EDTECH Graduate Student Association

Constitution and By Laws

10/1/2010 Boise State University

EDTECH Graduate Student Association Constitution and By Laws

Acknowledgements
The EDTECH Graduate Student Association would like to thank the students of the EDTECH Program at Boise State University for their collective efforts. The original document was written by Thomas Robb in the Fall of 2009 with the assistance of EDTECH Student Advisor, Paul Castelin, Assistant Professor Dr. Ross Perkins, and the Assistant Director of the BSU Student Involvement and Leadership, Charlie Varland. After our first trial run with our student association, in the Spring of 2010, students within the EDTECH GSA contributed nearly five hundred revisions that overall strengthened the document and provided a more realistic picture of how the EDTECH GSA conducts business. A very special thank you to Linda Deneher for her commitment to making this document stronger, and her commitment to ensuring that our organization maintains solid ground. Rohan Webb, Elisa Gopin, Luke Meinert, Jennifer Donatelli, and Thomas Robb also contributed many changes and worked many hours developing the following pages.

Contents
Article I. Name of Organization ............................................................................................................................ 4 Article II. Purpose and Mission ............................................................................................................................. 4 Section 1. - Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Section 2. Mission Statement ........................................................................................................................ 4 Article III. Affiliation .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Section 1. Non-University Affiliations ............................................................................................................... 4 Section 2. University Affiliations ....................................................................................................................... 4 Article IV. Non-Discrimination .............................................................................................................................. 4 Article V. Membership .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Section 1. Eligible Students ............................................................................................................................ 5 Section 2. Becoming a Member ..................................................................................................................... 5 Section 3. Removal of Membership .............................................................................................................. 5 Article VI. Operating Procedures .......................................................................................................................... 5 Section 1. Meeting Frequency, Types, Location ............................................................................................ 5 Section 2. Quorum ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Section 3. Voting ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Section 4. Executive Committee .................................................................................................................... 6 Responsibility................................................................................................................................................ 6 Membership ................................................................................................................................................. 6 1|Page

EDTECH Graduate Student Association Constitution and By Laws Meetings ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Quorum ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Article VII. Officers ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Section 1. Officer and Member at Large Nominations and Elections ............................................................ 7 Section 2. Officers and Member at Large Terms, Powers, Duties ................................................................. 7 Terms ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Power to Appoint ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Duties............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Section 3. Officer Removal of ................................................................................................................... 10 Grounds/Vote ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Notice of charges ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Right to Fair Hearing ................................................................................................................................... 10 Right to Appeal ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Elections ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Article VIII. Advisor.............................................................................................................................................. 10 Section 1. - Term ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Section 2. - Duties ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Section 3. Removal of ................................................................................................................................. 10 Article IX. Organization Finances ........................................................................................................................ 10 Section 1. - Sources......................................................................................................................................... 10 Article X. Committees ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Section 1. - How they are formed .................................................................................................................. 11 Article XI. Bylaws................................................................................................................................................. 11 Section 1. Provision for By-Laws .................................................................................................................. 11 Section 2. Vote Required ............................................................................................................................. 11 Article XII. Amendments ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Section 1. ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 Section 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 EDTECH Graduate Student Association Bylaws .................................................................................................. 12 Section 1. Officers ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Section 2. - Officer Nominations and Elections .............................................................................................. 12 Election Schedule ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Nominating Method ................................................................................................................................... 12 2|Page

EDTECH Graduate Student Association Constitution and By Laws Ballots ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Election Certification .................................................................................................................................. 12 Officer Term................................................................................................................................................ 13 Article IV Advisor.............................................................................................................................................. 13 Section 1. - Selection ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Article V - Organization Finances ........................................................................................................................ 13 Section 1. - Finances ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Article VI - Rules of Order ................................................................................................................................... 13 Section 1. - Parliamentary Procedure ............................................................................................................. 13 Article VII Amendments ................................................................................................................................... 14 Section 1. - Proposals...................................................................................................................................... 14 Article VIII - Meeting Dates, Agendas, Minutes .................................................................................................. 14 Section 1. - Meeting Dates.............................................................................................................................. 14 Section 2. Agendas....................................................................................................................................... 14 Section 3. Minutes ....................................................................................................................................... 15

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EDTECH Graduate Student Association Constitution and By Laws

Article I. Name of Organization

The name of this organization shall be EDTECH Graduate Student Association of Boise State University. Future references in this document will be made to the association as the EDTECH GSA.

Article II. Purpose and Mission

Section 1. - Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide a number of functions within the Boise State University Department of Educational Technology (EDTECH). These include:

providing outreach, mentoring, and communication mechanisms for the benefit of prospective and current students. providing a means for establishing long-term friendships and business associations both during and beyond the degree or certificate program. provide information to the Department of Educational Technology on any issues that come before us for discussion.

Section 2. Mission Statement

The mission of the EDTECH GSA is to facilitate the growth and professionalism of current and future students as leaders in the field of Educational Technology. While maintaining the status of a university recognized student organization, we are committed to creating an environment where opportunities to communicate, share ideas, and resources will enrich the experiences of students, faculty, and alumni.

Article III. Affiliation

Section 1. Non-University Affiliations
The EDTECH GSA does not have any affiliations with non-University regional or national entities or organizations.

Section 2. University Affiliations

The EDTECH GSA will be affiliated with the Department of Educational Technology of Boise State University.

Article IV. Non-Discrimination

Boise State University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and public institution that values diversity and inclusivity. As a University Recognized Student Organization as outlined in the Student Involvement & Leadership Centers handbook, the EDTECH GSA is nondiscriminatory. The EDTECH GSA shall not discriminate against any individual on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, political affiliation, marital status, and sexual orientation.

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Article V. Membership
Section 1. Eligible Students
All current and previous students of Boise State University Department of Educational Technology are welcome to be members of this organization. Officers must be current students enrolled in at least 3 units and have official standing as a candidate for a degree or certificate offered by the Department of Educational Technology.

Section 2. Becoming a Member

A student may become a member of this organization by meeting the Eligibility Requirements listed in Article V Section 1 and by self-enrolling in the EDTECH GSA on the Moodle site located at http://edtech.mrooms.org. The Techretary provides the enrollment key to new students after verifying eligibility with the department.

Section 3. Removal of Membership

Only those students enrolled in the GSA Moodle course will be considered official members. A member can be removed from the GSA for any of the following: Violating any section contained in Article IV of this constitution. Failing to log into the EDTECH GSA Moodle for three consecutive months. Members being considered for dismissal will be sent an email to the official Bronco Mail address by the Techretary of the EDTECH GSA. Failure to respond then within one week will be grounds for officially dismissing the student from the EDTECH GSA. Official dismissal will be accomplished by un-enrolled the student from the EDTECH GSA Course in Moodle, thus eliminating the member's ability to participate in the EDTECH GSA. Students that wish to appeal the process should compose an email to the President of the EDTECH GSA explaining why they feel they should be re-admitted to the EDTECH GSA. A twothirds majority vote will determine whether the student can re-enroll in the Moodle site, and thus participate in monthly meetings.

Article VI. Operating Procedures

Section 1. Meeting Frequency, Types, Location
Meetings will take place monthly. There are two types of meetings: asynchronous or synchronous All meetings will be posted by an officer and shall have a designation of synchronous or asynchronous EDTECH GSA Meeting with a particular date and time. The date posted to members is the start date of the meeting.

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Meetings will occur on the Moodle site located at http://edtech.mrooms.org via a discussion board for asynchronous meetings or live-chat session for synchronous meetings. In the case of an asynchronous meeting, if a member logs in to Moodle during the time the meeting takes place then that member is considered present to vote on the motion. The Techretary will determine who logs in during each meeting. It is believed that this asynchronous format of meetings will allow for greater participation of all members. In the case of a synchronous meeting, being present means participating on the start date and time in a live chat session as described in the meeting posting. For a synchronous meeting, the start date and time is when the meeting will take place. In the case of an asynchronous meeting, this date will be the beginning of the one week (7 day) timeline. The meeting is considered over at the end of that seven-day timeline.

Section 2. Quorum
To conduct business 10% of membership must be present . Business can be conducted synchronously or asynchronously (see Section 1 for details).

Section 3. Voting
Voting on a motion will pass through a simple majority of those present except in the case of the removal of an officer or member. In these cases, voting will require a two-thirds majority vote for the motion to pass. The word present depends on the type of meeting that takes place (asynchronous or synchronous). In the case of asynchronous meetings, voting will take place using tools within Moodle such as Choices or Surveys and will be developed based upon discussion board postings and motions made by officers throughout the meeting. In the case of synchronous meetings, the techretary will tally the votes of all members participating in the synchronous chat session.

Section 4. Executive Committee

Responsibility Management of this organization shall be vested in an Executive Committee responsible to the entire membership to uphold this constitution. Membership Membership shall consist of the President, Vice President, Techretary, Treasurer, Mentoring Coordinator, Internship Coordinator, Second Life Ambassador, Member at Large, Marketing Coordinator and any additional officer positions added at a later time. Meetings The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per month and also meet as necessary to organize and plan future activities and agenda items for meetings Quorum A quorum of this committee shall consist of three-fourths of the members.

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Article VII. Officers

Section 1. Officer and Member at Large Nominations and Elections
Officers are nominated by any EDTECH current or former EDTECH Graduate students, or EDTECH faculty members. The nomination will be developed electronically and information will be gathered electronically in the fall semester of each academic year. Elections happen after nominations and will take place anonymously and electronically. Announcement will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, EDTECH Website, Moodle Portal, and any other location deemed appropriate by the association. The electronic tool may collect student's user names to ensure that duplicate votes do not take place. In the event that each officer position receives only one nomination, a nominee may accept the position of officer with no further election for that position.

Section 2. Officers and Member at Large Terms, Powers, Duties

Terms All officers will serve a term of one year beginning in Fall semester. That term will end after elections take place the following year or as described in other sections of this document. Power to Appoint In the case that an officer resigns or is removed from their position, the remaining officers may appoint a replacement officer, except in the case of the President (see duties of Vice President) Duties The organization will have the following officer positions and one Member at Large with the duties as listed as follows: President Shall be the chief executive officer of the organization and shall preside over meetings. Shall submit the names of all officers of the organization to the Student Involvement & Leadership Center not more than four weeks after the beginning of the fall semester and within ten days of any election. Shall submit additional information as it is required to the Student Activities Office. Shall assist the Advisor and the Treasurer in preparation of request for funding from the Associated Students of Boise State University, and shall sign said requests. Attends EDTECH Department Meetings to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and administration. Vice President Shall assume the duties of the President during his/her absence and shall succeed to that position in the event that it becomes vacant. Shall be responsible for writing the Bylaws of this organization and for presenting them for approval to the total voting membership at the second meeting.

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Shall assist the President, Advisor, and Techretary/Treasurer in preparation of requests for funding from the Associated Students of Boise State University, and shall sign requests in absence of the President. Shall cast the tie-breaking vote on all actions that require resolution. Attends EDTECH Department Meetings to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and administration. Techretary Shall develop records of all Executive Committee meetings and monthly GSA Meetings including minutes and agendas and post these records to EDTECH GSA Moodle site. Develops monthly voting forms for meeting participants. Shall be responsible for correspondence between faculty and GSA. Attends EDTECH Department Meetings to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and administration. Treasurer Shall be financial advisor of the organization. Shall report an account of revenues and expenses upon request at any organizational meeting. Shall prepare, at the end of each school year, all financial records and submit copies to the EDTECH Department Chair. Works with ASBSJU to ensure appropriate expenditures when applicable. Shall assist the Advisor and the President in preparation of requests for funding from the Associated Students of Boise State University, and shall sign requests. Shall chair all fundraising activity in GSA Shall act, along with the President, as the responsible party in paying out GSA funds for services rendered Attends EDTECH Department Meetings to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and administration. Marketing Coordinator find innovative ways to market the EDTECH GSA. Coordinate updates of the GSA website with the EDTECH Department and coordinate and write the GSA Newsletter Blog . Posts information, announcements, and events to social networking sites, GSA Newsletter, websites, and Moodle.. Provide reports of marketing efforts at monthly meetings. Coordinate with the EDTECH Department for new incoming students into the MET, MS in Educational Technology, and EdD Program to connect them with the GSA. This position could require travel to conferences or other events to promote the GSA. Attend synchronous officer meetings once per month. Attend EDTECH Department Meetings if needed.
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Mentoring Coordinator duties include greeting new GSA members, assist new members with Moodle. Coordinate Facebook and other social networking sites to engage new officers. Advise other officers and members as to ways the GSA can connect with student interests. Connect students that need assistance with faculty, counseling, or other mentors. Report to EDTECH GSA monthly on the progress. Assist the marketing officer with the GSA Newsletter to highlight student success. Attend synchronous officer meetings once per month. Attend EDTECH Department Meetings if needed. Internship Coordinator Coordinate internships with degree candidates and willing employers. Report to EDTECH GSA monthly on the progress. Asssist the marketing officer with the GSA Newsletter to highlight student success. Advise officers and members about new internships and ways to assist students. Maintain data and coordinate with the EDTECH Department on connecting with new candidates entering EDTECH. Attend synchronous officer meetings once per month. Attend EDTECH Department Meetings if needed. Second Life Ambassador promote and coordinate various conferences that take place in SL, train GSA Members on using and best practices for SL Conferences, coordinate members attendance at the conference, work with marketing officer to promote SL Conferences involving the GSA. Attend synchronous officer meetings once per month. Attend EDTECH Department Meetings if needed. Mini-Grant Application Coordinator responsible for reviewing grant applications submitted by students. Make recommendations to other officers. Vote on mini-grant applications. Communicate with applicants on availability of funding. Coordinates with the treasurer on distribution of funds. Provides reports at monthly meetings. Checks that applicants meet all requirements. Maintains documentation including copies of receipts, expense claims, quotes, and any other necessary accounting information and provides to the techretary and treasurer. Attend synchronous officer meetings once per month. Attend EDTECH Department Meetings if needed. Member at Large (non officer) Responsible for casting tie breaking votes for the Executive Committee decisions. This position will be appointed by majority vote of the Executive Committee.
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Section 3. Officer Removal of

Grounds/Vote An officer can be removed from the EDTECH GSA for failure to fulfill duties or responsibilities outlined in Article VII, Section 2, violating a University policy, or an officers duties or responsibilities. Notice of charges Any motion to remove an officer will be done so in writing with two weeks advanced notice to the meeting in which the removal will be voted upon. Right to Fair Hearing The officer subject to removal has the right to participate in discussions or chats in Moodle to present a rationale, evidence, or other circumstances in which they should not be removed. The Executive Committee shall take this information, if present, and make a final vote. Right to Appeal Appeals relating to the removal of officers shall be done through the ASBSU Judiciary. Appeals must be made within two weeks after the vote for removal has taken place. Elections All elections in this section will be held via an electronic form and will be completely anonymous.

Article VIII. Advisor

Section 1. - Term
This organization shall annually designate a tenure-track or tenured Faculty Advisor at the time of the regular organization elections. Said Advisor shall have no voting privileges.

Section 2. - Duties
The Faculty Advisor shall assist the Techretary/Treasurer and the President in preparation for funding from the Associated Students of Boise State University. The Faculty Advisor shall consult with the officers about the organizations activities in compliance with University policies. The Faculty Advisor shall act as a liaison/representative between faculty and GSA.

Section 3. Removal of
The Faculty Advisor can be removed for failure to fulfill duties or responsibilities outlined in the previous section. The removal of an advisor will follow the same procedures as applies to officers with one exception. The notice of charges will also be sent to Department of Educational Technology Chair if the faculty advisor fails to respond to the charges.

Article IX. Organization Finances

Section 1. - Sources
The finances of the organization will come from any fund-raising projects, individual contributions, dues, EDTECH Department Contributions, or from Boise State University when appropriate.
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Article X. Committees
Section 1. - How they are formed
Committees are formed based on an interest with particular members. The member must provide a purpose statement and have an interested set of students, including a chairperson in the regular GSA Meetings. An action item will be added for all to vote on the formation of the committee. Section 2 - Duties and Responsibilities

The committee is appointed a chairperson and a section is created in Moodle to accommodate that committee with any tools they want, such as an announcements area, discussion boards, or other tools that may help the committee stay organized. Committee chairs will be responsible to report back any online work or offline work at the EDTECH GSA monthly meetings. The committee lead chairperson shall "Add an Item to the Agenda" when they are ready to report the committee findings to the group.

Article XI. Bylaws

Section 1. Provision for By-Laws
The organization may adopt bylaws for the operation of the EDTECH GSA that are not contrary to this constitution.

Section 2. Vote Required

The organization may adopt, amend, or rescind any bylaw by a vote of the membership via an electronic voting format. Advanced notice of the adoption, amendment, or rescinding of any bylaw wlll be posted up to two weeks in advance of the meeting where the vote will be held.

Article XII. Amendments

Section 1.
A proposed amendment must be adopted in accordance with Article VI, Section 3 and amendments to this Constitution must be approved by the Associated Students of Boise State University Judiciary to become effective. The entire document will be sent to the ASBSUJ when this occurs

Section 2
A proposed amendment to this constitution must be presented to voting members in writing 14-days prior to the date the amendment will be voted upon. This will typically take place via an Agenda posted on the Moodle portal and an announcement.

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EDTECH Graduate Student Association Bylaws

Section 1. Officers
This organization shall have nine officers as follows or as otherwise appointed by the EDTECH GSA Executive Committee.

President - Thomas Robb Vice President Elisa Gopin Treasurer Luke Meinert Secretary Amy Pollington Mentoring Coordinator Rohan Webb Internship Coordinator Nancy Sipes Second Life Ambassador Karen Novak Mini Grant Application Coordinator Brenda Janot Marketing Coordinator Leif Nelson Member at Large (non-officer) Lora Evanouski

Section 2. - Officer Nominations and Elections

Election Schedule The election schedule will be advertised on the ED-TECH GSA course page prior to the fall semester. Nominating Method A candidate may be nominated by any EDTECH Graduate student or EDTECH faculty members during the first two weeks of fall semester. Nominations will open on the first day of fall semester at 12:01 AM MST. Nominations will close at 11:59 PM MST on the second Sunday of the fall semester. Nominations should be made by email to the President, and carbon copied to the other officers unless otherwise noted on Moodle. Ballots Ballots will be created and shared using Google Apps form maker. Every ED-TECH GSA member will receive a ballot by -email to the address on record with the GSA on the third Monday of fall semester. Elections will close at 11:59 PM MST on the third Sunday of fall semester. Election Certification The President and Advisor will be responsible for counting votes and certifying the election. If the President is on the ballot, this responsibility will fall to the next ranking officer who is not on the ballot. If all officers are on the ballot, the responsibility will reside with the Advisor or their appointee.

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Officer Term The candidates with a simple majority will take office on the fourth Monday of fall semester at 12:01 AM MST.

Article IV Advisor
Section 1. - Selection
A. The GSA shall have an advisor. B. The ED-TECH department shall annually designate an advisor at the time of regular organization elections.

Article V - Organization Finances

Section 1. - Finances
A. The treasurer shall maintain accurate and timely records of all financial transactions. B. The organization's funds can be used with the approval of four officers and the faculty advisor. BSUs Student Involvement and Leadership Office also have a say procedurally in how funds are dispursed. C. If the group chooses to dissolve, all funds currently in the organization's account will be transferred to the Sean Ellenberger Scholarship Fund.

Article VI - Rules of Order

Section 1. - Parliamentary Procedure
A. This group will be governed by Robert's Rules of Order in cases it is applicable. 1. Meetings are considered as called to order by posting of the agenda and opening meeting on Moodle by the President at the time posted. 2. There will be no standing for recognition as it is not possible to do so in asynchronous meetings. 3. The rules of Netiquette will apply as they are generally known. Generally speaking, members should refrain from using commonly known derogatory words towards each other in
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the meetings. Members should refrain from using all capital letters as this is generally known as yelling in an online environment. Members should not use Moodle or the technology tools available to them in a demeaning or unprofessional way. In no way should they be used in a manner that violates any BSU Student Code of Conduct, criminal laws in any state or country, or any EDTECH BSU Policy as posted on the BSU Website at http://boisestate.edu. The spirit of this section is that students should treat each other with respect in all ways and make sure they are using appropriate language in the online environment. Failure to do so could be grounds for being dismissed from the GSA and no longer able to participate in monthly meetings.

Article VII Amendments

Section 1. - Proposals
A. A proposed amendment to the bylaws must be presented to voting members in writing seven days prior to the date the amendment will be voted upon. B. A proposed amendment will pass with a majority vote of those present.

Article VIII - Meeting Dates, Agendas, Minutes

Section 1. - Meeting Dates
The President or designee will post all meeting dates one week prior to the start of any meeting. The date will be posted as an announcement on Moodle, the EDTECH Website, the EDTECH Facebook page, and the EDTECH Twitter Page. Because meetings are asynchronous, reminder announcements will be posted throughout the seven day period in the case of asynchronous meetings.

Section 2. Agendas
Agendas for meetings will be posted no later than the first day of the meeting. Any additional agenda items can be posted at anytime in the area designated in Moodle (under Meetings > Add an item to the Agenda). Agenda items can also be added as a reply to the agenda inside of the discussion board or in the case of a chatting session, a reply to the first thread in the chat session. An agenda is considered approved if no one opposes or in the case where a motion and vote to approve the agenda takes place. All action items require a majority of those present. In the case where a member does not participate in a meeting, they can still vote on action items on Day 7 seven of the meeting.

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Section 3. Minutes
The minutes will be a summary of standing items, discussions and a tally of the number of votes for any action items. Minutes will be posted with the agendas at the start of each meeting. A motion to approve minutes will be made with the first discussion reply. Approved by the student organization on (date): October 4, 2010 Number voting in favor of this constitution: 15 (the number attending last meeting) Number voting against this constitution: 0 Number abstaining: 0 Total members: 31 GSA Members, 9 Officers, 1 Member at Large

Student Involvement & Leadership Center Approval Approved by Student Involvement & Leadership Center on: Student Involvement & Leadership Center staff signature:

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