Bylaws

THE GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
(Revised April 4, 2005 )

Article I: GPSA MEMBERSHIP

Section I : Members of the GPSA. All graduate and professional students at Washington State University shall be members of the GPSA.

A. Duties and Privileges of Membership. Members of the GPSA are entitled to all benefits and privileges of the GPSA and share in its responsibilities and duties.

Members of the GPSA are entitled to the benefits and privileges of voting in the GPSA's general elections, and can be elected as a GPSA Executive Officer or Senator.

Members of the GPSA may share in the responsibilities and duties of the GPSA by serving as a GPSA Senator or a GPSA representative on a University, Faculty Senate, or GPSA committee.

Article II: GPSA MEETINGS

Section I : GPSA Senate Meetings. The GPSA Senate shall meet every other week during the Fall and Spring semesters, with exception for official university holidays, during the period of May 16 of one general election year to May 15 of the following general election year.

A. Dates, Times and Places of GPSA Senate Meetings. The dates, times and places of GPSA Senate meetings shall be determined by the GPSA Executive Committee or its designated representative(s).

B. Holding of the First GPSA Senate Meeting During the Fall Semester of a Regular Academic Year. The first meeting of the GPSA Senate shall be held in September of the Fall semester of the regular academic year.

C. Attainment of a Quorum at a GPSA Senate Meeting. A quorum shall exist at a GPSA Senate Meeting when (1/2) one-half of the active GPSA Senators and District Representatives are physically present at a GPSA Senate Meeting. (An inactive Senator is defined in Bylaws, Article IV, Section IV, B1).

D. Absence of GPSA Senators from GPSA Meetings. A Senator who cannot be present at a Senate meeting may notify the Chair of the GPSA Senate, directly or through a GPSA office staff member, no later than one (1) hour prior to its official commencement, and receive an excused absence. An excused absence will not count toward Inactivation (Article IV, Section IV, B1). Two such excused absences shall be allowed during one Senatorial term.

Section II : Voting in GPSA Senate Meetings. Each voting member of the GPSA Senate physically present at a given GPSA Senate meeting may cast only one (1) vote on each matter before the Senate that requires a vote of the GPSA Senate.

A. Budget and Financial Requests. Matters concerning the approval of the GPSA budget or the disbursement of GPSA funds may be approved based on a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the GPSA Senate physically present.

B. Other Matters before the GPSA Senate. All other matters before the GPSA Senate, except for the amendment of the GPSA Constitution or the GPSA Bylaws, shall be approved by a majority vote of the GPSA Senate physically present.

Section III : GPSA Executive Committee Meetings. The membership of the GPSA Executive Committee consists of the President, Vice-President, and the District Representatives. The GPSA Executive Committee shall meet every other week during the Fall and Spring Semesters with exception for official university holidays, at least one (1) week prior to GPSA Senate meetings. One meeting per month may be held via electronic communication.

A. Dates, Times and Places of GPSA Executive Committee Meetings. The dates, times and places of GPSA Executive Committee meetings shall be prepared at the start of each Fall and Spring semester during the regular academic year.

B. Holding the First GPSA Executive Committee Meeting during the Fall Semester of the Regular Academic Year. The first meeting of the GPSA Executive Committee shall be held in September of the regular academic year.

C. Voting in GPSA Executive Committee Meetings. Each member of the GPSA Executive Committee may cast only one (1) vote on each matter.

All matters before the GPSA Executive Committee, except for the amendment of the GPSA Constitution or the GPSA Bylaws, shall be approved by a majority vote of the GPSA Executive Committee physically present.

Article III: GPSA ELECTIONS

The GPSA shall conduct two (2) types of elections: General Elections of GPSA Executive Officers, and special replacement election of GPSA Executive Officers.

Section I: Academic Department or Professional Program GPSA Senator Election. The GPSA encourages students within all departments and programs to organize in order to elect someone to represent their concerns. The election of GPSA Senators should be conducted at least once annually in each academic department or professional program. District Representatives will be responsible for informing GPSA Members within their districts of Senatorial vacancies, and Senatorial responsibilities.

