Constitution

Constitution of the

Linguistics Graduate Students’ Association

Preamble

The purpose of the Linguistics Graduate Students’ Association (LGSA) is to further the academic and social needs and interests of graduate students in linguistics at the University of Alberta independently of, or in conjunction with the Department of Linguistics and/or the Undergraduate Linguistics Club.

Article I: Name and Purpose

1. Name

The group is to be known as the Linguistics Graduate Students’ Association or LGSA.

2. Compliance

The LGSA operates at the University of Alberta, subject to the University’s policies and procedures. This group will also comply with all local, provincial and federal laws and procedures. 

3. Objectives and Goals

The LGSA will host events, such as workshops, colloquia and social gatherings that will administer to the needs and interests of graduate students in the Department of Linguistics. 

Article II: Membership and Eligibility

1. Membership

The LGSA recognizes as automatic members all currently registered graduate students in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Alberta. Membership petitions from graduate students outside of the Department of Linguistics and/or the University of Alberta should be submitted to the LGSA Executive Committee by email. Membership is to be granted by a unanimous vote in the Executive Committee.

a. Classes of Membership

i. General Members: A General Member is defined as any currently registered graduate student in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Alberta.

ii. Executive Members: An Executive Member is defined as any member who is elected to an executive position or who is appointed to temporarily assume duties of a vacant executive position. Executive Members are able to vote in all group matters. 

iii. Associate Members: Any graduate student from outside the Department of Linguistics and/or the University of Alberta who has petitioned for membership and whose membership has been unanimously agreed to by the Executive Committee. Associate memberships are to be reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee on an annual basis. Associate members do not have voting rights but are invited to participate in all group events.

b. Conditions of Membership

Members must maintain good standing with both the LGSA and the Department of Linguistics. Members are considered to be in good standing as long as they do not clearly and purposefully work against the stated objectives and goals of the LGSA and abide by the provisions set out in this constitution. They must also abide by the standards set out by the Office of the Dean of Students, and can lose their good standing for committing an offence as outlined in section 30.3 in the Code of Student Behaviour, found at:

http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour/COSBIndividualHyperlinkedSections.aspx

2. Membership Dues

The LGSA will not charge for membership status.

Article III: Meetings

1. Types of Meetings

a. Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the members shall be held at the University of Alberta on the same day as the annual General Department Orientation in the first week of the Fall Term. If it is not possible to meet on this date then the Annual General Meeting will be held within the first four weeks of the beginning of the academic year, and an email notice will be sent out in advance to all members of the LGSA. 

b. Executive Meetings

While the majority of LGSA matters will be communicated and discussed via email, Executive Meetings which are open to only the Executive Committee can be called by the President or any of the Executive Members at any time as need arises. Notice of meetings will be directly communicated amongst the Executive Committee. Three or more Executive Members shall constitute a quorum for any Executive Meeting.

c. Special Meetings

Special Meetings include meetings for the impeachment of an Executive Member, amendments to the constitution, or meetings requested by a minimum of five LGSA members.  General Members of the LGSA may petition in writing requesting the Executive Committee to call a General Meeting for any purpose connected with the matters of the LGSA. The petition must be signed by a minimum of five General Members of the LGSA. The Executive Members are then obligated to call and hold a General Meeting within four weeks of receiving the petition. 

2. Meeting Policies

a. Quorum of Members

Quorum at General Meetings is met when at least two-thirds of the LGSA membership and at least two of the Executive Council members are present.

b. Proxies

General Members may vote at any General Meeting either in person or by proxy. If a General Member is not able to attend a General Meeting, he or she may appoint in writing another General Member as a proxy. A Member may not act as a proxy for more than two Members. 

c. Minutes

Minutes from a General Meeting are taken by the Secretary, or an appointed taker of the minutes, in case of absence of the Secretary. The minutes are then to be emailed to LGSA Members in a timely manner following the meeting. Minutes from Executive Meetings shall be made available to LGSA Members upon request, and if needed also emailed to the Membership by the Secretary. 

