Standing Rules
Of the GSG Board
I. Representatives:
Representatives are responsible for the passing of GSG business and events.
Representatives shall attend every GSG Board meeting. Substitute representatives (proxies) are allowed. Proxies shall notify the Secretary in the attendance record of their substitution. Participation in voting is required by all representatives (officers excluded).
Representatives shall serve on at least one GSG standing, ad hoc, or university committee. The Vice President will facilitate or appoint committee placement. Representatives shall familiarize themselves with the GSG Constitution, Bylaws, Standing Rules, and parliamentary procedures. Questions concerning responsibilities of the Representatives should be directed at the Vice President.
II. President:
The GSG President is responsible for assuring that the work of all the other officers is accomplished in the manner prescribed in the GSG Constitution, Bylaws, Standing Rules, or by the GSG Board. The President presides over all GSG Board meetings and GSG Executive Committee meetings.
A. University Representation
The GSG President is often the first person looked to as a representative by other institutional segments of the University. The GSG President shall serve as a member of the Graduate Board, the President’s Executive Council and the President’s Student Cabinet. Each of these groups meets approximately once per month. The President is welcome to serve as a representative in other forums as well (e.g. standing committees, ad hoc committees and search committees) or the President in conjunction with the Vice President may designate other graduate students to these committees. The President is an invited University Representative to quarterly Board of Visitors Meetings.
The GSG President, in conjunction with the Vice President, should seek a diverse spectrum, in terms of graduate program, gender, politics and personal philosophies, of the graduate student community to serve as graduate student representatives to the University in the various opportunities.
B. GSG Representation
The GSG President is automatically an ex-officio member of all GSG committees (Grants
Committee, Finance Committee, Elections Committee, etc.).
C. Newsletter
The GSG President will approve each version of the GSG Newsletter as written and compiled by the GSG Secretary. The President should contribute to the GSG Newsletter.
D. Minutes
The GSG President shall be responsible for accepting the GSG Board meeting minutes from the GSG Secretary and for their subsequent dissemination to the GSG Board. The President shall sign at least one hard copy of the minutes to be submitted to the financial auditors. Any discrepancies of the minutes may be raised and must be resolved at the GSG Board meeting immediately following their public posting.
E. Financial Affairs
1. The GSG President shall act as the official signer for all GSG financial documents. (e.g. checks).
2. The GSG President shall not write any checks. Checks shall be written by the Treasurer.
3. The GSG President, along with the Treasurer and three GSG Board members may, with the concurrence of 75% of all recognized departmental representation, make expenditures from the principal, where allowed, of GSG’ investments.
4. Upon budget approval, the GSG President shall have wide latitude in the spending of monies from the following two budget categories: Miscellaneous and Office Supplies. A complete accounting is to be offered to the GSG Board.
5. The GSG President shall not enter the GSG into any contracts without the concurrence of the GSG Board.
6. The GSG President with the help of the Executive Committee will prepare an annual budget based on expected income and propose the budget to the GSG Board at the first meeting of the fall semester. At the end of the President’s tenure he/she will work with the new Executive Committee to develop a proposed budget, account for over- or under-expenditures and smooth the transition for the new officers.
7. Stipends: The GSG President shall be the issuer of all GSG stipends. The stipends shall not be paid in advance of worked completed. The annual stipends shall be paid in three portions at the end of the summer, the fall semester and the spring semester at 30, 30 and 40 percent respectively. If the work of one of the officers is not completed the portion of the stipend commensurate for that quantity of work shall be withheld and it may be paid to another individual for completion of the work at the discretion of the GSG President. If the President has not completed his/her duties, it is incumbent upon the Vice President and Treasure to mediate the situation with the involvement of the GSG Board and the University’s Office of Judicial Affairs if necessary. FOR NO REASON MAY PAYMENT OF STIPENDS EXCEED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT SET BY THE GSG BOARD.
F. Office Staff
The GSG President has the option to hire an Office Assistant. The Office Assistant will preferably be a work-study undergraduate student, but there are no restrictions. It is suggested to try and select someone who would like to work for more than one year. During the last semester of an office staff’s tenure, it is suggested to employ a second assistant to work with the first and become familiar with GSG’ affairs. The President shall serve as the supervisor for this position.
G. Negotiator
The GSG President shall be the chief negotiator of terms of contracts and situations with all outside entities, be they University related or not. The President may designate another graduate student to act on his/her behalf; but the responsibility for the final agreement rests upon the President. The President shall report any negotiated positions or contracts to the GSG Board and financial contracts are subject to approval by the GSG Board.
