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Elected and Appointed Officer Bylaws




ARTICLE I: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of these Bylaws is to define responsibilities of the elected GSAUCSD officers and the positions and responsibilities of appointed officers of GSAUCSD.

 

ARTICLE II: ELECTED OFFICERS

Elected officers of GSAUCSD are specified by the Constitution. As specified each shall be a member of the GSAUCSD Executive Council. They are the President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Vice President of Campus Affairs, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Diversity Affairs, and Coffeehouse Commissioner.

 

ARTICLE III: APPOINTED OFFICERS

Section 1: Creation of Appointed Positions

The GSAUCSD council shall have the power to create positions by a majority vote at two consecutive council meetings. These positions may serve any purpose defined by the council not in conflict with the constitutionally stated purpose of GSAUCSD. The positions and job expectations shall be amended to these bylaws.

 

Section 2: Definition of Job Expectations

When the GSAUCSD council creates an appointed position, it shall define job expectations for the position. It shall define what is expected of the appointed officer on a quarterly basis, and define during which quarters the job shall be filled and supported.

 

Section 3: Performance Review Process

Near the end of each quarter the GSAUCSD Executive Council shall meet in a closed session to consider of each appointed officer the question, “Has this officer fulfilled the job responsibilities outlined in the Officer Responsibility Bylaws?” If the Executive Council decides, by a majority vote, that the job expectations have been satisfactorily met by the officer, they shall reappoint that person to another quarter in the position unless it is the end of the spring quarter. Otherwise, the position shall be open and another student may be appointed through the standard appointment process.

 

Section 4: Appeal

An officer who is not renewed in an appointed position may appeal the decision of the Executive Council to the GSAUCSD Council, who may overturn the decision and continue the appointment with a majority vote.

 

Section 5: Reporting

Each appointed officer shall report to the nominating officer for that position. The appointed officer is expected to work with the nominating officer to achieve the broad goals of the GSAUCSD council.

 

Section 6: Compensation

Appointed officers shall be considered agents of GSAUCSD. They shall be stipended in accordance with the annual budget.

 

Section 7: Nominating Responsibility

The Vice President of External Affairs shall nominate the Legislative Liaison.

The Vice President of Campus Affairs shall nominate the Cultural Events Coordinator.

The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall nominate the Service Coordinator.

The Vice President of Campus Affairs shall nominate the Social Events Coordinator.

The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall nominate the Webmaster.

 

 

ARTICLE IV: OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES

 

The President shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Attend the UCSA Congress and Lobby Day

  2. Oversee the general marketing strategy of GSAUCSD and coordinate with other officers the advertisement of upcoming events and opportunities.

  3. Ensure the collection and distribution of quarterly reports from all elected and appointed officers to the GSAUCSD Council.

 

The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Serve on the Grad Life Steering Committee.

  2. Publicize open GSAUCSD Council representative positions and maintain contact with graduate coordinators for each department to insure that each graduate department is represented on the GSAUCSD Council.

  3. Appoint, subject to GSAUCSD Council approval, GSAUCSD representatives to administrative committees.

  4. Make interim appointments to campus committees, as needed.

  5. Keep up-to-date records on administrative committees, keeping track of those committees with graduate student vacancies as well as a list of graduate students serving on the administrative committees.

  6. Collect quarterly written reports and minutes from Administrative Committee representatives.

  7. Serve as a GSA representative to the UCSD Registration Fee Committee or appoints, subject to GSAUCSD Council approval, a replacement, who will serve a two-year term.

  8. Oversee the maintenance of the GSAUCSD Web page, ensuring links and information posted on the website are correct and up-to-date.

 

The Vice President of Academic Affairs shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Publicize positions available on Academic Senate Committees, committees administered by the UCSD Academic Affairs Office, the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Instructional Improvement, the TA Development Advisory Committee, the Summer Session Advisory Committee, the Course Materials Fee Committee, the Enrollment Planning Committee, and the Academic Dishonesty Hearings Board.

  2. Appoint, subject to GSAUCSD Council approval, GSAUCSD representatives to the Academic Senate Committees and the other above-mentioned committees.

  3. Make Interim appointments to Academic Senate Committees, as needed.

  4. Keep up to date records on vacancies, as well as graduate students who are serving on the Academic Senate Committees.

  5. Collect quarterly written reports from Academic Senate Committee representatives.

  6. Collect minutes of the Academic Senate Committee meetings.

  7. Serves as a GSA representative to the UCSD Graduate Council.

  8. Serves as a GSAUCSD representative to the Representative Assembly of the Academic Senate.

  9. Co-organize in collaboration with a representative of OGS the publicity, organization and coordination of the All-Grad Research Symposium.

  10. Co-organize in collaboration with a representative of the Career Services Center the publicity, organization, and coordination of the Ph.D. Career Conference.

  11. Ensure the quality of the graduate student orientation, including maintaining a high quality GSA Orientation packet, organizing the GSA activity at orientation, and ensuring that a GSA representative is at each departmental orientation.

 

The Vice President of External Affairs shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Promote the interests of GSAUCSD to the Regents of the University of California and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP).

  2. Work with the Student Regents, UC Board of Regents, UCOP, External Branches of other UC system GSAs, and UCSA as necessary to promote goals identified as beneficial to UCSD Graduate Students by GSAUCSD Council.

  3. Inform the GSAUCSD of system-wide student action to lobby the UC Board of Regents and UCOP.

  4. Keep GSAUCSD apprised of system-wide developments of importance to the GSAUCSD.

 

The Vice President of Campus Affairs shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Manage the GSAUCSD social portfolio.

