1. Community service and charitable events
2. Social events
3. Academic/intellectual events
4. The congregation of student groups at the Graduate and Professional Student Center at Yale (GPSCY)

1. Through representation on University Committees
2. By expressing views of the student body to the administration
3. By issuing statements of our position to the media and administration

1. Subsets of the Yale Graduate and Professional Student community (Black Graduate Network, International graduate students, SUN, etc.)
2. Yale Undergraduates
3. Faculty and Staff of Yale University
4. Yale Alumni
5. The New Haven Community

BY-LAWS

Article I: Membership

Section 1. Classes of Members of the Corporation

There shall be three classes of members of the Corporation: Student Members, Alumni Members and Senate Members.

Student Members: Each student registered and in good standing at Yale University in one of the following schools: the Graduate School, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Art, School of Architecture, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Divinity School, School of Music, Law School, School of Drama, or School of Organization and Management, shall be a Student Member unless that student files with the Secretary of the Corporation a statement declining such membership. Failure on the part of any Student Member to maintain good standing at one of the above schools, as determined by such schools, shall automatically terminate his/her status as a Student Member. Student Members shall be entitled to attend meetings of the members of the Corporation but, unless elected to Senate Membership, shall not be entitled to receive notice of such meetings or to vote at such meetings on matters where the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these By-Laws require the vote of the Corporation.

Alumni Members: A person who because of completion of Yale University graduate or professional studies no longer qualifies to be a Student Member, may on submission of a letter of interest to the Board of Directors, become an Alumni Member, in a manner as set forth by the resolution of the Board of Directors. Alumni members shall be entitled to attend meetings of members of the corporation and shall enjoy all franchise privileges and representation privileges, including election to the Board of Directors, enjoyed by other Members Ð but shall not be eligible for any officer position of the Board of Directors.

Senate Members: Senate Members shall be

1. Student Members or Alumni Members who shall be elected by the Student Members or Alumni Members to Senate Membership in accordance with the terms and provisions of these By-Laws and who shall be known as Senators, plus



2. Officers of the Senate who shall be elected in accordance with the terms and provisions of these By-Laws. Senate Members shall be the sole class of Members entitled to vote on each matter where the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws require the vote of the members of the Corporation. Senate Members shall have other duties, responsibilities, obligations and privileges as shall be set forth in the By-Laws. The Senate Members of the Corporation, which include the Senators and the Officers, shall constitute the Board of Directors of the Corporation and shall be known as the Senate.

Section 2. Election of Senate Members

The Senate Membership shall consist of the Senate Officers, plus one Student Member from each of the following Departments, Programs or Professional School classes of the Graduate and Professional Schools of Yale University:

Graduate School Departments:

Professional Schools:

The most current official list of Departments, Programs and Schools compiled by the Office of the Secretary of Yale University, if different from the list of Departments, Programs and Schools set forth in these By-Laws, shall be considered binding for the purpose of determining eligibility for Senate membership.

Section 3. Senate Session

The Senators from each of the preceding Departments, Programs or Schools shall be elected by the Student Members of each respective Department, Program or School to serve for one Senate Session. A Senate Session shall commence at the beginning of the first official meeting of the Senate of the fall semester and shall end at the conclusion of the last official meeting of the Senate of the spring semester.

Section 4. Election Procedures

Officers of the Senate shall be elected as set forth by these By-Laws. Election procedures in each such Department, Program or School shall be determined by the Student Members thereof. Election materials may be made available to each Department, Program or School by the Senate.

The official "Senator Designation Form" must be accurately completed and submitted to the Senate Office by 4:00pm on the business day prior to the day in which the Senator-designee wishes to become an official Senator having all the rights and responsibilities of Senate membership as set forth in these By-Laws.

In the event that a class from a Professional School has no Senator, a student member of another class of the same Professional School may be elected to fill the position.