H. Electronic Forums
The GSG President will be responsible for overseeing the maintenance and monitoring of the GSG Folder on First Class and the Official GSG webpage in the University of Maine website. These duties may be shared with the other Officers and Office Staff at the President’s discretion.
III Vice President:
The Vice President shall act in the capacity of the President in any meeting or event where the President is unable to attend or participate.
A. GSG and University Committees
The Vice President shall act as coordinator of all GSG committee activities and membership. The committees include: all GSG permanent, standing and ad hoc committees (except for the Grants Committee and Executive Committee which are under the control of the GSG Grants Officer and President, respectively). The Vice President will coordinate all Administration Committee GSG Representation by either being the default representative or nominating another graduate student. This should be accomplished as soon as possible in the beginning of each academic year. The Vice President needs to solicit reports from all graduate students representing the GSG on these various committees. The Vice President should schedule briefings of the committees’ activities for the GSG Board that are believed to be of significant interest to the GSG Board. These briefings should consist of appearances by the graduate student representative, or a summary of their reported activities.
B. GSG Representation
The Vice President shall oversee the duties of the Representatives. New Representatives shall receive guidelines and instruction of duties from the Vice President.
C. Research Exposition
The GSG Vice President is charged with overseeing, staffing and organizing the Annual Research Exposition. The Vice President shall create a committee (including the Vice President) to plan and conduct the event. The Vice President shall work closely with the Graduate School and serve on the Student Research and Creative Achievement planning committee while preparing for and conducting this yearly event.
D. Monthly Reconciliation
The GSG Vice President shall reconcile the monthly bank statement with the current financial records of the GSG.
E. Philanthropy
The Vice President shall have the responsibility for any of the GSG’ philanthropic activities.
F. University Representation
The Vice-President shall represent the GSG on the Faculty Senate. The Vice President shall then report all significant progress from the Faculty Senate to the GSG Board and vice versa.
G. Officer Evaluation
The Vice President shall with the concurrence of the Treasurer, evaluate the performance of the President in terms of adequately performing his or her duties to be awarded his or her full GSG stipend. If the Vice President and Treasurer determined that the GSG President’s performance is such that it warrants withholding all, or a portion of his or her stipend, the Vice President and the Treasurer shall seek to rectify the situation with the assistance of the GSG Board and/or the University’s Office of Judicial Affairs if necessary.
IV. Treasurer:
The treasurer is responsible for all the financial transactions of the GSG and keeping appropriate records of expenditures and income. The treasurer is responsible for keeping the GSG budget up to date and managing the money in the GSG’ University of Maine Credit Union accounts. The following is a general list of activities as they occur during the term of office.
| Time | Activity | Responsibility |
| May/June | End Fiscal Year | * Pay bills, FY ends June 31 |
| July/August | Start Fiscal Year | * Pay bills (some apply to previous years budget)
* Complete Annual Financial Report from previous year * Contact financial auditors to schedule meeting time to submit financial report and reconcile any questions. * Work with President to establish preliminary GSG budget. * Request check for balance of Activity Fee funds from Bursar’s office. Funds apply to previous FY. |
| September | Start Academic Year | * Finalize budget with GSG Board
* Complete financial audit of the previous year. * Payment of Summer Stipend (30% of annual amount). * Arrange for payment of Office Assistant (Currently with The Dean of Student’s and Comm. Life Office) Rehires get raise. * Receive Activity Fees from Bursar’s Office * Receive Unified Fee funds from Grad School |
| October | Fall Grants / Clubs | * Work with GSG Grants Officer for timely payment of Grants
* Payment of Clubs and Organizations support |
| November | Grants | * Pay Grants if not done in October
* Receive Activity Fees from Bursar’s Office |
| December | Semester Ends | * Report budget status to GSG President and Board
* Payment of fall stipend (30% of annual amount). |
| January/February | Start Last Semester
Clubs |
* Review Budget with GSG Board
* Receive Activity Fees from Bursar’s Office * Receive dividend of GSG’ Investment with UMaine Foundation (~$1000). * Payment of Clubs and Organizations support |
| March | Spring Grants | * Payment of Spring Grants
* Check with President’s Office as to the expendable income in Graduate Development Fund, then Submit GSG Grant receipts from Fall Travel Grants for reimbursement to be paid to GSG. |
| April | Reallocations | * Review budget with GSG Board and get decisions on what to do with all remaining funds. Returned Grants roll over to next years Grants budget.
