Constitution

Revised April 22, 2014

1. Name and Purpose
   1. Name — Computer Science Graduate Students’ Association.
   2. The purpose of the Association is to promote the welfare of the Computer Science graduate students, and to provide official representation for them.
2. Membership
   1. All students registered in the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia shall be members of the Association.
3. Executive
   1. The Executive of the Association shall consist of those officers designated within the By-Laws.
   2. The Executive shall be empowered to act for the members in matters concerning the routine business of the Association.
4. Representatives of the Association
   1. Representatives of the Association shall consist of elected members to those Committees, Associations and organizations designated within the By-Laws.
5. Representatives to the Association
   1. Representatives to the Association may be designated by those organizations specified within the By-Laws.
   2. The number of Representatives to the Association for a particular organization shall be as specified within the By-Laws.
6. Meetings
   1. The frequency of meetings of the Association shall be as designated within the By-Laws.
   2. The Executive must honor a petition requesting a meeting, if it is signed by at least ten percent of the membership, by calling a meeting of the Association within one week of receipt of the petition.
   3. A meeting shall not be called to order unless a quorum, as defined within the By-Laws, is present.
   4. Meetings of the Executive shall be open for any member of the Association to observe.
   5. The Chairman at a meeting of the Association or at a meeting of the Executive, as designated within the By-Laws, shall not vote except when a deciding vote is necessary.
   6. Representatives to the Association may attend and vote at meetings of the Association.
   7. At the invitation of the Executive, non-members of the Association may attend but not vote at meetings of the Association.
7. Amendments
   1. The constitution shall be amended by two-thirds majority at two consecutive meetings of the Association and shall require a notice of motion to be sent to all members at least one week prior to the first meeting considering the amendment.
   2. By-Laws shall be amended by a two-thirds majority vote at any meeting of the Association and shall require a notice of motion to be sent to all members at least one week prior to the meeting considering the amendment.
8. Petition
   1. Any petition signed by ten percent of the membership and submitted to all members of the Association shall be discussed and voted upon at the next meeting of the Association.
9. Elections and Terms of Office
   1. The Executive and Representatives of the Association shall normally be chosen annually from the members of the Association, by majority votes at a meeting or at meetings of the Association to be held at a time or at times specified within the By-Laws.
   2. Members of the Executive and Representatives of the Association shall normally hold office until their successors are duly elected as in the preceding Section 9.1.
   3. A member of the Executive or a Representative of the Association may be re-elected to the same or any other office provided his membership is valid.
   4. Members of the Association may remove a Member of the Executive or a Representative of the Association from office by majority votes at two consecutive meetings of the Association.
   5. Any member of the Executive or Representative of the Association may resign from office by tendering his resignation to the Executive of the Association.
   6. A by-election to fill any vacant office shall be held at a meeting of the Association no later than one month following the vacating of the particular office.
   7. A vacant, non-executive, position in the CSGSA may be filled without holding an election or by-election through the following process. First, a clear email is to be sent out to all members of the CSGSA by the President calling for nominations. Then, if the position is uncontested after one weeks time from the original email, the sole nominee will be considered elected to the position. This process cannot be used to fill the GSS Councilor and executive positions.
10. Ad Hoc Committees
    1. Ad Hoc Committees shall be formed or dissolved by a majority vote at any meeting of the Association.
    2. Terms of Reference for an Ad Hoc Committee shall be specified at the time of the Committee’s formation.
    3. Membership of an Ad Hoc Committee shall be established by the Association at the time of formation of the Committee.
    4. The members of an Ad Hoc Committee shall be chosen from the members of the Association by a majority vote at the meetings of the Association at which the Committee is formed.
    5. The Chairman of an Ad Hoc Committee shall not vote at a meeting of that Committee unless a deciding vote is necessary.
    6. The Chairman of an Ad Hoc Committee shall have the right to represent that Committee at meetings of the Executive by speaking and voting on matters within that Committee’s Terms of Reference.