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EGSO bylaws

The Ecology Graduate Student Organization (EGSO), Organization Charter, December 8, 1999

Article I – Purpose

The purpose of the EGSO is to provide a forum for graduate students in the The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Ecology IGDP to engage in activities related to 1) academic aspects of the program, 2) recruitment, mentoring and professional development, 3) special activities and events, and 4) outreach to other groups at PSU and the broader community. Examples of activities for each of these four categories are:

  1. Academic aspects of the program
    1. Review core courses and other program requirements and propose alternatives to the Ecology Program Director and Program Committee
    2. Coordinate relevant EGSO activities with the Ecology Program Director
    3. Participate in Ecology Program Committee
    4. Provide input to structure and content of program seminars and symposia
    5. Work on logistical support issues (e.g. space and computer facilities)
  2. Recruitment, mentoring and professional development
    1. Make the program website an effective tool for recruiting prospective students
    2. Make personal contact with prospective students
    3. Upgrade fall orientation of new program students
    4. Provide mentoring for new students
    5. Assist students in preparation for program related exams
    6. Facilitate student participation in important conference and training opportunities
  3. Special activities and events
    1. Organize special events such as picnic and retreats
    2. Seek ways to increase student and faculty involvement in program events
    3. Foster contact with program alumni
  4. Outreach to other groups at PSU and the broader community
    1. Sending representatives to PSU Graduate Students Association (GSA)
    2. Consider EGSO application as a GSA Registered Student Organization
    3. Outreach to the broader community via the program website, publications and personal contacts

Article II - Membership

  1. The membership shall be divided into members and associate members.
    1. All currently enrolled students in the PSU Ecology IGDP are members of the EGSO.
    2. Program alumni may apply for consideration as EGSO associate members. Associate members do not have voting rights in the organization.

Article III - Officers

  1. Only EGSO members shall be eligible to serve as appointed or electedofficers.
  2. The officers of EGSO shall be President, Vice-President/Treasurer, and Secretary.
    1. The President of EGSO shall preside over meetings and have the authority and responsibility of conducting EGSO activities with consent of the membership. The President shall also appoint Committee Coordinators in consultation with EGSO members to facilitate action on tasks designated by the organization.
    2. The Vice-President/Treasurer shall assist the President in his/her duties and shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or incapacity. He/she shall also be responsible for maintaining all financial records, collections and disbursement of funds and preparation of financial reports.
    3. The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence, recordings, reports, minutes and announcements which may be required by the members and officers of EGSO. These duties include administering any required votes via e-mail, serving as election monitor at the end of their term or designating another person to serve as election monitor for the fall meeting election.
    4. It is permissible for two people to be elected to hold one office. Procedures for elections where co-candidates are running are described in Article VII.
  3. In the event that an office becomes vacant, nominations will be taken at the meeting immediately following the announcement of the vacancy. Elections will be held at this meeting and will follow the procedures listed in Article VII.
  4. Committee coordinators, appointed as described above, will be responsible for organizing special meetings to discuss specific issues and for presenting a synthesis of these discussions to the general meetings for action. While committee coordinator roles will be flexible, there will generally be at least one coordinator for each of the four activity categories described in Article I.

Article IV - Meetings

  1. The EGSO will meet once a month during the fall and spring semesters. The meeting will be held at a time and location designated by the President.
  2. In the event that none of the previous year's officers is present at the first meeting, the members in attendance will appoint a temporary president for that meeting.
  3. Special committee meetings may be called by committee coordinators to discuss specific issues. All committees will be open to any interested member. Committee meetings will be generally advertised and are also open to any interested member.

Article V - Voting

  1. A. 20% of the membership shall constitute a quorum at an EGSO meeting.
  2. If a quorum is reached, a simple majority of those present shall be sufficient to decide an issue before EGSO.
  3. If a quorum is not reached at a meeting, an issue before EGSO may be put to a vote of all members via e-mail. If the number of votes cast via e-mail is at least 20% of EGSO membership, a simple majority of votes shall be sufficient to decide the issue.
  4. In the event that more than two options or candidates are put to vote and a simple majority is not obtained in the first round, a second vote between the two options or candidates that received the most votes will be taken.

