GPSA Council Agenda Saturday 28h of September 2013, 9:00 am Domenici West, Rm. 2112
I. Roll Call
II. Opening Business a. Approval of the September 28, 2013 Agenda b. Approval of the August 24, 2013 Minutes c. Media & Gallery
III. Guest Speakers
a. Dr. Elly Van Mil (Graduate Student Funding Initiative)
IV. Officer Reports a. President’s Report b. Council Chair’s Report
V. Action Items
a. Grants Appeal: Rijasoa Andriamanana (Appellant and Grants Committee will each have 5 minutes to speak and 5 minutes for Q&A for Council)
b. Mandated items i. Approval of Executive Standing Committee Chairs
1. Elections: TBD 2. Executive Finance: Co-‐Chairs Texanna Martin & Dan Gray 3. Programs: Carlos Contreras Vidal (Public Adminstration) 4. Grants: Co-‐Chairs Abbey Hepner (Art Studio), Sara Niedbalski
(Anthropology) ii. Appointment of Legislative Standing Committee Chairs
1. Steering: Jessica Marshall (Law) c. Legislative Standing Committees
i. Legislative Steering Committee 1. LSC Report 2. LSC Business
i. LSC Standing Rules ii. FR-‐13-‐02: In State Tuition for DACA Students
3. LSC Appointments i. Deborah Beebe (Management) ii. Appointments TBD
ii. Legislative Finance Committee
1. LFC Report 2. LFC Business
i. LFC Standing Rules ii. FA-‐13-‐001: Association of Public Interest Law (APIL) iii. FA-‐13-‐002: American Planning Association (APA) iv. FA-‐13-‐003: GPSA Executive Government
3. LFC Appointments i. Sue No (Nursing) ii. James Davenport (Anthropology) iii. Melissa Berghmans (Management) iv. Dennis Flannigan (Management)
VI. Discussion Items a. Constitution and Bylaws Changes-‐Finance Code b. Executive Ad Hoc Committees
VII. Closing Announcements
VIII. Upcoming Meetings
IX. Adjourn
GPSA Council Meeting Minutes Saturday 24th of August 2013, 9:00 am Student Union Building, Ballroom A
I. Quorum established–Meeting called to order at 9:16 am
II. Opening Business • Agenda approved with no revisions by unanimous consent • May 4th minutes approved by unanimous consent • Media and Gallery: Reporter from the Daily Lobo is present.
III. Guest Speakers
• Debbie Morris (Student Activities Center) discussed chartering procedures, PB funds, and various resources available to students
• Dr. Lawrence Roybal (Graduate Resource Center) discussed graduate student resources such as: GROWL, GRC consultation appointments, GSFI, and Graduate & Professional Student Academy.
IV. Officer Reports • President’s Report
• GPSA President Priscila Poliana touched on objectives for next year, summer projects, partnership with ASUNM, and the need for grants website overhaul.
• Council Chair’s Report • GPSA Council Chair Maria Elena Corral discussed procedure for Council meetings, open committee positions, and the relationship between GPSA, Council representatives, and their constituents.
V. Action Items • Mandated Items
• Appointment of Council Recorder–Rep. Beebe motions to appoint Pelatia Trujillo (Management), Rep. Rush seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
• Adoption of Standing Rules–Standing Rules are approved with no revisions by unanimous consent.
• Appointment of Legislative Standing Committee Chairs: • Steering– Rep. Melissa Berghmans motions to table the LSC
Chair appointment until the September meeting, Rep. Beebe seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
• Legislative Finance: Rep. Davenport motions to appoint LisaMarie Turk (Nursing) as LFC Chair, Rep. Flannigan seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
• Approval of Executive Standing Committee Chairs • Elections: TBD • Executive Finance: TBD • Grants: TBD • Lobby: Jon Lee (Law) • Programs: TBD • Student Support & Advocacy: Deborah Beebe (Management)
Presidential appointments were presented to Council.
• Approval of Court of Review Justices • Rep. Gordon motions to approve President’s recommendations
for Court of Review Justices Jee Hwang (Economics) and Charles A. Goodknight (Law), seconded by Rep. Rush. Motion passes unanimously.
• Emergency items • FA-‐13-‐01: GPSA General Government
• Rep. Berghmans motions amend P.A. position to .25, 10 hours/week, seconded by Rep. Marshall. Motion to amend passes with 1 abstention.
• Rep. Gordon motions to table the “Branding, Marketing, & Technology Innovations” request until the next meeting and to approve the P.A. position at .25, seconded by Rep. Beebe. Motion passes, 1 abstention.
• Legislative Standing Committees • Those nominated for the LSC are Rep. Marshall, and Rep. Rush. • Those nominated for the LFC are Rep. Berghmans, Rep. No, Rep
Davenport, Rep. Flannigan, Rep. Beebe • Rep. Gordon motions to approve all nominations for LFC and
LSC, seconded by Rep. Brown. Motion passes unanimously.
VI. Discussion Items–None
VII. Closing Announcements–Rep. Rush gave timeline for GPSA logo design competition, requested involvement from Council reps and their constituents, and referred them to GPSAnews.wordpress.com.
VIII. Upcoming Meetings–Next meeting will be September 28th at 9 am in Domenici West room 2112
IX. Adjourn–Rep. M. Rush motioned to adjourn, Rep. Beebe seconded. Motion passes unanimously.
Representatives in attendance: -‐Shannon Kinkead (Management) -‐Ryan Brown (Management) -‐Deborah Beebe (Management) -‐Dennis Flannigan (Management) -‐Melissa Berghmans (Management) -‐Suzi Gordon (Earth & Planetary Science) -‐Matthew Rush (Nanoscience & Microsystems) -‐Jeff Gordon (Law) -‐Jessica Marshall (Law) -‐Valerie Ozaksut (Art Education) -‐Tiffini Porter (Public Administration) -‐Theadora Muehlenweg (Public Administration) -‐Francis Esquibel (Public Administration) -‐Julia Brunson (Occupational Therapy) -‐Sue No (Nursing) -‐Karol Ibarra Zetter (Spanish & Portuguese) -‐James Davenport (Anthropology) -‐Elena Friot (History) -‐
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GPSA Legislative Steering Committee
Standing Rules, 2013-2014
I. Meetings A. A calendar of regular meeting dates for the 2013-2014 Council session shall be
approved at the second (October) meeting. 1. The calendar may be revised at any Legislative Steering Committee (LSC)
meeting. The LSC Chair may reschedule a meeting as long as TPNR can be satisfied, but the LSC must approve this calendar revision at the next meeting.
2. Changing date, time, or location of any meeting does count as a revision. a. Adding locations to the currently approved calendar does not count as
a revision. 3. Revisions to the calendar must be posted within two (2) business days and at
least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the next meeting. B. Quorum shall be determined by the physical presence of more than half of the
members of the LSC. 1. The LSC Chair and Council Chair shall maintain a list of current committee
members. 2. Council Representatives may volunteer to participate on the LSC for one
meeting prior to appointment by the Council Chair and approval by Council, as long as the volunteer participation does not violate the composition requirements of the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
C. The LSC shall hold at least one (1) meeting prior to each regularly scheduled Council meeting, in accordance with timelines in the Bylaws.
D. The LSC may vote to adjourn any meeting listed on the calendar to a specific date, time, and place, even if other meetings are scheduled for the session.
E. Participation by Telecommunication is not permitted for the LSC. F. Requests for video or audio recording should be made to the LSC Chair more than
twenty-four (24) hours in advance of a meeting. 1. Requests made less than twenty-four (24) hours will be accommodated, but
the person(s) making the request must provide the recording equipment and surrender the recording to the LSC Chair at the end of the meeting for a copy to be made.
2. The LSC Chair or the Chair’s designee shall make and provide a copy to the GPSA Office within five (5) business days. The content of the original recording shall not be altered.
3. The original recording shall be returned to its owner as soon as possible after the copies have been made.
II. Parliamentary Procedure
A. The parliamentary authority, subservient to the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws and the LSC Standing Rules, shall be the tenth (10th) edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
B. Proceedings may be informal unless a committee member or the LSC Chair invokes parliamentary procedure.
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1. The purpose is to allow hearings, document editing, and recommendation
formation to move efficiently and responsively. 2. If at any point the LSC Chair believes a member’s rights are being violated or
the meeting is losing decorum, or at the request of any member of the LSC, the LSC Chair shall end informal discussion on that agenda item, and parliamentary procedure shall be resumed.
3. The final outcome of informal discussion must be approved by a parliamentary vote.
III. Chair Expectations
A. The LSC Chair may miss no more than one (1) LSC meeting. 1. Should the LSC Chair have to miss a meeting, the Chair shall contact the
Council Chair and the committee members as soon as possible, explaining the reason for the absence.
2. The LSC Chair may designate someone to chair the meeting in the Chair’s absence.
3. If the LSC Chair does not designate someone to chair the meeting, the committee members present at the meeting shall determine if quorum is satisfied, and if so, shall designate one of the members to chair the meeting.
4. The Chair-designee shall be responsible for holding meeting decorum and fulfilling all obligations for the time of designation as described by the Council Chair or the Council Chair Pro Tempore.
5. Rescheduling a meeting with proper notice does not count as an absence. B. The LSC Chair shall be responsible for agendas, minutes, satisfaction of TPNR
and Conflict of Interest policies, and committee reports. C. The LSC Chair shall be responsible for ensuring the appropriate forms are
available on the GPSA website and in the GPSA Office. D. The LSC Chair shall be responsible for collecting legislative item submissions,
redirecting submissions to the appropriate contacts if necessary, and distributing submitted documents to the LSC members.
E. The LSC Chair shall hold at least one (1) office hour per week, and shall regularly check e-mail accounts and office mailbox for legislative item submissions.
F. The LSC Chair may participate in discussions.
IV. Member Expectations A. Members are expected to attend at least four (4) LSC meetings for the session.
1. Members shall provide the LSC Chair with a reason for each absence as soon as possible.
B. Members are responsible for adhering to the Conflict of Interest policy. 1. After the agenda is posted, LSC members shall submit in writing a list of
conflicts of interest to the LSC Chair to be included in the minutes. This list should be submitted in advance or at the start of the meeting.
2. Lists of conflicts submitted in this way shall count as disclosure and do not need to be repeated in the course of the meeting.
3. Lists of conflicts shall be available for review at the meeting at the request of
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any person. 4. Conflicts that arise during the course of the meeting that are not listed must be
announced in accordance with the Bylaws. C. Members may participate in discussion, votes, and further tasks to complete the
business of the LSC. D. Proxies are not permitted for the LSC.
V. LSC Recorder
A. At the start of each meeting, a member present shall be selected to act as LSC Recorder for that meeting. The LSC Chair shall seek volunteers before assigning a recorder.
B. Since the LSC Chair must take minutes of the meeting and most business for the LSC will involve reviewing documents, it is necessary for someone to record changes to documents in real time for the purpose of discussion. 1. The LSC Recorder shall be responsible for updating the document during
discussion. 2. The LSC Chair shall verify that the document reflects the discussion before
any final votes are taken, unless otherwise directed by the committee.
VI. Legislative Items A. Legislative items may be submitted electronically to [email protected] or in
hard copy to the LSC Chair’s mailbox in the GPSA Office in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
B. Each legislative item submission shall be accompanied with a Legislative Cover Form.
C. Each amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws shall be accompanied with a Rationale for University Legal Counsel, to be reviewed in addition to the amendment.
D. Templates for amendments and resolutions shall be available on the GPSA website and in the GPSA Office. Submissions not in accordance with the templates may be returned to the submitting party for reformatting and revision. The LSC Chair or the Chair’s designee shall assist with preparing submissions upon request.
E. Executive appointments, discussion items, and other business for Council that are not resolutions, bylaws, or constitution may be submitted in any standard and acceptable format.
F. All forms required by the LSC shall be approved by the LSC in a regular meeting before being implemented.
VII. Committee Review and Recommendation A. The LSC Chair shall notify submitting parties of the LSC meeting in which their
item will be discussed, thus acknowledging receipt of the submission. B. The submitting party shall be allotted three (3) minutes to introduce the legislative
item when that item is introduced to the table. Questions directed to the submitting party after the introduction are not part of the time limit.
C. The LSC may determine methods for editing documents for format, grammar, and
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spelling for each legislative item. Documents changed in only these ways are still considered the original document for the purposes of forwarding to Council.
D. The LSC shall produce a recommendation for every legislative item. The recommendation may include, but is not limited to: substitution, amendment, course of action, and issues for discussion.
E. LSC shall inform submitting party of changes via email and determine if submitting party wishes to remain sponsor. The submitting has two business days to respond to the LSC email. If the submitting party does not wish to sponsor the proposed legislation as amended, members of the LSC may sponsor it.
F. The recommendation shall be forwarded to the submitting party and to the Council Chair in accordance with the Bylaws.
VIII. Committee Reports A. The LSC Chair shall produce a report that shall include the minutes (or a
summary of the minutes), revised legislative submissions, and complete recommendations for each Council meeting and submit it to the Council Chair in accordance with the Bylaws..
B. The LSC Chair shall produce a report each semester which shall include LSC meetings and a list of all legislative items reviewed.
C. The LSC Chair shall produce an annual report after the last regularly scheduled LSC meeting which shall include LSC meetings, a list of all legislative items reviewed, the LSC Standing Rules, and recommendations for the future.
WHEREAS, the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) of the University of New Mexico is the representative body of the graduate and professional students; and WHEREAS, GPSA recognizes the following rights: the right to a complete and liberal education, the right to access the resources necessary to promote that education, the right to freely express ideas and thoughts that are a product of that education, and the right to participate in the processes and institutions that will ensure this education remains worthy and acceptable; and WHEREAS, the term “student” is defined as “any person enrolled at the University of New Mexico, in an undergraduate, graduate, professional, or non-degree status”1; and WHEREAS, there is no federal or state law that prohibits the admission of undocumented immigrants to U.S. colleges or universities, public or private, nor does federal or state law require students to prove citizenship in order to enter U.S. institutions of higher education.2 WHEREAS, the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 requires that each applicant be notified that disclosure of an applicant’s social security number, (SSN), is mandatory based on University regulation. An applicant’s SSN is used to ensure an accurate academic record and to provide full access to all services such as financial aid. An applicant’s SSN will not be used as the primary University Identification number. If an applicant is unable to provide a SSN, the University will assign an alternative number. This will not impact the admission decision; and WHEREAS, the Department of Homeland Security implemented Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) last summer for undocumented young people who would be eligible for the DREAM Act to obtain a work permit and reprieve from detention or deportation. DACA includes granting undocumented young people lawful presence in the United States for a two-year period of time that can be renewed by Homeland Security; and WHEREAS, the New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED) allows for students who are “non-citizens of the United States, who are lawfully in the United States, who have obtained permanent status from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or non-citizens who serve on active duty in the armed forces of the United States, may establish residency by meeting the durational and intent requirements.”3 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that GPSA supports the rights of graduate and professional students with DACA at the University of New Mexico who meet the durational and intent requirements to apply for and obtain in-state tuition; and THERFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that GPSA requests UNM administration assemble a coalition of groups to provide information on current policies and options available, support services, and work with undocumented and DACA students
1 Article I, Section I. Definitions. (5-16-97) 2 College Board- Advising Undocumented Students: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/financial-aid/undocumented-students 3 NM HED Residency Brochure
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THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution will be forwarded to the Governor of the State of New Mexico and the New Mexico State Legislature, the Board of Regents, the President of the University of New Mexico, the Vice-President of Student Affairs, the Vice-President of the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Registrar.
GPSA Legislative Finance Committee Standing Rules
1
Section 1. Membership
I. All committee members shall be selected in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. II. At the first Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) meeting of the session a LFC Vice-Chair shall
be chosen by the LFC. A. The LFC Vice-Chair shall serve as the LFC Chair in the LFC Chair’s absence. B. The LFC Vice-Chair shall be responsible for the recording of minutes. C. The LFC Vice-Chair shall assist in other duties as agreed to with the LFC Chair.
III. Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote. IV. Proxy voting will be allowed with a written statement of recommendations. V. Alternate Council Representatives can be voting members of the Committee
Section 2. Meeting Schedule
I. The Legislative Finance Committee shall pass adopted standing rules as the first item of business at its first regular committee meeting and the adopted standing rules will be forwarded to the Full Council for Approval. Until adopted by the Council, standing rules are only tentatively approved.
II. Regular meetings will be held at least six (6) academic days before regularly scheduled monthly Council Meetings. A. Notice of meeting location, change in meeting time, or additional meetings will be posted
on the GPSA website. III. Quorum will consist of two-thirds (2/3) of the committee’s membership as appointed by the
Council Chair.
Section 3. Authority
I. The authority of the LFC is granted through the discretion of the Council and the laws of GPSA. II. Funding allocations must comply with University Policy and GPSA laws. III. These LFC Standing Rules are applicable to all funding allocations. The Standing Rules may be
lifted under exceptional circumstances and after careful review by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the LFC and, subsequently, the GPSA Council when the allocation is voted on.
IV. The parliamentary authority shall be Roberts’ Rules of Order, or that of the GPSA Council should there be a discrepancy. A. The LFC may enact changes to the parliamentary authority should they choose to do so.
V. The LFC Chair shall have all authority to conduct meetings and enforce parliamentary authority.
Section 4. Regular Meetings
I. Each organization requesting an appropriation should be present at either the EFC or LFC hearing for their appropriation in order to be allocated funds. A. At least one (1) graduate or professional student should be present at their scheduled
hearing in order to be eligible for funding.
GPSA Legislative Finance Committee Standing Rules
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B. Any organization may apply again for an appropriation if they miss their scheduled hearing.
II. Appropriation Presentations: A. Each organization will be allotted a five (5) minute speaking time to present their
appropriation request to the committee. B. Deliberations.
1. Reductions, increases, or other alterations to the request may be made. 2. Deliberations are restricted solely to the committee.
C. The committee will not be able to make additional changes to appropriations outside of the specified deliberation period.
III. Sample Agenda I. Opening
A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Approval of Agenda D. Approval of Minutes
II. Preliminary Business A. Gallery & Media B. Executive Finance Report C. Chair Report
1) Budget Revisions III. Business
A. Old Business B. New Business
1) Appropriations IV. Closing
A. Committee Member Comments B. Committee Chair Comments C. Adjournment
Section 5. Funding Restrictions
I. Advertising – The maximum allocation for advertising will not exceed $100.00. II. Computer Costs – The maximum allocation for computer costs will not exceed $500.00. III. Computer Supplies & Printing – The maximum allocation for computer supplies and printing will
not exceed $150.00. IV. Conference Fees – The maximum allocation for conference fees will not exceed $400.00 total;
the maximum per student will not exceed $100.00 per organization per conference. V. Copying Services – The maximum allocation for copying services will not exceed $100.00. VI. Dues & Fees – GPSA will not fund dues and fees to an external organization.
GPSA Legislative Finance Committee Standing Rules
3
VII. Educational Supplies & Subscriptions – The maximum allocation for educational supplies will not exceed $350.00.
VIII. Food/Refreshments A. The maximum allocation for food/refreshments for an event will not exceed $200
I. This limitation can be overridden with a 2/3 vote from the EFC or LFC. IX. Honorarium refers to payment to an individual of special achievement or renown who is willing
to visit the university and participate in an event for a short duration of time. This type of payment is not intended to pay an individual for services, but rather as a token of appreciation. UNM Staff and Faculty cannot receive honorariums per UNM policy. The maximum allocation for honorarium(s) will not exceed $175.00 total. Note: Travel and lodging will not be funded.
X. Professional Services refer to the cost of professional services provided by an outside, non-campus source, such as speaker fees, equipment maintenance, DJs, security, entertainers. The maximum allocation for professional services will not exceed $500.00. Maximum allocation for equipment maintenance, DJs, security, entertainers and other non-speaker cost shall not exceed $250. Honorarium and professional services may not be requested for the same individual.
XI. Office Supplies – The maximum allocation for office supplies will not exceed $100.00. A. Office supplies only include unexpected need or those associated with an event. Other
office supply requests must go through the Spring Budget Cycle. XII. Travel –
A. Limit of two (2) graduate and/or professional students funded per organization per travel event. 1. Groups must provide rational for the number of students traveling and extent of benefit this travel has for the entire student body. 2. This limitation can be overridden with a 2/3 vote from the EFC or LFC.
B. Per Diem, to include food and lodging, will not exceed $75.00 per person per day with a maximum allocation of $525.00 per person, for a total of 14 days.
C. Driving will be funded at a maximum of twenty-five cents ($0.25) per mile. Mileage allocation will be limited to one (1) automobile per event.
D. Airfare will be funded at a maximum of seventy percent (70%) in economy class with a maximum allocation of $500. A printed airline estimate MUST be provided at the group’s hearing.
XIII. OTHER RESTRICTIONS A. GPSA shall only allocate funding in whole dollars; all requests must be rounded to the
nearest whole dollar. B. Any physical equipment, office supplies, or educational materials/subscriptions
purchased with GPSA funding must be stored at UNM, available to the organization and its members, when not being used for purposes of the organization on or outside of UNM.
GPSA Legislative Finance Committee Standing Rules
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C. Funding for events shall be funded as separate line items with, at the discretion of the LFC, optional sub-line items independent of restrictions set forth in the LFC Standing Rules.
Section 6. Budget Process
I. Requirements A. The GPSA Budget Process shall follow all stipulations set forth in the GPSA Bylaws. B. The Committee shall follow the LFC Standing Rules in the Budget Process.
II. Appropriations A. All appropriation requests must be received by the GPSA office or be sent electronically
to the GPSA email address on the appropriation form no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday after the prior GPSA Council Meeting, unless otherwise specified.
III. Budget Revisions A. All requests for budget revisions must be received by the Student Government
Accounting Office (SGAO) in the Student Activities Center (SAC). B. The Legislative Finance Chair and Executive Finance Chair shall receive and review all
budget revision requests. C. Budget Revisions will be either approved, denied, or approved with changes or
stipulations once the EFC Chair and LFC Chair have agreed on the revision. D. If the EFC Chair and LFC Chair do not agree, each will consult their committees for
recommendations. E. If an agreement is still not reached, the Council Chair shall make the tie breaking vote. F. The EFC Chair or LFC Chair shall sign off on Budget Revisions within two (2) academic
days of agreed action. IV. Annual Budget
A. The timeline, requirements, presentation specifics, and application will be compiled into a ‘GPSA Budget Packet’ by the Legislative Finance Chair in consultation with the Executive Finance Chair and SGAO.
B. The GPSA Budget Pack shall be accessible in the GPSA Office, GPSA website, and SGAO no later than the end of the first full academic week of the Spring Semester as in accordance with the GPSA Bylaws.
Section 7. Minutes
I. Minutes shall be taken for each regularly scheduled meeting, emergency meeting, budget hearing, and during budget deliberations.
II. Recording and Distribution A. All minutes shall include:
1. Time and location the meeting was called scheduled and called to order. 2. Who was presiding over the meeting, the Committee members present and absent, as
well as any names of gallery and media that address the Committee.
GPSA Legislative Finance Committee Standing Rules
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3. Minutes will follow template based on agenda. 4. The Committee Member who entertains a motion and the vote of the motion. 5. The final dollar amount allocated or revised for each line item and any stipulations or
conditions set by the Committee.
GPSA Appropriation Request Form
Association of Pulic Interest Law (APIL) Name of Organization
9/6/2013 $ 1200
Date Total Request Amount
CONTACT INFORMATION
1117 Stanford NE MSC11 6070; 1 UNM; Albuquerque, NM Campus Address
Shayne Huffman 505-‐803-‐1703 [email protected] Contact Name Phone Number Email Address
Monica Newcomer Miller 505-‐816-‐8289 [email protected] Contact Name Phone Number Email Address ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Please select all of the following that apply. The student group requesting appropriation funding:
A chartered student organization through the Student Activities Center Has an account in the Student Government Accounting Office Receives PB Funding from a Recognized Department Student Association Has received GPSA funding in the past year (appropriation or budget)
Describe below amount(s) of funding from other sources. Please include any GPSA funding from the past year.
REQUEST INFORMATION: Please select and describe what your student group is requesting funds for:
Travel Event One-‐Time Capital Outlay (ie: computer) Unforeseen Expenditures/Other Basic Description of the Appropriation Request:
Requests must be filled out completely including detail sheet on the back and submitted to the GPSA Legislative Finance Chair via email ([email protected]) no later than 5:00 PM ON THE FRIDAY before the scheduled committee meeting. The LFC Chair should contact the organization to notify them of the time and location of the meeting after the appropriation is
received.
Dean's Fund (School of Law) $200/per student ($400 Total)APIL direct funding $150/student ($300 Total)
The expected Budget per student for the conference is a follows:Travel: $375/flight + $25/taxi fees Food: $50/day x 3 days = $150Lodging: $169/night x 2 nights = $375 (including estimated taxes)Conference Fee: $25TOTAL: $950
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET APIL
Name of Organization
Category: Travel -‐ Airfare
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Flight from Albuquerque to Washington D.C. to attend the conference on October 25 -‐ 26, 2013.
375
750
Category: Travel -‐ Per Diem
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Food/lodging allowance for three days including travel days and conference days. ($75/day)
225
450
Category: Select a Category
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Select a Category
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Select a Category
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Select a Category
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
TOTAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST AMOUNT: 1200
Organizations need to attend the Executive OR Legislative Finance Committee meeting to present their request. Please round the total price(s) for each line-‐item to the nearest whole dollar.
GPSA Appropriation Request Form
UNM APA ñAmerican Planning Association Name of Organization
8/30/2013 $1,311
Date Total Request Amount
CONTACT INFORMATION
Room P116 A MSC 04-‐2530 George Pearl Hall Campus Address
Lucas Pedraza (646) 320-‐4342 [email protected] Contact Name Phone Number Email Address
Josh Johnson (970) 405-‐8742 [email protected] Contact Name Phone Number Email Address ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Please select all of the following that apply. The student group requesting appropriation funding:
A chartered student organization through the Student Activities Center Has an account in the Student Government Accounting Office Receives PB Funding from a Recognized Department Student Association Has received GPSA funding in the past year (appropriation or budget)
Describe below amount(s) of funding from other sources. Please include any GPSA funding from the past year.
REQUEST INFORMATION: Please select and describe what your student group is requesting funds for:
Travel Event One-‐Time Capital Outlay (ie: computer) Unforeseen Expenditures/Other Basic Description of the Appropriation Request:
Requests must be filled out completely including detail sheet on the back and submitted to the GPSA Legislative Finance Chair via email ([email protected]) no later than 5:00 PM ON THE FRIDAY before the scheduled committee meeting. The
All of our current funds are from our fundraising activities. Last semester (Spring 2013) we recieved funding for food for one event.
There is an American Planning Association event in Famington New Mecixo that we would like to send students to from the Community and Regional Planning (CRP) department. We are also asking for funding of special events held at the school of architecture and planning, open to all Community Regional Planning and Architecture students.
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET LFC Chair should contact the organization to notify them of the time and location of the meeting after the appropriation is
received.
