Bylaws of Graduate and Professional Student Association
Approved by General Assembly vote on March 11, 2021
First Amendment on April 24, 2024
Article I: Membership and Structure
1.1. Membership
1.1.1. The Graduate and Professional Student Association’s membership shall be composed of three bodies: general membership, the Executive Board, and the General Assembly.
1.1.2. General membership is open to students enrolled in graduate and/or professional degree seeking programs at George Mason University.
1.1.3. The Executive Board shall be the governing board of the association.
1.1.3.1. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Executive Vice President, the regional Vice Presidents, and the Director of Communications.
1.1.4. The General Assembly shall be composed of representatives from the graduate and professional degree programs from George Mason University.
1.1.4.1. General Assembly Representatives, including representative proxies, shall be currently enrolled students in the degree program they represent.
1.1.4.2. General Assembly Representatives shall be chosen by either an active/present graduate registered student organization that represents the degree program’s graduate student population, hereinafter referred to as GRSO, or, when GRSO is absent, by the degree program’s department head.
1.1.4.2.1. Department head is defined as department chair, program director, and/or as designee of the department head for the degree program.
1.1.4.2.2. In cases where there is an active/present GRSO for the degree program, the GRSO will notify the department head of the representative’s name, and the department head shall notify the office of Graduate Student Life of the selection.
1.1.4.2.2.1. The GRSO shall either elect or appoint the representative.
1.1.4.2.3. In cases where there is no GRSO, the degree program’s department head will provide the office of Graduate Student Life with the official General Assembly Representative for the degree program.
1.1.4.3. GAPSA shall define active membership, as it pertains to the additional $50 of Graduate Student Travel Fund funding for domestic travel, as belonging to one of the following four categories:
1.1.4.3.1. A current member of GAPSA’s Executive Board.
1.1.4.3.2. A current representative for GAPSA’s General Assembly in good standing.
1.1.4.3.2.1. To be in good standing, the representative must have missed no more than one meeting in the active semester without a proxy.
1.1.4.3.3. Was a member of GAPSA’s Executive Board or General Assembly Representative in good standing in the previous academic year.
1.1.4.3.4. Served on a GAPSA committee, as a representative proxy, or as a GAPSA volunteer during the previous academic semester.
1.2. Structure
1.2.1. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Executive Vice President, Vice Presidents (one for each regional campus), and a Director of Communications.
1.2.2. The General Assembly shall be composed of one voting representative from each graduate and/or professional degree program.
1.3. Duties of Members
1.3.1. General members shall have no prescribed duties.
1.3.2. Executive Officers’ duties shall be defined within Article II.
1.3.3. General Assembly Representatives
1.3.3.1. The General Assembly Representatives shall attend all General Assembly meetings or send a proxy from their degree program’s currently enrolled student population.
Article II: Executive Board
2.1. All Officers
2.1.1. All officers must be in good academic and conduct standing with their graduate program and with George Mason University, at the time of election and throughout their terms.
2.1.2. All officers shall be currently enrolled in a graduate and/or professional degree seeking program(s) at George Mason University for the academic year of their term.
2.2. President
2.2.1. The President shall be elected by the entire electorate and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of GAPSA.
2.2.2. It is highly recommended that the President be based on Fairfax Campus at least part of the time due to the volume of meetings that take place on Fairfax Campus including, but not limited to, meeting with George Mason University’s Vice President of University Life, Associate Provost for Graduate Education, and the advisers to GAPSA, and all-day Board of Visitors meetings, Graduate Council meetings, search committee meetings, and University committee meetings.
2.2.3. The President shall act as liaison to the Student Government and Faculty Senate.
2.2.4. The President shall chair both the Executive Board and General Assembly, by presiding over both meetings and setting the agendas.
2.2.5. The President shall be the voting student representative to the Graduate Council.
2.2.6. The President has veto power over all resolutions passed by the General Assembly. All resolutions must be signed or vetoed by the President. Vetoes may be overridden by a 2/3 (66.7%) majority vote of the attending General Assembly or a 2/3 (66.7%) vote of the general membership, by means of general referendum.
