WRAP Constitution

WRAP Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be: Writing, Rhetoric, and Praxis (WRAP)

Section 2. WRAP is the graduate student group of Michigan State University’s Rhetoric & Writing (R&W) program. The purpose of WRAP shall be to engage Rhetoric & Writing students in social and scholarly activities, to help promote interaction and collaboration among new scholars, and to promote and make space for advocacy for all WRAC graduate students.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Any MSU Rhetoric & Writing graduate student may be a member of WRAP. WRAP will not discriminate on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight.  Also, only MSU students may be officers and/or voting members.

Section 2. All Rhetoric & Writing graduate students acquire membership to WRAP. A person remains in good standing by obeying the rules of WRAP written in the constitution.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers for WRAP shall consist of a president, vice-president, communications chair, events chair, professional development chair, MA and PhD recruitment chairs, MA and PhD RWGAC representatives, union representative, COGS representative, and P2W and XA representatives. The president of WRAP will serve from the end of the previous academic year to the end of the year serving as president. Each other elected position shall serve for one academic year (from the beginning of the fall semester to the end of the spring semester).

Section 2. Only current graduate students in the Rhetoric & Writing program may nominate, be nominated and vote; nominations and elections shall be by electronic ballot and require a simple majority of graduate student voters.

Section 3. The group of people composed of the president, chairs, and representatives shall be known as the Executive Committee (EC). Detailed below are descriptions for the different positions.

The president of WRAP has specific roles and responsibilities, but most importantly, this position requires leadership that encourages participation and inclusion in all WRAP activities as a mouthpiece, a cheerleader, an advocate, and a project manager. The specific roles and responsibilities of the president include submitting paperwork each Fall to maintain WRAP’s status as a registered student organization (RSO); scheduling and facilitating EC meetings; serving on the WRAC Advisory Council; and organizing Spring elections. 

The vice president of WRAP is responsible for facilitating dialogue via townhalls and representing WRAP when the president is absent. The vice president is also responsible for keeping the graduate student community informed via WRAP’s media, in conjunction with the communications chair, and organizing WRAP elections and surveys/form regarding what members would like from WRAP.

The communications chair (called secretary for RSO purposes) will maintain communications channels within WRAP and to the broader WRAC graduate student community. The communication chair’s responsibilities include sharing relevant information with graduate students, for example, preparing and distributing a monthly newsletter, weekly roundups, event flyers, and other communications as needed. The communications chair  also archives relevant materials from WRAP events/meetings; organizes and maintains WRAP Google Drive; and maintains and updates WRAP’s website and social media as needed.

The events chair (called Treasurer for RSO purposes) will uphold the social mission of the organization by planning and executing all WRAP social events. The events chair responsibilities include: recruiting and working with a committee of other graduate students on a regular basis to help publicize and facilitate these events. The events chair is responsible for organizing and managing WRAP’s finances, including submitting a yearly budget request to the director of Rhetoric and Writing. 

The professional development chair is in charge of promoting and curating a set of resources aimed at increasing graduate student productivity in scholarly venues. The professional development chair’s responsibilities include leading the EC in developing and planning professional workshops aimed at increasing graduate students’ productivity.

The PhD and MA recruitment chairs act as the point person for the PhD and MA recruitment event held annually in the spring. In collaboration with the graduate program director, the chairs’ responsibilities include facilitating 1-1 pairing for recruits and current doctoral students; establishing the overall calendar of events for the week; securing locations for meals, events, and other group gatherings; functioning as the point of contact for recruits and current graduate students; and fill in as needed by the request of the Graduate Director. 

The MA and PhD RWGAC representatives serve as liaisons to the Rhetoric and Writing Graduate Advisory Committee (RWGAC). These representatives attend and participate in RWGAC meetings and report back any news or developments from RWGAC. 

The union representative serves as a liaison between WRAP and the Graduate Employees Union (GEU). The Union Representative’s include: at minimum, attending bi-weekly meetings of the GEU Stewards’ Council, where they can participate in GEU leadership and represent their WRAC colleagues as a voting member of the Stewards’ Council; and participating in various GEU committees, as well as GEU-sponsored events, such as the General Membership Meeting.

The COGs representative will serve as a full member of the Council of Graduate Students. The COGS representative will have voting power on behalf of WRAP and will serve on various sub-committees per the organization’s bylaws. The representative will be required to attend all meetings and report to the EC.

The Professional and Public Writing (P2W) curriculum committee representative serves as a liaison to the P2W program within WRAC. The P2W Curriculum Committee Representative’s responsibilities include: attending full P2W committee meetings and subcommittees meetings at their discretion and reporting relevant information back to the EC. 

The Experience Architecture (XA) curriculum committee representative serves as a liaison to the XA program within WRAC. The XA Curriculum Committee Representative’s responsibilities include: attending full XA committee meetings and subcommittees meetings at their discretion and reporting relevant information back to the EC. 

Section 4. An officer failing to maintain their listed duties, may be removed from their position by a majority vote of the remaining officers present at the meeting in which the vote occurs. A two week notification period, both to the offending officer and to the EC, must take place for any vote on officer (re)placement.

ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS

Section 1. Elections occur in the spring semester of each year. All currently enrolled graduate students may vote on WRAP ballots. Elections are determined by simple majority. 

Section 2. Term limits shall apply. Graduate students may be reelected to a previously held role provided the two terms are not consecutive. A graduate student may not occupy a role for two or more consecutive years, unless no other graduate students were willing to fill that role. 

Section 3. Effort should be made to have different students in as many roles as possible to fairly distribute labor and opportunity, but graduate students may fill more than one role as needed.  

Section 4. Incoming MA and PhD students are eligible for unfilled roles from the spring election. If more than one incoming student is interested in a role, WRAP will hold a special election early in the fall semester. If only one incoming student is interested, that student may be appointed to the role without an election. 

ARTICLE V: OPERATING PROCEDURES

Section 1. WRAP meetings shall occur 2­–3 times a semester, OR as determined by the executive committee.

Section 2. WRAP shall abide by all rules as determined by the current officers.

Section 3. WRAP does not have any additional committees outside of the officer positions; however committee formation and membership is subject to change.

Section 4. WRAP’s de facto faculty advisor is the RW program director. The faculty advisor does not participate in WRAP meetings or events except as needed.

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Officers shall give notice of two weeks to the members of WRAP before voting to amend the Constitution. 

Section 2. Amendments to the Constitution shall be made in writing, including the original, relevant language of the proposed change, and the revised or amended version of the amendment.

Section 3. Amendments can be passed by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote by the members of WRAP.

Updated March 2024