* Start Annual Financial Report * Receive Activity Fees from Bursar’s Office |
| May | Officer Elections
End Academic Year |
* Finish all of Annual Financial Report possible
* Payment of spring stipend (40% of annual amount) * List expected bills to be paid in summer that apply to current FY. * Transfer of responsibility to successor: brief successor, change authorizing signatures at Credit Union. |
A. GSG’ Financial Accounts
1. CREDIT UNION (3 accounts)
Regular Share/savings #XXXX-00 $25.00 minimum balance 2.25% Interest
This is the base account. The minimum should be kept here only.
Super share #XXXX-69 $2000.00 minimum balance ~3.25% Interest
All deposits should be made to this account and the bulk of GSG’ operating funds should remain in this account until transferred to checking or the equipment purchase CD. Transfers can be done on the phone.
Checking #XXXX-71 no minimum balance No Interest
Always maintain a balance sufficient to cover checks that have left the GSG office. Transfers can be done on the phone.
Equipment CD #XXXX-964 Matures every 6 months in March and September.
Funds from photocopying should be added to this account as well as the left over amount from the “Copying and Printing” budget. These funds are to be used to purchase major pieces of equipment for the GSG or the Graduate Center (e.g. photocopier, printers, and computers). This account is established to make purchases that would not fall under a normal budget year.
2. GRADUATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND
University of Maine System Principal Account #5-6-40367
University of Maine System Interest Account #5-0-60367
a. Official Description
The Graduate Research and Development Fund is an Endowment Fund established by the Graduate Student Government on April 21, 1988. Income from the fund is restricted in its use to academic and research support of graduate students at the University of Maine at Orono. Administration and disbursement of this fund is carried out by the President of the University of Maine in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Graduate Student Government. Alumni gifts to this fund, while awaiting transfer to the Graduate Research and Development Fund, are permanently restricted and are not available for current use.
b. Management and Use
This fund generates about $1000 per year in disposable income. This disposable income is transferred to the account once a year by the UMaine Foundation. As of FY 1998 the disposable income was accessed only once by GSG and at least three times by the Presidents Office (without GSG consultation). This fund should be used to reimburse the GSG for GSG Grant expenditures each year. In the spring ask the presidents office for an accounting of how much money was transferred in to the disposable account and then submit GSG Grant receipts form the Fall Grants in an amount equal to the current disposable balance. The request should be addressed to the University President.
3. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE FOUNDATION CASH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT
a. Official Description
In March and April 1999, the Graduate Student Government invested approximately $27,000.00 into a cash management account through the University of Maine Foundation. This account will receive an interest rate equal to the short-term government bond rate plus two percentage points. This rate, expected to be between 6 and 7%, will be determined on a monthly basis. The dividends earned will be automatically reinvested into the account. In the first week of January a check for ½ of the interest accrued during the past year will be written to the GSG.
Four officers- President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer oversee the GSG. The board elects these positions, as they become available. The turn around on the positions is approximately yearly. As the positions change a letter will be sent to the Foundation with the newly elected names as well as signatures to be held on file.
The Graduate Student Government will have the authority to request funds from the principal account at any time and for any amount. This request however, must be in the form of a written request to be signed by the current GSG President, Treasurer as well as three additional board members (not officers). All checks from this account will be made payable to the Graduate Student Government.
b. GSG Board Policy
The disbursements made by the University of Maine Foundation to the GSG shall be added into the general GSG budget with no restrictions on its use. The principal amount of the initial investment $27,500 plus the annual increase as a result of reinvestment shall not be accessed unless authorized by a 75% vote of all official GSG representatives.
B. Annual Financial Audit
The GSG has always used the accounting firm of Loiselle, Goodwin and Hinds (207-990-4585) for the annual financial audit and federal tax filing. Jim Hinds C.P.A. is the CEO and we have worked with Patracia Ellis C.P.A. for the last few years directly. Negotiation of the auditing fee is done with Jim Hinds. The current agreement is for $1000, provided GSG submits all documents in proper order. This firm has been good to the GSG and is strongly recommended that GSG continue their relationship with them.