Method of Election of GPSA Senators in Academic Departments or Professional Programs. The method of electing GPSA Senators must afford each GPSA member of the academic department or professional program the opportunity to both run for available Senate seats and cast a ballot in the election to fill them. In the case of a Senator's Inactivity (Bylaws, Article IV, Section IV, B1), a replacement election will be coordinated by the remaining Senator(s) or by the District Representative if there are no remaining Senators.

GPSA Senate Representation of Academic Departments or Professional Programs. The Members of the GPSA in each academic department or professional program shall be apportioned no less than one (1) and no more than five (5) Senatorial seats in the GPSA Senate. Academic department or professional program apportionment in the GPSA Senate shall be calculated as follows:

Number of Full GPSA Members in Academic Department or Professional Program	Maximum Representation
1-29	1
30-59	2
60-89	3
90-119	4
More than 119	5

Verification of the Academic Department or Professional Program GPSA Senator Election Process. An elected GPSA Senator from each academic department or professional program shall provide the GPSA Vice President at the time of his/her election a written statement describing the manner in which the academic department or professional program chose him/her as its GPSASenator.

Challenges to the Academic Department or Professional Program GPSA Senator Election Process. The electoral apportionment of an academic department or professional program can be appealed to the GPSA Senate by submission of a petition signed by ten (10) percent of the members of the department or program in question.

Ruling on Challenges to the Academic Department or Professional Program GPSA Senator Election Process. The GPSA Senate shall determine the outcome of academic department or professional program challenges to the academic department's or professional program's electoral apportionment.

Elections to Fill Seats Vacated by Senators Declared Inactive. The method of replacing Inactive GPSA Senators in each academic department or professional program shall be determined by its respective GPSA members in accordance with the conditions stated in Item A above. Any previously Inactive Senator shall be eligible to fill Inactive Seats unless prohibited by the procedures or preference of fellow GPSA Members in the same department or program.

Section II: General Election of GPSA Executive Officers. The GPSA shall conduct a general election of GPSA Executive Officers in the Spring semester of each regular academic year. The procedures for this election shall be governed by Appendix II of the GPSA Bylaws.

Section III: Replacement General Election of GPSA Executive Officers. In the case that the GPSA Election Committee declares the General Election to be invalid, a second General Election may be held. This second General Election shall be completed no later than the second Friday of April of the regular academic year. With the exception of the completion deadline, the procedures for this election shall be governed by Appendix II of the GPSA Bylaws.

Section IV: Special Replacement Elections of GPSA Executive Officers. Vacancies in the Executive Offices of the GPSA shall be filled by a vote of the GPSA Senate. It is the duty of the GPSA President to immediately inform the Senate in writing of a vacancy by resignation, or otherwise. In the event that the GPSA President is unable to fulfill this duty, it shall fall first to the GPSA Vice President and then to the Executive Committee.

Notice of Vacancy of GPSA Executive Offices. Notice of the vacancy of a GPSA Executive Officer shall be sent to each GPSA Senator in each academic department or professional program. In the case of a vacant District Representative Executive Office, notice of the vacancy shall be sent to each academic department or professional program in the relevant district only. The notice of vacancy shall be sent at least two (2 weeks prior to the GPSA Senate meeting in which the election to fill the vacancy is scheduled to take place. In addition, the notice of vacancy will be published in the Daily Evergreen with the same two (2) weeks lead time.

Eligibility to Fill Vacant GPSA Executive Officer Positions. Any member of the GPSA may file as a candidate for a vacant GPSA Executive Officer position.

Information Supplied by Candidates for Vacant Executive Officer. Candidates for vacant GPSA Executive Offices shall draft a Candidate Information Statement (Bylaws, Appendix II, Article I, Section VI) and present it to the GPSA Program Support Supervisor at least one (1) full business day prior to the one (1) week Senators' deliberation period that must precede the Special Election.

