IPN Student Government

Section One: Name

This organization shall be known as the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience Student Government (IPNSG).

Section Two: Purpose

The IPNSG shall serve as the primary executive agency of the IPN student body. The purpose of the Student Government shall be:

1. To serve as the official representative of the IPN student body to the University’s administration and faculty with regard to all matters pertaining to the IPN.
2. To promote interaction between students, faculty, and the administration.
3. To promote student awareness of issues and policies pertinent to the IPN.
4. To consider and act upon matters of concern brought to its attention by individual students, one or more classes, or the student body at large.
5. To seek out and retain funds it deems necessary and useful to carry out its purposes.
6. To serve as a means by which effective communication is achieved between years and between the student body and other organizations.
7. To make the student body aware of pertinent awards and determine nominations and/or recipients as outlined by the specific awards.
8. To promote equity and diversity within the IPN.

Section One: Membership

All graduate students matriculated in the IPN are members of the IPNSG. Officers are composed of the Executive Committee Student Representatives (President, Senior Senator, Junior Senator, and EDI representative),other appointed officers (Social Chair/Treasurer, the MCGSO liaison, GradGov Representative, and GAGE Representative) Committee Representatives are composed of elected members of each committee.

Section Two: Executive Committee Student Representatives

The Executive Committee Student Representatives will be composed of four Officers: a President, a senior Senator, a junior Senator, and EDI Representative.

1. The Executive Committee Student Representatives will serve as the representatives to the IPN Executive Committee.
2. The President must be a rising 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year.
3. Senators must be a rising 2nd year or later.
4. Seniority of Senators is determined by length of service in the IPNSG.

Section Three: Elected Officers and Committee Representatives

1. The Committee Representatives serve as the student liaisons to the committees including, but not limited to, Executive, Curriculum, and Admissions Committees.
   • The number of official liaisons to each committee will be up to the discretion of the Executive Committee Student Representatives and will be decided based on need.
   • The Executive Committee Student Representatives and Committee Liaisons are elected positions.
   • The Curriculum Committee Representatives must represent a balanced distribution of multiple cohorts.
   • GAGE Representative must be a member of GAGE.
   • Students other than the appointed officers are encouraged to attend committee meetings.
2. Other appointed officers of the IPNSG are the Social Chair/Treasurer, the MCGSO liaison, GradGov Representative and the GAGE liaison. These positions may be held by members of the IPN Executive Committee Student Representatives and the Committee Representatives.
3. At the beginning of each school year, there shall be a call to nominate and an election for officers of the student government.

Section Four: Term Limits

Terms of office shall commence at the first meeting of the academic year and continue for one year. There are no term limits for any position except for the President, who shall serve for a maximum of 2 terms.

Section One: Elections for Officers

1. The officers of the Executive Committee Student Representatives (President, senior Senator, junior Senator, EDI Representative) will be selected by nomination and election.
2. The sitting Executive Committee Student Representatives will be responsible for the election process.
3. Voting shall take place at the beginning of the academic year, following the arrival of the first-year students.

Section Two: Candidate Eligibility and Nominations

1. IPNSG: Members in good academic standing (refer to IPN Handbook) may run for office (additional requirements apply for IPN Executive Committee Student Representatives, Curriculum Committee and GAGE Representative).
2. IPN Executive Committee Student Representatives: Students in good academic standing may be nominated to run for Junior Senator and EDI Representative. Students 3rd year and above may be nominated to run for President and Senior Senator. A candidate may run for both President and Senator in the same election period.
3. Candidates may nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party. If a candidate is nominated by someone other than themselves, they will be before the election and may decline the nomination.

Section Three: Voting

1. Members of the IPN will vote for IPNSG and Committee positions.
2. Votes for the President will be counted first. The candidate with the greatest number of President votes will be elected as President.
3. Votes for the two Senatorial positions will be counted after the elected President is confirmed. The winning Presidential candidate will be removed from contention in the Senate race.
4. In the case of a tie:
   • A runoff election will be held among the current IPNSG Officers (President, Senior Senator, Junior Senator, EDI Representative, Treasurer/Social Chair, MCGSO, GradGov, GAGE Representative, and any additional non-committee position),
   • In the event a tie persists after the above procedures, the winner is chosen by a random draw.
5. After the close of voting, any elected position which remains vacant shall be filled by appointment by the President-elect.

