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Graduate & Professional Student Association
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
GPSA CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE MEETING 44-01
MINUTES
Monday, September 16, 2024
9:00 PM
ONLINE MEETING:
VIRTUAL:
Passcode: GPSAUNLV
US Phone: +1 719-359-4580
Phone Code: 14888624
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGENDA AND PUBLIC MEETING NOTE:
PERTAINING TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS:
In accordance with the Board of Regents’ Bylaws, Title 1, Article V, Section 12, a quorum may be gained by telephonic, video, or electronic transmission provided that notice to that effect has been given.
Public Comment may be submitted via email to gpsapresident@unlv.edu. Messages received by 9:00 AM on the business day prior to the meeting may be entered into the record during the meeting. Any other public comment form submissions and/or voicemails received prior to the adjournment of the meeting will be transcribed and included in the permanent record.
Members of the public wishing to listen to the meeting may do so via:
CONTINUED:
Below is an agenda of all items scheduled to be presented and considered at the meeting. Notification is hereby provided that items on the agenda may be taken out of the order and presented, two or more agenda items may be combined for consideration, and an agenda item may be removed from the agenda or discussion relating to an item on the agenda may be delayed at any time.
Some agenda items are noted as having accompanying reference material. Copies of the reference materials that are distributed at the meeting may be requested by emailing the Executive Board at gpsa@unlv.edu.
This meeting’s agenda has been posted in accordance with NRS 241.020. Copies of the agenda and reference material will be made available as follows: 1. Digitally at the UNLV.edu/GPSA/Agendas and the Nevada Public Notice Website, 2. Physically located on the First Floor of the Lied Library at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 3. Physically located in the Carol C. Harter Classroom Building Complex (CHB) at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV.
Reasonable efforts will be made to assist and accommodate persons with a disability attending the meeting. Please email the GPSA Manager at gpsa@unlv.edu in advance so that arrangements may be made.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Public comment will be taken during this agenda item. No action may be taken on a matter raised under this item until the matter is included on an agenda as an item on which action may be taken. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person. Persons making comment will be asked to begin by stating their name for the record and to spell their last name. The Board Chair may elect to allow additional public comment on a specific agenda item when that agenda item is being considered. In accordance with Attorney General Opinion No. 00-047, as restated in the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Manual, the Chair may prohibit comment if the content of that comment is a topic that is not relevant to, or within the authority of, the Body, or if the content is willfully disruptive of the meeting by being irrelevant, repetitious, slanderous, offensive, inflammatory, irrational or amounting to personal attacks or interfering with the rights of other speakers.
2024-2025 Constitution and Bylaws Committee Member
- ☑ Teresa Marie, Chair, College of Urban Affairs
- ☑ Devin Lopez, Committee Member, College of Liberal Arts
- ☑ Kevin Navarrete-Parra, College of Liberal Arts
Members-at-Large:
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Members of the Public Present:☑ Virginia Smercina – Business Manager Bill Robinson – Faculty Advisor
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AGENDA
- PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
No public comment.
- APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
4a) This is the first meeting of this committee no minutes available.
- REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS INFORMATION ONLY
5a) Chair Report
Chair Marie will update the documents in the Google Drive and post the next few meetings on the Nevada website.
5b) GPSA Manager & Advisor
- UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Unfinished Business is any motion or action item that was under discussion and was postponed or moved to this meeting at the discretion of the public body as approved by the chair.
New business is any motion that is new to this meeting. All items will be for possible action unless otherwise stated.
7a) GPSA Constitutional Updates Articles I-VII FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Chair Marie request time for discussion and possible action of the review and updates for the constitution of GPSA. 5 mins
Motioned by Devin, seconded by Kevin to open the discussion. Passed unanimously.
A motion was made to suspend Robert’s Rules of Order. Motioned by Devin, seconded by Kevin. Passed unanimously.