3. Meeting Procedures

Robert’s Rules of Order will be used as a general guideline for meeting procedures. Annual General Meetings shall be chaired by the acting President, Vice-President or Treasurer. Any vote at a General Meeting shall be taken by secret ballot if so requested by any General Member present. All meetings shall run according to the following guidelines:

1. Call to order.

2. If the Secretary is not present, an alternative will be assigned to take minutes. 

3. Review and approval of agenda. The agenda for the meeting is read and members can suggest amendments or additions.

4. Chair moderates discussion and ensures that all agenda items are addressed and resolved.

5. Announcements and new business.

6. Adjournment.

Article IV: Elections

1. Election Policies

a. Eligibility

Any LGSA General Member in good standing is eligible to vote in elections and to be elected to serve on the Executive Committee. General Members can act as proxies for a maximum of two other General Members, see Article III(2b).

b. Election Supervision

Three General Members that do not wish to be included as candidates in the election will volunteer to from the Election Committee.  The Election Committee is a temporary, impartial body that is formed to ensure that elections are free and fair.  The Election Committee is responsible for informing the membership of the names of the candidates, counting the ballots, and reporting the results of the election.  Once all election procedures are complete, the Election Committee is dissolved.

2. Election Procedures

a. Elections will be held annually in September, on the same day as the departmental orientation for graduate students in the Department of Linguistics.  If this is not possible, the remaining members of the Executive Committee from the previous year will agree on a date for the elections to take place.

b. A member of the Executive Committee will explain the Executive roles. The Election Committee will ask all LGSA General Members in good standing if any of them wish to fill the Executive Committee positions.

c. Candidates will indicate their desire to run for a position to the LGSA Executive Committee anytime before the meeting or at the beginning of the meeting. Candidates will be given five minutes to address other Association Members. 

d. Each General Member of the LGSA present at the meeting will vote by secret ballot. Those not present can vote by proxy. The Election Committee will ensure that each person submits only one ballot, and will be responsible for counting the votes. 

e. A candidate must receive a simple majority (50% or 50% with one additional vote) to be considered elected. If an unopposed candidate does not receive a simple majority, that position is considered vacant.

f. Executive positions begin following a meeting of the old and new Executive Committees that will occur within two weeks after the election. Positions are for the period of one year, and can be held for a maximum of two years.

3. Appeals and Position Vacancies

a. Any LGSA member may appeal the election within one week of when the results have been announced by e-mail. The complainant must notify the Executive Committee in writing, who will then determine whether a new election is required. If the appeal only applies to a specific member of the Executive, that member will have the opportunity to speak with the rest of the Executive will before being excluded from discussion of the appeal. If the complainant is not happy with the Executive Committee’s decision, they can then appeal to University of Alberta Student Group Services.

b. If an Executive position becomes vacant partway through the year (or is already vacant due to a lack of candidates), the Executive will notify all LGSA members of the opening and ask for volunteers to fill the position. If there is more than one volunteer, the Executive will vote amongst themselves to decide who will fill the position. If the position of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President will assume the role of President and the Vice-President position will be treated as vacant.

Article V: Executive Committee 

1. Executive Committee Positions

The Executive Committee of the LGSA shall be made up of a minimum of three members and a maximum of six members, elected during an Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee consists of the following positions:

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Treasurer 

4. Secretary

5. Colloquium Liaison 

6. Event Coordinator 

In the event that the President is unable to serve for a period of time, the Presidential responsibilities shall fall to the Vice President. General Members of the LGSA are eligible to run for office any number of times. The term of each office is one calendar year. There is no limit on the number of terms a General Member can hold an Executive position. The titles and duties of offices for the fifth and sixth positions can be altered by the Executive Committee to suit current needs of the LGSA after the general election, and the duties of the Secretary may be divided between the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer, in case only three Executive positions are filled.

a. Duties and Responsibilities of the President

To set strategic direction for the LGSA and to act as the Chair of the Executive Committee and meetings of the entire LGSA body. To act as the main point of contact for all external organizations or group hosted events. The President possesses signing authority on the group bank account and is the primary media contact. The President is responsible for ensuring that the LGSA website is updated regularly and for ensuring that Student Group Services has the most up-to-date group information and activity plans. The President is responsible for the annual report at the first General Meeting of the year.  

b. Duties and Responsibilities of the Vice-President

To attend to the day-to-day running of the LGSA in the absence of or together with the President; to represent the LGSA at any event hosted by the LGSA in the absence of or together with the President. To take the place of the President in the case of the President’s absence or in the unexpected event that the President is no longer able to continue her or his term of office until official elections can be properly held. The Vice-President may possess signing authority to the LGSA bank account. To assist in the preparation of the annual report to the general membership. The Vice-President may be responsible for taking minutes in the absence of the Secretary.

