1. Definitions and Policies

1.1. Semesters

A semester shall be defined as the first day of classes through ten business days following the last day of classes, as set by the Graduate Center academic calendar.

1.2. Digital Signatures

A digital signature is valid only if sent via the signatory's Graduate Center email account or if it is accompanied by the signatory's Banner ID and, in the case of matriculated students, the student's program.

1.3. Notifications in Writing

The Steering Committee shall maintain an updated list of acceptable media for "in-writing notifications," which shall include, at minimum, postmarked mail and email. DSC notifications shall be sent, at minimum, to the intended recipient's Graduate Center email address.

1.4. Hiring Procedures

Unless otherwise specified, all senior non-contractual positions hired by the DSC shall follow the following procedures, including mid-year vacancies.

a. Hiring Team

An ad-hoc committee (hereafter known as "the hiring team") consisting of the Co-Chair for Student Affairs, ex-officio, one At-Large Steering Officer, two DSC representatives, and one member of the DSO shall be named by the Steering Committee, except in cases of DSC-operated mediums, where the voting members of Media Board shall constitute the hiring team. Any matriculated students who have previously held but are not current applicants for the position shall be ex-officio advisors to the hiring team, with voice but not vote at all meetings, including executive sessions. The team shall elect its own chair from among the voting members.

b. Public Advertisement of Positions

Public advertisement of the vacancy shall be made at least two weeks before the application deadline. The Steering Committee shall maintain an updated list of acceptable media for public advertisement.

c. Meetings

Public advertisement of the vacancy shall be made at least two weeks before the application deadline. The Steering Committee shall maintain an updated list of acceptable media for public advertisement.

d. Interviews and Additional Materials

Any voting member of the hiring team may request that any candidate be interviewed or interviewed a second time. Additional materials may be requested of applicants, provided that all applicants are asked to provide them, by a simple majority of the voting members of the hiring team.

e. Hiring and Removal

Successful candidates shall be hired by a simple majority of the voting members of the hiring team, shall serve at the pleasure of the DSC, and may be removed from their positions by a two-thirds majority vote of the DSC.

f. Annual Review and Reappointment

The Executive Committee shall conduct an annual review of all students hired for senior non-contractual positions and make a verbal report to the Steering Committee at its February meeting or, in the case of DSC-operated mediums, the Media Board shall conduct its own review at its first meeting of the spring semester. If satisfied with the performance, the respective body may offer reappointment for the following year without opening a regular job search.

2. At-Large Steering Officers

One At-Large Steering Officer shall be appointed to each of the following domains.

2.1. The Officer for Funding

The duties of the Officer for Funding shall include but not be limited to:

• a. assisting the Executive Committee in liaising with the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Office of Financial Aid, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Office of Student Affairs, and external entities on issues related to student funding;
• b. identifying and distributing information to students about fellowship opportunities, travel and research grants, professional development funds, and any other type of student support that is either internal or external to the Graduate Center; and
• c. chairing the Grants Committee.

2.2. The Officer for Governance and Membership

The duties of the Officer for Governance and Membership shall include but not be limited to:

• a. assisting the DSC in ensuring compliance with its constitution and bylaws in all actions it takes;
• b. maintaining records of attendance at Plenary meetings and notifying the Steering Committee when representatives have automatically been removed for two consecutive absences;
• c. soliciting nominations for vacant seats and facilitating special election of representatives as necessary; and
• d. chairing the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.

2.3. The Officer for Health and Wellness

The duties of the Officer for Health and Wellness shall include but not be limited to:

• a. assisting the Executive Committee in liaising with administration and staff in the Wellness Center and with the Office of Student Affairs on issues related to health and wellness;
• b. identifying and distributing information to students regarding issues of health and wellness and advocating for improvements in these areas; and
• c. chairing the Health Issues Committee.

2.4. The Officer for Outreach

The duties of the Officer for Outreach shall include but not be limited to:

• a. facilitating informational and social opportunities for Graduate Center students;
• b. providing information to and advocating for international students;
• c. promoting involvement by Graduate Center students based at senior colleges; and
• d. chairing the Outreach Committee.

2.5. The Officer for Student Life and Services

The duties of the Officer for Student Life shall include but not be limited to:

• a. assisting the Executive Committee in liaising with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Student Affairs on all issues pertaining to student life and services;
• b. advocating improvements in student life including but not limited to housing, safety, and sustainability;
• c. enhancing, promoting, and developing student services to be funded through the DSC; and
• d. chairing the Student Services Committee and serving on sustainability committees as required.

2.6. The Officer for Technology and Library

The duties of the Officer for Technology and Library shall include but not be limited to:

• a. assisting the Executive Committee in liaising with administration and staff in the Office of Information Technology and the Library;
• b. reporting to the DSC on all activities concerning technology and library resources that affect Graduate Center students;
• c. serving as a student member of the Student Technology Fee Committee and library committees as required.

