Constitution of the Council of Graduate Students

Preamble
In order to promote the academic, social, and economic aims of graduate students of the University of Minnesota, to establish effective communication among graduate students, to create channels of communication with the other parts of the university, and to act as the representative organization for the graduate student body at the University of Minnesota, the Council of Graduate Students is hereby established.

Article I. Name
The organization shall be known as the Council of Graduate Students.

Article II. Membership
Each constituent unit, as defined by the Bylaws, shall be entitled to elect one program representative.

The voting membership of the Council of Graduate Students shall include the elected program representatives, graduate student members of Policy and Review Councils and executive officers, and all graduate school student Senators. Additional voting membership may be designated by the bylaws.

The Council of Graduate Students represents all students in good standing in programs within the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota.

Article III. Officers and Their Election
There shall be a President and other Executive Officers as established in the Bylaws and elected by the Council of Graduate Students.

To be eligible for an Executive Office, an individual must be a member of the Council of Graduate Students at the time of nomination, except under extraordinary circumstances, as defined by the Bylaws.

All terms of elective office shall be for one year.

The elections shall be held at such times as specified in the Bylaws.

Article IV. Meetings of the Council of Graduate Students
There shall be at least three meetings of the General Assembly during each of the following academic semesters: Fall and Spring.

Each voting member of the Council of Graduate Students shall have one vote at meetings of the General Assembly of the Council of Graduate Students.

A member of the Council of Graduate Students or his/her designated alternate must be present at the General Assembly meetings to vote.

The means of alternate designation shall be specified in the Bylaws.

Article V. Bylaws
The Council of Graduate Students may adopt such Bylaws as two-thirds of the members present and voting at a General Assembly deem necessary to conduct business.

Article VI. Removal from Office
Any elected officer of the Council of Graduate Students may be removed from office upon a two-thirds vote of the total voting membership of the Council of Graduate Students, following seven days notice of the proposed vote.

Article VII. Restrictions on the Use of Funds
This organization shall not provide monetary gain, incidentally or otherwise, to its directors, officers, or membership. This does not restrict the payment of wages, salaries, or incentives by the organization for services rendered.

Article VIII. Distribution of Funds
After disestablishment and after all liabilities of this organization are rectified, the Campus Involvement Center will hold the remaining money in trust for this organization for three (3) years following the organization's last meeting. If after that period this organization has not reactivated, the funds shall be distributed to the following not-for-profit organization(s) according to the proportions below.

Graduate Fellowship Office 100%

Article IX. Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by no less than three-fourths of those members of the Council of Graduate Students present and voting. A motion to amend must be made at least one meeting and 7 days prior to voting on the proposed amendment.

Article X. Adoption of the Constitution
This Constitution shall become effective upon a two-thirds vote of those members of the Council of Graduate Students present and voting at the first meeting of the Council, Fall Quarter, 1975.

Upon adoption of this Constitution, all existing officers not specifically named hereinafter are abolished.