Distribution of Information Supplied by Candidates for Vacant GPSA Executive Offices. The information provided by candidates for vacant GPSA Executive Offices shall be distributed to all GPSA Senators at least one (1) week prior to the Senate meeting at which the vacancy will be filled.

Distribution of Ballots for the Election of Candidates to Vacant GPSA Executive Offices. Provided that the majority present at the GPSA Senate meeting at which a vacant GPSA Executive Office is to be filled, a designated representative of the Executive Committee will distribute ballots containing each candidate's name and collect them upon completion of the election.

Tallying GPSA Special Replacement Election Ballots. The ballots for Replacement Executive Officers shall be tallied by the Election Committee.

Article IV: GPSA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND GPSA SENATORS

Section I: Duties of the GPSA President.

Duties of the GPSA President. The duties of the GPSA President shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

Attending Faculty Senate and Presidential committees which specifically require the representation of the GPSA President. If the GPSA President is unable to attend said meetings, a designated representative may be sent in his/her place.

Attending all WSU Board of Regents meetings. If the GPSA President is unable to attend a WSU Board of Regents meeting, a designated representative may be sent in his/her place.

Regularly attending WSU Faculty Senate meetings to represent the interests of graduate and professional students

Ensuring that all GPSA Executive Officers are performing their duties in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. If GPSA Executive Officers are negligent in their duties, the GPSA President shall attempt to rectify the situation, or failing this, recommend recall of the negligent GPSA Executive Officers.

Coordinating relations between the GPSA and the WSU Foundation, the WSU Alumni Association, the WSU Administration, the Associated Students of Washington State University and all other relevant internal groups. Coordination of relations may include attendance at meeting of the Board of Directors of the WSU Alumni Association and the WSU Foundation as well as all other relevant meetings.

Annually reviewing the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws as an ex officio member of the Constitution and Bylaws Review Committee to ensure that they are current, consistent and coherent documents.

Appointing representatives of the GPSA to all Presidential, Faculty Senate, and other University Committees which request such representation. In the case of a position having multiple-year term and which is not vacant, no new appointment shall be made. The GPSA President shall also seek volunteers for GPSA committees as needed.

Serve as a representative of GPSA on the Services and Activities Fee Committees and present GPSA's funding requests to said committees. If the GPSA President is unable to fulfill this duty, the GPSA President may delegate this responsibility to a designated representative who will attend in his/her place.

Assisting the GPSA Program Support Supervisor in the administration of the GPSA.

Acting as an ex officio member of the Advisor Award and Teaching Assistant Excellence Award Committees, Student Appreciation Week Committee and assisting members of that committee to plan, organize, and conduct the Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week.

Setting the GPSA Executive Committee calendar for semi-monthly meetings of the GPSA Executive Committee at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters of the regular academic year.

Preparing written agendas for GPSA Executive Committee meetings and distributing said agendas to all GPSA Executive Committee members.

If a committee is vacant, the GPSA President may appoint a Senator or District Representative to said committee.

Calling the first meeting of the GPSA Executive Committee, and

Due to the work requirements, the GPSA President shall conform to Graduate School Document No.12.

Limit to Term of Service. Persons shall be limited to a total of two (2) years service as GPSA President.

Section II: Duties of the GPSA Vice President.

Duties of the GPSA Vice President. The duties of the GPSA Vice President shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

Preparing written agendas for GPSA Senate meetings prior to GPSA Senate meetings and distributing said agendas to all GPSA Senate members and GPSA Executive Committee members prior to the beginning of the Senate meetings for which said agendas are prepared.

Calling the first meeting of the GPSA Senate of each academic year.

Keep records on the number of active and inactive senators and listing those departments with inactive senators.

Notifying members of the GPSA in an academic department or a professional program that their GPSA Senator has been declared an inactive GPSA Senator (Bylaws, Article IV, Section IV, B2).