Alumni Members of the Graduate-Professional Student Senate, Inc. (GPSS) as defined in Article I, Section 1 of these By-Laws, who are not currently enrolled in a Graduate or Professional School of Yale University, may be elected to the Senate in a manner set forth by resolution of the Senate. Up to three Alumni Members at any time may be Senators. Their terms shall commence at the beginning of the first official meeting of the Senate of the fall semester and shall end at the conclusion of the last official meeting of the Senate of the spring semester. They shall have the same rights and responsibilities as other Senate Members, unless the Senate resolves to restrict those rights and responsibilities. Any such restrictions enacted after the election of a Senator shall not apply to that individual before the expiration of his or her term. Alumni Members shall not be eligible for election to any Officer position of the Senate.

Section 5. Annual Meeting of Members of the Corporation

The Annual Meeting of the members of the Corporation shall be held between February 15 and March 15 of each year at such time and place to be determined by the Senate. Written notice stating the place, day and hour of such meeting shall be given to each Senate Member not more than fifty or less than seven days before the meeting. Any matter relating to the affairs of the Corporation may be brought up which requires the vote of members pursuant to the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut.

Eligibility to vote at the Annual Meeting shall be limited to Senate Members who have attended one of the two Senate meetings immediately preceding the Annual Meeting.

Section 6. Special Meetings of Members of the Corporation

Special Meetings of the members may be called by the President, by the Senate or upon a written request of one-fifth of the members of the Corporation directed to the President. The President shall call a special meeting for purposes specified in such a request and cause notice to be given thereof. If the President shall not within fifteen days of the receipt of the request so call such a meeting to be held within thirty days thereafter, such members may call same. Notice of a special meeting shall state the place, day and hour of the meeting and the general purposes for which it has been called and no other business shall be transacted at the meeting. Such notice shall be given to each Senate Member not more than fifty or less than seven days before the meeting.

Section 7. Quorum

The holders of one-third of the occupied Senate seats, as stated in Section 2 of this Article, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Members. The Members present at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present may not continue to do business if the withdrawal of Senate Members leaves less than a quorum present.

Section 8. Voting

Each Senate Member shall be entitled to one vote, in person and not by proxy, provided, however, that with the approval of the Senate any representative who for good cause is unable to attend a meeting may designate in writing a member of the Corporation from the same constituency as a substitute, who may attend and vote in his or her place. For the purposes of this section, constituency means that Student Members who are Senators can only proxy their votes to a Student Member from the same Department, Program or School, that Alumni Senators may only proxy their vote to another Alumni Member and that Senate Officers may only proxy their vote to another Senate Officer.

Representation by proxy shall not be counted as attendance for purposes of maintaining active Senate membership.

All matters shall be determined by a majority vote unless otherwise required by these By-Laws or by the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut.

Section 9. Action Without Meeting

During the Senate Section any action which may be taken by the Members at a meeting of Members may be taken without a meeting if consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken or to be taken, is signed by all of the Senate Members. The Recording Secretary shall file such consents with the minutes of the meeting of the Members.

Section 10. Summer Session

The Summer Session shall run from the conclusion of the last official Senate meeting of the Senate Session until the commencement of the first official meeting of the next Senate Session.

During the Summer Session, the Senate shall be comprised of the Officers and three nongraduating Senators, who shall be called Summer Observers and who shall be appointed by the Senate prior to the conclusion of the last meeting of the previous Senate Session. The Senate may also designate alternates to serve to as Summer Session Observers.

During the Summer Session the Senate cannot amend these By-Laws nor remove an Officer from office.

Section 11. Vacancies

A vacancy among the Senate Members shall exist when a Department, Program or School as listed in Section 2 of this Article is not represented at Senate meetings for two (2) consecutive meetings. Any vacancy so designated by the Recording Secretary shall be filled by special election of the Student Members of that Department, Program or School. If after notifying the Director of Graduate Studies or the Dean of the respective Department, Program or School, no Senator is elected within four (4) weeks after the initial notice, the Director of Graduate Studies of the Dean of the respective Department, Program or School may appoint a Senator as a Temporary Senator.