  2. Host the Fall Free-for-All, Winter Snowgoddess, and Spring Fling graduate student festivals.

  3. Assist reps in planning intradepartmental and interdepartmental social events.

  4. Organize large scale social events that encourage interaction between students across departments.

 

The Vice President of Finance shall, in addition to constitutional responsibilities:

  1. Chair the Finance Committee.

  2. Work with the Coffeehouse Commissioner to ensure the financial viability of Café Vita.

  3. Maintain a clear set of finance procedures. These procedures should be explained to the graduate coordinators at the Graduate Coordinators Luncheon. In addition, the procedures should be distributed to all elected GSAUCSD representatives prior to the first finance meeting of the quarter as well as posted either electronically or on paper in a public place.

  4. Regularly inform the GSAUCSD Council of the status of the GSAUCSD's finances and provide evaluations of the budgetary impact of money requests.

  5. Implement the budgetary decisions of the GSAUCSD.

  6. In conjunction with the GSAUCSD financial staff person and the Finance Committee, maintain the GSAUCSD financial records. In particular, oversee the recording of the financial allocations of the year.

  7. Oversee any fund-raising activities conducted by the GSAUCSD.

  8. Prepare the budget for the next academic year at the end of the current year.

  9. Periodically review the Financial Bylaws with the Finance Committee. Perform any duties listed therein.

  10. Be an ex-officio member of the Co-op Advisory Committee or appoint a delegate.

 

The Legislative Liaison shall:

  1. Develop legislative proposals and platforms beneficial to GSAUCSD in collaboration with the GSAUCSD Council

  2. Inform state and local legislators of the benefit and need to support graduate education at UCSD.

  3. See that the GSAUCSD's interests are effectively represented to state and local legislatures.

  4. Keep regular contact with local and state representatives.

 

The Coffeehouse Commissioner shall:

  1. Work with the VP Finance and Student Life Business Office to ensure the financial viability of Café Vita.

  2. Chair the Coffeehouse Committee.

  3. Oversee the direction of the coffeehouse and ensure it meets the needs of GSAUCSD and its constituents.

  4. Be a regular presence at the coffeehouse.

  5. Provide reports to the GSAUCSD Executive Committee and GSAUCSD Council regularly and by request.

  6. Organize and conduct (or designate another student to conduct) regular community building events at Café Vita.

  7. Work to ensure that the Café Vita menu offering is optimal for graduate students.

  8. Periodically review the Coffeehouse Business Plan with the Coffeehouse Committee. Perform any duties listed therein.

 

The VP of Diversity Affairs shall:

  1. Coordinate programs and initiatives promoting growth of historically underrepresented populations among campus groups and student organizations, including the development and implementation of a strategic plan for diversity in line with the Office of the President’s strategic plan to increase diversity among the UCSD graduate student population.

  2. Serve as a GSA representative to the UCSD Diversity Council or appoint, subject to GSAUCSD Council approval, a replacement.

  3. Appoint, subject to GSAUCSD council approval, GSAUCSD representatives to diversity committees: Affirmative Action and Diversity Committee of the Academic Senate, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women, and Women's Center Advisory Board, and others.

  4. Coordinate the full extent of GSAUCSD's involvement in the annual UCSA Students of Color Conference.

  5. Shall assist with the planning of the quarterly Diversity Dinner.

  6. Serve as an alternate on the Grad Life Steering Committee.

  7. Work to promote diversity in the body of students participating in GSA and sponsored events including the All-Grad Symposium and the annual statewide Students of Color Conference.

  8. Coordinate graduate/undergraduate mixer events to facilitate low-commitment, educational mentoring for undergraduates.

 

The Cultural Events Coordinator shall:

  1. Be appointed for every quarter.

  2. Organize ticket purchase and distribution/resale to grad and professional students for at least 2 events, of a cultural or artistic character, per quarter during Fall, Winter, and Spring, and as available in summer.

  3. Organize at least 1 “field trip” per quarter.

  4. Prepare quarterly reports to be presented to the executive committee no later than the end of week 9 of each quarter.

 

The Social Events Coordinator shall:

  1. Be appointed for every quarter.

  2. Organize at least 5 social events per quarter.

  3. Work to publicize GSA social events and to promote new departments taking part.

  4. Oversee GSAUCSD responsibilities for the graduate student lounge located at the Student Center.

  5. Prepare quarterly reports to be presented to the executive committee no later than the end of week 9 of each quarter.

 

The Service Coordinator shall:

  1. Be appointed for every quarter.

  2. Plan at least 3 large scale volunteer projects per year.

  3. Prepare quarterly reports to be presented to the executive committee no later than the end of week 9 of each quarter.

 

The Webmaster shall:

 

  1. Be appointed for every quarter.

  2. Complete regular updates of the GSAUCSD website

  3. Once per quarter, review the layout and design of the site, and recommend major changes to the website to the Executive Committee for review before taking action.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

These By-Laws shall take effect after being approved by a three-quarters majority of the GSAUCSD Council. They may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of those present at a regular meeting of the Council after the amendments have been proposed at the previous regular meeting.

 

History

  • Adopted June 2, 2008: approved May 19, 2008 (16-0-0) and June 2, 2008 (17-0-0).
  • Amended May 4
    • Article IV: Changed duties of multiple positions, 31-0-1
    • Article IV: Additional VP Academic duties, 32-0-0
  • Amended May 18
    • Article III, Sec 7 & Article IV: Inclusion of webmaster, 21-0-0
    • Article IV: Change Diversity Coord. to VP Diversity, 16-0-4
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