Graduate History Association Introduction New to the GHA? Updating Your Directory Listing Officers and Committees GHA Constitution

GHA Constitution

Proposed: March 22, 2001. Ratified: April 5, 2001. Latest revision: May 2010.

I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Graduate History Association (hereby referred to as GHA).

II. Purpose

To further the interests of history graduate students at Columbia University.

III. Membership

All history (and EALAC students studying primarily historical topics) graduate students at Columbia University are considered members of the Graduate History Association. Non-historian graduate students may become members by registering with the GHA.

IV. Officers and Elections

1. The GHA shall elect a president/co-presidents during each spring semester. The president/co-presidents must be members of the GHA.

2. The president(s) shall lead the GHA and represent it at all department functions. They will chair GHA meetings, and it is also their responsibility to facilitate the appointment, usually through election at the final general meeting of the Spring Semester, of GHA representatives to the department Graduate Education Committee and the Graduate Student Advisory Council in the following year. They also are responsible for appointing other representatives or officers within the GHA to respond to particular issues or needs raised by the GHA community, in particular a Social Chair.

3. Election of the president(s) for the following year shall occur annually during the final GHA general meeting of the spring semester. Terms of office shall last from June 1 to May 31 of the following year. All members of the GHA shall be eligible to vote, if present, at the final meeting. Votes shall be tabulated by the current president. If the election is contested, voting should be on paper and anonymous. The candidate(s) with the most votes for the office shall be elected. Following the elections, the current GHA president(s) must notify the History Department of the name of the new president(s) within one week, and the current president(s) must give the incoming president(s) all GHA documents by June 1.

4. The president(s) may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of the members attending a meeting on removal. A motion to remove the president(s) may be made over e-mail or at a general meeting and must have a second. Following such a motion, the GHA shall wait one week to publicize a meeting on removal. At such a meeting the membership shall vote "yes" or "no" on the proposal that "The president of the GHA shall be removed from office." Voting shall be by secret ballot and tabulated by the most senior GHA member (based on number of completed semesters of graduate study at Columbia University) present at the meeting other than the president.

5. If the office of president(s) is vacated, an election must be held two weeks after the announcement of the vacancy. Voting procedures shall follow the procedures of the annual elections except that votes shall be tabulated by the most senior GHA member other than the former president(s).

V. Meetings

1. General meetings shall be held at the discretion of the presidents.

2. A quorum for general meetings is five members, including the presidents, of the GHA.

3. The president(s) shall chair general meetings.

4. Committees may be initiated or discontinued at the discretion of the president(s).

VI. Communications

1. The GHA has an e-mail list that allows history graduate students to write to the entire membership. This list is an open forum for announcements and brief discussions of interest to Columbia history grad students.

2. Group members who are not members of the GHA will be removed by the list administrator. Posting messages containing epithets, ad hominem attacks, 'flames,' hate language, or other violations of University proper use guidelines can also result in the writer's removal from the list.

VII. Amendments

1. This constitution may be amended, revised, or revoked by two-thirds vote of the GHA members present at a general meeting. Voting on a constitutional issue must wait two weeks after being presented over e-mail or during a general meeting in order to publicize the vote.

2. Votes for amendments to, revisions to, or a revoking of the constitution shall be tabulated by the president(s).

VIII. Student Lounge/TA Office

The president(s) are responsible for maintaining communication with the department administrators and university facilities staff about the use and maintenance of 611 Fayerweather. This may be done directly by the president or through someone appointed by the GHA to manage the lounge/TA office.