3. Standing Committees and Boards

The DSC shall have the following standing committees and boards.

3.1. Constitution & Bylaws Committee

a. Purpose

The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall review all aspects of DSC governance and make recommendations to the DSC pertaining thereto.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Constitution & Bylaws committee shall consist of the Co-Chair for Student Affairs, the Co-Chair for Communications, the Co-Chair for Business, and the Officer for Governance and Membership, all four being ex-officio, and other DSC representatives appointed by the Steering Committee, with no fewer than five and no more than nine members total. The committee shall be chaired by the Officer for Governance and Membership. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Officer for Governance and Membership and one co-chair.

c. Duties of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee

The duties of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee shall include but not be limited to:

• i. conducting ongoing review of the constitution and bylaws;
• ii. recommending amendments to the constitution and bylaws to the DSC; and
• iii. monitoring New York State law and CUNY policies for changes that are relevant to DSC governance.

3.2. Grants Committee

a. Purpose

The Grants Committee shall award funds for cultural events, conferences, performances, professional development activities, publications, seminars, and other projects organized by students from program standing or ad-hoc committees, Chartered Organizations, or ad-hoc groups not necessarily associated with programs or Chartered Organizations. The Grants Committee shall give priority to applications that are interdisciplinary in nature and to programs, disciplines, and areas of interest that have not received grant funds during the current fiscal year. Participation in grant-funded activities must be free and open to all Graduate Center students.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Grants Committee shall consist of the Co-Chair for Business and the Officer for Funding, both ex-officio, and DSC representatives appointed by the Steering Committee, with no fewer than three and no more than nine members total and no more than two from the same program. The committee shall be chaired by the Officer for Funding.

c. Meetings

The Grants Committee shall convene before the fall semester to determine its meeting dates, the default recipient of Start-Up Grant applications, its public notice list, and the maximum award amount for the year, which shall not exceed 5% of the annual budget allocation, except in extraordinary circumstances as described below. The Grants Committee shall meet during first weeks of October, December, February and April. The Officer for Funding shall send the agenda, draft minutes of the previous meeting, and completed regular applications to all committee members at least seven calendar days before each meeting. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Co-Chair for Business and the Officer for Finance.

d. Start-Up Grants

The Grants Committee shall set aside at least at least 10% of its annual budget for start-up grants, each of which shall not exceed 0.5% of the committee's annual budget and shall only be awarded to projects and events that have no other funding. Students from the same Chartered Organization, or ad-hoc group shall not receive more than one start-up grant each fiscal year, and start-up grant funds may not be used for alcohol or printing, with the exception of print journals. Requests bearing the signatures of the Co-Chair for Business, the Officer for Funding, and one other voting member of the Grants Committee shall be deemed approved and authorize the Co-Chair for Business to disburse funds. The Officer for Funding shall report new start-up grant awards at the following meeting of the committee.

e. Regular Applications

Applications for grants shall be reviewed on a regular basis with a submission deadline of two weeks before each scheduled meeting and a possibility for revision in the interim as requested by the Officer for Funding. Applications shall include but not be limited to:

• i. the name of the project for which funds are requested;
• ii. the name(s) of the principal investigators, their affiliations, and contact information;
• iii. a description of the project, including a statement of how students are involved in organizing and participating in the grant activities; the significant educational, recreational, or professional benefit for students; and an estimate of the number of students involved; and
• iv. a line-item budget specifying all expenditures associated with the grant activities, including expenses, unit costs, quantities, total costs, and funding sources, including external sources, with a clear indication of which items will be paid with DSC funds.

Grant-funded activities may not take place before the first committee meeting at which the application is discussed, with the exception of the October meeting at which any events since July 1 of that year may be considered. No monies shall be spent on alcohol. Requests for awards exceeding the maximum amount may be requested in extraordinary circumstances to be described in the application itself.

f. Review of Regular Applications

Applications received before each deadline shall be discussed at the first scheduled meeting following that deadline. Any member may request additional information from principal investigators present. Motions to award funding shall be divided between the decision to fund and, if approved, the amount of funding. Any voting member may motion to award an application an unspecified amount of funds. If the motion is seconded, the application will be voted upon using a ratings system with three options: reject, which shall have a score of zero points; revise and resubmit, which shall have a score of one point; and approve, which shall have a score of two points. The ratings of the voting members shall be averaged to determine the result, with scores above one half of one point rounded up to the nearest whole number. During that meeting, no further motions may be made on applications receiving a rounded score of zero or one, except to recall or rescind the original vote. Any voting member may motion to allocate an application with a rounded score of two any award amount. The award amount may be approved by a simple majority vote, except cases above the maximum award amount, which may be approved by a two-thirds majority vote.

g. Appeal

Principal investigators may appeal decisions of the Grants Committee regarding their own applications. An appeal must be submitted in writing to a member of the Steering Committee within 20 business days of the decision. A decision may be overturned and funds awarded by a two-thirds majority vote of the Steering Committee.

h. Publicity

All grant-funded activities must be publicized at least 10 business days in advance and state DSC sponsorship, with the exception of start-up grant activities, which must be publicized three business days in advance. The Grants Committee shall maintain a list of media and methods that are deemed sufficient for public notice.

