Based on feedback gathered over the past two years, these resolutions address the need to transform GAPSA into a more representative body by promoting integrative leadership skills and modifying the structure of GAPSA so that it transforms into a more representative body. While GAPSA represents over 10 different councils on many years it has included members from only a few councils within its executive board. The goal of these resolutions are to increase the organization’s focus on collaborative leadership and make the organization more representative.
February 28, 2013
RESOLUTION: University of Minnesota Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Restructure
Author: Andrew McNally, COGS Executive Vice President; Alfonso Sintjago, GAPSA Executive Vice President.
Topic: Internal Affairs
WHEREAS the University of Minnesota requires a space for graduate and professional students to convene all communities and constituencies on their campuses, to share knowledge, and promote mutual understanding, and
WHEREAS the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) should strive to promote a more inclusive voting membership and help build on-campus community to address Grand Challenges facing the University community, and
WHEREAS GAPSA functions best when affirming and serving graduate and professional student councils, and
WHEREAS Assembly meetings best affirm graduate and professional student concerns as a forum for expressing graduate and professional student concerns and for setting the organization’s broad agenda, and
WHEREAS Assembly meetings function best in an environment in which all participants accept the norms of mutual respect and in which the day-to-day operations of the organization are delegated to the Executive Board,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
1.GAPSA’s Assembly will, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, meet a minimum of 2 times per semester with the possibility of calling for additional meetings as necessary.
2. The basis for current voting memberships from each of the councils will remain the same, plus the new executive board members. Up to 10 optional at-large members may come from the general graduate and professional fee-paying body, and be elected by the General Assembly. These appointments are subject to the approval of GAPSA’s Assembly. They should reflect representation from groups which desire to advocate in graduate student governance but which are not directly represented in the graduate student council structure.
3. Assembly meetings should be conducted in a spirit of conviviality and affirming all graduate and professional student concerns and viewpoints, respecting differences of opinion and recognizing the outstanding work that all graduate and professional student organizations perform.
4. GAPSA’s Executive Board may invite graduate and professional student councils or organizations to present, on a regular basis or more occasionally, to share their concerns and all ongoing projects with the larger GAPSA Assembly in order to promote a spirit of mutual understanding and problem-solving among the graduate and professional student community, and to present any resolutions regarding their concerns for the approval of the Assembly. The Assembly will adhere to the following tenets of integrative leadership:
· Integrating intuition, reason and imagination in making decisions and deploying resources;
· Anticipating and leveraging windows of opportunity;
· Hosting dialogue, debate and deliberation;
· Mapping polarities and balancing paradox;
· Designing inclusive structures and decision-making processes;
The GAPSA Assembly should also be regarded as a space for the appropriate advertisement of all graduate and professional student organizations’ social and academic events and for building a larger graduate and professional student community at the University of Minnesota.
4. The general purpose of the Assembly will be regarded as setting the broad agenda for the organization and for providing an affirming outlet for raising student concerns and challenges.
The ‘broad agenda’ will be defined as, but not limited to:
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Proposing, debating, and voting on resolutions—any member of GAPSA, voting or non-voting, may propose a resolution.
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Reviewing and approving the finance and grant reports.
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Providing feedback in GAPSA’s current or proposed courses of action.
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Advertising and making known events on campus that affect graduate students
The Assembly will be dedicated to exploring challenges that the student body faces, and to have discussions based in established civic engagement practices, in order to find actionable solutions. It will also have a brief business section that allows for passage of grants and finance reports once a semester. These reports may be submitted digital before the GAPSA Assembly.
5. The GAPSA Executive Board shall have the authority to make all changes to the Constitution and Bylaws to make these changes effective, with the approval of GAPSA’s current Assembly. All changes necessary to bylaws and constitution will be subject to GA approval by the end of this semester.
6. For changes to be valid, representatives must be provided with copies of both current and proposed versions before voting. These copies may be digital, or upon the request of a representative, can be provided in hard copy form.
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RESOLUTION: University of Minnesota Graduate and Professional Student Assembly—University of Minnesota
Author: Alfonso Sintjago, Executive Vice President, Brittany Edwards, President, Andrew McNally, COGS Vice President.
Topic: Internal Affairs
WHEREAS the University of Minnesota requires a space for graduate and professional students to convene all communities and constituencies on their campuses, to share knowledge, and promote mutual understanding, and
WHEREAS the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) should strive to promote a more inclusive voting membership and help build on-campus community to tackle Grand Challenges facing our University community and
WHEREAS GAPSA functions best when affirming and serving graduate and professional student councils, and
WHEREAS Executive meetings best affirm graduate and professional student concerns as a forum for addressing graduate and professional student concerns and for setting the organization’s specific agenda, and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
1. GAPSA’s Executive Board will, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, meet 2 times per month, with the preference of having one meeting be dedicated to leadership development, supported and advised by the Center for Integrative Leadership.
The other meeting will be dedicated to business and actions to implement changes beneficial to graduate and professional students. When possible, professional development opportunities will also be available to the General Assembly
2. Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, GAPSA’s Executive Board will be made up of a student appointed by each council, at their council’s discretion, through each council’s independent selection process. Additionally, the President will be elected by the student body through the current ACEC structure. A Vice President will be appointed by the executive board of the previous academic year, or within the current academic year, if the position is not filled.
