GPLC Constitution
Open as a PDF
To propose constitutional amendments, see our Constitutional Amendments Form.
Constitution of the Boston University Graduate and Professional Leadership Council
Article 1. NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION
The name of this organization will be the Graduate and Professional Leadership Council.
Article 2. PURPOSE
The Graduate and Professional Leadership Council (GPLC) is the voice of graduate and professional students at Boston University. The purpose of the GPLC is to provide graduate and professional students with a forum to discuss concerns and advocate policy change with administrators at Boston University. The leaders of the GPLC accomplish this goal by soliciting input from the graduate and professional student body, identifying key initiatives, and presenting recommendations to the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs and the Graduate Council.
Article 3. MEMBERSHIP
All graduate and professional students are represented members of the GPLC and are able to attend Open Meetings to voice concerns. Additionally, all post-doctoral fellows are invited to voice concerns at the Open Meeting.
Article 4. REPRESENTATION
All GPLC representatives must be in good academic standing.
Section A. College and Program Representation
Each college and school that houses graduate or professional students will be granted an UNLIMITED number of (non-voting) representatives and TWO voting representatives on the GPLC. The Executive Board members are not automatically assigned as voting representatives, but may be elected to serve as a voting representative for their college or school. Voting representative will be nominated by their departments (including self-nominations) and elected by the graduate students of their college or school.
Section B. Special Group Representation
In order to better address concerns of distinct subgroups within the graduate and professional student body, student groups comprised of professional and/or graduate students may petition for representation in the GPLC. In order to do so, the group must be composed of students from more than one department and have membership of at least fifty graduate or professional students. Special group representation will be granted for a period of two years upon which time a new petition must be filed for continued representation in the GPLC. Upon approval the special group will be allowed to choose one member as a representative on the GPLC.
Article 5. EXECUTIVE BOARD
The executive board serves as the administrative arm of the GPLC to facilitate and organize the proceedings of the GPLC. The executive board shall consist of 5 people elected from the Representatives of the GPLC.
Section A. Duties and Responsibilities
1. The Executive Board drafts all communications to graduate students to announce open meetings of the GPLC.
2. The Executive Board sets the agenda and is responsible for disseminating the agenda.
3. A member of the Executive Board chairs open and general body meetings of the GPLC.
4. The Executive Board forms committees to address key concerns and appoints committee chairs
5. The Executive Board sets deadlines for committees and monitors progress
6. The Executive Board is responsible for collecting Policy Briefs and making them available.
7. The Executive Board meets with the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs and serves as the official liaison between the GPLC and University administration.
8. The Executive Board reviews and accepts proposals for Special Group Representation.
Section B. Elections
1. The Executive Board shall be elected from and by the general body of the GPLC by a majority vote for one-year terms.
3. Elections will take place during last Council Meeting of the Spring semester.
4. The elections will be presided over by two exiting members of the Executive Board.
5. In the case of a vacancy, an election will be held at the earliest convenience.
Section C. Removal of Members of the Executive Board
1. A member of the Executive Board who is in violation of the Constitution or who fails to fulfill the duties of the position can be removed by a three-fourths vote of the general body of the GPLC
Article 6. MEETINGS
Section A. Open Meetings
Purpose: The purpose of the Open Meeting is to provide the opportunity to the entire graduate and professional population of Boston University to bring attention to policy issues relevant to the community. The Open Meeting provides a forum for discussion of such topics, and for the formation of Issue Committees that will meet subsequently to draft policy.
Scheduling: Open Meetings are to be held within the first three weeks of the start of classes in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Scheduling is the responsibility of the Executive Board. Open Meetings will be advertised by the Executive Board a minimum of two weeks in advance, through member departments and organizations.
Format: Open Meetings will follow an agenda pre-approved, set, and made available to participants by the Executive Board. In order to appear on the agenda, members may submit a topic and brief opinion (of no more than 500 words) to be approved for a speaking slot and request for committee formation at the Open Meeting. It is the duty of the Executive Board to provide a fair and balanced hearing to each issue and identify issues appropriate for committee formation. Directly following the presentation on each issue, the Open Meeting will adjourn and GPLC will hold a closed meeting to form committees and appoint committee chairs.
