Adopted 1998

Revised September 2024

Preamble

The Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) of the English Department was founded at Indiana University to act as a liaison organization between graduate students in English at Indiana University, the administration of the English Department, and the administration of Indiana University. This Constitution and the accompanying Bylaws establish the organizational identity for GSAC. The Bylaws authorize GSAC to affiliate for specific purposes with graduate students in English, the English Department, and Indiana University.

 

Article I: Name

This organization will be called the Graduate Student Advisory Committee, formerly known as the English Department Graduate Student Organization, and shall hereafter be referred to as GSAC.

 

Article II: Organization Statement of Purpose

The Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) is a committee comprised of graduate students in English. Its core committee is elected to the positions by their fellow graduate students in the English Department to serve a two-year position—or, in the case of the Communications Chair, a one-year position—whose aim is to represent graduate students in the following capacities. The organization's primary purpose is to:

1. Advise the Chair of the English Department, the Director of Graduate Studies, and other department heads on matters concerning graduate students and the English Department.
2. Act as a liaison between English Department graduate students, faculty, and administration which will include, but is not limited to, attendance at faculty meetings and organization of departmental town halls. GSAC will also maintain records of actions both requested and taken involving formal agreements between the English Department and graduate students.
3. Maintain a database of current department, university, and community resources for English graduate students, including but not limited to, an orientation packet for all incoming students and the English Graduate Student Resources Canvas site.
4. Organize and conduct an annual conference for the presentation of graduate student work.
5. Organize both social and professional events for and on behalf of graduate student needs. GSAC will also provide input to the DGS and Chair on prospective department-wide events for the coming year.
6. Advocate for and coordinate maintenance of graduate student work spaces.
7. Organize elections for graduate student representation on GSAC.

 

Article III: Officers

Section 1

There shall be no less than seven officers on the GSAC governing body (also referred to as the main committee) who shall fill the positions of President, Communications Chair, Conference Chair, Professionalization Chair, Social Chair, Mentorship Chair, and Pedagogy Chair. The duties of said officers shall be delineated in Article IV.

 

Section 2

The Officers shall be appointed annually by the voting membership of the GSAC member body to serve two-year terms, or a one-year term in the case of the Communications Chair.

 

Section 3

The positions of President, Conference Chair, and Professionalization Chair will be held by main committee representatives in the second year of their two-year term. The positions of Social Chair, Mentorship Chair, and Pedagogy Chair will be held by main committee representatives in the first year of their two-year term.

 

Section 4

The person holding the position of the Communications Chair will be eligible to run for other positions in the main committee after their term.

 

Article IV: Officer Duties

First and foremost, the GSAC governing body will be responsible for participating in the intellectual life of the department, including but not limited to, attendance at job talks, readings, lectures, and conferences. They will make a concerted effort to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries between the Creative Writing, Rhetoric, and Literature tracks. All officers will also participate in monthly meetings of the Committee, help maintain the database of resources for English graduate students, and maintain records internal to GSAC affairs. Additional responsibilities for each officer are delineated below.

 

Section 1

The President shall be responsible for the following:

1. Arranging meetings with the governing body of GSAC on a monthly basis; arranging meetings with the governing body and its standing subcommittees on a semester basis.
2. Arranging meetings with both the Chair of the Department and the Director of Graduate Studies on a semester basis. These meetings will include discussion of any funding, budgetary, or labor concerns, the centralization and clarification of information pertinent to progress to degree, the availability of faculty to teach and direct in specific fields and topics, and any other internal policy matters of concern to English graduate students.
3. In coordination with the Communications Chair, attending faculty meetings.
4. Informing all English graduate students of the outcomes of dialogue between GSAC and the Department administration.
5. Coordinating English graduate student presence at department hiring events.
6. Conducting elections for GSAC officers and representatives and formalizing election policies and procedures; in coordination with the Communications Chair, soliciting nominations for said officers and representatives, maintaining records of elections for committees and officers, and evaluating needs for the addition or removal of committee and officer positions.
7. Overseeing the GPSG reps and DEI Liaisons of GSAC.
8. In conjunction with the Communications Chair and Conference Chair, advocating for and maintaining graduate student campus work spaces.
9. In coordination with the other GSAC officers, revising and organizing the ratification of this Constitution.
10. Ensuring that the GSAC governing body and its subcommittees, to the best of its abilities, fulfills the items and issues contained within GSAC's "Organization Statement of Purpose."