In April the GSG Treasurer or President will receive a letter indicating that the fiscal year is about to come to a close and that the GSG should start putting together the annual financial report. The following is a list of what should be in the annual report for the audit:
1. Bank Statements: From July 1, to June 30 of Fiscal Year just ending.
2. Approved Final GSG Budget: The final budget approved by the GSG Board after any reallocations.
3. Minutes from meetings: A hard copy of all minutes should be signed.
4: Grant information: List of recipients: usually just the sheet they signed when picking up their check (serves as receipt and list)
5. Invoices: All the invoices and receipts in an organized manner. Invoices and receipts should list the check number was written to pay it.
6. Treasurer Report: Summary of Income, Expenditures and Transactions
a. Income should indicate source (Unified Fee, interest, Activity Fee, etc.) A letter from each source of funding must be requested and issued on letterhead citing the disbursements made to the GSG by that Group.
i. Bursar’s Office: Activity Fees
ii. Graduate School: Unified Fee
iii. Credit Union: Interest and statement of account status as of June 30.
iv. Presidents Office: Statement of the status of Research and Development Fund, both the Principal and Interest accounts.
v. UMaine Foundation: Statement of account status as of June 30 and dividend paid in January.
b. Expenditure should be broken down by budget category; receipts or invoices should exist for all expenditures and disbursements (receipts are sometimes only a signed sheet of paper stipulating that funds were received, as is the case for Grants etc.).
c. Receipts should exist for all expenditures.
d. Transactions should be a summary of transfers from one savings account to another (e.g. from super-shares to the Equipment CD). This will reflect the cash on hand and where it is.
7. Reconciled accounts (ledger): The electronic ledger must accord with the bank statements and individual budget expenditures must accord with total expenditures.
8. Checkbook with stubs: Turn in the checkbook with stubs for the period when checks were written to pay for items or services covered in the FY of the audit. Everything will be returned.
When the auditors have finished with the audit, usually in October, request four copies of the report. Keep two copies for the GSG, one on display and one in the files and send one copy of the report to the VP for Finance and Administration and one to the Graduate School advisor to the GSG.
C. Miscellaneous
1. The GSG Treasurer shall write all checks to be issued by the GSG. The amounts and purposes of these checks shall be decided by the GSG Board and/or the GSG President. The Treasurer shall not sign any checks.
2. The GSG Treasurer shall prepare and report the monthly bank reconciliation to the GSG Board. The Treasurer shall not perform the actual reconciliation.
3. Budget: To Prepare the GSG budget, in conjunction with the GSG President and other officers, first contact the Graduate School and the people at the Business Office and ask them how much money GSG will be receiving. The budget will then be a work in progress, most likely based on the one passed last year and with the possible existence of a suggested budget from last year.
4. Checks: The GSG monitors its expenditures with the checks it writes. Thus, write a check for each and every invoice item that comes from a different budget category.
5. Employer Identification Number: 22-3079896
6. Grants Program: Money once slated for the GSG Grants Program should always remain for the GSG Grants Program. Thus, when Grant checks are returned or graduate students reimburse the GSG due to changes in the students’ activities, those funds should be tracked and added to the GSG Grants budget for the following semester.
The payment of Grants should be as prompt as possible. Work with the GSG Grants Officer to get a list of awardees with the dollar amount each is to receive and get checks written within 2 or 3 business days.
7. Office Assistant: The GSG employs a student to staff the GSG office a nominal number of hours each week. Each year an Office Assistant returns to the same position there is a mandatory raise (like 2%).
8. Stipends: Office stipends shall be paid three times a year: at the end of the summer, 30% of the annual stipend; at the end of fall semester, 30% of the annual stipend; and the final 40% at the end of the spring semester. The GSG President will determine if any particular officer has fulfilled their duties and will authorize payment of the stipend or a fraction thereof. For the President the Treasurer and Vice President shall determine if the duties of the office have been fulfilled; however, if not, it is suggested that they seek GSG Board assistance in rectifying the situation.
IV. Grants Officer:
The Grants Officer is responsible for dispersal of funds to graduate students through the Graduate Student Government. All funding of groups and individuals must be channeled through the Grants Officer.
Groups of students that fulfill the mission statement of the Graduate Student Government may request GSG funding in one of two ways. They may (1) form a club or organization if their needs and purposes fall within the guidelines stated below in the section entitled “CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS FUNDING”. Alternatively, they may (2) bring a request to the Grants Officer, who shall determine whether the request warrants presentation before the GSG Board. If so, the Grants Officer shall arrange for a representative from that group of students to present their request to the GSG Board. The GSG Board shall decide if such requests can be/will be funded. Such requests must be made before the relevant clubs and organizations funding deadline, occurring once a semester. All requests for funds through this process will come from the clubs and organizations budget, unless the Board decides otherwise.