c. Duties and Responsibilities of the Treasurer 

To attend to all financial matters pertaining to the LGSA. The Treasurer possesses signing authority to the bank account and reports to the Executive Committee regarding funds and costs. The Treasurer will keep accurate records, bank statements and other financial documents in a secure location. The Treasurer may also be responsible for seeking out new sources of funding for the LGSA. To attend to the running of the LGSA in the unlikely event that both the President and the Vice-President are unable to carry out their duties or had to end their terms of office prematurely. The Treasurer may be responsible for taking minutes in the absence of the Secretary.

d. Duties and responsibilities of the Secretary:

To be the main contact person within the LGSA. To manage the membership information for all new and returning members. The Secretary is responsible for minutes at General and Executive Meetings. 

e. Duties and responsibilities of the Colloquium Liaison

To liaise with the Department of Linguistics to plan colloquia, workshops and other academic events. To communicate with other departments at the University of Alberta regarding interdisciplinary academic events. To communicate with external academic and non-academic partners relating to academic events.

f. Duties and responsibilities of the Event Coordinator

To plan and organize LGSA events. This position may work in conjunction with the Department of Linguistics, other departments or other student groups at the University of Alberta to host combined events. To communicate with external contacts, academic and non-academic (ex. caterers), in order to plan events. 

2. Impeachment of an Executive Officer

Should any member of the LGSA suspect that any one or all of the Executives of the LGSA have acted in violation of the constitution of the group or the rules for the running of groups at the University of Alberta, an emergency meeting of the LGSA may be called. A two-thirds majority vote of the entire LGSA membership is required in order to impeach all or any one of the members of the Executive Committee, whereupon an immediate election is to be held in accordance with the rules for elections set out in Article IV. 

Article VI: Finances

1. Fiscal Timelines 

a.   The group’s fiscal year runs from November. 

b.   The Treaurer will be responsible to make deposits every two weeks, or when an amount greater than $500 has accumulated in the cash box, whichever is sooner. 

c.   Bank statements, receipts, grant reports and other financial documents are to be kept in a secure location for one year before being shredded. 

2. Budgets

a.    The VP Finance is responsible for creating and presenting the upcoming fiscal year’s budget at an executive meeting in the month after elections. The budget will require a 2/3 vote to pass. 

3. Expenses and Reimbursement 

a.    The VP Finance and President must approve all expenses under the group’s name prior to any funds changing hands.

b.    Members may be reimbursed for approved expenses by cheque as long as their reimbursement requests are made, with original receipts, within two weeks after the transaction. 

Article VII: Amendments to the Constitution  

This Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the entire LGSA membership.

1. Proposing an amendment

Amendments to the constitution can be proposed by any member of the LGSA at a regular meeting or via email. Members should send proposals to the Executive for consideration. If the Executive determines a proposed amendment to be relevant, it will be forwarded to the LGSA membership to be voted upon either at the Annual General Meeting, a Special Meeting, via e-mail, or through the use of an online poll. 

2. Voting on an amendment

At least two weeks in advance of the meeting, LGSA members will be notified of the proposed amendment and the date, time and location of the meeting where voting will take place. Twothirds of the members present must vote in favour of the amendment for it to be passed. In the case of an email or online vote, members will have one week following notification to cast their vote. Voting will close at midnight on the seventh day following notification of an e-mail or online vote. Twothirds of the members who voted by email must vote in favour of the amendment for it to be passed. Email and online votes will be kept strictly confidential by the Executive Committee.  In all cases, a quorum of the LGSA membership must vote in order to pass an amendment, see Article III(2a).

Article VIII: Dissolution

The LGSA may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority vote at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which 90 days’ notice must have been given in writing to all members. Absentee votes may be cast by email, which must be received by the LGSA Executive Committee prior to the Special General Meeting. The group is automatically dissolved upon membership dropping below 10 members. Upon dissolution, the Executive Committee is responsible for ensuring that any remaining financial resources and assets are donated to the Department of Linguistics at the University of Alberta, and for closing the LGSA bank account.