OGSA Constitution

Oceanography Graduate Student Association

Academic Program GSO

Created May 3, 2002; updated August 19, 2022

Oceanography Graduate Student Association Constitution

1:NAME AND PURPOSE

1. This organization shall be known as Oceanography Graduate Student Association.
2. The purpose of this organization shall be to further the social, cultural, academic and research interests of the students in the graduate program in Oceanography and to act as an intermediary between the graduate students and the faculty.

ll: MEMBERSHIP

All currently-enrolled students in the graduate program in Oceanography and Operational Oceanography shall be members of this organization.

III: MEETINGS

1. At least one regular meeting shall be held each Fall and Spring semester, the time and place of the first meeting to be determined by the President.
2. At its first Fall meeting, the organization shall establish a regular monthly meeting time, date, and place for the academic year.
3. Special meetings shall be called by the president upon written request of members of the organization.
4. A quorum for all regular and special meetings shall consist of members present.
5. Any situation not provided for in this constitution shall be decided according to Robert’s Rule’s of Order, Revised.

IV: OFFICERS

1. The elected officers of the Oceanography Graduate Student Association shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
2. All officers shall serve without salary or financial remuneration.
3. The President shall:

1) Preside at all meetings of the organization;

2) Call special meetings when requested under Article III, Section C;

3) Accurately represent the feelings of the organization’s members to the Faculty;

4) Attend all appropriate meetings as representatives of the Graduate Program to the Faculty;

5) Inform members of issues and of proceedings of Faculty/Departmental meetings;

6) Perform other such duties as customarily pertain to this office;

1. The Vice President:

1) Be an aide to the President;

2) In the case of the absence or disability of the President, Vice President will assume and perform the duties of the President;

3) Act as the representative of the organization at meetings of the Rutgers University Graduate Student Association; change to a shared responsibility

4) Act as the liaison to the Rutgers Teaching Assistance Project.

5) Be a contact for the Undergraduate Oceanography Club

1. The Secretary shall:

1) Keep the record of the proceedings of all meetings;

2) Conduct the correspondence of the organization;

3) Act as Official Contact Person for the organization;

4) Maintain email listing and website (Get Involved) for the organization;

5) Coordinate event operations

6) Arranging support for setup of beverages/snacks at the GPO Monday seminar series when they are held in-person. moved responsibility to first year students

1. The Treasurer shall:

1) Maintain the financial records of the organization;

2) Be responsible for receiving all revenue of the organization;

3) Pay all authorized bills for the organization;

4) Render and account at each meeting, or more often if requested, of all receipts and expenditures;

5) Submit, at the last regular meeting of the Spring term, a written, detailed annual report of the income and expenditures of the organization;

6) Arranging reimbursement for food and beverage for the Oceanography Graduate Student Association events.

V: COMMITTEES

1. Special Committees:

1) May be established by the President or by a vote of the organization;

2) Shall report to the organization;

VI: CANDIDATES AND TERM LIMITS

1. All candidates for an office will be members of the organization and intend to be members of the organization for the length of their term.
2. The call for candidates must be announced and adequately advertised via email and poster no later than February 15.
3. In order to appear on the ballot, a candidate must notify the President in writing of their intention no later than the first day of March in the election year.
4. No individual shall be a candidate for an office in which they have previously served two terms. A partial term shall be considered a full term if it is longer than 1/2 the length of a normal term.
5. No individual shall hold more than one elected position in the organization concurrently.

Vll: ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES

1. Elections

1) Officers shall be elected by a majority of the legal votes cast by the members of the organization at its first Fall meeting of the academic year;

2) They shall take office at the second meeting of the Fall Term and shall serve for the entire length of the academic year;

1. An Officer shall lose their position should they:

1) Cease to be a member of the organization;

2) Fail to attend at least three-fourths of the regular meetings each term without approval of one Officer;

3) Be removed by unanimous vote of all other Officers for failure to perform their duties;

1. Vacancies

1) If any elective office shall become vacant, the President shall order at the earliest date a special meeting of the organization for the purpose of filling such office;

2) The requirements outlined in Article VI, Sections A, D and E shall still hold;

3) The member thus elected shall immediately enter upon his/her duties and shall remain in office until the next regular election;

VIII: AMENDMENTS

1. The proposed amendment must be submitted to the Secretary in writing by no fewer than fifteen members of the organization.
2. The proposed amendment shall be discussed at the next regular meeting after the meeting at which it was submitted, provided that all members of the organization have been previously informed of its content.
3. Three-fourths of the legal votes cast shall be required to pass the amendment.

IX: ADVISOR

1. A member of the faculty of the graduate program in Oceanography shall serve as the advisor to the organization, and shall be approved for the following year during the annual election meeting.

A: UNIVERSITY REGULATION

This organization shall be in full compliance with all pertinent University Regulations and any other rules, regulations, and policies of Rutgers University.

 

Veatch, Jacquelyn jveatch@marine.rutgers.edu jmv208       President

Glaubke, Ryan rglaubke@marine.rutgers.edu rhg51             Vice President

Gradone, Joe jgradone@marine.rutgers.edu  jg1200             Treasurer

Alaimo, Sam alaimo@marine.rutgers.edu sna98                   Secretary