I.
Procedural Rules
Robert's Rules of Order (revised edition)
shall govern the Council of Graduate Students except where inconsistent
or inapplicable to the Constitution or Bylaws of the Council of Graduate
Students.
II.
Council of Graduate Students Membership
The graduate students of each constituent unit shall elect from their
numbers one representative and at least one alternate to the Council of
Graduate Students. Any graduate student of the University of Minnesota
in good standing and enrolled in a constituent unit shall be eligible
for election as a Council of Graduate Students constituent unit representative
of that unit.
Constituent units will coincide with Major and Free-Standing Minor degree
program lines.
The Executive Vice-President shall resolve any membership disputes.
Constituent units shall have more than one vote if they have Policy and Review Council members or graduate student Senators, as well as a Council of Graduate Students representative, the total number of votes corresponding to the total number of Council of Graduate Students members in the constituent unit.
Graduate student Senators and up to two (2) officially designated alternates shall be made Council of Graduate Students members.
Policy and Review Council members shall be made members of the Council of Graduate Students.
Graduate Student members of Senate committees, Twin Cities Campus Assembly committees, the College of Liberal Arts Assembly and its constituent committees, and COGS committees shall be made members of the Council of Graduate Students.
III.
Officers
The duties of officers shall be those described by Robert's Rules of Order
(revised edition), except as specified in Section III of the Bylaws.
In addition to the President, the Council of Graduate Students General Assembly shall elect the following officers:
An Executive Vice-President to fulfill the functions of the President in the absence of the President, to supervise all committee business in the Council of Graduate Students, and to fulfill other duties as prescribed in the officer job description policy.
Vice-President for Finance to supervise all financial and other operational business of the Council of Graduate Students.
A Vice-President for Communications to maintain the COGS World Wide Web site, and to fulfill other duties as prescribed in the officer job description policy.
A Vice-President for Internal Relations to fulfill the duties prescribed in the officer job descriptions policy.
A Vice-President for External Relations to fulfill the duties prescribed in the officer job descriptions policy.
A Parliamentarian may be appointed by the Executive Committee and serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
IV. Executive Committee
There shall be an Executive Committee comprised of the Council of Graduate
Students Executive Officers, the student chairs of the Policy and Review
Councils, and ex-officio members as described in the Bylaws.
The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to transact Council business
between Executive Committee and General Assembly meetings, prepare meeting
agendas, and perform other functions as designated by the Bylaws.
The Executive Committee shall meet upon request of the President or at the request of any three of its members, with at least five days notice via phone or email to the entire Executive Committee.
A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be six voting members.
The Executive Committee may appoint graduate student members to university committees.
In the event of resignation or non-attendance committee positions may be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee.
Non-voting ex-officio members of the Executive Committee may include the immediate past president of the Council of Graduate Students and all current Council of Graduate Students committee chair persons, and the parliamentarian.
V.
Committees
Council of Graduate Students committees shall be responsible for providing
analysis of issues and preparing proposals for Executive Committee and
Council of Graduate Students consideration.
All committees shall have ad hoc status and shall be established by the President upon approval of the Executive Committee of the Council of Graduate Students. Ad hoc committees may be dissolved whenever:
Committee membership is less than three or
At the conclusion of the first Fall Semester meeting unless re-activated by the President with Executive Committee approval or
Whenever the committee is inactive as defined by the Executive Committee or the Council of Graduate Students.
Committee members and chairpersons shall be appointed by the President and/or for the Executive Committee. Positions on committees shall be open to any graduate student.
Committee meetings shall be conducted by the committee chair and minutes of the meeting shall be delivered to the President within one week of the meeting.
VI.
Council Meetings
Council of Graduate Students meetings shall receive prior public announcement.
Council of Graduate Students members shall receive direct notification
via email. Meetings of the Council of Graduate Students shall be held
at least three times each semester during the academic year.
Council of Graduate Students meetings are open to any graduate student. Participation by non-members is not restricted. However, voting is limited to members of the Council of Graduate Students, as defined in the Bylaws.
Dates of Council of Graduate Students General Assembly meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee. A Council of Graduate Students General Assembly meeting shall be called upon petition to the Executive Committee by thirty (30) or more Council of Graduate Students Program representatives. Upon receipt of such petition, the Executive Committee shall have three (3) days to schedule a meeting. Said meeting must be scheduled at least three (3) days after the Executive Committee announces the date, time, and location, but under no circumstances later than fourteen (14) days from submission of the petition.
All votes during Council of Graduate Students General Assembly meetings shall be by a voice vote, or a show of hands if called for by any member present, unless specified otherwise in the Constitution or Bylaws, and except in cases where Robert's Rules are invoked for a paper ballot. Motions shall be approved by a majority of Council members present and voting, unless otherwise specified, provided a quorum is present.
