ARTICLE I: Name
The organization for which this is the constitution shall be called: The Graduate English Students Association.
ARTICLE II: Purpose
The Graduate English Students Association (GESA), established in 1975, is the primary graduate student organization within the University of Virginia's English Department. GESA advances the interests of all graduate English students to departmental and university administrators, fosters and supports a vibrant intellectual community, and provides valuable resources to members at every phase of the University's program in English.
ARTICLE III: Members
As it is GESA's goal to advance the interest of all English Department graduate students, any person currently pursuing an advanced degree (MA, MFA, PhD) in the Department of English at the University of Virginia will be considered a de facto member of GESA.
Membership shall be permitted to any members of the University community regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex or status.
Membership dues, assessed annually, are at present GESA's primary source of funding. All GESA constituents are strongly encouraged to pay dues, though the non-payment of dues shall not prevent them from voting in GESA elections or from running for GESA office. The rate for dues will be determined by the GESA board prior to the beginning of each fall semester.
ARTICLE IV: Officers and Representatives
(1) General
a. All Officers, Area Representatives and Delegates at large shall be registered students of the University during their period of tenure.
b. All Officers and Representatives are to be elected in accordance with Article V and shall perform their duties as described in sections 3 to 7 of this Article.
(2) GESA Board
a. Executive and legislative powers shall be vested in the Officers of the GESA Board.
b. They shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and two M.A. Representatives.
c. The GESA Board shall call meetings as it sees fit for the planning of GESA-sponsored events, the allocation of GESA funds, and other GESA business (see VII).
(3) The President
a. The President shall preside over meetings of the Association and its Officers, propose legislation, supervise activities and oversee the Association in all ways.
b. The President shall register the Association with all and every University organization necessary for the good functioning of the Association.
c. The President shall appoint Officers to any vacancies that might arise for any reason prior to the expiration of the prescribed terms.
d. The President shall act in accordance with the advice and consent of the other Officers.
e. The President shall represent the Association as a member, ex officio, of the Graduate Committee of the Department of English, the Departmental Administrative Committee, and other committees as permitted by the Department.
f. The President will maintain the GESA website or will delegate that maintenance to someone for the length of the President's term.
g. The President will preside over signups for shared graduate office space (Dawson's Row) at the beginning of each semester, or will delegate that duty to someone for the length of the President's term.
(4) The Vice-President
a. The Vice-President shall assist the President.
b. The Vice-President shall succeed the President in the event that the office falls vacant for any reasons prior to the expiration of the prescribed term.
c. A new Vice-President shall be appointed by the new President within two days of this assumption of office, which appointment shall be subject to the approval of the remaining Officers.
d. The Vice-President shall represent the English Department on the Gradate Student Council for the College of Arts and Sciences.
e. The Vice-President shall oversee the formation and progress of GESA Area Committees (see IV.8), the Graduate Conference Committee, and any ad hoc GESA Committees formed in the course of the year.
(5) The Secretary
a. The Secretary shall keep records and minutes and perform correspondence as the other Officers shall prescribe.
b. The Secretary shall submit minutes of each GESA meeting to the GESA website and/or via e-mail to the graduate students of the English Department.
(6) The Treasurer
c. The Treasurer shall keep accounts, make deposits, disburse monies, collect dues and supervise the Association's finances in every way.
d. The Treasurer shall present statements of the Association's account whenever two of the other Officers shall so request, and shall keep accounts in good order at all times.
e. The Treasurer shall ensure that all monies, grants, donations and gifts presented under any guise shall be used according to the wishes and instructions of those making such presentation and in no other way.
f. The Treasurer shall follow the requirements and procedures described in Article VIII.
(7) M.A. Representatives
a. The M.A. Representatives shall work in the interests of the terminal Masters of Arts degree candidates within the English Department.
b. The M.A. Representatives shall call meetings of the M.A. students and form committees in the interests of M.A. students as necessary.