2.2.7. The President shall only cast a vote in the case of a split body.
2.2.8. The President is responsible for meeting with the Executive Officers and advisers to GAPSA on a regular basis.
2.3. Executive Vice President
2.3.1. The Executive Vice President, hereinafter referred to as EVP, shall be elected by the entire electorate.
2.3.2. The EVP shall maintain the records of the Association and support the President in the administration of the Association.
2.3.3. The EVP shall act in official capacity on behalf of the President in the absence of the President.
2.3.3.1. The EVP shall take the burden of President when the President cannot attend a meeting and/or function
2.3.4. The EVP shall be the non-voting student representative to the Graduate Council.
2.3.4.1. The regional Vice Presidents may act as a proxy to the EVP for regional-specific conversations or when the EVP is acting as a voting representative in proxy for the President.
2.3.5. The EVP shall be parliamentarian and secretary of the Executive Board and the General Assembly.
2.3.5.1. The EVP shall keep the minutes for Executive Board meetings and General Assembly meetings.
2.3.5.2. The EVP shall write the resolution(s) to be considered by the General Assembly.
2.3.6. The EVP shall hold a voting seat in the General Assembly.
2.3.6.1. In the event that the EVP is acting as chair, due to the absence of the president, the EVP shall only cast a vote in the case of a split body.
2.3.7. The EVP shall work on general programming for GAPSA population as a whole.
2.4. Vice Presidents of Regional Campuses
2.4.1. The Vice Presidents of regional campuses shall be elected by the entire electorate.
2.4.2. These Vice Presidents shall represent the interests of the graduate and professional students from one of GMU’s regional campuses and shall be based at the regional campus they represent by being a student in one of the graduate or professional programs housed on that regional campus or working on that campus.
2.4.3. The Vice Presidents of regional campuses shall be the Vice President of Arlington Campus, the Vice President of Fairfax Campus, and the Vice President of Science and Technology Campus.
2.4.4. The Vice Presidents shall work in partnership and maintain regular communication with the appropriate regional University Life offices — Graduate Student Life, University Life Arlington, and University Life SciTech — on each campus.
2.4.5. The Vice Presidents are responsible for meeting with the advisers to GAPSA on a regular basis.
2.4.6. The Vice Presidents shall hold voting seats in the General Assembly.
2.4.7. The Vice Presidents shall hold events such as town halls or other programs to understand and address the needs of the graduate and professional student population at their regional campus and to help set the agenda for the General Assembly.
2.4.8. The Vice Presidents shall be responsible for all communication for their respective campus.
2.5. Director of Communications
2.5.1. The Director of Communications, hereinafter called DC, shall be elected by the entire electorate.
2.5.2. The DC shall be responsible for all marketing communications.
2.5.3. The DC shall be responsible for the Association’s regular newsletter.
2.5.4. The DC shall hold a voting seat in the General Assembly.
2.5.5. The DC shall meet regularly with the GAPSA advisers.
2.6. Advisors
2.6.1. The Director of Graduate Student Life and/or their designee are the primary advisers for GAPSA at all levels. The Director of Graduate Student Life may appoint a proxy to aid in the advisement of the group.
2.7. Leave of Absence, Removal, or Vacancy of Office
2.7.1. An officer in the Association may be removed by referendum. This process begins when at least five percent (5%) of the electorate have signed a petition for a referendum. The petition for a referendum will be presented to the Director of Graduate Student Life.
2.7.2. The Executive Board has the ability to appoint officers to fill vacancies that occur during a term except where otherwise specified in the Constitution.
Article III: General Assembly
3.1. The General Assembly
3.1.1. The General Assembly is composed of one representative from each graduate and professional degree seeking program at George Mason University.
3.1.2. The General Assembly meetings are open to all graduate and professional students currently enrolled in degree seeking programs; however, only General Assembly Representatives and Executive Board members shall have a vote, with the exception of the chair.