Regularly attending WSU Faculty Senate meetings to represent the interests of graduate and professional students.

Preparing GPSA budgets to be made available to the members of the GPSA Executive Committee and the GPSA Senate.

Notifying the GPSA Executive Committee and the GPSA Senate when any GPSA budget line item is in danger of, or is in, deficit and proposing funds transfers to alleviate these situations.

Serve as a representative of GPSA on the Services and Activities Fee Committees and present GPSA's funding requests to said committees. If the GPSA Vice President is unable to fulfill this duty, the GPSA Vice President may delegate this responsibility to a designated representative who will attend in his/her place.

Tasks associated with fundraising may be assigned to a GPSA employee or other designee by the GPSA Vice President.

Assisting the GPSA President, the GPSA Program Support Supervisor in the administration of the GPSA, and

Due to the work requirements, the Vice President shall conform to Graduate School Document No.12.

Limit to Term of Service. Persons shall be limited to a total of two (2) years service as GPSA Vice President.

Section III. GPSA District Representatives.

Duties. The duties of the GPSA District Representatives shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

Attending all GPSA Senate meetings.

Attending all GPSA Executive Committee meetings.

Serving on three (3) Presidential, Faculty Senate, or GPSA committees, and

Other tasks necessary to fulfill the duties of the office of the GPSA District Representative as assigned by the GPSA Executive Committee.

Inactivity. Inactivity shall be defined by failure to attend two (2) GPSA Executive Committee or GPSA Senate meetings without providing a valid excuse to the GPSA Office at least two (2) hours before the commencement of said meeting. Absences from these meetings shall commence with the first executive meeting of the fall semester of the regular academic year. The Executive Committee may determine what constitutes a valid excuse.

Notification of Inactivity. When a District Representative is absent for more than two (2) GPSA Senate and/or GPSA Executive Committee meetings without a valid excuse, the GPSA President shall send written notification to said District Representative to inform him/her of his/her declaration of inactivity and to inform him/her that he/she has one (1) week to respond. If no response is received, the District Representative will be declared inactive and will be removed from the payroll.

Reactivation. Following the procedures as stated in Bylaws, Article III, Section IV, C, said District Representative can be reactivated with the approval of the GPSA Senate.

Special Replacement. Special replacement (Bylaws, Article III, Section IV) will occur when either,

The GPSA Senate does not reactivate said District Representative, or

Said District Representative does not respond within one (1) week, or

Said District Representative responds with a letter of resignation to the GPSA President.

Section IV: Senators.

Duties. The duties of the GPSA Senators shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

Attending all meetings of the GPSA Senate.

Communicating to their constituents in their respective academic departments or professional programs the actions taken by the GPSA Senate, the GPSA Executive Committee or their designated representative(s).

Communicating to the GPSA Senate, the GPSA Executive Committee or their designated representatives the concerns of their constituents in their respective academic departments or professional programs.

Serving on at least one (1) Presidential, Faculty Senate or GPSA committee as representatives of the GPSA or the GPSA Senate, unless all committee positions are already filled.

Reporting to the Senate the activities of any Presidential or Faculty Senate committees on which they serve as representatives of the GPSA.

Being familiar with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, and

Other tasks necessary to fulfill the duties of the office of a GPSA Senator as assigned by the GPSA Senate, or the GPSA Executive Committee.

B. Inactivity.

Definition of an Inactive GPSA Senator. A GPSA Senator will be deemed Inactive after having failed to attend a total of two (2) GPSA Senate meetings without a valid excuse (Bylaws, Article II, Section I, D). The count for absences shall commence with the first meeting of the GPSA Senate after the Senator is elected by his/her academic department or professional program in the fall semester of the regular academic year.

Notification of the Inactive GPSA Senators. After a Senator's initial failure to attend a GPSA Senate meeting without being excused, the GPSA Vice President shall send written notification of impending inactive status to that Senator, the appropriate District Representative, and any other Senators from the same department or program. Upon that Senator's subsequent absence from a Senate meeting without excuse, written notification shall be sent to his/her constituents as well as to the parties named above informing them of the Senator's inactive status and of the procedure for filling the resultant gap in Senate representation.