3.3. Health Issues Committee

a. Purpose

The Health Issues Committee shall advocate improvements in student health and wellness including, but not limited, to student health and psychological counseling services at the Wellness Center, inoculations programs, and student health insurance.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Health Issues Committee shall consist of the Officer for Health and Wellness, ex-officio, and DSC representatives appointed by the Steering Committee, with no less than three and no more than nine members total. The committee shall be chaired by the Officer for Health and Wellness. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Officer for Health and Wellness.

c. Duties of the Health Issues Committee

The duties of the Health Issues Committee shall include but not be limited to:

• i. providing information and educational opportunities to students regarding health and wellness; and
• ii. advocating improvements in student health and wellness, with a special focus on student services.

3.4. Media Board

a. Purpose

The Media Board shall review personnel and budgetary aspects of all DSC-operated media, with neither the DSC nor the Media Board being responsible for the editorial content of those media.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Media Board shall consist of the Co-Chair for Communications, ex-officio, two DSC representatives elected at the first meeting of the DSCE, and two students elected from and by the DSO each spring. The nonvoting members shall include the senior employee of every DSC-operated medium, ex-officio. The board shall elect its own chair. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Co-Chair for Communications. Whenever a DSO seat is vacated for reasons other than the natural end of a term, the DSO member who received the next highest number of votes in the preceding elections for the vacant seat shall be asked to serve out the remainder of the term. This method shall be carried out until a member accepts the position or until the list is exhausted, at which point the DSC shall appoint a DSO member, who is not a DSC representative, at its next Plenary meeting.

c. Duties of the Media Board

The duties of the Media Board shall include but not be limited to:

• i. proposing an operating budget for each DSC-operated medium to the Co-Chair for Business annually, as well as proposing capital expenditures as required;
• ii. selecting and/or removing the senior employee of each DSC-operated medium by a simple majority; and
• iii. acting as arbitrator if necessary to resolve conflicts within the media staff.

3.5. Outreach Committee

a. Purpose

The Outreach Committee shall strive to integrate all Graduate Center students into the life of the institution.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Outreach Committee shall consist of the Officer for Outreach, ex-officio, and other DSC representatives appointed by the Steering Committee, with no fewer than three and no more than five members total, with at least one being an international student and at least two being based at senior-college campuses. The committee shall be chaired by the Officer for Outreach. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Officer for Outreach.

c. Duties of the Outreach Committee

The duties of the Outreach Committee shall include but not be limited to:

• i. identifying or creating informational materials for students;
• ii. planning and implementing social events, exclusive of all-school parties, both at the Graduate Center and at senior colleges where Graduate Center students are based; and
• iii. organizing at least two campus outreach visits each semester, with campuses selected on a rotating basis.

3.6. Student Services Committee

a. Purpose

The Student Services Committee shall advise the DSC on existing and potential services funded by student activity fees.

b. Membership

The voting members of the Student Services Committee shall consist of the Co-Chair for Student Affairs and the Officer for Student Life and Services, both ex-officio, and other DSC representatives appointed by the Steering Committee, with no fewer than three and no more than five members total, with at least one student based at a senior-college campus. The committee shall be chaired by the Officer for Student Life and Services. Quorum shall consist of one more than half of the voting members of the committee, including the Co-Chair for Student Affairs and the Officer for Outreach.

c. Duties of the Student Services Committee

The duties of the Student Services Committee shall include but not be limited to:

• i. promoting and evaluating existing student services provided by the DSC and recommending changes as appropriate; and
• ii. identifying opportunities for new student services to be funded by the DSC.

4. Affiliates

4.1. Adjunct Advocacy and Affairs

a. Name and Purpose

The name of this activity shall be The Adjunct Project to recognize the ongoing interest of the DSC in adjunct issues affecting Graduate Center students. The Adjunct Project shall advocate on behalf of and disseminate information to and concerning the Graduate Center student adjuncts and those with equivalent teaching responsibilities, with attention given to the CUNY-wide adjunct situation and the state of academic labor as a whole.

b. Hiring Coordinators

The coordinators must be matriculated Graduate Center students with experience as CUNY adjuncts or adjunct-equivalent roles and shall be selected according to DSC hiring procedures. Other specific qualifications may be stipulated by the hiring team.

c. Coordinator Tenure and Compensation

The coordinators shall serve from July 1 to June 30 and receive a stipend as determined by the DSO Stipend & Wage Schedule

d. Coordinator Responsibilities

The coordinators shall be jointly responsible for:

• recruiting members for the Adjunct Project;
• updating website content and producing other publicity regarding issues and events relevant to their domain;
• stimulating awareness and discussion of adjunct issues among the broader Graduate Center community; and
• hiring consultants, contingent on need and funding.