Temporary Senators shall have all rights, powers and responsibilities of regular Senators for no longer than four (4) weeks, after which the Department, Program or School must send an elected Senator in order to be represented. A Temporary Senator shall cease to hold Senate Membership upon election of a Senator by the Student Members of the respective Department or School. Thus a Temporary Senator is deemed to fill a vacancy only until a Senator is elected by the respective Department, Program or School.

Article II: The Senate

Section 1. Responsibilities

The activities, property and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by the Senate.

Section 2. Composition

The Senate Members of the Corporation shall constitute the Senate.

Section 3. Regular Meetings of the Senate

The Senate shall hold at least four (4) regular meetings a semester at such time and place as it may direct. Notice of the place, day and hour of each regular meeting shall be given to each Senate Member not less than five (5) days before the meeting.

Section 4. Special Meetings of the Senate

Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the President, and shall be called by the President upon written request of one-fifth of the Senate membership stating the purpose of such meeting. If the President shall not, within ten (10) days of the request, call such a meeting to be held within fifteen (15) days thereafter, such Senate Members may call the same. Notice of a special meeting shall state the place, day and hour of the meeting and the purpose for which it is called, and no other business shall be transacted at the meeting.

Section 5. Quorum

The holders of one-third of the currently occupied Senate Memberships as listed in Article 1, Section 2, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business by the Senate.

Section 6. Voting

The vote of a majority of the Senate Membership present at a meeting at which a quorum is present at the time of the act shall be the act of the Senate, unless the act of a greater number is required by the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut or by the By-Laws.

Section 7. Dues and Assessments

The Senate may levy dues and assessments against Student Members and Alumni Members, including Senate Members.

Article III: Committees of the Senate

Section 1. Establishment

The Senate may by resolution designate two (2) or more Senate Members to constitute committees, which committees shall have and may exercise all such authority of the Senate as is provided in such resolutions. Members who are not Senate Members may also serve on committees of the Senate.

Section 2. Reporting Requirement

Every committee created by the resolution of the Senate must submit a written report updating their activities to be filed with the Recording Secretary no less than twice each semester on dates determined by the Executive Committee.

Article IV: Officers

Section 1. Number and Title

The Officers of the Corporation shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Comptroller, the Operations Officer and the Recording Secretary.

Section 2. Election - Terms and Vacancies

The President, the Vice-President, the Comptroller, the Operations Officer and the Recording Secretary shall be elected by the Senate members at the annual meeting of the Corporation by secret ballot to serve from that annual meeting to the annual meeting of the following year. A vacancy among these Officers shall be filled by the Senate Members by a special election to be held within two meetings of the Senate after the Senate meeting at which such vacancy was announced.

Section 3. Duties

The duties of the Officers shall be as follows:

1. President: The President shall be the principal Officer of the Corporation and shall preside at all meetings of the Members and the Senate. The President shall be ex-officio a member of all committees by the Senate and shall perform such other duties as are prescribed elsewhere in these By-Laws and as are usual of this office. All Officers of the Corporation shall be responsible to the President, who in turn shall be responsible to the Executive Committee and the Senate.



2. Vice President: The Vice-President shall be responsible for the coordination and dissemination of information about the Graduate-Professional Student Senate and the Graduate-Professional Student Center, both within and without the Yale community. He/she shall be concerned with providing information to the various offices at Yale (e.g., the Alumni Publications Board, the Association of Yale Alumni, the Yale Daily News, etc.) as well as to a network of outside organizations (e.g., other universities, political groups in this State and in Washington, D.C., etc.). In this manner, he/she will function as a public relations representative of the Senate and Center, disseminating information about policies, activities, proposals, etc., and promoting a favorable image of the Senate and Center.
   
   The Senate may authorize and provide for the funding of a newspaper or magazine entitled the Yale Graduate-Professional. He/She may appoint a Yale Graduate-Professional committee to be headed by a publications editor, but ultimate responsibility for and coordination of the Yale Graduate-Professional, including production and editorial content, shall rest with the Vice-President. He/She shall see to it that the Yale Graduate-Professional adheres to its budget as authorized by the Senate, and it collects its advertising revenues in a timely fashion.



