylaws to respond to recent procedural changes.
Section 2. Paragraph I.4.D shall be amended to remove the possibility of pro-tem delegate status; in the years this procedure has been available, it has yielded no temporary delegates. In many cases, the programs that have difficulty recruited CGS delegates are also those in which no students serve on the graduate studies committee. The idea of having two levels of delegacy is also problematic.
Section I.4: Delegate Selection
I.4.D. Interim Selection: In the event that a delegate is not identified to the Council by any of the previous methods by the fifteenth day of the autumn quarter, the graduate student representative to the program's graduate studies committee will serve as delegate pro-tem until such time as a permanent delegate is selected for their unit of representation
Section 3. Paragraph I.9 shall be amended to clarify the process for naming an alternate. Alternates no longer need to be approved by CGS, but must be in possession of the delegate's voting credentials in order to exercise voting rights.
Section I.9: Alternates - When delegates are
unable to attend a meeting of the council, they shall notify their
alternate and provide that individual with their voting
credentials in advance of the meeting . An alternate may also fill
a vacancy in the event of a delegate's resignation until a new
delegate can be selected. Alternates can be selected in any of the
methods mentioned in section 3 above, or designated by the delegate.
The alternate must be certified by CGS. An alternate so
designated and certified will then have the same general powers
and privileges in the council as the delegate replaced.
Section 4. Paragraph III.2 shall be amended to clarify two aspects of serving as a representative to either the University Senate or the Research and Graduate Council: first, that any such person represents graduate students as a whole (and not solely their college or program); and second, that all actions of these individuals should be taken in concert with the Council's official goals and positions (as expressed through approved resolutions).
Section III.2: Duties - These Representatives will regularly attend the meetings of their respective organizations, will report to CGS as necessary or as directed, and will consult with the President and the Council to develop and promote graduate student positions on the issues or proposals considered by those bodies. All Representatives, regardless of their program of origin, represent the entire graduate student body and shall at all times work to advance the Council's official goals and positions.Their term of office will extend one year beginning with autumn quarter.
Section 5. Paragraphs III.7.A and B shall be amended to clarify the process for removal of a representative to the University Senate and/or the Research and Graduate Council. The process is now described in chronological order, and the scope of such removal is now expressly limited to the official duties of such a representative.
Section III.7: Removal
III.7.A. Preliminary Hearing - If a
Representative or Alternate does not fulfill required duties in a
responsible manner, the Organization and Elections Committee, acting
either on its own initiative or upon request by relevant
parties, may recommend removal. Such a recommendation shall be
preceded by a hearing that considers chronic absence, failure to make
required reports to the Council, and other matters considered
relevant. The Council's vote on the Organization and Elections
Committee's recommendation is final. may hold a hearing to
evaluate the Representative's performance. This hearing shall be
solely concerned with the representative's performance with respect to
the duties listed in section III.2.
III.7.B. Decision - Following this hearing, the Organizations and Elections committee shall make a recommendation of either removal or non-removal to the Council. The Council's vote to accept or reject this recommendation shall be final.
Section 5. Paragraph V.1.B.i shall be amended to allow a Parliamentarian named by the President (in accordance with Section IX.3 of the CGS Constitution) to sit as a voting member of the Executive Committee.
Section V.1: The Executive Committee
V.1.B. Membership - The membership of the Executive Committee shall be determined as follows:
V.1.B.i. All four executive officers, standing
and ad hoc committee chairpersons, past presidents, and
past vice presidents, and the parliamentarian, if one has
been named, shall be ex-officio voting members.
Section 6. Paragraph VI.2 shall be amended to create identical procedures for Council expenditures regardless of the type of account being used.
Section VI.2: Expenditures
VI.2.A. Authority - Only the President and
Treasurer may make financial commitments on behalf of the council,
including purchases, travel, repair service, and related business
affairs. Expenditures from the checking and banking accounts may
only be performed by the Treasurer and require the signatures
of both the Treasurer and Advisor. Expenditures from the CGS
business account may only be performed by the president; any such
expenditure involving a 100W form require the President's
signature.
Section 7. Paragraph VII.3 shall be amended to give the chair of a meeting the ability to allow members to perform certain functions (such as making motions and participating in debate) without appearing at a microphone or the front of the room).
Section VII.3: Debating Legislation - According to Article IX, Section 1 of the Council’s Constitution, Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised govern all meetings of the Council except where conflicting with the Council’s Constitution or Bylaws. When microphone or seat is written, this indicates the location where the speaker must be located when addressing the meeting chair and/or Council. In a room without a physical microphone, microphone shall indicate the front of the auditorium. At the discretion of the chair, members may be allowed to perform microphone functions from their seats.
Section 8. Paragraph VII.3.A shall be amended to clarify that the President should be informed of upcoming legislative proposals rather than the Secretary, as it is the President who initially drafts the Council agenda.
VII.3.A. Proposing Legislation - Legislation may
be brought before the Council by the Executive Committee, any
standing or ad-hoc committee of the Council, or by any voting
member of the Council. In order for legislation to appear on the
Council's agenda, the author must inform the President that
legislation will be brought forward two weeks prior to a Council
meeting. The legislation must be submitted in proper format (see
guidelines) to the Secretary President one week prior
to the Council meeting. Legislation not presented to the Council in
proper format in time to make it in the meeting packet will be
removed from the agenda.
Section 9. These changes shall take effect immediately upon approval at a regular meeting of the Council of Graduate Students.
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