EGSC Constitution

Date of origin: February 1984

I. Purpose

The purpose of the EGSC is to promote and enhance graduate studies within the College of Engineering through professional development activities, and to provide a forum for communication between graduate students, faculty, and administration within the College of Engineering.

II. Membership

A. At all times, the majority (50%+1) of all active members shall be full-time, officially registered, graduate students at University Park.

B. The membership shall be divided into active and associate members.

Only currently employed faculty, staff, and currently registered students are eligible for active membership.
Active membership shall consist of students currently registered at one of the following departments or programs:
- Acoustics Program (Graduate Program only)
- Department of Aerospace Engineering
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- Department of Architectural Engineering
- Department of Bioengineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Department of Electrical Engineering
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
- High Performance Computing (HPC) Graduate Minor
- Quality and Manufacturing Management Program
- School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs (SEDTAPP)
- Science, Technology and Society Program (STS)
All others interested in furthering the purpose of the Engineering Graduate Student Council shall be associate members.
Only active members may hold office, vote, preside, officiate, or solicit funds on behalf of the organization.

C. At all times there shall be at least 20 active student members.

D. This organization may restrict membership but will uphold the Penn State non-discriminatory clause and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, physical handicap, or creed.

E. New Membership and Recruitment

Any and all new members will be given full disclosure during recruitment, including but not limited to the disclosure of:

i. New Membership Manual
ii. Schedule of New Member Events and Activities
iii. A list of responsibilities
iv. A definition of personal rights, and a copy of the University Hazing policy, prescribed by Policies and Rules for Student Organizations. All of these documents will be available upon request by the USG Supreme Court.
All members, including but not limited to new members and recruits, reserve the right to refrain from participating in any activities without consequence, based upon personal/religious beliefs, personal values, or moral reserve as defined by the member.
Any and all interaction/activity between members and/or new members will be limited to guidelines stated by university policy, as well as local, state, and federal laws.

F. The club reserves the right to expel a member who is not following the policies of the organization with a super majority (66%+1) vote of attending members – quorum for this vote is 75% of active members.

G. This organization will not restrict membership based on characteristics of a student, which are intrinsic to the identity of that student, and are not essential to the potential value of that student as a member of that organization and the Penn State University Community at large.

III. Officers

A. Only full-time, officially registered active student members shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers. Further limitations are subject to USG Supreme Court/GSA Judiciary Committee approval.

B. Officers

The executive committee of the EGSC shall be: the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
The President is the spokesperson for the organization. The President shall preside over meetings, appoint committees, and have the authority and responsibility of conducting the activities of the EGSC with the consent of the active membership.
The Vice-President shall serve as President when the President is unable to do so. The duties include accepting the duties of the President when the President leaves office, for any reason, before the end of his or her term.
The Secretary shall keep accurate records of all meetings, including reports, minutes, and attendance; shall keep the membership contacts list current at all times, and be responsible for all correspondence; shall be responsible for acquisition, distribution, and year-end return of office keys and supplies.
The Treasurer shall be charged with handling all organizational finances, including the organization’s ASA account, and preparing financial reports for the EGSC.

C. No member shall hold more than one office.

D. Filling unexpired vacancies:

Nominations are taken at the meeting following the vacancy. Elections also occur at this meeting.
If a majority (50%+1) is not obtained by any of the candidates, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and the active members shall vote again.
When nominations are being taken to fill unexpired terms, any member of the organization may nominate another member of the organization by simply raising his/her hand and indicating such when recognized.

E. Term Limits. No member shall hold the same office for more than two and one-half (2.5) semesters and a single summer term.

IV. Meetings

A. The regular meetings of the EGSC shall be held weekly during the academic semester. The time of the meeting shall be determined by a simple majority of the active members.

B. The President with the consent of the Vice President may change meeting frequency.

C. The President may call special meetings should he/she see fit. The purpose of the special meeting shall be stated in the request. Except in the case of emergencies, as determined by the President, at least three days notice shall be given to the membership.

D. The secretary shall notify members of the scheduled location and time of the meetings. Adequate advance notice must be given to all active members.

V. Voting

A. Only active members may vote.

B. Quorum.

A quorum shall consist of thirty-three percent (33%) of the active membership.
If a quorum cannot be met at two consecutive meetings, a quorum shall consist of all members present.
A quorum may not be declared unless all members have been informed of the meeting in advance.

C. Election of officers must be done by secret ballot. Other votes may be done verbally.

VI. Finances

A. All organizational funds are to be deposited and handled through the Associated Student Activities (ASA) in 240 HUB.

B. Payment of dues is not a necessary condition for membership.

VII. Elections

A. Nominations and elections shall take place before the end of the spring semester.

B. This meeting shall be publicized in the meetings preceding it.

C. No one involved in conducting the elections may be an official candidate.

D. Elections codes:

Elections shall be conducted by the approval voting method, in which electors shall vote for as many candidates for an office as they approve of. The candidate receiving the most approval votes shall win.
In the event of a tie, a runoff election shall be conducted between the tied candidates.

E. All officers serve for a term of one year, beginning in the month following elections and ending the month of elections.

VIII. Amendments to the Constitution

A. Amendments to this constitution may be introduced at the conclusion of any meeting. Voting shall occur at the meeting following its introduction, with the amendment taking effect following USG Supreme Court/GSA Judiciary Committee approval.

B. Any member may introduce a constitutional amendment at the conclusion of any meeting. At the following meeting, the active members shall vote on the amendment, as outlined in the article on voting. If the amendment passes, it shall be sent to the USG Supreme Court/GSA Judiciary Committee for approval.

C. All amendments are subject to the approval of the USG Supreme Court/GSA Judiciary Committee.

IX. Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, by Sarah Corbin Roberts shall be used in all cases not covered by this constitution.

X. Accessibility of this Constitution

Copies of this constitution shall be made available to anyone upon request.

XI. Advisor

A. This organization must retain an advisor at all times. The advisor will be a Faculty or Staff member of the University, will be chosen by the organization, and will sign a statement acknowledging his or her responsibilities and knowledge of the safety guidelines in place.

B. The administrative advisor of this organization shall be either the Dean or the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Engineering.

XII. Safety Considerations

A. This organization will also abide by the following safety guidelines.

No member will use any undue force in any contact activity.
Members will not use any weapons in conjunction with The Penn State Sample Organization’s activities.
All members will wear safety equipment as outlined in our Participation Waiver during all Sample Organization activity.
The Sample Organization will abide by the Penn State Department of Health and Safety’s current version of Safety Considerations for Registered organizations.

B. Members are required to acknowledge and abide by all of the above safety considerations, and to sign a participation waiver as a condition of membership. Any violation of stated guidelines is grounds for immediate dismissal from the Sample Organization.

Last Edited: May 17, 2006