3.1.3. Each voting representative shall receive one vote on all matters that come before the Assembly for a vote.
3.1.3.1. In the case that a representative will be absent from an Assembly meeting, the representative shall have the power to choose a student in their graduate or professional degree program to act as a proxy for that meeting.
3.1.3.1.1. A proxy may be selected; however, the President should be notified of the proxy’s attendance 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time in writing, including email.
Article IV: Elections
4.1. The Election Process
4.1.1. The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) Executive Officers election process shall consist of, but not be limited to, the following steps:
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- Announcing the election timeline
- Making applications available
- Reviewing of applications and qualifications
- Opening of campaigns
- Determining voter eligibility and creating the voter register
- Announcing and conducting the election
- Counting the votes
- Announcing the election results
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4.2. Candidate Eligibility
4.2.1. All candidates shall be currently enrolled in a graduate and/or professional degree-seeking program(s) at George Mason University.
4.2.1.1. The candidate must remain an enrolled graduate or professional student at George Mason University for the duration of their term in office.
4.2.2. Any candidate running for a Vice President position to represent one of Mason’s three campuses must be taking classes, living, and/or working on said campus and have plans to do so throughout their term in office.
4.2.3. Only eligible graduate or professional students who have submitted a valid application before the application deadline will be included on the ballot for the elections.
4.2.4. All officers must be in good academic and conduct standing with their graduate program and with George Mason University at the time of election and throughout their terms.
4.3. Candidacy Application Review Process
4.3.1. All candidates shall complete and submit a candidacy application.
4.3.2. The GAPSA Advisor(s) shall validate all submitted application form(s) and review candidates’ eligibility within the published election timeline.
4.3.2.1. An application is considered valid if it contains all the information the prospective candidate must provide.
4.3.2.2. Candidates are eligible if they meet the eligibility criteria described in the candidacy eligibility section.
4.3.2.3. GAPSA Advisor(s) will notify candidates of their eligibility and the validity of their applications.
4.3.2.4. The decision of GAPSA Advisor(s) regarding the validity of any submitted application and eligibility of candidates is final.
3.3.1. GAPSA Elections shall take place between mid-March and the end of April and last no longer than three days.
4.4. Campaign Rules
4.4.1. Campaigning may commence after the validation of applications and announcement of candidacy.
4.4.2. All flyers and posters may only be posted on public bulletin boards on campus and must follow university posting guidelines.
4.4.2.1. Candidates may not post directly on glass, walls, doors, outdoors, fences, etc.
4.4.3. Candidates may only disrupt classes, on-campus events, or activities when campaigning if the professor or event organizer approves.
4.4.4. Libelous or slanderous campaigning is not allowed.
4.4.5. Vandalism, removing opponent materials, and attacking candidates in a personal and/or false manner is also prohibited.
4.4.6. Intimidating, harassing, using, or threatening the use of force, violence, or persistent undesired presence of campaign members to influence voters’ decisions is not allowed.
4.4.7. Candidates are strongly encouraged to ask before they act if they are unsure a campaign activity is acceptable. Failure to do so they shall be accountable for their behavior.
4.4.8. Candidates are responsible for the actions and behaviors of their campaign teams and proxies.
4.4.9. All campaign materials, including all posters, flyers, and other printed materials, must be removed from campus(es) by the following day after the election polls have been closed.
4.5. Campaign Violations and Penalties
4.5.1. Violations of the campaign rules and any actions considered impermissible by the GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisors, may result in penalties deemed fit for the behavior at the discretion of the GAPSA Executive Board.
4.5.2. Violations will be identified based on first-hand accounts received by the GAPSA Executive Board from individuals affected by the violations.
4.5.3. The GAPSA Executive Board shall decide on any penalties for candidates violating campaigning rules.
4.5.3.1. Members of the current Executive Board who are candidates in the relevant election shall not participate in this process.
4.5.4. Where half of the GAPSA officers seek re-election, the GAPSA Advisor(s) shall lead the campaign violation and penalties process described in this section.