Individual students may receive GSG funds through the grants process (see section entitled “GSG RESEARCH GRANTS”).
A. CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS FUNDING
The Grants Officer will chair the Clubs and Organizations Committee and is ultimately responsible for the funding of GSG Clubs and Organizations.
The Grants Officer will be responsible for collecting the yearly club updates and reports.
The Grants Officer will be responsible for determining if clubs and organizations are defunct or have lost their good standing and are ineligible for funding. Clubs that are defunct or have lost their good standing must be so notified by the Grants Officer.
1. Recognition of clubs and organizations by the GSG.
A club or organization seeking recognition by the GSG must fulfill the mission statement of GSG by “… facilitating and encouraging educational, professional and research activities of graduate students.”
A club or organization seeking recognition must be comprised of a proportion of graduate students greater than or equal to the proportion of graduate students enrolled at the University of Maine. The Grants Officer will be responsible for determining this proportion at the beginning of each semester.
A club or organization seeking recognition must complete the appropriate application form and submit it with their funding request. The GSG Clubs and Organizations Committee may request that a representative of the club appear before the committee for club evaluation.
A club or organization whose recognition is denied by the GSG Clubs and Organizations Committee can appeal the decision in two ways: (1) by submitting a revised application form to the Clubs and Organization Committee after a waiting period of one week, or (2) by requesting a hearing before the GSG Board based on the original application form no later than 15 days after denial of recognition, or the second GSG Board meeting after notification of denial, whichever period is longer.
All clubs and organizations that are recognized by the GSG, regardless of whether they received funds from GSG, must submit an update by the last day of the spring semester consisting of the names of its old and newly elected (if applicable) executive officers and an update of its membership. A recognized club or organization that does not submit this yearly update will be considered defunct by the GSG; defunct clubs must reapply for recognition.
Any club or organization that received GSG funds for that year must also submit a final report consisting of a detailed outline of any activities conducted during the previous year, an expense report including all income and expenditures, and receipts for purchases made with GSG funds. If a club or organization that has received funds from GSG fails to submit this final report of activities and expenses, they lose their good standing with GSG and funding privileges for two semesters.
2. Funding of Clubs and Organizations by the GSG
Clubs and organizations that are officially recognized by GSG, are not defunct, and are in good standing may apply for funding. Clubs and organizations may submit requests for recognition and funding concurrently; the funding application is then contingent on approval of the recognition application.
All funding requests made by clubs and organizations must include a proposed budget for the academic year, stating all sources of income, expected expenditures, and account balances.
Funding grants (approved requests) shall be limited to $250 per organization per semester. There is no limit on the number of funding requests submitted. Funds will be given on a competitive basis, with preference given to clubs and organizations whose activities better fit within the mission statement of the GSG. Funds will be distributed by the Clubs and Organizations Committee based on the strength of a club or organization’s description of activities and demonstration of need.
The GSG will not fund the purchase, repair, upgrade or maintenance of any personally owned equipment. Any equipment purchased totally or in part with GSG funds becomes the property of the University of Maine, more specifically, the requester’s affiliated department.
If approved by the GSG Board, funding of clubs or organizations will be accomplished by issuing a check in the name of the contact person for the rewarded club or organization. The check must be deposited in the club/organization’s account within one month.
B. GSG RESEARCH GRANTS
1. GSG Grant Application
The GSG Grants Application should be available for students as early as possible each semester. The application should be available to the in electronic format on First Class and the GSG’ web page. Paper copies shall also be available to the public upon request. Any GSG Grant rule changes or evaluation policies must be approved by the GSG Board before incorporation into the GSG Grant Application. The due date of the GSG Grant Applications should be 5 or 6 weeks into the fall semester and 4 or 5 weeks into the spring semester. The evaluation process should start within two weeks of application due date and the issuance of award checks no more than 4 weeks after the application due date, unless the University calendar prohibits.
The Grant Officer shall continue to improve the grant application each year. Using feedback from grant applicants, the Grants Officer shall seek to make the application and the application process conducive to the entire graduate student body, while making the process continually less cumbersome for the Grants Committee. At least one paper copy of every grant application shall be filed and archived for a length of time to be determined by the GSG Board. Paper submissions shall always be accepted when necessary to prohibit no graduate student from applying for GSG research funds.
