University of Connecticut School of Social Work Graduate Student Organization This charter was voted on and put into effect on April 24, 2014

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1 University of Connecticut School of Social Work Graduate Student Organization This charter was voted on and put into effect on April 24, 2014 Article I: School of Social Work Graduate Student Organization (GSO) a) The name of this body shall be the Graduate Student Organization of the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work. Article II: Membership a) Membership in the Graduate Student Organization (GSO) shall consist of all University of Connecticut School of Social Work matriculated Master and Doctoral students who pay the student activity fee. All members are eligible to hold office, may attend Steering Committee meetings, submit and participate in petitions, and attend events sponsored by GSO and its affiliates. b) Membership of Executive Committee shall consist of the GSO Chair or Co-Chairs, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. c) Membership of the GSO Steering Committee shall consist of all Leaders of GSO Sub- Organizations, all Method Concentration Committee Representatives, all School Wide Committee Representatives, and the members of the GSO Executive Committee. d) Membership of GSO Sub-Organizations shall consist of the Sub-Organization Leader(s) and any matriculated Master and Doctoral students who wish to be involved with the Sub-Organization. e) Other GSO Participants may include, but are not limited to, non-degree students, SSW Faculty, SSW Staff, and members of the community. Participants are permitted to attend events and meetings sponsored by GSO affiliates; however, the main beneficiaries of these events should be matriculated Masters and Doctoral students. Article III: Mission a) The University of Connecticut School of Social Work Graduate Student Organization exists to create and strengthen a beneficial environment for its members, matriculated students. The GSO observes and celebrates diversity in all forms through educational and social programs, community service projects and advocacy opportunities. In accordance with the UConn School of Social Work s mission, our organization s function is to augment the students academic experience. In pursuit of this mission, GSO models its conduct in accordance with the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Article IV: Goals and Objectives a) To create community among students at the UConn School of Social Work. b) To serve as an advocate on behalf of the student body to the School s Administration. 1

2 c) To assist students with their professional development by raising awareness on issues affecting the social work profession. d) To maintain diverse representation within the GSO in meeting its mission. e) To manage and allocate student activity funds. Article V: Governance a) The GSO shall function as the official legislative and executive body of the student body of the Graduate School of Social Work of the University of Connecticut. Leadership and coordination of activities of the GSO shall be governed by a Steering Committee. Nonleader students may attend the steering committee meetings but will have no voting rights. b) According to the UConn School of Social Work Field Education Manual, students currently in field serving as designated student representatives on School committees, or who serve in leadership positions in student organization, are to be given time off from their field placements without having to make up the hours to attend those meetings. Students and field instructors are expected to ensure that attendance at any School event does not interfere with professional obligations at the placement. ( Field Education Manual, Page 10). c) Sub-Organizations and Method Concentration Committees of the GSO, here after referred to collectively as affiliates, are groups of students joined together by a common cause, interest, or purpose, or in the case of Method Concentration Committees, by their Method Concentration. Each affiliate receives funds that can be budgeted for specific educational and/or social events, guest speakers, food, etc. While participation in these affiliates may include faculty, staff, non-matriculated students, or community members, membership, including the control, operation, and responsibilities of the running of these affiliates, is made up and managed by matriculated Master and Doctoral students. All leaders must maintain and keep records of all events and planning done throughout the year in a binder. This is to ensure that incoming Chairs/Co-Chairs will have an understanding of the documented history of their group and its activities. Any affiliate that does not function with leadership representation for two semesters within one academic year will no longer be recognized as active by the GSO. d) School-Wide Committee Representatives on the GSO are students who represent the student body on various School of Social Work Administrative Committees. The Executive Committee and GSO Advisor are responsible for nominating and appointing students to serve on various school-wide committees. Students who have completed at least 1 year in the program are preferred for these positions. These committees are responsible for policy development, student affairs, etc. e) The leaders of the GSO shall be empowered to speak as the official voice of the GSO and of the student body, and to direct and organize the activities of the GSO. The Executive Committee and the Advisor of the GSO may appoint ad hoc committees to deal with specific issues or activities. The ad hoc committee will consist of members of the 2