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET UNM APA ñAmerican Planning Association
Name of Organization
Category: Event
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
3 Special events food and drink: 1 Parking day event, 1 Halloween kick ball, 1 Bike in movie.
$200
$600
Category: Travel -‐ Mileage
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
2 students driving to Farmington NM APA conference 180 Mile drive
$.25
$46
Category: Travel -‐ Per Diem
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
2 students to Farmington NM APA conference for 3 days
$75
$450
Category: Copying Services
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Color copies for flyers (for events) $1 per sheet. 5 Sheets per event. 3 Events.
$5
$15
Category: Conference Fees
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
2 students conferences fees for APA Farmington conference.
$100
$200
Category: Select a Category
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
TOTAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST AMOUNT: $1,311
Organizations need to attend the Executive OR Legislative Finance Committee meeting to present their request. Please round the total price(s) for each line-‐item to the nearest whole dollar.
GPSA Branding, Marketing, & Technology Innovations
Proposed Projects 2013-2014
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 OBJECTIVE 3
I. Marketing/Outreach 3 GPSA (Main) Website [GPSA.unm.edu] 3
1) New GPSA (main) website 4 2) GPSA Grants Build-‐in 6 3) Updates & Maintenance 6
Social Media 7 Promotional Materials 9
GPSA Information Pamphlets 9 UNM Graduate Funding/Resources 11 Tuition & Fees Explained 12
II. Branding 13 Current GPSA Logos (Provided by UNM Communications & Marketing) 13 Current GPSA Logo (designed in house) 13 Current ASUNM Logos 13 GPSA Logo Re-‐design 14
III. Technology 14
IV. Budget Summary 15
Objective
As with any good brand, the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) is an icon representative of all graduate and professional students at the University of New Mexico. We stand to serve, but key to doing so is our ability to convey ourselves in a clear and concise manner. Yet continually we see that GPSA is falling behind. We have a listserv, website, and an office. But in an age of constant advertising through mass mailing, where everyone dreads to read their email; with a website that is cluttered and confusing; and a campus that is bigger than most cities in New Mexico we must remain innovative to be able to reach the students we are here to serv.
In order for GPSA to effectively achieve its mission, we find it critical students 1) know what
GPSA is and 2) that GPSA is accessible to students at all times. This proposal outlines our intent to brand and market GPSA in the next academic year in order to better reach the student population. Critical to this role is the renovation of the GPSA Website, social media presence, and promotional materials, as well as technological advancements necessary to continue this growth in the future.
I. Marketing/Outreach
GPSA (Main) Website [GPSA.unm.edu]
Previously, the GPSA (main) website (unm.edu/~gpsa) was cluttered, confusing, and remained separate from one of the most important aspects of student life, GPSA Grants (previously, gpsa.unm.edu). The site was overhauled in 2010-‐2011 to give a fresher look and increased functionality, but has since fallen behind with the lack of upkeep and steep learning curve of outdated programs such as iweb and dreamweaver that are required to maintain it. However, with an increasingly remote student population, the GPSA webpage has become the face of GPSA and the central hub for information. When it came to deciding on how we wanted to establish the new brand of GPSA, instead of trying to repair the old site, we decided a new (supported) platform needed to be adopted. We have therefore chosen to switch to UNM’s web content management system (Cascade). The switch to Cascade is a common move around campus that has not only helped with continuity of webpages for changing administrations, but also has provided for a more uniform look for UNM—a mission we have adopted for GPSA as well (see Branding). Cascade has well-‐developed style guidelines and templates, as well as easy and direct communication with on staff webmasters (Erica Capling & Matt Carter) to support any problems that may arise while designing content. Similarly, Communications and Marketing has an online forum for web content issues, and free regular sessions for working with the staff to further develop and implement changes. With this opportunity to re-‐brand and define for students what it means to be part of GPSA by implementing a NEW GPSA website we propose the following phases, with specifics defined below:
Project Completion Cost 1) New GPSA.unm.edu website (Cascade) 8/16/13 $420 2) GPSA Grants Build-‐in 9/6/13 $8,101 3) Website & Grants Maintenance -‐ May/2014 $8,101
1) New GPSA (main) website
In order to produce a NEW GPSA website in time for new student orientations, we were able to utilize current resources within the GPSA executive budget & volunteer time from projects assistants, to begin designing a fresh new GPSA.unm.edu webpage that was launched 8/16/13. During this phase we have successfully transferred the main content of GPSA information such as committees and grants to the more organized and easier to navigate GPSA website; but there is still much more to add until this can be considered complete. We are asking for no further funding to finish the GPSA website update, but will need technical expertise in the second and third phases, in order to update and maintain the application & scoring database; as well as provide support for any further expansions. Major improvements completed thus far:
1. Transfer of GPSA site information from unm.edu/~gpsa 2. Compliance with UNM Identity Standards 3. Social media connectivity 4. ListServ Explanation & Enrollment Guide 5. Live news plugin w/ future scheduling 6. Google Calendar Plug-‐in 7. Resource links
Remaining Projects:
1. Customized look 2. Updated staff/chair profiles 3. Updated committee description/information 4. Constitution & bylaws w/ easy sorting (accordion) 5. Complete University committee listing 6. Explanation of Student Tuition & Fees 7. Ability of students to give feedback 8. Legislative History 9. Archives 10. Maintenance
Figure 1. Previous GPSA website unm.edu/~GPSA. The GPSA site was previously hosted through iWeb, a discontinued application.
Figure 2. Highlights from the New GPSA website (GPSA.unm.edu) including UNM design templates for better tie-‐in with other UNM entities, social media connectivity, visual maps and identifiers, and updated news posting functionality, including reader feedback.
2) GPSA Grants Build-‐in
The GPSA Grants committee began as an in-‐person hard-‐copy submissions process, accepting grants only through the GPSA office. But as our campus has grown, and technology has advanced, we have since switched to an online system for easier submission and processing with reduced resource usage. However, the last major overhaul of the GPSA grants submission/scoring database has proven insufficient for the growing needs of the Grants committee. Current issues with the Grants website include:
• Slow/manual reader assignment • Insufficient report/score generating (without which the grants cycle cannot be completed) • Manual score processing (which can lead to error) • Manual (individual) award & denial notification • & Manual reader comment forwarding
Current issues with the Grants website require an excessive amount of time and resources committed to running each grants cycle (Summer, Fall, & Spring), and each contributes to the slow turn around time and increasing student aggravation. However, grants are important to students, and much of our financial resources go towards funding them, but without our ability to give out this money in a fair and efficient manner, we are only causing further stress to students and the process. We understand the current fiscal restraints of the GPSA General Fund, and are therefore asking for funds to hire a project assistant for the final stages of updating & integrating the Grants website with the GPSA (main) website from the New Mexico Research Grant (Endowment). The Grants bylaws specify that NMRG funds may be used for administrative expenses (VII.2.J.1.), such as the proposed database upgrades. This additional project assistant position needs to be knowledgeable in HTML & PHP coding in order to correctly integrate recent changes to the Grants database, and support the Grants system if and when future problems arise over the next academic year. This position is planned as a proposed project assistantship due to the unsuccessful accountability that has been experienced from trying to hire students as part-‐time contractors (at reduced cost) to fulfill such work. It is expected that the position will only be needed for the one academic year, but as projects are completed and feedback is analyzed, we expect recommendations on the feasibility of any future improvements. Grants Updates, expected to be implemented in the next academic year:
• Online Resources for understanding grants and reader training • Automatic reader assignment (including similar & outside concentration matching) • Automatic Score calculation (Scoring Formula) • Easy-‐click report generation (Grants Chair) • Automatic applicant score & comment viewing
3) Updates & Maintenance
Finally, as with any good website, the GPSA/Grants page is likely to need continued updates and patches to reach out to students in the next academic year. As such, we plan on utilizing the extra project assistant to finalize changes to the grants database and modernize the GPSA website. This increased help throughout the year will allow us to continue to focus on GPSA action items such a
tuition and fees, lobbying, and outreach while still allowing for us to renovate the GPSA/Grants website & online presence.
Social Media
As students continue to be inundated with information online, we find that social media has become increasingly effective for communicating with students. Not only do social media sites give GPSA a source of conveying information, but feedback and commenting allow us to open up GPSA for improved programming and outreach. Therefore, in the next academic year we have made it a priority to establish a strong social media presence for GPSA—not just because it is the cool thing to do, but because it has already shown to allow us to reach a larger audience with important information.
Current Social Media Accounts include:
Through these Social Media accounts we are continually reaching students, and providing information in a fun and engaging manner. Here are a some of our current outreach efforts. GPSA Spotlight – Highlighting Student achievements
(Facebook: Weekly, Wednesdays)
GPSA Logo Design Competition – Online Submissions & Updates (Wordpress)
Facebook: UNM GPSA
Instagram: UNM GPSA
WordPress: GPSA News
Twitter: UNM GPSA
YouTube: UNM GPSA Vote GPSA (Elections)
And as always, social media is a great place for us to advertise fun and engaging events around campus for students to take advantage of.
The current outreach efforts are currently covered by Project Assistants and volunteers, and also require no additional funding. However, we might point out that these in turn are a cost saving measure for GPSA to be able to promote more effectively while saving on printing costs. However, some items do necessitate printing for effective promotion. You will find these items outlined below.
However, as social media does not sell itself, we are also working to make sure the word is out there about the opportunities available for student to find out more about GPSA.
Promotional Materials
GPSA Information Pamphlets
Recently, GPSA purchased 1,000 pamphlets for distribution at graduate student orientations around campus. Through it we have presented a new face for GPSA, as well as updated information about GPSA grants, committees, and getting involved. As we were able to reach out to all departments conducting orientations, including the Graduate Resource Center Jumpstart and international student orientation, we have nearly exhausted our stock of this valuable resource for understanding GPSA. We are therefore requesting more funds to purchase another 1,000 GPSA pamphlets to pass out in the spring semester and place around campus for student to get to know their Graduate & Professional Student Association.
Funding OpportunitiesGPSA offers several types of funding to graduate and professional students doing research and to help further professional development.
Individual Grants��6WXGHQW�5HVHDUFK�*UDQW��65*����������������������������������������$500 ��3URIHVVLRQDO�'HYHORS��*UDQW��3'*��������������������������������� $500 ��10�5HVHDUFK�*UDQW��105*������������������������������$3,000-$5,000��*UDGXDWH�6FKRODUVKLS�)XQG��*6)������������������������������� $1,000
Student Organization Funding��3UR�UDWHG�%HQHILWV��3%�)XQGV���DYDLODEOH�WR�� departmental student associations��$SSURSULDWLRQV��VWXGHQWV��RUJDQL]DWLRQV�PD\� apply for project, travel, and event funding
Student CommitteesStudent committees are the backbone of GPSA. Each committee addresses specific issues related to student life at UNM – everything from tuition increases to student outreach and advocacy.
Benefits of Committees��*DLQ�DSSOLFDEOH��UHDO�ZRUOG�H[SHULHQFH��(QJDJH�ZLWK�WKH�810�FRPPXQLW\��*HW�LQYROYHG�ZLWK�LVVXHV�DIIHFWLQJ�810��+DYH�D�92,&(�
Student CouncilStudent council is the heart of GPSA. Representatives from each department meet monthly to address issues facing graduate students across campus. Meetings are open to all graduate students.
As the graduate student government at UNM, the GPSA strives to identify, promote, and support interests and concerns that are important to the welfare and academic development of graduate and professional students on campus.
MissionVision&
Photo by Eugene Kim, 2009, Creative Commons Share Alike
UNM Graduate Funding/Resources
In 2012, GPSA began collaborating with the Graduate Resource Center (GRC) and other graduate organizations on campus to develop a single graduate student funding/resource card. On it a student can find numerous opportunities for receiving funding on campus, as well as supporting programs and contact information allowing them to contact each entity individually. This campus-‐wide effort was extremely well received by students and staff as a great easy to digest flier for graduate funding around campus. As such, we have continued this collaboration into the 2013-‐2014 school year. GPSA has updated the information/deadlines as well as preparing the card for printing, but the GRC has absorbed the cost of printing and distributing across campus.
New Mexico Research Grant
Student Research Grant
Professional Development Grant
Student Conference Award Program
Research Project & Travel Grant
Graduate Research Supplement
$5,000 9/20
Graduate Studies
Graduate Studies
GPSA
GPSA
GPSA
Career Services
9/202/216/14
$500
$500
$600
$2,000
Varies9/202/075/03
4/01
Tom L. Popejoy Dissertation PrizeGraduate Studies
$1,000 3/01
9/202/216/14
Grants
Future Faculty Grant???
Sabrina Single Mother’s Scholarship
Graduate Emergency Scholarship
Latina/o Graduate Student Fellowship
RGSA Scholarship
Ida Romero Memorial Scholarship
NM HED Scholarship
OGS
WRC
El Centro de la Raza
El Centro de la Raza & GRC
RGSA
El Centro de la Raza
Graduate Studies
End of Fall Semester
Ongoing Basis
Each Semester
Graduate Student Success ScholarshipGraduate Studies
7/2211/01$9,000
Graduate Dean’s Dissertation FellowshipGraduate Studies
DepartmentNomination
3/07$8,000
$2,000
$7,200
$400
$1,000
$500
Varies
$500
3/15
3/01
Graduate Scholarship FundGPSA
$1,000 Contact GPSA
4/17
AMIGO Scholarship for Int’l StudentsGEO
$2005/01
DepartmentNomination
Scholarships/Fellowships
8/16
Professional Development ScholarshipEl Centro de la Raza
$300 Ongoing Basis
Graduate Student AcademyENLACE, GRC, PNMGC
$500 12/02
Grad & Professional Student AcademyEl Centro de la Raza
$500 12/2
7/19
2013-14
For more information, please visit the GRC or GPSA websites.
2013-14
Graduate
FundingResources
Graduate Resource Center (GRC)UNMGRC.UNM.EDU 277-1407 [email protected]
Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA)GPSA.UNM.EDU 277-3803 [email protected]
ENLACE New MexicoENLACENM.UNM.EDU 277-5481 [email protected]
LGBTQ Resource CenterLGBTQRC.UNM.EDU 277-0834 [email protected]
Women’s Resource Center (WRC)WOMEN.UNM.EDU 277-3716 [email protected]
Graduate StudiesGRAD.UNM.EDU 277-2711 [email protected]
Financial Aid O!ceFINAID.UNM.EDU 277-8900 "[email protected]
Dean of Students O!ce (DOS)DOS.UNM.EDU 277-3361 [email protected]
Student Government Accounting O!ce (SGAO)SGAO.UNM.EDU 277-7888 [email protected]
Global Education O!ce (GEO)STUDYABOARD.UNM.EDU 277-0111 [email protected]
Project for NM Graduates of Color (PNMGC)PNMGC.UNM.EDU 277-7397 [email protected]
O!ce of the Vice President for Research (OVPR)RESEARCH.UNM.EDU 277-6128 [email protected]
El Centro de la RazaELCENTRO.UNM.EDU 277-5020 [email protected]
Accessibility Resource Center (ARC)AS2.UNM.EDU 277-3506 [email protected]
African American Student Services (AASS)AASS.UNM.EDU 277-5645 [email protected]
American Indian Student Services (AISS)AISS.UNM.EDU 277-8343 [email protected]
Career ServicesCAREER.UNM.EDU 277-2531 [email protected]
Guide to
GraduateResources
Funding Sources
Other Resources
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GPSA.Resource.Card.Back.Print.Final.pdf 1 8/14/13 4:13 PM
Tuition & Fees Explained
It is often well advertised the increasing cost of tuition across the country, but it is little understood that student are paying a significant amount in fees to UNM each year. In the next step in advancing student awareness and understanding around campus, we are looking at creating a single (appealing) description of student fees and tuition in the current academic year. Often we require student voice on campus when we are dealing with issues of funding and support, and this information should help students understand the importance of such issues, as well as encourage them to get involved. Once completed, GPSA will be seeking funds ($500) for purchasing cards & posters for handing out to students to further raise awareness.
0.00#
50.00#
100.00#
150.00#
200.00#
250.00#
Student#Health#A
nd#Counseling##
Athle7cs#
Student#Union#
Recrea7onal#S
ervices#
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mpute
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en's#C
ampus#
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upport#
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un7ng#
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#Indian#Student#Serv
ices#
African#A
merica
n#Stud
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ices#
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rce#Cente
r#(WRC)#CLP
S#
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Student'Health'And'Counseling''
Athle2cs'
Student'Union'
Recrea2onal'Services'
Library'
IT'Fee'>'student'computer'pods'
Draft: (Inform
ation only, no
t finalized)
$0.00
$50.00
$100.00
$150.00
$200.00
$250.00
$300.00
$350.00
II. Branding
Another key aspect to GPSA’s ability to reach students and effect change is GPSA’s recognition. In recent years UNM, like many other colleges and universities, has developed strict guidelines for identifying and portraying itself to the general public (UNM Identity Standards). This is essential for marketing and developing a uniquely identifiable Brand but can often suppress identity of sub-‐populations of the university. As a department or program within the university, there are limitations that apply to developing logos and promotional materials that use the UNM name. However, as a student organization we find ourselves in a unique position outside of those identity standards. After speaking with University Communication and Marketing we have gotten the green light to design a new GPSA logo, with full cooperation to help us while maintaining the image of the university. Below are a few examples of current GPSA logos designed according to UNM Identity standards, modified logos currently used for in house promotions & identification, and comparative logos from ASUNM.
Current GPSA Logos (Provided by UNM Communications & Marketing)
Current GPSA Logo (designed in house)
Current ASUNM Logos
GPSA Logo Re-‐design
Currently, the GPSA logo is not representative of what it means to be a graduate & professional student on campus. Similarly, no single logo is uniquely identifiable to GPSA. Therefore, we are in the process of designing a logo and style guidelines to maintain a consistent image of GPSA. This will allow us to be easily distinguished from other organizations on campus and further market ourselves by giving students visual queues of GPSA events & actions, as well as a connecting with the community at large. GPSA Logo Redesign Working Group Schedule: Logo Idea Submissions Aug. 12th – Sept. 12th, 5pm ([email protected]) For design guidelines see: GPSANews.wordpress.com Decision of Top 3 Designs Sept. 13th, 4pm GPSA Office Minor Adjustments (Top 3) Sept. 13th – Sept. 20th, 12pm GPSA Office Unveiling of Final 3 Designs (Council) Sept. 28th, Domenici Center Goal: Narrow to final design Student Feedback Sept. 28th – Oct. 12th GPSA Logo & Design Standards (Council) Oct. 26th, Domenici Center However, a new GPSA logo also means we must update certain aspect of GPSA activities like promotional (Pamphlets quote included above) & programming (Tablecloth $375), as well as official documentation (Letterhead $318.86)
III. Technology
Finally, as technology has advanced we have been able to secure outside funding for updates to the GPSA lab computers, and printers. Likewise we have been able to find money within the executive budget for purchasing of software and additional low-‐cost items. However, as we have found across campus the push towards modern technology has seen us investing in mobile device technology and cloud computing. And these advances make sense in the fast paced technology driven culture we find at the university. No longer are printouts provided or drafts drawn up ahead of time. For most meetings around campus we find Dropboxes shared and items edited in real time using Google Drive. However, beyond meetings and collaboration these items are also critical to allowing staff to provide live updates of GPSA events and information as it arises, and allows us to utilize the social media and website connectivity proposed above. As such, in order to keep up with the changing culture we find ourselves in, the GPSA administration would greatly benefit by investing in mobile technology. We are therefore proposing the purchase of two iPads and accessories, as well as mobile and laptop VGA connectors (Mac dongle), for use by GPSA staff and committees. These items will be securely stored in the GPSA office, and must be checked out before use.
IV. Budget Summary
I. Marketing & Outreach
GPSA Website
1) New GPSA Website $ 0 2) GPSA Grants Build-‐in $ 8,101 3) Updates & Maintenance $ 8,101
NMRG: $ 16,202 Social Media
$ 0 Promotional materials:
GPSA Pamphlets $ 523 Funding/Resource Card $ 0
Tuition & Fees fliers $ 500 II. Branding
GPSA Official Letterhead $ 319 GPSA tablecloth $ 375
III. Technology: (2) iPad $399 (1) Keyboard $69 (2) Case $49
$ 1,034 (2) Mac dongle (for mobile & laptop projector connectivity) $ 58
$ 2,740
GPSA Appropriation Request Form
Name of Organization
Date Total Request Amount
CONTACT INFORMATION
Campus Address
Primary Contact Name Phone Number Email Address
Secondary Contact Name Phone Number Email Address ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Please select all of the following that apply. The student group requesting appropriation funding: A Chartered Student Organization through the Student Activities Center
Has an account in the Student Government Accounting Office
Receives Pro-‐rated Benefits (PB) Funding from a Recognized Depart. Student Association
Has received GPSA funding in the past year (appropriation or budget)
Describe below amount(s) of funding from other sources. Please include any GPSA funding from the past year.
GPSA Executive/GPSA General Government
8/24/13 $ 16,202
MSC 2013
Priscila Poliana 277-‐3803 [email protected]
[email protected] 277-‐3803 Matthew Rush
See GPSA General Fund Budget Appropriation
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET REQUEST INFORMATION: Please select and describe what your student group is requesting funds for:
Travel Event One-‐Time Capital Outlay (ie: computer) Unforseen Expenditures/Other Basic Description of the Appropriation Request:
Requests must be filled out completely including detail sheet on the back and submitted to the GPSA Legislative Finance Chair via email ([email protected]) no later than 5:00 PM ON THE FRIDAY before the scheduled committee meeting. The LFC Chair should contact the organization to notify them of the time and location of the meeting after the appropriation is
received.
See GPSA: Branding, Marketing, & Technology Innovations Proposal
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET
Name of Organization
Category: Services
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE Grants Project Assitant (.5FTE) $8,101/sem. $ 16,202
Category: Supplies
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Supplies
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Equipment
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Category: Equipment
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
TOTAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST AMOUNT:
Organizations need to attend the Executive OR Legislative Finance Committee meeting to present their request. Please round the total price(s) for each line-‐item to the nearest whole dollar.
GPSA Executive/GPSA General Government
$ 16,202
GPSA Appropriation Request Form
Name of Organization
Date Total Request Amount
CONTACT INFORMATION
Campus Address
Primary Contact Name Phone Number Email Address
Secondary Contact Name Phone Number Email Address ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Please select all of the following that apply. The student group requesting appropriation funding: A Chartered Student Organization through the Student Activities Center
Has an account in the Student Government Accounting Office
Receives Pro-rated Benefits (PB) Funding from a Recognized Depart. Student Association
Has received GPSA funding in the past year (appropriation or budget)
Describe below amount(s) of funding from other sources. Please include any GPSA funding from the past year.
GPSA Executive/GPSA General Government
8/24/13 $ 2,740
MSC 2013
Priscila Poliana 277-3803 [email protected]
[email protected] 277-3803 Matthew Rush
See GPSA General Fund Budget Appropriation
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET REQUEST INFORMATION: Please select and describe what your student group is requesting funds for:
Travel Event One-Time Capital Outlay (ie: computer) Unforseen Expenditures/Other
Basic Description of the Appropriation Request:
Requests must be filled out completely including detail sheet on the back and submitted to the GPSA Legislative Finance Chair
via email ([email protected]) no later than 5:00 PM ON THE FRIDAY before the scheduled committee meeting. The LFC Chair should contact the organization to notify them of the time and location of the meeting after the appropriation is
received.
See GPSA: Branding, Marketing, & Technology Innovations Proposal
APPROPRIATION DETAIL SHEET
Name of Organization
Category: Supplies
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
GPSA Pamphlets $ 523
Category: Supplies
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
Fliers $ 500
Category: Supplies
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
GPSA Letterhead & Tablecloth $ 694
Category: Equipment
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
(2) Ipad, (1) Keyboard, (2) Ipad Case $ 1,034
Category: Equipment
DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE
(2) Mac Dongle $ 58
TOTAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST AMOUNT:
Organizations need to attend the Executive OR Legislative Finance Committee meeting to present their request. Please round the total price(s) for each line-item to the nearest whole dollar.
GPSA Executive/GPSA General Government
$ 2,740
Table of
Table of Contents: PREAMBLE ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION ARTICLE II. EXECUTIVE BRANCH ARTICLE III. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH ARTICLE IV. JUDICIAL BRANCH ARTICLE V. FINANCE ARTICLE VI. ELECTIONS ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS ARTICLE VIII. REFERENDA ARTICLE IX. DEFINITIONS
Updated March 26, 2011 mm Revised June 22, 2011 mr/mo
Approved August 9, 2011 Regents Updated 2012 General Election mr
Approved June 12, 2012 Regents
The Constitution of the Graduate and Professional Student Association of the
University of New Mexico
2
PREAMBLE
We, the graduate and professional students of the University of New Mexico hereby establish the Graduate and Professional Student Association, in order to acknowledge and secure the right to pursue continuing education in a diverse community and to ensure fair and just access to resources provided by public institutions or available in the commons. As students with valuable experiences and unique pursuits, as well as common interests and concerns, we are united in our concern for the quality of our academic environment and recognize and affirm our right to organize for the purposes of protecting student welfare and expression. The establishment of this association provides for greater cooperation and influence to preserve and protect the rights of the students at this university including but not limited to the right to freely express ideas and thoughts, the right to have equitable access to a high quality education, and the right to participate in the processes and institutions that will ensure this education remains worthy and acceptable, and to advance the interests of the graduate and professional student community.
ORGANIZATION
Name The name of the organization is the Graduate and Professional Student Association of the University of New Mexico, hereafter referred to as GPSA.
Objective
To represent and serve graduate and professional students by promoting their rights and interests as students within the University community through advocacy, education, and financial support.
Membership
A. Any graduate or professional student enrolled in a degree granting department or school at The University of New Mexico (the University) and who has paid the GPSA fee for that semester, as approved by the University of New Mexico Board of Regents (Board of Regents).
B. A student may voluntarily resign their membership, but is not exempt from obligation to pay GPSA fees.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
The Executive Branch is composed of the President, Executive Committees, presidential appointees, and staff. President
The President is head of the Executive Branch. Any GPSA member is eligible to run for the position.
A. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 1. Serve as the official representative of GPSA to the Board of Regents and the
public.
3
2. Serve as Chairperson of the Student Fee Review Board in accordance with its governing documents.
3. Have a working knowledge of the GPSA Constitution, Bylaws, policies, and the duties of positions within GPSA.
4. Shall have the authority to approve or veto all GPSA legislation, excluding resolutions. The President shall have the authority to sign on to joint resolutions with the legislative branch.
5. Oversee the finances of the Executive Branch, including the executive budget. 6. Coordinate with Executive Committee Chairs and executive staff to prepare and
submit a budget for the Executive Branch to the Council in accordance with budget procedures.
7. Supervise the administration of the GPSA Office. 8. Chair and coordinate the Executive Board. 9. Appoint Executive Standing Committee chairs, with approval from Council, and
appoint representatives to joint Student-Faculty Senate and University committees.
10. Ensure delivery of executive committee reports at least once per semester to Council.
11. Produce a public annual GPSA report, to be held on file in the GPSA Office, the Student Activities Center, and Zimmerman Library.