Each coordinator shall be primarily responsible for the position to which he or she has been appointed; however, these positions do not have exclusive domains but are rather a division of labor in a cooperative effort.

• i. The Coordinator for Advocacy and Education shall be responsible for:
  • serving as primary liaison to graduate student adjuncts;
  • raising awareness of adjunct rights and benefits; and
  • addressing immediate structural or systematic issues affecting graduate student adjuncts.
• ii. The Coordinator for Organization and Planning shall be responsible for:
  • organizing regular Adjunct Project meetings and maintaining membership contact lists;
  • maintaining a directory of relevant Graduate Center, CUNY, PSC, and other contacts;
  • receiving input on and facilitating implementation of long-term planning; and
  • serving as official liaison to the DSC.
• iii. The Coordinator for Labor Relations shall be responsible for:
  • facilitating reciprocal communication with the PSC and other labor-related entities;
  • representing the interests of graduate student adjuncts to the PSC;
  • serving as primary spokesperson in contract negotiations; and
  • identifying changes in national, state, and local labor relations relevant to graduate student adjuncts.

e. Hiring Consultants

When hiring consultants, the coordinators must hire matriculated Graduate Center students following at least two weeks of public advertisement. Compensation for consultants shall be determined through negotiations between the coordinators and the Co-Chair for Business.

f. Outside Revenue

The coordinators are encouraged to solicit extra funds through any legitimate means. Such funds shall be deposited by the Co-Chair for Business and the Steering Committee shall allocate discretionary funds in the amount of the revenues.

4.2. Student Newspaper

a. Name and Purpose

The name of the newspaper shall be The Advocate, because the purpose of the paper is to be an advocate for students. The editor-in-chief shall determine editorial policies while respecting the following priority: the Advocate shall primarily serve CUNY graduate students as their general forum and as a source of news and information pertaining to their rights and educational, cultural, and professional interests. The editor-in-chief independently determines editorial policy.

b. Hiring the Editor-in-Chief

The editor-in-chief must be a registered Graduate Center student and shall be selected according to DSC hiring procedures.

c. Editorial Tenure and Compensation

The editor-in-chief shall serve from July 1 to June 30 shall receive a per-issue basis as determined by the DSO Stipend & Wage Schedule.

d. Editorial Responsibilities

Authorized by the Media Board, the editor-in-chief shall be responsible to hire the associate editors and other staff, the editor shall be responsible for the general content, production schedule and fiscal well being of the newspaper. The editor-in-chief shall direct the production of a minimum number of issues in accordance with the operating budget, submit an accounting of expenses for each issue to the Media Board files, and submit an annual report of expenditures and revenues to the DSC Media Board and the Co-Chair for Business. Although the editor-in-chief shall be responsible for the editorial and opinion pages, unsigned editorials even if not specifically titled “editorial” must be approved by majority vote of the editorial staff. Lacking majority vote, editorials must be initialized by the author. The editor-in-chief is obliged to run advertisements for the DSC, Chartered Organizations, and program student organizations free of cost. The editor-in-chief shall have the discretion for advertisement size, placement, and format. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is obliged to allocate no less than one page of each issue for DSC announcements written by the Co-Chair for Communications with the assistance of the Steering Committee.

e. Hiring Staff

When hiring staff, the editor-in-chief must hire registered Graduate Center students following at least two weeks of public advertising. The editor-in-chief may find the following division of labor a useful guide for hiring newspaper staff, but may formally articulate the individual responsibilities of staff members as he or she sees fit.

• i. Associate News Editor: The associate news editor shall be responsible to the editor-in-chief for gathering Graduate Center, CUNY college, local, national, and international stories of interest to the student population.
• ii. Layout/Production Editor: The associate editor for production shall be responsible to the editor-in-chief for all aspects of production: data transfer, layout, paste-up, and distribution.
• iii. Other Staff: The associate editor for features shall be responsible to the editor-in-chief for the arts and entertainment pages (Arts & Events).