3 Executive Committee and other matriculated students as advised by the Chair/Co-Chairs of GSO. f) The GSO shall meet as a body at least three times per semester during the academic year and additional meetings may be called as necessary. Action on any business before the GSO may be passed by vote of the majority of Steering Committee members. All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert s Rules of Order, Revised. Meetings shall be publicized at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting time. g) The GSO shall review all disbursement requests and consider the reasonableness of each request prior to approving. Consideration should be given to the benefit to the student body and other similar considerations. i. Allocation of funds shall occur as follows: $800 for each Sub-Organization and $600 for each Method Concentration Committee with the exception of Casework which shall receive $800 due to the size of their cohort. Doctoral Student Organization (DSO) funds shall be determined by the number of Doctoral students paying an activity fee during any given academic year. The remainder of funds shall be designated as the overall GSO. ii. If a GSO affiliate exhausts its funds during an academic year its leadership can submit a written request for additional funds to the GSO Executive Committee prior to March 1 st. This request must include a specific amount and the reason for the request. Affiliates cannot request in excess of $100 in additional funds per academic year. Approval of this request is contingent upon available funds in the GSO general budget. iii. Individuals who commit funds without prior approval by the GSO may be held personally responsible for payment of goods or services. The GSO will not pay for such expenses without proper organization approval. iv. Payment in advance for goods and services shall be prohibited. h) The Director of Student Services shall serve as Advisor to the GSO, and shall be assisted by other designated staff members as identified. i. The role of the GSO Advisor is to provide orientation to new student leaders; attend Executive Committee and Steering Committee meetings; ensure policies and procedures are followed; attend Sub-Organization and Method Concentration Committee meetings and events, as time permits; and to work closely with all GSO Leadership and Sub-Organization Faculty Advisors to fulfill the mission of each Sub-Organization and the GSO as a whole. ii. The DSO will be advised by the Doctoral Faculty Field Advisor, who will attend DSO meetings as needed. i) Sub-Organization Faculty Advisor Policy: i. All Sub-Organizations may have a Faculty Advisor. Sub-Organization Chair or Co-Chairs have the option of requesting a specific faculty member to serve as advisor for the academic year. The current Sub-Organization Chair/Co-Chairs, if graduating, may make a recommendation to the incoming Sub-Organization Chair/Co-Chairs to request a specific faculty member to serve as Faculty Advisor. Ultimately, it is the decision of the new Sub-Organization Chair/Co-Chairs to request a Faculty Advisor. 3

4 ii. If a Sub-Organization wishes to request a specific faculty member to serve as advisor, the Chair/Co-Chairs should first have a conversation with the faculty member. If the faculty member agrees, the Chair/Co-Chairs should submit a request in writing with the proposed faculty member s name to the GSO Advisor. The request for an advisor should be submitted no later than October, unless the Chair/Co-Chair position is not filled by October. The request will be submitted to the Dean s Office for review. The Chair/Co-Chairs will be notified of the decision within 10 days of submitting the written request. iii. The role of Faculty Advisor includes: A. To serve as a resource and provide consultation. This includes giving information on previous efforts made by the sub-organization, brainstorming ideas on programs and activities and identifying potential speakers. B. To help students identify strategies to engage students in their activities and programs. C. To assist with assessing feasibility of student initiatives. D. To address problems that may arise. iv. The Faculty Advisor and Chair/Co-Chairs should meet or communicate via at least once a month in order to keep communication lines open. v. If the Chair/Co-Chairs have concerns with their Faculty Advisor, they should first bring the issue to the attention of the Faculty Advisor. If the concerns are not resolved, they should be brought to the attention of the GSO Advisor, who will then consult with the Dean s Office. vi. Acting as a Faculty Advisor will be counted as service to the School. The faculty member will not receive course release or compensation for serving in this capacity. vii. The Faculty Advisor does not replace the role of the GSO Advisor, who continues to have administrative responsibilities for facilitating the work of Sub- Organizations. Both the Sub-Organization Chair/Co-Chairs and the Faculty Advisor should work closely with the GSO Advisor. viii. This shall serve as a guideline for the role of the Faculty Advisor. It is understood that decisions regarding Sub-Organization business should remain student driven. j) Method Concentration Committees shall work with their Method Concentration Committee Faculty Chair or their designee to provide input and guidance as sought by the leaders for their area. It is understood that decisions regarding Method Concentration Committee business should remain student driven. k) Additional Faculty and Staff Participation in Sub-Organizations and Method Concentration Committees: i. Faculty and Staff members may participate in GSO Sub-Organization and Method Concentration Committees meetings and events as invited, however the intended recipients of funds used are the matriculated Master and Doctoral Students (see Article II, Section e). It is understood that decisions regarding the business of these groups should remain student driven. 4