12. Other duties as defined by the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. B. Term of Office
1. The term is one year, beginning at noon of the last day of the Spring semester and ending at noon of the last day of the following Spring semester.
2. An individual may serve a maximum of two terms as GPSA President. C. Stipend
1. The President shall receive financial compensation. The maximum limit shall be in accordance with the GA monthly stipend at the .5 FTE rate as determined by University policy.
2. Compensation shall also include nine (9) resident, graduate tuition hours per semester at the rates published by the Bursar’s Office. The President’s compensation shall be implemented through the annual budget process, but differential tuition and stipend amounts shall be funded by Appropriation.
D. Removal 1. Removal by Council
a. Impeachment The President may be impeached for willful neglect of office, gross misconduct, or malfeasance by a majority vote of Council Representatives at a regular Council meeting.
b. Removal i. Removal of the President requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of
Council Representatives at a special meeting called by the Council Chair no less than five (5) academic days and no more than ten (10) academic days from the date of impeachment.
4
ii. Upon removal by Council, the Elections Committee will initiate a recall election by the GPSA membership.
2. Election by GPSA Membership a. Recall requires the presentation at a regular Council meeting of a petition
with GPSA members’ signatures numbering at least thirty percent (30%) of the total number of votes counted in the most recent general election. Council shall have the authority to verify the validity of petition signatures. Upon verification of the petition signatures, the Elections Committee will initiate a special election by the GPSA membership.
b. The recall election shall be publicized and shall occur within fifteen (15) academic days of the meeting at which the petition was presented.
c. Removal of the President requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote in the recall election.
3. The President shall be relinquished of all powers and privileges immediately upon a vote of removal.
4. The Council Chair shall serve as Interim President until a special election can be scheduled within twenty (20) academic days following the removal of the President.
Executive Committees Executive Committees shall be established for the purposes of effective governance and will report directly to the GPSA President. All committee members must be members of GPSA. All Executive Committee Chairs will be appointed by the President.
A. Executive Standing Committees 1. For all Executive Standing Committees, quorum shall be established if more than
half of the voting members are physically present. 2. Grants Committee
a. Allocate funds from the GPSA Research Grant, the GPSA Professional
Development Grant, and the New Mexico Research Grant according to the GPSA Bylaws.
b. The Research Grant is funded by the Student Research Allocation Committee Endowment. The Professional Development Grant is funded by the Specialized Travel Endowment. The New Mexico Research Grant is funded by the Graduate Research and Development Endowment. These funds may be supplemented by the budget process, Council appropriation, or other funding sources.
c. Provide a written report to the President and Council Chair each semester. d. May have two (2) co-chairs. e. Will have two (2) votes on the Executive Board.
3. Elections Committee
a. Administer GPSA elections according to the GPSA Bylaws. a. Conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence in the
integrity and impartiality of the election process and will not publicly support or campaign for any candidate.
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b. Presidentially appointed Committee Chair must be presented to the GPSA Council for approval no later than the December meeting.
c. Distribute a written public report after every election. d. Provide a written annual report to the GPSA President.
4. Lobby Committee a. Coordinate long term research and study of legislative issues as directed
by the President. b. Produce the annual proposed legislative platform. c. Recommend to the President the appointment of student lobbyists during
the annual New Mexico Legislative Session. d. Provide an annual written report to the President.
5. Programs Committee a. Implement programs that serve and facilitate interaction between graduate
and professional students and the University. b. Foster positive relationships with the University and with the local
community through service programs. c. Provide an annual written report to the President.
6. Student Support and Advocacy Committee a. Assist and advocate for students requesting the support of GPSA. b. Act as a GPSA liaison for students and respond to student inquiries about
GPSA. c. Conduct on-campus outreach and education about services and resources
available through GPSA and the University. Collaborate with graduate and professional student organizations.
d. Provide an annual written report to the President. 7. Executive Finance Committee
a. Administer Executive finances, including the Executive budget. a. Make recommendations regarding the GPSA budget and all appropriations
that come before Council. b. Provide an annual written report to the President.
B. Executive Standing Committee Chairs 1. Duties, Power, Responsibilities
a. Assemble and administer committees according to the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
b. Monitor committee budget and prepare annual budget request. c. Provide annual written public report to the President to be included in
annual GPSA report. 2. Term
Term of office is from the date of appointment until noon on the last day of the academic year or when letter of resignation is submitted to the President.
3. Stipend Stipend for the Executive Standing Committee Chairs shall be determined through the annual budget process.
4. Removal
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The President can remove a committee chair at any time, but the president must appoint a replacement within twenty (20) academic days of the date of removal.
C. Executive Ad Hoc Committees 1. May be created by the President as deemed necessary. 2. All Executive Ad Hoc Committees shall be dissolved at the end of the term of
office of the president who created them. 3. Committee shall submit an annual written report to the President to be included in
annual GPSA report. D. Other Committees
1. May include, but is not limited to, Joint Student-Faculty, University Committees, and other policy making bodies.
2. Representatives, as appointed by the President, shall maintain communication with the Executive Board of GPSA.
3. Appointed representatives shall attend meetings of their respective committees. 4. Committee representatives shall submit an annual written report to the President
to be included in annual GPSA report. Executive Board
An Executive Board consisting of the President, Council Chair, and the Chairs of the Executive Standing Committees shall be established for the purposes of effective governance by the Executive Branch.
A. Representation 1. Any school or college not represented on the Executive Board may petition to
have a representative added from that school or college. 2. Voting members of the Executive Board shall include the chairs of the Executive
Standing Committees. 3. The President shall oversee the Executive Board and will have no vote except in
the event of a tie. B. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities
1. Meet at least one (1) time per month that Council is in session. 2. Recommend agenda items for Council meetings. 3. Draft and maintain the GPSA annual calendar with deadlines for Executive
committees. 4. Review all executive committee activities. 5. All meetings shall be open to the public with advance notice of the date, time,
meeting location, and agenda provided at least one (1) calendar week in advance of each meeting. This notice shall be made available by means including, but not limited to, the GPSA website and electronic mailing list.
C. Quorum Quorum shall be established if more than half of the voting members are physically present.
D. Term of Office
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Executive Board members shall serve from the time of their appointment until noon on the last day of the academic year, or until written resignation is given to the President.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Legislative Branch is composed of the Council Chair, Council, Legislative Committees, and staff. Council
All legislative powers in GPSA shall be vested in a Council. A. Composition
1. The Council shall consist of GPSA Representatives selected through each Recognized Departmental Student Association (RDSA).
2. Each graduate and professional RDSA will be entitled to a minimum of one (1) Representative. Each RDSA representing a degree-granting department or school with more than one hundred (100) graduate or professional students are entitled to one (1) additional Representative for each one hundred (100) or part of one hundred (1-99) graduate and professional students enrolled in the department.
B. Council Procedures 1. Regular meetings: Must be held at least one (1) time per month during the fall and
spring academic semesters. The date and time are to be determined by the Council Chair.
2. Special meetings: Called by the Council Chair, or by a petition of Council Representatives from a minimum of six (6) separate RDSAs.
3. Quorum: Consists of Council Representatives from at least six (6) RDSAs physically present at a Council meeting.
4. Notice: The Council Chair shall post notice of the date, time, meeting location, and agenda at least one (1) calendar week in advance of each regular Council meeting and forty-eight (48) hours before each special Council meeting. This notice shall be made available to the Council Representatives, GPSA members, campus media, and general public by means including, but not limited to, the GPSA website and electronic mailing list.
C. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 1. The Council shall make all laws that it deems appropriate and necessary for
GPSA. 2. The Council shall approve appointments and removals in accordance with the
Constitution. 3. The Council shall have the authority to override a presidential veto with a two-
thirds (2/3) vote at a meeting. 4. The Council shall consider budgetary recommendations and vote on the GPSA
budget at the March Council meeting.
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5. Other duties including, but not limited to, the appropriation of the General Fund and endowments, approval of GPSA resolutions, impeachment of specified GPSA officials, and any other duties as defined by the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
Representatives
Representatives must be members of GPSA that are selected at will by the RDSA in the department or school in which they are enrolled.
A. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 1. Attend and participate in Council meetings. 2. Represent respective constituents' concerns and interests to the Council. 3. Regularly communicate Council business and decisions with constituents. 4. Representatives are eligible to participate in designated Legislative Committees. 5. All representatives must have the proper credentials on file with the Council
Chair. B. Term
Representatives serve at the discretion of their respective RDSAs. Council Chair
The Council Chair must be a member of GPSA and shall be elected by Council at the regular April Council meeting in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
A. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 1. Call and preside over Council meetings. 2. Serve as the official representative of the Council to the public. 3. Fulfill the duties of the President in the event of a leave of absence or removal. 4. Serve as an ex officio member on the Executive Board, and Legislative
Committees. 5. Administer and oversee the Council budget. 6. Shall not vote in Council except in the case of a tie. 7. Other duties as defined by the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
B. Term 1. The term is one year, beginning at noon of the last day of the Spring semester and
ending at noon of the last day of the following Spring semester. 2. An individual may serve a maximum of two (2) terms as the Council Chair.
C. Stipend 1. The Council Chair shall receive financial compensation. The maximum limit shall
be in accordance with the GA monthly stipend at the .5 FTE rate as determined by University policy. Compensation shall be implemented through the annual budget process, but differential stipend amounts shall be funded by Appropriation.
D. Removal 1. The Council Chair may be impeached for willful neglect of office, gross
misconduct, or malfeasance by a majority vote of Council Representatives at a regular Council meeting.
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2. Upon an affirmative vote of impeachment, Council shall consider a vote of removal to be held at a special meeting within eleven (11) academic days. The Council Chair shall be relinquished of all powers and privileges immediately upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of removal by Council.
3. The Legislative Steering Committee Chair shall serve as interim Council Chair until an election by Council can be scheduled within twenty (20) academic days following removal.
Legislative Committees
Legislative Committees shall consist of Council Representatives. A. Composition
1. The Council Chair shall appoint all chairs and members of the Legislative Committees with approval by Council.
2. Council Representatives may recommend nominations for committee positions for Council consideration.
B. Legislative Standing Committees 1. Must meet minimum composition requirements by the September Council
meeting. a. Shall be composed of a minimum of five (5) and no more than twelve (12)
Representatives representing a minimum of three (3) RDSAs. b. Quorum shall be established if more than half of the voting members are
physically present. 2. Legislative Finance Committee
a. Review recommendations from the Executive Branch regarding the GPSA budget and all appropriations and make subsequent recommendations to Council.
b. The Legislative Finance Committee Chair shall oversee the committee and will have no vote except in the event of a tie.
c. Other duties as defined by GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 3. Legislative Steering Committee
a. Make recommendations regarding legislation and appointments sent to the Council.
b. The Legislative Steering Committee Chair shall oversee the committee and will have no vote except in the event of a tie.
c. Other duties as defined by GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. C. Legislative Standing Committee Chairs
1. Duties, Power, Responsibilities a. Administer committees according to the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. b. Provide annual report to the Council Chair, to be included in annual GPSA
report. 2. Stipend
Stipend for the Legislative Standing Committee Chairs shall be determined through the budget process.
3. Removal
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The Council Chair can remove a committee chair in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, but shall present a replacement to Council at the next regular meeting.
D. Legislative Ad Hoc Committees 1. May be created by the Council Chair with a majority vote of approval from
Council or by Council with a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote. 2. All Legislative Ad Hoc Committees will be dissolved by the end of the session.
JUDICIAL BRANCH
The Judicial Branch is composed of the GPSA Court of Review. Court of Review
A. Jurisdiction The Court of Review shall have jurisdiction over disputes arising under this Constitution. The Court may also have appellate jurisdiction as defined in the GPSA Bylaws.
B. Composition 1. The Court shall consist of a minimum of three (3) Justices, of which no more than
two shall be appointed from the same department or school. 2. There shall be one Chief Justice and no less than two (2) Associate Justices.
C. Duties Powers Responsibilities 1. Hear complaints brought forth by a GPSA member regarding:
a. Matters arising under the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. b. Acts of the President, Council Chair, GPSA staff, or other GPSA official
when acting under the authority of GPSA. 2. Determine questions of constitutionality and adherence to GPSA law as a result of
official complaints. 3. Create a written record of all decisions and actions of the court to be maintained
in the GPSA Office. 4. Create an annual written report of the court to be included in the annual GPSA
report. 5. The court may, at its discretion, decline to hear cases that it deems are not
appropriate under the Bylaws. 6. Members of the Court of Review shall not serve in any other position within
GPSA. 7. Other duties as defined by the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
Justices A. Term of Office
1. The term of office for the Chief Justice shall be two years, from noon of the last day of the Spring semester until noon of the last day of the Spring semester two years later.
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2. The term of office for the Associate Justices shall be for one year. The term shall begin after appointment and upon confirmation of the Council and shall terminate on the last day of the Spring semester.
3. The President and Council Representatives shall have the authority to recommend Justices. All recommendations must be considered.
4. All Justices must be approved by the Council. 5. Justices shall be appointed at the first Council Meeting of the legislative session. 6. No Justice shall serve more than two terms.
B. Stipend Stipends for the Chief Justice and Associate Justices shall be determined through the budget process.
C. Removal 1. Justices may be impeached for willful neglect of office, gross misconduct, or
malfeasance by a majority vote of Council Representatives at a regular Council meeting.
2. Removal of a Justice requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of Council Representatives at a special meeting called by the Council Chair following vote of impeachment.
FINANCE
Fees
Subject to authorization by the Board of Regents, a nonrefundable fee, henceforth referred to as the GPSA fee, shall be levied on all graduate and professional students. The University shall collect these fees and forward them immediately to the GPSA.
A. The GPSA fee shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25) per student per semester and any increase must be approved through a referendum and by the Board of Regents.
B. Five percent (5%) of the total collected GPSA fees is taken by the University in the form of an accounting fee payable to the Student Government Accounting Office (SGAO). The remainder of the total is added to the General Fund.
Purpose
Collected fees shall be allocated by the GPSA Council to fund the general GPSA government and to benefit chartered student organizations and graduate and professional students through GPSA Committees and Council.
Oversight and Distribution The Executive Finance Committee (EFC) shall administer the GPSA budget and the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) compile and recommend the GPSA budget in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. SGAO acts as the agent of all GPSA financial transactions.
A. This budget shall be based upon the anticipated revenue for the upcoming fiscal year as determined by SGAO. The proposed budget shall not exceed ninety-five percent (95%)
UNM� 9/26/13 12:41 PMDeleted:
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of said revenue to allow for appropriation funds and any decrease in projected enrollment.
B. The branches of government and student organizations shall submit budget requests to the LFC in the Spring semester.
1.
C. All branches of the GPSA government must follow budget processes as defined by the GPSA Constitution, Bylaws, and applicable standing rules to be eligible for funding.
D. The EFC shall make recommendations to Council regarding the LFC’s compiled budget recommendation.
E. Council shall vote on the budget in the regular March Council meeting. Council’s decision shall be forwarded to the President within two (2) academic days.
F. The President may approve or veto Council’s budget proposal in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
G. A final budget must be approved no later than the first (1st) Friday in April.
H. The LFC Chair and EFC Chair shall have all necessary authority to approve budget revisions. All budget revisions must be reported at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting.
1. When Council is not in session, the President, Grants Chair, and Council Chair must jointly review and approve budget revisions.
I. Forty percent (40%) of the total GPSA budget shall be reserved for the Pro-Rated Benefits Fund.
J. No less than ten percent (10%) of the total GPSA budget shall be allocated to SRG/PDG. K. Funds not appropriated through the budget process shall be placed in theGeneral Fund.
L. All funds distributed through the GPSA budget and appropriations and not used by the end of the fiscal year in which they were allocated shall revert to the General Fund.
Fiscal Accountability
The GPSA financial records including, but not limited to, the GPSA budget and appropriations may be subject to a financial review as requested by a Council Representative, the President, the Council Chair, or through a complaint filed with the Court of Review.
Budget Compliance A. GPSA shall be in accordance with all necessary local, state, federal, and University
requirements as determined by SGAO.
B. Compliance with proposal guidelines of funded organizations for the fiscal year shall be determined by the LFC in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.
C. Misuse of GPSA funds may result in Council recourse, including financial enjoinment.
ELECTIONS
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The Elections Committee shall administer annual GPSA elections and provide public notice of elections, in accordance with the Bylaws.
General Election A. A general election of the President shall occur in the Spring semester of each academic
year.
B. The ballot shall include the opportunity to vote for GPSA President, and may include amendments, referenda, and any other items approved by Council.
C. A plurality of votes shall decide all items presented on the ballot. D. All members of the GPSA are entitled to vote in general elections.
Council Chair Election A. An election of the Council Chair shall occur at the April Council meeting.
B. The Council Chair is elected by a majority of votes of eligible representatives at the April meeting.
Special Elections
A. Special elections may be held as called by the Council or the President, or by a referendum petition.
B. If a special election is called for by a referendum petition it must occur within thirty (30) academic days.
AMENDMENTS
Proceedings to introduce a Constitutional amendment may be initiated by any GPSA member. Amendments
Requires a two-thirds (2/3) approval by Council Representatives present at a regular Council meeting, plurality approval by GPSA members voting in the General Election, and approval by the Board of Regents.
Regent Control
This Constitution, including all Constitutional amendments, shall be subject to modification by and under the control of the Board of Regents.
REFERENDA
A referendum is a ballot initiative put to a popular vote of the GPSA membership in a general election.
A. Referenda may be submitted by the President with majority approval of Council, or a petition signed by at least fifty (50) GPSA members and will be placed on the general election ballot. The Elections Committee will have the authority to verify the signatures on a referendum petition.
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B. In order to be placed on the general election ballot, referenda must be submitted to the Elections Committee no later than thirty (30) academic days prior to the general election.
DEFINITIONS
These definitions shall apply throughout this document. Academic Day - any day in which the University has regularly scheduled classes during the Fall or Spring semesters, unless specifically noted otherwise. This excludes weekends, holidays, and days which the University is closed. Academic Year - starting the last day of the Spring semester through the day preceeding the last day of the subsequent Spring semester. Anticipated Revenue - anticipated aggregate sum of GPSA fees to be collected in the following fiscal year as determined by SGAO. Audit - evaluation of financial records. Ballot - the list of candidates and issues to be voted on in an election. Board of Regents – governor appointed board of community members and students who are responsible for the assets and programs of the University, establishment of goals and policies and guide the University and oversight of the functioning of the University. Budget Revisions - a request to re-define funding previously allocated through the GPSA budget process or allocations. Budget revisions must be approved before GPSA funding may be spent on purposes other than originally approved or directed through Council. Bylaws - active legislative supplement to the GPSA Constitution,composed of all codes which must not violate the Constitution but may further elaborate GPSA law. Chartered Student Organization - any group which meets the chartering requirements of The University of New Mexico. Constituents – GPSA members which a particular Council Representative represents. Constitution - the instituting document of GPSA, and the organization’s ultimate legislative authority. Complaint - official grievance presented to the GPSA Court of Review that initiates action within the Court. Council - the primary legislative body of GPSA. Council Budget – funding allocated for the administration of the legislative branch.
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Credentials – A form that verifies representative authority from a RDSA to serve as a Council Representative. Elections Code - the GPSA Bylaws particularly concerning GPSA election law. Enrollment report – a report distributed by the University indicating enrollment of graduate and professional students within degree granting departments and schools. Executive Budget - funding allocated for the administration of the executive branch. Financial Enjoinment - a legislative action issued that prohibits a student group from engaging in any financial activities with the use of GPSA funds. Financial Review – disclosure of financial records and subject to a review process. General Election - the annual election of the GPSA President, during which other ballot issues may be presented to the voting members. General Fund - the fund in which all fees collected on behalf of GPSA are deposited as well as all monies which revert back to GPSA. GPSA fee - a fee levied upon all graduate and professional students that is forwarded to GPSA. GPSA Member (Member) - any graduate or professional student enrolled in a degree granting department or school at the University of New Mexico main campus and who has paid the GPSA fee for the current semester. Gross Misconduct – an intentional act forbidden or unlawful performed with indifference to known or obvious harmful consequences. Impeachment – presentation of formal charges against a GPSA official by Council. Leave of absence – an approved absence from duties of office as communicated in writing. Malfeasance – Commission of a wrongful act which an official has no legal right to do, or any wrongful conduct which affects, interrupts, or interferes with the performance of official duty, or an act for which there is no authority or warrant of law. Majority - more than fifty percent (50%). Neglect of Office – Willful knowing, and intentional failure to attend to one’s official duties. New Mexico Research (NMR) Grant – set up to assist larger projects that require substantial funding, as provided by the New Mexico State Legislature.
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Plurality vote - a vote in which candidate or issue is decided by receiving the greatest number of votes. Professional Development(PD) Grant – a grant to fund student travel relevant to the applicant’s field. Pro-Rated Benefits Fund (PB Funds) - grants of pro-rated benefits based on student enrollment as requested by Recognized Departmental Student Associations. Recognized Departmental Student Association (RDSA) - the primary student association of each program, department, and school as recognized by GPSA. Referendum - a legislative initiative put to popular vote in a general or special election (pl. Referenda). Semester - the Fall or Spring academic term as determined by the academic calendar of the University. Session - the first day of the fall semester to the last day of the spring semester. Student Fee Review Board (SFRB) – advisory board that recommends the distribution of the student activity fee in the University budget. Student Government Accounting Office (SGAO) - a service department of UNM that processes all funds allocated by GPSA. Student Research (SR) Grant – a grant to fund expenses related to student research relevant to the applicant’s field. Term – a term of office as stipulated, or part there of. University (UNM) - the University of New Mexico, not including branch campuses.
GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION 1 BYLAWS 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
I. Definitions 4
Section 1. Constitutional Definitions 5 Section 2. Additional Bylaws Definitions 6 Section 3. Cross-References 7
II. Membership and Organization 8 Section 1. Membership 9 Section 2. Recognized Departmental Student Associations (RDSAs) 10 Section 3. GPSA Committees 11 Section 4. Transparency and Public Notice Requirements (TPNR) 12 Section 5. Project Assistants 13 Section 6. Veto Procedure 14 Section 7. GPSA Annual Report 15 Section 8. Amendments 16
III. Resignation, Removal, and Replacement of Officers 17 Section 1. President 18 Section 2. Council Chair 19 Section 3. Court of Review Justices 20 Section 4. Resignation 21
IV. Executive Branch 22 Section 1. President 23 Section 2. Executive Committees 24 Section 3. Executive Board 25
V. Legislative Branch 26 Section 1. Council Representatives and Certified Alternates 27 Section 2. Council Chair 28 Section 3. Council Recorder 29 Section 4. Procedures for Regular and Special Meetings 30 Section 5. Proxy Privileges 31 Section 6. Legislative Standing Committees 32 Section 7. Standing Committee Procedures 33 Section 8. Ad Hoc Committees 34 Section 9. Types and Requirements of Non-Appropriative Legislation 35 Section 10. Committee Consideration of Legislation and Appropriations 36 Section 11. Council Consideration of Legislative Items 37
VI. Judicial Branch 38 Section 1. Appellate Jurisdiction 39
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Section 2. Judicial Oath of Office 40 Section 3. Code of Conduct 41 Section 4. Responsibilities 42 Section 5. Disqualification 43 Section 6. Non-judicial Activities 44 Section 7. Resignation & Seniority 45 Section 8. Pro Tempore Justice Appointments 46 Section 9. Additional Duties Required 47
VII. Finance Code 48 Section 1. Committees 49 Section 2. General Fund 50 Section 3. Annual Budget 51 Section 4. Pro-Rated Benefits (PB) Fund 52 Section 5. Appropriations 53 Section 6. Revisions 54 Section 7. Disbursement 55 Section 8. Financial Enjoinment 56
VIII. Grants Code 57 Section 1. Student Research and Allocations Committee (GPSA RESEARCH GRANT) and 58 Specialized Travel (Professional Development Grants) 59 Section 2. Graduate Research Development (New Mexico Research) Fund 60
IX. Elections Code 61 Section 1. Referenda 62 Section 2. Candidate and Voter Eligibility 63 Section 3. Notice of Elections 64 Section 4. Campaigning 65 Section 5. General Election 66 Section 6. Council Chair Election 67 Section 7. Other Types of Elections 68 Section 8. Recall Election by GPSA Membership 69 Section 9. Special Elections 70 Section 10. Elections Reporting 71 Section 11. Election Disputes 72
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I. Definitions 74
Section 1. Constitutional Definitions 75 A. Definitions in the GPSA Constitution apply to the Bylaws. 76
Section 2. Additional Bylaws Definitions 77 Academic Week: A calendar week in which the University has scheduled classes at any time between 78 Monday and Friday. A week in which no classes are held due to University closure shall not count as an 79 academic week. 80
Aggregate Elections Data Report: A report of Elections data collected in accordance with University 81 policy and state and national law, including vote counts by department, voting time, date, and locations, 82 and erroneous voting, collected in a concise manner as to allow for data analysis. 83
Annual Report: A compilation of the reports of Decision Making Bodies submitted at the end of the 84 academic year. The Annual Report is archived for the incoming government to provide long-term 85 stability and institutional memory. 86
Appropriation: A legislative item requesting money from the GPSA General Fund. 87
Complaint Limitations Period: The statute of limitations for a complaint to be submitted to the Court of 88 Review. 89
Court of Review Complaint (Complaint): A grievance contesting whether or not an act is in accordance 90 with GPSA law. 91
Credential Form: A document for the purpose of declaring an RDSA Council Representative or Certified 92 Alternate. 93
Decision Making Body: A body or individual whose selection of a course of action binds GPSA or its 94 branches which include, but are not limited to, the Executive Board, Council, and Standing and Ad Hoc 95 Committees. 96
Electronic Signature: An electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a 97 record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. 98
EFC: Executive Finance Committee 99
FC: Finance Committee 100
General Research Project: A research project conducted by GPSA members which is completed 101 independent of a New Mexico State Agency. 102
Grants Application Reader: A GPSA member selected to read and score grants applications. 103
Groups, New and Inactive: A groups is defined as “new” if they have not previously been chartered 104 through the Student Activities Office or if they have not received funding from a GPSA budget process 105
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in the past. A group is defined as “inactive” if they have not received funding in the past two (2) GPSA 106 budget processes. 107
Harm to Humans or Animals: Physical, cultural, psychological, emotional, or other harm to humans or 108 animals. 109
High Priority Research Project: A research project conducted by GPSA members which is completed in 110 collaboration with a New Mexico State Agency. 111
IT: Information Technologies 112
Judicial Budget: Funding allocated for the administration of the judicial branch. 113
Judicial Oath of Office (Oath): A pledge each Justice appointee must make prior to officially assuming 114 the duties and privileges of a Court of Review Justice. 115
LFC: Legislative Finance Committee 116
LSC: Legislative Steering Committee 117
Legislative Budget: Funding allocated for the administration of the legislative branch. 118
Legislative Item: An appropriation, resolution, amendment to the GPSA Constitution or Bylaws, or other 119 piece of legislation submitted for Council consideration. 120
New Mexico State Agency: An entity approved by the Grants Committee that is not a college, 121 department, or program at a public university of the State of New Mexico. 122
Non-Profit Community Organization: An entity registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with 123 the Internal Revenue Service and/or under the laws of the State of New Mexico or of an Indian tribe. 124 This organization must have a New Mexico address and must conduct a majority of its activities within 125 New Mexico. 126
Open Meeting: A meeting of any GPSA Decision Making Body with a quorum present, held for the 127 purpose of taking action, formulating policy, or discussing public business, which is open to the public. 128 Open Meetings must comply with TPNR. 129
Permanent Equipment: Items that will not be depleted at the end of a research project. 130
Pro Tempore Justice: A temporary Justice which participates in judicial proceedings when an approved 131 Justice is recused or impeached or when the Court of Review has fewer than three (3) approved Justices. 132
Proxy: A GPSA member selected to vote on behalf of a Council Representative or Certified Alternate. 133
Research: Any activity performed by members of GPSA with the intent to generate generalizable 134 knowledge that will be communicated for potential public use. This includes, but is not limited to, an 135 artistic, athletic, cultural, educational, financial, historical, humanitarian, legal, linguistic, mathematical, 136 medical, musical, occupational, political, religious, scientific, sociological, structural, technological, or 137 therapeutic investigation. 138
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SSA Committee: Executive Student Support and Advocacy Committee 139
Supplies and Consumables: Items that are expected to be depleted at the end of a research project. 140
Telecommunication: Use of a conference telephone or other similar communications equipment. 141
TPNR: Transparency and Public Notice Requirements; specifically the section of the Bylaws with this 142 title. 143
Veto: The process by which the President rejects a piece of legislation approved by Council. 144
Working Group: A group which at its creation by a Decision Making Body is designated as a Working 145 Group rather than an ad hoc committee and whose sole purpose is to do work in preparation for a 146 specific item(s) to be acted upon or discussed by the Decision Making Body at a later Open Meeting. 147
Section 3. Cross-References 148
A. References in this document to the GPSA Constitution shall be indicated by parentheses (). 149 B. References in this document to other parts of the Bylaws shall be indicated by brackets [] and the 150
word “Bylaws”. 151 C. An electronic copy of this document utilizing some form of linking technology should be 152
available on the GPSA website. 153 D. Regardless of the published format(s) and cross-references, the GPSA Constitution and the 154
Bylaws shall be considered distinct but related documents. 155
II. Membership and Organization 156
Section 1. Membership 157 A. Continuing graduate or professional students who paid the GPSA fee in the spring semester shall 158
be considered GPSA members during the summer semester. (I.3.A.) 159 B. Upon presentation to the GPSA Office of a written request, any member may resign from GPSA. 160
(I.3.B.) 161 1. Resignation of membership does not relinquish the obligation to pay the GPSA fee. 162 2. Persons who have resigned membership shall lose all privileges and benefits of GPSA 163
member status. 164 3. Any person who has resigned membership shall be reinstated upon presentation to the GPSA 165
Office of a written request. 166 C. GPSA may not revoke or suspend membership. 167
Section 2. Recognized Departmental Student Associations (RDSAs) 168 A. Each RDSA shall maintain chartered status with the Student Activities Center, and must be open 169
to all GPSA members in its department, school, or college. In order to be recognized by GPSA, 170 each RDSA shall: 171 1. Hold officer elections which are open to all GPSA members in that department, school, or 172
college; and 173 2. Not charge dues as a condition for membership as a student organization. 174
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a. This does not preclude an RDSA from being a campus chapter of a state, regional, or 175 national association, so long as all GPSA members in that department, school, or 176 college may participate in the student organization. 177
b. PB funds may not be used to pay state, regional, or national association dues. 178 B. Each program may be represented by only one (1) RDSA. A school or college may consolidate 179
representation under one (1) RDSA, but no more than one (1) RDSA may represent the same 180 group of GPSA members. 181 1. Upon presentation of a petition signed by at least thirty-five percent (35%) of the total 182
number of GPSA members in a program, department, school, or college, the Elections 183 Committee shall conduct an election in which the GPSA members of that program, 184 department, school, or college may vote to affirm the current RDSA or to select a new 185 organization willing to meet all requirements for an RDSA. 186
2. The election ballot shall include the choice of desired RDSA from among the current RDSA 187 and all other student organizations signed by at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the total 188 number of GPSA members in that program, department, school, or college. 189
a. A petition to be placed on the ballot as an option for RDSA must be presented to the 190 Elections Committee no less than seven (7) academic days from the receipt of the 191 petition to select an RDSA. 192
b. The petition to be placed on the ballot must include a statement above the signature 193 lines stating: “If selected, this organization will adhere to the requirements for an 194 RDSA in the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws.” 195
C. Any RDSA failing to adhere to the requirements for an RDSA in the GPSA Constitution and 196 Bylaws shall be subject to review by the Court of Review. 197 1. The request for review may be submitted by any GPSA member from that program, 198
department, school, or college or from a chartered student or professional organization of 199 which the majority of members should be represented by that RDSA. 200
2. If the RDSA fails to comply with any Court of Review order within eleven (11) academic 201 days, the Chief Justice or the highest ranked Associate Justice shall have the authority to 202 decertify that RDSA. 203
D. Programs, departments, schools, or colleges with no RDSA shall lose all privileges afforded to 204 RDSAs by GPSA until a student organization applies for recognition in accordance with the 205 GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 206 1. RDSAs which enter non-chartered status shall be recertified upon becoming chartered. 207 2. If an RDSA is in non-chartered status when challenged by a petition to select an RDSA, it 208
must charter before being permitted to be included on the ballot. 209 3. While non-chartered, an RDSA may not receive the benefit of any privilege afforded to 210
RDSAs by GPSA. 211
Section 3. GPSA Committees 212 A. All GPSA members of, or appointments to, standing committees, ad hoc committees, or 213
University committees must be GPSA members. 214 1. No individual GPSA member shall hold more than four (4) voting positions on GPSA 215
standing committees. 216 B. Persons appointed to positions requiring Council approval when Council is not in session may 217
serve until Council has an opportunity to consider and approve their appointment, unless 218 otherwise specified in the GPSA Constitution or Bylaws. 219
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C. All GPSA standing committees shall be composed of no fewer than five (5) members. At least 220 three (3) different RDSAs must be represented. Each member shall count as representing only 221 one (1) RDSA. 222
D. Each GPSA Standing Committee Chair, Ad Hoc Committee Chair, and University committee 223 appointment shall submit a written report once a semester to the head of the appropriate branch 224 of government. 225
E. Joint ad hoc committees may be created by Council. Composition or means of composition shall 226 be determined at the creation of the committee and shall include Council Representatives and 227 GPSA members who are not Council Representatives. 228
F. A Decision Making Body may generate funds independent of the budget process, and these 229 funds shall not be part of the GPSA General Fund. The Decision Making Body shall record and 230 administer these self-generated funds. The Decision Making Body shall notify the head of its 231 branch of the receipt and use of these funds and shall provide a summary for the annual report. 232 Spending of these funds will be by a majority vote of the Decision Making Body and will be 233 subject to the Conflict of Interest Bylaws. 234
G. Chair-ships for the Executive Finance Committee (EFC), Legislative Finance Committee (LFC), 235 Legislative Steering Committee (LSC), and Grants Committee must be separate individuals. 236
H. No individual shall hold more than three standing committee chair-ships. 237 I. The President and the Council Chair are ineligible for standing committee chair-ships. 238
Section 4. Transparency and Public Notice Requirements (TPNR) 239 A. Public Notice Requirements 240
1. Unless otherwise specified in the Constitution or Bylaws, public notice shall be given no 241 fewer than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of a meeting. 242
2. Public notice shall consist of posting required documents in the GPSA Office and on the 243 GPSA website, and sending an announcement via the GPSA electronic mailing list and to the 244 Daily Lobo and any other media who have provided a written request for minutes. 245
B. Agenda Requirements 246 1. The agenda, time, date, and location of any Open Meeting must be posted in accordance with 247
the Public Notice Requirements. 248 2. The meeting agenda shall specify items as discussion items or action items. 249 3. The meeting agenda shall include time for public comment before discussion of old or new 250
business. During public comment, members of the public will be granted no fewer than three 251 (3) minutes each. 252
C. Minutes Requirements 253 1. Minutes must be taken at every Open Meeting. 254 2. Minutes must contain at least the date, time, location, type of meeting and the name of the 255
Decision Making Body; the names of all Decision Making Body members attending the 256 meeting; the names of any individuals who address the body in person; and a record of all 257 motions and decisions made and votes taken. 258
3. A draft copy of the minutes must be posted within six (6) academic days of the public 259 meeting in the GPSA Office. 260
4. The minutes shall be approved or amended at the next meeting of that Decision Making 261 Body where a quorum of the body is present. 262
D. Transparency Requirements 263
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 2:22 PMDeleted: with the exception of the Executive 264 Finance Committee. 265
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1. A Decision Making Body may permit participation by Telecommunication. The means and 267 extent of participation must be defined by the GPSA Bylaws, or the body’s standing rules if 268 approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. 269
a. A member of the body may use the means permitted if it is difficult to impossible for 270 that member to attend in person. 271
b. Each member participating by Telecommunication must be able to be identified when 272 speaking. All participants must be able to hear each other at the same time, and 273 members of the public attending the meeting must be able to hear any member of the 274 body who speaks during the meeting. 275
2. Audio and video recordings must be allowed and accommodated at Open Meetings. 276 3. Open Meeting votes and, if available, voting records are public unless otherwise specified in 277
the GPSA Constitution or Bylaws. 278 4. Attendance of GPSA members and members of the public will be accommodated at all Open 279
Meetings. 280 a. Open Meetings shall be held in spaces that can accommodate all people wishing to 281
attend and listen. 282 5. The body may take action only on those agenda items announced in accordance with the 283
Agenda Requirements. 284 6. Items added to the agenda fewer than twenty four (24) hours before a meeting must be 285
discussion items only. 286 E. Working Group Requirements 287
1. Decision Making Bodies must give a thorough review of recommendations from any group 288 that is not required to provide notice of its meetings. 289
2. The Working Group cannot take action that binds a Decision Making Body or any other 290 GPSA group. 291
3. Working Groups are not required to adhere to Public Notice Requirements but are required to 292 include any interested member of the Decision Making Body. 293
4. Meetings of Working Groups, even in the event the meeting has a quorum of members of the 294 Decision Making Body, are not required to be open so long as they are acting only on the 295 item(s) specified by the Decision Making Body. 296
F. Portions of an Open Meeting may be closed on the following occasions: 297 1. Deliberations by the Court of Review. The actual administrative and adjudicatory proceeding 298
at which evidence is offered or rebutted and any final action taken as a result of the 299 proceeding shall occur in an Open Meeting. However, the deliberations of the Court of 300 Review shall be closed to the public. 301
2. Discussion and records related to personnel. Any records or discussions related to personnel 302 shall be in accordance with University policy including but not limited to Human Resources 303 requirements. 304
3. Discussion and records deemed private. Any records or discussion related to privacy rights 305 protected by University policy or local, state, or federal law shall be closed to the public. 306
G. In order to close a meeting pursuant to the exclusions contained in this section, the closure must 307 be made in an open meeting and approved by a majority vote of a quorum of the Decision 308 Making Body: 309 1. The authority for the closure and the subject(s) to be discussed shall be stated with 310
reasonable specificity in the motion calling for the vote to close a meeting. 311
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2. The vote to close that portion of the meeting of each individual member shall be recorded in 312 the minutes. 313
3. Only those subjects announced prior to closure by the Decision Making Body may be 314 discussed in the closed portion of the meeting. 315
4. Items eligible for closure shall be indicated on the Agenda of the Open Meeting as such by 316 reference to the reason why closure will be considered. 317
H. Members of the public shall be excused during the closed portion of an Open Meeting. 318 I. Following completion of any closed meeting, the minutes of the Open Meeting that was closed, 319
shall state that the matters discussed in the closed meeting were limited only to those specified in 320 the motion for closure 321
Section 5. Project Assistants 322 A. The GPSA annual budget or Council appropriation may allow for hiring Project Assistants. The 323
budget or appropriation shall specify the amount of FTE and branch for each Project Assistant. 324 1. The budget must include a minimum 1.0 FTE designated for the Executive Branch. 325 2. Volunteers receiving a stipend are not Project Assistants. 326
B. Filling a Project Assistant vacancy requires an open call to the GPSA membership. 327 1. The open call for applicants shall comply with the Public Notice Requirements and include 328
job description and compensation. 329 2. Each branch is responsible for selecting its Project Assistants. 330
a. For the Executive, the President shall be responsible for the open call and selection. 331 b. For the Legislative, the Council Chair shall be responsible for the open call. The 332
Council Chair shall recommend a selection for Council’s approval. 333 c. For the Judicial, the Chief Justice shall be responsible for the open call and selection. 334
3. Project Assistants must be GPSA members. 335 C. Project Assistants aid in executing the mission of GPSA. 336
1. Project Assistant duties must be in compliance with the definition of Project Assistants given 337 in the University of New Mexico catalog. 338
2. Duties may include, but are not limited to, assisting standing and ad hoc committees and 339 working on projects that serve the mission of GPSA. 340
a. For the Executive, the President shall set the duties of and supervise the Project 341 Assistant(s). 342
b. For the Legislative, Council shall set the duties of the Project Assistant(s). The Council 343 Chair shall supervise the Project Assistant(s). 344
c. For the Judicial, the Chief Justice shall set the duties of and supervise the Project 345 Assistant(s). 346
D. Project Assistant compensation shall be contracted each semester. 347 1. Project Assistants shall be paid according to the guidelines required by the Office of 348
Graduate Studies. 349 2. Project Assistants shall be offered health insurance. 350 3. Project Assistants shall be offered tuition remission equal to the amount of hours required by 351
the Office of Graduate Studies in order to maintain their eligibility for the assistantship. 352
Section 6. Veto Procedure 353 A. Presidential Action 354
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1. A copy of the legislation with signature lines for approval or veto will be sent in hard and 355 electronic copy to the President’s office within one (1) academic day of the posting of the 356 draft of the Council meeting minutes in which the legislation was passed. 357
2. The President may take action on legislation, approval or veto, within five (5) academic days 358 of the posting of the draft of the minutes. 359
a. If the President takes action, it shall be on the legislation in totum and as is. Legislation 360 shall not be vetoed by line item. 361
b. If the President does not take action within the allotted time, the legislation becomes 362 binding. 363
c. The President may take action on legislation with an Electronic Signature. 364 d. If a veto is cast, it shall be accompanied by a rationale for the veto. 365 e. The President shall send the vetoed legislation and rationale to the Council Chair 366
within the required time limit. The Council Chair shall give notice of the veto in 367 accordance with TPNR within three (3) academic days of receipt. 368
f. The Council Chair shall place the vetoed legislation on the next regular Council 369 meeting agenda as an action item. 370
B. Council Action 371 1. Vetoed legislation that cannot be acted on at a regular meeting within a session shall be 372
presented at a special meeting prior to the close of the session. 373 2. When Council considers vetoed legislation, a motion to reconsider the bill must be made and 374
seconded. 375 3. Council shall consider the vetoed legislation in the same form as sent to the President. No 376
amendments may be made in an override consideration. 377 4. If Council votes to override, the legislation becomes binding without the President’s 378
signature. 379 5. If Council fails to override the President’s veto, the legislation dies and shall not be 380
reintroduced without amendment in the same Council session. 381
Section 7. GPSA Annual Report 382 A. All Decision Making Bodies shall provide a written report to the respective branch head by the 383
first (1st) academic day after the last regular Council meeting. 384 B. The head of each branch shall compile the Branch Annual Report and forward it to the President. 385 C. The President shall compile the GPSA Annual Report to be archived in accordance with the 386
GPSA Constitution. 387
Section 8. Amendments 388 Amendments and additions to the GPSA Bylaws shall be made according to the following procedure: 389
A. Proposed Amendments shall place the amendment within the appropriate context within this 390 document, including specific numerical reference (Article, Section, and paragraph number). 391
B. Approved amendments shall take effect as soon as University Counsel approves them. 392 C. Council Chair shall submit amendments to University Counsel within three (3) academic days 393
from final approval. 394 D. Where conflicts exist between previous bylaws and a new constitutional provision, the new 395
constitutional provision will supplant the previous bylaw. 396
III. Resignation, Removal, and Replacement of Officers 397
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Section 1. President 398 A. In order to initiate a recall election, Council must follow the Constitutional process of 399
impeachment and removal. (II.1.D.1.) 400 1. When the President is removed, the Council Chair shall assume the role of acting President, 401
and the Steering Committee Chair shall assume the role of acting Council Chair. 402 2. The Elections Committee must hold a recall election within fifteen (15) academic days of the 403
removal of the President by Council. 404 a. If the GPSA membership approves the removal of the President, a special election for a 405
new President must occur within twenty (20) academic days. The removed President 406 may not run in the special election. 407
b. If the GPSA membership does not approve the removal of the President, the President 408 is reinstated immediately upon official announcement of the recall election result. This 409 President may not be removed by Council again in the same session. 410
B. If the GPSA membership initiates a recall in accordance with the Constitution, Council shall 411 verify the validity of signatures and shall deliver the petition to the Elections Committee Chair. 412 (I.1.D.2.) 413 1. Council has five (5) academic days to validate the signatures and for the Council Chair to 414
deliver the petition to the Elections Chair after its presentation at a regular Council meeting. 415 2. If invalid signatures reduce the number to fewer than the required percentage, the petition is 416
considered null and void. 417 a. If the petition is considered null and void, the Council Chair shall give notice and 418
provide a list of all invalidated signatures within five (5) academic days and in 419 accordance with TPNR. 420
b. Any invalidated party shall have the opportunity to contest the invalidation in front of 421 the Court of Review. 422
3. Upon receipt of a valid recall petition, the Elections Chair shall hold a recall election. The 423 recall election must occur within fifteen (15) academic days of the Council meeting at which 424 the petition was presented. 425
4. The President may ask the Council Chair to serve as acting President until the recall election 426 can be held. 427
5. If a recall election results in the removal of the President, the Elections Committee shall hold 428 a special election in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, in which the 429 removed President may not run. 430
6. If a recall election does not result in the removal of the President, the President continues to 431 serve in office, or is reinstated if the Council Chair was serving as acting President. 432
Section 2. Council Chair 433 A. If the Council Chair has resigned or been removed, that person is ineligible to run in the resultant 434
Council Chair Special Election. 435
Section 3. Court of Review Justices 436 A. Removal of a Justice must follow the impeachment and removal process in the GPSA 437
Constitution. (IV.2.C.) 438 1. The motion to consider removal may occur at the same meeting as impeachment. 439 2. Justices may only be removed through impeachment procedures. 440
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3. After a motion to consider removal has passed, the Council Chair shall call a special meeting 441 for the removal vote within ten (10) academic days. 442
4. If the Chief Justice resigns or has been impeached and is currently the subject of removal 443 proceedings, the Senior Associate Justice shall assume the duties of the Chief Justice until 444 either the reinstatement or replacement of the Chief Justice. 445
B. The Court must have at least three (3) sitting Justices in order to operate. 446 C. Replacement 447
1. If the Court has three (3) or more remaining Justices after a resignation or removal, Council 448 may decide whether or not to appoint a replacement at the next regularly scheduled Council 449 meeting. 450
2. The President shall appoint temporary replacement Justices if the Court falls below three (3) 451 members until Council approves permanent replacements. 452
Section 4. Resignation 453 A. If the President, Council Chair, or Chief Justice wishes to resign, that individual shall resign by 454
delivering a written letter, either in person or by email, to the other individuals listed above as 455 well as to the Elections Chair. Additionally, the resigning officer shall notify the members of that 456 officer’s branch. 457
B. The letter of resignation must indicate whether the resignation is effective immediately or at 458 noon on a specified date. 459
C. Resignation of a Justice prior to the end of a semester may result in the loss of the Justice’s 460 stipend at the Council’s discretion. 461
IV. Executive Branch 462
Section 1. President 463 A. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 464
1. The President shall be authorized and required to be one of two signatures on disbursements 465 of GPSA, except for personal reimbursements to the President which shall be signed by two 466 other authorized persons. 467
2. The President may call special elections on items of governance, policy, and fiscal impact by 468 giving notice to Council and the Elections Committee. (VI.3.A.) Special Elections shall be 469 run in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 470
3. The President shall serve as an official member to the Faculty Senate Graduate Committee, 471 as authorized by the Committee. 472
4. The President shall make official announcements for open positions and appointments in the 473 Executive Branch, including job descriptions and how to apply. 474
a. Announcements shall follow TPNR. 475 b. All GPSA members shall be eligible for all appointments, unless prohibited by the 476
GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 477 5. The President should keep open appointments for the period of no less than five (5) academic 478
days from the announcement of the open positions. 479 6. The President may remove appointments at any time. 480 7. The President shall fill any Standing Committee Chair vacancy within twenty (20) academic 481
days. 482
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8. The President shall attend or send a designee to all Council meetings, and provide to Council 483 a President’s Report on issues pertinent to GPSA and the graduate and professional student 484 community. 485
9. The President shall be responsible for the hours of operation of the GPSA Office and 486 facilities. 487
10. The President shall employ, discharge, and assign duties to all Executive Branch employees, 488 in a manner consistent with current University employee policies. 489
B. Term of Office: A President having served a term less than one year may serve a maximum of 490 one (1) additional term as President. (II.1.B.2.) 491
C. Stipend: The President’s compensation should be offered as a Graduate Assistantship in 492 accordance with Office of Graduate Studies guidelines (II.1.C.1.) 493
Section 2. Executive Committees 494 A. Executive Committee Appointments 495
1. All GPSA Executive Standing Committee Chairs require approval from Council. (II.1.A.9.) 496 2. Appointments requiring Council approval shall be sent to the LSC and placed on the Council 497
agenda. 498 B. Executive Standing Committees 499
1. Executive Elections Committee 500 a. During elections, the Elections Committee as well as GPSA Decision Making Bodies 501
should try to provide for autonomy of the Committee to prevent conflict of interest and 502 bias in the elections process. 503
2. Executive Finance Committee (EFC) 504 a. The EFC shall be responsible for maintaining the financial records of GPSA which 505
shall be open for inspection by any GPSA member or committee. 506 3. Executive Grants Committee 507