Editorial and production staff members shall be responsible to the editor-in-chief and associate editors, who will determine their duties. Such persons shall be compensated on a per-issue basis as determined by the DSO Stipend and Wage Schedule. Freelance Graduate Center student contributors will be compensated for news articles at a rate determined by the editor-in-chief in consultation with the Media Board. Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces, and other non-news articles will not be compensated. The editor-in-chief has the discretion to pay non-student freelance contributions at the normal rate. It is understood that such contributions will be kept to an absolute minimum.

f. Advertising and Outside Revenue

By September 1 of each year, the editor-in-chief shall submit the rates and terms of advertisements for the year to the Co-Chair for Business for approval by College Association. The editor-in-chief or his/her designee shall be responsible for billing advertisers within 30 days of the publication date of an advertisement, ascertaining that payment terms have been met, and maintaining records of advertisements published, billings, and payments received. All revenues shall be received by the Co-Chair for Business, who shall disclose their receipt to the editor-in-chief or his/her designee within seven days. After 60 days, an unpaid account shall be considered past due and referred to the Graduate Center Finance Office for collection. All revenue generated by the Advocate shall be deposited with the DSC. The editor-in-chief is encouraged to request such funds as an addition to the next fiscal year's budget, pending approval by the DSC, as an incentive to generative more revenue. In September of each year, if the budgeted advertising revenue for that fiscal year exceed the actual revenue deposited during the previous year, the budgeted revenue shall be amended to reflect the actual revenue, and the Advocate budget shall be reduced in the amount of the deficit, pending approval by the DSC. During the current year, if the deposited revenue exceed this amended amount during the current year, the Steering Committee shall allocate discretionary funds, if available, in the amount of the excess revenue for the current fiscal year.

4.3. Free and Open Source Medium

a. Name and Purpose

The name of the digital medium shall be OpenCUNY to recognize the ongoing interest of Graduate Center students in free and open source digital media. OpenCUNY shall advocate on behalf of and provide Graduate Center students access to free and open source digital media, with attention given to the CUNY-wide free and open source digital media situation and its relations with Graduate Center students.

b. Membership

Membership shall be open to any Graduate Center student, including non-matriculated students. Voting membership shall be restricted to any matriculated Graduate Center student who is a registered member of OpenCUNY.org.

c. OpenCUNY Committee

The OpenCUNY Committee shall determine governance policies for the digital medium while respecting the following priority: OpenCUNY shall primarily serve Graduate Center students as their general digital medium and as a means of communication regarding their rights and educational, cultural, and professional interests. The OpenCUNY Committee shall be composed of the OpenCUNY Coordinator and four members of OpenCUNY.org. Members of the OpenCUNY Committee, with the exception of the Coordinator, shall be elected annually by the members of OpenCUNY.org. All five members of the OpenCUNY Committee, including the Coordinator, shall have equal voting power.

d. OpenCUNY.org Terms of Participation

The OpenCUNY Committee shall maintain a Terms of Participation that defines its governance policy and any other policies deemed appropriate by the committee. The OpenCUNY Committee shall independently determine the content of the proposed Terms of Participation. The proposed Terms of Participation must then be approved by OpenCUNY.org members. After receiving approval from OpenCUNY.org members, the proposed Terms of Participation must then be approved by a majority vote at the following meeting of the DSC. The proposed Terms of Participation shall be submitted to the Media Board at least two weeks prior to the meeting of the DSC. The Terms of Participation shall be ratified once approved by the OpenCUNY Committee, by OpenCUNY.org members, and by the DSC.

e. Hiring OpenCUNY Coordinator

The OpenCUNY coordinator must be a registered Graduate Center student and member of OpenCUNY.org and shall be selected according to DSC hiring procedures.

f. Coordinator Responsibilities

As authorized by Media Board, the coordinator shall be responsible for

• facilitating communication and decision-making among the OpenCUNY Committee,
• publicly maintaining an updated Terms of Participation,
• performing maintenance on the digital medium, administering user accounts and requests,
• periodically reviewing alternative free and open source software,
• ensuring the reliability of the medium and adoption of open standards,
  and
• ensuring that all activities of OpenCUNY are in compliance with the DSC Constitution and Bylaws.

g. Coordinator Tenure and Compensation

The coordinator shall serve from July 1 to June 30 and shall receive an appropriate per-issue stipend as determined by the DSO Stipend & Wage Stipend Schedule.

5. Chartered Organizations

5.1. Membership

A chartered organization shall have at least 20 members, who are matriculated students at the Graduate Center. Membership shall be open to any student (including non-matriculated students) at the Graduate Center. Voting membership shall be restricted to matriculated students at the Graduate Center. A chartered organization may extend non-voting membership to Graduate Center alumni, matriculated and non-matriculated undergraduate and graduate students at other CUNY colleges, and members of the faculty and staff of any CUNY college if it so stipulates in its constitution.

5.2. Fiscal Policies

In accordance with the Board of Trustees' fiscal policy, no chartered organization receiving student activity funds, including space and staff contributions, shall have a bank account in its own name. If a chartered organization receives any support form student activity funds, it shall be presumed that the revenues of that organization are revenues generated by student activities funded through student activity fees, they shall be deposited by the Co-Chair for Business, and the Steering Committee shall allocate discretionary funds in the amount of the revenues.