Up to two student representatives to the UMN Board of Regents may be appointed by the process shared with MSA, and they will also serve as members. This will result in a board of 13-14 Members. If a council neglects to fill their allocated position, the council president must select a representative. If no representative is selected, the Executive Board may appoint an at-large replacement, to serve until formally approved at the next available Assembly Meeting.
3. The Executive Board may consider an ongoing, developmental program evaluation of itself and the Assembly, including an annual student body survey. The objective of the evaluation will be the continued improvement of the organization. Evaluations may include interviews, focus groups, and other forms of data collection that can help inform future improvements.
4. The GAPSA Executive Board should also promote the Assembly as a space for the appropriate advertisement of all graduate and professional student organizations’ social and academic events and for building a larger graduate student community at the University of Minnesota.
5. The general purpose of the Executive Board will be regarded as setting the specific agenda and actions for the organization and for providing an affirming outlet for raising student concerns and addressing Grand Challenges, at the University, State and Federal level, integrating the wide-ranging perspectives and disciplines of the graduate and professional student body.
The ‘specific agenda’ will be defined as, but not limited to:
– Pursuing the resolutions passed by the Assembly, bringing them to the attention of the administration, etc.
– Keeping the General Assembly informed by means of progress reports before or at each meeting. The reports may be submitted online and shared before the start of the General Assembly.
– Reports may be made on the progress of different resolutions, relevant meetings, events, and announcements.
6. The Executive Board will be charged with promoting integrative leadership and civic engagement practices in its governance. This effort will be supported and advised in partnership with the Center for Integrative Leadership at the University of Minnesota using the following tenets:
· Integrating intuition, reason and imagination in making decisions and deploying resources;
· Anticipating and leveraging windows of opportunity;
· Hosting dialogue, debate and deliberation;
· Mapping polarities and balancing paradox;
· Designing inclusive structures and decision-making processes;
7. The GAPSA Executive Board will control and support the day-to-day activities of the nonprofit and governance structures it embodies. GAPSA’s Executive Board and President will have the authority to enforce this spirit of respectful and relevant discussion.
8. The GAPSA Executive Board shall have the authority to make all changes to the Constitution and Bylaws to make these changes effective, with the approval of GAPSA’s current Assembly. All changes necessary to bylaws and constitution will be subject to GA approval by the end of this semester.
9. For changes to be valid, representatives must be provided with copies of both current and proposed versions before voting. These copies may be digital, or upon the request of a representative, can be provided in hard copy form.
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RESOLUTION: University of Minnesota Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Restructure
Author: Brittany Edwards, GAPSA President; Kevin Lang, GAPSA VP for Finance; Chet Bodin, GAPSA VP for Public Affairs; Alfonso Sintjago, GAPSA Executive Vice President.
Topic: Restructure (Center for Integrative Leadership)
WHEREAS the University of Minnesota requires a space for graduate and professional students to convene all communities and constituencies on their campuses, to share knowledge, and promote mutual understanding, and
WHEREAS the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) should strive to promote a more inclusive voting membership and help build on-campus community to address Grand Challenges facing the University community, and
WHEREAS The Center for Integrative Leadership (CIL) is dedicated to examining and advancing a new vision for cross-sector leadership by addressing challenging issues of our time for a greater good, and
WHEREAS CIL is a premier forum for the study of leaders and leadership that crosses sectoral and geographic boundaries. A work which results in processes, programs and initiatives that, coupled with community engagement, apply integrative leadership in practical, effective ways, and
WHEREAS CIL engages in collaborative teaching, community outreach, and research initiatives with other University centers, and external community partners and believes that the practice of integrative leadership has the greatest potential to advance the common good.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
1. GAPSA will partner with CIL in the formation of a Student Leadership Team which aspires to aid graduate and professional students in developing leadership techniques to better address the challenges of the 21st century.
2. GAPSA will promote civic engagement techniques that encourage to more constructive conversations such as World Cafe, Art of Hosting, Polarization Mapping, Idea Generation and other techniques that can aid in finding Common Ground and resolving or managing problems more effectively.
3. Together with CIL, GAPSA will contribute to the organization of student-led co-curricular initiatives supporting the development of integrative leaders and provide professional development opportunities for members in any of the graduate and professional councils.
4. GAPSA will promote the hosting of Grand Challenge discussions on pressing societal issues to bring greater clarity, mutual understanding, and potential points of action to bring about positive changes.
5. GAPSA will encourage a spirit of conviviality and affirming all graduate and professional student concerns and viewpoints, respecting differences of opinion and recognizing the outstanding work that all graduate and professional student organizations perform.
6. The Assembly and the Executive Board will adhere to the following tenets of integrative leadership:
· Integrating intuition, reason and imagination in making decisions and deploying resources;
· Anticipating and leveraging windows of opportunity;
· Hosting dialogue, debate and deliberation;
· Mapping polarities and balancing paradox;
· Designing inclusive structures and decision-making processes;
7. GAPSA will aid in the advertisement and promotion of graduate and professional student organizations’ social and academic events and for building a larger graduate and professional student community at the University of Minnesota.
8. GAPSA will be dedicated to exploring challenges that the student body faces, and to have discussions based in established civic engagement practices, in order to find actionable solutions.