 

Section 2

The Communications Chair shall be responsible for the following:

1. In coordination with the President, attending faculty meetings.
2. In coordination with the other GSAC officers, organizing English Department town halls on a semester basis; they will solicit and consolidate input from both faculty and graduate students.
3. Maintaining book room inventory including but not limited to managing donations to/from our collection; organizing the book sale on a semester basis. This Chair will also be responsible for coordinating volunteers and finances for the Fall and Spring fundraising books sales.
4. In coordination with the President, soliciting nominations for election of officers and representatives, maintaining records of elections for committees and officers, and evaluating needs for the addition or removal of committee and officer positions.
5. In coordination with the President, scheduling monthly meetings, taking minutes at these and other GSAC events, and sending follow-ups where necessary.
6. In coordination with the President, proposing and tracking GSAC’s yearly budget.
7. Keeping the English Grad Resources Canvas site up-to-date, including its calendar of social and professional events.
8. Scheduling grad office hours every semester.
9. In conjunction with the Conference Chair and President, facilitating any grad space/Work-Room-related needs.
10. Presiding in the absence of the President.

 

Section 3

The Conference Chair of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Organizing the Annual IU English Department Graduate Studies Conference.
   1. Arranging funding for the Conference with the Department and the student financial offices of Indiana University.
   2. Soliciting funding for the conference from other internal or external sources to IU.
   3. Coordinating other department involvement in the Conference.
   4. Soliciting abstracts for the conference, setting the conference topic in conjunction with GSAC, and securing a plenary speaker for the conference.
   5. In coordination with the Department Chair and the Director of Graduate Studies, introducing incoming students to the conference format and its importance as a professional training
2. In conjunction with the Communications Chair and President, advocating for and maintaining graduate student campus work spaces.
3. In conjunction with Department financial staff, the GSAC President, and the Communications Chair, setting GSAC budget and tracking all GSAC income, expenditures, and reimbursements as they relate to the GSAC conference.
4. Overseeing the Research Subcommittee.

 

Section 4

The Professionalization Chair of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. In coordination with the DGS and other appointed faculty advisors, running the professionalization working group, hosting semesterly Brown Bag events on professionalization, student resources, and department procedures, including the annual oral exam Brown Bag.
2. Coordinating with faculty on resources related to career prep, including both professional and academic careers.
3. Working closely with the Career and Funding Subcommittee to promote transparency around funding for opportunities such as fellowships, conferences, grants, etc, as well as transparency around other SAA or off-contract funding for graduate students.
4. Maintaining the presence of professionalization in the English Department by serving the diverse needs of graduate students now and with an eye to job market trends.

Section 5

The Mentorship Chair of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Acting as prospective student coordinator, working with the DGS to connect prospective students to other faculty and current grads as they make their decisions about graduate school placement.
2. Coordinating the New Student Mentoring Program before the start of every fall semester.
3. Encouraging transparency between faculty and graduate students around committees, department hiring, and other mentoring-related needs.
4. Maintaining the graduate program handbook and incoming student resources.
5. Representing graduate student perspectives on the Graduate Studies committee by attending and participating in meetings with relevant department faculty and directors.
   1. Organizing the annual mentor/mentee event at the beginning of the fall semester as well as any other mentorship-related events throughout the year.
   2. In coordination with the DGS, publicizing resources for graduate students, especially those related to PhD advising, time-to-degree, curriculum (like, for instance, maintenance of the Intro to Grad Studies course), and policy.
6. Overseeing the MFA Liaison(s) of GSAC.

 

Section 6

The Social Chair of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Organizing semesterly social events to build community between the three tracks of the program, primarily the annual Halloween Party and the annual GradBash; this work will include managing catering and venue coordination.
   1. Other informal, smaller social events are encouraged to build and maintain the community of the English program.
2. Proposing and tracking budgets for English graduate student social events.
3. Maintaining the department Discord or other forms of informal communication.
4. Overseeing the social subcommittees of GSAC.

