Constitution
Graduate Students' Committee-Canadian Historical Association
Adopted 28 May 2007
1. Name
This association shall be known as the Graduate Students' Committee (GSC) of the Canadian Historical Association (CHA), as well as the Comité des étudiant(e)s diplômé(e)s de la Société historique du Canada (SHC).
2. Objectives
The purpose of the GSC shall be to promote the interests of graduate student members of the CHA and to bring these interests to the attention of the CHA. The GSC shall strive to promote solidarity among the history graduate student community in Canada. It shall provide a forum in which students may discuss issues of interest to them.
3. Associations
The GSC shall be a sub-committee of the Canadian Historical Association.
4. Membership
The membership of the GSC shall consist of all graduate students who are active (paying) members of the CHA. As the GSC works on the behalf of all Canadian graduate students, it shall also welcome the input and involvement of non-members.
5. Language
The GSC shall be a bilingual English-French organization and shall accordingly maintain a concerted effort to ensure that the needs of both linguistic groups are addressed.
6. Executive
The executive of the GSC shall consist of two co-chairs, a treasurer, a webmaster, and a CHA graduate student liaison.
All members of the executive shall serve two-year terms. In general, no member shall hold the same executive position more than once.
All members of the executive must be active members of the CHA.
6.1. Co-Chairs
The co-chairs shall be responsible for the general management of the affairs of the GSC (recruiting student representatives, directing the update of the website, and communicating important information to the members). The co-chairs shall identify and address issues of importance to graduate students. They shall see to it that the resolutions of the membership are carried out.
The co-chairs shall conduct the annual general meeting (AGM). At least one co-chair should be present at the AGM; if neither is able to attend, the CHA liaison shall lead the meeting. Prior to the AGM, the co-chairs shall distribute a copy of the agenda and of the minutes from the previous year's meeting to the membership using the list-serv. After the AGM, the co-chairs shall write a report of the meeting and a plan for the upcoming year. They shall publish these documents in a list-serv newsletter in the Fall.
To ensure an institutional memory, the co-chairs shall maintain an archive of GSC business for the duration of their term and shall transmit it to the incoming co-chairs when their term comes to an end.
Current co-chairs are invited to stand for election as CHA graduate student liaison.
6.2. Treasurer
The treasurer shall manage the GSC’s funds and keep detailed records of the group's financial activities. The treasurer shall update the membership on the state of the finances at the AGM, providing a written account at this time. If the treasurer cannot attend the AGM, he/she shall send a written report to the co-chairs via email before the meeting.
The funds of the GSC shall be held in a bank account in the name of the Graduate Students' Committee. Cheques shall require only the signature of the treasurer, though the entire executive must approve all expenditures. If possible, projected expenditures shall be submitted to the list-serv for consideration by the broader membership.
The treasurer shall be responsible for safekeeping all documents relating to the financial affairs of the GSC for the duration of his/her term, and for transmitting such documents to the incoming treasurer.
6.3. Webmaster
The webmaster shall maintain and update the GSC's website in collaboration with the co-chairs.
6.4. Graduate Student Liaison
The graduate student liaison shall bring a graduate student perspective to the CHA Council and, more generally, act as a link between the GSC and the CHA.
As part of the Council of the CHA, the liaison must attend two meetings per year: one in held in Ottawa in the fall and the other held in the spring during the Congress (travel costs are covered by the CHA). The liaison shall normally sit on committees of the CHA.
It is expected that the liaison shall contribute an article on graduate student issues to the CHA Bulletin, which is generally published three times per year.
7. Departmental Representatives
The GSC shall maintain a current contact list of volunteer representatives in all graduate history programmes for the purpose of disseminating information and promoting the organization. The names and e-mail addresses of these individuals shall be listed on the GSC website.
8. Annual General Meeting
The annual general meeting shall be held once every calendar year, in conjunction with the conference of the Canadian Historical Association during the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities.
9. Communications
The GSC shall maintain a website to disseminate information relating to graduate studies in history.
The GSC shall also manage an email list-serv to provide as a means of communicating with its members and as a discussion forum for graduate students.
10. Elections
All executive positions shall carry terms of two years, but terms shall correspond to different timetables (these are posted on the website).
10.1. Electoral Process
The co-chairs shall conduct the elections in coordination with the administrative assistant of the CHA.
(1) At least two months before the election, the co-chairs shall post an election call on the list-serv, on H-Canada and H-Grad, and to the department representatives. This election call shall include the date by which nominations must be made, the date by which the membership must send in their votes, and describe the electoral process.
(2) Individuals wishing to serve in the available positions shall nominate themselves by e-mailing a brief introduction to the GSC webmaster who shall post this information on the GSC website. If e-voting is in full force, the vote shall be done electronically on a specific website.
(3) When the nomination period ends, the webmaster shall create a printable ballot for each position. If e-voting is made available by the CHA, the vote shall be done online according to the new procedures. These procedures shall respect privacy of the voter and shall be secure enough to avoid any fraud.
(4) Members shall be asked to consult the nomination submissions, print out the ballot pages, mark their ballots, and mail them to the administrative assistant of the CHA, at the CHA office in Ottawa. If e-voting is in full force, the vote shall be done electronically on a specific website.
(5) In general, the deadline for voting shall be set a no less than a week before the CHA conference in order to allow the administrative assistant of the CHA time to tabulate the ballots. To encourage voter participation, voting shall also be allowed at the AGM.
(6) During the AGM, the ballots submitted in person shall be counted, added to the mail-in ballots collected in Ottawa, and the winner shall be announced.
The election of candidates shall be by simple majority.
Voters must be active members of the CHA.
If no more than one person is nominated, or if all other candidates withdraw, the only candidate shall be acclaimed.
If no one nominates herself or himself following the initial call, the co-chairs shall repost it, having revised the deadlines. If no one comes forth, the co-chairs may then invite a particular individual to accept the vacant position.
10.2 Election of the Graduate Student Liaison
The graduate student liaison is a full member of the CHA Council, and, as such, must be elected by the entire CHA membership. Because CHA provisions require a competitive election, the GSC shall submit two names for the position, which will normally be those of the two current co-chairs. Should a co-chair not wish to put his/her name forward, the executive shall find a suitable replacement to stand for election.
11. Constitution
This constitution shall be posted on the GSC website, and may be distributed at the executive's discretion.
Any member of the GSC may propose an amendment or revision of the constitution. Motions to amend the constitution must be announced on the list-serv at least five days prior to the AGM, to allow for discussion. Motions duly announced may then be brought before the AGM, and must be approved by a two-thirds majority provided that a quorum of ten members is met.