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Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council

Constitution

Date Prepared: March 27th, 2014
Date(s) Amended: April 23rd, 2023

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PREAMBLE

The Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (CEGSAC) is the organization that represents civil engineering graduate students.

ARTICLE I - Name

The name of this organization shall be Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (CEGSAC).

ARTICLE II - Purpose of the Organization

The Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (CEGSAC) was formed to build communication and camaraderie between students, faculty, alumni, and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering administration. In addition, CEGSAC is committed to communicating the concerns and issues of the civil engineering graduate student body to school administrators.

ARTICLE III - Membership

Section A. Membership Eligibility

Purdue University graduate students registered in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering are eligible for active membership, while Purdue University staff, faculty, and visiting students are eligible for adjunct membership.

Section B. Selection of Members

Every semester, an e-form is sent to all civil engineering graduate students. Based on the information presented, the executive board will review and approve the new member. Active members have voting rights, while adjunct members do not.

Non‐Discrimination Statement

Membership and participation are free from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran.

Anti‐Hazing Statement

All forms of hazing are prohibited by Purdue University both on and off campus. See the “Policy Against Hazing” here.

ARTICLE IV - Organization Officers and Election Procedure

Section A. List of Officers by Title

The executive board comprises President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Webmaster. In addition, the PGSG Senator will also be elected yearly by CEGSAC and be an officer of the organization. Finally, chairs are elected for three committees: Professional Development, Cultural & Community Outreach, and Sports, Health & Wellness.

Section B. Eligibility

All officers must be full-time graduate students enrolled in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering during their terms (graduation in December of the election year or internships make a person ineligible). Only active members who have previously served on the Executive Board or as Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs are eligible for election as the President. In extraordinary cases, a majority of the current executive board can override this rule.

Section C. Length of Officer Term

All elected officers shall be elected annually and serve a one-year term, starting in the summer and ending the following spring, with a possibility of re-election.

Section D. Election Procedure

A list of nominees will be distributed to all current members between the second to last meeting of the Spring Semester. Officers are elected by a majority of the members present during the election. Votes will be collected during the last meeting of the Spring Semester, and results will be announced during the meeting and via email to all the organization’s members. All active members are eligible to vote.

Section E. Appointment Procedures

Nominations for all elected officers will be collected before the last meeting of the Spring Semester. Active members can nominate themselves or other active members for each position. The nominee must accept the nomination before they are voted upon.

Section F. Officer Removal

Any member may call for the removal of an officer by submitting a written request to the President (if the President is the officer in question, the request is to be submitted to the advisor). The President (or advisor) will send a warning letter discussing the matter to the officer in question.

If a second request for removal is made, the officer in question can verbally argue their case at a meeting with the officers and advisor. If deemed necessary, an improvement plan addressing the responsibilities and behavior of the officer may be established.

If a third request for removal is made, a vote of the organization will be taken regarding the removal of that officer. Members will be given one week’s notice of the removal vote. 60% of current active members attending the meeting (minus the officer in question) must vote in favor of the removal to remove the officer.

Section G. Officer Vacancy

In the event of an elected position vacancy, officers (excluding vacant officers) will nominate a new officer to fulfill the duties of the previous officer, and the President will appoint the new officer at their discretion.

ARTICLE V - Advisor

Advisors may not vote or hold office in the organization.

The organization will have one advisor to guide the members and Board to pursue the planned goals and activities. The advisor will be selected among all active faculty or staff of the Lyles School of Civil Engineering that shows interest in helping the organization achieve its goals.

If necessary, the selection will occur at the end of the Spring Semester, and the advisor can be reelected with mutual agreement with the Board.

ARTICLE VI - Officers and Duties

Section A. President

The President is responsible for directing the activities of CEGSAC, delegating activities to fellow CEGSAC members, presiding over meetings, and representing the organization in external affairs. The President will also act as CEGSAC representative for the College of Engineering Graduate Student Organization and Civil Engineering representative for the College of Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council.