5.3. Chartering Process

A proposed chartered organization shall submit its proposed constitution, an official petition, and a statement of purpose to the Co-Chair for Student Affairs. The official petition shall include the signatures, printed or typed names, and email addresses of all members, as well as the programs in which they are registered. From the first 20 names on the petition, no more than ten names may come from the same program and a minimum of three programs must be represented. The statement of purpose should, in less than 250 words, explain how the proposed chartered organization is not redundant with the missions of other currently-chartered groups and describe the interdisciplinary nature of the organization. The Co-Chair for Student Affairs is responsible for assuring that the proposed group’s petition meets the signature requirements and that the proposed constitution is compliant with DSC governance. The Co-Chair for Student Affairs shall distribute copies of only the proposed constitution and statement of purpose at the next Plenary meeting of the DSC. A new chartered organization shall be granted its charter by at least a two-thirds majority vote of the DSC representatives approving its proposed constitution at the Plenary meeting following that at which the proposed constitution and statement of purpose were distributed. In deciding whether to grant a charter to a new group, the DSC will consider at least the following points:

• a. whether the group is not redundant with the missions of other currently-chartered groups;
• b. whether the group is sufficiently interdisciplinary;
• c. whether the group will help advance the purposes of the DSC; and
• d. whether the governing structure of the organization is in accord with the ideals of the DSC.

5.4. Status of Chartered Organizations

All chartered organizations will have a status of either active or inactive for any given semester. Active organizations will be responsible for submitting the following materials:

• a. a signature roster each semester, which shall include the signatures, printed or typed names, and email addresses of at least 20 students, as well as the programs in which they are registered;
• b. an activities report every semester, which shall entail a list of all events and meetings held by the chartered organization;
• c. an updated constitution within six weeks of the beginning of the fall semester, signed by the organization's officer(s); and
• d. updated contact information for any new officers, including their names and email addresses. When an organization becomes inactive, it is the responsibility of the last designated contact person to inform the DSC of this change in status. An organization may be considered to be inactive if it is not holding events or meetings on a regular basis or if its membership drops below the minimum number. Groups which fail to submit signature rosters, activity reports, and check requests for two subsequent semesters, and have not submitted inactivity forms, will be de-chartered.
• e. The following rules apply to inactive chartered organizations:
  • i. There must be a contact person who is in contact with the DSC and is responsible for the group’s property and maintaining the organization’s status;
  • ii. The contact person must in good faith advertise for new membership and leadership at least once a semester through at least two separate avenues. Examples of these avenues may include: an announcement in the Advocate; a posting on the DSC website; postering in the Graduate Center; or an email announcement sent to all GC students through the DSC;
  • iii. Inactive groups do not have to submit signatures—rather, each semester they must submit an “inactivity” form signed by the designated contact person together with documentation of the advertisements made in the previous semester;
  • iv. Inactive groups are not eligible for their DSC allocations;
  • v. Inactive groups with office space will have to share the space with an active group if there is an eligible, active group with no space. Inactive groups may still make use of the space and keep property in parts of the office, within reason, but must give priority to the active group in terms of using the computer, phones, etc.;
  • vi. There is a time limit of four semesters on how long a group can remain inactive. After this time, if the contact person has not found new leadership to re-activate the group, the group will be de-
    chartered.

5.5. Revocation of Charter

When the Co-Chair for Student Affairs determines that an organization has not applied for inactive status and has not submitted rosters, activity reports, or check requests for two semesters, or if the group has been inactive for at least three semesters, she/he must follow these steps:

• a. The Steering Committee must be informed and a motion to initiate the de-chartering process must pass by a simple majority;
• b. The last known contact person for the organization must be contacted to make sure that the organization is indeed inactive. If this person cannot be reached for confirmation, or if no contact information is available, proceed to the next step. If the person is contacted, he or she must either submit documentation that the group is active (signature rosters, event flyers, publications, or similar) within one month or be informed that if the group is not re-activated it will be de-chartered.
• c. Advertisements for interest in re-activating the group must be issued in, at a minimum, the following ways: an announcement in the Advocate; an announcement on the DSC website; and two email messages, at least one week apart, sent to as many members of the student body as possible;
• d. If no response is forthcoming two weeks after the last publicity has been published, the Co-Chair for Student Affairs will consider the group to be de-chartered.
• e. An announcement that the group is de-chartered will be made to the DSC plenary, and the office space (if any) of the group will be cleared out and re-allocated to an eligible group.

Upon revocation of a chartered organization's charter, all tangible property (up to the amount of all DSC funds allocated to the former chartered organization during the preceding seven years), as well as all intangible property and all rights to the use of the name of the former chartered organization shall revert to the DSC. All remaining monies (up to the amount of all DSC funds allocated to the former chartered organization during the preceding seven years) shall be returned to the DSC Co-Chair for Business within 30 days of the revocation of its charter. All other tangible property (up to the amount of all DSC funds allocated to the former chartered organization during the preceding seven years, less any monies returned) shall be returned to the Co-Chair for Student Affairs within 90 days of the revocation of its charter.