3. Comptroller: The Comptroller shall be responsible for the receipt and custody of all monies of the Corporation and for the disbursement thereof as authorized by the Senate, for accurate accounting of all monies received and paid out, for executing contracts or other instruments authorized by the Senate; and for preparing and issuing the budget and other financial statements and reports. The Comptroller shall report to the Senate concerning the entire financial situation of the Corporation at each regular meeting. The Comptroller shall also endeavor to raise funds for the Senate by such means as seeking out grants, donations and sponsors.



4. Operations Officer: The Operations Officer shall be responsible for overseeing the activities sponsored by the Senate and the Graduate-Professional Student Center at Yale (GPSCY), including the initiation of such activities. The Operations Officer shall also be responsible for monitoring the physical plant of the GPSCY, setting policies for the GPSCY and working with the employees of the GPSCY.



5. Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for the day to day operation of the Senate secretariat, shall see that notices of all meetings of the Members are issued, shall be responsible for the correspondence and official communications authorized by the Senate and shall record and file all minutes of meetings. The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for the maintenance of the membership lists of the Corporation and the Senate in accordance with Article 1, Section 8 of the By-Laws, with the filing of a copy of all official GPSS communications and shall perform such other duties as are usual to this office.

Section 4. Reporting Requirements

It shall be the responsibility of each Officer to report to the Senate at least twice each semester on the progress of his/her work.

It shall be the responsibility of each Officer to hold at least one office hour each week during the Senate Session, excluding holidays, in the Senate Office.

Section 5. Officer Absence or Disability

In the absence or the disability of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of that office. The President shall perform or cause to be performed the duties of the office of the Vice-President, the Comptroller, the Operations Officer or the Recording Secretary in the event of their absence or disability. In the event of the absence or disability of the President and the Vice-President, the Comptroller shall assume the duties of the Office of the President.

Section 6. Removal

The President, the Vice-President, the Comptroller, the Operations Officer or the Recording Secretary may be removed from office at a regular or special meeting of the Senate by a two-thirds of all the non-vacant Senate seats voting in the affirmative.

No Officer may be removed from office during the Summer Session as per Article I, Section 10.

Fifteen (15) affirmative votes shall be required for the removal of any of the above Officers.

Section 7. Executive Committee

The Vice-President, the Comptroller, the Operations Officer and the Recording Secretary shall report to the President at regularly scheduled meetings of the Officers known as Executive Committee meetings.

During the Senate Session the Executive Committee shall consist of the aforementioned Officers, including the President, plus two (2) Senate Members appointed by the Senate for a term of one month and shall be known as Observers. Three (3) Senate members appointed to the Executive Committee for the Summer Session shall serve the entirety of the Summer Session. If more than two Senate Members seek appointment to the Executive Committee, then an election shall be held.

The Observers shall have full voting authority on the Executive Committee, and may be appointed for consecutive terms of Executive Committee membership.

A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be three (3) officers. Executive Committee meetings are opened to any member of the Corporation, but such members shall not be entitled to vote at such meetings.

Section 8. Honoraria

Each semester during the Senate Session the Senate Members may vote to award the Officers honoraria. In both of these semesters an officer evaluation committee shall be convened for the purpose of:

1. Determining the amount of honoraria each officer shall receive, subject to prior budgetary allotments,
2. Preparing a written report concerning their findings and presenting such report to the Senate and
3. presenting the officers with written evaluations.

This committee shall include at least three (3) Senators who have served as an Executive Committee Observer during the semester for which honoraria are being awarded.

In order to receive honoraria each officer must fulfill the duties of his/her office as set forth in these By-Laws and must submit a written report at a time designated by the officer evaluation committee. The committee may also require officers to participate in an interview with the committees.

Article V: Graduate-Professional Student Center

Section 1. Operation

The Graduate-Professional Student Center at Yale (GPSCY) shall be operated under the general supervision of the Senate by a committee of the Senate called the GPSCY Supervisory Council.