a. Members of the Grants Committee shall conduct themselves in a manner that promotes 508 public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the grants process. 509
b. Grants Application Readers present at a Grants Committee meeting are voting 510 members. 511
4. Executive Lobby Committee 512 a. The Lobby Committee shall attempt to coordinate lobbying efforts of GPSA with the 513
Associated Students of New Mexico, the Associated Students of the University of New 514 Mexico, and other organizations as deemed appropriate. 515
b. The Lobby Committee shall work with the University administration on areas of 516 common concern. 517
c. The Lobby Committee is responsible for presenting GPSA issues before appropriate 518 governmental bodies, including the New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED). 519
d. The Lobby Committee shall investigate issues of importance to the GPSA, including 520 HED funding and capital outlays recommendations to the legislature. 521
e. The Lobby Committee should compensate student lobbyists for travel and other 522 necessary expenses subject to all applicable University policies and procedures. 523
f. The Lobby Committee Chair shall give reports on Lobby Committee activities to 524 Council at least one meeting prior, one during, and one after the regularly scheduled 525 New Mexico Legislative Session. The Lobby Committee Chair shall submit written 526 reports of the same comments to the President to keep as a record. 527
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g. The Lobby Committee shall prepare a platform of issues in enough time to receive 528 input from Council. 529
h. The Lobby Committee Chair shall submit the final draft of the platform to Council in 530 December. 531
5. Executive Programs Committee 532 a. The Programs Committee shall implement and coordinate programs that promote an 533
inclusive and supportive community for graduate and professional students. 534 b. The Programs Committee shall collaborate with the programming of other student 535
organizations as appropriate. 536 6. Executive Student Support and Advocacy Committee (SSA Committee) 537
a. The SSA Committee shall maintain a list of graduate student organizations, services 538 provided, and how each can be reached, and shall post the list on the GPSA website 539 and in the GPSA Office. 540
b. The SSA Committee shall provide information to GPSA members about GPSA, 541 including volunteer and paid positions, and activities. 542
c. The SSA Committee shall coordinate support for events of interest to GPSA members, 543 as resources and time of the committee allow. 544
C. Executive Standing Committee Chairs 545 1. Composition of Executive Committees and selection of Committee Chair and members must 546
comply with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 547 2. Standing Committee Chairs shall appoint the membership of the standing committees. 548 3. The Standing Committee Chair may remove members of the standing committees at any 549
time. 550 4. The Standing Committee Chair shall be responsible for submitting the committee’s reports to 551
the President in accordance to the GPSA Constitution, Bylaws, and applicable Standing 552 Rules. 553
5. The Standing Committee Chair shall hold office hours for student inquiries or provide 554 contact information available in the GPSA Office. The Chairs shall adhere to TPNR. 555
D. Executive Standing Committee Chair Stipends 556 1. Disbursement of compensation shall be subject to the fulfillment of the Chair’s obligations 557
and duties as verified by the President. 558 2. Disbursement shall be at the end of each semester in which the Chair served. 559
E. Executive Ad Hoc Committees 560 1. These committees shall pursue issues as specified by the President. These committees shall 561
endure no longer than is necessary for performance of the duties prescribed by the President. 562 F. Annual Written Reports 563
1. The Elections Committee shall include in the GPSA Annual Report all elections reports. See 564 Elections Code [Bylaw IX.Section 10]. 565
2. The EFC shall include in the GPSA Annual Report all expenditures and year end balances. 566 3. The Grants Committee shall include in the GPSA Annual Report all funding cycle reports. 567
See Grants Code [BylawsVIII.Section 1.L. & VIII.Section 2.L]. 568 4. The Lobby Committee shall include in the GPSA Annual Report results of any lobbying 569
efforts and the annual legislative platform. 570 5. The Programs Committee shall include in the GPSA Annual Report the results of any 571
fundraising efforts. 572
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6. The SSA Committee shall include in the GPSA Annual Report the list of graduate student 574 organizations and resources, as well as a summary of the issues deemed most important for 575 GPSA membership, progress made, and future recommendations. 576
7. Executive ad hoc committees shall include in the GPSA Annual Report progress towards 577 their specified objective(s), and any future recommendations for the continuation of the 578 committee. 579
8. University Committee appointees shall include in the GPSA Annual Report a summary of the 580 issues of importance to GPSA considered by the committee. 581
Section 3. Executive Board 582 A. Representation 583
1. School or college petitions for representation on the Executive Board shall be sent to the 584 President. The petition may specify the representative. 585
2. The President must grant petitions from unrepresented schools or colleges. 586 3. If there is no specified representative named on the petition, the President shall appoint a 587
representative from that school or college. 588 4. The President shall designate these additional representatives to the Executive Board as 589
voting members or non-voting members. 590 5. The Grants Committee shall have two votes on the Executive Board. These votes shall be 591
held singly by the Chair of the Grants Committee, but shall be split in the event of co-chairs. 592 B. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities 593
1. The Executive Board shall direct recommendations for the Council agenda to the appropriate 594 Legislative body. 595
C. Quorum 596 1. The Executive Board members may participate by Telecommunication in accordance with 597
TPNR. 598 2. Participation includes discussion, making motions, and voting. 599
V. Legislative Branch 600
Section 1. Council Representatives and Certified Alternates 601 A. RDSAs are the sole determinants of Council Representatives 602
1. For any RDSA, its Council representative(s) must be a graduate or professional student 603 seeking completion of a degree or certificate in one (1) of its programs. 604
2. The President, the Council Chair, and Court of Review Justices may not concurrently serve 605 as Council Representatives. 606
3. Representatives need not be officers of their RDSAs. 607 4. Credential Forms will be readily accessible in the GPSA Office, on the GPSA website, and 608
through the Council Chair and Council Recorder. 609 5. It is the responsibility of RDSAs and their designated Representative(s) to ensure that 610
Credential Forms are submitted and accepted by the Council Chair. 611 6. RDSA Presidents or their designees must sign Credential Forms. 612 7. In order for a GPSA member to serve as a Representative, that member’s Credential Form 613
must be submitted to the Council Chair prior to the start of a meeting. 614 8. All Credential Forms are nullified at the end of a Council session. New credentials are 615
required at the start of each Council session. 616
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B. Representative Duties 617 1. In addition to duties outlined in the GPSA Constitution, Representatives In addition to duties 618
outlined in the GPSA Constitution, Representatives serve as a link between their RDSAs, 619 students, and chartered student oganizations, as sponsors of legislation and advocates in 620 Council. Council may assist RDSAs, students, and chartered student organizations with the 621 drafting of legislation.Representatives may volunteer to serve on legislative standing or ad 622 hoc committees. 623
C. Certified Alternates 624 1. Certified Alternates may be chosen at will by each RDSA. The procedure for the selection of 625
Certified Alternates is left to the determination of each RDSA. 626 2. Only Certified Alternate Credential Forms approved by the Council Chair shall be accepted. 627 3. There is no limit to the number of Certified Alternates an RDSA may select. If there is more 628
than one Certified Alternate, the Certified Alternates shall be ranked by the RDSA to indicate 629 seniority of representation. Ranking will be the order in which the Certified Alternates are 630 listed by the RDSA on the Credential Form unless otherwise noted. 631
4. When serving as a Council Representative, Certified Alternates shall have the same rights 632 and privileges as a Council Representative, unless otherwise specified by GPSA law. 633
Section 2. Council Chair 634 A. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities: 635
1. The Council Chair shall produce an agenda in accordance with GPSA Bylaws and Council 636 Standing Rules for each Council meeting. The Council Chair shall be responsible for the 637 proper distribution of an agenda at least five (5) academic days prior to each regular Council 638 meeting. 639
2. At the first meeting of the academic year, the Council Chair shall provide all Council 640 Representatives with adequate information including, but not limited to, Council rules and 641 procedures, university policies, applicable parliamentary procedures, and access to the GPSA 642 Constitution and Bylaws. 643
3. The Council Chair shall notify the Council Representatives of the Chair’s office hours at the 644 beginning of each semester. 645
4. The Council Chair shall appoint Council Representatives to the Legislative Standing 646 Committees in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 647
5. The Council Chair shall administer the Legislative Budget and will oversee legislative budget 648 proposals for the subsequent fiscal year. 649
6. The Council Chair shall be responsible for the hiring of a Council Recorder. The Council 650 Chair oversees the Recorder and is responsible for assuring that the Council Recorder carries 651 out their duties. 652
7. The Council Chair may remove the Recorder subject to University policies and procedures. 653 A replacement shall be considered for approval by Council at the first opportunity. 654
8. The Council Chair shall review all minutes. Reviewed minutes shall be included on the 655 agenda for Council approval. These minutes will be noted as “Draft” until majority approval 656 by Council. The draft documentation shall be posted in accordance with TPNR. 657
B. If the Council Chair is unable to fulfill the duties of the position, the LSC Chair shall act as Chair 658 Pro Tempore until the Council Chair can resume the position or until an election can be held to 659 determine a replacement. 660
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1. If a Council Chair is acting President the Council Chair shall be considered unable to fulfill 661 the duties of the position. 662
2. If the LSC Chair is acting as Chair Pro Tempore for longer than one (1) day, the LSC shall 663 select an interim LSC Chair. 664
3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to supplant the Council Chair without adhering to 665 the impeachment and removal procedures, nor to permit the LSC to operate with an un-666 Constitutional composition. 667
Section 3. Council Recorder 668 A. The Council Recorder is selected by the Council Chair and approved by majority vote at the first 669
Council meeting of the session. 670 B. The Recorder shall be a GPSA member who is not simultaneously serving as a Council 671
Representative. 672 C. The Recorder may not serve in another paid position within GPSA, with the exception of a 673
Grants Application Reader. 674 D. Duties: 675
1. The Recorder shall assist the Council Chair with the production of all Council meeting 676 minutes. 677
2. The Recorder may assist the Council Chair with verifying the credentials of Council 678 Representatives and ensure that Credential Forms are available to RDSAs. 679
3. The Council Chair may request the assistance of the Recorder for other duties. 680 4. Compensation 681
a. The amount of compensation shall be determined through the annual budget process. 682 b. Compensation may either be in the form of a set stipend, hourly wage, or other 683
arrangement. 684
Section 4. Procedures for Regular and Special Meetings 685 A. Regular Meeting 686
1. The date and time of the first regular Council meeting of the session shall be announced by 687 the Council Chair-elect at the final Council meeting of the preceding session. 688
2. The regularly scheduled February and March meetings shall be scheduled for one of the last 689 seven (7) calendar days of the months. 690
B. Special Meeting 691 1. Petitions for special meetings not called by the Council Chair shall be submitted to the LSC 692
Chair; the LSC Chair shall verify the validity of the petition. 693 a. Petitions shall include the agenda items for discussion and action, the signatures as 694
required by the GPSA Constitution, and the date, time, and location of the meeting. 695 b. Notice of Special Meetings shall comply with TPNR. 696
C. Notice 697 1. In addition to following GPSA Constitutional notice requirements and TPNR, notice of every 698
regular Council meeting shall be included in a legislative calendar produced and made public 699 no later than the second (2nd) Council meeting of the session. 700
a. If changes are made to the calendar, a new version should be produced no later than 701 two (2) academic days after such change. 702
D. Standing Rules 703
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1. At the first Council meeting of the session, Council shall approve standing rules, which shall 704 name the parliamentary procedures that Council shall follow. 705
a. An agenda template for regular Council meetings shall be included as part of the 706 Standing Rules. 707
b. The Public Notice Requirements shall be announced by the Council Chair at the first 708 meeting of each semester of the session. 709
2. The Council’s Standing Rules apply to every Council meeting unless suspended with a two-710 thirds (2/3) vote of Council. 711
Section 5. Proxy Privileges 712 A. Proxy voting is the casting of a vote on behalf of a Council Representative. Proxy authority may 713
only be given by a validated Council Representative or Certified Alternate to another GPSA 714 Member. 715 1. Council Representatives and Certified Alternates should select a GPSA member from the 716
same RDSA to serve as Proxy. 717 B. In order to be eligible to vote in a Council meeting, a GPSA member must be a recognized 718
Representative, Certified Alternate, or Proxy. 719 1. Proxy forms must be delivered to the Council Chair before a GPSA member may serve as a 720
Proxy at a Council meeting. 721 2. When the Council Chair receives and approves a Proxy form, that GPSA member is eligible 722
to serve as a Proxy for that meeting. 723 3. The Council Chair shall keep a list of eligible Proxies for each meeting. 724 4. Proxies are eligible to vote for the specified Council meeting in which proxy privileges are 725
approved. 726 5. Proxies do not count toward quorum. 727
C. If an RDSA has more Representatives, Certified Alternates, and eligible Proxies present at a 728 Council meeting than it has votes, the voting slots shall be recognized in the following order and 729 according to rank: Representative(s), Certified Alternate(s), Proxy (ies). 730 1. A GPSA member who believes they should have voting privileges at a Council meeting may 731
bring this to the attention of the Council Chair. The Council Chair must recognize a GPSA 732 member’s right to vote prior to that member’s voting. 733
D. If a Council Representative or Certified Alternate is in attendance at a GPSA Council meeting 734 and must leave a meeting in progress, that voting member may select a Proxy. 735 1. Representatives or Certified Alternates using a Proxy should provide written documentation 736
of their RDSA’s preferences for the publicized agenda items to the Proxy prior to 737 surrendering voting privileges to that Proxy for that meeting. 738
E. Council Representatives or Certified Alternates who miss three (3) consecutive regular Council 739 meetings forfeit the proxy privileges. 740 1. Upon attending a Council meeting, a Council Representative’s or Certified Alternate’s 741
written proxy privileges will be reinstated. 742 F. No GPSA member may hold more than two proxy votes. 743
Section 6. Legislative Standing Committees 744 A. Standing Committee Chairs 745
1. Selection 746
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a. Standing Committee Chairs shall be selected by the Council Chair and approved by a 747 majority vote of Council at the first (1st) regular Council meeting of the session. 748
b. Standing Committee Chair appointments must be approved by Council prior to 749 assuming Committee Chair duties. 750
2. Duties, Powers, Responsibilities 751 a. Each Committee Chair, in conjunction with the membership of the committee, shall 752
maintain a schedule of meetings for that Council session, to be posted in accordance 753 with TPNR. 754
3. Reports 755 a. Written Legislative Committee Chair reports shall be given once per semester to 756
Council. 757 b. At each regular Council meeting the LFC Chair shall provide a report on the GPSA 758
General Fund, the Legislative Fund account balance, and appropriations to date. 759 4. Compensation 760
a. The amount of compensation shall be determined through the annual budget process. 761 b. Disbursement of compensation is subject to the fulfillment of the Committee Chair’s 762
duties as verified by the Council Chair or Council. 763 c. Disbursement shall be at the end of each semester in which the Committee Chair 764
served. 765 5. Removal 766
a. In addition to removal by the Council Chair, a Legislative Standing Committee Chair 767 may also be removed by Council with a two-thirds (2/3) vote. 768
b. If a Committee Chair is removed or resigns, the committee shall select another member 769 to serve as interim Committee Chair until a replacement is appointed by the Council 770 Chair and approved by Council. 771
c. Council shall vote whether or not the removed Chair may continue to serve as a 772 member on that committee. 773
d. If the LSC Chair is serving as the acting Council Chair, the committee shall select an 774 interim LSC Chair. 775
B. Committee Membership 776 1. Selection 777
a. The Council Chair shall provide notice of committee membership opportunities with 778 the Agenda notice for the first Council meeting of the session. 779
b. The Council Chair should seek any interested volunteers and must consider 780 recommendations from Council for committee membership. 781
c. The Council Chair shall appoint a minimum of five (5) and no more than eight (8) 782 members for the LSC and five (5) members for the LFC at the first meeting of the 783 Council session. 784
d. Approval of appointed standing committee members shall be by a majority vote of 785 Council prior to assuming duties. 786
e. Members may be added to legislative standing committees when appointed by the 787 Council Chair and approved by Council at a Council meeting, in accordance with the 788 GPSA Constitution’s composition requirements. 789
2. Removal 790 a. If a committee member violates the committee’s standing rules, that member shall be 791
removed by the Committee Chair or the Council Chair 792
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b. A Representative may appeal a removal at the next regularly scheduled Council 793 meeting before the selection of a replacement. Overturning a removal requires a two-794 thirds (2/3) vote from Council. 795
c. The Council Chair may appoint replacement(s) to be approved by Council. 796 d. Council may request that the Council Chair reconstitute a committee. 797
Section 7. Standing Committee Procedures 798 A. Standing Rules 799
1. Each committee must adopt and adhere to standing rules which include, but are not limited 800 to, committee procedure, legislation requirements, and membership duties. The standing 801 rules must comply with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, as well as any direction 802 provided by Council. 803
2. Each committee must adopt standing rules at its first meeting of the Council session. 804 Standing rules must be approved by Council at a regularly scheduled Council meeting. 805
3. The first committee meeting shall use the adopted standing rules for an interim period until 806 rules are approved by Council. 807
4. Committees may suspend the standing rules with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the committee. 808 Council must be notified at the meeting in which the legislation is presented that the standing 809 rules were suspended. 810
B. Timeline 811 1. Timeline 812
a. Each legislative standing committee shall conduct its first meeting between the first 813 (1st) and second (2nd) regularly scheduled Council meetings. 814
b. Legislative standing committees must meet between nine (9) and thirteen (13) 815 academic days prior to each regularly scheduled Council meeting after the August 816 meeting in which they are formed. 817
c. Items for committee review must be submitted to the appropriate Committee Chair at 818 least two (2) academic days prior to the committee meeting. Submissions received after 819 this deadline shall be considered at the following committee meeting, except for the 820 last committee meeting of the Council session. 821
d. Committee Chairs must submit items for inclusion on the Council agenda to the 822 Council Chair at least eight (8) academic days prior to a regular Council meeting. 823
e. Supporting documentation for agenda items and committee reports must be submitted 824 to the Council Chair at least five (5) academic days prior to the Council meeting. 825
f. The Committee Chairs shall post meeting minutes at least twenty-four (24) hours in 826 advance of each regularly scheduled Council meeting. 827
Section 8. Ad Hoc Committees 828 A. Formation and Dissolution 829
1. Council shall determine the composition or means of composition of legislative ad hoc 830 committees. 831
2. Council shall approve the purpose and duration of the ad hoc committees. 832 B. Council shall determine the means for selecting ad hoc committee chairs. 833
1. Each ad hoc Committee Chair is responsible for adhering to TPNR. 834 2. Ad hoc committees must request an appropriation from Council for any operational costs that 835
the committee expects. 836
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Section 9. Types and Requirements of Non-Appropriative Legislation 837 A. Constitutional amendments must be included as a discussion item at least one (1) regularly 838
scheduled Council meeting prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting at which action may 839 be taken. 840
B. Bylaws must be included as a discussion item at least one (1) regularly scheduled Council 841 meeting prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting at which action may be taken. Bylaws 842 require a two-thirds (2/3) vote to pass. 843
C. Resolutions require a majority vote of Council. 844
Section 10. Committee Consideration of Legislation and Appropriations 845 A. Any GPSA member, RDSA, Decision Making Body, or groups or individuals with a GPSA 846
member serving as a sponsor may submit legislation or appropriations for Council consideration. 847 This includes the Executive Board and President. Items should be submitted to the appropriate 848 Legislative Committee Chair. 849
B. Every submission must include a contact person who is responsible for the item, capable of 850 answering questions, providing additional material, and making necessary revisions. 851 1. The Committee Chair shall collect all submissions, confirm that items have been submitted to 852
the proper committee, and produce a committee agenda in accordance with TPNR. 853 2. Legislative Committee Chairs shall redirect an item submitted to the incorrect committee to 854
the appropriate party. 855 3. Legislative Committees shall facilitate each submission's adherence to the guidelines and 856
required format established by the Bylaws and standing rules. 857 4. Legislative Committees shall provide contact information for Council members and GPSA 858
leadership upon request. 859 5. Legislative Committees shall review and make recommendations on all items submitted in 860
accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. Recommendations may include, but are 861 not limited to, suggestions for amendment, substitution, discussion, and action. 862
C. All Legislative Items are forwarded with committee recommendations to the Council Chair and 863 shall be included on the Council agenda. 864 1. Once Legislative Committees have determined a recommendation, this Legislative Item 865
should appear on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled Council meeting. 866 a. Legislative Committees shall not unduly delay making recommendations on 867
Legislative Items. 868 2. The original Legislative Item and accompanying recommendation shall be treated as one (1) 869
agenda item. 870 3. The original Legislative Item shall not be altered by any of the Committee's 871
recommendations beyond grammar, spelling, and format until it is considered by Council. 872 4. A copy of the edited Legislative Item and accompanying recommendation as submitted to 873
Council shall be delivered to the originating party with a notice of the Council meeting in 874 which the Legislative Item will be discussed within one (1) academic day of the item being 875 forwarded to the Council Chair. 876
5. The supporting documents and recommendations may be revised by the respective legislative 877 committee up to the required deadline for supporting document submissions. The final 878 versions of the Legislative Item and supporting documents must be submitted both to the 879 Council Chair and to the originating party. 880
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Section 11. Council Consideration of Legislative Items 881 A. The Council Chair shall prepare all Legislative Items and reports from legislative standing and 882
ad hoc committees and items required by the Bylaws in a single agenda. 883 1. Items identified by the Constitution and Bylaws as automatically appearing on the agenda do 884
not have to go through the committee process. 885 2. Emergency items may be added to the agenda in accordance with TPNR at the discretion of 886
the Council Chair, even if they have not gone through the committee process. 887 3. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of Council is required to allow discussion or action on emergency 888
items. 889 B. The Council Chair shall post an agenda for each regularly scheduled Council meeting no later 890
than six (6) academic days before the meeting. The Council Chair shall post supporting 891 documents no later than three (3) academic days before the meeting. Posting of agenda and 892 supporting documents must comply with TPNR. 893
C. Final order of items on the agenda is at the discretion of the Council Chair and subject to Council 894 amendment. 895
D. Within the order of business, the originating party or sponsor shall have three (3) minutes to 896 provide relevant commentary on the Legislative Item. 897
E. The applicable Legislative Committee Chair may provide information regarding their 898 committee’s recommendation at the request of the Council Chair, Council Representative, or any 899 recognized and present voting member of Council. 900
F. The Council Chair may provide basic information about emergency items. 901 G. Council is the final authority in the Legislative Branch. 902
VI. Judicial Branch 903
Section 1. Appellate Jurisdiction 904 A. In addition to the Court’s original jurisdiction as stated in the GPSA Constitution, the Court shall 905
also have appellate jurisdiction to hear: 906 1. All matters arising from Council activity, including, but not limited to, review of any award 907
of GPSA funds to an organization or individual for consistency with the GPSA Constitution 908 and Bylaws. 909
2. All matters arising from activities of any Executive, Legislative, and Judicial standing or ad 910 hoc committee. 911
3. All acts of the President, Council Chair, or GPSA member acting on behalf of GPSA when 912 and which the Court would not otherwise have original jurisdiction to hear. 913
Section 2. Judicial Oath of Office 914 A. No Justice shall assume the duties of that office until the Judicial Oath of Office (Oath) has been 915
administered. The Oath must be administered within ten (10) academic days of confirmation by 916 Council. 917 1. The Oath shall be administered to the Chief Justice by the President or, in the President’s 918
absence, the Council Chair and must be witnessed by a representative of either the Executive 919 or Legislative branch, so long as the witness is not a member of the branch that is 920 administering the Oath. 921
2. For all other Justices, the Oath shall be administered by the Chief Justice, and must be 922 witnessed by a representative of either the Executive or Legislative branch. 923
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3. In the case that the Chief Justice is unavailable to administer the Oath, the President shall 924 administer the Oath. In the case that the President is unavailable to administer the Oath, then 925 the Council Chair shall administer it. In any case, the administration of the Oath must be 926 witnessed by a member of either the Executive or Legislative branch so long as the witness is 927 not a member of the branch that is administering the Oath. 928
4. The Oath will be administered with the right hand uplifted and the following words said 929 aloud: 930
a. “I, (name), do solemnly swear that I will uphold the laws of the Graduate and 931 Professional Students Association of the University of New Mexico, the State of New 932 Mexico, and the United States of America; that I will judge fairly and with no previous 933 bias the evidence and proceedings before me, and that I will otherwise fulfill the duties 934 and obligations of the GPSA Judiciary to the best of my ability.” 935
5. Upon affirmation of the Oath, an affidavit will be filed attesting to the authority of the 936 Justice. The Justice shall then assume office. 937
Section 3. Code of Conduct 938 A. All Justices shall establish, observe, and maintain high standards of conduct so that the integrity 939
and independence of the judiciary may be preserved. 940 B. Justices shall respect and comply with the law and shall conduct themselves at all times in a 941
manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. 942 C. Justices shall not allow their family, social, or other relationships to influence their judicial 943
conduct or judgment. 944 D. Justices shall not permit those under their control to convey the impression that they are in a 945
special position to influence the decisions of the Court. 946
Section 4. Responsibilities 947 A. Justices shall be faithful to the law and remain unbiased and nonpartisan. 948 B. Justices shall maintain order and decorum in proceedings before them. 949 C. Justices shall be patient, dignified, and courteous to those with whom they deal in an official 950
capacity, and shall require similar conduct of those subject to their direction and control. 951 D. Justices shall accord to every person who is involved in a proceeding, or their counsel, a full 952
right to be heard according to law. 953 E. Justices shall neither initiate nor consider communications from only one party of a pending or 954
impending proceeding. 955 F. Each Justice is charged with the duty of carefully reading and analyzing the pertinent submitted 956
material on each case in which he or she participates. 957 G. Justices shall abstain from public comment about a pending proceeding in the Court. This does 958
not prohibit Justices from making public statements in the course of their official duties or from 959 explaining for public information the procedures of the Court. 960
H. Justices of the Court shall dispose promptly of the business of the Court. 961 I. Each Justice of the Court shall take or initiate appropriate disciplinary measures against any 962
other Justice for unprofessional conduct of which they become aware. 963 J. All official decisions and opinions of the Court shall be made in writing, made available to 964
GPSA officers, Representatives, and members, as well as the public upon request. Written 965 opinions must become part of the official Court Record and shall be made available to the 966
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President, Council Chair, Council Representatives, and upon request to GPSA members and the 967 public. 968
Section 5. Disqualification 969 A. A Justice is disqualified and shall announce recusal in any proceeding in which: 970
1. The Justice has personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding. 971 2. The Justice or the Justice’s spouse/domestic partner, or a person related to the Justice within 972
the third degree, by blood, marriage, or other relationship to either the Justice or the Justice’s 973 spouse/domestic partner: 974
a. is a party to the proceeding, or an officer, director, or trustee of a party; 975 b. is acting as legal counsel in the proceedings; 976 c. is known by the Justice to have an interest that could substantially affect or be affected 977
by the outcome of the proceeding; 978 d. is to the knowledge of the Justice likely to be a material witness in the proceeding; 979
3. A party to the proceeding is an employee of the Justice. 980 B. Any Justice announcing recusal from any proceeding shall notify the Chief Justice of the recusal 981
in writing. 982 C. If the Chief Justice must announce recusal from any proceeding, the Chief Justice shall notify the 983
full Court of the recusal in writing. 984
Section 6. Non-judicial Activities 985 A. Justices may appear at a public hearing before an executive or legislative body, and may consult 986
with an executive or legislative body official, but only on matters concerning the administration 987 of justice. 988
