CSGSC

Name
The graduate students in the Computer Science department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook shall be known collectively as the Computer Science Graduate Student Body. Their official representative body shall be known as the Computer Science Graduate Student Council (CSGSC).

Purpose
The purposes of the Graduate Student Council shall include the following four items:

• To represent the graduate students on matters pertaining to their general welfare as computer science graduate students.
• To provide for and promote graduate student extra-curricular activities.
• To provide for the welcoming and orientation of new graduate students.
• To provide a formal means of communication among graduate students.

Membership
A. Computer Science Graduate Student Body
All regular and special students of SUNY@Stony Brook carried on the Registrar's rolls as graduate students in the computer science department shall be members of the Computer Science Graduate Student Body.

B. Graduate Student Council
Any member of the computer science graduate student body is eligible to serve on the Council. There will be four (4) members on the Council. One member of the Council will be appointed as the CSGSC Treasurer by a unanimous vote of the Council.

Election of Council Members
Members terms will be for one year, starting starting on the first day of the new academic year.They may seek re-election. The election procedure shall be provided in the By-laws. The senior-most council member shall convene the council-elect. Any member may resign by submission of a written resignation to the Council. The recall of a member may be initiated as shall be provided for in the By-Laws.

Voting Procedure
Each council member shall have one vote on all matters.

Council Meetings
A. Call to Meetings
A Council member shall call regular meetings. Not less than two (2) meetings per semester must be held. All four members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. Meetings shall be open to all computer science graduate students.

B. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the council may be called to consider a special item or items of business, by two Council members, or by petition of any ten members of the Computer Science Graduate Student Body.

Initiatives
Initiatives requesting the submission of a matter to a vote of the Computer Science Graduate Student Body can be made by petition of 5% of the Computer Science Graduate Student Body or by three (3) members of the Council. The result of the vote will be binding on the Council if at least 15% of the Graduate Student Body concurred in the result and it is a majority.

Open Records
Records and documents of the Computer Science Graduate Student Council shall be open to inspection by any computer science graduate student, subject to University policy.

Amendments
A. Constitution
Amendments to this Constitution may originate in the Council or through petition in writing by ten graduate students. Proposed amendments must be conspicuously posted for a period of two weeks before action or adoption. Adoption requires a unanimous vote of the Council followed by a vote of the graduate students in which at least 20% concur and it is a majority. The Council must vote within six weeks of posting an amendment. A referendum must be held within six months of Council approval.

B. Bylaws
By-Laws may be amended by a 3/4 vote of the full Council.

Ratification
This Constitution and appended By-Laws shall be ratified if a majority of the graduate students voting in a referendum held in September, 2001 shall approve it. It will take effect, if passed, on October 1, 2001, and will supersede all previous constitutions.

Duties of the Council
The Council shall meet in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws. The member of the Council appointed as the Council Treasurer shall receive, disburse, and account for all funds of the Council and its activities, present a written report of finances at each regular meeting, coordinate all budget and financial decisions and prepare the budget by August 15. The budget must be unanimously approved by the Council. All expenditures that fall outside of the planned budget must be agreed upon by a unanimous vote of the Council.

Election of Council Members
A. Schedule
Nomincations for council membership are conducted two weeks before the beginning of new semester. Elections shall be completed by the day before new semester begins.

B. Recall of Members
Members shall be recalled automatically if they fail to attend three consecutive official meetings without giving acceptable reason to the other members of the Council.

C. Eligibility
All members of the Computer Science Graduate Students Body are eligible to run for CSGSC.

D. Nominations
An up-to-date list of the nominees will be published in on the CSGSC web-site. The CSGSC shall encourage anyone remotely interested in a position to seek nomination, and will allow nominees to withdraw at any time without negative implications.

E. Publicity
The CSGSC will inform all relevant graduate students about the nomination and election procedures one month prior to the elections.

F. Election Procedures
Election procedures will be as follows:

• Elections procedures will be announced to graduate student body before the elections.

Reappointment of Council Members
Any member who has resigned or been removed from the council shall be replaced by unanimous agreement of the remaining members.In case of resignation of one council member, we call for nominations among graduate student body. At most three nominees will be interviewed by the rest of council members and one of them is selected as a new council member.