Records and Communication: Open Meeting minutes will be taken by the Executive Board and posted on the GPLC website.
Section B. Committee Meetings
Purpose: The purpose of Committee Meetings is to solicit opinions, collect information, and identify action items related to the Issue and then to discuss and draft policy briefs.
Scheduling: Committee Meetings must meet no less than once monthly and will be scheduled by the Committee Chair with input from Committee members. An effort must be made to accommodate the schedules of all members and to include as varied a set of issue positions as is possible and appropriate.
Format: Committee Meeting format is determined by the Chair, within the bounds set by Purpose and Scheduling mandates.
Records and Communication: Each Committee must draft a Policy Brief to be presented to the Executive Board at least ten (10) days prior to the Council Meeting at which it will be presented. The Policy Briefs will include a set of action items, which will be voted upon at the Council Meeting. Action items can include requests to post reports on the website, recommendations for the GPLC to take action, or requests to pass policy recommendations onto the Graduate Committee.
Section C. Council Meeting
Purpose: The purpose of the Council Meeting is to reconvene the Issue Committees with the Executive Board and with the Associate Provost for graduate affairs in order to present and discuss Policy Briefs.
Scheduling: The Council Meeting is to be held at least one week before the last day of classes in each of the Fall and Spring semesters of each academic year. The meeting time will be scheduled by the Executive Board, who has the responsibility to schedule the meeting at a time when the Associate Provost for graduate affairs, the Board, and Committee Chairs.
Format: Committee Chairs will present a short report on their Policy Briefs and provide the Board and the Associate Provost with copies of the Briefs. Each Chair will then be given the opportunity to summarize or describe the contents of the Policy Briefs for a maximum of ten (10) minutes. The GPLC and the Associate Provost will then have the opportunity to discuss and address the action items and other content of the Policy Briefs, including vote-taking. Following the Policy Briefs and voting on action items in the Spring semester, the GPLC will elect the Executive Board for the following year.
Records and Communication: The approved Policy Briefs will be made available on the GPLC website. Also noted on the website will be the current status of policy recommendations and comments on the role of the GPLC on policy formation.
Section D. Executive Board Meetings
The Executive Board will meet at least once a month to discuss Committee Progress, in-progress Committee Reports, and to review Policy Briefs prior to their presentation at the Council Meeting. The Executive Board is responsible for reviewing Policy Briefs and providing them to the Associate Provost for graduate affairs and other Council representatives at least five (5) days prior to the Council Meeting.
Article 6. COMMITTEES
Committees are formed to address key issues and are formed following Open Meetings. Members of Committees must be GPLC representatives or Executive Board members. Executive Board members may serve on Committees but not in the capacity of Chair. Committee membership shall be based upon the desired areas of interest for each committee member.
Article 7. COMMUNICATION
Section A. The GPLC Website
This website will be the face of the GPLC to its members and the rest of the BU community and beyond. It is to be maintained and updated regularly to reflect the ongoing efforts, activities, and history of the GPLC. The GPLC Website will be maintained with up to date information on, but not limited to, the following:
- Meetings: Upcoming Meetings, their locations, dates, times, and preparatory materials/ agendas
- Records: Meeting minutes
- Executive Board: An up-to-date list of Executive Board members and their positions and contact information
- Representatives: a list of all representatives, their constituencies, and contact information
- Committees: a list of the Issue Committees in each semester, a brief note on the Issue under review and the names of Committee members and the Committee Chair
- Policy Briefs: current and past policy briefs and their status
Section B. Email
E-mail notifications will be sent out twice to the entire Graduate and Professional Community at the beginning of each semester. The first email will make the community aware of the scheduling and purpose of the Open Meeting and the second email will be a reminder for the same event.
Article 8. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
The GPLC will be provided with Administrative support from a University employee in the office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs. The responsibilities will include keeping the GPLC website current, sending communications to the graduate and professional student body, providing support for organizing meetings, and acting as a liaison between the Executive Board and the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs.