B. Justices shall not act as arbitrators or mediators except in the performance of judicial duties. 989 C. Justices shall not accept any gift, bequest, favor, or loan other than ordinary social hospitality, if 990
the source of said gift, bequest, favor, or loan could imply or give the appearance of influencing 991 the decisions of the Court or otherwise give the appearance of impropriety. 992
Section 7. Resignation & Seniority 993 A. Should the Chief Justice resign from the Court for any reason or be the subject of impeachment 994
proceedings, the Senior Associate Justice shall assume the duties of the Chief Justice until the 995 President appoints and Council affirms a new Chief Justice. 996
B. Seniority of the Associate Justices shall be determined by the date of approval of appointments, 997 the vote order by Council, and the seniority assigned during a block vote. 998 1. Seniority of the Associate Justices shall be assigned prior to sending the appointments to the 999
LSC. 1000 C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that the Court may operate with less than three 1001
sitting Justices. 1002 D. Members of the Court of Review shall not serve on any GPSA standing committee. 1003
Section 8. Pro Tempore Justice Appointments 1004 A. In the event that one or more Justice(s) announce recusal from any proceeding, or in the event 1005
that any Justice is the subject of an impeachment proceeding before Council, the Chief Justice 1006
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shall notify the President and Council Chair of such an occurrence within three (3) academic 1007 days of receiving written notification of a Justice’s recusal. 1008
B. Within three (3) academic days of receipt of such notification from the Chief Justice, the 1009 President shall recommend a Pro Tempore Justice to Council. 1010
C. Within three (3) academic days of receiving the President’s recommendation, the Council Chair 1011 shall schedule a Special Meeting of Council in accordance with TPNR in order to consider the 1012 President’s recommendation. 1013
D. Following recusal, a Pro Tempore Justice must be approved by Council within twenty (20) 1014 academic days of receipt of notice from the Chief Justice that a Justice has announced recusal 1015 from a proceeding before the Court. 1016
E. The Chief Justice shall stay the effected proceeding(s), informing all parties of the stay, until 1017 such time as: 1018 1. the President has recommended to Council a Pro Tempore replacement for each recused 1019
Justice, and Council has approved that recommendation; 1020 2. the Pro Tempore Justice has taken the Judicial Oath of Office; and 1021 3. an affidavit attesting to the Pro Tempore Justice’s authority has been filed. 1022
F. All Pro Tempore Justice appointments, once made, shall expire upon the termination of the 1023 matter before the Court. For the purposes of this section, “termination” means any final ruling by 1024 the Court of the matter before it, including dismissal for any reason as well as a determination of 1025 the matter on its merits. 1026
G. With the exception of those cases in which a Justice has announced recusal because 1027 impeachment proceedings have been brought against the Justice, the appointment of a Pro 1028 Tempore Justice shall not limit the recused Justice’s authority to hear other matters before the 1029 Court. 1030
Section 9. Additional Duties Required 1031 A. General Duties of the Court 1032
1. The Court shall conduct monthly meetings throughout each semester. 1033 2. The Chief Justice shall preside at all meetings of the Court, or be responsible for assigning a 1034
Justice to preside when the Chief Justice cannot attend or has announced recusal. 1035 3. The Chief Justice is responsible for publishing all rulings and decisions of the Student Court 1036
within eleven (11) academic days of decision. 1037 B. Advice to the President, Elections Chair, or Council as requested 1038
1. The President, Elections Chair, or Council may seek the advice of the Court for any matter, 1039 including, but not limited to, the constitutionality of any provision of the GPSA Bylaws, 1040 codes or rules, or the constitutionality of any act of any GPSA officer or member acting on 1041 GPSA’s behalf. 1042
2. The President or Elections Chair may request the advice of the Court by submitting a 1043 question in writing to the Court with a copy to the Council Chair. 1044
3. Council may request the advice of the Court upon a majority vote of the Representatives 1045 present at any regular or special meeting where a quorum is present. The question shall be 1046 submitted to the Court in writing with a copy to the President. 1047
4. When advice of the Court is sought, the Court may follow procedures it determines in its 1048 discretion that are suitable to effectively research and address the question presented. The 1049 Court may ask the presenter of the question for clarification of the issue. 1050
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5. The Court may determine that the question presented is beyond the scope of the Court’s 1051 authority, in which case it shall so inform the President and Council Chair of such a 1052 determination. 1053
6. In any event, the Court shall issue a written Advisory Opinion to the President and Council 1054 chair within twenty (20) academic days of receipt of the written question. 1055
C. Appellate Procedure 1056 1. Jurisdiction 1057
a. The Court shall determine if it has personal jurisdiction over all parties in hearings 1058 before the Court, whether under the Court’s original or appellate jurisdiction. 1059
b. Should the Court determine it does not have jurisdiction over a particular party for any 1060 reason, the Court shall dismiss the action without reaching the merits. 1061
c. This section does not apply to the Court’s proceedings when it has been asked to issue 1062 an Advisory Opinion. 1063
2. Hearing Procedures and Informal Dispute Resolution: 1064 a. The GPSA Court of Review encourages disputants to resolve their disputes outside of 1065
this Court. This Court is available to assist in informal proceedings should both parties 1066 consent to such dispute resolution. Procedures for informal dispute resolution are to be 1067 determined by the Court. 1068
b. Parties wishing to seek resolution to their dispute in a more formal setting may bring an 1069 action before the Court by following the established Hearing Procedures. 1070
3. Complaint Limitations Period 1071 a. In general, all actions alleging violations of the GPSA Constitution or Bylaws must be 1072
brought within twenty (20) academic days from the date of the alleged infraction. 1073 However, if the Plaintiff is unaware of the alleged infraction at the time it occurs, the 1074 Plaintiff must file the claim within eight (8) academic days from the day on which the 1075 Plaintiff learned, or should have learned, of the infraction. 1076
b. Any challenge to any action on the grounds that it has been brought after the applicable 1077 Complaint Limitations Period has run is a matter to be resolved by the Court of 1078 Review. 1079
c. Extensions of the Complaint Limitations Period may be granted only to accommodate 1080 events deemed emergencies by the Court or for other equitable reasons as determined 1081 by the Court. 1082
4. Complaint 1083 a. All matters that are not Advisory Opinion Proceedings shall be brought before the 1084
Court upon completion of a Complaint form by the Plaintiff, filed with the Court in the 1085 GPSA Office within the applicable limitations period. 1086
b. The Complaint form may be obtained from the GPSA Office. 1087 c. The Plaintiff shall serve a true and correct copy of the Complaint to any and all 1088
Defendants no more than three (3) academic days after submitting a Complaint to the 1089 Court. Service of the Complaint may be made in person, by hand delivery, by first-1090 class mail, or any other method by which the Plaintiff reasonably believes the 1091 Defendant should receive the Complaint. 1092
d. The Court has six (6) academic days to review the Complaint and determine if it is 1093 within the Court’s jurisdiction as defined in the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, and 1094 whether all information required by the Complaint form has been submitted and is fully 1095 completed. 1096
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e. If corrections are required, the Plaintiff has three (3) academic days in which to make 1097 any corrections, additions, revisions, etc., and submit an amended Complaint to the 1098 Court. The Court may grant extensions to any Plaintiff when justice so requires. 1099
f. The Plaintiff shall serve a true and correct copy of the amended Complaint on any and 1100 all Defendants within three (3) academic days of its submission to the Court. Service of 1101 the amended Complaint may be made in person, by hand delivery, by first-class mail, 1102 or any other method by which the Plaintiff reasonably believes the Defendant should 1103 receive the amended Complaint. 1104
g. The Court will dismiss without prejudice any Complaint over which it lacks 1105 jurisdiction. The Court reserves the right to dismiss any Complaint on the grounds that 1106 the amended Complaint is incomplete and/or the time for submitting corrections has 1107 expired. 1108
5. Answer 1109 a. The Answer form may be obtained from the GPSA Office. 1110 b. On or before the fifth (5th) academic day following receipt of the Complaint (or 1111
amended Complaint), the Defendant(s) must file a completed Answer on the Court’s 1112 Answer form with the Court. 1113
c. The Defendant shall serve a true and correct copy of the Answer on any and all 1114 Plaintiffs within three (3) academic days of its submission to the Court. Service of the 1115 Answer may be made in person, by hand delivery, by first-class mail, or any other 1116 method by which the Defendant reasonably believes the Plaintiffs should receive the 1117 Answer. 1118
d. If the Court determines that the Answer form is incomplete or inaccurate, it shall be 1119 returned to the Defendant(s) who shall have three (3) academic days in which to amend 1120 the Answer form and re-submit it to the Court. 1121
e. The Defendant shall serve a true and correct copy of the amended Answer on any and 1122 all Plaintiffs within three (3) academic days of its submission to the Court. Service of 1123 the amended Answer may be made in person, by hand delivery, by first-class mail, or 1124 any other method by which the Defendant reasonably believes the Plaintiffs should 1125 receive the amended Answer. 1126
6. Pre-Hearing Guidelines 1127 a. The Court has three (3) academic days from receipt of the Answer (or amended 1128
Answer) in which to schedule a Hearing if the Court finds the case to be within the 1129 Court’s jurisdiction. 1130
b. The Hearing shall be scheduled no later than seven (7) academic days from the date of 1131 the Court’s receipt of the Defendant’s Answer or final amended Answer, unless the 1132 matter is stayed by the Chief Justice because a Justice has announced recusal, in which 1133 case a hearing shall be scheduled no later than seven (7) academic days after a Pro 1134 Tempore Justice has been appointed, approved, and assumed the Judicial Oath of 1135 Office. 1136
c. Extensions of the time allotted for submission of the Complaint (or amended 1137 Complaint), the Answer (or amended Answer), and/or scheduling of a hearing must be 1138 granted when justice so requires. 1139
7. Witnesses and Evidence 1140 a. Parties are responsible for gathering and presenting evidence and other testimony, 1141
including calling any relevant witnesses to support their case. 1142
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b. Should a party be unable to find or to convince a witness to testify at the hearing, or 1143 should a party be unable to access evidence that is critical to its case after reasonable 1144 diligence in attempting to secure such witness or evidence, it may inform the Court. 1145 The Court may, in its discretion, postpone the hearing or take other remedial measures 1146 to allow the party to gather evidence necessary to its case in the interest of justice and 1147 fairness. 1148
8. Hearing Procedures 1149 a. The Plaintiff(s), followed by the Defendant(s), shall present Opening Statements, 1150
which shall be no more than ten (10) minutes in length per party. 1151 b. The Court may ask questions of either party, if clarification is needed. 1152 c. Witnesses for both the Plaintiff(s) and Defendant(s) shall present their evidence and/or 1153
testimony. Parties shall have an opportunity to question each witness subject to the 1154 restrictions of the Court. The Court may also question the witnesses, if necessary. 1155
d. The Court reserves the right to recall any Plaintiff(s), Defendant(s), and/or Witness (es) 1156 at any time during the hearing. 1157
e. The Plaintiff(s) and the Defendant(s) shall be asked if they would like to make Closing 1158 Statements, and if they so desire, they shall be given no more than ten (10) minutes per 1159 party for a closing statement. 1160
f. The Court shall then recess to deliberate in a closed portion of a meeting. 1161 g. The Court shall issue a decision no later than fourteen (14) calendar days following the 1162
Hearing. 1163 9. Hearing Guidelines 1164
a. All Hearing proceedings must be audio recorded. 1165 b. The Court shall be allowed to recess at any time, for any reason. 1166 c. The Court may, in its discretion, admonish any Witness or party whose testimony or 1167
behavior is inconsistent or harmful to the process of justice. 1168 d. Consistent with these Procedures, the time allowed for Plaintiff(s), Defendant(s), and 1169
Witness Statements shall be decided by the Court at the beginning of the Hearing. 1170 e. Plaintiff(s) and/or Defendant(s) have the right to appear with an advisor at the Hearing. 1171
The advisor may be, but is not required to be, an attorney. However, the Plaintiff(s) and 1172 Defendant(s) are responsible for presenting their cases in their entirety. Advisors are 1173 therefore not permitted to speak or participate directly in any Hearing. 1174
f. Circumstances not described above will be resolved at the discretion of the Court. 1175 10. Procedure Guidelines 1176
a. Whenever a party is required to do some act (e.g., submit a Complaint, answer a 1177 Complaint, etc.), the time for compliance begins to run on the day that the party 1178 receives notice of the need to act. If notice is sent by mail, receipt thereof shall be 1179 presumed three (3) calendar days after the notice is mailed. 1180
b. After submission of a Complaint, it shall be kept confidential until the Defendant(s) 1181 have been properly served with the Complaint or amended Complaint. Once the 1182 Defendant(s) receive, or are presumed to have received notice, the Complaint and other 1183 Court records pertaining to the case shall be open to scrutiny, in compliance with the 1184 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. 1185
c. Circumstances not described above may be resolved at the discretion of the Court. 1186 11. Procedure for Charging a GPSA Official with Misconduct 1187
Page 29 of 53
a. Allegations for charging the President, Council Chair, Council Representative, Chief 1188 Justice, Associate Justice, or other GPSA officer with official misconduct shall be 1189 made on an official Complaint form. 1190
b. Such Complaints, once filed, must be adjudicated by the Court of Review and are not 1191 subject to informal dispute resolution. 1192
c. Hearing Procedures for allegations of official misconduct shall be the same as those for 1193 any other Hearing as stated herein. 1194
12. Fairness and Justice 1195 a. If the Court finds that any particular procedure should be amended in the interest of 1196
fairness and justice, the Court may amend or modify the Hearing Procedures so long as 1197 due process is afforded both parties. 1198
13. Further Appeal: 1199 a. With respect to the actions of the GPSA, the decision of the Court of Review shall be 1200
final. 1201 b. Nothing in the GPSA Constitution or Bylaws shall be construed as an attempt to limit 1202
any person’s or party’s rights under other applicable laws. 1203
VII. Finance Code 1204
Section 1. Committees 1205 A. Executive Finance Committee (EFC) 1206
1. As an extension of the Executive Branch, the EFC shall serve in an administrative capacity to 1207 ensure and facilitate proper financial distribution to, and budget compliance from, those 1208 entities which receive GPSA funding both directly and indirectly from the GPSA General 1209 Fund. 1210
2. The EFC may serve to represent any financial requests from the Executive Branch to the 1211 Finance Committee, including the Annual Budget. 1212
3. Once funding allocation legislation is passed, the EFC shall administer the allocation’s 1213 distribution and regulation. 1214
4. The EFC shall meet as determined by the President and EFC Chair. 1215 5. The EFC Chair will serve as the vice chair to the Finance Committee. 1216 6. The EFC shall administer the Graduate Scholarship Fund and complete all duties required by 1217
that post. 1218 7. The EFC Chair shall appoint (4) GPSA members to serve on the EFC. 1219 8. Emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the EFC Chair. 1220 9. The LFC Chair or Chair’s designee may serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the 1221
EFC. 1222 B. Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) 1223
1. As an extension of the Legislative Branch, the LFC shall serve as a recommending body for 1224 financial allocations requested by and presented to GPSA Council. 1225
2. The LFC may serve to represent any financial requests from the Legislative Branch to the 1226 Finance Committee, including the Annual Budget. 1227
3. The LFC shall oversee the legislative process of financial review and allocation, including 1228 the examination and review of funding requests. 1229
4. The LFC Chair shall serve as the chair of the Finance Committee. 1230 5. The LFC shall meet as determined by the Council Chair and LFC Chair. 1231
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 2:46 PMDeleted: <#>The EFC Chair will be appointed 1232 by the GPSA President.1233
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:03 PMComment [1]: Leave this in as the EFC has other duties. (Reject Change: deletion)
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 2:50 PMDeleted: will1234
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 3:45 PMDeleted: serve as the chair of the Graduate 1235 Scholarship Fund1236
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 3:53 PMDeleted: will appoint the one GPSA member 1237 to serve on the Finance Committee.1238
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 3:54 PMDeleted: <#>The EFC Chair and the three (3) 1239 appointed GPSA members will serve as the 1240 Executive Finance Committee.1241
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:03 PMComment [2]: Leave 6 & 7 in (Reject Change: deletion)
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:16 PMDeleted: an oversight body for GPSA financial 1242 allocations from the General Fund.1243
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:18 PMDeleted: will1244
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:21 PMDeleted: .1245
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:21 PMFormatted: Font:12 pt
Page 30 of 53
6. 1246 7. The LFC shall meet monthly after the first regularly scheduled Council meeting of the fall 1247
semester until the end of the spring semester; an exception may be made for the month of 1248 December, where the Council Chair and LFC Chair may decide not to have an LFC meeting 1249 due to time restrictions. 1250
8. Emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the LFC Chair, Council Chair, or by 1251 vote of the Council. 1252
9. The EFC Chair or EFC Chair’s designee may serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of 1253 the LFC. 1254
C. Finance Committee (FC) 1255 1. The LFC and EFC shall both be represented on the Finance Committee (FC) which will serve 1256
as the Recommending body for all GPSA financial allocation from the General Fund. 1257 2. The LFC Chair shall be the Finance Committee Chair. 1258
a. The FC Chair shall administer and oversee all meetings of the FC 1259 b. The FC Chair shall not have a vote in any actions before the Finance Committee, 1260
except in the case of a tie. 1261 3. The EFC Chair shall be the Finance Committee Vice-Chair. 1262
a. The FC Vice-Chair shall act as an advisor to the FC Chair. 1263 b. The FC Vice-Chair shall serve as Acting FC Chair in the absence of the FC Chair. 1264 c. The FC Vice-Chair shall not have a vote in any actions before the Finance Committee. 1265
In the event of co-chairs for the EFC, the co-chairs will decide which co-chair will act 1266 as FC Vice-Chair, subject to the approval of the President.” 1267
4. The FC will be comprised of four (4) LFC members excluding Chair and four (4) EFC 1268 members excluding Chair. 1269
5. The FC shall meet monthly after the first regularly scheduled Council meeting of the fall 1270 semester until the end of the spring semester; an exception may be made for the month of 1271 December, where the Council Chair, FC Chair, and FC Vice-Chair may decide not to have an 1272 FC meeting due to time restrictions. 1273
6. Emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the FC Chair, FC Vice-Chair, Council 1274 Chair, or by vote of Council. 1275
7. The FC must adopt standing rules at its first meeting of the Council session. 1276 8. FC standing rules shall be used as sole standing rules for all appropriations and budget request. 1277 9. Standing rules must be approved by Council at a regularly scheduled Council meeting. 1278
1279
Section 2. General Fund 1280 A. Eligibility and Restrictions 1281
1. Allocations from the General Fund shall only be used to fund chartered student 1282 organizations, GPSA Decision Making Bodies, and applicable service entities of the 1283 University as dictated by the GPSA Constitution. 1284
a. The GPSA grant allocations are appropriated through the Grants Committee and are 1285 not restricted by this stipulation. 1286
b. Executive Committees may be allocated funding that can be further distributed to 1287 students, chartered student organizations, or other groups without stipulation from this 1288 Finance Code. 1289
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:19 PMDeleted: <#>The LFC Chair will be appointed 1290 by the Council Chair and approved by the 1291 Council Chair according to Bylaws.1292 ... [1]
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:27 PMComment [3]: Leave in (Reject Change: deletion)
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:33 PMDeleted: serve together in one Finance 1294 Committee. This will be the sole decision-1295 making body concerning the annual budget and 1296 annual appropriations. 1297
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:36 PMDeleted: and1298
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:39 PMDeleted: ll1299
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:39 PMDeleted: items1300
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:39 PMDeleted: that come 1301
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:39 PMFormatted: Font:12 pt, Font color: AutoMaria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:41 PM
Deleted: the Executive Finance Committee 1302 members and the Legislative Finance Committee 1303 members1304
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:50 PMDeleted: .1305
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:52 PMDeleted: the1306
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:53 PMFormatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:52 PMFormatted: Normal
Page 31 of 53
2. All allocations must be spent through an account with SGAO. 1307 3. GPSA shall base all funding considerations on the merits of the application and no request 1308
shall be entitled or disfavored based on any biases. 1309 4. In addition to spending mandated by the GPSA’s Constitution; 1310
a. No less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) shall be allocated to the Student Research 1311 Allocation Committee Endowment Fund (Student Research Grant) and five thousand 1312 dollars ($5,000) to the Specialized Travel Endowment Fund (Professional 1313 Development Grant). 1314
b. Not more than ten percent (10%) of the total GPSA annual budget shall be allocated to 1315 all GPSA standing committees. 1316
i. This shall not include the percentage of the budget allocated to the Grants 1317 Committee which, as mandated by the Constitution, is excluded from this 1318 restriction. 1319
Section 3. Annual Budget 1320 A. Annual Budget 1321
1. The EFC shall administer the adopted GPSA annual budget in accordance with GPSA 1322 Constitution and Bylaws and any stipulations dictated within the budget. 1323
a. As administrators of the budget, the EFC should facilitate communication between 1324 entities which received funding with efforts to assist in the disbursement and 1325 expenditure of GPSA funds and applicable stipulations under the respective allocation. 1326
2. The LFC and Council shall have direct oversight of all monies disbursed through GPSA in 1327 the annual budget process by overseeing the allocation process and the annual budget 1328 hearings. 1329
3. All budgets must be based upon projected anticipated revenue for the upcoming fiscal year. 1330 4. The GPSA annual budget process is only applicable to chartered student organizations, UNM 1331
service entities, and GPSA Decision Making Bodies. 1332 5. All funds distributed through the budget process and not used by the end of the fiscal year in 1333
which they were allocated for shall revert to the GPSA General Fund unless otherwise 1334 stipulated by the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws or direction by Council. 1335
B. Annual Budget Process 1336 1. Purpose and Authority 1337
a. The GPSA budget process streamlines the allocation of GPSA fees to organizations 1338 that serve and benefit the graduate and professional student body of the University. 1339
b. The budget process is overseen by Council and the FC, passed by Council, and 1340 approved by the President. 1341
c. The FC shall create and follow a budget process and, with the consent of Council, has 1342 authority to modify such procedure insofar as not violating the GPSA Constitution and 1343 Bylaws. 1344
d. The EFC shall administer the budget under the direction of the President so long as not 1345 to conflict with any GPSA Constitution and Bylaws or stipulations within the budget. 1346
2. Timeline 1347 a. By the end of the first (1st) academic week of the spring semester, the FC, shall have 1348
decided upon the timeline and procedures of the annual budget process (i.e. workshops, 1349 deadlines, hearing dates, and hearing format). The LFC Chair shall coordinate with the 1350 EFC Chair to ensure that the concerns and requests of the Executive Branch are 1351
UNM� 9/17/13 5:40 PMDeleted: L1352
UNM� 9/17/13 5:41 PMDeleted: , with the final budget administered 1353 by the EFC1354
UNM� 9/17/13 5:41 PMDeleted: L1355
UNM� 9/17/13 5:41 PMDeleted: L1356
UNM� 9/17/13 5:41 PMDeleted: , with consultation of the EFC1357
Page 32 of 53
addressed in the application and budget process. All relevant information shall be 1358 available through the GPSA Office. 1359
b. Budget workshops are to be held before the end of the fourth (4th) academic week of 1360 the spring semester. 1361
c. Budgets applications must be submitted to the GPSA Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on 1362 the fifth (5th) Friday of the spring semester. 1363
d. The EFC should formulate a budget recommendation to submit to the FC considering 1364 the current fiscal year expenditures and GPSA funding priorities within the Executive 1365 Branch. 1366
e. The FC shall present a final and balanced budget to Council by the March Council 1367 Meeting. 1368
f. A finalized budget must be passed by the first (1st) Friday in April. 1369 C. Annual Budget Workshops 1370
1. A minimum of two (2) GPSA budget workshops must be held during the spring semester; the 1371 FC Chair shall be responsible for the workshops. 1372
a. The budget workshops must be advertised via the Daily Lobo, GPSA website, GPSA 1373 electronic mailing list, and other appropriate mean of notification at least two (2) 1374 academic days before the first (1st) workshop of the spring semester. 1375
2. GPSA annual budget applications must be available and presented at each workshop by the 1376 FC Chair or Vice-Chair or their designee with the guidance of SGAO. Budget packets must 1377 provide all necessary procedures and information, including the budget hearings schedule, 1378 for a group to follow to submit a complete budget application. 1379
3. All organizations, groups, or other entities requesting funding through the budget process 1380 must attend a GPSA budget workshop during the semester in which the group applies for 1381 funding. 1382
a. Failure to attend a budget workshop results in ineligibility for consideration for funding 1383 in the current budget process. Under extenuating circumstances, an applicant may 1384 appeal to Council for a budget hearing. 1385
b. At least one (1) of the representatives attending the budget workshop must be a 1386 graduate or professional student of the group submitting a budget request. 1387
D. Applications 1388 1. All groups requesting funding through the budget process must submit a budget application. 1389 2. All applications must adhere to SGAO guidelines and standing rules set forth by the FC and 1390
published within the budget packet. 1391 3. The FC, shall inform the GPSA Office, staff, volunteers, and SGAO of the acceptable 1392
method of submitting budget applications. This method shall be clearly defined in the budget 1393 packet. 1394
E. Budget Hearings 1395 1. The FC shall, in consultation with the Council Chair, determine the times and locations of the 1396
budget hearings. This information shall be posted in the GPSA Office, SGAO, and any other 1397 locations deemed necessary by the FC Chair and Vice-Chair and in accordance with TPNR. 1398
2. All groups that submitted a completed budget application shall be contacted within five (5) 1399 academic days from the application deadline with notification of the hearing schedule. The 1400 FC Chair may attempt to accommodate requests for hearing times and changes to the hearing 1401 schedule, but it is ultimately each group’s responsibility to attend a hearing at their scheduled 1402 time. 1403
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 4:59 PMDeleted: L1404
UNM� 9/17/13 5:52 PMDeleted: <#>The EFC should aim to 1405 provide general information on both the 1406 current and proposed budget cycle which 1407 supplements the information gained through 1408 the individual hearings conducted in the 1409 annual budget process. 1410
UNM� 9/17/13 5:52 PMDeleted: L1411
UNM� 9/17/13 5:53 PMDeleted: L1412
UNM� 9/17/13 5:53 PMDeleted: L1413
UNM� 9/17/13 5:53 PMDeleted: EFC 1414
UNM� 9/17/13 5:53 PMDeleted: may 1415
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:04 PMDeleted: will 1416
UNM� 9/17/13 5:55 PMDeleted: L1417
UNM� 9/17/13 5:57 PMDeleted: L1418
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:09 PMDeleted: in consultation with1419
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:10 PMDeleted: and 1420
UNM� 9/17/13 5:57 PMDeleted: and the EFC1421
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:10 PMDeleted: ,1422
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:10 PMDeleted: shall determine1423
UNM� 9/17/13 5:58 PMDeleted: L1424
UNM� 9/17/13 5:58 PMDeleted: and EFC1425
UNM� 9/17/13 5:58 PMDeleted: L1426
UNM� 9/17/13 5:58 PMDeleted: and EFC 1427
UNM� 9/17/13 5:58 PMDeleted: s1428
UNM� 9/17/13 5:59 PMDeleted: L1429
Page 33 of 53
3. Each group at their respective hearing time shall have an allotted speaking time to present 1430 their budget request. The FC shall then have the opportunity to ask questions to the group 1431 and to review the request. The process and procedure of budget presentations must be 1432 included in the budget packet. 1433
4. At least one (1) GPSA member shall be in attendance at the hearing on behalf of the 1434 organization requesting funding. 1435
5. The FC has full discretion to modify funding recommendations, throughout the budget 1436 process if necessary or appropriate. 1437
6. The FC shall have the authority to amend or reduce any line-item request or budget request in 1438 order to create a balanced budget. These adjustments may be made during budget hearings 1439 or in Committee deliberations without the presence of the respective group. 1440
F. Final Approval 1441 1. The FC shall forward a balanced budget to Council after all budget hearings and any 1442
necessary deliberations have taken place. The FC Chair shall present the recommendations 1443 to Council in a report that includes all groups that requested funding with each requested 1444 amount and any amendments made by the FC. 1445
2. Council must pass the budget with a majority vote. 1446 3. Approved budgets shall become available at the beginning of the fiscal year as dictated by 1447
SGAO. 1448 G. Funding Priorities 1449
1. Funding shall be considered on the merits of each application as demonstrated through the 1450 budget process. Consideration should include, but is not limited to: purpose of the 1451 organization, population served, history of service, public relations, quality of application, 1452 and the necessity and use of GPSA funding. 1453
H. Budget Limitations 1454 1. Groups that are not GPSA Decision Making Bodies may not receive budget funding greater 1455
than three thousand dollars ($3,000). 1456 2. New and Inactive Groups, classified as groups that have not participated in a GPSA budget 1457
process within the past two (2) years, may not receive funding greater than five hundred 1458 dollars ($500). 1459
3. . 1460
Section 4. Pro-Rated Benefits (PB) Fund 1461 A. The EFC shall administer the disbursement of PB Funds. 1462 B. The process to receive PB Funds must be available through the GPSA Office and any additional 1463
means as determined by the EFC. 1464 C. In order to receive pro-rated benefits, each RDSA must apply through GPSA each semester. 1465