(8) Area Representatives
a. There will be two (2) Area Representatives for each of the following fields of literary enquiry: Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration & 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, American, and Theory.
b. Area Representatives shall attend the annual Departmental Faculty meetings held in their respective areas.
c. Area Representatives shall promote interest in their fields of literary scholarship, work to promote the scholarly, educational and professional interests of members in their areas at Departmental meetings and at large.
d. Area Representatives typically hold one Area Gathering per semester, in addition to organizing possible reading groups, workshop groups, symposia, or other scholarly or social activities.
(9) The Elections Officer
a. The Elections Officer shall be appointed by a vote of those present at the March GESA meeting.
b. The Elections Officer shall, in a discrete, fair, and confidential manner, collect nominations and votes via email, tally votes, and report election results in a timely fashion according to a schedule set by the GESA Officers.
ARTICLE V: Elections
(1) General
a. All Officers shall be chosen at an election held in April of each year, the date to be publicized by the President over e-mail and/or on the GESA website. Representatives shall be chosen at the first GESA general meeting of the academic year. An Elections Officer shall be appointed by those present at the March GESA meeting.
b. Candidates for all offices shall be nominated by members from the student membership or shall nominate themselves, via e-mail to the Elections Officer.
c. Each member shall have one vote for each office.
e. Those candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected, no majority being necessary.
f. Newly elected Officers and Representatives shall assume office within one week after their election.
g. Officers and Representatives shall serve for one year from the time they assume office and may succeed themselves.
h. While members may run as a candidate for any number of offices, they may hold only one office during any given year and shall, in the event of being elected to more than one office, choose one office in which to serve, the office so made vacant going to the candidate with the next highest number of votes.
ARTICLE VI: Committees
(1) General
a. Officers may create various committees from among the members and shall describe their duties as Delegates at Large.
b. Any member wishing to form a committee may do so by notifying the Officers.
c. Any committee generating or requesting funds shall do so in accordance with the regulations set forth in Article VIII.
ARTICLE VII: Meetings
(1) General
a. The GESA Board, Area Representatives and Delegates at Large shall convene at their discretion.
b. The GESA Board shall call general meetings of all the members from time to time as the need shall arise, but shall call at least three general meetings per semester.
c. At least four Officers of the GESA Board must attend any meeting whatsoever in order to pass any policy concerning legislation of finances.
ARTICLE VIII: Finances
(1) General
a. All decisions concerning finances shall be the collective responsibility of the Officers, of whom at least four must approve any and every decision concerning expenditures.
b. Every expenditure shall be made in accordance with current University policy regarding the finances of Student Organizations.
(2) Self-Generating Funds
a. The cost of annual membership dues shall be determined by the Officers then in charge and announced to the members at large by the end of September of each year.
b. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting and recording dues, but can request and expect the assistance of any of the other Officers or Representatives.
c. The Treasurer shall keep a list of the names of all members who have paid their dues.
d. The Treasurer shall issue receipts for membership dues to those requiring them for taxation purposes.
e. Except by law, those paying dues shall not prescribe how the dues shall be used except at an authorised general meeting by proposing legislation.
f. The Treasurer shall collect and record any other self-generated funds and shall be responsible for their keeping.
(3) Expenditures
a. Expenditures of any and all funds shall be made in a non-discriminatory fashion.
b. No monies shall be allocated or spent from self-generated funds without the prior approval and consent of at least four Officers of the GESA Board.
c. Only those Officers whose signatures are registered with the bank where GESA monies are held may pay out monies from GESA funds.
d. The Treasurer shall keep receipts for all expenditures whatsoever.
ARTICLE IX: By-Laws and Amendments
(1) General
a. Amendments to this constitution shall be made by three of the Officers or by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership.
b. By-laws and amendments to this constitution shall be proposed by any member and enacted by four of the Officers or by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership.
c. This constitution shall be interpreted by four of the Officers of the GESA Board or by a two-third (2/3) majority vote of the members.
The original constitution was passed by a unanimous vote of the Association membership, September 1979.
AMMENDMENTS:
This version of the constitution was voted into effect on 14 August 2006.