Section B. Vice President

The President shall direct the activities of the Vice President. The Vice President will serve as President if the position becomes vacant or the President is absent. The Vice President is also responsible for maintaining and updating the Constitution. The Vice President will act as the CEGSAC representative in external affairs if the President cannot attend. The Vice President will serve as the Civil Engineering representative in external affairs that the Civil Engineering Senator cannot participate.

Section C. Treasurer

The Treasurer, as an elected officer, (1) is responsible for managing the finances, including approving activity budgets and submitting reimbursement paperwork to the Business Office of Student Organizations; (2) keeping accounts, depositing the organization’s funds, and making expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations; (3) maintain accurate financial records and create a budget; (4) prepare budget proposals in conjunction with the President and Vice President; (5) prepare final expense reports.

Section D. Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for documenting CEGSAC meetings and activities. That includes (1) maintaining and distributing meeting minutes and any official records, such as committee applications; (2) maintaining a list of all people attending the meetings; (3) working with the President to prepare Activity Planning Forms when required by SAO and answer to comments until they get approval; (4) request space for activities of the organization.

Section E. PGSG Senator

The Purdue Graduate Student Government (PGSG) Senator represents the civil engineering students with PGSG. The Senator is the voice of the civil engineering department at the university level and brings students’ concerns to the student government. In addition, the senator participates in all general meetings of the student organization and PGSG meetings.

Section F. Committee Chairs

Each Committee Chair organizes committee-related activities and events and delegates tasks to members when applicable. The organization has four committees: Professional Development Committee, the Sports, Health & Wellness Committee, Cultural & Community Outreach Committee, and Office of Public Relations. More than one person can fill committee chair positions, in which case they become Co-Chairs.

Professional Development Committee duties:

  • Foster relationships between alums and students.
  • Create networking and soft skill development opportunities between graduate students and professionals.
  • Develop workshops to help students succeed academically in graduate school (email etiquette, professional headshots, research, and professional development activities).

Sports, Health & Wellness Committee duties:

  • Organize intramural teams & recreational sporting activities.
  • Create activities to promote mental and physical health.
  • Plan sports-related events for the graduate Civil Engineering community (college sporting events, watch parties)

Cultural & Community Outreach Committee duties:

  • Organize and implement outreach events within the local community.
  • Educate the Civil Engineering community about cultural celebrations and events.
  • Invite students and faculty to attend seasonal social activities

Office of Public Relations duties:

  • Maintain the website and the social media accounts.
  • Communicating events and important information through social media and the website.
  • Issue CEGSAC newsletters and editorial activities for the newsletter.

ARTICLE VII - Meetings

General meetings shall be held monthly, called by the executive board according to general availability. A quorum is constituted of at least three officers and two members. The executive board can also call emergency meetings via email with at least 48 hours of advance notice to the members.

ARTICLE VIII - Constitutional Amendments

Any member can propose to the Board, an amendment to the organization. The Board will receive a copy of the amendment and review it. If a majority pre-approves the amendment (in case of a tie, the President’s vote counts twice), it will be included in the next monthly meeting and sent via e-mail to all the active members. Then, a vote will be called on the day of the meeting. To consider the Amendment approved by the organization, it must have at least 2/3 votes from the active members.

Amendment Clause

All amendments to the constitution and bylaws are subject to the approval of the Office of Student Activities and Organizations. They MAY NOT take effect until they have been approved.

ARTICLE IX - Dissolution

Dissolution of the organization will take place only in two cases:

(1) when a majority of the Board approves the dissolution, or
(2) when 3/4 of the active members vote to dissolute the organization. The vote will take place in a regular meeting.

Any unspent funds will be donated to another organization or Purdue department. This will be decided based on the main goals of the possible recipient and if they are close to this organization's goals.

Cultural & Community Outreach Committee duties:

  • Organize and implement outreach events within the local community.
  • Educate the Civil Engineering community about cultural celebrations and events.
  • Invite students and faculty to attend seasonal social activities