Constitution & Bylaws

Constitution and Bylaws
Speech Communication Graduate Advisory Committee
Minnesota State University, Mankato

MISSION STATEMENT — OBJECTIVE

The Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Speech Communication Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato represents graduate students and graduate teaching assistants as current students, active teachers, and potential future administrators. The GAC provides graduate students and graduate teaching assistants with the opportunity to further develop as professionals, educators, and communication scholars. The GAC has a commitment to encourage cohesion, collaborative learning, examination of departmental issues, the rise of curriculum concerns, leadership service involvement in the department, and the acknowledgement of academic integrity. The GAC provides the graduate student population with a channel to voice ideas, concerns, and suggestions regarding financial, administrative, environmental, and academic issues.

ARTICLE — NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Graduate Advisory Committee of the Speech Communication Department (GAC).

ARTICLE II — MEMBERSHIP

The voting members of this organization shall consist of all currently enrolled graduate students identified as seeking a master's degree in the Speech Communication Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

ARTICLE III — OFFICERS

1. Meeting Facilitator: presides at general meetings, executive committee meetings, and any special meetings of the Graduate Advisory Committee;
2. Meeting Liaison Officers: attend departmental committee meetings, and report to the committee the minutes of these meetings;
3. Secretary-Treasurer: prepares the minutes of each meeting of the GAC, posts a blank agenda after each regular meeting in order to allow members and officers to contribute business items, and distributes minutes of each meeting within two school days;
4. Librarian: responsible for maintaining the Graduate Library;
5. Social Director: initiates and advertises social events for the graduate students, graduate teaching assistants, and faculty members;
6. Member-At-Large: responsible for attending all meetings, and promoting the committee to other graduate students in the department.

All officers serve for one academic year.
All officers shall be elected by GAC Speech Communication graduate students in a democratic manner at the beginning of each academic school year.

ARTICLE IV — MEETINGS

A schedule of meetings will be established at the beginning of each semester. Meetings of the entire organization will be held, minimal, biweekly. The voting members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE V — AMENDMENTS

An amendment to this constitution may be proposed by presenting to the officers of the committee a petition stating the desired amendment containing signatures of at least 1/3 of the voting members. The petition shall be read at the next regular meeting following the presentation to the officers of the committee and voted upon by the voting members. A two-thirds favorable vote of the voting members present at the meeting shall be required for adoption.

BYLAWS

1. In order to qualify for any officer position, a student must be enrolled in the Speech Communication Graduate Program, be in good academic standing, and maintain this status.
2. Standing committees and special committees shall be formed at the beginning of the academic school year or at any other time deemed necessary.
3. All disputes arising out of the activities of this organization shall be resolved using the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
4. All decisions regarding the activities of the organization not mentioned in the Constitution or Bylaws shall be made by the voting members present at the regular meeting. These decisions will be made fairly and justly according to principles of democracy.