Article VI - Finances

  1. Financial issues will be dealt with as needed in regular EGSO meetings. The Vice-President/Treasurer will be responsible for finances as described in Article III.

Article VII - Elections

  1. Elections will be held for EGSO officer positions as described in Article III and for student representatives on program committees are described in Amendment I.
    1. Elections for officers will be held on or after the last regularly scheduled meeting of the fall semester and be completed before the end of the fall semester following a nomination procedure as described in Section C of this article.
    2. Elections for program committee student representatives will be held during the first month of the fall semester following a nomination procedure as indicated in section C of this article.
  2. The outgoing secretary or someone appointed by the outgoing secretary will serve as the election monitor. The monitor will be responsible for both nomination and voting procedures at the spring election meeting. If the designated election monitor becomes a candidate for an office of the current election, they will appoint a substitute who is not a candidate to fulfill the election monitor duties. The election monitor may enlist the help of other non-candidates to conduct the election.
  3. The election monitor will solicit nominations for the officer positions from the members and distribute the names of nominees to the members one week prior to the fall election. Self nomination is allowed. Nominations from the floor will be accepted at the election.
  4. Balloting is held first for President, then Vice-President, then Secretary so that non-winners may enter balloting for successive positions.
  5. The following protocols will be followed in cases where co-candidates are running for one office. Co-candidates run on an equivalent basis to one solo candidate. Voters cast only one vote per position among all individual or co-candidacies
  6. Voting will proceed as described under Article V (Voting) except as described in section E. of this Article.
  7. The officers shall be elected to serve for a term of one year and their term of office shall begin at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. Officers may run for reelection.

Article VIII - Ratification and amendments to the charter

  1. The EGSO founding meeting will have a quorum if it is attended by at least 20% of the students registered in the PSU Ecology IGDP at the time of the meeting. This charter will be ratified if it is adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of those attending the founding meeting.
  2. If this quorum of 20% of the potential EGSO members is not met at the founding meeting, the founding meeting facilitator will circulate the charter to all current Ecology program students via e-mail for a vote. If more than 20% of these students vote, the charter will be ratified if it is accepted by a two-thirds majority vote.
  3. This charter may be amended or revised at any EGSO meeting by a two-thirds majority vote provided that a quorum is present at the meeting and that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing to the previous meeting. If a quorum is not present at a meeting, the amendment may be considered by e-mail as described in section B of this article.

Article IX - Operational philosophy

  1. The President shall strive to achieve consensus in reaching decisions. Votes on issues shall only be taken when necessary.

Ratification

This Charter was ratified at a meeting of members held on December 8, 1999.

Amendment I

  1. One current Ecology Graduate Student shall be elected to serve as a student representative each on the Ecology Program’s Faculty Program Committee and Curriculum Committee.
    1. The student representatives shall represent as best as possible the viewpoints of the Ecology Gradate Students at large at the committee meetings.
    2. Each student representative shall attend all committee meetings or shall appoint a temporary replacement to attend a meeting from among the EGSO members if the elected representative is unable to attend a meeting.
    3. The student committee representative or their replacements shall report to the EGSO officers and members a synopsis of each committee meeting at the EGSO meeting following each committee meeting.
    4. The student representative’s report will be incorporated into the secretary’s notes of the EGSO meeting.
  2. Nominations and voting procedures will follow articles V and VII.
    1. Current EGSO officers are not eligible to hold committee positions in order to cultivate more student involvement in the program.
    2. Nominations and elections for the program committee and curriculum committee will be held separately with each EGSO member submitting one vote for each of the two representatives.
    3. Committee representative appointments will be for a one-year term with possible reelection.

Amendment II

  1. Copies of this constitution are available to anyone upon request.
  2. Copies of the EGSO constitution can be found at: http://www.ecology.psu.edu/egso/egso-bylaws