5 Article VI: Executive Committee a) Make-up: The GSO Executive Committee shall consist of two Co-Chairs, if available, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and other Steering Committee members as deemed necessary. The members of the Executive Committee are self-nominated and voluntary. These positions can be held by First Year, Second Year, Advanced Standing, and Doctoral students. However, the secretary position must be fulfilled by an incoming Master student. b) Terms of Office: Executive Committee Members indicate their interest as soon as possible in the spring semester (see Article IX) and must attend a Leadership Orientation in the summer (with the exception of the secretary, if individual not yet identified). Ideally, these positions will be filled no later than April. Members shall serve throughout the summer and the following full academic year. i. Executive Committee members must attend scheduled Executive Committee and Steering Committee meetings. Leaders may request to be excused from these meetings due to a scheduling conflict. Reasons for an excused absence may include inflexible field hours, absence of childcare, or other reasons deemed appropriate. Leaders must notify the GSO Advisor or GSO Chair/Co-Chairs. All excused absences must be approved, in advance when possible, by the Executive Committee and GSO Advisor. c) Responsibilities: i. Chair/Co-Chair: A. Chair monthly Executive and Steering Committee meetings. (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester). B. Oversee the operation and budget of the GSO, Sub-Organizations, Method Concentration Committees and school wide committees. C. Ensure that there is a presence of GSO within the School of Social Work community through programs and events. D. Prepare the meeting agenda, order lunch, and reserve a room for the meetings. E. Distribute the agenda and previous meeting s minutes to GSO Leaders prior to the meetings. F. Complete and submit expenditure forms to GSO Advisor or designated staff member. Attach the original receipt and keep a copy for their personal records. G. Support events of the GSO affiliates by attending as many events as possible. H. Publicize events at least two weeks in advance. I. Schedule meetings on the electronic calendar at least one month in advance, if possible. J. Call ad hoc committee meetings as needed. K. Provide guidance to Steering Committee members. L. Organize additional events including but not limited to: Annual Student Kick Off, Meet and Greet Reception, etc. M. Organize at least one community service event for students to participate in during the academic year. N. Organize at least one social event for students during both the fall and spring semesters. O. Organize recruitment drives as described in Article IX. 5

6 P. Submit flyers, event forms, minutes, general information, etc. to GSO Advisor or designated staff member for the resource binder. Q. Prepare and present the GSO report to the Student Activity Fee Advisory Committee. R. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. ii. iii. Treasurer: A. Attend monthly Executive and Steering Committee meetings (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester). B. Maintain the overall GSO budget in addition to the Sub-Organizations and Method Concentration Committees. C. Work directly with Director of Finance in regards to maintaining the budgets of the GSO and its affiliates. D. Maintain budget information in an electronic data base that is available to the Steering Committee members on a regular basis starting in October. E. The Treasurer should be available to sign checks when needed. F. Prepare the expenditures for approval at the monthly meetings and disseminate the report to GSO Leaders at least one week prior to meeting. G. Approve expenditures with a majority vote of the steering committee. H. Assist the Chair/Co-Chairs in organizing events including, but not limited to, the Annual Student Kick Off, the Meet and Greet Reception, and community service event. I. Participate fully in the overall operation of the GSO in meeting its mission. J. Submit the $150 reimbursement for services at the December and April meetings. K. Participate in an evaluation process prior to receiving payment in December and April; see Article VIII for information regarding the Treasurer s Evaluation Process. L. Prepare and present the GSO report to the Student Activity Fee Advisory Committee. M. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. Secretary: A. Attend monthly Executive and Steering Committee meetings (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester) and take minutes of the meetings. B. If the Secretary is unable to attend a meeting due to an extenuating circumstance, he or she should notify the steering committee Chair/ Co-Chair as soon as possible but no later than the morning of the meeting. The GSO Chair/Co-Chair will then assign a member of the Steering Committee to take minutes at the meeting. C. Submit meeting minutes to GSO Advisor or staff designee for review no later than 48 hours following the meeting. D. Submit meeting minutes (with any necessary corrections) to the Director of Finance, the Chair/Co-Chairs, GSO Advisor and staff designee, and Storrs designee no later than one week after the meeting date. E. Take minutes at additional meetings as assigned by Chair/Co-Chair. 6

