CONSTITUTION
Constitution of The College of Education Graduate Student Organization
Preamble
We, the members of The College of Education Graduate Student Organization, do hereby
establish this Constitution in order to support graduate students according to our purpose.
Article I - Name
The name of the organization will be The College of Education Graduate Student Organization,
henceforth referred to as the "COE GSO."
Article II - Purpose
COE GSO is established for the expressed purpose of:
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engaging graduate students in the College of Education, the University, and the
surrounding community in involvement in social, professional, and educational activities
at a College and University level;
promoting the general welfare of our student body;
representing the opinions of the student body to the appropriate authorities;
planning activities that complement our scholarly endeavors;
providing forums for the students to express their concerns on Collegiate issues;
conducting regular meetings that foster dialogue on various issues;
promoting collective efforts in areas relating to the purpose of the College;
establishing policies and procedures relevant to governance in the Organization;
seeking participation in activities relating to the organization and management of the
College; and
fulfilling its responsibilities of abiding by University of Maryland, College Park policies.
Article III - Membership
Graduate students are deemed members of the COE GSO by virtue of their current enrollment in
a program within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park.
The COE GSO does not restrict membership or discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, personal appearance,
age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, or on the basis of rights
secured by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. (For definitions of “personal
appearance” and “sexual orientation,” see the University’s Code of Human Relations (“Code”).
Article IV - Officers
COE GSO will be governed by the following means:
1. An elected President (or other designated officer) will preside at all meetings of the COE
GSO. The President will maintain the power to appoint all committee chairpersons, shall present
all motions to the body present and shall be present at 90% of the meetings of the COE GSO.
The President shall serve a year-long term.
2. The COE GSO shall also maintain a Vice President who shall serve a year-long term. The
Vice President's duties shall be to preside at all meetings and functions that the President cannot
attend.
3. Club members shall also elect a Secretary-Treasurer who shall serve a year-long term. The
Secretary-Treasurer will handle all dues, accounts, new members, rule observances at stated
meetings, protocol, minutes, etc.
4. Two Departmental Representatives each from all three departments in the College of
Education will join the President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer on the COE GSO
Executive Board. The role of the Executive Board will be to set agendas for COE GSO
meetings, decide which student activities will receive COE GSO funds, meet with the Dean’s
Office, and decide which matters will come forward before the whole COE GSO and which
matters will be handled by the Executive Board.
5. The role and duties of the faculty/staff advisor shall include providing counsel to the
organization’s officers. The faculty/staff advisor is welcome to attend any COE GSO meeting.
6. All officers of this organization must be currently enrolled students at the University of
Maryland College Park.
Article V - Operations
1. Voting Eligibility
Those members meeting all requirements of active membership as set forth in Article III will be
granted voting privileges.
2. Quorum
A quorum is defined as a majority of Executive Board members, including at least one Executive
Board member from each of three departments in the College of Education.
3. Election Process
All officers and Departmental Representatives shall be elected by a majority vote of eligible
voting members of the COE GSO. Voting will take place during the spring semester. Each
April, all voting members of the COE GSO will be eligible to elect a President, Vice President
and a Secretary-Treasurer. During this April election, voting members of the COE GSO will
elect Department Representatives for only their departments. The President, Vice President,
Secretary-Treasurer, and Departmental Representatives shall begin their terms of office on the
last day of classes during the spring semester. All elections for Executive Board members will
take place online. The College of Education will bear the cost of administering the election.
Only those who have already served a term on the Executive Board will be eligible to run for
President. If no current or former Executive Board members are willing or able to run for
President, this requirement can be temporarily waived for the current election cycle.
Calls for nominations will be at least two calendar weeks long; online voting will take place over
the period of at least a calendar week. All voting will finish prior to the first of May.
4. Removal
Any officer of the College of Education GSO in violation of the Organization's purpose or
constitution may be removed from office by the following process:
a. A written request by at least three members of the Organization presented to any Executive
Board member.
b. Written notification to the officer of the request, asking the officer to be present at the next
meeting and prepared to speak.
c. Call to session a meeting that open to all eligible voting members of the GSO.
d. A two–thirds (2/3) majority vote of eligible voting members is necessary to remove the
officer.
Article VI - Amendments
The constitution is binding to all members of the College of Education GSO. But the
constitution is not binding unto itself.
a. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed in writing by any voting member of the
GSO at any meeting or via electronic communication to the Secretary-Treasurer.
b. These amendments will be placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Executive
Board.
c. Proposed amendments will become effective following approval of two-thirds (2/3)-majority
vote of the Executive Board.
Article VII - Registration Renewal
The COE GSO will apply to the Stamp Student Union for registration on an annual basis one
month after the GSO’s new officer elections.
Bylaws
1) Meetings
All meetings will occur on a monthly basis or other regular basis at a time selected by the
Executive Board of the GSO and will follow the procedure set forth below
Attendance
Discussion of Business Items
Dismissal by the President
2) Finances
The COE GSO will finance the activities it engages in by the following means:
a. The COE GSO will submit a budget to the Student Government Association Finance
Committee or Graduate Student Government Finance Committee on an annual basis and request
funding appropriate to the effective operation of the organization for each year.
b. The COE GSO can submit requests to the College of Education and other College- and
University-affiliated groups for funding.
c. The COE GSO can submit requests to outside entities for funding.