5.6. Structure of Chartered Organizations

The structure of a chartered organization’s leadership and decision-making shall be determined by each organization. The only requirement is that there shall be one designated contact person who is responsible for communication between the organization and the DSC, and that the model of decision-making be specified. The presiding officer (if any), the contact person, and a majority of all voting officers of a chartered organization shall be matriculated students at the Graduate Center.

5.7. Office Space

After three semesters of maintaining an active status, a chartered organization may request office space. Office space will be assigned based on seniority and status: the organization which has been chartered and active for the longest consecutive period shall have the highest priority.

6. Budgeting

6.1. Allocations

a. Chartered Organization Allocations

Each chartered organization with an active status for a given semester shall be entitled to $300. Funds remaining after fall semester shall be made available during spring semester.

b. Grants

The DSC shall set aside 5% of its annual operating income for grant awards.

c. Program Allocations

Each program with representation for a given semester shall be entitled to the greater of $200 or $5 per student enrolled in the program. Funds remaining after fall semester shall be made available
during spring semester.

6.2. DSO Stipend & Wage Schedule

a. Student Leader Stipends

Stipend requests for officers shall made during the first week of each month as indicated:

• i. Co-Chair for Student Affairs: 1/11 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 10 months (August-May)
• ii. Co-Chair for Communications: 1/11 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 10 months (August-May)
• iii. Co-Chair for Business: 1/11 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 11 months (August-June)
• iv. University Student Senate Delegate: 1/18 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 10 months (August-May)
• v. University Faculty Senate Liaison: 1/31 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 10 months (August-May)
• vi. At-Large Steering Officers: 1/31 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 10 months (August-May)

b. Non-Student Leader Stipends

Stipend requests for the senior members of each affiliate shall be made during the first week of each month as indicated:

• i. Adjunct Project Co-Coordinators: 1/21 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 9 months (September-May)
• ii. Advocate Editors: 1/12 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B per issue
• iii. OpenCUNY Coordinator: 1/35 of the minimum salary for title of Graduate Assistant B for 9 months (September-May)

6.1.d Program Student Associations

Program Student Associations may deposit funds with the Co-Chair for Business, which shall be credited to the program in the form of additional program allocations. Regular DSC program allocations made to a program during a fiscal year shall not be available after the spring semester of that year. Additional program allocations deposited during that fiscal year may, at the request of that program’s DSC Program Representative(s) by the end of the spring semester, be placed in a restricted fund with the Graduate Center Foundation under the control of the Program Student Association. The maximum amount of carryover funds shall be calculated as follows. If a program’s total expenditures for the fiscal year are greater than the program’s regular DSC program allocations for the fiscal year, then the carryover maximum shall not exceed any monies remaining from additional program allocations at the end of the fiscal year. If a program’s total expenditures are less than the program’s regular DSC program allocations for the fiscal year, then the carryover maximum shall not exceed the difference between the program’s total revenues for the fiscal year and the regular DSC program allocations for the fiscal year.

7. Election of Delegates to External Entities

The DSC shall conduct elections for the following student delegates, making results known through the Co-Chair for Communications by June 1 of each year.

7.1. Program Delegates

The students in each program shall elect from among students enrolled in that program delegates to the following positions during DSC elections each year:

• a. Academic Appeals Officer (1 student per program)

The term of office for each delegate shall be one year, commencing on July 1. Whenever a seat is vacated due to reasons other than the natural end of a term, the DSO member who received the next highest number of votes in the preceding elections for the vacant seat shall be asked to serve out the remainder of the term. This method shall be carried out until a member accepts the position or until the list is exhausted, at which point the DSC Program Representative(s) shall be asked to serve out the remainder of the term.

7.2. DSC Delegates

The DSCE shall elect from its own membership delegates to the following positions at its first meeting:

• a. Auxiliary Enterprises Board Members (2 members and 3 co-chairs, ex-officio)
• b. College Association Officer (3 members and 3 co-chairs, ex-officio)
• c. Research Foundation Board Member (1 member enrolled in a doctoral program)
• d. Student Technology Fee Committee Representative (3 members, the Officer for Technology and Library, ex-officio, and 2 alternates)

The term of office for each delegate shall be one year, commencing on July 1, with the exception of the Research Foundation Graduate Student Representative, who shall have a term of two years expiring in the spring of odd years. Whenever a seat is vacated due to reasons other than the natural end of a term, the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement, which appointment shall lapse at the next
scheduled Plenary meeting when an election shall be held.