2. Funding Timetable
Grant applications in the Fall semester will be accepted for monies to be spent during the Spring semester, the current semester, and for reimbursement for monies spent during the previous Summer, as defined by the University calendar. Grant applications in the Spring semester will be accepted for monies to be spent during the next Summer, the current semester, and for reimbursement for monies spent during the Fall semester, as defined by the University calendar. Note that funding for the Summer may be applied for in advance, or retroactively.
3. Chair of Grants committee
The GSG grants officer distributes monies from the GSG Grants budget to fund graduate student’s research in all areas of discipline. The grants officer must form a committee of eight to twelve graduate students whose responsibility it is to read and evaluate grant applications. Every attempt should be made to get students from a wide variety of disciplines, both from liberal arts and humanities and physical and life sciences. The Grants Officer may be a grant reader, but is not required to be. Members of the GSG Grants Committee are allowed to apply for GSG Grants. The GSG Grants Officer is not encouraged to apply for an GSG Grant.
4. Grant Evaluations
The Grants Officer calls a meeting for the grant review committee to go over how to evaluate the grants. At this meeting it is important to discuss what to look for in each grant application, as well as to discuss and approve an appropriate grading system. Grant evaluation score sheets should be printed up to give to the reviewers. These sheets make is easier for them to evaluate each application fairly. The Grants Officer distributes the applications to be reviewed, trying to give each of the grant readers approximately the same number of grants. This is accomplished by looking at the number of applicants in each of the 3 areas (degree-related research, travel to present and general travel) and dividing up the groups between any subcommittees the Grants Officer deems necessary. Usually, degree-related research and travel to present have the most applicants. Future meetings to go over the reviewers’ scores and comments are scheduled, and the reviewers are given about 10 days to review and score the applications.
If the Grants Officer forms subcommittees, they may meet individually to discuss grants within their funding category. At any individual subcommittee meetings, the reviewers discuss each of the applications individually. At this time reviewers may change their scores, but the changes must be documented on the evaluation sheets. The grants committee can also suggest ways to fund the grants or change the funding process.
5. Grants Database
The Grants Database (currently lists Grant Recipients from fall 1996 to present) needs to be updated each semester with the names of all individuals receiving GSG Grants. The names of each person shall be entered as receiving an GSG grant. Each recipient of an GSG grant is required to turn in receipts for their expenditures within three weeks of the monies being spent. Applicants who have not turned in their receipts are not eligible to receive additional funding from the GSG. The grants database must reflect eligibility, as decided by presence of receipts for an individual.
6. Checking Student Status
Students receiving GSG grants must be graduate students, who have paid the student activity fee, at the time of applying for the GSG grant and when the money is spent. The Graduate School is available to verify applicant status.
7. Funding Applications
One funding category may have a lower average than the other one so the Grants Officer must normalize the scores after the points have been recorded. It is then up to the discretion of the Grants Officer on how to fund the applicants, but there are many possibilities. Fewer grants can be funded at a higher percentage, or more grants funded at a lower percentage. Funding may occur in a stepwise manner: 90%, 80% 70% etc or funding may decrease in smaller amounts: 98%, 96% etc. The GSG has adopted the policy that grant applications cannot be funded at less than 50% of the amount requested. Usually the top applicant(s) receive 100% of what they requested.
8. Letters of Rejection/Acceptance
After the Grants Officer has determined how to fund the applicants, letters of rejection and acceptance are mailed to the applicants. In these letters, basic information about that semester’s grants are included such as: number of applications, number funded, amount of money requested, amount of money available, average amount funded, and the number of applications in each of the four categories. More statistics should be calculated and may be included such as: number of arts/humanities and physical/life sciences grants and applications broken down by department. While these do not necessarily have to be included in these letters, this information can give insight into the fairness of the evaluation process or if there is some bias to a field or department. These letters should state the amount of money the applicants receive, when checks can be picked up, and that copies of evaluator’s comments can be picked up at the GSG office. Correspondence of this type may be by e-mail.
9. Copies of Evaluations
Copies of the evaluations should be made available to the applicants. They can be mailed with the letters, available in the office for pick-up, or as requests are submitted, copies can be made.
