The organization described herein shall be called the Graduate Student Association of Arts & Sciences of the College of William and Mary.  Its purposes shall be to advance the academic and social interests of graduate students of the college, to assist in governing matters of honor violations within the graduate school, and to provide a forum for the dissemination of information and ideas to the college and the community.

Membership in the Graduate Student Association of Arts & Sciences shall be open to any person enrolled as a graduate or unclassified (post-baccalaureate) student under the Faculty of Arts & Sciences.

The Graduate Student Association of Arts & Sciences (GSA-A&S) shall be governed by the Graduate Student Association Council.

        A.  The Council shall consist of one representative elected from each graduate department or program under the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, and five officers elected as described in Article III, Section C.

1.  Each department or program shall elect a representative to the Council within two weeks after the beginning of the Fall term. This representative shall serve for the academic year. Subsequent vacancies will be filled by election as necessary by the units involved during the academic year.
2.  The GSA-A&S will meet no later than the fourth week of the Fall semester:
a.  to organize standing committees
b.  to set meeting dates of council for the academic year just beginning, which shall include at least six meetings.  The President may call additional meetings if deemed necessary.
3.  Graduate Student Association Council meetings are open to all GSA-A&S members, though only Council members may vote, each having one vote with a majority needed to carry any resolution except for Constitutional amendment, which are provided for under Article V.
4.  To conduct business, a quorum of a majority of the department representatives, and a majority of the officers must be present.
5.  In the case of an Executive Council Officer (as described in Article III, section C) vacancy, individuals may be appointed by the President to serve in the position with the support of a majority of the GSA Council present.

1.  to act as a forum for discussion and organization of GSA-A&S activities, i.e., academic, social and community-service projects.
2.  to respond to concerns raised by the Student Assembly via the GSA-A&S Representative to the Student Senate.
3.  to assist the preparation of the GSA-A&S budget for the coming academic year.
4.  to represent the interests and concerns of Arts and Sciences graduate students to the Administration, the Graduate Council, the Student Assembly, and other college-wide policy organizations through the Council Officers or their delegates, and through the appointed committee representatives as provided for in Article IV, Section A, Subsection 7.

1.  The Executive Council may meet in executive session, open to all members of the GSA-A&S, to propose resolutions for future meetings.  Resolutions are not binding unless voted on during GSA general meetings as provided for under Article III, Section A, Subsection 3.
2.  Council Officer elections will be held in February in conjunction with the Student Assembly elections as described in Section IV of the Student Assembly constitution.
3.  Executive Council terms begin on the last Monday of April.
4.  Executive Council cannot concurrently serve as Department Representative
5.  No more than two Officers may serve from the same department.

        A.  The duties of the President shall be:

1.  to preside over all meetings of the Graduate Student Association Council.
2.  to appoint a representative body of GSA-A&S students, with the support of the majority of the GSA Council present, to serve as an honor council to investigate and try cases involving GSA-A&S students.
3.  to call special meetings of the Council as he/she deems necessary.
4.  to serve as First Representative to the Graduate Council from the GSA-A&S.
5.  to appear with the Treasurer before the budget hearings of the Finance Committee to submit and defend the budget of the GSA-A&S.
6.  to appoint a Representative to the Student Senate with the support of the majority of the GSA Council present.  The Representative to the Student Senate duties will be:
a.  to attend meetings of the Student Senate of the Student Assembly and represent GSA-A&S interests there.
b.  to report at Council meetings on issues calling for graduate student involvement or movement.
c.  to inform GSA-A&S members in January of procedures for applying for Student Assembly standing committees, especially Finance and College-Wide Committees.
7.  to appoint representatives to college-wide committees where A&S graduate students have a seat with the support of a majority of the GSA Council present.

1.  to perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President or in the event that the President resigns, is incapacitated, or otherwise fails to fulfill the presidential duties.
2.  to serve as the Second Representative to the Graduate Council from the GSA-A&S.
3.  to coordinate the services offered by the GSA-A&S to outside organizations.
4.  to form and chair the election committee in early February in accordance with Section IV of the Student Assembly Constitution.

1.  to keep minutes of the meetings of the Graduate Student Association Council and to assure their timely publication on the website.
2.  to obtain a list of graduate students' names at the beginning of each academic year.
3.  to handle necessary GSA-A&S correspondence.
4.  to maintain the GSA web site.
5.  to publish an agenda in a timely manner before regularly scheduled meetings and to assure their publication on the website.

1.  to allocate funds for GSA-A&S functions in accordance with the current college policies.
2.  to provide a statement on finances to each meeting of the Council.
3.  to prepare, in consultation with the other officers, the GSA-A&S budget for the coming academic year.
4.  to submit receipts of charges to the Student Activities Accountant for payment or reimbursement.
5.  to attend, with the President, the budget hearings of the Finance Committee to present and defend the GSA-A&S budget.

1.  to organize and direct social functions of the GSA-A&S, including convening the Social Committee, whose duties shall include publicizing, planning, maintaining, and supervising all GSA-A&S social functions.
2.  to ensure that graduate students are informed of any GSA-A&S function or project.

1.  to attend all meetings of the Council.
2.  to inform the graduate students in their departments of GSA-A&S events and issues.
3.  to assist in the organization and execution of GSA events.

This constitution may be amended or revised by a two-thirds vote of the Council.

A. Funds budgeted for the use of the several departments will not be appropriated if the Department Representative does not regularly attend the scheduled GSA meetings.
B. The transfer of monies from one budget line to another, use of colloquia funds, and the distribution of the GSA Supplemental Conference Fund require a vote from the GSA Council.

Click here to read the election procedure.