Constitution

I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the “Urban Education Students’ Association,” hereafter “UESA.”  The name of the student governing body of this organization shall be the “Urban Education Students’ Association Steering Committee,” hereafter “UESA Committee.”

II. Purpose

The purposes of the UESA Committee shall include but not be limited to:

Promoting an atmosphere of community and sociability for the welfare of students in the    Urban Education Doctoral Program;

  1. Representing the interests of students in the Urban Education Doctoral Program;
  2. Ensuring student representation on all Urban Education Doctoral Program standing committees and Graduate Council and hearing reports of those student representatives;
  3. Facilitating professional development of Urban Education doctoral students by providing necessary resources and support and fostering connections with program alumni; and
  4. Undertaking other initiatives or direct actions as needed and as decided by the students to improve any aspect of the program in which students have a rightful role.

III. Voting Membership

The voting membership of the UESA shall be comprised of UESA Committee members and all other Urban Education students.

IV. Steering Committee

The UESA Steering Committee will be comprised of all elected members of program standing committees who agree to take on the duties of a UESA Steering Committee member.  Steering Committee members will rotate chairing UESA meetings.

Any Urban Education doctoral students may also form sub-committees based on student interest. The sub-committee must have a minimum of three students from Urban Education. If the sub-committee meets at least three times per semester in concert with the UESA Committee meetings or in addition to them, the facilitators of the sub-committee may become members of the UESA Steering Committee.

1. Duties

In addition to reporting the business of the program standing committees to the UESA, the UESA Committee members’ will chose duties during the first meeting of each year according to the roles detailed below.  A role may be fulfilled by one or more UESA members:

1.1 Administrative Responsibilities and Bylaws

  • Communicating student concerns to the Executive Officer of the Urban Education Doctoral Program and working to relieve those concerns;
  • Scheduling and chairing UESA Committee meetings during the academic year;
  • Organizing and hosting UESA social and networking events; and
  • Serving as a primary liaison to the UESA in all communications with outside persons, organizations, or agencies, including but not limited to the Graduate Center community.

1.2 Teaching and Professional Development

  • Acting as primary liaison to the UESA for teaching and professional organizations, including but not limited to the Adjunct Project;
  • Organizing and managing UESA events at professional conferences;
  • Aiding students in applying for professional development grants;
  • Providing student resources on professional development and teaching;
  • Obtaining requests for professional development workshops and guest speakers and communicate them to the Executive Officer of the Urban Education Program; and
  • Hearing and acting upon student concerns related to adjunct-related issues.

1.3 Elections

  • Maintaining information on attendance at all Student and Faculty meetings
  • Ensuring compliance with GC and Graduate Council bylaws on the election of student representatives to standing program committees; and

1.4 Communications

  • Maintaining, or supervising, website.
  • Managing student listserv users
  • Keeping records of and distributing minutes and notes from UESA Committee meetings and the UESA all-student meetings;
  • Managing and updating the UESA website and social media outlets; and
  • Acting as the primary distributor of information to students.

1.5 Fundraising and Alumni

  • Organizing earned money attempts and fundraising;
  • Communicating with co-chair for business about DSC funds; and
  • Soliciting donations and writing grants for the UESA

1.6 Business

  • Acting as primary liaison to the UESA in all DSC-related matters;
  • Reporting to the UESA on DSC business;
  • Communicating DSC business to the student body at UESA meetings;
  • Keeping and maintaining any and all financial records of the UESA;
  • Preparing preliminary annual budgets for the UESA; and
  • Managing all UESA monies

2. Tenure

The tenure of UESA Committee Members shall be July 1 – June 30 of the following year. The tenure of all committee members and officers shall be co-terminous with their positions as representatives.

3. Recall

The DSC Program Representative(s) shall be subject to recall according to the procedures enumerated in the DSC Constitution. The other UESA Committee Members are subject to recall from the UESA, either by a signed petition of two-thirds of the matriculated students in the Urban Education Doctoral Program, or a three-quarters majority vote of the UESA Committee. A Voting Committee Member cannot be recalled unless he or she has been notified in writing at least five business days before the presentation of the petition to the UESA or before the meeting at which the motion may be entertained.  All student representatives to program standing committees and Graduate Council are subject to recall from their respective committees by the same procedure.

V. Volunteer Committees

The UESA Committee shall be permitted to select volunteers from the current student body to serve on ad-hoc temporary committees for the purposes of carrying out specific events.

VI. Meetings

The UESA Committee is required to meet at least three times per semester, with the first meeting of the semester held within 30 days of the start of classes in that semester. At the beginning of each meeting, a UESA member who is not the chair of the meeting shall be designated as the minute taker of that meeting with the consent of the majority of the voting members. All members of the public may attend any meeting of the UESA without vote and also without voice unless so recognized to speak by the chair. Members of the public may not attend portions of meetings conducted in a legitimate executive session unless so authorized by the chair of the meeting.

Once per semester, the UESA Committee shall hold an all-student meeting to communicate Committee actions and plans to the student body, and to serve as a space for airing of student concerns.

VII. Elections

The election of the DSC Program Representative(s) shall take place each spring under the supervision of the DSC. The election of the other UESA Committee Members and student representatives to program standing committees and Graduate Council shall take place each spring under the supervision of the Urban Education Doctoral Program.

In the event of a resignation of a member of a program standing committee, the student retains the option of remaining on the UESA Committee.

In the event of a recall of a member of a program standing committee or in the event that the resigned member chooses to relinquish his/her UESA position, the position will be offered to the replacement of the program standing committee.

VIII. Amendments

A proposed amendment to this Constitution may be considered by the UESA upon written presentation to it by any voting member thereof.  Written notice of the proposed amendment shall be sent to every voting member at least ten business days before the meeting at which it is to be considered.  An amendment may be passed by a two-thirds majority vote.  An amendment adopted by the UESA shall be distributed to students in the program for ratification.  The amendment shall be considered ratified unless rejected by a simple majority vote, with at least 10% of the students in the program responding within 20 business days of distribution.