TCU Graduate Student Senate

The name of the organization shall be the Graduate Student Senate of Texas Christian University, hereafter referred to as the GSS.

To serve as the official representative governing body of all TCU graduate students, Brite Divinity School graduate students excepted.
To provide a forum for the discussion of all issues with which graduate students are concerned.
To represent graduate student interests before the TCU faculty, administration, and Trustees.
To organize, promote, and conduct activities beneficial to graduate student life.
To disseminate information of interest to graduate students at TCU.
To provide support and assistance to graduate students participating in academic and professional activities.
To own and manage property and accounts which will assist in securing the above objectives.
To select graduate students for appointment to faculty and university committees.
To provide a common association among graduate students from all departments of TCU.
To serve as an umbrella governance organization for all graduate students at TCU.

Section 1: Composition
Membership in the GSS is open to all TCU graduate students registered for at least one credit hour of graduate studies. Graduate students who are enrolled in Brite Divinity School are excluded from membership.

Section 2: Membership Waivers
All TCU graduate students enrolled in at least one credit hour of graduate studies will have the option to become members of the GSS, unless they are excluded for reasons outlined in this constitution or for nonpayment of the annual GSS fee.

ARTICLE IV. Representatives

Section 1: Composition
Representatives serving in the GSS shall be TCU graduate students elected or appointed as representatives to the Senate by their respective graduate program departments.

Section 2: Representation
Each TCU graduate degree program is entitled to direct representation in the GSS. Each TCU graduate program is entitled to elect or appoint one representative per graduate degree offered by the graduate program. For example, if a graduate program offers one M.A. degree and one Ph.D. degree, then that graduate program would be entitled to elect or appoint a total of two representatives. A graduate program offering one Ph.D. degree and four M.A. degrees would be entitled to elect or appoint a total of five representatives.

Section 3: Functions and Duties
Representatives shall serve as voting members of the GSS. Each representative shall receive a single vote in Senate meetings. Representatives shall represent the concerns of their constituencies before the Senate and communicate the proceedings of the Senate to their constituencies. Although representatives bear particular responsibilities to the graduate students of their division, they shall also represent the interests of graduate students at large.

Section 4: Proxies
If a representative is unable to attend a meeting of the Senate, he or she shall appoint a graduate student of his/her division as proxy, and the representative shall provide the proxy with a signed statement of acknowledgement to that effect. Following the acceptance of the statement by the Senate Chair, the proxy shall assume all duties and privileges of the representative for the duration of the meeting. The number of absences allowable per representative is two scheduled meetings per semester.

Section 5: Elections
Each graduate program department shall be responsible for coordinating its own procedures for selecting representatives. The Elections Committee shall inform all graduate program departments not currently represented in the Senate of the opening of nominations. Selection procedures shall be as determined by the graduate students of the graduate program department. Graduate program departments will submit the names and contact information of their respective representatives to the Senate Elections Committee by the first Monday of March.

Section 6: Term of Office
Representatives shall serve a term of office during the period from June 1 to May 30 immediately following their election to office.

Section 1: Schedule
Meetings of the GSS shall be held on the first Monday of each month while graduate classes are in session during the Fall and Spring semesters. GSS meetings are open to all TCU graduate students. Meetings may be scheduled, rescheduled, or cancelled by vote of the Senate or at the discretion of the President.

Section 2: Procedure
Meetings will follow the parliamentary procedure as defined in the By Laws. With the exception of the Chair, a motion may be proposed by any member of the Senate. With the exception of the Chair and the member proposing the action, a motion may be seconded by any member of the Senate. Upon receiving the affirmation of a majority of the members present, any duly seconded motion shall pass, and otherwise shall be defeated. Each representative, with the exception of the Chair, may cast one vote. The Chair may not cast a vote. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall cast the tie-breaking vote.

Section 1: Offices
The elected officers of the Graduate Student Senate shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall serve as official representatives of the Senate. Officers have the power to sign documents on behalf of the GSS.

Section 2: Duties of the President
The President shall serve as Chair of the Senate and shall preside at all of its meetings. He or she shall sit as a member of the university’s Graduate Council, ex-officio. He or she shall serve as the official representative of the Senate and shall have ultimate responsibility for the proper observance of all responsibilities delegated to members of the Senate or of any committee thereof.

