Description of Duties of Executive Officers and Senators

The Executive Committee acts of the executive committee which prepares for General Assembly meetings, disseminates information, meets with the Dean of the Graduate School, etc. The Executive Committee consists of the Executive Officers, the Parliamentarian, and the P&R Council Chairs. COGS is also represented at the Student and University Senates by eight Senators.

Click here to find out who is currently filling these positions, and to see photos.

Executive Officers

The Executive Officers are the COGS:

• President
• Executive Vice President
• Vice President for Finance,
• Vice President for External Relations,
• Vice President for Internal Relations,
• Vice President for Communications

Minimum time requirements (7-10 hours/month):
Monthly COGS GA meeting (2 hours)
Monthly Deans' meeting (1 hour)
Monthly Executive Committee meetings (one or two per month/1-2 hours each)

President

The President is the chief executive of COGS. The President must be accessible to all facets of the University Graduate School population and aware of the needs of and the issues relevant to graduate students.

• organizes and runs GA meetings. 
• organizes and runs Deans Meetings.
• represents COGS before the University administration, University organizations, and outside groups
• serves as a liaison between the above mentioned bodies and graduate students
• serves as a member of the Graduate School Executive Committee
• officially represents COGS to the GAPSA Executive Committee.
• identify, study, and attempts to resolve potential and real problems confronting graduate students
• is responsible for the efficient operation of the Council
• supervises all other COGS officers and office staff

Executive Vice President

Fills in for the President where needed and assists the President in representing COGS before University and non-University organizations.

• fills in for the President as needed
• represent COGS before University and non-University entities
• act as an official liaison between University Senate and COGS
• maintains a list of all committees COGS has seats on and communicates with all committee representatives that COGS has.
• recruit students for non-internal committees
• serve as a liaison to the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS)

Vice President for Finance

The Vice-President for Finance is responsible for all aspects of fiscal policy.

• coordinates, monitors and plans fiscal policy
• makes monetary disbursements for COGS
• organizes and presents the annual budget
• represents COGS in all matters concerning finance
• maintains the COGS Endowment and dispersal of the COGS Travel and Education Grants and the COGS Leadership Awards
• files taxes and other paperwork required with local authorities
• works with GAPSA on the fees request

This position is elected in the middle of the year (December) instead of during the usual election time (March) giving the VP-elect time to transition into the job with the help of the current VP of Finance.

Vice President for External Relations

Responsible for printed communications to all graduate students, including the GradLetter and the Extra email list.  Maintains contact with departments and DGSs. Requires usual Exec Committee time commitment, about 3 hours per month to create publications, plus other obligations as necessary.

• aid in COGS recruitment activities
• publish and distributes the GradLetter, the COGS Extra! electronic newsletter, and other publications
• maintains communications with graduate programs and DGS
• coordinates recruitment of program reps through DGS and/or program student councils
• oversees COGS Leadership Award
• oversees COGS sponsored functions for all graduate students

Vice President for Internal Relations

The Vice President for Internal Relations is responsible for establishing and maintaining working relations with the graduate programs and the Directors of Graduate Studies. The VP-IR is also in charge of outgoing communication to the general graduate student population from COGS.

• communicate with General Assembly members outside of the General Assembly meetings
• coordinate P&R Council activities
• oversee COGS internal committees (ad hoc or otherwise)
• oversees the preparations for General Assembly meetings

Vice President for Communications

Responsible for the COGS website and all COGS advertising (MN Daily, etc).  Takes minutes at the GA meetings.

• maintains and updates the COGS web pages
• summarizes minutes of General Assembly meetings and Executive Committee meetings; make them available on COGS web site
• documents all motions and votes at the meetings; post them on the COGS web site
• updates and maintains internal documents (constitution and bylaws)

Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian provides guidance to the president & General Assembly on questions of parliamentary procedure during General Assembly meetings. The Parliamentarian is an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

• resolves disputes over parliamentary procedure during or remaining after a General Assembly
• this person should have a good familiarity with Robert's Rules of Order
• must be present at all General Assembly meetings

Policy and Review Council Chairs

Policy and Review Councils are comprised of students and faculty from across the graduate school.  These councils determine departmental policies for all departments they represent, such as approving courses, monitoring graduate programs, and review policies to be implemented by graduate programs.  P&R Councils meet once a semester.  Chairs are responsible for gathering the rest of the P&R student committee.  P&R Chairs are also part of the COGS Executive Committee.  As such they can attend COGS Executive Committee meetings.

Minimum time requirements (3-4 hours/month):
Monthly COGS GA meeting (2 hours)
Monthly Executive Committee meeting (1-2 hours)
One P&R Council meeting per semester (2 hours; P&R Chairs for Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Engineering/Physical Sciences and Mathematics will be required to attend one additional Graduate School Executive Committee meeting per semester)

There are six Councils, and we will be electing one student char for each council.