 

Section 7

The Pedagogy Chair of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Advocating for and filling in gaps in support that are not provided by the composition directors or assistant directors.
   1. This includes, but is not limited to, thinking about pedagogy beyond the W131 classroom, advocating for diverse and equitable teaching opportunities, and making information around teaching opportunities available and accessible.
2. Acting as a go-to peer for labor concerns related to teaching contracts. This chair can be trusted to productively liaison with directors of teaching and graduate affairs in the department.
3. Representing graduate student perspectives on the Composition Course Coordinator Committee by attending and participating in meetings with relevant department faculty and directors.
4. Running the monthly “Pedagogical Priorities” discussion series and being responsible for its budget.
5. Overseeing the pedagogy subcommittee of GSAC.

 

Article V: Membership

The eligible voting membership of the GSAC constituency shall consist of all graduate students in English who are enrolled as candidates for the MFA, MA, or PhD in the Department of English, in accordance with and as defined by Indiana University and Indiana University Department of English policy.

 

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1

The governing body of GSAC shall meet at least monthly, or more often as deemed necessary by the governing body. The governing body and its Standing Subcommittees shall meet at least once per semester.

 

Section 2

GSAC shall hold open town halls for all graduate students and faculty in English, at least once per year, typically during the Fall semester. GSAC shall advertise these forums at least three (3) weeks in advance and solicit contributions from both graduate students and faculty for Town Hall agendas.

 

Section 3

GSAC shall meet at least once a semester with the Chair of the Department, and at least once a semester with the Director of Graduate Studies.

 

Article VII: Standing and Ad Hoc Committees and Liaisons

Section 1

GSAC shall, as the need arises, have the power to appoint graduate students in English to Standing and Ad Hoc committees (also referred to as subcommittees) that will report directly to the GSAC governing body. The GSAC governing body shall make the findings of any and all Standing and Ad Hoc committees available to the eligible voting membership. There will be a minimum of four (4) standing subcommittees consisting of Career & Funding, Research, Pedagogy, and Social; however, this is subject to change depending on the needs of the member body.

 

The subcommittees mentioned above will be overseen by and delegated to the chair which corresponds to them as delineated in Article IV.

 

In addition to the subcommittees, GSAC will elect and appoint three liaisons to facilitate cross-departmental and interdepartmental relations. These will include the following:

• A liaison to work with English faculty and/or deans in the College of Arts and Sciences regarding Belonging and Committee (B&C) concerns, an initiative formerly known as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI; this position will be known as as the B&C Liaison
• A liaison to work closely with the larger graduate student body, known as the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG); this position will be known as the GPSG Liaison
• A liaison to represent the needs and interests of the MFA program in the English department, which historically has little representation on GSAC core and subcommittees; this position will be known as the MFA Liaison

 

As with standing and ad hoc committees, liaison positions are subject to change to the needs of the member body.

 

Article VIII: Duties of Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

 

Section 1

The Research Subcommittee of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborating closely with the GSAC Research Chair to plan, organize, fund, and facilitate the IU English Graduate Conference.
2. Communicating regularly with the Research Chair. Their attendance at monthly GSAC meetings is optional so long as they are communicating, collaborating, and coordinating with the Research Chair.
3. Participating in other GSAC events beyond the Conference as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 2

The Career and Funding Subcommittee of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborating with graduate students, staff, and faculty to compile funding information and subsequently make that information available to the English student body; this process may be done through monthly newsletters or another avenue of a similar kind.
   1. A.Funding information may include teaching applications; fellowships offered by the department, the College of Arts and Sciences, and national fellowships; and resources related to non-academic careers.
2. Collaborating closely with the GSAC Professionalization Chair to assist with the planning, organizing, and facilitating of the Professionalization Working Group, which may necessarily also include communication with faculty members in charge of career prep and professional development.
3. Communicating regularly with the Professionalization Chair. Their attendance at monthly GSAC meetings is optional so long as they are communicating, collaborating, and coordinating with the Professionalization Chair.
4. Participating in other GSAC events beyond the Professionalization Working Group as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 3

The Social Subcommittee of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborating closely with the GSAC Social Chair to plan events that will build the department community. These events can both be internal (English grads only) or external (events with other departments, community organizations, etc). Together with the Social Chair they will cover all steps of event-planning, from brainstorming to advertising to coordinating with venues and caterers.
2. Keeping the graduate student event calendars up-to-date as well as the department’s social media.
3. Communicating regularly with the Social Chair. Their attendance at monthly GSAC meetings is optional so long as they are communicating, collaborating, and coordinating with the Social Chair.
4. Participating in other GSAC events beyond the social event that they help facilitate as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 4

