As approved at May 1999 Meeting
Last Amended: May 2 2007

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Section 1. Graduate Student Council meetings shall be held monthly during the time when classes are meeting (October-December and February-May).

Section 2. Meetings shall be publicized by posters in the GSAS Residence Halls, Dudley House, and departments, as well as announced in the GSAS Bulletin and on the GSC mailing list.

Section 3. Meetings shall follow the procedures of the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order at the discretion of the Parliamentarian. That is, meetings shall be informal without objection.

ARTICLE II: Attendance

Section 1. The Secretary shall keep the records of attendance by departmental representatives.

Section 2. The list of those graduate programs attending or not attending each meeting shall be included in the monthly minutes.

Section 3. To receive credit for meeting attendance, a member must sign in on the attendance sheet at each meeting, which shall serve as the official list of members present. Failure to properly sign in may result in an absence.

ARTICLE III: Committee Representatives

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall select representatives to various external committees of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and University, including the Committee on Graduate Education (CGE), FAS Library Committee, FAS Information Technology Committee, Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (on a rotating basis with the other graduate schools).

Section 2. The Council shall select representatives to the Harvard Graduate Council (HGC) to represent the interests of GSAS students with students from the other graduate schools.

Section 3. The Council shall appoint liaisons to the Undergraduate Council (UC), the Graduate Dormitory Council (GDC), Dudley House, and the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS).

Section 4. Committee representatives shall be elected following the procedures outlined in the Constitution while liaisons are appointed.

ARTICLE IV: Council Office

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall maintain an office for Council business to be located in Dudley House. Keys to the office shall be available to members of the Executive Committee and staff members and must be returned upon completion of those offices or duties.

Section 2. The Council may employ a paid office assistant for administrative and routine tasks subject to budget.

Section 3. Misuse of the office shall be considered abuse of power and be grounds for removal from office.

ARTICLE V: Electronic Resources

Section 1. The Council shall maintain a world wide web site, overseen by the Information Coordinator, for distribution and publicity of Council information.

Section 2. The Council shall maintain a moderated electronic mailing list for distribution of Council information and news of interest to GSC students, overseen by the Information Coordinator. This list shall be available for subscription by any interested parties.

Section 3. The Council shall maintain electronic mail addresses for the convenience of its members.

ARTICLE VI: Council Affiliations

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall be a member of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS) at the membership level approved in the annual budget. The Council should endeavor to send one or more representatives to the NAGPS National Conference and Northeast Region Conference, subject to budget limitations.

Section 2. The Council shall have the right to affiliate with other organizations as appropriate upon the majority vote of representatives or the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII: GSC Fee

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall receive income from an annual fee of $20 assessed on all resident GSAS students on November term bills.

Section 2. GSAS students wishing to decline their membership in the Council must submit a written request to the Council by the date included in materials distributed in GSAS registration packets. Those waiving the fee may not participate in GSC programs and services. Those who have already participated in Council activities may not decline the fee. Only those students who have paid the fee shall be considered "members" of the Council.

Section 3. The level of the fee may be changed by vote of the Council in amending the appropriate By Law. As stipulated in the Constitution, prior notice and a majority vote of the representatives present is required for amendment.

ARTICLE VIII: Computer Facilities

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall operate computing facilities for the benefit of GSAS students in Dudley House.

Section 2. These facilities shall be free of charge to all GSC members (i.e., those who have paid the annual GSC Fee).

Section 3. Permission to use the GSC computing facilities shall be granted only to those GSC members who complete the annual authorization form and agree to the rules listed therein. Violation of any listed rules may result in loss of GSC computing privileges.

Section 4. The Council may employ a Computer Manager to administer GSC computing facilities, install new equipment, maintain all facilities, and respond to technical problems.

Section 5. In consultation with the Dudley House Undergraduate Office, the Council may extend GSC computing privileges to the Dudley House undergraduate community.

ARTICLE IX: Conference and Research Grants

Section 1. Conference Grants are designed to support GSAS students attending conferences in their field of study, and are awarded in October ("Fall"), January ("Winter"), and May ("Spring"). Grants may cover up to 60% of total allowable expenses not to exceed $700 and are intended to help defray some of the expenses incurred while attending conferences. Applicants may be submitted in advance of conference or retroactively before the next Conference Grant deadline (although the Fall Round will only consider retroactive applications for conferences occurring after July 1).

Section 2. Summer research grants of a minimum of $750 are available for students doing research during the summer vacation period and are awarded in May. Summer research grants are given as a stipend and do not require receipts.

Section 3. The money to be distributed at each round will be determined by the Treasurer, based upon the number of applications received or expected.

Section 4. In order to be eligible to receive a GSC Conference or Research Grant, an applicant must be a GSC member (i.e., the applicant must have paid the annual GSC Fee) and be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program which has been represented at at least half of the regular monthly GSC meetings in the current and previous semester.

Section 5. Conference Grants are awarded on a reimbursement basis and require submission of original receipts to the GSC Treasurer. Amounts spent in excess of a Grant allocation, even if documented with original receipts, will not be reimbursed. Amounts spent in accordance with a Grant allocation, but for which original receipts are not provided, will not be reimbursed.

Section 6. Accountable expenses for Conference Grants include transportation (by the most economical means available), lodging (excluding food), registration fees, and expenses related to presenting a paper (photocopying, etc.). Personal expenses (including food) and costs related to personal advancement, such as copying and distribution of resumes, are not accountable expenses.

Section 7. Any research expense which is related to a degree requirement is an allowable expense for Summer Research Grant applicants. This includes language training which is unavailable at Harvard but which is critical to the student's research.

