Chemistry & Biochemistry Graduate Student Council

Council Bylaws 

I. Mission Statement

The Utah State University Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Student Council (USUCBGSC) is an organization which aims to represent the graduate students of the chemistry and biochemistry department of USU. The Council will provide a platform for students to discuss and address department wide issues, to support student’s mental and physical well-being through clear communication with the faculty, and to assist in increasing the quality of their academic, professional, and social pursuits.

II. Council Membership and Positions
1. Membership of the USUCBGSC will consist of graduate students enrolled at Utah State University in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department and one faculty liaison.
2. The Positions of the Council are as follows:

· President
· Vice-President
· Mental Health and Inclusion Advocate
· Secretary
· Social Media Specialist
· Community Outreach Director
· Campus Outreach Director
· Sustainability Advocate
· Faculty Liaison

3. The Faculty Liaison will be filled by the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) and/or by a Graduate Faculty member voted on by the student portion of the council requiring a simple majority.
4. Positions within the council may be modified at the discretion of the council by a simple majority vote resulting in an amendment to the by-laws.

III. Council Position Responsibilities
1. President

· Facilitate Council meetings
· Delegation/follow up of tasks
· Head of fundraising efforts
· Supports each position with individual responsibilities
· Council elections

2. Vice-President

· Fulfills President duties when President is absent
· Creates budget and tracks spending of the Council
· Makes financial requests to the department or other funding entities
· Donor/sponsor reports as requested

3. Mental Health and Inclusion Advocate

· Maintains the Council’s focus on mental health, diversity, and inclusion in all events/fundraisers
· Provides weekly spotlights on mental health, diversity, and/or inclusion to be distributed to the students of the Chemistry and Biochemistry department
· Liaison to campus inclusion, diversity, and mental health organizations
· Work with underrepresented and international students from the department
· Introduce international and local cultural awareness activities.

4. Secretary

· Schedules Council meetings
· Develop agenda for meetings
· Records meeting minutes
· Track committee member assignments
· Develop and maintain a reoccurring graduate student newsletter
· Organize Box data

5. Social Media Specialist

· Maintains student social media sites at the discretion of the Council member
· Create and post content to desired social media sites
· Advertises events to the department (ex. Creating flyers)
· Takes pictures and summary of events to post on social media platforms

6. Community Outreach Director

· Initiate/maintain outreach opportunities within the surrounding Cache Valley community (schools, businesses, USU extension)
· Maintain contact information with individuals from community
· Assists Vice President with maintaining records

7. Campus Outreach Director

· Initiate outreach opportunities on USU’s campus (Science Unwrapped, Day on the Quad)
· Maintain contact information with campus individuals
· Maintain records of communications and events
· Maintain contacts with clubs on campus
· Connect with College of Science Media Specialist for larger events
· Maintain relations with USU Chemistry and Biochemistry Undergraduate Council

8. Sustainability Advocate

· Maintains the Council's focus on environmental sustainability in planning of all events/fundraisers
· Provides weekly spotlights on sustainable practices to be distributed to the students of the Chemistry and Biochemistry department
· Liaison to campus sustainability organizations
· Introduce and implement sustainable practices to the Chemistry and Biochemistry department

9. Faculty Liaison

· Communicate directly with faculty through the weekly Faculty meeting with updates from the Council
· Communicate Faculty concerns with the Council
· Neutral party participant in regular meetings with the Head of the Department and the Council President

All of the position’s duties can be modified at the Council’s discretion by a simple majority vote resulting in an amendment to the by-laws.

IV. Meetings
1. Meetings will be held at least once per month during the Fall and Spring academic semester.
2. More than one meeting can be held per month at the discretion of the Council membership.
3. Any Position on the Council can communicate with the President of their desire for an additional meeting.
4. The Secretary will schedule meetings and provide the agenda to the members of the Council at least three days prior to the meeting. Agenda and meeting date will be posted three days prior onto graduate student council website.
5. Meetings will be open to all students unless closed by a simple majority vote by the Council Members.
6. Quorum is required to conduct Council business. Quorum shall consist of a majority of the Council members. The President must be present for the quorum to be valid.

V. Elections and Position Terms
1. The President and Vice President positions will be 2-year appointments but can optionally be 1-year if communicated to the Council 2 months prior to elections in the spring semester.
2. All other positions on the Council will be 1-year appointments with an option to extend for one more year.
3. Elections will be held during the spring semester of each academic year.
4. The student with the greatest number of votes will fill the position.
5. A minimum of 20% of the graduate student body must vote for each position for the vote to be valid.
6. Students shall take office immediately upon announcement of election results.
7. Once a new Council member has taken office, the prior Council member will be required to transfer all information held by that position to the new member.
8. A Council member’s term will end prior to their end of term if the Council Member:

· Resigns
· Is removed
· Graduates

9. Resignation of a Council member should be communicated to the President at least one week prior to the next Council meeting. The remaining Council members will hold a simple majority vote to fill the vacant position.
10. A Council member may be removed at the discretion of the Council with a simple majority vote. The Council member being removed will be informed of this upcoming vote by the President at least one week prior to the next Council meeting. The remaining Council members will hold a simple majority vote to fill the vacant position.
11. A Council member may take a leave of absence if wanted, at the discretion of the graduate student. The member taking the leave of absence is required to appoint another graduate student to fill their roll until they return.

VI. Amendments
1. Amendments to the USUCBGSC By-Laws must be proposed at least one week prior to the next Council meeting to be voted on during the meeting.
2. Adoption of any amendment by the Council will require a simple majority in favor for the addition of the amendment.
3. Once adopted, the President of the Council will amend the By-Laws during the course of meeting in which the amendment was passed.