The name of the organization shall be the Graduate Student Association of Rice University, herein abbreviated as GSA or referred to as the association.
The GSA shall be the incorporation of the general graduate student body at Rice University.
All full-time, regularly enrolled graduate students of Rice University and only said students shall be members of the association. Members shall pay semester dues collected by the university at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters.
The device or coat of arms representing the GSA shall be a green field charged with seven conjoined white lozenges, with a white chief bearing a red book, with seven gold seals and gold edging, between two black grackles. A banner depicting this device shall be used at formal events of the association and the university.
The mascot of the association shall be the black grackle.
The official colors of the association shall be green and white.
The motto of the association shall be bonis avibus, literally "(under) good birds," referring to the association's mascot. The phrase signified favorable omens to ancient Romans and is a reflection of the association's perseverance and optimism in all seasons.
All legislative power of the association shall be vested in the Graduate Student Council. The Council shall determine association policies, shall elect executive officers of the association, shall approve social and cultural events, shall authorize the association's annual budget, shall hear graduate students' concerns and complaints, shall establish rules and ordinances for the greater good of graduate students at the university, shall issue resolutions and reports encouraging the advancement of graduate studies and the betterment of graduate student life, and shall, directly or through the President or appointees, represent the association and its members to the university administration, trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, undergraduates, or other bodies.
The Council shall consist of the executive officers, as defined in Article Six, and one elected representative from each academic department having a graduate program.
Representatives to Council shall be elected to one-year terms by the regularly enrolled, full-time graduate students in their respective departments.
Representatives shall each have one vote on all questions except those determined by proportional voting. In proportional voting, representatives shall cast votes equal to the number of full-time, regularly enrolled graduate students in their respective departments.
The President shall vote only to break a tie vote of Council. No other executive officer may vote in Council, unless such officer is serving as a departmental representative.
Other student groups' constitutions, codes, or other governmental frameworks, and the amendments of such instruments, requiring graduate student approval, shall be considered by the association in proportional voting of the Council.
All executive power of the GSA shall be vested in the President and the Executive Committee, which shall be composed of the President, Vice-President for Internal Affairs, Vice-President for External Affairs, Treasurer, and Secretary. In addition to these elected executive officers, the association's faculty advisor and the Parliamentarian shall serve ex officio as non-voting members of the Executive Committee. The elected executive officers and the Parliamentarian shall be members of the association.
Executive officers, other than the President, may serve as departmental representatives on Council.
The President shall be advised by a Cabinet, which shall be composed of the other executive officers and the chairs of the association's standing committees.
The President of the GSA shall determine agenda for Council, Executive Committee, and Cabinet meetings; shall implement and oversee the execution of all programs, ordinances, and directives established by the Graduate Student Council; shall preside at all regular and called meetings of the Graduate Student Council, the Executive Committee, and the Cabinet; shall serve ex officio on all committees of the Council and the Cabinet; and shall represent the GSA on and off campus. Furthermore, the President shall call meetings of the Council at the request of at least three representatives and may also call meetings at his or her own discretion; shall, with the advice and consent of the Council, appoint standing and ad hoc committees for the association, designate chairs for the association's standing and ad hoc committees, appoint representatives to joint committees, and name other representatives to University administration, trustees, faculty, alumni, undergraduate, and other groups; shall oversee the policies and procedures of the GSA loan fund program; shall serve as one of the graduate student representatives on the university's Graduate Council; shall submit annually to Council, with the Treasurer, for consideration and approval, a budget proposal for the association; and shall, with the co-signature of the Treasurer or other executive officer, disburse funds from the accounts of the GSA as approved by the Council.
The Vice-President for Internal Affairs shall coordinate and foster relations with the various organizations and offices of the university community; shall present nominations to the President and Council for graduate representatives to the ombudsmen selection committees for University Court and Honor Council; shall direct the efforts in determining recipients of the association's awards; shall receive, approve, and submit to Council's consideration the petitions of dependent organizations; shall keep a record of all active dependent organizations and their officers; shall oversee the association's marshals; and shall preside in the absence of the President. Furthermore, should the President resign the office, withdraw from the university, or cease to be a member of the association in good standing, the Vice-President for Internal Affairs shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the office of President.
The Vice-President for External Affairs shall oversee the planning and implementation of all Council-sponsored programs, services, and social events; shall, with the President, plan, implement, and direct public relations policies and events for the GSA and its Council; shall serve as the association's non-voting representative to the V and W Board, or shall make nominations for a representative to that board, to the President and Council; shall direct the association's congress with Valhalla; shall oversee the policies and procedures in the association's efforts to improve student life; shall coordinate and foster programs of communication and cooperation with alumni, other universities, and governmental entities locally, regionally, and nationally; and shall report external events and information to the Council.
