5. A quorum shall exist when at least 1/3 of the program representatives are present. No GSA Council meeting may proceed without a quorum.
6. Council members must be present at the meetings to cast votes.
7. The council may, by 2/3 votes, remove an Executive Committee member for cause.
8. The Council shall meet at least three times per quarter, and shall establish a regular meeting time and place. When unable to attend a regularly scheduled GSA Council meeting, members of the GSA Council shall transmit a written notice to the President prior to the designated meeting.  GSA Council members shall submit written reports to the GSA Council at each meeting, and the last report shall be an “Annual Report”. Any member of the GSA Council who twice fails to submit reports/and or prior written notices of GSA Council meeting absences as stipulated, shall resign from office as ordered by the President or Parliamentarian and confirmed by 2/3 majority vote of the GSA Council no less than a week proceeding the order of resignation. Any GSA Council member immediately removed from office shall reserve the right to appeal to the Council.
9. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Executive Committee or at the written request of a quorum of Council members. A special meeting must be held on a weekday and must be publicized at least two days before the meeting is to occur. The Executive Committee or the Council members calling the meeting should post official notification, including time, place and agenda in each of the graduate programs of study.
10. All graduate students are guaranteed the right to attend and to address Council meetings.
11. By a 2/3 vote of the Council, an issue may be declared "open" for tie following meeting. An "open" issue must be clearly specified as "open." An "open" issue is one that can be voted upon by all graduate students.

1. The Council shall have the power to create ad hoc and standing committees, and appoint GSA members to other campus committees.
2. The President and Internal Vice-President shall nominate GSA representatives to serve on a campus committee at a Council meeting, subject to approval by a majority vote of the Council members present.
3. Any graduate student shall be eligible to serve as a GSA representative on a campus committee.
4. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all GSA committees.

ARTICLE VII. PAST PRESIDENT

1. The outgoing President shall serve for one term as the Immediate Past President
2. The Immediate Past President shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee and GSA Council.
3. The Immediate Past President shall coordinate a transition meeting between the outgoing executive committee and the incoming executive committee.
4. The Immediate Past President shall serve the purpose of assisting the new Executive Committee and GSA Council with becoming acclimated with their duties and responsibilities serving in an advisory capacity.

1. Only graduate students may propose referenda.
2. Referenda may be approved for ballot by a majority vote of the Council.

1. The Constitution may be amended only by referenda. A 2/3 majority vote of members present at the meeting is required to pass amendments to the constitution.
2. Bylaws conforming to this constitution may be adopted, amended, or deleted by a majority vote of the entire Council.
3. This Constitution supersedes all previous GSA Constitutions of NSU. This constitution will describe the only NSU organization permitted to use the appellation Graduate Students Association.

I. TAX EXEMPTION

1. Tax Exemption. (this Bylaw is required to qualify for Federal Income Tax exemption under IRC (c) (3) and should not be changed except to conform to changes in the Internal Revenue Law).
2. No part of the net earnings of the Graduate Students Association shall inure to private shareholders or individual members.

II. AGENDA AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS FOR GSA COUNCIL MEETINGS 

1. The Chair shall furnish a copy of the agenda and of all documents to be considered or voted on at a Council meeting to each Council member at least two week-days before the meetings.
2. Items not on the agenda at a Council meeting may be added to the agenda if so voted by a majority of Council members present. A separate vote is required for each new item. Recall of council members and changes bin bylaws are exceptions and may not be added to the agenda in this fashion.
3. No business shall be voted upon at a Council meeting unless it has been placed on the agenda.
4. The Council may specify, upon majority vote, the items for the next agenda.

1. GSA officers will be elected at the last meeting of the Spring Quarter of any given year. In the event that any office is not filled at that time, elections will be held at each subsequent meeting until it is filled.
2. Nominees for any officer position must be registered NSU Graduate Students and active members of the GSA. Nominees must also have at least a full academic year remaining as a NSU graduate student.
3. In the event of a vacancy in the Council Officers (due to registration, recall, etc.,) the Officer next in line for that office will assume the responsibilities according to the following order of succession: President, Internal Vice-President, External Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Historian. As a matter of course, the other Officers would be expected to help with the added duties. The vacancy must be filled as soon as possible.
4. Upon a two-week written notice from the Executive Committee to the Council, the Council may vote to remove any GSA officer from office. The two-week written notice must contain an exhaustive justification for the recommendation for removal from office. Upon a majority vote of the Council, the officer is removed.

1. In the event of the dissolution of this GSA, the assets of the GSA shall be transferred to the NSU Office of Graduate Studies, for providing financial aid to NSU graduate students.
2. By the last Council meting in the Spring Quarter, the Secretary-Treasurer shall present a budget to the GSA Council, with all line items displayed for the following year.
3. The Treasurer shall explain all budgetary items to the GSA Council.
4. Upon approval of the Council, the budget becomes GSA policy.
5. Any changes in the budget shall be approved by the Council.
6. The Council may subject the GSA to an audit.

1. The GSA shall be responsible for officially nominating all graduate student representatives to all campus-wide committees; including all Administrative and all Academic Committees which call for graduate student representatives, including the Graduate Council meetings.
2. The President and internal Vice-President shall nominate campus-wide representatives at a GSA Council meeting, subject to approval by a majority vote of the GSA Council members present.
3. The various GSA campus-wide committee members shall be responsible for
   1. Voicing the official GSA position to their committees, where the official GSA position is determined by majority vote at any GSA Council meeting.
   2. Attending GSA Council Meetings, at the request of any GSA Council member
   3. Reporting all essentials of each committee meeting at the immediately subsequent GSA Council Meeting and general meeting.

4. Failure to uphold any of the above-listed responsibilities constitutes just cause for removal from the committee. Upon notification of the internal Vice-President, the Executive Committee will recommend to the Council a committee representative's removal from office. The Council must ratify this recommendation by majority vote. The internal Vice-President shall be responsible for monitoring the GSA Academic Senate Committee appointments.