Meeting Protocols
GSC meetings vary in formality depending on the type, purpose and size of the meeting. We outlne here the basic procedures used in these different cases.
General Council Meetings
Article V of the GSC Bylaws outlines the procedure for General Council Meetings.
If you are not already familiar with Robert's Rules of Order, there are a variety of introductions available online. One, written by a former GSC representative, is available here.
The majority of Robert's Rules as outlined above are quite logical and simple, and are adhered to at all council Meetings. These guidelines define and clarify issues related to the role of the Chair, Quorum, Agendas, the Floor, Resolutions, Debates, and Voting procedures. Some segments of the Rules, which outline the precedence of particular types of Motions and Rising Points are enforced only when necessary, to avoid unnecessary confusion.
Standing Committee Meetings
Meetings of GSC Standing Committees are generally more informal than General Council Meetings, and procedures for these meetings are not defined by the Constitution or Bylaws. These meetings are chaired by one or more Committee Chairs, and are open to all graduate students. Voting procedures, if required, are determined by the Chairs - a common practice is to rely on a majority vote of those present at the meeting. The agendas for these meetings generally include an Open Floor segment at the end, as well as updates from any subcommittees that may have been formed.
Ad-hoc and Subcommittee Meetings
As with Standing Committee meetings, protocols for meetings of Ad-hoc committees and specific Subcommittees of Standing Committees are not defined in the GSC Constitution of Bylaws. The procedure used in these meetings are very dependent on the particular subcommittee or ad-hoc committee that is meeting. The majority of these meetings are open to all graduate students, but not all. Voting protocols may vary, but will always be defined before any voting is to be done. A majority vote of those present is often sufficient, but at times consensus may be deemed necessary in order to resolve an issue.
Ad-hoc Committees and Subcommittees are held accountable by reporting their actions back to the General Council and/or the appropriate Standing Committee of the GSC.