7.3. DSO Delegates

The DSO shall elect from its own membership delegates to the following positions during DSC elections each year:

• a. Faculty-Student Disciplinary Committee Representatives (2 members)
• b. Student Elections Review Committee Representatives (4 members)

The term of office for each delegate shall be one year, commencing on July 1. Whenever a seat is vacated due to reasons other than the natural end of a term, the DSO member who received the next highest number of votes in the preceding elections for the vacant seat shall be asked to serve out the remainder of the term. This method shall be carried out until a member accepts the position or until the list is exhausted, at which point the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement, which appointment shall lapse at the next scheduled Plenary meeting when an election shall be held.

8. Program Student Associations

8.1 Purpose of Program Student Associations

The purpose of Program Student Associations shall be to

• formally recognize student governments within individual programs;
• vest those governments with subsidiary powers under the auspices of the DSC, which is the sole policymaking body for Graduate Center students;
• provide informational, advocacy, and fiscal services to those governments;
• improve communication between the DSC and program governance structures; and
• increase solidarity among programs around common goals and concerns.

8.2 Rights and Responsibilities of Program Student Associations

• Program Student Associations shall have full autonomy regarding policy decisions affecting students in their respective programs.
• The voting members of each association must include at least one of the program’s DSC program representatives. Any DSC representatives need not be officers, unless otherwise specified by the association’s constitution.

8.3 Recognition of Program Student Associations

A program student government with a ratified constitution may be recognized as a Program Student Association by the following procedures.

8.3.a. Petition Requirements

After a motion to petition for recognition has been approved by a majority of the voting members of any student government, that government shall submit its petition to the Co-Chair for Student Affairs. The petition shall include:

• the ratified constitution of that student government, including a statement of the ratification procedure;
• contact information for all voting and ex-officio members, including their names and email addressesin which all students are voting members, only representatives and officers need be named;
• evidence that the election of any officers or representatives was endorsed by a majority of students in that program; and
• evidence that the petition for recognition was endorsed by a majority of the voting members of that government, which may include approved minutes or petition signatures.

8.3.b. Review of Petitions

The Co-Chair for Student Affairs is responsible for assuring that the proposed association’s petition meets the requirements and that the constitution is in accord with the ideals of the DSC. The Co-Chair for Student Affairs shall distribute copies of only the constitution at the next Plenary meeting of the DSC; at the Plenary meeting following this distribution, the DSC shall vote whether to approve the petition of the proposed association. If the motion passes by at least a two-thirds majority vote of the DSC representatives, the A program student government shall be granted recognition as a program student association. In deciding whether to grant recognition to a new association, the DSC will consider at least the following points:

• whether the program does not already have a program student association recognized by the DSC;
• whether the program has not had an association derecognized recently; and
• whether the governing structure is in accord with the ideals of the DSC.

The DSC may grant provisional recognition contingent on amendments to the constitution that are specified in the motion itself.

8.3.c. Period of Recognition

The period of recognition shall last from the date of the Plenary at which it is granted or, in the case of provisional recognition, the date of amendment of the constitution, whichever is later, until the end of that fiscal year.

8.4 Renewal of Program Student Associations

Each recognized program student association may renew its recognition annually for the period of July 1 through June 30 of the following year by submitting to the Co-Chair for Student Affairs an updated constitution and a list of all voting and ex-officio members, their titles, and their email addresses by June 1 of the current year. If all students in the program are voting members, only representatives and officers need be named. Any changes in voting or ex-officio members or their contact information must be reported to the Co-Chair for Student Affairs within seven calendar days. If all students in the program are voting members, only changes in representatives or officers need be reported.

8.5 Probation of Program Student Associations

Any recognized program student association that fails to renew its recognition shall be placed on probation for a period of one semester. When an association is placed on probation, the Co-Chair for Student Affairs shall contact the last known members, officers, or representatives of that association to verify that the association is dissolved or is no longer seeking recognition. If no representatives can be contacted, the Co-Chair for Student Affairs shall contact the students in that program through, at a minimum, an announcement in the Advocate; an announcement on the DSC website; and two email messages, at least one week apart, sent to as many students in the program as possible. If a response is received and the association files for renewal, the Co-Chair for Student Affairs may request, at his or her discretion, evidence that the election of any new representatives or officers was endorsed by a majority of students in that program. Any association that files for renewal during its probationary period may only be renewed by a majority vote of the DSC representatives at the next Plenary meeting of the DSC. Any association that fails to file for renewal before and during its probationary period shall be automatically derecognized, and another student government from that program shall not be recognized for at least one year.

8.6 Derecognition of Program Student Associations

Any program student association may be derecognized by a two-thirds majority vote of the DSC. A representative cannot move to derecognize an association unless he or she notifies its officers or representatives in writing, copied to the DSC Executive Committee, at least five business days before the Plenary meeting at which the motion may be entertained. The motion shall specify the period of time after which another program student association from the same program may be recognized, with that period not exceeding five years.