Chair Marie discussed the need to update the mission statement and membership criteria of their organization. They compared the current document with a new draft, focusing on the membership criteria. Kevin suggested clarifying that membership is automatic upon enrollment as a graduate student, but Chair Marie clarified that membership is contingent on tuition payment. Business Manager Smercina and Devin agreed that students are expected to pay for their courses and will be administratively dropped if they don't.
The meeting discussed updates and clarifications on the GPSA's Constitution and Bylaws. The committee discussed the process of determining fees, which involves collecting data from GPSA members and presenting it to the leadership for approval. The committee agreed to mirror the Board of Regents' sections in their documents for compliance. They also discussed the distribution of powers within the GPSA Council, which should include executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The committee also mentioned the need for an internal GPSA process that aligns with the university's expectations.
Kevin, Business Manager Smercina, Chair Marie, and Devin discussed the representation of different departments and programs within their organization. They debated the possibility of having more than one representative from each department and the implications of this. They also discussed the issue of interdisciplinary programs and how they should be represented. The committee agreed that the specifics of representation should be left to the bylaws, and they considered the idea of apportionment based on the number of enrolled students. They also discussed the process of appointing or electing representatives, with Chair Marie stating that the department has the final say in this matter. The committee ended the conversation with the understanding that the language in the bylaws should be broadened to include representation by program rather than just department.
Business Manager Smercina, Devin, Kevin, and Chair Marie discussed the process of selecting representatives for the GPSA Council. They agreed that the selection should be determined by the department, unit, or program, and that the term should start on the first day of the fall semester and end on the final day of the spring semester. They also considered renaming the Summer Council to 'summer sessional'. The group decided to include this information in the bylaws, ensuring that the selection process is clearly defined and that representatives are not allowed to stay in perpetuity.
The committee discussed the need for a student handbook for both undergraduate and graduate students, with the possibility of having separate handbooks for each. They also deliberated on the appointment and term of representatives, deciding to keep the term piece in the document. The committee also discussed the need for a method of appointing representatives, which should be prescribed by each department. The conversation ended with the committee planning to add comments to the document and potentially switch to a quarterly program.
The committee discussed the structure and representation of the GPSA council. They agreed to define the council's terms and the determination of representatives during these terms, leaving the specifics to the departments. They also considered the possibility of a shift to a quarterly system and the need for flexibility in their bylaws to accommodate such changes. The committee decided to define the council's composition and term in the Constitution, with further details in the bylaws. They also discussed the voting rights of representatives and agreed to use inclusive language in their documents.
Business Manager Smercina, GPSA, and Kevin discussed the language and structure of their document. They agreed to make certain sections more specific and clear, such as the responsibilities of representatives and the procedures for filing vacancies. They also discussed the need for a clear definition of representatives and members at large. The committee decided to split certain responsibilities into two points for better clarity.
The committee discussed the need for clearer definitions in their documents, particularly regarding the terms 'days'. They agreed on the importance of defining 'calendar days' and 'business days' to avoid confusion and decided to add a 'definitions area' to their documents. They also discussed the need for defining 'professional student' based on the program designation, not by GPSA. The committee agreed to add more definitions to the bylaws to clarify the roles and responsibilities of members at large and decided that anyone who has attended at least one council meeting can run for office. The next meeting was set for September 23rd, 2024 at 9 am.
Business Manager Smercina and GPSA discussed the lack of votes taken during the meeting and the need to revisit any decisions made. They also discussed the need for clearer language in the operating policies and bylaws, particularly regarding the sponsorship program and committee makeup.
7fb) Call for New Business Items
Items for consideration at future meetings may be suggested. Discussion is limited to description and clarification of the subject matter of the item, including the reasons for the request; emergency items added at the discretion of the President (GPSA Bylaws Article IV, Sec.3).
- ANNOUNCEMENTS INFORMATION ONLY
- Next Meeting will be September 23, 2024 @ 9:00am - PUBLIC COMMENT INFORMATION ONLY
(See foregoing notation regarding public comment)
No public comment.
- ADJOURNMENT FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Adjourned at 10:06am.