The Treasurer shall keep all funds of the association in an accredited bank or similar institution approved by the Council and the office of the Vice-President for Student Affairs; shall disburse funds of the association , with the co-signature of the President or other executive officer, upon the authorization of the Council; shall make a current and accurate general report of the association's funds to the Council in its regular meetings; shall submit a complete and detailed report to the Council within the month before annual elections or whenever such a report may be requested by Council; shall provide a written account of the annual report to the Secretary; shall furnish, upon taking office, through the Vice-President of Student Affairs, a surety bond of one thousand dollars, the premium of which shall be paid by the association; and shall submit annually, with the President, a proposed association budget to the Council for its consideration and approval.
The Secretary shall keep an accurate and current role of Council representatives; shall keep an accurate and current record of the number of association members by department according to the most recent lists certified by the Registrar of the university; shall keep and publish complete minutes of all meetings of the Council, the Executive Committee, and the Cabinet; shall deposit all minutes and other records in the association's archives at the end of term; shall preserve and maintain the association's archives; and shall attend to the correspondence of the association and its Council.
Appointed by the President and approved by the Council, the Parliamentarian shall oversee revisions and additions to the constitution and by-laws of the association; shall maintain an up-to-date edition of the constitution and by-laws of the association; shall advise the President and Council on procedural matters; and shall oversee the association's elections and referenda.
The Faculty Advisor of the GSA shall be elected annually by the Council and shall be a tenured member of the Rice faculty who has demonstrated a concern for graduate studies and graduate student life at the university.
The Faculty Advisor shall serve ex officio as a non-voting member of the Graduate Student Council, the Executive Committee, and the Cabinet; and shall advise these bodies in their deliberations.
The Council shall meet publicly at least once a month throughout the calendar year and shall meet, either publicly or privately, at other times as deemed necessary by the President or by a call from at least three representatives.
Members of the association shall be accorded time at regular meetings of the Council to speak on issues affecting graduate student life at Rice University.
The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a month to discuss the activities and projects of the association and its Council, and shall meet at other times at the discretion of the President.
The Cabinet shall meet at the discretion of the President.
By-laws shall be established to facilitate the fair and efficient execution of all policies, ordinances, acts, and directives of the GSA and its Council, Executive Committee, and Cabinet; and to regulate the proceedings, elections, and programs of the association and its Council, Executive Committee, and Cabinet.
By-laws and amendments to by-laws may be proposed by any member of the association in a written recommendation to the President or the Parliamentarian.
The approval of two-thirds majority of Council members present and voting during consideration of the question shall be necessary before ratification of a by-law or an amendment to a by-law.
New by-laws or by-law amendments shall become effective fourteen days, excluding holidays, after the publication of the Council's approval, unless contested by association members demanding a referendum. Contested by-laws and amendments that are approved in referendum shall become effective immediately after referendum results are published.
Any member of the association may propose an amendment to this Constitution by writing to the President or the Parliamentarian.
Upon receipt of a proposed amendment, the Parliamentarian shall review it for clarity of language and shall present to Council the proposed amendment as received, and if edited, as changed. The Parliamentarian shall also present those sections of the Constitution affected by the proposal.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be voted upon in Council by proportional voting and by departmental representative vote.
The approval of two-thirds of the proportional votes and three-fifths of the departmental votes shall be necessary for ratification of an amendment, the voting taking place no sooner than the second regular meeting at which the proposal is read.
An amendment shall become effective fourteen days, excluding holidays, after its publication, unless contested by association members demanding a referendum.
Council may defer to the association's general membership by calling for a referendum.
Any member of the association, writing to the Secretary with a statement signed by five percent (5%) of the current members of the association, may present, in the form of a seconded motion, an initiative regarding any matter, which shall then be considered by Council; or may propose a question for consideration in referendum, which shall then be put to the whole membership of the association.
A referendum shall be conducted by the Parliamentarian within thirty days, excluding holidays, after Council's receipt of a petition signed by five percent (5%) of the association's members. To be lawful and binding, a referendum must elicit votes from at least twenty percent (20%) of the association's membership.
An elected officer may be recalled with the approval of two-thirds of the proportional votes and three-fifths of the departmental votes of Council in a recall vote presided over by the Parliamentarian. Any elected officer of the association may also be recalled through referendum in which three-fourths of those voting approve the recall.
Proposals made through initiative and voted on in referendum, other than amendments to the Constitution, shall be approved by a simple majority of those voting in the referendum. Amendments to the Constitution that are proposed through initiative or deferred by Council to the general membership shall require the approval of two-thirds of the members voting in a referendum.
The approval of a simple majority of departmental votes shall be necessary to present this Constitution to the association membership in a constitutional referendum. The approval of three-fifths of the full-time, regularly enrolled graduate students voting in the constitutional referendum shall be necessary for the ratification of this Constitution.