CSS-GSA Constitution

Article I Name & Purpose

Section 1.  This organization shall be known as the Crop and Soil Sciences GSA (CSSGSA).

Section 2.  The purpose of the CSSGSA shall be to: 

Create a unified voice for the students to express their questions, comments, and concerns to the administration;

Build a camaraderie among students that allows for the exchange and enhancement of knowledge and friendship

Represent the NC State Crop and Soil Sciences department through research, outreach and promotional activities within and outside of the department; 

Strengthen student-faculty academic relationships and student-administrative relationships in order to become better prepared for a career in academia or workforce.

 

Article II Membership

Section 1.  All Crop and Soil Sciences students enrolled in graduate school at NC State University.

Section 2. The Crop and Soil Science GSA and NC State provides equal opportunity and affirmative action efforts, and prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation that are based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, or veteran status (individually or collectively). 

 

Article III Officers

Section 1.  The elective officers shall be as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Seminar coordinator, Social coordinator, International associate. 

 

Section 2. Any Crop and Soil Sciences graduate student that will be enrolled the entire term is eligible for office. Officers shall serve a term of one year. Officers will be elected before the conclusion of the summer semester of each year. Elections will be conducted in a manner that allows all currently enrolled graduate students to submit a vote either electronically or physically. An officer may not be reelected to the same office unless no other members are nominated to run for that office. In the event that an office is not filled in an election, or an office becomes vacant, the elected officers shall share the duties of that office until their terms are finished or another election is held. Elected officers from the previous election are responsible for conducting the subsequent election with oversight from the faculty representative.

 

Section 3. The CSSGSA membership may impeach officers for: ineligibility as specified in Article III, Section 2; failure to perform their constitutional duties as specified in this Constitution. Officers may only be impeached with a three-quarter’s majority vote of all voting CSSGSA. Impeachment proceedings and voting will take place at an agreed upon venue in the same fashion as other issues as specified in Article VI Section 2.

 

Section 4. The officer responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to: 

 

President

  • Schedule and preside over department GSA meetings
  • Liaison between faculty and graduate students
  • Attend faculty meetings to report on and initiate discussions pertinent to grad students
  • Choose an adviser from the crop concentration if elected as a soil student or choose an adviser from soil concentration if elected as a crop student
  • Coordinate the annual Willie Woltz Seminar
  • Manage other officers as necessary
  • Maintain passcodes, keys, and other items that may need to pass along to successive officers
  • Coordinate with treasurer to maintain the financial records in good standing order

 

Presidential Adviser

  • Appointed by the president
  • Comes from a different departmental study concentration than the president
  • Advises the president on matters pertinent to graduate students of a different concentration within the department
  • May assist with presidential duties as needed, but does not operate in an official capacity

 

Vice President

  • Coordinate the annual Wernsman Seminar
  • Alternate GSA representative (preferably lives very close to campus)

 

GSA Representative

  • Preferably someone who lives very close to campus
  • Attend monthly university GSA meetings to maintain funding for the department GSA
  • Attend monthly GSA committee meetings to maintain funding for the department GSA
  • Vote at university GSA meetings in a manner supporting department graduates
  • Inform grad students about university GSA meeting discussions

 

Secretary

  • Organize department GSA documents in a manner accessible by current and future members 
  • Keep record of department GSA meetings and meeting notes
  • Write grad student agenda for future meetings and tasks
  • Document and maintain graduate student calendar of events
  • Communicate agenda and calendar with other grad students
  • Assist with duties of other officers

 

Seminar coordinator

  • Coordinate and participate in placement of seminar snacks
  • Assign seminar snack responsibilities to individual graduate students who can assist with snack duties
  • Solicit and maintain seminar snack donations at regular seminars 
  • Maintain funds for seminar snacks separate from GSA account money
  • Mentor students on seminar duties to enhance likelihood of a competent successor

 

Treasurer

  • Keep records of department GSA finances (spending and revenue)
  • Archive financial records in a manner accessible by all current and future members
  • Purchase supplies and materials for various grad student hosted events
  • Maintain financial records in good order to pass along to next year’s officers