7 F. Assist the Chair or Co-Chairs in organizing events including, but not limited to, the Annual Student Kick Off, the Meet and Greet Reception, and community service event. G. Participate fully in the overall operation of the GSO in meeting its mission. H. Submit the $150 reimbursement for services no later than at the December and April meetings. I. Participate in an evaluation process prior to receiving payment in December and April; see Article VIII for information regarding the Secretary s Evaluation Process. J. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. Article VII: Steering Committee a) Make-up: The GSO Steering Committee shall consist of all members of the Executive Committee, Sub-Organizations, and Method Concentration Committees. In addition, School-Wide Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend the Steering Committee meeting. The Members of the Steering Committee are self-nominated and voluntary. First Year, Second Year, Advanced Standing, and Doctoral students can hold these positions. b) Terms of Office: Steering Committee Members indicate their interest as soon as possible in the spring semester and must attend a Leadership Orientation in the summer (with the exception of incoming students). Ideally, the majority of these positions should be filled no later than April. Members shall serve throughout the summer and through the following full academic year if possible. i. Steering Committee members must attend scheduled Steering Committee meetings. Leaders may request to be excused from Steering Committee meetings due to a scheduling conflict. Reasons for an excused absence may include inflexible field hours, absence of childcare, or other reasons deemed appropriate. Leaders must notify the GSO Chair/Co-chair or GSO Advisor. All excused absences must be approved, in advance when possible, by the Executive Committee and GSO Advisor. ii. Any student who wants to hold a leadership position after the start of the academic year must contact the GSO Advisor prior to the start of the spring semester to receive training to be considered a Chair/Co-Chair and have voting rights at Steering Committee Meetings. The exception to this deadline occurs if an affiliate has no leadership. In that instance an interested student can receive training and be considered a Chair/Co-Chair after the start of the spring semester to ensure as many affiliates have leadership as possible. c) Responsibilities: i. Sub-Organization Chair/Co-Chair: A. Attend monthly GSO Steering Committee meetings (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester). B. Implement educational and social activities around the identified population or cause that the Chair/Co-Chair is representing. C. Reserve rooms, order food, and publicize events. 7

8 D. Complete and submit expenditure forms to the GSO Advisor or staff designee. Attach the original receipt and keep a copy for their personal records. E. Participate fully in the overall operation of the GSO in meeting its mission. F. Manage annual budget of $800, with the exception of the DSO. The DSO budget is determined by the number of matriculated students in the Doctoral Program who pay the student activity fee. These funds can be used for events, group functions, guest speakers and food. Any expense that is questionable should be directed to the Director of Finance. G. Schedule events on the electronic calendar at least one month in advance to avoid overlapping of events. H. Publicize events at least two weeks in advance. I. Consult with Faculty Advisor, if applicable, regarding the operation of the Sub-Organization and its events. Please see Article V, Section i) for information regarding the role of the Sub-Organization Faculty Advisor. J. Submit flyers, event forms, minutes, general information, etc. to the GSO Advisor or staff designee for the resource binder. K. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. i. Method Concentration Chair/Co-Chair: A. Attend monthly GSO Steering Committee meetings (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester). B. Implement educational and social activities for the Method Concentration that he or she is representing. C. Reserve rooms, order food, and publicize events. D. Complete and submit expenditure forms to the GSO Advisor or staff designee. Attach the original receipt and keep a copy for their personal records. E. Participate fully in the overall operation of the GSO in meeting its mission. F. Manage annual budget of $600, or $800 in the case of the Casework Method Concentration, which can be used for events, group functions, guest speakers and food. Casework is allotted $800 due to the size of their Method Concentration co-hort. Any expense that is questionable should be directed to the Director of Finance. G. Schedule events on the electronic calendar at least one month in advance to avoid overlapping of events. H. Publicize events at least two weeks in advance. I. Consult with their Method Concentration Chair or designee, if necessary, regarding the operation of the Method Concentration events. J. Submit flyers, event forms, minutes, general information, etc. to the GSO Advisor or staff designee for the resource binder. K. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. ii. School-Wide Committee Representatives: A. Represent the student body on designated School-Wide Committee. B. It is strongly encouraged that School-Wide Committee Representatives attend monthly GSO Steering Committee meetings (due to scheduling conflicts, a meeting may occur twice a month during the semester). C. Participate fully in the overall operation of the GSO in meeting its mission. D. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. 8