Section 2. GPCSY Supervisory Council

The GPCSY Supervisory Council shall consist of seven (7) individuals with annual terms as follows:

1. The GPSS President and the Comptroller, whose terms shall run from their election to the next annual meeting,
2. One (1) Senator selected by the Senate whose term shall run one Senate Session,
3. One (1) member of the GPSCY Advisory Committee (as defined in Article V, Section 3) selected by the committee whose term shall run one Senate Session and
4. Three (3) Yale University Administrators appointed by the GPSS President whose terms shall run one (1) year from the date of the Officers election.

The GPSCY Supervisory Council is responsible for overseeing the operations and development of the Graduate-Professional Student Center at Yale at 204 York Street, New Haven, Connecticut. The Council shall meet no less than quarterly to review the performance of the Center and its professional staff, to recommend improvements in operations and administration and to assist with development and fundraising projects for the Center where appropriate. The professional staff shall report to the GPSCY Supervisory Council in any way that the Council deems appropriate.

As a committee of the Senate, the GPSCY Supervisory Council shall report to the Senate no less than once a semester and as requested by the Senate.

The GPSS Comptroller shall serve as chair of the GPSCY Supervisory Council.

Section 3. GPSCY Advisory Committee

The GPSCY Advisory Committee shall be an ad hoc committee of Graduate and Professional students, including the Operations Officer, who shall make recommendations with regard to programming, operations and coordination of Graduate and Professional social activities campus wide. The committee will be convened by the Operations Officer no less than once a semester.

Section 4. Membership

All individuals enrolled as a Graduate or Professional School students at Yale University are members of the Graduate-Professional Student Center at Yale. Admission policies and/or assessments shall be established periodically by the GPSCY Supervisory Council and approved by the Senate.

Article VI: Finance and Records

Section 1. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall end June 30 of each year.

Section 2. Budget

The annual budget of estimated income and expenditure of the Corporation shall be approved by the Senate. The budget for the following fiscal year shall be presented to the Senate for approval by the newly elected Comptroller within six (6) weeks of the annual meeting. A vote to amend the budget may be taken at the beginning of the next Senate Session. No expense shall be incurred in excess of total budgetary appropriations without prior approval of the Senate. No non-budgeted expenditure nor category change greater than the larger of the following:

1. 0.5% of total budgeted expenditures rounded up to the nearest hundred dollars, or
2. 10% of the particular ledger line,

shall be made without the SenateÕ approval, unless the Executive Committee decide the expenditure must be made before an appropriate Senate meeting can be called. If such a non-budgeted expenditure is made before the next Senate meeting, it must be presented and explained by the Comptroller at the next Senate meeting.

Section 3. Records

Before the Annual Meeting of the Senate, the Comptroller shall prepare or cause to be prepared a balance sheet showing the complete financial condition of the Corporation.

Section 4. Liability of Members

Any Student Member, Alumni Member or Senate Member who receives any distribution of income or assets from the Corporation in violation of the Nonstock Corporation Act of the State of Connecticut of the Certification of Incorporation, whether by dividend, in liquidation or otherwise, and who accepted or received such distribution knowing it was improper, shall be liable for the amount received to any creditors existing at the time of the distribution and to the Corporation. Nothing in this section shall preclude the awarding of honoraria to the officers.

Article VII: Parliamentary Procedure

Section 1. Parliamentary Authority

RobertÕs Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the final parliamentary authority for all meetings of the Corporation.

Article VIII: Amendment to the By-Laws

Section 1. Procedure

These By-Laws may be amended, and new By-Laws not inconsistent with the Certificate of Incorporation or with any law may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the Senate Members holding a majority of the Directorships, or at any annual or special meeting of Senate, by a two-thirds majority of the Senate Members at such meeting at which a quorum is present at the time of the vote. Any notice of a meeting of members of the Senate at which By-Laws are to be adopted, amended or repealed shall include notice of such proposed action. Pursuant to Article I, Section 10, By-Laws are not to be adopted, amended or repealed during the Summer Session.

By-Laws as recorded by Dorann Bunkin, By-Laws Committee Chair, GPSS Recording Secretary, 1993.