The Pedagogy Subcommittee of GSAC shall be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborating closely with the GSAC Pedagogy Chair to brainstorm, plan, organize, and facilitate the Pedagogical Priorities monthly series. Together with the Pedagogy Chair they will cover all steps of the series planning, from brainstorming to advertising to coordinating with venues and caterers.
   1. Together with the Pedagogy Chair, gathering data (informal or formal) on the needs of instructors across all teaching appointments in the department.
2. Communicating regularly with the Pedagogy Chair. Their attendance at monthly GSAC meetings is optional so long as they are communicating, collaborating, and coordinating with the Pedagogy Chair.
3. Participating in other GSAC events beyond the Pedagogical Priorities series as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 5

The Belonging & Community Liaison of GSAC (formerly known as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion or DEI Liaison), hereafter referred to as the B&C Liaison, shall be responsible for the following:

1. Attending and actively engaging with monthly B&C Faculty Meetings.
2. Acting as a B&C advocate by seeking out conversations with their grad student peers and holding a space for them to share their concerns, which should be accountably and respectfully relayed to members of the faculty committee and GSAC.
   1. GSAC recognizes that the role of the B&C Liaison is not to serve as a de facto HR person while no such role exists in the department. In the event that a situation comes to their attention which requires remediation, the B&C Liaison should defer to the Director of Graduate Studies or an otherwise appropriate party while the English department is in the process of crafting a more instructive and official grievance procedure.
3. Advocating for innovative solutions that seek to embed B&C initiatives into the fabric of the English program policies and its operations
4. Collaborating with pertinent GSAC Chairs, such as the Pedagogy Chair, Professionalization Chair, and Mentorship Chair, to be sure programming is inclusive and diverse.
5. Communicating regularly with the GSAC President, who oversees the B&C Liaison. 
6. Attending monthly GSAC meetings. When their attendance is not possible, communicating in advance the news, needs, and updates of their position so that it can be shared out at the meeting in their absence.
7. Participating in subcommittees which seek to gather data on B&C-relevant concerns.
8. Participating in other GSAC events as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 6

The MFA Liaison shall be responsible for the following:

1. Facilitating communication between the Creative Writing Program, the MFA Social Representatives, and GSAC.
2. Assisting in the curation of MFA panels at the Spring research event.
3. Expressing and representing MFA concerns in GSAC’s advocacy efforts with the department administration.
4. Working to build camaraderie among MFA, Rhetoric, and Literature cohorts.
5. Communicating regularly with the GSAC Mentorship Chair, who oversees the MFA Liaison. 
6. Attending monthly GSAC meetings. When their attendance is not possible, communicating in advance the news, needs, and updates of their position so that it can be shared out at the meeting in their absence.
7. Participating in subcommittees which seek to gather data on MFA-relevant concerns.
8. Participating in other GSAC events as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 7

The Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) Liaison shall be responsible for the following:

1. Attending IU’s Graduate and Professional Student Government meetings and representing English department concerns and interests there.
2. Within GPSG, sitting on committees with representatives of other departments and proposing changes to be seen at the university level.
3. Reporting back to GSAC on matters discussed at the GPSG level, including ideas around policies, curriculum, and labor that other departments have implemented and could be beneficial in English.
   1. On the question of labor organizing, the GPSG Liaison does not need to be involved with IU’s graduate student union, IGWC, to hold the position; in fact, the role of the GPSG Liaison should be maintained as a role separate from the role of an IGWC representative if the person holding the GPSG Liaison is simultaneously involved with IGWC. That said, knowledge of labor movements, trends, and organizing (such as planned strikes) is information pertinent to GSAC, and should be passed forward in meetings in a manner that is neither advocating for nor discouraging participation with IGWC activities.
4. Attending monthly GSAC meetings. When their attendance is not possible, communicating in advance the news, needs, and updates of their position so that it can be shared out at the meeting in their absence.
5. Participating in other GSAC events as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Section 8

The International Student Liaison shall be responsible for the following:

1. Collaborating with the Mentorship Chair to be a useful point of contact for incoming international students.
2. Collaborating with the B&C Liaison to ensure equitable access to institutional resources.
3. Expressing and representing international student concerns in GSAC’s advocacy efforts with the department administration.
4. Organizing/hosting social events, such as the International Student Gathering in September, to help facilitate community among incoming and extant international graduate students
5. Developing and maintaining a portion of the incoming student Welcome Packet with the intent of addressing the specific needs of international graduate students. Some of these needs may include resources on visa and tax processes, affordable housing options with access to public transportation, information on purchasing phone plans after moving to the US, getting a driver’s license, and making a bank account.
6. Attending monthly GSAC meetings. When their attendance is not possible, communicating in advance the news, needs, and updates of their position so that it can be shared out at the meeting in their absence.
7. Participating in subcommittees which seek to gather data on international student concerns.
8. Participating in other GSAC events as part of their membership on GSAC.

