Alumni Association Bylaws
When you graduate from a degree program, you automaticlly become a lifetime member of the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association. These bylaws provide an explanation of the alumni association.
1. The name of the association shall be the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association (GSEAA). GSEAA shall be organized as a constituent of the University at Buffalo Alumni Association (UBAA).
2. The purpose of GSEAA shall be to engage in activity designed to extend the reputation and influence of the Graduate School of Education (GSE) of the University at Buffalo (UB) as an institution devoted to the highest standards of learning and ethics in education; to represent graduates of all past, current and future departments that are a part of GSE; to cooperate with the governing body of UB; to assist GSE in providing effective programs of research, teaching and preparation for practice; to assist students in their studies of education; to facilitate employment of GSE graduates; to stimulate the interest of the alumni and community in GSE; to be a part of an intellectual bond among the alumni, faculty and students; and to offer services and benefits to GSE alumni.
1. The following groups shall be considered General Members of GSEAA:
a. All persons holding a degree from GSE.
b. All members of the faculty and teaching staff, and former members of the faculty and teaching staff of GSE, regardless of whether they hold a degree from GSE.
2. Annual dues are not required for GSEAA membership. However, dues may be instituted with a resolution passed by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership of the Board of Directors.
1. There shall be a meeting of the General Membership of GSEAA between March 1 and May 31 of each year.
2. Notification of this meeting will be sent to all GSE alumni emails on record.
1. Directors
a. There shall be three Officers of the Board of Directors: President-Elect, President and Immediate Past-President.
b. There shall be six Members of the Board of Directors.
c. Officers and Members on the Board of Directors comprise the Directors.
d. Any alumnus of GSE may serve as a Director on the Board of Directors.
e. Each Director is entitled to one vote on all official matters of the Board of Directors.
2. At-Large Members, Emeritus Members and Ex-Officio Members
a. Directors may select as many At-Large Members of the Board of Directors as deemed necessary and appropriate to support and strengthen GSEAA.
b. Directors may select as many Emeritus Members of the Board of Directors as deemed necessary and appropriate in recognition of their contributions to GSE or GSEAA.
c. The Dean of GSE shall be an Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Directors. The Dean may also appoint a special liaison from GSE who shall also be an Ex-Officio Member.
1. All Directors are expected to participate in each of the quarterly Board of Directors meetings and actively seek new alumni participation.
2. The President shall:
a. Set the agenda for and preside over all General Membership and Board of Directors meetings in consultation with the Directors.
b. Communicate meeting dates, times and locations to all Directors, At-Large Members and Emeritus Members of the Board of Directors.
c. Delegate the responsibility of taking minutes to a fellow Director and ensure that all minutes and relevant GSEAA documentation are digitally available for all Directors, At-Large Members and Emeritus Members.
d. Delegate work that supports the GSEAA equitably across all Directors.
3. The President-Elect shall:
a. Commit to six years of leadership in support of GSEAA spanning three different position titles, each with a unique set of responsibilities.
b. Accept leadership opportunities and related GSEAA responsibilities in anticipation of assuming the position as President at the end of the term.
c. Serve in the capacity of Constituent Representative to the UBAA.
4. The Immediate Past-President shall:
a. Provide input and insight as appropriate to the President.
b. Accept responsibilities to lead as requested by the President.
1. The GSEAA calendar year begins June 1 and ends May 31.
2. Terms of Directors shall be two years, beginning June 1 and ending May 31.
3. Terms of At-Large Members and Emeritus Members shall be one year, beginning June 1 and ending May 31.
4. There shall a minimum of four quarterly Board of Directors meetings per year, with at least one occurring within each of the following time spans:
a. June 1 through August 31
b. September 1 through November 30
c. December 1 through February 29
d. March 1 through May 31
1. Elections for vacant seats on the Board of Directors shall be held during the General Membership meeting held between March 1 and May 31.
2. Half of the Member seats of the Board of Directors shall be up for election each year.
3. Nominations for vacant seats must be solicited from the General Membership of the GSEAA prior to the election.
4. Write-in candidates are allowed on the ballot.
5. Each General Member of the GSEAA present at the General Membership meeting during which elections are held shall be entitled to cast one vote for each of the vacant seats.
6. A candidate need not be present to be elected.
1. The incoming President-Elect shall be selected by the current term Officers, with input from the current term Members of the Board of Directors.
a. The individual selected as the incoming President-Elect must be an alumnus of GSE.
b. The incoming President-Elect need not be a Member of the Board of Directors, however it is recommended that Members are strongly considered to fill this position.
c. An individual who has completed the President-Elect, President, Immediate Past-President cycle may be selected as a President-Elect following a one-term absence from an Officer position. However, it is recommended that Members of the Board of Directors who have not previously served as an Officer are strongly considered to ensure the growth of active involvement of new alumni with the GSEAA Board of Directors.
d. The President shall announce the selection of the incoming President-Elect at the General Membership meeting.
e. Once selected as an incoming President-Elect, this person will automatically hold a seat on the Board of Directors throughout the duration of their three terms as an Officer, obviating any election requirement to retain their Officer position.
2. Transition of Officer Roles
a. At the conclusion of an individual’s term as President-Elect, they will assume the position of President.
b. At the conclusion of an individual’s term as President, they will assume the position of Immediate Past-President.
c. At the conclusion of an individual’s term as Immediate Past-President, they are welcome to run for election as a Member of the Board of Directors, or be selected as an At-Large or Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors, while retaining a title of Past-President.
1. Removal of a Director of the Board of Directors
a. A Director may call for a vote during a Board of Directors meeting deeming a fellow Director as Non-Participating if the Non-Participating Director has not performed reasonably expected duties on multiple occasions (e.g., non-participation in meetings, not completing agreed upon tasks.) The Directors participating at that meeting may then request the Non-Participating Director to submit a letter of resignation.
b. If the Non-Participating Director refuses the request or fails to respond, a Director may call for a vote during a subsequent Board of Directors meeting to remove the Non-Participating Director.
2. Filling Mid-Term Vacancies
a. Mid-Term vacancies in the position of Immediate Past-President may be filled with a former President to be selected by the Officers with input from the Members of the Board of Directors or left vacant until the current President’s term is complete.
b. Mid-Term vacancies in the position of President shall be filled with the current President-Elect. The President-Elect will complete the vacated President’s term, as well as the full two-year term they were to assume as the end of the President’s term.
c. Mid-term vacancies in the position of President-Elect shall be filled with a Member of the Board of Directors or a General Member of GSEAA selected by the Officers with input from the Members of the Board of Directors.
d. Directors may use their discretion whether to fill mid-term vacancies in the positions of Member, At-Large Member and Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors, or to wait until the end of the vacated term.
1. Directors who wish to alter or amend these bylaws must present the proposed changes at one of the quarterly Board of Directors meetings.
2. Directors must be allowed until the subsequent quarterly Board of Directors meeting to review the proposed changes.
3. The proposed changes may be ratified with a two-thirds vote of the Directors participating in that subsequent meeting.
Approved January 6, 2016.
Alumni Association
GSE Alumni — Become an Alumni Ambassador
The Office of Graduate Admission is seeking successful Graduate School of Education (GSE) alumni to share their experiences and insights regarding GSE with students who may be exploring one of our many graduate programs. By helping prospective and newly accepted students to navigate questions surrounding the enrollment process and providing insights into the student experience, alumni will help to build and strengthen the GSE community.