I. Function and Authority

1. The Graduate Student Affairs Committee is responsible for developing and maintaining policies and procedures for the prudent and timely use of all student activity funds collected for graduate students.

2. The Graduate Student Affairs Committee shall support educational, social, cultural and recreational activities directed toward enriching the experiences of graduate student life at SCSU.

3. The actions of the Graduate Student Affairs Committee are subject to the rights, responsibilities and the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees and the President of Southern Connecticut State University of his/her designee.

4. The Graduate Student Affairs Committee operates within the policies and regulations established by the State of Connecticut, the Board of Trustees, and Southern Connecticut State University.

II. Duties and Responsibilities

1. Developing and maintaining a long range plan for the annual application of student activity fee funds collected from graduate students.

2. Developing and maintaining an estimated annual budget for the use of graduate student activity fund revenue, coordinating and monitoring all expenditures.

3. Establishing written criteria for proposals from the graduate university community for the use of graduate student activity funds.

4. Reviewing proposals and allocating funds for any activities using graduate student activity funds and maintaining a record of the results of funded activities.

5. Screenings of propose new graduate organizations and/or activities requesting graduate student activity funds, and annually reviewing ongoing funded activities or organizations.

6. Student Affairs Committee actions and activities and providing information about graduate student needs to administration, schools, departments, and university committees.

7. Submitting an annual report to the President, Vice President of Student and University Affairs and the Dean of the Graduate School.

8. Communicate activities of GSAC with the graduate student body through the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

III. Membership

1. Voting membership - The maximum voting membership of the Graduate Student Affairs Committee shall be seventeen, of which fourteen are students.
   1. Administrations and Faculty
      1. Dean of the Graduate School (ex-officio)
      2. Director of Student Activities/Special Events (official advisor)
      3. Three graduate faculty members and one alternate will be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School to serve a staggered term of three years each.

   2. Student Representation
      1. Annually, fourteen departments will select a student to serve a one year term as a voting member on a rotating roster determined by the Dean of the Graduate School.

   3. Appointment to the Graduate Student Affairs Committee
      1. Administration
         Both administrative members are ex officio. Each administrative member will designate in writing an alternate who will be able to act for the administrator in his/her absence.
      2. Faculty
         
         1. The Dean of the Graduate School shall notify the appropriate Dean or Deans of academic schools when there is a faculty vacancy and request applications be forwarded to the Coordinator of the GSAC by a date at least one week before the next scheduled meeting.
         2. . At the next scheduled meeting, members of the GSAC will select faculty members from the applicants. The GSAC may solicit additional applications if too few are received or too few are approved by a majority of the GSAC members.
         3. If sufficient applications are not submitted or sufficient applications are not approved by the members of the GSAC, the GSAC will operate without faculty representation or with reduced faculty representation.

      3. Current Voting Membership
         1. The Coordinator of the GSAC shall maintain a current list of GSAC members and alternates with current addresses and telephone numbers.

2. Non-Voting Membership
   Each graduate program may send a graduate student to any GSAC meeting to represent and speak for the interests of the program and its students.
   
   Any Dean, Department Chairperson or Graduate Program Coordinator may have items placed on the GSAC agenda by submitting a written request to do so and indicating in the request who will be attending the meeting to speak to and answer questions about the item.

IV. Membership Graduate Student Affairs Committee Coordinator

1. Position - The Graduate Student Affairs Committee Coordinator is a part-time that may be funded by the GSAC.

2. Responsibilities - The Graduate Student Affairs Committee Coordinator is responsible for the daily operation of the business and activities of the GSAC. The GSAC Coordinator will act as Chairperson for the first meeting of the year until a chairperson is elected from the student voting members.

3. Reporting - The GSAC Coordinator reports to the GSAC Advisor and as the agents agent of the Committee to the voting members of the GSAC. The GSAC Coordinator may be terminated for cause by the GSAC Advisor or by two thirds vote of the current voting members of the GSAC.

V. Graduate Student Affairs Committee Officers and Committees

1. Chairperson - At the first scheduled meeting of the year the voting members shall elect a chairperson whose duty it will be to preside at all meetings and to work with the GSAC Coordinator and Advisor in developing an agenda for each meeting. The Chairperson shall serve for one year and be eligible for reelection.

2. Vice Chairperson - At the first scheduled meeting of the year the voting members shall elect a vice chairperson whose duty it will be to fulfill the duties of chairperson in the absence of the chairperson.

3. Committees - The standing committees of the GSAC are Research, Conference and Ad hoc.

VI. Meetings

1. Schedule - The GSAC shall meet on a regularly scheduled basis at least once each month at a time that is convenient for the majority of the voting members. This shall be established at the first meeting of each year.

2. Quorum - A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum.

3. Special meetings of the GSAC may be called by the Chairperson or the Advisor as deemed necessary. The call to such meetings must be issued at least one week in advance and must clearly state the purpose of and justification of the meeting.

VII. Changes in the By-Laws

Changes in the By-Laws may be made at a regular or special meeting of the GSAC provided:

1. GSAC members have received written notice of any proposed change and the rationale for the change at least one week prior to the meetings.

2. 2. A two-thirds majority of the total GSAC voting membership approves the proposed changes.

 

Revised 10/02