1. An RDSA may receive unallocated PB Funds from the fall semester if a proper request is 1466 made the subsequent spring semester. 1467
D. Based on the Enrollment Report provided by the University, which indicates the number of 1468 graduate or professional students enrolled in each program, department, school, or college, 1469 SGAO will credit the RDSA account per SGAO Policies and Procedures. 1470
E. Any RDSA has the right to appeal the Enrollment Report provided by the University. Appeals 1471 shall be presented in writing to the EFC Chair. Appeals shall entail a name-by-name count of the 1472 department’s GPSA Members and a comparison with the University’s records. 1473
UNM� 9/17/13 5:59 PMDeleted: L1474
UNM� 9/17/13 6:00 PMDeleted: should 1475
UNM� 9/17/13 6:00 PMDeleted: <#>If a group considered new or 1476 inactive fails to attend a scheduled budget 1477 hearing the group shall be limited to three 1478 hundred fifty dollars ($350). 1479
UNM� 9/17/13 6:00 PMDeleted: L1480
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:14 PMDeleted: reduce1481
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:14 PMDeleted: request1482
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:14 PMDeleted: s further 1483
UNM� 9/17/13 6:00 PMDeleted: <#>A group the attends neither a 1484 budget workshop nor a budget hearing shall be 1485 disqualified from the budget process. 1486
UNM� 9/17/13 6:01 PMDeleted: L1487
UNM� 9/17/13 6:01 PMDeleted: <#>The LFC or LFC Chair shall 1488 meet with the EFC or EFC Chair before the 1489 conclusion of deliberations and creation of a 1490 balanced budget to address additional concerns 1491 from the Executive Branch. 1492
UNM� 9/17/13 6:01 PMDeleted: L1493
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:17 PMDeleted: L1494
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:17 PMDeleted: L1495
UNM� 9/17/13 6:01 PMDeleted: <#>Budget recommendations from 1496 the EFC should be given deference by the LFC 1497 when considering budget requests.1498
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:18 PMDeleted: Groups that primarily serve a single 1499 department or college may not receive funding 1500 greater than $500. Discretion will be given to 1501 the FC to determine the students a group serves1502
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:20 PMComment [4]: Delete $500 budget limit as it limits groups in Law, for ex. Recommends placing in Stnading rules (more flexible)
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:21 PMDeleted: proper account on file1503
Page 34 of 53
Section 5. Appropriations 1504 A. Appropriations 1505
1. GPSA appropriation requests shall be overseen by the FC, passed by Council, approved by 1506 the President. 1507
2. All appropriation requests shall be submitted to the FC Chair. 1508 a. The FC Chair shall issue the committee’s agenda in accordance with GPSA bylaws and 1509
TPNR. 1510 b. The FC Chair will notify all students who are requesting appropriations at least five (5) 1511
days prior to the meeting of the meeting time and date. 1512 3. 1513 4. A GPSA member shall represent the group making the appropriation request at the FC 1514
Meeting. Each Executive Committee, as well as each GPSA Decision Making Body which 1515 has its own SGAO account, shall be considered an individual group request. 1516
5. Individual graduate and professional students, chartered student organizations and GPSA 1517 Committees shall be eligible for appropriation funding. 1518
6. Funding Limitations 1519 a. Student Travel 1520
i. Student travel eligible for Professional Development Grant (PDG) or Student 1521 Research Grant (SRG) is not eligible for student travel appropriations. Unless 1522 and until they have applied to the PDG or SRG and have been denied. 1523
b. Other funding restrictions are determined through standing rules adopted by the FC. 1524
Section 6. Revisions 1525 A. Groups may submit a request to make line-item transfers of GPSA funds within their budget. 1526 B. All requests must be submitted to SGAO for review before they may be considered. 1527 C. A revision must be approved by consent of both the FC Chair and Vice-Chair. 1528
1. In the event of division over the approval of the revision, the Council Chair shall be 1529 consulted and decide the division. 1530
2. When Council is not in session, the President and the Council Chair shall be responsible for 1531 approving revisions and the Grants Chair shall be consulted and decide the division. 1532
Section 7. Disbursement 1533 A. Allocation funding will be available for disbursement once it is processed by SGAO. 1534 B. All funding allocations must follow the rules and guidelines set forth by SGAO. Groups 1535
allocated GPSA funding shall be responsible for ensuring that they are in compliance with these 1536 policies. 1537
C. Monies allocated by GPSA shall be limited to line-item provisions as stipulated by the approved 1538 funding request. 1539
D. The EFC, in administering GPSA allocations, should make concerted efforts to communicate 1540 with GPSA entities and organizations receiving GPSA funding in order to facilitate cooperation 1541 and ensure compliance with any applicable rules or stipulations that are coupled with the 1542 funding. 1543
Section 8. Financial Enjoinment 1544
UNM� 9/17/13 6:12 PMDeleted: L1545
UNM� 9/17/13 6:12 PMDeleted: , and administered by the EFC1546
UNM� 9/17/13 6:12 PMDeleted: L1547
UNM� 9/17/13 6:14 PMDeleted: The LFC Chair shall forward all 1548 requests to the EFC Chair within one (1) 1549 academic day of receipt.1550
UNM� 9/17/13 6:16 PMDeleted: The EFC may make 1551 recommendations to the LFC on appropriation 1552 requests by means of inter-branch memorandum, 1553 public comment during the LFC meeting, or in 1554 another manner approved by the LFC Chair so 1555 long as not to conflict with GPSA Constitution, 1556 Bylaws, and resolutions passed in the current 1557 session. Recommendations are solely persuasive 1558 and shall not bind the LFC in any way.1559
UnknownDeleted: 1560
UNM� 9/17/13 6:20 PMDeleted: as well as each GPSA Decision 1561 Making Body which has its own SGAO account1562
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:28 PMComment [5]: Funds for PSG and SRG are very limited and thus this wording will prevent any limitations to students
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:29 PMDeleted: <#>Travel will not be funded at 1563 a rate higher than that of the Professional 1564 Development Grant.1565
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:29 PMDeleted: created1566
UNM� 9/17/13 6:26 PMDeleted: L1567
UNM� 9/17/13 6:26 PMDeleted: and EFC Chairs1568
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:30 PMFormatted: Heading 2Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:30 PMDeleted: 1569 ... [2]
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:31 PMComment [6]: Leave as EFC
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A. Failure to adhere to the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws, applicable stipulations attached to 1571 funding allocations, SGAO guidelines, or University policy may result in an enjoinment of 1572 spending privileges of GPSA funding until the violation has been corrected. 1573
B. An action of enjoinment must be presented to the EFC for a recommendation before it may be 1574 considered by Council. 1575
C. The EFC Chair shall report to Council on the proposed enjoinment and the group at question 1576 shall be allotted a five (5) minute speaking privilege as a rebuttal. 1577
D. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of Council is necessary for approval of an enjoinment of the group’s 1578 GPSA funds. 1579
E. The Council Chair must notify the enjoined group no later than five (5) academic days after 1580 action by Council. 1581 1. Notification shall be sent to the officers email addresses on file in SGAO. 1582 2. Such notification shall include the reason for the action as well as the actions required of the 1583
group for funding to be resumed in a timely fashion. 1584 3. Funds enjoined for the remainder of the fiscal year will revert to the GPSA General Fund. 1585
F. Acts of Financial Enjoinment may be appealed to the Court of Review. The appeal must be filed 1586 within four (4) calendar weeks from the act of enjoinment by Council. 1587
VIII. Grants Code 1588
Section 1. Student Research and Allocations Committee (GPSA RESEARCH GRANT) and Specialized 1589 Travel (Professional Development Grants) 1590
A. Funding History 1591 1. The Professional Development Grant and its quasi-endowment were established in 2004 with 1592
$220,000 from the UNM Provost’s office. 1593 2. The GPSA RESEARCH Grant and its quasi-endowment were established in 1996 with 1594
$14,000 in student fees and $14,000 from the UNM Provost’s office as requested by the 1595 GPSA. 1596
3. The quasi-endowments are held by a University foundation on behalf of GPSA. Each year 1597 the spending allowance from the endowments funds grant activity. 1598
4. Additional GPSA RESEARCH GRANT and Professional Development Grant funding may 1599 be determined through the annual budget process and augmented by appropriations from 1600 Council. 1601
B. Activities Funded 1602 1. The GPSA RESEARCH GRANT funds the development and dissemination of research 1603
including travel for research-related purposes. GPSA RESEARCH GRANT will also fund 1604 any travel or supply expenses incurred in the development or dissemination of original work. 1605
a. Acceptable GPSA RESEARCH GRANT costs include: 1606 i. Software not available in UNM computer pods or to which the student does not 1607
have free access. 1608 ii. Airfare, registration, hotel, shuttle fees, taxi fares, presentation materials and per 1609
diem in accordance with UNM policy. Travel must be outside of Albuquerque. 1610 Current policy and mileage rates can be found in the University Business 1611 Policies and Procedures Manual, Policy 4030. 1612
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:32 PMComment [7]: Leave as EFC
UNM� 9/17/13 6:34 PMDeleted: L1613
Maria Elena Corral� 9/22/13 5:32 PMComment [8]: Leave as EFC
UNM� 9/17/13 6:34 PMDeleted: L1614
UNM� 9/17/13 6:35 PMDeleted: The Council Chair must notify the 1615 EFC Chair of an enjoinment no later than two (2) 1616 academic days after action by Council.1617
Page 36 of 53
iii. Supplies, consumables and printing costs necessary for development and 1618 dissemination of research and not readily supplied by the applicant’s 1619 department. 1620
b. Unacceptable GPSA RESEARCH GRANT costs include: 1621 i. Salaries, tuition or binding. 1622
ii. Organization fees or conference social functions. 1623 iii. Travel, room or board for any event whose purpose is not the development or 1624
dissemination of student's research. 1625 2. The Professional Development Grant funds travel expenses that further the professional and 1626
career development of students. 1627 a. Acceptable Professional Development Grant costs include: 1628
i. Travel costs to interviews, clinicals, workshops, job fairs, auditions, mock trials 1629 and other career or professional events where the student is not presenting or 1630 conducting research. Costs can include airfare, registration costs, hotel, shuttle 1631 fees, taxi fares, presentation materials and per diem in accordance with UNM 1632 policy. Travel must be outside of Albuquerque. Current policy and mileage rates 1633 can be found in the University Business Policies and Procedures Manual, Policy 1634 4030. 1635
b. Unacceptable Professional Development Grant costs include: 1636 i. Travel to present research. 1637
ii. Any activity that could be funded by GPSA RESEARCH GRANT. 1638 C. Amount of Funding 1639
1. GPSA RESEARCH Grants can fund up to $500 per student per year. 1640 2. Professional Development Grants can fund up to $500 per student per year. 1641 3. A year refers to the period between June 1 and May 31. 1642 4. See [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.E.8] for activity funding periods and see [Bylaws VIII.Section 1643
1.D.1]. for application submission deadlines. 1644 D. Deadlines 1645
1. The deadline for submission of applications will be noon (12 p.m.) on the fifth (5th) Friday 1646 of the fall and spring semesters and noon (12 p.m.) of the second (2nd) Friday of the summer 1647 semester. No late applications will be accepted. In the event of unforeseen or extraordinary 1648 circumstances, the GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional Development Grant Chair may 1649 establish a new application deadline. Notice of any change to the deadline shall be posted in 1650 accordance with Public Notice Requirements. 1651
2. Awarded funds must be claimed within ninety (90) days of the award notification. Otherwise 1652 funds will revert back to the committee to disseminate in the next funding cycle [Bylaws 1653 VIII.Section 1.N.1]. 1654
3. Appeals of award decisions must occur within twenty-one (21) calendar days of the letter of 1655 notification [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.M.1]. 1656
E. Applicant Eligibility 1657 1. Only GPSA members may receive grant funding. 1658 2. Grants Chairs, committee members and grant readers are ineligible to apply for any grants. 1659
However, an GPSA RESEARCH GRANT reader may apply for a Professional Development 1660 Grant and vice versa. 1661
3. Grants Committee members must notify Grants Chairs when they apply for a grant. 1662
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4. A GPSA Research Grant reader may apply for a Professional Development Grant and vice 1663 versa. 1664
5. An applicant may submit only one application per semester for each grant. 1665 6. Each application may be made for one allowable event or activity. 1666 7. An applicant is only eligible for the remaining amount of funding for GPSA RESEARCH 1667
GRANT or Professional Development Grant if the applicant has not yet been awarded the 1668 full amount in section [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.C]. of GPSA RESEARCH GRANT or 1669 Professional Development Grant funding per year. Per year means per summer-fall-spring 1670 funding cycle. 1671
8. The event or activity for which funds are sought must occur within the next, current or 1672 previous funding period. 1673
a. The fall funding period is from August 15 to December 31. 1674 b. The spring funding period is from January 1 to May 31. 1675 c. The summer funding period is from June 1 to August 14. 1676
F. Application Requirements 1677 1. Applications must be submitted before the deadline, according to the deadlines in section 1678
[Bylaws VIII.Section 1.D]. 1679 2. Applications must be for activities taking place in the current, previous or next funding 1680
period, according to section [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.E.8]. 1681 3. Submission must occur through the online application system. The Grants Chair(s) must 1682
accommodate students with circumstances that prevent or prohibit their use of the online 1683 system. If a method of accommodation for circumstances not concerning disabilities cannot 1684 be agreed upon by the applicant and the chair, the applicant can appeal [Bylaws VIII.Section 1685 1.M]. Students with disabilities will be accommodated through recommendations by the 1686 Accessibility Resource Center. 1687
4. Applications must be the original words of the student and not the words of any other person. 1688 If an applicant uses another person’s words then they must be in quotation marks. Unquoted 1689 words in a proposal are expected to be the applicant’s own, original writing. 1690
5. A complete GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional Development Grant application 1691 includes 1692
a. The completed HTML fields of the online GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional 1693 Development Grant application 1694
b. An activity proposal submitted through the online system and not to exceed seven 1695 hundred (700) words. 1696
c. An activity budget submitted through the online system. 1697 d. A letter of recommendation through the online system. 1698
6. No materials besides those listed in [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.F.5] shall be accepted. 1699 7. Applications must adhere to the online instructions. 1700 8. At the discretion of the GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional Development Grant Chair, 1701
applications may not be read if the requirements outlined in [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.F] are 1702 not met. The applicant may always appeal [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.M] 1703
G. Applicant Workshops and Outreach 1704 1. The Grants Committee must conduct at least two (2) applicant workshops for each funding 1705
cycle. The workshops must be advertised on the GPSA electronic mailing list and website. 1706 2. The Grants Committee shall follow workshop curriculum guidelines on the GPSA website. 1707
The committee may post updates to this curriculum. 1708
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3. The Grants Committee will make a good faith attempt to contact departments without a 1709 single successful applicant from the previous year to advertise the grants and offer 1710 departmental workshops. These outreach efforts and results will be included in an April 1711 report to Council. 1712
4. The Grants Committee will advertise the available grants at least twenty-one (21) calendar 1713 days before the deadlines on the GPSA website and electronic mailing list. Other 1714 advertisement is encouraged. 1715
H. Application Readers 1716 1. Readers of grants must be GPSA members. 1717 2. Readers cannot read for any grant for which they have also applied in the same semester. 1718 3. Readers will be compensated for their work with a stipend. 1719 4. Readers must attend a training once in each June 1 to May 31 cycle before reading 1720
applications. The Grants Chair may require re-training at their discretion. The Grants Chair 1721 shall follow training curriculum guidelines on the GPSA website. The committee may make 1722 updates to this curriculum. 1723
5. Readers must be selected in an open call to the GPSA membership, e.g. via the electronic 1724 mailing list. 1725
I. Application Scoring 1726 1. The application will be read and scored by three (3) readers. 1727 2. Applications will be read by readers from a different department than the applicant. 1728 3. Applicants and readers will self-identify within one (1) of five (5) perspectives. Applications 1729
will be read by at least one reader inside their perspective and at least one (1) reader outside 1730 of their perspective. The perspectives are: 1731
a. Quantitative - Methodologically and/or theoretically based in measurable, numerical, 1732 and/or empirical information, data, and/or phenomena. 1733
b. Qualitative - Methodologically and/or theoretically based in describing and 1734 investigating phenomena via various methods. It is context-specific and fundamentally 1735 interpretive. 1736
c. Critical - Theoretically based in interrogating and contesting power dynamics. It is 1737 often invested in researching and accounting for histories and enduring practices of 1738 oppression and resistance. 1739
d. Creative - Engages in performative and/or artistic processes and/or products. 1740 e. Applied - Implies the acquisition and/or development of professional or vocational 1741
skills. 1742 4. Changes to scoring criteria beyond those required in the Bylaws must be approved by a two-1743
thirds (2/3) vote of the Grants Committee. Applications shall be scored according to the 1744 criteria online which are posted one month prior to the application deadlines. 1745
5. The scoring criteria categories and minimum weighting for GPSA RESEARCH 1746 GRANT/Professional Development Grant must include: 1747
a. Technical merit: twenty percent (20%) 1748 b. Proposal composition: twenty percent (20%) 1749 c. Benefits: thirty-five percent (35%) 1750 d. Budget: twenty percent (20%) 1751
6. Raw scores of the readers will be normalized by multiplying by the average of all reader 1752 scores and dividing by the average of the individual reader’s scores. 1753
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7. When the difference between the high and low normalized scores for an application exceeds 1754 twenty-five percent (25%) of the total possible score, two (2) additional readers will evaluate 1755 the proposal. From these five (5) normalized scores, the highest and lowest will be dropped, 1756 and the three (3) remaining scores will be accepted regardless of the spread between them. 1757
J. Application Funding Procedure 1758 1. Funds shall be allocated in percentages according to the semester totals from the averages of 1759
the previous year. For example, if there were two hundred fifty (250) applications in the 1760 previous year, with fifty (50) applications for the summer and one hundred (100) each for the 1761 fall and spring, then funds should be allocated as twenty percent (20%), forty percent (40%), 1762 forty percent (40%) of the anticipated grants money. Furthermore, the Grants Chair(s) shall 1763 set aside monies from the semester funds to be able to afford accepting one (1) appeal in the 1764 summer or two (2) appeals in each the fall and spring. If appeals are not granted, this money 1765 will roll over into the next funding cycle. 1766
2. For GPSA RESEARCH GRANT, from the total amount of money for the funding cycle, 1767 outlined in [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.J.1], the committee shall award funds according to the 1768 rank ordering of normalized [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.I.6] scores. 1769
a. The top twenty percent (20%) of GPSA RESEARCH GRANT applications will be 1770 eligible for full funding of the amount requested, up to the maximum in [Bylaws 1771 VIII.Section 1.C]. 1772
b. The second (2nd) twenty percent (20%) will be eligible for eighty percent (80%) of the 1773 amount requested. 1774
c. The next ten percent (10%) will be eligible for sixty percent (60%) of the amount 1775 requested. 1776
d. The lower fifty percent (50%) will not be eligible for funding. 1777 e. If funds are not available to award all the eligible applications as outlined above, 1778
awards will be made to the highest ranked proposals until all money has been 1779 exhausted, excepting money withheld to fund appeals, as provided in [Bylaws 1780 VIII.Section 1.J.1] Alternatively, additional money may be sought from Council by the 1781 Grants Chair(s). 1782
f. Remaining funds shall remain in the endowment. 1783 3. For Professional Development Grant, from the total amount of money for the funding cycle 1784
outlined in [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.J.1], the committee shall award one hundred percent 1785 (100%) of the requested funds according to the rank ordering of normalized [Bylaws 1786 VIII.Section 1.I.6] scores until all money has been exhausted, excepting money withheld to 1787 fund appeals, as provided in section [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.J.1]Alternatively, additional 1788 money may be sought from Council by the Grants Chair(s). 1789
4. Funds not claimed within the ninety (90) day limit [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.D.2] revert to the 1790 grant accounts unless the original allocation for an activity was made specifically for a time 1791 period which extends beyond the ninety (90) day limit or unless the recipient requests and is 1792 granted an extension in writing. 1793
K. Records 1794 1. The committee shall keep records of: 1795
a. all applications. 1796 b. scores and score comment sheets. 1797 c. a database of cover sheet information (such as name, email, department and requested 1798
amount) and score results. 1799
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d. a separate record of who was awarded at what amount and when it was awarded. 1800 2. All records should be in non-obsolete digital format, passed on to the next Grants Chair(s) 1801
and kept for a minimum of five years. 1802 3. All applicants will have access to their files and scores but not to the applications of others, 1803
in accordance with applicable state and federal law. 1804 L. Reports 1805
1. The committee shall compose a report for each funding cycle. 1806 a. The report shall contain the total amount of GPSA RESEARCH GRANT and 1807
Professional Development Grant allocations. 1808 b. The report shall contain a breakdown of awards and applications by college, school, or 1809
department. 1810 c. The report shall provide details of the total allocation and the balance. 1811 d. The report shall also include all appeals, decisions, and results. 1812
M. Appeals 1813 1. To appeal any decision made by the Grants Chair(s) or committee, a written request must be 1814
received by the GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional Development Grant committee 1815 within twenty one (21) calendar days from the date on the notification letter. 1816
2. The appeal must stipulate on what grounds the appeal is based. 1817 3. No late applications will be accepted. Therefore, appeal on those grounds will not be heard. 1818 4. An applicant making an appeal may request a meeting with all readers. If a reader is 1819
unwilling or unable to meet with the applicant, the reader will need to provide a written 1820 response to an applicant’s reasons for appeal. 1821
5. The GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional Development Grant committee will review 1822 the request for an appeal within two (2) weeks of its receipt. Applicants are entitled to attend 1823 and speak at their appeal review. The review may be delayed beyond the two (2) week 1824 deadline if the applicant cannot attend. 1825
6. If the committee votes that the appeal is valid, the committee shall decide a course of action 1826 to resolve the appeal. If the reasons for the appeal are found to be invalid, no change in 1827 funding or scoring will be granted. 1828
7. Any applicant dissatisfied with the results of an appeal to the GPSA RESEARCH 1829 GRANT/Professional Development Grant committee may file a final appeal to the GPSA 1830 Council within two (2) weeks of receiving the GPSA RESEARCH GRANT/Professional 1831 Development Grant committee decision. The decision of the GPSA Council will be 1832 considered final. No further appeal will be granted. 1833
8. The Grants Committee will maintain an appeal guideline on the GPSA website. 1834 N. Claiming Awards 1835
1. Grants monies will be distributed on a direct grant basis. 1836 2. To claim a grant, a recipient must return a signed award form, provided online, to the GPSA 1837
Office within the ninety (90) day [Bylaws VIII.Section 1.D.2] limit. 1838
Section 2. Graduate Research Development (New Mexico Research) Fund 1839 A. Funding History 1840
1. The New Mexico Research quasi-endowment began with funding allocated to the GPSA by 1841 the New Mexico State Legislature in 2000. New Mexico Research grants assist with larger 1842 projects that require substantial funding and are aimed at encouraging UNM students to work 1843 on research with state agencies or in areas that directly benefit the state of New Mexico. 1844
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2. The quasi-endowment is held by a University foundation on behalf of GPSA. Each year a 1845 small spending allowance from the endowment, along with substantial contributions from 1846 New Mexico State Legislature allocations, funds grants activity. 1847
B. Activities Funded 1848 1. The New Mexico Research grant funds the development of research, including travel for 1849
research related purposes. 1850 2. Acceptable New Mexico Research costs include: 1851
a. Permanent equipment not available from the applicant(s)’ UNM Department, or not 1852 otherwise available for use by the applicant(s). 1853
b. Computer software not available at the UNM computer pods or at the applicant(s)’ 1854 UNM Department, or not otherwise available for use by the applicant(s). 1855
c. Room, board, and travel expenses to and from research facilities or field sites outside 1856 of Albuquerque. 1857
d. Supplies and consumables necessary for the research project and not readily supplied 1858 by the applicant(s)’ UNM Department or not otherwise available for use by the 1859 applicant(s). 1860
e. Transcription expenses. 1861 f. Research projects commenced within the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. 1862
3. Unacceptable New Mexico Research costs include: 1863 a. Salaries or stipends, except for the New Mexico Research Chair, Vice-Chair and 1864
Committee Members. 1865 b. Travel expenses or other fees associated with a conference. 1866 c. Travel, room and board expenses for workshops, schools, clinicals or other travel that 1867
does not directly aid in the creation of student research 1868 d. The purchase of computers. 1869 e. Tuition and supplies/books for classes. 1870 f. Any publication or subscription costs. 1871 g. Any research project that involves, or may involve, excessive or unreasonable harm to 1872
humans or animals. See [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.F.6]. 1873 C. Amount of Funding 1874
1. High Priority Research Project Grants will be awarded a maximum of five thousand dollars 1875 ($5,000) for each research project. 1876
2. General Research Project Grants will be awarded a maximum of three thousand dollars 1877 ($3,000) for each research project. 1878
3. The maximum amounts are for individual research projects regardless of the number of 1879 graduate or professional students working on the project. 1880
4. The total amount awarded shall not exceed the total amount requested in the application. 1881 5. The maximum amount awarded to an individual, based on the total of the applications to 1882
which they are signatory, is five thousand dollars ($5,000) per year (July 1 to June 30). 1883 6. No individual can receive New Mexico Research funding more than three times. 1884
D. Deadlines 1885 1. All applications for New Mexico Research grants must be received by the GPSA by a date 1886
and time to be announced by the New Mexico Research Committee Chair no later than the 1887 regularly scheduled October Council Meeting. In the event of unforeseen or extraordinary 1888 circumstances, the New Mexico Research Chair may establish a new application deadline. 1889
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Notice of any change to the deadline shall be posted in accordance with The Public Notice 1890 Requirements. 1891
2. Late applications will not be considered for funding. 1892 3. Awarded funds must be claimed by the June 30 following award notification. Otherwise 1893
funds will revert back to the committee to disseminate in the next funding cycle. See [Bylaws 1894 VIII.Section 2.N.1]. 1895
4. Appeals of award decisions must occur within twenty one (21) calendar days of the letter of 1896 notification. See [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.M]. 1897
E. Applicant Eligibility 1898 1. A member of GPSA enrolled, at the time of application and through the completion date of 1899
the research project, at the University of New Mexico. 1900 2. A GPSA member of GPSA not serving on the GPSA Court of Review, as New Mexico 1901
Research Chair or as a New Mexico Research reader. 1902 3. FOR HIGH PRIORITY RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS ONLY: Members of GPSA 1903
collaborating with a New Mexico State Agency. 1904 4. The research activity for which funds are sought must occur between July 1 and June 30 for 1905
the current funding cycle. 1906 F. Application Requirements 1907
1. Applications must be submitted before the deadline, according to the deadlines in section 1908 [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.D]. 1909
2. Applications must be for activities taking place in the current funding period according to 1910 section [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.E.4]. 1911
3. Submission must occur through the online application system. The Grants Chair(s) must 1912 accommodate students with circumstances that prevent or prohibit their use of the online 1913 system. Students with disabilities will be accommodated through recommendations by the 1914 Accessibility Resource Center. If a method of accommodation, for circumstances not 1915 concerning disabilities, cannot be agreed upon by the applicant and the chair, the applicant 1916 can appeal, see [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.M]. 1917
4. Applications must be the original words of the student and not the words of any other person. 1918 If an applicant uses another person’s words then they must be in quotation marks. Unquoted 1919 words in a proposal are expected to be the applicant’s own, original writing 1920
5. All applicant(s) may apply for either a High Priority Research Project Grant or a General 1921 Research Project Grant, but may not apply for both for a single project. 1922
6. For activities involving humans, animals, or hazardous materials: 1923 a. All research projects that involve human or animal subjects or participants must, prior 1924
to the distribution of funding, be reviewed and approved by the Human Research 1925 Review Committee (HRRC), an Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional 1926 Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), or by another entity empowered by the 1927 University of New Mexico for such purposes. 1928
b. All research projects that involve the use of biohazardous materials or chemicals must 1929 be reviewed and approved, prior to the distribution of funding, by the Biosafety 1930 Committee or by another entity empowered by the University of New Mexico for such 1931 purposes. 1932
c. Approval of a research project by any of the entities described in subsections a or b 1933 above shall not be determinative of whether or not a research project involves 1934 excessive or unreasonable harm to humans or animals. 1935
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7. Proposal 1936 a. Each application must include a proposal identifying the following areas: 1937
i. Description of the research project. 1938 ii. Activity is introduced, given adequate background and put into the context of 1939
the field. 1940 iii. Student's academic interests are explained. 1941 iv. Relationship of specific activity to degree is explained. 1942 v. Methodology. 1943