Section 3: Duties of the Vice President
The Vice President shall serve as acting chair of the Senate in the absence of the President and during such time assume all duties of that office. He or she shall assist the President in the proper observance of all responsibilities delegated to the members of the Senate or any committee thereof.

Section 4: Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all Senate meetings and meetings of the officers and shall distribute copies of that record to all representatives before the next meeting of the Senate. She or he shall maintain a current file of all minutes of the Senate meetings with any additional documentation of interest to the Senate. The Secretary shall keep a current list of the membership of the GSS and its representatives to all internal and external committees and inform the chairs of such bodies following selection of those representatives.

Section 5: Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer shall serve as Chair of the Budget and Funding Committee. He or she shall keep a full account of money expended and received and shall make a repot of such account as the Senate may desire. He or she will coordinate University-administered receipts and all expenditures and financial responsibilities of the Senate. He or she shall have charge of all accounts managed by the Senate.

Section 1: Positions
The Senate or Executive Committee (i.e. officers) may establish a position at any time by majority vote of either the Senate or of the Executive Committee (whichever has created the position). At the time the position is created, the GSS or Executive Committee can nominate or recommend candidates to fill the position and a vote taken. The appointment or nomination shall pass by a majority vote.

Section 2: Vacancies
If, for any reason, a vacancy occurs in an appointed or nominated position, the President shall immediately open nominations for that position, and the vacancy shall be filled at any time by majority vote of Senate members present at the next meeting.

Section 3: Officer Assistants
Each officer of the GSS may, at his or her discretion, appoint a staff to assist in the performance of his or her duties. Staff members shall not be required to be GSS members or representatives.

Section 4: Removal
Individuals serving in appointed positions may be removed from office for dereliction of duties or abuse of power by majority vote of the officers.

Section 1: Elections Committee
The Elections Committee shall be composed of the outgoing GSS Officers and shall have the responsibility of overseeing the election of new officers and committee representatives.

Section 2: Nominations
Nominations for officers of the GSS shall be opened on the first Monday of March and closed on the second Monday of March. Elections shall be held on the first Monday of April. Any member of the body of representatives is eligible for nomination as an officer of the GSS. All nominations shall be delivered to the Elections Committee.

Section 3: Term of Office
The term of office for GSS officers shall run from June 1 – May 30. All officers shall assume office on June 1 following the April election, with the exception of officers elected to fill vacancies existing on or after June 1, who will assume office immediately.

Section 4: Term Limits
No member may serve as President of the GSS for more than one term. No member may serve as an officer of the GSS for more than three consecutive terms.

Section 5: Procedure
Election of officers for the following year shall take place by secret ballot at the April meeting, which is scheduled to be held on the first Monday of April, as the first item of business. Each representative (as defined in Article VI, Section 2) currently in office and in attendance shall be entitled to cast one vote. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff shall be held between the candidates receiving the greatest number of votes. In the event of a tie, a second ballot shall be required. The two candidates receiving the most number of votes shall be elected as officers. If a tie remains after the second ballot, the President shall decide the outcome of the election.

Section 6: Vacancies in the Office of President
If, for any reason (including change in student status), a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice President shall become the President and the office of Vice President shall be considered vacant. If the office of Vice President is also vacant, the line of succession shall follow in the order of positions as listed in Article VI.

Section 7: Vacancies in other Elected Offices
If, for any reason (including change in student status), a vacancy occurs in an elected office other than President, the President shall inform the representatives and members of the vacancy and nominations for that office shall be opened immediately. If such a vacancy would cause hardship on GSS, the officers may select an interim officer until the next GSS meeting.

Section 1
An officer can be removed from office for abuse of power or dereliction of duties.

Section 2: Initiation of Recall Procedures
Any member of the GSS shall be able to initiate recall procedures by providing a petition signed by at least one-fifth of the current representatives, who shall verify the signatures. Such a petition must specify the reasons for the recall.

Section 3: Response
The subject of the recall shall have the opportunity to be notified of the charges and have the right to defend himself/herself before the GSS. He or she may further include a written defense to accompany the validated recall petition when it is distributed to the representatives.

Section 4: Recall Vote
At the next meeting of the GSS, the petition will be presented by those initiating it (or their designate(s)) and the subject of the recall given the opportunity to defend himself/herself. After a period of questions, the Elections Committee shall hold a recall election in which each representative present is afforded one vote. If two-thirds of those representatives present vote for recall, the office will be declared vacant.