A quorum shall be defined as one-half of Council of Graduate Students members or THIRTY (30) representatives, whichever is fewer. In the absence of a quorum, any business shall be declared an "important issue" motion. Final consideration of an "important issue" motion must be deferred until the next Council of Graduate Students meeting. No business shall be declared an "Important Issue" at more than one meeting.
A discussion limit of ten minutes shall apply to any item presented to the Assembly. However, discussion may be extended for additional periods of up to ten minutes by passage of a motion to extend discussion.
Council of Graduate Students meetings shall not last beyond ninety minutes from the stated meeting time unless (1) a quorum is present and (2) a motion to extend the meeting is approved by two-thirds of those Council members present and voting. Any business transacted after an approved extension is automatically declared an "important issue" and treated as above.
VII.
Elections
Nominations for Senators and Executive Officers shall be called for at
the 2nd-to-last General Assembly meeting of the Spring Semester. Election
of the Senators and Executive Officers shall be held at the final meeting
of Spring Semester, and no later than April 30. Elected officers take
office on July 1, except the VP-Finance, who shall be elected by December
1 and take office on April 1. Terms of office shall be for one year. Senators'
terms of office are determined by Senate rules.
Election shall be by written ballot of a majority of representatives present and voting. There shall be a quorum of members present at the election.
After the election, the elected officers will be required to attend all Executive Committee meetings with the outgoing officers. The elected officers shall also attend any others meetings and be present when Council business is being transacted between the time of the election and their taking office.
It will be required that the outgoing Vice-President of Finance close all books and financial transactions before turning them over to the elected officer.
Council of Graduate Students members shall not simultaneously hold more than one executive office or an executive office and another position which would entitle a seat on the Executive Committee.
Any Council of Graduate Students member holding elected office who leaves the university or is unable to perform the duties of office shall resign immediately. In the event of a resignation other than the President, a special election shall be initiated immediately to fill the unexpired term of office. This election shall be governed by the Bylaws. Presidential duties shall be assumed by the Executive Vice-President in the event of the President's resignation, until the next regular election.
Non-member graduate students shall be permitted to run for a Council of Graduate Students executive office provided only if no Council of Graduate Students member is willing to run for said office.
VIII.
Resolutions
Resolutions may be authored by any graduate student enrolled and in good
standing at on of the constituent departments of COGS at the University of
Minnesota. The President and Parliamentarian of the Council of Graduate Students
may not author or introduce resolutions.
Resolutions are to be discussed and voted on only during General Assembly meetings. A quorum must be present for both discussion and voting.
A resolution will pass and thus be endorsed by the Council of Graduate Students by receiving a simple majority of representatives present.
Resolutions must be submitted to the President of the Council of Graduate Students or the main office at least 48 hours before a General Assembly meeting. Resolutions proposed after this deadline may be considered only by approval of the General Assembly. The copy of the resolution sent to these parties will constitute the resolution up for consideration; any changes thereafter must occur at the General Assembly meeting as per Robert's Rules of Order and the bylaws. Author(s) may withdraw proposed resolutions at any time.
Resolutions may not violate the Constitution or bylaws of the Council of Graduate Students.
The Council of Graduate Students will not consider anonymous resolutions.
IX.
Policy and Review Councils
Policy and Review Council graduate student Chairs shall be elected at
the final General Assembly of Spring Semester, and no later than April
30. If no Chair is elected by April 30, the Executive Committee may appoint
one, to be approved at the next General Assembly. Other Policy and Review
Council graduate student members shall be elected at the first Fall Semester
meeting of the General Assembly.
In accordance with the Graduate School Constitution, three of the Policy and Review Council student chairpersons shall be members of the Graduate School Executive Committee. Positions on the committee will be subject to a rotation system and rotated according to the subject area of each student chairperson. Within a ten-year period, each subject area will have a representative on the Graduate School Executive Committee for five years, according to the following rotation pattern to be repeated each decade.
A - Health Sciences
B - Language, Literature, and Arts
C - Education and Psychology
D - Biological Sciences
E - Engineering, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences
F - Social Sciences
| YEAR | SUBJECTS | NEW | OLD | EXCLUDED | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-1 | A | - | - | - | E | F | A E | F | B C D |
| 2001-2 | A | B | - | D | - | - | B D | A | C E F |
| 2002-3 | - | B | C | - | E | - | C E | B | A D F |
| 2003-4 | - | - | C | D | - | F | D F | C | A B E |
| 2004-5 | A | - | - | D | E | - | A E | D | B C F |
| 2005-6 | - | B | - | - | E | F | B F | E | A C D |
| 2006-7 | A | - | C | - | - | F | A C | F | B D E |
| 2007-8 | A | B | - | D | - | - | B D | A | C E F |
| 2008-9 | - | B | C | - | E | - | C E | B | A D F |
| 2009-10 | - | - | C | D | - | F | D F | C | A B E |