ULL Graduate Student Organization Constitution

•	Preamble
•	Membership
•	Legislative Branch
•	Executive Branch
•	Meeting of the Council
•	Reserve Clause
•	Bylaws
•	Constitutional Amendment

The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) representing the graduate student body of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is hereby created in order to render assistance to graduate students in their pursuit of academic achievement and excellence. This organization shall not be a separate governing or disciplinary entity over the graduate student body.

The GSO is a representative organization and shall strive to maintain open communication between the administration and the student body. It shall inform the administration of the special needs of the graduate students and inform the student body of administration policies and decisions.

Bylaws

Click here to view the Bylaws of the Graduate Student Organization.

In matters relevant to the entire student body, the GSO shall coordinate its efforts through the Graduate School Senators elected to the Student Government Association (SGA), by the graduate school student body.

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ARTICLE ONE - MEMBERSHIP

I. Every student enrolled in the graduate school is considered a member of the Graduate Student Organization.

II. The GSO shall function under a formal proxy council, composed of representatives from each academic department having a graduate program. Each representative shall be a graduate student chosen by a majority of the graduate students in that academic department.

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ARTICLE TWO - LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

I. All legislative powers of the GSO shall be vested in the Council. Each representative on the Council shall exercise one vote on legislative matters.

II. Executive officers, elected by the members of the Council, shall retain their positions as representatives of their departments and exercise the same voting power. The graduate students in the department of the President shall select another representative to replace the President. The President may exercise a vote in the event of a tie vote by the Council.

III. The Council shall have the right to override any veto exercised by the Council President. Said veto may be overridden only by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Council members present.

IV. Matters requiring a vote of the Council shall be considered approved or rejected by a simple majority vote of the membership present.

V. All powers not directly treated in this Constitution shall be treated and governed under the Organization's Bylaws.

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ARTICLE THREE - EXECUTIVE BRANCH

I. All executive powers of the GSO shall be vested in the Executive Branch of the Council.

II. Composition of the Executive Branch of the Council shall be as follows:

A.	President is elected by a majority vote of the Council membership.
B.	Vice President is elected by a majority vote of the Council membership and will fulfill the duties of the President in the event of absence or resignation.
C.	Secretary-Treasurer is elected by a majority vote of the Council membership.

III. The GSO shall have the right to create and fill any other executive offices that may be considered necessary, according to the appropriate Bylaws.

IV. The Executive Branch shall be charged with the following responsibilities:

1. Orderly conduct of all meetings of the Council.

2. Exercising guidelines set forth in the Bylaws.

3. Proper disposition of legislative matters.

4. Upholding the terms of the Constitution.

V. The President of the Council shall have veto power over legislative matters enacted by the Legislative Branch. This Executive veto power shall be overridden only by a vote as specified in Article Two, Section III of the Constitution.

VI. Graduate School Senators shall not be considered part of the Executive Branch of the Council, unless they hold an elective office within the Council.

VII. Executive officers of the Council shall not hold more than one elective office within the Council at any one time. These officers may be recalled for reasons of misconduct with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council membership (See Bylaws). Any vacant position shall be filled by a majority vote of the Council membership.

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ARTICLE FOUR - MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

I. The Council of the GSO shall conduct at least one general business meeting per month, during the Fall and Spring semesters. Provisions shall be made to address any Summer semester business by the Council.

II. The President may call a special meeting when he/she deems it necessary or when requested to do so by at least one third (1/3) of the Council membership.

III. All meetings under the auspices of the GSO shall be conducted under conventional use of order. Meetings are open to all interested graduate students and observers.

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ARTICLE FIVE - RESERVE CLAUSE

The GSO Council reserves all powers not specifically detailed within this Constitution. Rules governing the procedures for enactment shall lie within the purview of the GSO Bylaws. The Bylaws shall remain in effect until amended or changed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council membership.

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ARTICLE SIX – BYLAWS

The Graduate Student Council shall have the right to enact Bylaws for the governance of the Council and Organization. Said Bylaws shall be enacted by a 2/3 vote of the Council membership and shall be amended only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council membership.

All powers not directly treated in this Constitution, shall be treated and governed under the Organization's Bylaws.

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ARTICLE SEVEN -CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

The GSO Constitution may be amended upon proposal approved by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the Council membership. Accepted amendments will be approved or rejected by a simple majority of the graduate student body in regular or special election.

Approved amendments shall be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School to secure appropriate University approval.

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Updated August 28th 2008

Graduate Student Organization, P.O.Box 44691, Lafayette, LA

Copyright 2007 by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette