Constitution
  1. The name of this organization is " Black Graduate Student Association at Rice".

  2. The purpose of this organization shall be as follows:

    1. to provide a professional, informative, and social network for graduate students of African descent to ensure the retention and continued academic excellence of said students at Rice University;
    2. to work with the undergraduate students of African heritage in order to encourage them towards pursing graduate degrees; and
    3. to assist Rice University in recruiting qualified students of African heritage into the university’s graduate and professional programs.
  3. A member of this organization shall be any person who supports the goals of the organization and is committed to enforcing said goals. A voting member is a member who has paid the membership dues for the academic year.

  4. The executive committee will consist of the following:

    1. the President, who shall oversee all meetings and activities, and who shall be responsible for making sure that the organization is abiding by the rules set forth by the Graduate Student Association of Rice University.
    2. the Vice-President, who shall be the liaison to the Black Student Association and coordinate all undergraduate mentoring programs.
    3. the Treasurer, who shall be in charge of maintaining and distributing the organization’s funds in an orderly and responsible fashion.
    4. the Secretary, who shall be in charge of all correspondence, inside the organization, as well as outside of the organization.


  5. All executive officers will be elected annually during the spring semester before the academic calendar year for which they will be serving. Only voting members will be allowed to vote during the elections, and all members must be notified of the date for elections two weeks before the elections are held. Each officer must obtain a majority of the vote from the number of voting members present at the elections.

  6. All money spent shall be agreed on by the Treasurer and the President and can be requested by any member of the Executive Board.

  7. The constitution can be amended via a majority vote of the voting members at any meeting.

  8. If a voting member is unable to attend a meeting during which a vote occurs, he or she may make an absentee vote by emailing the BGSA Secretary his or her vote within a two day period prior to the day of voting.
  9. The BGSA shall also be committed to coordinating community service opportunities and organizing social activities for the members.




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