Grad Student Handbook

SECTION ONE: CONNECTING WITH WESLEYAN: THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
The Academic Advising System
Making the Most Out of Your Wesleyan Experience
University Resources That Support Learning and Student Development
Tutoring
Libraries
Academic Standings
Special Study Programs
Advanced Degrees
General Regulations

SECTION TWO: STUDENT LIFE AND UNIVERSITY RESOURCES
Student Life
Financial Services and Student Employment
Health and Wellness
Center for the Arts
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Administrative Offices
Recycling at Wesleyan

SECTION THREE: STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND GOVERNANCE
The Graduate Student Association (GSA)
Student Publications and Newspapers
Office of Graduate Student Services

SECTION FOUR: UNIVERSITY STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS
Statement on Academic Freedom
Responsibility of the University to Its Members
Standards of Conduct
Student Conduct
Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities

SECTION FIVE: UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Information Technology
Student Records
Sexual Harassment
Sexual Misconduct
Illegal Drugs and Alcohol
Hazing
Posters, Banners, Announcements, and Other Forms of Communication
Residency

SECTION SIX: WESLEYAN AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY
Wesleyan History
University Traditions
The Local Community

SECTION SEVEN: APPENDIX
Joint Statement on the Rights and Freedoms of Students

SECTION EIGHT: APPENDIX B OFFICES, NEEDS, AND RESOURCES LIST
Academic and Administrative Departments and Locations
Needs and Resources

The Graduate Student Association

Name

The name of this organization shall be "The Graduate Student Association of Wesleyan University."

Article II

The purpose of this organization shall be to represent and to serve the interests of the Graduate Student body as a whole and to transact the business of the Graduate Student Association.

Article III

The GSA shall be comprised of two governing bodies: the General Assembly (GA) and the Executive Committee (EC).

Article IV

Every person who is pursuing either the MA or PhD degree and who is either in residence or enrolled in one or more courses at Wesleyan University shall be considered a member of the GSA General Assembly.

Article V

The EC shall be comprised of a President, Secretary, Treasurer, graduate representatives to University committees, graduate representatives from each department, and the previous year’s President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The President, Secretary, Treasurer and graduate representatives to University committees shall be elected for a term of one year running from June to June. Elections of these officers shall be held at the last scheduled general meeting of the spring semester, by secret ballot, with all GSA members eligible to vote and hold office. The individual departments are responsible for electing their representatives to the GSA. These representatives must be chosen by June when the incoming EC convenes. If, during a term of office, that office becomes vacant, it shall be filled by a special election open to that office’s voting constituency.

A. The Officers

The President shall chair all EC and general meetings. These meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. The Secretary will be responsible for keeping synoptic minutes of the EC and general meetings, as well as distributing copies of these minutes and all other EC announcements to the Department Representatives. The Department Representatives are responsible for distributing these minutes and announcements to all GSA members in their respective Departments. The Treasurer will be responsible for finances of the GSA, both the distribution of moneys and financial record keeping. All members of the EC who are elected, except the President, are voting members of the EC. EC decisions are made by simple majority vote, with the President (or Acting President) voting only to break a tie. The previous year’s President, Secretary, and Treasurer, if currently un-elected to any office, are non-voting members of the EC.

B. EC Duties

The EC shall convene in June, after its election, and establish whatever rules and procedures it deems necessary for conducting its business. It shall also choose a President Pro-Tem who will serve as Acting President in case the President is absent. In case both the President and President Pro-Tem are absent, the remaining members will elect an Acting President from among themselves.

Article VI

The GSA will hold General Assembly meetings at least three times each semester and at least once during the summer. These meetings will be open to all members, and will be scheduled by the Executive Committee. Each semester’s meetings will be announced at the beginning of that semester, and the summer meeting(s) will be announced at the beginning of the summer. The EC may, in an emergency, call a GA meeting with a week’s notice.