 

Article IX: Elections

 

Section 1

GSAC shall conduct elections for graduate student representatives to committees, as defined in Article VII, and Officers, as defined in Article III, in the Spring semester of each year.

 

Section 2

Officer positions are two-year terms and are not eligible for re-election; however, Officers may run for re-election to subcommittee positions. Subcommittee representatives serve one-year terms, and are eligible for re-election to any subcommittee or Officer position. Ideally, Officers will have previously served on subcommittees of GSAC.

 

Section 3

In the case of resignation of graduate student representatives or Officers, GSAC shall conduct emergency election proceedings. Voting membership shall be given one (1) week to make nominations for said vacancy, and the voting period shall consist of no more than one (1) week.

 

Section 4

The GSAC President shall be responsible for distributing all information concerning elections, nominations, and results of elections. The President, Communications Chair, Professionalization Chair, and Conference Chair (the senior Officers) are responsible for encouraging nominations across all cohorts and disciplines.

 

Article X: Committees and Appointees

 

Section 1

GSAC shall elect graduate student representatives to each of the following committees and liaison positions yearly:

1. Career & Funding Resource Committee (one to two reps)
2. Social Committee (three to four reps)
3. Research Committee (two to three reps)
4. Pedagogy Committee (two to three reps)
5. Belonging and Community (B&C) Liaison (one rep)
6. Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) Liaison (one to two reps)
7. MFA Liaison (one to two reps)

 

Section 2

The qualifications to be elected as a graduate student representative are as follows:

1. Graduate student must be an eligible voting member of the GSAC constituency as defined in Article III.
2. Graduate student must be a member in good standing in the Graduate School of Indiana University.
3. Graduate student must have completed at least one semester of course work towards a degree in the department in order to be eligible.
4. For the Pedagogy Chair, graduate student must be an Associate Instructor, in good standing on contract, or have been an Associate Instructor, having completed their contract in good standing.

 

Section 3

GSAC shall require that all representatives elected to committees attend the semesterly all-GSAC meeting as well as report to their corresponding Officer of GSAC regularly throughout the year.

 

Section 4

GSAC shall also, as the need arises, reserve the power to appoint a member of its constituency to the Department Chair Search Committee. The Appointee shall act as a liaison between graduate students and the Chair Committee. The Appointee shall work in conjunction with the GSAC governing body to canvas the opinions of graduate students on the current state of the Department, issues of graduate concern, and nominations by graduate students for the Chair.

 The Appointee shall have limited participation in the Chair Committee. The Appointee shall not be involved in Faculty interviews, which shall remain the sole domain of the Chair Search Committee. However, the Appointee, with the governing body of GSAC, shall arrange for open meetings between the Chair Committee, and graduate students to discuss, prior to the recommendation of the Chair Committee to the Dean, possible candidates for the position of Chair of the English Department. The qualifications of the appointee are as follows:

1. Appointee must be an advanced graduate student, preferably one who has completed course work and the qualifying exams.
2. Appointee must arrange open meetings with the Chair Committee and concerned graduate students.
3. Appointee must be a student in good standing with both the Department and the Graduate School at Indiana University.

 

Article XI: Parliamentary Authority

 

The Parliamentary Authority for GSAC shall be the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

 

Article XII: University Clauses

 

Section 1

Statement of University Compliance: This organization shall comply with all Indiana University regulations and local, state, and federal laws.

 

Section 2

Anti-Hazing Policy: Hazing is strictly prohibited. Hazing shall be defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person’s consent or lack of consent.

 

Section 3

Personal Gain Clause: This organization, if raising funds, shall ethically raise and distribute profits from organizational functions to either the organization or to members who provide a service that directly benefits the organization. Individual members may not receive compensation directly from for-profit companies if acting as a representative of a student organization.