4.6. Voter Eligibility
4.6.1. Only currently enrolled degree-seeking graduate and professional students at George Mason University are eligible to vote for GAPSA officers in the GAPSA General Elections.
4.6.1.1. Eligible voters may cast one (1) vote for each open seat.
4.7. Voting and Counting Process
4.7.1. The election ballots for GAPSA’s General and Special Elections shall have the following four voting choices:
4.7.1.1. “Candidate name(s)” for voters to select their preferred candidate or indicate their support for the candidate;
4.7.1.2. “Abstention” for voters who do not want to cast their vote for any of the candidates;
4.7.1.3. “None” to indicate their disapproval of candidate(s)
4.7.2. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of correctly cast non-abstaining votes.
4.7.2.1. A majority shall be defined as more than half of the votes cast (50%, plus 1), excluding abstention.
4.7.3. After completing the vote-counting process, the GAPSA Advisor(s) shall announce the results to the graduate and professional student body on the GAPSA website.
4.7.4. If the “none” votes cast exceed the votes in favor of the candidate(s) combined, a vacancy shall be declared for that office, and a special election will be organized to fill the vacancy following the procedure described in the special election section.
4.8. Run-off Elections
4.8.1. If no candidate receives a majority in GAPSA’s General Election, a Run-off Election between the two candidates receiving the most votes shall be held and elected by the General Assembly.
4.8.1.1. If there is only one candidate running who does not receive a majority in the General Election, a special election will be held to fill the position.
4.8.2. When the General Assembly is not in session or is not able to meet in a timely way for the Run-off Election, the GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisor(s), shall call for a special meeting or create an online option to conduct the Run-off Election.
4.8.3. The winner of a Run-off Election will be determined by a plurality of the General Assembly members participating in the vote, not including abstentions.
4.8.4. In the event of a tie in the General Assembly vote during the Run-off Election, the President will cast the deciding vote.
4.9. Special Elections
4.9.1. Upon the removal or resignation of an elected officer, or if, after the conclusion of the General Election, any executive position remains unfilled due to a lack of candidates or other circumstances, the following processes shall be taken to fill the vacant seat:
4.9.1.1. The GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisor(s), shall announce the vacancy and call for a Special Election.
4.9.1.2. A call for nominations for the vacant office will be communicated to the graduate and professional student body.
4.9.1.3. The GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisor(s), will create a process for nominations and applications for candidates.
4.9.1.4. The GAPSA General Assembly shall be the voting body that elects the candidates to fill the open vacancies in the Special Elections.
4.9.1.5. When the General Assembly is not in session or is not able to meet in a timely way for the Special Election, the GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisor(s), shall call for a special meeting or create an online option to conduct the special election.
4.9.1.6. The winner of a Special Election will be determined by a plurality of the General Assembly members participating in the vote, not including abstentions.
4.9.1.7. In the event of a tie in the General Assembly vote during the Special Elections, the GAPSA President shall cast the deciding vote.
4.9.2. If a seat remains vacant after the Special Election because no one has contested the seat, the current Executive Board shall appoint someone from the graduate and professional student body to fill the vacancy until the following general election cycle.
4.11. Override
4.11.1. In the event of election issues not covered by these rules, the current GAPSA Executive Board, in consultation with the GAPSA Advisor(s), will make decisions and/or create processes to resolve the issues.
4.11.1.1. Members of the current Executive Board who are candidates in the relevant election shall not participate in this process.
Article V: Finance
5.1. Budget
5.1.1. All budgetary items must be submitted to the President and approved by the Executive Board members.
5.1.2. The Executive Board must create a budget every academic year at the beginning of the Fall semester.
5.1.3. The Association’s budget shall be managed by the Graduate Student Life office.
Article VI: Amendments
6.1. Amendments may be proposed during the General Assembly meeting(s) and require two thirds (66.7%) of the present body to approve.
Article VII: Voting Rights
7.1. Any student attending George Mason University enrolled in a graduate and/or professional degree seeking program at George Mason University shall be eligible to vote. Membership in this organization will not be restricted on the basis of race, gender identity, religion or creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or age.