Section 8. No more than three students from a single graduate program may receive GSC Conference or Summer Research Grants during an academic year.

Section 9. Conference Grant recipients must submit a summary of his/her participation in the conference upon return, to be submitted to the Graduate Student Council.

Section 10. Summer Research Grant recipients must submit a summary of what was achieved, upon completion of the research period.

Section 11. A complete Conference or Summer Research Grant application will include a completed application form (Conference application form, Summer Application Form); a letter of recommendation from a faculty member which refers specifically to the relevance of the conference or research project for the applicant's academic progress and career; and a one page, double-spaced description of participation in the conference or of the importance of the summer research project; a detailed budget of expenses anticipated and/or incurred, including other sources of funding and support, if any.

Section 12. The Selection Committee for Conference and Summer Research Grants will consist of a GSC officer, two GSAS Deans, one faculty member, and one student member of the GSC at large. The committee shall be appointed at the beginning of the academic year.

ARTICLE X: Student Group Funding

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council provides funding for officially-registered GSAS student organizations for operational expenses and special events.

Section 2. Groups seeking GSC support must submit the appropriate funding request forms at least two weeks prior to the October, November, February, or April GSC meeting.

Section 3. Funding requests will be considered by the Budget and Funding Committee which will make a recommendation to the full Council at the next GSC meeting.

Section 4. All student group funding allocations in excess of $500 must be proposed as a separate motion by the full Council. Allocations of less than $500 will be automatically approved at the end of the Council meeting in the absence of alternative motion.

Section 5. Funding decisions will be based upon the appeal of the funded event or organization to a cross section of the GSAS student body. In general, events should appeal to students in more than one academic program. Attempts to seek alternative sources of funding are strongly encouraged and will result in more favorable consideration of funding requests.

Section 6. Student organizations receiving GSC funding must acknowledge this support on all publicity for the event or organization.

Section 7. Financial support from the Council does not represent GSC responsibility for the funded event or organization, nor does it represent support in any other capacity.

Section 8. Student organizations receiving GSC support are expected to take advantage of all available means of publicity to GSAS students, including -- but not limited to -- posters in Dudley House and the GSAS Residence Halls, announcement in the GSAS Bulletin, listing in on-line or other appropriate calendars, and publicity by relevant departments and organizations.

Section 9. Any student group seeking funding from the GSC must send a representative to the Council meeting wherein their funding is considered by the GSC. If a representative of the group does not attend, the group will not receive funding at that meeting.

ARTICLE XI: GSAS Student Survival Guide

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall publish an annual guide to graduate student life at Harvard (GSAS Student Survival Guide or Survival Guide), listing resources and offering suggestions in a student-accessible format.

Section 2. This guide shall be distributed to incoming GSAS students at GSAS Orientation each fall. Copies will also be available to continuing students and appropriate administrative and academic offices.

Section 3. The Council may employ an editor for the guide each year, to be sure all information is correct and up-to-date. Further, the editor will continue refine the coverage of the guide so that it best meets the needs of the GSAS student body. Compensation for the editor will be determined by the Budget and Funding Committee.

ARTICLE XII: Selection of GSAS Marshals

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall be responsible for the selection of GSAS Commencement Marshals each year. The duties and responsibilities of the marshals shall be determined by the Office of the University Marshal and the GSAS Office of Alumni Affairs.

Section 2. An ad hoc committee for selection of marshals, to be chaired by the Vice President of the Council, shall be formed each spring and oversee the marshal selection process.

Section 3. The committee shall solicit nominations for marshals from academic departments, divisions, and committees for those students receiving advanced degrees (Ph.D., A.M., S.M. of M.F.S) who will be attending the Commencement exercises. A completed nomination shall include a curriculum vitae (or similar) from the student nominee and a letter of support from a faculty member or administrator. Students who wish to be considered for nomination should make their interest known to their department administrator.

Section 4. In determining which students to select, the marshal selection committee should look for service to their community, especially within their department, the Graduate School, or the University. GSAS marshals are not meant to reward academic performance or excellence in scholarship.

Section 5. No student who will be nominated to be a marshal shall serve on the selection committee. If the Vice President of the Council will be nominated, another officer shall chair the committee. If all officers will be nominated, a committee chair shall be chosen by the Council.

ARTICLE XIII: GSC Everett Mendelsohn Excellence in Mentoring Awards

Section 1. The Graduate Student Council shall recognize one or more faculty members each year for excellence in mentoring of GSAS students.

Section 2. The GSC Excellence in Mentoring Awards Committee shall oversee the awards program. The Council shall select a chair of the Awards Committee and three additional members of the committee, one each from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. In addition, one officer of the Council shall serve on the committee.

Section 3. Nominations shall be solicited from GSAS students and kept in confidence. The Awards Committee shall publicize the awards throughout the GSAS student body.

Section 4. The Awards Committee shall select one or more faculty members each year to receive the award. The Committee will endeavor to distribute the awards throughout graduate programs, but will select only the most deserving faculty members.

Section 5. Recipients of the GSC Excellence in Mentoring Award will be honored by an annual reception and have their name inscribed on a plaque to remain in the graduate student center. In addition, the Council may offer a memento to award recipients in recognition of their award. The Committee will also publicize the names of the winners for appropriate recognition among the Faculty and across the University.

Section 6. A faculty member may not receive the award in multiple years from the nomination of the same student. However, a faculty member may receive multiple awards based upon the nominations of different students. There is no limit upon the number of years in which a student may nominate the same -- or multiple -- mentors.