9 Article VIII: Evaluation of GSO Secretary and Treasurer a) The Secretary and Treasurer of the GSO will undergo regular evaluation on their performance, as they receive compensation for services rendered. Payment for their work must be approved at the final meeting of each semester; disbursement of payment is contingent upon completion of a positive evaluation. b) The GSO Advisor will obtain a self-evaluation and conduct a written evaluation for both the Secretary and Treasurer at the end of each semester to ensure that both leaders have met their responsibilities and requirements. The GSO Advisor will review these evaluations with the GSO Chair/Co-Chairs. c) After submitting their self-evaluation, the Secretary and Treasurer will each meet with the GSO Advisor and GSO Chair/Co-Chairs to discuss their evaluation. i. Evaluations reflecting a less than an acceptable performance rating will be submitted to the GSO Chair/Co-Chairs for formal action and must be accompanied by a recommendation from the GSO Advisor; this may result in dismissal from the position. Article IX: Recruitment of GSO Leadership a) The GSO leadership will consistently work to recruit new leaders and members of Sub- Organizations, Method Concentration Committees, and School Wide Committees. It is highly recommended that affiliate leadership identify potential leaders for the coming academic year. b) Interested returning leaders should declare their intent to serve on the GSO Steering Committee by notifying the GSO Advisor by the February GSO Steering Committee Meeting. Interested prospective leaders should declare their intent to serve on the GSO Steering Committee by notifying the GSO Advisor by the March GSO Steering Committee Meeting. c) In the event that more students express an interest in a specific position than there are spaces available, this position shall be determined by a vote of the GSO Steering Committee during the April GSO Steering Committee Meeting. Article X: Dismissals and Vacancies a) Dismissal Process: i. Call for Dismissal: Dismissal proceedings may be initiated against any member of the GSO Executive and Steering Committees in accordance with the following procedures: A. A member of the Executive or Steering Committee or GSO Advisor must make a call for dismissal one (1) month before the next Steering Committee Meeting. At that time the individual calling for a dismissal must provide to the GSO Chair/Co-Chairs and Advisor a written statement with evidence to support their reasoning for dismissal. 9

10 B. The individual facing dismissal must be notified within one (1) week of the written submission being received, that is, three (3) weeks prior to the Steering Committee Meeting. C. The Executive Committee must notify the Steering Committee Leaders of the specific violations brought against the leader in question two (2) weeks prior to the Steering Committee Meeting. D. Dismissal proceedings, including a description of the charges, discussion, and dismissal vote, will take place at the next scheduled Steering Committee Meeting. E. A simple majority of Steering Committee Members is required to dismiss a leader. F. In the event of a tie vote within the Steering Committee Leadership, the GSO Advisor casts the deciding vote. G. The GSO Executive Committee shall have the sole responsibility of enforcing the dismissal. ii. The Treasurer and Secretary may also be removed through the evaluation process. See Article VIII. b) Grounds for Dismissal: The following shall be considered grounds for dismissal for both GSO Executive Committee and Steering Committee Leaders: i. That s/he has violated, disregarded, or breached the GSO Bylaws; the GSO Policies and Procedures; NASW Code of Ethics; UConn School of Social Work Policies or Procedures; University Policies and Procedures; is no longer fulfilling the job requirements (See Sub-Sections iii. through v. of this section); or has violated the Student Code of Conduct. ii. iii. GSO Leadership may face dismissal for a minimum of one (1) unexcused absence from a GSO Executive and/or Steering Committee Meeting within an academic year; this will be determined by members of the Executive Committee in consultation with the GSO Advisor. Additional unexcused absences will constitute ground for automatic dismissal. GSO Executive Committee Leaders may face dismissal if they fail to meet requirements listed in Article VI, Section c) relevant to their specific role, including but not limited to: A. Implement educational, community service, and social activities for matriculated students. B. Complete and submit expenditure forms in accordance with appropriate procedures. C. Submit all paperwork to the GSO Advisor or staff designee in accordance with appropriate procedures. D. Manage their budget and related paperwork in accordance with appropriate procedures. E. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. 10