vi. Significance of the project on the applicant(s) career. 1944 vii. Significance of the project to the University of New Mexico. 1945
viii. Significance of the project to New Mexico’s communities. 1946 ix. Significance of the project to New Mexico’s rural communities. 1947 x. FOR HIGH PRIORITY GRANTS ONLY: Description of the collaboration with 1948
a New Mexico State Agency. 1949 xi. FOR GENERAL GRANTS COLLABORATING WITH NON –PROFIT 1950
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ONLY: Description of the collaboration 1951 with a non-profit community organization. 1952
b. All proposals shall be written in language easily understandable by graduate or 1953 professional students in any college or school. All technical terms shall be defined and 1954 explained. 1955
c. FOR GENERAL GRANTS ONLY: The maximum word count for each proposal shall 1956 be seven hundred (700) words. 1957
d. FOR HIGH PRIORITY GRANTS ONLY: The maximum word count for each 1958 proposal shall one thousand, one hundred (1100) words. 1959
8. Letter(s) of Support 1960 a. All applications must include one (1) letter of support from a faculty member familiar 1961
with the applicant(s)’ research project 1962 b. HIGH PRIORITY GRANTS ONLY: Each application for High Priority Grants must 1963
also submit one (1) letter of support from a member in the collaborating New Mexico 1964 State Agency. 1965
c. FOR GENERAL GRANTS COLLABORATING WITH NON-PROFIT 1966 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: Each application may also include one (1) letter 1967 of support from a member in the collaborating non-profit community organization. 1968
9. Itemized Budget 1969 a. Each application for funding must include a reasonable itemized budget for the 1970
research project that includes the following: 1971 i. Total budget for the research project. 1972
ii. Line items that will be funded with New Mexico Research grant money must be 1973 clearly indicated. 1974
iii. All sources of funding for the research project, including all amounts requested, 1975 but not yet awarded, from any other funding source must be listed for each line 1976 item. 1977
iv. Detailed information on all equipment, travel costs, supplies and consumables; 1978 including airlines, make and model numbers, hotel and motel names, rates, sizes 1979 and weights etc. 1980
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b. Any proposed expenditures may be explained in text accompanying the itemized 1981 budget. 1982
c. Itemized budgets indicating New Mexico Research funded items that are unacceptable 1983 New Mexico Research costs shall be reduced by the amount indicated on the itemized 1984 budget. 1985
d. The New Mexico Research Chair, at that person’s discretion, may request of the 1986 principal applicant the submission of a new itemized budget for review. The applicant 1987 will be given five (5) academic days following notification to submit the new itemized 1988 budget to the GPSA Office. Failure by the principal applicant to turn in a new itemized 1989 budget will be grounds to disqualify the application from review. 1990
10. No materials besides the online application itself and those listed in [Bylaws VIII.Section 1991 2.F.7-9]. shall be accepted. 1992
11. Applications must adhere to the online instructions. 1993 12. At the discretion of the New Mexico Research Chair, applications may be disqualified if the 1994
requirements outlined in [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.F] are not met. The applicant may always 1995 appeal [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.M]. 1996
G. Applicant Workshops and Outreach 1997 1. The Grants Committee must conduct at least two (2) applicant workshops for each funding 1998
cycle. The workshops must be advertised on the GPSA electronic mailing list and website. 1999 2. The Grants Committee shall follow workshop curriculum guidelines on the GPSA website. 2000
The committee may post updates to this curriculum. 2001 3. The Grants Committee will make a good faith attempt to contact departments without a 2002
single successful applicant from the previous year to advertise the grants and offer 2003 departmental workshops. These outreach efforts and results will be included in the April 2004 report to Council. 2005
4. The Grants Committee will advertise the available grants at least twenty one (21) calendar 2006 days before the deadlines on the GPSA website and electronic mailing list. Other 2007 advertisement is encouraged. 2008
H. Application Readers 2009 1. Readers of grants must be GPSA members. 2010 2. Readers cannot read for any grant for which they have also applied in the same semester. 2011 3. Readers will be compensated for their work with a stipend. 2012 4. Readers must attend a training once in each cycle before reading applications. The Grants 2013
Chair(s) may require re-training at their discretion. The Grants Chair(s) shall follow training 2014 curriculum guidelines on the GPSA website. The committee may make updates to this 2015 curriculum. 2016
5. Readers must be selected in an open call to the GPSA membership, e.g. via the electronic 2017 mailing list. 2018
I. Application Scoring 2019 1. An application will be read and scored by three (3) readers. 2020 2. Applications will be read by readers from a different department than the applicant. 2021 3. Applicants and readers will self-identify within one (1) of five (5) disciplines. Applications 2022
will be read by at least one (1) reader inside their perspective and at least one (1) reader 2023 outside of their perspective. The perspectives are: 2024
a. Quantitative - Methodologically and/or theoretically based in measurable, numerical, 2025 and/or empirical information, data, and/or phenomena. 2026
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b. Qualitative - Methodologically and/or theoretically based in describing and 2027 investigating phenomena via various methods. It is context-specific and fundamentally 2028 interpretive. 2029
c. Critical - Theoretically based in interrogating and contesting power dynamics. It is 2030 often invested in researching and accounting for histories and enduring practices of 2031 oppression and resistance. 2032
d. Creative - Engages in performative and/or artistic processes and/or products. 2033 e. Applied - Implies the acquisition and/or development of professional or vocational 2034
skills. 2035 4. Applications shall be scored according to the criteria online, posted at least one (1) month 2036
prior to the application deadlines. Score criteria changes must be approved by a two-thirds 2037 (2/3) vote from the Grants Committee, but may not be changed in the month prior to the 2038 application deadline. 2039
5. The criteria for New Mexico Research scoring must include 2040 a. Description of the research project, five (5) points. 2041 b. Activity is introduced, given adequate background and put into the context of the field, 2042
five (5) points. 2043 c. Student's academic interests are explained, five (5) points. 2044 d. Relationship of specific activity to degree is explained, five (5) points. 2045 e. Language in the proposal is easily understandable by graduate and professional 2046
students in any college or school and all technical terms are defined and explained, ten 2047 (10) points. 2048
f. Methodology: Are the research project fundamentals and procedures sufficient to 2049 ensure project success?, ten (10) points. 2050
g. Student Benefits: Project will result in graduate/professional student development 2051 appropriate to the applicant's stage in career, ten (10) points. 2052
h. UNM Benefits: Research project benefits UNM, ten (10) points. 2053 i. Budget shows source of funding for each line item, five (5) points. 2054 j. Budget is well researched and complete for project, five (5) points. 2055 k. Does the project directly impact New Mexico's communities?, ten (10) points. 2056 l. Does the project significantly impact New Mexico's communities?, ten (10) points. 2057 m. Does the project directly and significantly impact New Mexico's rural 2058
communities?, ten (10) points. 2059 n. Degree of support demonstrated in the letter from UNM faculty, ten (10) points. 2060 o. FOR HIGH PRIORITY APPLICATIONS ONLY: Description of the collaboration 2061
with a New Mexico State Agency, twenty (20) points. 2062 p. FOR HIGH PRIORITY APPLICATIONS ONLY: Degree of support demonstrated in 2063
the letter from the New Mexico State Agency, ten (10) points. 2064 q. FOR GENERAL GRANTS COLLABORATING WITH A NON-PROFIT 2065
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION: Description of the collaboration with a non-profit 2066 community organization, five (5) optional points. 2067
r. FOR GENERAL GRANTS COLLABORATING WITH A NON-PROFIT 2068 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION: Degree of support demonstrated in the letter from 2069 the non-profit community organization, five (5) points. 2070
6. The scoring criteria above shall be the only criteria considered in scoring New Mexico 2071 Research applications. 2072
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7. Raw scores of the readers will be normalized by multiplying by the average of all reader 2073 scores and dividing by the average of the individual reader’s scores. 2074
8. When the difference between the high and low normalized scores for an application exceeds 2075 twenty-five percent (25%) of the total possible score, two (2) additional readers will evaluate 2076 the proposal. From these five (5) normalized scores, the highest and lowest will be dropped, 2077 and the three (3) remaining scores will be accepted regardless of the spread between them. 2078
J. Funding Procedures 2079 1. New Mexico Research Total Budget 2080
a. The GPSA President shall recommend and the GPSA Council shall approve the total 2081 amount allocated each year for the New Mexico Research Funding Process. 2082
b. No more than ten percent (10%) of the total amount allocated annually may be used for 2083 administrative expenses. 2084
c. No less than two percent (2%) of the total amount allocated annually shall be set aside 2085 for the appeals process. 2086
d. The New Mexico Research Chair shall recommend and the Grants Committee shall 2087 approve the total amounts allocated annually for administrative expenses, appeals, and 2088 for High Priority and General Research Project Grants. 2089
i. The annual stipend of the New Mexico Research Chair shall be recommended 2090 by the GPSA President and approved by the GPSA Council. This stipend shall 2091 be no less than one percent (1%), and no more than three percent (3%), of the 2092 total amount allocated for the New Mexico Research process during the current 2093 fiscal year, but shall not exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000). 2094
2. Funding Applications 2095 a. If funds are not available to fully fund the applications as outlined below, the awards 2096
will be made to the highest ranked proposals until all money has been exhausted. 2097 b. High Priority: The total awarded to all High Priority applications shall not exceed half 2098
(1/2) of the overall amount awarded in the New Mexico Research process. High 2099 Priority applications will be fully funded, starting with the highest scoring application 2100
c. General Priority: The total awarded to all General Priority applications shall not exceed 2101 the remaining amount to be awarded in the New Mexico Research process after the 2102 High Priority grants are awarded. 2103
d. The lower fifty percent (50%) of High Priority and the lower fifty percent (50%) of 2104 General Priority applications will not be eligible for funding. 2105
e. Remaining funds shall remain in the endowment. 2106 K. Records 2107
1. The Grants Committee shall keep records of: 2108 a. all applications. 2109 b. scores and score comment sheets. 2110 c. a database of cover sheet information (such as name, email, department and requested 2111
amount) and score results. 2112 d. a separate record of who was awarded at what amount and when it was awarded. 2113
2. All records should be in non-obsolete digital format, passed on to the next Grants Chair(s) 2114 and kept for a minimum of five (5) years. 2115
3. All applicants will have access to their files and scores but not to the applications of others, 2116 in accordance with applicable state and federal law. 2117
L. Reports 2118
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1. The committee shall compose a report for each funding cycle. 2119 a. The report shall contain the total amount of GPSA RESEARCH GRANT, Professional 2120
Development Grant, and New Mexico Research grant allocations. 2121 b. The report shall contain a breakdown of awards and applications by college, school, or 2122
department. 2123 c. The report shall provide details of the total allocation and the balance. 2124 d. The report shall also include all appeals, decisions, and results. 2125
M. Appeals 2126 1. To appeal any decision made by the Grants Chair(s) or committee, a written request must be 2127
received by the New Mexico Research committee within twenty-one (21) calendar days from 2128 the date on the notification letter. 2129
2. The appeal must stipulate on what grounds the appeal is based. 2130 3. No late applications will be accepted. Therefore, appeal on those grounds will not be heard. 2131 4. An applicant making an appeal may request a meeting with all readers. If a reader is 2132
unwilling or unable to meet with the applicant, the reader will need to provide a written 2133 response to an applicant’s reasons for appeal. 2134
5. The Grants Committee will review the request for an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar 2135 days of its receipt. Applicants are entitled to attend and speak at their appeal review. The 2136 review may be delayed beyond the deadline if the applicant cannot attend. 2137
6. If the committee votes that the appeal is valid, the committee shall decide a course of action 2138 to resolve the appeal. If the reasons for the appeal are found to be invalid, no change in 2139 funding or scoring will be granted. 2140
7. Any applicant dissatisfied with the results of an appeal to the Grants Committee may file a 2141 final appeal to Council within ten (10) academic days of receiving the Grants Committee 2142 decision. The decision of the GPSA Council will be considered final. No further appeal will 2143 be granted. 2144
8. The Grants Committee will maintain an appeal guideline on the GPSA website. 2145 N. Claiming Awards, Budget Revisions and Funding Extensions 2146
1. To claim a grant, a recipient must return to the GPSA Office before June 30 [Bylaws 2147 VIII.Section 2.D.3]: 2148
a. An award form, provided online. 2149 b. Original receipts of the expenditures. 2150 c. Original proposal and budget. 2151
2. Significant revisions to an applicant’s budget must be approved by the Grants Committee 2152 Chair. Submission of the revised budget, a memo explaining the need for the revision and all 2153 the material in [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.N.1]. is necessary. The committee shall make a 2154 decision within fourteen (14) calendar days of receiving the revision request. 2155
3. Funding period extensions beyond the funding year [Bylaws VIII.Section 2.D.3] may be 2156 requested in writing and granted at the committee's discretion within fourteen (14) calendar 2157 days of receiving the request. 2158
IX. Elections Code 2159
Section 1. Referenda 2160 A. All referendum items are submitted to the Elections Committee via the Elections Chair or the 2161
GPSA Office. (VIII.A-B.) 2162
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B. The party submitting the referendum item shall identify its level of authority as one of the 2163 following: Constitution, Bylaws, Resolution, or Election. 2164
C. The ballot shall preserve the language in which referendum items are submitted. 2165
Section 2. Candidate and Voter Eligibility 2166 A. An eligible candidate for the office of President or Council Chair shall be a GPSA member. 2167
1. Candidates file for an election by turning in completed Candidacy Forms to the GPSA Office 2168 by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday of the third (3rd) academic week prior to the election. 2169
a. Candidacy Forms shall entail an autobiography, an eligibility form, an application for 2170 candidacy, and a campaign contributions statement. 2171
b. Candidacy Forms shall be forwarded immediately to the Student Activities Center for 2172 certification. A list of certified candidates will be posted in accordance with the Public 2173 Notice Requirements. 2174
c. The Elections Committee shall determine eligibility and announce candidates by 5:00 2175 p.m. the academic day following the application deadline. Candidates shall be 2176 considered valid if the proper forms were completed and all eligibility requirements 2177 were met. 2178
2. A candidate is ineligible to run for President or Council Chair if winning the election would 2179 result in holding both offices for any period of time. 2180
B. An eligible voter for an election must be a GPSA member. Voters may cast only one vote per 2181 item in a given election. 2182 1. The Elections Committee shall arrange for a list of GPSA member NetIDs to be obtained 2183
from the Registrar’s Office and delivered to Information Technologies (IT). 2184
Section 3. Notice of Elections 2185 A. Notice of all elections entails at least one (1) advertisement in the Daily Lobo, no later than 2186
fifteen (15) academic days prior to the election for candidates and no later than five (5) academic 2187 days prior to the election for ballot items sent to the GPSA electronic mailing list. 2188
B. The Elections Committee will use a UNM email account and set up an elections electronic 2189 mailing list through IT during the first (1st) week of September and of February. 2190
C. The Elections Committee shall issue a “Call for Candidates and Ballot Items” no fewer than five 2191 (5) academic weeks prior to the general election. The Call for Candidates and Ballot Items shall 2192 include a list of elected offices in GPSA and procedures for submitting items to the ballot via 2193 Council or referendum. This notice shall be posted according to the Public Notice Requirements 2194 along with an advertisement posted in the Daily Lobo. 2195 1. The written notice shall also include any steps necessary for a student to vote. 2196 2. This notice must be one quarter (1/4) of a page advertisement appearing for three (3) 2197
consecutive issues of the Daily Lobo. Once published, this information may not be changed 2198 or altered except to correct any errors in printing. 2199
3. Any correction of printing errors shall be printed in three (3) consecutive issues of the Daily 2200 Lobo. 2201
D. The Elections Committee shall publish on the last regularly scheduled academic day prior to a 2202 General or Special Election at least one (1) full-page advertisement in the Daily Lobo. 2203 1. This advertisement shall carry personal, professional, and/or platform information for 2204
candidates, information regarding amendments, and any other items to be voted upon in the 2205 election. 2206
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2. The full text of Constitutional Amendments shall be included. If the text is larger than one 2207 quarter (1/4) page, a summary shall be included as well as notice of how to obtain complete 2208 text. 2209
3. The advertisement shall include the method and hours of electronic voting. 2210 4. Special Elections may have a half (1/2) page advertisement. 2211
E. Notice of candidate forums shall be advertised in the Daily Lobo at least two (2) academic days 2212 prior to the beginning of at least the first (1st) forum. This advertisement shall indicate the 2213 names of the candidates and the location and time of the forum. 2214 1. The format of candidate forums will be determined by the Elections Committee and 2215
distributed to the candidates one (1) academic day prior to the forum(s). 2216 F. Notice of a Recall Election must occur within five (5) academic days of notice to the Elections 2217
Committee from Council. 2218 1. The written notice shall also include any steps necessary for a student to vote. 2219 2. This notice will be a quarter (1/4) page advertisement appearing for three (3) consecutive 2220
issues of the Daily Lobo. Once published, this information may not be changed or altered 2221 except to correct any errors in printing. 2222
3. Any correction of printing errors shall be printed in three (3) consecutive issues of the Daily 2223 Lobo. 2224
G. Notice of a Special Election for Presidential Replacement shall be given within three (3) 2225 academic days of a recall election in which a President has been removed. 2226 1. Notice shall include instructions for running for President, the application deadline, and any 2227
steps necessary for a student to vote. 2228 2. This notice will be one quarter (1/4) of a page advertisement appearing for three (3) 2229
consecutive issues of the Daily Lobo. Once published, this information may not be changed 2230 or altered except to correct any errors in printing. 2231
3. Any correction of printing errors shall be printed in three (3) consecutive issues of the Daily 2232 Lobo. 2233
H. Notice of a Special Election by Referendum shall be given within ten (10) academic days after 2234 the Elections Committee has verified a petition. 2235 1. Notice shall include any steps necessary for a student to vote. 2236 2. This notice will be one quarter (1/4) of a page advertisement appearing for three (3) 2237
consecutive issues of the Daily Lobo. Once published, this information may not be changed 2238 or altered except to correct any errors in printing. 2239
3. Any correction of printing errors shall be printed in three (3) consecutive issues of the Daily 2240 Lobo. 2241
Section 4. Campaigning 2242 A. Candidates shall conduct campaigns in a manner which abides by university and GPSA policies 2243
and guidelines in their pursuit of office. Members of the Elections Committee shall refrain from 2244 actions that would show favoritism for or have a negative effect against any candidate or issue 2245 that might appear on the ballot. 2246
B. Candidates shall submit, along with the Candidacy Forms, a list of authorized campaign 2247 committee members that may act on their behalf. Any changes to this list should be updated with 2248 the Elections Committee. 2249
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C. Candidates shall sign the Campaign Contribution Statement: “All funds received and spent will 2250 be from members of the UNM GPSA and no other sources.” This form shall be submitted as part 2251 of the Candidacy Forms. 2252
D. Candidates shall submit an itemized accounting of all expenditures incurred by the candidate in 2253 the pursuit of office before 5:00 p.m. on the closing day of the election. 2254
E. All candidates shall refrain from using GPSA resources in pursuit of office (including, but not 2255 limited to: funds, staff, email addresses, printing, electronic mailing lists, and office space). 2256
F. If any group decides to establish a physical polling location, campaigning is not allowed within 2257 twenty-five (25) feet of the physical polling location. Campaigning includes, but is not limited 2258 to, signs, fliers, and campaigners. Polling locations, if any, should be placed in areas with 2259 minimal distractions. 2260
Section 5. General Election 2261 A. The election shall take place Monday through Thursday of the first (1st) full academic week of 2262
April, unless otherwise decided by Council. The electronic voting shall begin at 8:00 a.m. on the 2263 first (1st) day and end at 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the election. 2264
B. Any ballot items included in the election shall be approved by Council at the regularly scheduled 2265 March meeting or through referenda. (VIII) 2266
C. Elections shall be conducted electronically and use a computer- or phone-based system that is 2267 managed by IT. 2268
D. Ballots and Polling: 2269 1. Ballots shall have a randomly ordered list of candidates and clear instructions for marking 2270
and submitting one’s vote. Provision for write-in votes shall be included on the ballot. Only 2271 cast ballots meeting these requirements shall be counted. Votes cast on partially completed 2272 ballots shall be counted. 2273
2. All ballot items shall appear on the ballot with the language received by the Elections 2274 Committee. 2275
3. Polling: Voters must log in with the user name and password on record with the Registrar’s 2276 Office to cast a ballot. 2277
E. Two (2) members of the Elections Committee shall retrieve the final vote count from the 2278 electronic voting system. 2279
F. The candidate elected to office shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast and each other 2280 ballot item shall be determined by a majority of votes cast on each item. 2281
G. Should the plurality winner of the GPSA General Election be declared ineligible or unable to 2282 assume office for any reason before the certification of the election results, or in the case of a tie, 2283 or if the Elections Committee votes not to certify an election, a special Council meeting shall be 2284 called so that a Special Election can be scheduled. 2285
H. The Elections Committee shall approve the results of a General Election after it has been 2286 determined to have been conducted in accordance with the GPSA Constitution and Bylaws. 2287
Section 6. Council Chair Election 2288 A. Only Council Representatives with credentials on file twenty (20) academic days prior to the 2289
Council meeting at which the Council Chair election will be held are eligible to vote in the 2290 election. 2291
B. The Election Committee shall prepare a sign-in roster of eligible voters. 2292
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C. Ballots shall have a randomly ordered list of candidates and clear instructions for marking and 2293 submitting one’s vote. Provision for write-in votes shall be included on the ballot. Only cast 2294 ballots meeting these requirements shall be counted. 2295 1. Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot and individual voting results by Council 2296
Representatives are not to be recorded. 2297 D. The Election shall proceed as follows: 2298
1. The current Council Chair shall forward all valid proxies to the Elections Committee Chair or 2299 the Elections Committee designee before balloting begins. 2300
2. The President shall call and preside over the Council Chair election. In the President’s 2301 absence, an individual who is not a Council Representative, Certified Alternate, or 2302 recognized Proxy shall preside over the election. 2303
3. Each candidate shall give a speech, no longer than five (5) minutes, and shall have up to five 2304 (5) minutes to answer questions posed by Council. The order of the speeches shall be 2305 determined randomly by the Elections Committee. Candidates do not have to leave the room 2306 throughout the election. 2307
4. When all of the speeches have concluded, the Elections Committee shall inspect and verify 2308 that the ballot box is empty and secured. 2309
5. Any of the candidates who are Council Representatives shall be called forward first to sign 2310 for and cast a ballot. They shall then retire to the back of the room and no more campaigning 2311 shall be allowed. 2312
6. The remaining voters shall be called forward according to the alphabetical listing of their 2313 RDSAs. Upon signing in, each voter shall receive and cast a ballot into the ballot box. 2314
7. After the name of the last voter has been called, the names of voters who did not come 2315 forward will be repeated. Five (5) minutes after the last name has been called, the vote 2316 counting shall begin. 2317
E. Vote Counting 2318 1. Only the members of the Elections Committee shall open the ballot box, determine the 2319
validity of ballots cast, tally the ballots cast, and certify the election results. 2320 a. A discrepancy between the number of ballots cast and the number of signed voters may 2321
be grounds for disqualification of the box of ballots. 2322 2. The election of the Council Chair shall be decided by a plurality of the votes cast. Should the 2323
winner of the Council Chair Election be declared ineligible or unable to assume office for 2324 any reason, or in the case of a tie, or if the Elections Committee votes not to certify the 2325 election, the Elections Committee shall notify Council before the end of the meeting. Council 2326 can vote to repeat the process or determine another course of action. The results of an 2327 election shall be determined by the end of the Council meeting. 2328
Section 7. Other Types of Elections 2329 A. Recall Elections 2330
1. A recall election is defined as the vote for recall of the President and is the result of one or 2331 more of the following conditions: 2332
a. Petition by GPSA members in accordance with the GPSA Constitution. 2333 b. Successful vote of removal by Council. 2334
B. Special Elections 2335 1. A Special Election shall take place in any of the following circumstances: 2336
a. Resignation of the President or Council Chair. 2337
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b. Successful recall vote resulting in removal of the President. 2338 c. Successful Council vote of removal of the Council Chair. 2339 d. In a Presidential election, if the election is not certified, the winner is declared 2340
ineligible or unable to assume duties, or there is a tie. 2341 e. Granting of a petition submitted to a Council meeting for a Special Issue vote by the 2342
GPSA body. Only items granted on the petition shall be allowed on the ballot. 2343 f. Special Elections follow General Election rules except where noted. 2344
Section 8. Recall Election by GPSA Membership 2345 A. Upon receipt of the recall petition or a Council vote of removal, the Elections Committee shall 2346
initiate a recall election. (II.1.D.2.a.i.) 2347 1. When the President is removed in a Recall Election due to a petition received after the 2348
regularly scheduled March Council meeting, no Special Election for Presidential 2349 Replacement is required. 2350
2. The Recall Election should occur by electronic voting over two (2) consecutive academic 2351 days. 2352
a. Voting shall open at 8:00 a.m. of the first day of the election and close at 5:00 p.m. on 2353 the following day. 2354
b. The Elections Committee shall approve the results of a GPSA election after it has been 2355 determined that all provisions of the current GPSA Constitution and Bylaws were 2356 followed. 2357
Section 9. Special Elections 2358 A. Special Elections shall take place between three (3) and four (4) academic weeks after the 2359
Council meeting, Presidential declaration, or referendum that created the Special Election, unless 2360 otherwise noted. 2361 1. No Special Elections shall be held between the last day of the spring semester and the 2362
regularly scheduled October Council meeting. 2363 2. The Special Election must occur by electronic voting over two (2) consecutive academic 2364
days. 2365 3. Voting shall open at 8:00 a.m. of the first (1st) day of the election and close at 5:00 p.m. on 2366
the second (2nd) day of the election. 2367 4. The Elections Committee shall approve the results of a GPSA election after it has been 2368
determined that all provisions of the currently published Election Code, Bylaws, and 2369 Constitution were followed and any challenge(s) was (were) resolved. 2370
5. Special Council Chair Elections shall take place at the Council meeting following the 2371 Council meeting at which the Election was created and shall follow the procedures of the 2372 Council Chair Election. 2373
6. Referendum petitions for Special Elections shall be delivered to the Elections Committee. 2374 a. The Elections Committee has five (5) academic days to validate the petition after it 2375
petition has been received. 2376 b. A special election by referendum shall occur within fifteen (15) academic days of the 2377
approval of the petition. 2378
Section 10. Elections Reporting 2379 A. Reports Following Each Election 2380
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1. The results of all elections shall be reported in accordance with the Public Notice 2381 Requirements by 12:00 p.m. of the academic day following the end of the election. 2382
2. Elections data will be disaggregated from unique identifiers, including student names and 2383 departments. 2384
3. Complications with voting, including but not limited to, casting ballots, vote counting, the 2385 electronic voting system, and determination of eligibility shall be included with elections 2386 reporting. 2387
B. Annual Report 2388 1. The Annual Report shall include all expenditures and income for the Elections Committee 2389
and each report following an election. 2390 2. On behalf of GPSA, the Elections Committee shall request that IT compile an Aggregated 2391
Elections Data Report. If IT provides this report, it shall be included in the Annual Report. 2392 3. Results for each item shall be reported by Department. 2393
a. Departments with less than ten (10) students voting must be pooled together in order to 2394 protect the privacy of individual voters. A note shall indicate which departments are 2395 pooled together and the number of voters from each department, but not a breakdown 2396 of votes by department. 2397
Section 11. Election Disputes 2398 A. An election may be challenged by any GPSA member to the Court of Review. Challenges 2399
include, but are not limited to, voter fraud, improper notification, improper conduct of members 2400 of the Elections Committee, candidate misconduct, or an unsound voting system. 2401
B. Challenges must be be formatted as Court of Review Complaints and submitted in writing 2402 within five (5) academic days of the reporting of the election results. 2403
C. The Court of Review may consolidate challenges as it deems appropriate. 2404 D. If the Court of Review determines that a challenge is valid, the Court may decertify an election 2405
or impose a remedy as deemed appropriate. If an election is decertified, a special Council 2406 meeting shall be called so that a Special Election can be scheduled. 2407
E. The Court of Review must render its decision within fifteen (15) academic days following the 2408 last day of the election in question. 2409