SENATE

SCHEDULE OF SENATE MEETINGS (2018-2019)

Fall 2018

  • Monday, September 10 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #1)
  • Monday, October 1 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #2)
  • Monday, October 29 – Health Sciences Campus: Aresty Auditorium, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #3)
  • Monday, November 19 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #4)

Spring 2019

  • Monday, January 14 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #5)
  • Monday, February 25 – Health Sciences Campus: Aresty Auditorium, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #6)
  • Monday, March 25 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #7)
  • Monday, April 15 – TCC 450, 6:30-8pm (Meeting #8)

Information for New Senators

Each year, students from each department/school elect at least one Senator for their Umbrella Organizations. Senators make important decisions regarding policies, funding, and advocacy issues. For more information regarding your Umbrella’s election procedures, please contact your department’s faculty advisor or current Umbrella Senator(s).

Senate Orientation
Every year, senators attend the Senate Orientation before the first senate meeting to meet other senators, learn about GSG and the role of senators, and bring up important advocacy issues that the Senate will work on during the year. This year the Orientation will take place on Sunday, September 10th, 10am-2pm in Grace Ford Salvatori Hall (GFS) 106 Please contact the Director of Elections and Recruitment at gsger@usc.edu if your Senator has not received direct correspondence regarding Orientation.

WELCOME TO GSG!

As a GSG Senator, you are expected to attend all GSG Senate Meetings, participate on a GSG Committee, and act as a liaison between your Umbrella Organization (representing your department/school graduate student population) and the GSG Executive Board. Your responsibilities are set by the GSG Constitution and GSG Bylaws.

Your position as Senator is very important. It is necessary for you to attend Senate Meetings to ensure that your department/school is represented in important campus decisions. Failure to fulfill your responsibilities may result in your impeachment and your Umbrella Organization’s loss of funds. The GSG Executive Board is empowered by the GSG Constitution and Bylaws to suspend an Umbrella Organization’s access to funds if its Senator fails to attend two Senate Meetings during the academic year.

Please also note that while Senators are expected to fulfill all of their mandated responsibilities, GSG understands and acknowledges that Senators are students first. If concerns about fulfilling your responsibilities ever arise, please contact the Director of Elections and Recruitment: gsger@usc.edu for support.

Quick Guide of New Senators

Step 1: Become an Official GSG Senator

Once you are elected to the Senator position for your Umbrella Organization, please email the GSG Director of Elections and Recruitment (gsger@usc.edu) with your contact information and Proxy selection, so that GSG can officially acknowledge you as a Senator and add your e-mail address to the Senate listserv – you will receive information about upcoming Senate meetings via the listserv. Select Proxies who can attend Senate Meetings in your absence to ensure that your Umbrella is represented and does not lose access to funds.

Step 2: Prepare to Attend Senate Meetings

Senators are required to attend all GSG Senate Meetings, which generally take place once per month on Monday nights during the academic calendar year. Reminders are sent out before the date of each Senate Meeting. If you cannot attend the Senate Meeting, you can send a Proxy in your place. If you need to send a Proxy who is not listed for your Umbrella, or if no Proxy can attend in your place, please contact the Director of Elections and Recruitment (gsger@usc.edu). GSG seeks to work with you to make sure that your Umbrella is always represented, so please feel free to contact us anytime!

Step 3: Prepare to Participate in a GSG Committee

As a Senator you are expected to serve on a GSG Committee. Contact our VPs for specific information about how to join their Committees, and what type participation is required (i.e.: online submissions, monthly meetings, conference calls, etc).

Step 4: Learn More about GSG

Take another look at the GSG website, Constitution, and the Bylaws to familiarize yourself with the inner-workings of GSG. If you have any questions contact the GSG Executive Board! The GSG office is located in the SKS 410 (shared office with Campus Activities on the 4th floor). You can visit GSG Executive Board Members during their office hours throughout the week.

Senator Responsibilities

GSG BYLAWS SECTION 6
SENATE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

6.1 Senate Duties and Responsibilities

Each departmental and/or school representative to Graduate Student Government is obliged to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Attends all Senate meetings.
  • Obtains an electronic mail address from University computing services.
  • Disseminates with due diligence all communications between GSG and their department/school.
  • Acts as a liaison between their department/school and GSG.
  • Actively pursues the interests of their department/school.
  • Familiarizes self with their constituents and is accessible to them.
  • Familiarizes self with GSG Constitution and Bylaws.

6.2 Addition

In addition to the aforementioned obligations, each Senate Member is required to adhere closely to section 3.1 of the GSG Constitution.

GSG CONSTITUTION SECTION 3 SENATE
3.1 Responsibilities

3.1.1 Establishing Policies and Procedures

The Senate establishes the policies and procedures for GSG through the following responsibilities to:

  • Serve as a forum for graduate and professional student interaction
  • Elect the GSG Executive Board
  • Approve the GSG budget
  • Make resolutions expressing graduate and professional student concern
  • Amend the Constitution and Bylaws in a judicious manner
  • Designate a proxy to attend Senate and committee meetings in the event the regular senator(s) is/are unable to attend
  • Serve on at least one GSG standing committee or University-wide committee

3.1.2 Failure to Perform Duties
Senators who repeatedly fail to perform their duties or abuse their office for personal ends may be removed by two-thirds vote of the Senate. A senator must be given notice of an intended motion of removal at least four days before the meeting where the vote will be held. Senators may also be removed by the constituencies that elected them, according to the procedures of the constituency.

Senator Online Voting Process

The GSG is undertaking a measure to create a better method for voting. This online process will be used to save time and allow Senators to cast their votes anonymously.

  1. Check in before the meeting and receive your Voting Number and Login Information.
  2. GO TO: https://www.electionsonline.com/vote/.
  3. Once it has been announced that voting can begin, login with your given username and password.
  4. Cast your votes.
  5. Wait for results.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Your casted vote is anonymous but you are identifiable via your Voting Number. This is to track who has or has not voted. If you intend to leave before voting, please inform an e-board member. Otherwise, it will cause delays in the voting process.