Article V: OTHER GPSA COMMITTEES

Section I : General Guidelines for GPSA Committees

A. Committee Records

Committees must maintain complete records of meeting minutes and correspondence.

Committees must provide copies of records to the GPSA office in electronic format for inclusion in the GPSA records and for inclusion of minutes on the GPSA web site.

Committees must maintain an updated file/binder in the GPSA office to be used for reference and to document that committee's activities and progress towards its goal(s).

B. Committee chairs must keep records on their committee's activities.

C. Committee members should attend all committee meetings in order to represent the interests of the graduate and professional student population to the committee on which they serve.

D. Committee chairs shall replace non-performing committee members in a timely manner, subject to the approval of the GPSA Senate.

E. Committee chairs shall prepare a list of suggestions for their successors in order to transmit their experience to their successors.

Section II : GPSA Advisor Award, Teaching Assistant Excellence Award, and Student Appreciation Week Committees.

A. Composition of the GPSA Advisor Award and Student Appreciation Week Committees. The GPSA Advisor Award and Student Appreciation Week Committees shall be composed of the GPSA President, the GPSA Vice President and the Dean of the Graduate School , acting as ex officio members, one GPSA District Representative, acting as chair, one (1) GPSA Senator elected by the Senate, and two additional graduate or professional student volunteers approved by the GPSA Senate.

Duties of the GPSA Advisor Award. The duties of the GPSA Advisor Award Committee shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

soliciting nominations for the Graduate and Professional Advisor Awards,

establishing the criteria for selecting the winner(s) of the Graduate and Professional Advisor Awards,

selecting the winner(s) of the Graduate and Professional Advisor Awards, and

other tasks necessary to award the Graduate and Professional Advisor Awards.

Duties of Student Appreciation Week Committee. The duties of the Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week Committee shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

coordinating with the GPSA Vice President to secure the financial resources necessary to fund a GPSA Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week,

securing the human resources necessary to support GPSA Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, and

other tasks necessary to hold a GPSA Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week.

B. Composition of the TA Excellence Awards committee. The GPSA Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week's TA Excellence Awards committee shall be comprised of one (1) GPSA District Representative, who shall serve as chair; a representative of the WSU Alumni Association; a representative of the WSU Graduate School; and representative of the WSU Faculty; and one (l) GPSA Senator approved by the Senate.

Duties of the TA Excellence Awards committee. The duties of the TA Excellence Awards Committee shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

beginning meeting by the second Friday of October of each academic year,.

soliciting nomination for TA Excellence Awards,.

holding two (2) nomination periods, one (1) at the end of the fall semester and one (1) at the beginning of the spring semester,

establishing the criteria for selecting the winners of TA Excellence Awards,.

selecting the winners of the TA Excellence Awards, and

other tasks necessary to award the TA Excellence Awards.

C. Composition of the Dr. William R. Wiley Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies committee. The Dr. William R. Wiley Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies committee shall be comprised of the GPSA President and the GPSA Vice President, acting as ex-officio members, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, one (1) GPSA Senator, and three (3) additional graduate or professional student volunteers approved by the GPSA Senate.

Duties of the GPSA Dr. William R. Wiley Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies committee. The duties of the GPSA Dr. William R. Wiley Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies committee shall include, but not necessarily be limited to,

beginning meeting by the first Friday of November of each academic year,

soliciting abstracts for the Exposition of Graduate and Professional by the first Friday of December,

establishing the criteria for submitting abstracts, final papers and poster session displays for the Exposition of Graduate and Professional,

collecting submitted abstracts by the first Friday of January,

selecting judges in conjunction with the Graduate School and developing judging criteria to evaluate participants in, and winners of, the Exposition of Graduate and Professional Studies,

coordinate with the Program Support Supervisor and/or other GPSA