Bylaws

Pursuant to the authority vested in the GRADUATE COUNCIL by the President and the Board of Regents, the GRADUATE COUNCIL adopts these by-laws for the purpose of facilitating the development and implementation of policies and procedures that advance the mission of graduate education at Morgan State University. These by-laws, adopted April 2003, shall replace any previous by-laws of the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

The GRADUATE COUNCIL shall be comprised of voting and non-voting members. All members of the GRADUATE COUNCIL shall have equal voice in the debate of its business. Only voting members, however, shall have the power to vote on matters before the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

Article 2. A: Voting Members
The voting members shall include: the CHAIRPERSONS, a STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Article 2. B: Non-Voting Members
Non-voting members shall include: ex-officio members including the President, the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the DEANS, and the GRADUATE COORDINATORS.

Article 2. C: Proxy Voting
Members may vote by proxy upon written notice to the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES. Proxy votes must be submitted in writing to the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES a minimum of three business days prior to the scheduled meeting of the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

Within these by-laws, the terms listed below shall have the following definitions.

The DEANS shall refer to the Dean of the Earl Graves School of Business and Management, the Dean of the School of Education and Urban Studies, the Dean of the Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering, the Dean of the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Within these by-laws, references to or about the DEANS shall also include new schools or colleges with graduate programs that may be added as academic and/or professional curricula at Morgan State University. Directors of graduate programs that may not be headed by a DEAN, including but not necessarily limited to the Director of the Institute for Architecture and Planning and the Director of the Public Health Program, shall for the purposes of these by-laws be regarded as a DEAN.

GRADUATE COORDINATOR shall refer to the person designated by the Department Chairperson and/or the DEAN to serve as the administrator of and primary contact person for graduate students in a graduate program within the Department or College/School.

The GRADUATE COUNCIL refers to the membership identified in Article 2 above.

The SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES shall refer to the graduate programs headed by the DEANS and/or program directors as well as the admission, financial aid, and academic policies and procedures implemented by the administrative office headed by the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES.

The STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE shall refer to one graduate student elected by student representatives to the Graduate Student Advisory Committee to serve as a member of the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

Article 4. A: Composition of Officers
The Officers of the GRADUATE COUNCIL shall be comprised of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary.

Article 4. B: Appointment and Election of Officers
The Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES shall serve as Chairperson of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. Subject to the rules governing a quorum, the Vice Chairperson and Secretary shall be elected by a majority of the voting members present at the last regular meeting of the academic year for the GRADUATE COUNCIL. The Vice Chairperson and Secretary shall hold office for a term of one academic year and may be re-elected annually but for no more than five consecutive terms.

Article 4. C: Duties of The Chairperson
The Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, as Chairperson, shall preside over all meetings of the GRADUATE COUNCIL and shall represent the GRADUATE COUNCIL before the University Council and all other Morgan State University officers and/or assemblies. The Chairperson is an ex officio member of each standing and ad hoc committee of the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

Section 4. D: Duties of The Vice Chairperson
In the absence of Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall preside over meetings of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. Upon delegation by the Chairperson or in the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall serve as a designee of the Chairperson in the representation of the GRADUATE COUNCIL and shall perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chairperson.

Section 4. E: Duties of The Secretary
The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of meetings of the GRADUATE COUNCIL and of its standing committees. The Secretary shall certify the authenticity and assure the safekeeping of the GRADUATE COUNCIL'S by-laws and minutes. The Secretary is responsible for keeping the record of appointments and elections of officers, chairpersons, and members of Standing Committees. The Secretary shall perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chairperson.

Article 5. A: Number of Meetings
Meetings shall be convened by the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES as necessary to implement the mission and business of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. GRADUATE COUNCIL meetings will be scheduled on the second Tuesday in October, November, February, March and April of each academic year in an appropriate location identified by the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES.

Article 5. B: Notice of Meetings
The Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES shall provide notice of meetings to all of the members at least fourteen (14) calendar days in advance of a meeting of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. The Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES shall have the discretion, however, to convene emergency meetings on less than two weeks notice where the failure to meet could impair the business of the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

Article 5. C: Call Meetings
Upon receipt of a signed petition of two thirds of the voting members, a member may require the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES to schedule a call meeting of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. The Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES with the advice and consent of representatives from among the petitioners shall set the agenda for such meetings.

A quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. Votes of two thirds of those comprising a quorum at any meeting shall be considered passed and binding on the GRADUATE COUNCIL.

The standing committees of the GRADUATE COUNCIL shall include:

Article 7. A: Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to GRADUATE COUNCIL concerning additions to and/or deletions from the graduate curricula. The Curriculum Committee's responsibilities include, but are not necessarily limited to: review of new graduate programs and graduate courses; recommending the elimination of graduate courses and/or graduate programs; deliberations concerning the delivery of graduate courses and/or programs; and, working with the DEANS to facilitate periodic review of graduate curricula.

Article 7. B: Committee on Policy and Procedures
The Committee on Policy and Procedures shall be responsible for making recommendations to the GRADUATE COUNCIL concerning proposed amendments to, additions to, or deletions from the published academic policies of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES. The Committee on Policy and Procedures' responsibilities shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, recommendations concerning the by-laws, and policies related to academic standing, residency, grading, admissions, transfer credit, statute of limitations, dissertations and theses.

Article 7. C: Student Welfare Committee
The Student Welfare Committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the GRADUATE COUNCIL concerning non-academic matters of policy and procedure concerning the economic, social, and psychological welfare of graduate students. The Student Welfare Committee's responsibilities shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, recommendations concerning financial aid, health insurance, child care, housing, international student welfare, and psychological services.

Article 7. D: Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the three officers of the GRADUATE COUNCIL (i.e., the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson and the Secretary) and the chairpersons of the standing committees of the GRADUATE COUNCIL. The Executive Committee may assist in setting the agenda for GRADUATE COUNCIL meetings and may advise the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and/or the President of the University on urgent matters when the GRADUATE COUNCIL is not in session and on issues that do not fall within the purview of one of the standing committees.

Article 7. E: Election of Committee Chairpersons
Subject to the rules governing a quorum, the chairperson of a Standing Committee shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the GRADUATE COUNCIL present at the last regular meeting of the academic year for the GRADUATE COUNCIL. The chairperson of a Standing Committee shall hold office for a term of two academic years and may be re-elected but for no more than three consecutive terms; except that in the initial election, the chairperson of the Student Welfare Committee shall be elected for 1 year, the chairperson of the Committee on Policy and Procedures shall be elected for 2 years, and the chairperson of the Curriculum Committee shall be elected for 3 years.

Article 7. F: Election of Members to Standing Committees
There shall be a minimum of 1 representative from each of the schools/college elected from the membership of the GRADUATE COUNCIL on each Standing Committee. Subject to the rules governing a quorum, the members of Standing Committees shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present at the last regular meeting of the academic year for the GRADUATE COUNCIL. Members of the Standing Committees shall hold office for a term of one academic year and may be re-elected but for no more than five consecutive terms. With the advice and consent of the Committee Chairperson, the Dean of the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES may appoint additional members of the University community to the Standing Committees.

Article 7. G: Meetings of the Standing Committees
Meetings of the Standing Committees shall be convened by the Chairperson of the respective Standing Committee as necessary to implement the business of that Standing Committee. The Chairperson of the Standing Committee shall, however, convene a minimum of one meeting per semester in an academic year, excluding the summer sessions. The Chairperson of the Standing Committee shall be responsible for presenting an oral report and for submitting a written annual report to the Secretary of the GRADUATE COUNCIL at the GRADUATE COUNCIL'S last meeting of the academic year.

Article 7. H: Special Committees
As the necessity arises, the Chairperson of the GRADUATE COUNCIL may create one or more Special (or ad hoc) Committees to consider matters not properly falling within the purview of the Standing Committees. The Chairperson of the GRADUATE COUNCIL shall: determine the persons to serve on the Special Committee; specify the length of term of such Special (or ad hoc) Committee; and, designate the chairperson of such Special Committees.

Subject to the rules governing a quorum, these by-laws may be amended, revised, or repealed by vote of a majority of the voting members of the GRADUATE COUNCIL; provided that all proposed amendments, revisions, or any recommendation for the repeal of these by-laws shall be first submitted to the Committee on Policy and Procedures and the recommendation of that Standing Committee shall be sent by the chairperson of the Standing Committee to each member of the GRADUATE COUNCIL at least thirty (30) calendar days before the meeting.