Article VII

The EC will make decisions on written proposals submitted to it as well as create its own proposals. These decisions must be ratified or overturned by the GA. Proposals submitted to the EC will be taken up at least 10 days prior to the next GA meeting. When the EC meets to consider proposals, it shall allow at least one sponsor for each proposal to attend at least a portion of its meeting. The EC shall decide whether to accept or reject the proposals it has considered. The EC may vote to modify proposals, but it must present the original proposal along with any modified or alternate proposals to the General Assembly. The EC’s decisions are binding subject to a vote by the GA. Following the EC meeting, and at least seven (7) days prior to the GA meeting, the Secretary will send copies of the upcoming GA meeting’s agenda to each Department Representative for distribution. This agenda shall include a summary of, and the EC decision on, each proposal to be considered by the GA. 

The General Assembly shall make decisions according to the following Protocol: If there is a quorum of 15 of those present may overturn an EC decision. All EC decisions considered at a GA meeting with a quorum become GSA policy unless overturned. If no quorum is present, a simple majority vote may table a proposal to the next GA meeting; otherwise the EC decision becomes policy. A proposal may be tabled only once. At the next GA meeting, a tabled proposal still needs a 2/3 vote of a quorum to overturn the EC decision. However, the EC may change its decision on a tabled proposal before it is taken up a second time at the next GA meeting. Certain proposals may stimulate modified or alternate EC proposals, and hence be rejected by the EC. When this is the case, the original proposal shall precede the modified or alternate proposal on the GA agenda. If a quorum is present and the original proposal is passed by a 2/3 majority, then the modified or alternate proposal shall no longer be considered. If there is no quorum present and the original proposal is tabled, then the modified or alternate proposal shall be tabled as well. Proposals may be brought up directly at a GA meeting with a quorum. A unanimous vote will pass the proposal and make it policy. A single dissenting vote will require that the proposal be submitted in writing to the EC for consideration at the next GA meeting. Committees to investigate the merits of a proposal may be formed at the meeting at which the proposal is presented, and the minutes of that meeting will note the formation of any such committees so that all members will be aware of their existence.

Article VIII

Proposals must be specifically worded and submitted to the EC in writing at least 10 days prior to a general meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. If a proposal includes monetary requests, the dollar amounts and the intended uses of funds must be specifically stated.

Article IX

The General Assembly shall be empowered to create any committee that may be necessary to examine issues for, or conduct the business of, the GSA. All committees created are fully answerable to the General Assembly and can be dissolved at any time by the General Assembly The membership of such committees is open to all members and any persons previously approved by the General Assembly. The EC has the same powers as the General Assembly concerning committees as set forth above.

Any individual, committee, or organization (henceforth known as the "Party "), receiving GSA funding shall keep an accurate record of income and expenditures. Not more than 14 days after any financial transactions by the Party, these records shall be submitted to the Treasurer. No Party receiving GSA funds shall use those funds for any purposes other than those specified in the Party’s proposal. Failure to comply with the regulations as provided above shall result in the immediate stoppage by the GSA President of GSA funding to the non-complying Party, with the non-complying Party considered independently responsible for all debts incurred. The EC, at its next meeting, will vote to either approve or override the stoppage of funds. Appeals (by any member of the GSA) of the President’s decision shall be submitted and considered in accordance with Articles VII and VIII. A request (by any member of the GSA) for reasons of noncompliance shall also be submitted and considered in accordance with Articles

VI and VII.

Article X

An amendment to the Constitution must be submitted to the EC in accordance with Articles VI and VII. An amendment shall be incorporated into this Constitution only after a general election among the GSA membership in which the following two criteria are satisfied:

1. A simple majority of all GSA (members) must vote in the affirmative.
2. Two-thirds of all votes cast must be in the affirmative. At least five days prior to the general election called for above, all members of the GSA must be notified of the general election. The names of all members voting in the general election must be recorded to insure against the possibility of fraud. All members must be given a fair chance to vote in such a general election. The general election must be held in exactly one of two modes:
   1. One or more staffed polling places, located in a known public location on the campus of Wesleyan University. Each polling place shall be open for a minimum of six hours.
   2. A ballot sent to all members, which must be returned in a plain sealed envelope in turn sealed in an envelope signed by the voter. It is the responsibility of the EC to observe the election process outlined above and to determine the outcome of said elections. The EC is empowered, through a majority vote, to invalidate elections deemed in violation of this Article or characterized by any other irregularities. Appeals to this process shall be handled as in Articles VII and VIII.