10. Changes in Funding
Sometimes an applicant who received funding wants to change what the funding is used for. The applicant must submit to the Grants Officer documentation on what the original funding was supposed to purchase and what the changes in purchasing will be. Basically, the old and the new revised budgets and budget explanations must be submitted, along with a statement of why the uses of the funding have changed. It is then up to the discretion of the Grants Officer to allow any changes in funding expenditures. If there is a complete change in the project then the applicant shall be asked to return the money to the GSG and reapply at the next opportunity. Likewise, if the grant was for travel to a conference the money cannot be used for research supplies or other travel and the applicant should return the money to the GSG and reapply at the next opportunity.
11. GSG Representation
Each department must have an GSG representative attend at least 75% of the GSG board meetings during the current and previous semesters in order to qualify for funding. If a department does not have a representative nor has a delinquent representative, then anyone applying for grant funds must request that an exception be made. This request must be made in writing to the Grants Officer at least 2 weeks prior to the grant application deadline. After taking into account the circumstances surrounding the petitioner’s departmental attendance record, it is at the discretion of the Grants Officer to accept or reject the petition of the applicant. Once a decision is made, the Grants Officer must notify in writing the applicant who petitioned for the exception no later than one week after the request was made. In addition to notifying the applicant, the Grants Officer must notify the chair and the graduate coordinator that graduate students from this department are not eligible for GSG grant funds until a representative is appointed and meets the 75% attendance rule.
In addition, the Graduate Student Government will at the end of each semester publicize departmental attendance records and the names of departmental representatives.
VI. Secretary:
A. Minutes
The Secretary shall keep good and true minutes of the meetings of the GSG Board. The minutes shall be typed and then submitted to the GSG President within one week of the each GSG Board meeting. The submission shall be comprised of an electronic copy and a hard copy for the GSG files. The Secretary shall keep one copy of all materials handed out at the GSG Board meetings with the hard copy of the minutes for that meeting. Additional copies of handouts may be placed in other appropriate GSG Files.
B. The Secretary shall be responsible for notifying all the appropriate parties of resolutions passed and actions taken by the GSG Board in a timely manner.
C. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the attendance records at all GSG Board Meetings. The Secretary should keep the other GSG Officers and the General Public apprised of departments whose GSG Representative has failed to attend 75% of the GSG Board meetings. This can be accomplished by keeping a hard copy in the GSG office and posting the attendance records on the GSG First Class Folder.
D. GSG Correspondence
The Secretary shall be responsible for the official correspondence of the GSG and shall take care to see that copies of all such correspondence are preserved on file in the offices of the GSG.
E. Newsletter
The GSG Secretary is to act as editor of the GSG Newsletter. The Newsletter should be produced at least 1 to 2 times each semester and no more than once in the summer. It is to be distributed to all graduate students at the University of Maine. The Newsletter should be a promotional and informational document about events and subjects that are significant to graduate students. All other GSG Officers shall contribute at least one article for each issue. The GSG President will approve each version of the GSG Newsletter.
The GSG Secretary is responsible for the compilation, printing and distribution of each issue of the GSG Newsletter. Distribution should be through campus mail, to the Departmental Administrative Assistants, with reusable envelopes if at all possible. The Secretary shall update the Newsletter Distribution List as necessary and should contact each Departmental Administrative Assistant with instructions for distribution at the beginning of the year. A friendly letter to each in the first couple of News Letter mailings will generally suffice. The GSG Board representatives should be able to verify proper distribution.
F. Vote Casting
The Secretary is responsible for documenting a quorum at each GSG meeting. The Secretary shall inform all in attendance at each board meeting of their voting privilege, and is responsible for counting and recording each Representative’s vote.
G. Laptop Loan Program
The Secretary will be responsible for administering the GSG Laptop Loan Program. All laptops are to be kept in the GSG Office in the Memorial Union. The Secretary shall be charged with overseeing the management, security, distribution, and software for the GSG laptops that can be loaned to registered graduate students.
VII. Office Assistant
The Graduate Student Government uses a part-time office assistant to staff the GSG office. The general duties are secretarial in nature. The Office Assistant will not be responsible for typing the GSG minutes, unless appropriately compensated. The GSG needs someone who is self-motivated, punctual and somewhat computer literate. The hours are flexible between 8 and 5 PM. The GSG expects at least 10 hours per week and up to 20 for a work-study student.
Passed: 9/18/03
Revised: 9/3/03
Formerly the “Procedures of GSG Officers”