11 iv. GSO Steering Committee Leaders may face dismissal if they fail to meet requirements listed in Article VII, Section c) relevant to their specific role, including but not limited to: A. Implement educational and social activities around the identified population or cause that the Chair/Co-Chair is representing. B. Complete and submit expenditure forms in accordance with appropriate procedures C. Submit all paperwork to the GSO Advisor or staff designee in accordance with appropriate procedures. D. Manage their budget and related paperwork in accordance with appropriate procedures. E. Meet additional requirements as determined by the University or its designee. v. GSO Leadership may face dismissal from their position if they are under academic or disciplinary review. c) Non-Dismissal Vacancies i. Leave of Absence: The Executive Committee may grant a leader a temporary leave of absence for up to seven (7) weeks within one academic year contingent upon an agreement between the requesting Leader and the GSO Executive Council regarding their future in the position. ii. Resignation: If any GSO Leader wishes to resign their position, they should submit their request in writing to the Executive Committee and GSO Advisor. d) In the Event of Vacancies: i. GSO leadership positions shall be declared vacant when any member is dismissed, granted a leave of absence, or resigns. It should be noted that this applies only to vacancies that occur during the academic year, not to positions that were not filled during the normal recruitment process for the beginning of the academic year. When a vacancy occurs, the following procedures should be followed: A. Upon the declaration of a vacancy or a leave of absence, the GSO Chair/Co- Chairs shall have two (2) weeks to recommend leaving the position vacant, filling the position with a temporary appointment, or filling the position with a permanent leader. Chair/Co-Chairs recommendation shall be officially presented to the Steering Committee Leadership at the first official meeting following the initial two (2) week period. This process must occur prior to the start of the spring semester. After the start of the spring semester positions shall be handled in accordance with the procedures laid out in Article VII, Section b) sub-section ii. ii. In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Committee or among the Steering Committee Leadership, the Steering Committee shall vote on the GSO Chair/Cochair s recommendation to determine if the position should be filled, filled temporarily, or left vacant. A. Filling Vacancies: If the GSO Leadership votes to fill a vacant position, a suitable candidate should be recruited in accordance with Article IX. 11

12 B. Temporary Appointment: If the GSO Leadership votes to fill a position temporarily, such as in the case of a leave of absence, a suitable candidate should be recruited in accordance with Article IX. C. Leaving Position Vacant: If the GSO Leadership votes to leave a position vacant the GSO Chair/Co-Chairs will determine in consultation with the GSO Advisor if it is necessary to delegate the responsibilities of the vacant position to another leader, or if the responsibilities may be set aside for the duration of the vacancy. Article XI: Reinstatement or Development of a Sub-Organization a) The criteria for forming a Sub-Organization is as follows: i. A written proposal must be submitted to the GSO Executive Committee and/or GSO Advisor. This proposal must include a description of the organization and its mission. The Sub-Organization must have an identified interest among 15 matriculated students, as well as leadership representation for the GSO Steering Committee. The Chair/Co-Chair positions must be filled by at least one, if not more, students. This/these students must be matriculated at the School of Social Work. ii. The Sub-Organization must submit a yearly budget to the Steering Committee at the October meeting or as soon as possible if instatement as a GSO Sub- iii. Organization, occurs after October within the academic year. The group must function for one semester in order to have all rights and privileges of a Sub-Organization, including access to GSO funds. b) The criteria for reinstating a Sub-Organization or Method Concentration is as follows: i. In the event that a Sub-Organization has become inactive, matriculated students may request to reinstate the Sub-Organization. ii. The students must submit a petition and have an identified interest among 15 matriculated students, as well as leadership representation for the GSO Steering Committee. iii. Article XII: Amendments The group must function for one full semester in order to have all rights and privileges of a Sub-Organization reinstated, including access to GSO funds. a) This charter may be amended with a two-thirds vote of the members of the GSO Steering Committee. Article XIII: Finances a) The GSO Steering Committee shall negotiate, through the University of Connecticut Administration, with the Board of Trustees, for the collection of activity fees from each member of the student body of the School of Social Work, and shall disburse these funds as described in Article V, Section g). 12

13 Article XIV: Ratification a) This charter shall become effective upon a twenty percent (20%) vote for ratification by the matriculated Master and Doctoral students of the School of Social Work. Article XV: Scope a) The School of Social Work GSO shall be administered under the supervision of the President of the University of Connecticut as prescribed by Sections 4-52 through 4-57a of the Connecticut General Statutes, the State of Connecticut Comptroller s Office, and in accordance with Connecticut State and the University of Connecticut policies, regulations, and procedures, including the Operating Policies and Procedures for Regional Campuses Trustee Accounts. b) Nothing in Article I through Article XIV shall be construed as license to deviate from the letter of intent of Article XV. 13