Section 5: Exclusion
The subject of a recall shall lose his/her vote as an officer while the recall procedures are pending. If the President is the subject, he or she shall pass the role of Chair of the GSS to the Vice President while the recall procedures are pending.

ARTICLE X. COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE

Section 1: Standing Committees
The Graduate Student Senate shall have two standing committees:

Budget and Funding Committee: 5 members appointed by the officers plus the Treasurer, as ex officio chair. This committee coordinates fund requests and awards for travel, research, conference presentations and participation, and professional development events. This committee collates requests for funding from the GSS and applies to the University for funds.
Travel and Awards Selection Committee: 5 members to be elected from candidates nominated by the GSS. This committee receives and reviews applications for funding for research travel and for awarding outstanding research or teaching or mentoring. Following a review of applications, the committee makes requests funds from the Budget and Funding Committee and, upon receiving funds, awards the selected applicants.
Graduate Student Handbook Committee: members shall be comprised of graduate volunteers. This committee shall be responsible for compiling such information as facts about TCU’s graduate programs, community services—housing, for instance—of interest to the graduate body in general, and a directory of graduate students. The compiled information shall be distributed to incoming and returning graduate students. The handbook will serve as a reference guide to graduate life at TCU and in Fort Worth.

Section 2: Ad Hoc Committees
The Senate may establish ad hoc committees at any time by majority vote of the Senate or of the Executive Committee. Ad Hoc committees shall have the same legitimacy of standing committees, but may be disbanded by majority vote of the Senate or of the Executive Committee or upon completion of duties.

Section 1
The Graduate Student Senate shall make recommendations for representatives to external Faculty and University committees and to the GSS committees as outlined in Article X. Specifically, the GSS shall recommend representatives to the University Council and the Graduate Council.

Section 2: Eligibility
All elected representatives are eligible to serve on external committees.

Section 3: Election
Members must communicate their interest in serving on an external committee when nominations are opened and/or a vacancy occurs. Committee representatives will be elected by majority vote of the Council. Interim committee representatives may be approved by the Executive Committee under the recommendation of the President and subject to the approval of the Senate.

Section 4: Responsibilities
Representatives to committees shall report to the Senate on the activities of their committee and represent the concerns of the GSS students to that committee. Representatives must attend all meetings of their committee. All absences must be reported to and approved in advance by the President of the Senate.

Section 5: Removal from Office
Representatives who do not uphold their duties are subject to recall by majority vote of the Senate or Executive Committee.

Section 1: Preparation of a Budget
The Budget and Funding Committee shall be responsible for preparing the budget for all GSS activities preceding the academic year in which the budget shall take effect. All proposed budgets must be balanced.

Section 2: Financial Records
The Treasurer shall keep a record of all receipts and expenditures of the Senate over the course of the year and present financial reports to the Senate each month.

Section 3: Cost of Operations
The Budget and Funding Committee shall be further charged with providing support for the basic operating and programming expenses of the Graduate Student Senate.

Section 4: Collection of Fees
The University will be responsible for collection of GSS fees each semester. The amount of fees collected from students will be subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Section 1: Existence of By Laws
The Senate shall have an accompanying statement of By Laws which shall serve as the operational document of the Senate.

Section 2: Approval
The By Laws shall be adopted by a majority vote of the representatives present.

Section 3: Amendments
The By Laws may be amended in the following manner. Any representative to the Senate may propose, as a duly seconded motion, an amendment. If the majority of Senate members present pass the motion, the secretary shall then submit a text of the proposed amendment to all members of the Senate. To be adopted, one-half of the representatives in attendance must ratify the amendment. Ratification shall be in writing, and shall be completed at the next meeting of the Senate.

Section 4: Suspension
Items included in the By Laws may be temporarily suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the representatives of the Senate in attendance at a meeting. This suspension shall only be in effect until the beginning of the next meeting of the Senate.

Section 1
This constitution may be amended in the following manner. Any representative to the Senate may propose, as a duly seconded motion, an amendment. If the majority of Senate members present pass the motion, the secretary shall then submit a text of the proposed amendment to all members of the Senate. To be adopted, one-half of the representatives in attendance must ratify the amendment. Ratification shall be in writing, and shall be completed at the next meeting of the Senate.

Section 1
This Constitution shall be effective immediately upon passage by acceptance of a majority of members at the first meeting.