Section Four: Term Start

Elected candidates will take office no later than one month following voting to allow time for exiting officers to instruct incoming officers about their new positions.

Section One: Schedule and Quorum

1. The President shall schedule and hold regular monthly meetings of the student body.
2. Quorum: One-quarter of the student body shall constitute a quorum for voting.
3. The President, along with at least one Senator and one representative of each Committee shall be present at the monthly Student Body meetings or provide updates in advance.

Section One: General Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the IPN Executive Committee Student Representatives, the Officers, and the Committee Representatives to advocate for the interests of the student body and provide updates to atStudent Body meetings.

Section Two: Elected Officers and Committee Representatives

1. All officers of the IPNSG must attend student body meetings regularly. When an officer cannot attend a meeting, they are expected to report any new business to the President before the meeting.
2. Committee representatives must attend the meetings of their assigned committee regularly.
3. Other officer duties are outlined below.
   • Social Chair/Treasurer: Plans social events for the student body and manages funds for IPNSG.
   • MCGSO Representative: Regularly attends meetings of the Medical Center Graduate Student Organization.
   • GAGE Representative: Regularly attends monthly meetings of the Graduate Student Organization. In the event that the GAGE Representative cannot attend a meeting, it is the responsibility of the representative to find a proxy.
   • GradGov Representative: Regularly attends monthly GradGov meetings. In the event that the GradGov Representative cannot attend a meeting, it is the responsibility of the representative to find a proxy.
4. If an appointed officer fails to fulfill the responsibilities of their position, the Executive Committee Student Representatives may remove the representative from their position by unanimous vote.

Section Three: President

1. It is the responsibility of the President to set the agenda at each Student Body meeting. The aim of this agenda is to provide a forum where issues and concerns of any and all IPN student members can be voiced and addressed by the IPNSG in a timely manner.
2. The President is responsible for casting the student vote on the IPN Executive Committee. The President should consult the student body and Senators, when possible, in deciding the vote. Failure to vote in the interests of the student body is grounds for impeachment. If the President is absent, a Senator will cast the vote (in order of seniority).
3. The President is responsible for appointing non-elected officers.

Section One: Only elected officials are impeachable.

Section Two: Procedure

1. Any member of the IPN student body who begins an action of impeachment against another member must submit in writing the reasons for the proposed impeachment to the highest-ranking elected official not named in the impeachment. That official must notify the named individual within 24 hours.
2. The member in question shall have the option of appearing before the student body at the next scheduled meeting. The member making the impeachment charge must also be present and be prepared to present their reasons for proposing impeachment. The accused member shall be given the right to present arguments in their own defense.
3. For the purposes of impeachment, a majority vote of students at the meeting is required to end debate and to call for a vote.
4. A vote to impeach requires two-thirds of the members to pass. A quorum must be present for voting to impeach.

Section Three: If a vote to impeach passes, the officer is immediately removed from office.

Section One:

Vacancy of the term of office of President shall be filled by the Senior Senator until a special election can be arranged.

Section Two:

Vacancies during the term of office of a Senator position shall be filled at the earliest time possible by special election.

Section Three:

Vacancies during the term of office of any other position shall be filled at the earliest time possible by appointment of the President.

Section Four:

Any officer wishing to step down from their position must notify the President in writing.

Section One: 

Any IPN student may propose an amendment. All proposed amendments to this Constitution, in order to be considered, must be submitted in writing to the President. They reserve the right to appoint an ad hoc committee to facilitate reviewing and presentation of the new amendments to the student body.

Section Two: 

All proposed amendments to this Constitution, in order to take effect, must be passed by a majority vote of the student body.

This Constitution, in order to take effect, must be ratified by a majority vote of the IPN student body.