DELEGATES TRAINING

BY: MARY JUNE FLORESINTERNAL VP

September 2014

Delegates

Non-Exec Officers

Project Coordinators

Graduate Council Reps

Exec Board

Exec StaffBusiness

Office (indirect)

STRUCTURE

Delegate Assembly 1 rep per 100 students in each graduate degree program If all seats fi lled, over 150 delegates in GA

Executive Board (elected by Delegates) President

offi cial spokesperson, meets with admin & alumni, signs contracts & checks

Internal VP chairs delegates, supports non-exec offi cers, space & internal

operations, serves as back up to President (e.g. meets with admin) Campus Affairs VP

Supports and liaises with Project Coordinators, appoints students to committees, meets with Provost

External Affairs VP Voting member of UCSA & SAGE, advocates w/ city, state, and federal

legislators Treasurer (Non-voting)

Creates and manages GA budget, approves expenditures above $500

STRUCTURE CONTINUED

Executive Board Staff (hired) Includes legislative directors, chief of staff, executive assistant

Non-Exec Offi cers (elected)Rules OfficerFunding OfficerEnvironmental Sustainability Officer

Graduate Council Reps3 voting reps and 1 alternate

STRUCTURE CONTINUED

Project Coordinators (hired for 2 year positions) Graduate Student Support Project Graduate Minority Student Project Queer Trans Advocacy Project Graduate Women’s Project Graduate Student Parent Advocate Graduate Social Club Graduate Minority Outreach, Recruitment and

Retention Women of Color Initiative The Berkeley Graduate

Project Coordinator Assistant (part of Business Offi ce)

STRUCTURE CONTINUED

Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) Offi cially recognized student government at Cal GA is grad arm of ASUC ASUC is a 501(c)3 organization ASUC owns businesses in Lower Sproul which generate

revenue ASUC student fee ($27.50/semester)

GA-ASUC MOU Specifies fee and revenue split between ASUC-GA If GA and ASUC take opposing stances, GA speaks for

grads, ASUC speaks for undergrads Clarifies other grad/undergrad roles of ASUC/GA

GA-ASUC RELATIONSHIP

ASUC built much of campus and at one point owned: Cal football team Cal logo Cal band Campus bookstore (still owns)

Change to semester system meant loss of financial revenue from the bookstore and financial mismanagement lead to major debt University bailed out ASUC but removed ASUC’s right to

have it’s own fulltime professional staff Created the ASUC Student Union and joint oversight board

called the Student Union Board

HISTORY OF ASUC

Delegates’ responsibilities include: Attending monthly GA delegates meetings Attending monthly committee meeting

Delegates each get 1 alternate who can fi ll in for them at Delegates meetings (i.e. vote as their proxy) Alternates may also serve on a GA committee (and are

voting members) Alternates can only vote if active delegates are absent

at delegate meetings

Delegates should report back to their departments and solicit feedback from their departments on key policy and advocacy issues

DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITIES

GA Internal Committees: Funding Rules External Affairs Campus Affairs Faculty Mentorship Awards Environmental Sustainability Budget

Campus administrative and academic committees

COMMITTEES

Delegates are the ultimate authority at the GACan overrule the Executive BoardControl the budget and funding for student organizations

Can remove officers and project coordinators (PC)Can vote to change the bylaws and GA CharterCan direct any officer, PC, or staff to take action or issue a statement

Can remove GA reps to committeesAct as legislative arm of the GA

DELEGATES’ ROLES

GA mission: The Graduate Assembly's mission is to improve

the lives of University of California, Berkeley graduate students and to foster a vibrant inclusive graduate student community.

GA is offi cial voice of all UC Berkeley graduate and professional students.

GA shall not take any action that would threaten tax exempt status of ASUC.

BYLAWS SECTION 1

Defines Delegate membership & must renew certification form each year

Defines ex-offi cio non-voting members as: PCs Non delegate/alternate graduate students serving on a

committee GA stipend-staff Grads serving in ASUC Senate ASUC Student Union staff as recognized by GA

Specifies attendance requirements and must have valid email on fi le with the GA

BYLAWS SECTION 2

Specifies who are elected offi cers Elected offi cers may not serve as delegates/alternates

Delegates and Exec Board can direct offi cers to take action If directions contradict, Delegates trump Exec Board

Elections for offi cers can take place between March-May (unless vacancy mid-year) Only delegates can nominate candidates, including

self Recall rules are in the GA Charter

Exec Board can vote to withhold stipends for any GA person Delegates can override

BYLAWS SECTION 2 CONTINUED

Annual budget Offi cers submit budget proposals by March 1 to

Budget Comm.

Specifies offi cers roles and duties Exec Board reviews job descriptions annually

Graduate Council Reps Elected by delegates Take directed action from delegates, Exec Board, or

CAVP Can be a delegate or alternate but not any other GA

position Can be recalled by 2/3 votes of Delegates

BYLAWS SECTION 2 CONTINUED

Project Coordinators In addition to job descriptions, delegates can direct

PCs

Exec Board can hire stipend staff positions Must strive to reflect diversity of grad population in

hiring Must give priority to graduate student hires

BYLAWS SECTION 2 CONTINUED

Regular Delegates meetings Are first Thursday of every month with following exceptions:

Sept meeting is on 2nd Thursday No meeting in January and June-August Quorum is defined in the Charter

Special meetings can be called – see Charter for rulesThere must be public notice of meetings and publicly

available minutes from meetingsAll meeting materials must be posted 1 week in

advance changes can be made after this date to posted material

Offi cers, Grad Council Reps, and Workgroup chairs give reports each meeting

Offi cers cannot vote or make motions, Chair breaks ties though

BYLAWS SECTION 3

Defines GA Committees and how new committees can be made

Committee membership Voting members can only be graduate students Can invite other ex-offi cio members Min 3 voting members, max of 15 No proxy votes allowed Quorum is 50% + 1

Committee or Workgroup Chairs Selected by the committee except where offi cer is chair via

duties Vice chairs can be selected if needed

All committee and workgroup meetings and minutes are public But can vote to go into close session if necessary All materials must be posted 1 week in advance

BYLAWS SECTION 4

Committee/Workgroup chairs must present budget by March 1

Defines internal GA Committee duties

Defines Exec Board membership and powers including: The Executive Board may act on behalf of and not as the

Delegate Assembly on matters of immediate concern when the Delegate Assembly is not is session. Matters of immediate concern are those matters on which the Delegate Assembly would normally take action but which require urgent attention, and for those matters for which the financial or legal circumstances have changed significantly since the last Delegates Assembly session

These decisions are subject to delegates review, modification, or reversal

If a committee cannot meet/act, Exec Board may act on its behalf.

BYLAWS SECTION 4 CONTINUED

Defines the GA Projects and that PC hires are for 2yrs

PCs must report at least once a semester to Delegates And end-of year report to Exec Board

PCs must submit proposed annual budget by Feb. 15

Exec Board or Delegates can authorize search for a PC Defines search membership Removal requires 2/3 votes for Exec Board and Delegates

BYLAWS SECTION 5

Defines Sustainability standards for the GADefines rules for approving student group fundingDefines Resolution types as:

Standing policy Directed action Budget amendment Bylaws amendment Funding procedure Charter amendment

Delegates, alternates, or offi cers may author resolutions

Resolutions are referred to committees for review and then voted on at following delegates meeting ¾ vote of delegates can suspend this rule and fast-track a

vote on a resolution during the meeting the resolution is introduced

BYLAWS SECTION 6

Sample Agenda: Approve minutes and agenda Refer resolutions to committee Announcements Offi cer reports Advocacy discussion Funding approvals Resolution approvals

Meetings run using Robert’s Rules See Robert’s Rules cheat sheet posted on GA website

DELEGATES MEETINGS

See sample from previous meetings at ga.berkeley.edu/delegates/meeting

Template available on GA website

For help with writing a resolution email Mary June (MJ) Flores at internal@ga.berkeley.edu

RESOLUTIONS

GA advisor for Delegates housed in the LEAD Center Chris Wong

LEAD Center also helps advise student organizations and does leadership development programs Located at 102 Hearst Gym

Business Offi ce at Anthony Hall Helps with processing funding applications and

reimbursements Staff of 7 provides support for GA and PC related events

(ie: NGSO, NGMSO, socials, workshops, etc.)

LEAD CENTER & DELEGATES

QUESTIONS?