 

Social Coordinator

  • Plan group gatherings (meals, parties, etc.)
  • Maintain department display boards for students
  • Plan outreach activities for grad students on and off campus
  • Look for activities grad students should be involved with
  • Work with faculty social committee
  • Advertise events from other departments that may be pertinent to the department
  • Maintain and coordinate online communication between grad students
  • Advertise fundraising opportunities to increase grad student funds
  • Take and collect pictures at events or important moments

 

International Associate

  • Helps international students integrate into department activities
  • Coordinates activities between international students and US students
  • Helps international students find information about the school and local attractions of interest to graduate students

 

Section 5. Any of the duties above may be freely exchanged between consenting officers.

Article IV Dues

Section I.  No dues shall be collected from members.

 

Article V Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to the constitution shall be proposed by members of the CSSGSA in writing and read at a scheduled meeting, but proposed amendments shall not be voted upon until informing all graduate students of the changes. If no graduate students oppose the changes, the officers may vote independently of an open meeting, but if any proposed amendment is contested, an open vote must be conducted. Two-thirds of the members present and voting shall be required for adoption of the amendment.

 

Article VI Meetings

Section I.  The officers shall meet at the discretion of the president, but no less than twice per semester.  The officers will comprise the council.

 

Section 2. Any member of the CSSGSA may submit any topic for discussion to the council in writing. Any issue that is received at least one week prior to the meeting will be included in the newsletter and will be discussed at the following council meeting. A vote as to what action will be taken can take place at the council meeting or be postponed until the following council meeting. A two-thirds majority of the members attending the meeting will be necessary before any action is taken. If a two-thirds majority is not reached the issue may again be submitted to the council in writing.

 

Section 3. Issues that receive a two-thirds majority vote will be assigned to a committee for further research.  The committee will prepare a report summarizing their findings and recommendations, and submit the report to the council.  The committee will carry out any appropriate actions authorized by the council. The committee will consist of at least three CSSGSA members at least one of which will be a council member. If there are not three members willing to serve on a specific committee, the issue will be dropped. Any issue that is dropped can be resubmitted to the council in writing as specified in Article VI Section 2.

 

Section 4.  Meetings shall be conducted as follows:

  1. Call to order by the President.
  2. Committee reports and discussion of old issues 
  3. Officer reports
  4. Discussion of new issues.
  5. Voting.
  6. Open to audience comments if any present
  7. Adjourning

 

Section 5. CSSGSA meetings shall loosely follow Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Order. The President shall be the final arbiter of the parliamentary rules. The President may limit debate to reasonable time limits and may impose reasonable time limits on individual speeches. A majority of members present may overrule these limits if they so desire. Such a resolution shall be voted upon immediately and without debate. Meetings should occur no less than once per semester.

Section 6. Each member shall have one vote. The President must select the method of voting from the following choices: roll call, show of hands, voice, or secret ballot.

 

Article VII. Lecture Series

Section 1.  Willie Woltz Lecture Series: The President will be responsible for the organization of the Willie Woltz lecture series. The President will be responsible for the nominations and elections. Elections will he conducted by a ballot open to all Crop and Soil Sciences graduate students in a manner that allows votes to be submitted electronically and physically.

Section 2. Wernsman Lecture Series. The Vice-President and/or Presidential Advisor shall be responsible for the organization of the Wernsman lecture series. To include responsibility for the nominations and elections of the speaker. Elections will he conducted by a ballot open to all Crop and Soil Sciences graduate students in a manner that allows votes to be submitted electronically and physically.

 

Article VIII. Ratification

Section 1. To ratify this constitution, the membership must approve it by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership of the CSSGSA who participate in the voting.

Section 2.  This constitution supersedes in all ways any other constitution the CSSGSA has ever had.

Article XIV. Method of Dissolution

Section 1. Upon dissolution, any remaining funds or assets of the organization will be donated directly to the Crop and Soil Science department.