graduate business council

GBC Constitution


Article I: Name and Purpose

 
  • The name of the organization shall be The Graduate Business Council of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, henceforth referred to as the GBC. The University of Chicago Booth School of Business shall be referred to as CHICAGO BOOTH.
  • The GBC shall consist of the Executive Committee (the EC), and GBC Representatives from each cohort (the Council). The GBC is a non-profit CHICAGO BOOTH student organization established to serve full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students by:
    • Serving as representatives of CHICAGO BOOTH students to the faculty and administration of the CHICAGO BOOTH;
    • Representing CHICAGO BOOTH students to persons or groups outside of CHICAGO BOOTH whenever such representation is appropriate;
    • Exercising leadership in all activities affecting the welfare of CHICAGO BOOTH students;
    • Providing services for CHICAGO BOOTH and members of the CHICAGO BOOTH community;
    • Discussing and voting on questions relating to or affecting CHICAGO BOOTH, or any other question of interest to CHICAGO BOOTH students.

Article II: The Executive Committee

 
  • The EC shall consist of elected officers with responsibilities and powers listed below.
    • The President of the EC shall:
      • Coordinate and monitor the activities of the EC and Council;
      • Call, set the agenda for, and preside over, meetings of the EC and Council;
      • Call votes of the EC and Council;
      • Break a tie vote on any motion before the EC or Council;
      • Appoint an EC Officer to assume the duties of the President in his or her absence from EC and Council meetings;
      • Invite, from time to time, certain ex-officio members to attend meetings of the Council;
      • Assemble ad-hoc committees as needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the office;
      • Approve GBC Community Fund allocations to CHICAGO BOOTH student groups;
      • Faithfully execute all duties as required by this Constitution and any duly enacted rule of the Council.
    • Other EC Officers shall:
      • Attend meetings of the EC and Council;
      • Vote on all motions before the EC or the Council;
      • Assemble ad-hoc committees as needed to fulfill the responsibilities of their offices, given the approval of the President;
      • Execute all reasonable duties as called upon by the President;
      • Faithfully execute all duties as required by this Constitution and any duly enacted rule of the Council;
      • Appoint members to the Judicial Council.
  • The EC as a body shall appoint Chairs to all committees of the Council.
  • Approval of a measure by the EC shall be held upon the motion and second of any two members of the EC or by the President. A motion will be considered passed with a majority vote of EC members, provided that in the event of a tie the vote of the President shall carry the measure.
  • The EC shall be elected for a term of one year by a vote of the entire full-time CHICAGO BOOTH student body in an election conducted by the Student Programs and Events Office. The election shall be held during Winter Quarter. Candidates seeking EC office shall run in a slate of no fewer than five and no more than six candidates. All full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students who will not graduate before March of the following year shall be eligible to run on an EC slate. The slate with the greatest number of votes shall be elected as the EC-elect. The EC-elect shall assume the full responsibilities of the EC in the Spring Quarter of the year of election.
  • EC Officers must abdicate elected positions on the Council and any office in any other CHICAGO BOOTH student club or organization. The President may not serve as a LEAD Facilitator or as an Admissions Fellow.

Article III: The Council

 
  • The Council shall consist of two GBC Representatives elected from each cohort, each with responsibilities and powers listed below:
    • Attend Council meetings
    • Act as a member or chair of committees of the Council, as outlined in the Operating Rules;
    • Vote on all motions before the Council;
    • Enact policies and rules of the EC and the Council;
    • Approve referenda and Constitutional referenda petitions per Article VI and VII;
    • Serve as liaisons between the Council and the student body;
    • Faithfully execute all duties as required by this Constitution and any duly enacted rule of the Council.
  • Votes of the Council shall be held upon the motion of the President or by the motion of a minimum of five members of the Council. A motion will be considered passed with a majority vote unless otherwise outlined in other articles of this Constitution. All votes shall be recorded by a secretary, appointed at each meeting, and attached to the minutes of the GBC complete with the motion under consideration, the author(s) of said motion, and a record of each voting member of the Council. Upon request, the voting record will be made available to full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students.
  • The Council shall hold at least five meetings per quarter in the autumn, winter and spring quarters. The Council shall not convene during the summer quarter.
  • All meetings of the Council shall be open and public. Only by a 2/3rds vote may the Council invoke a closed session.
  • For the purposes of quorum, the Council shall not be considered to be convened and thus shall not hold any binding votes unless a majority of the voting members are represented.
  • The Council shall be elected for a term of two years by a vote of each cohort in an election conducted by the Student Programs and Events Office during the orientation period of the cohort's first year. Each cohort shall elect two GBC Representatives to serve on the Council.

Article IV: Judicial Council

 
  • The judicial power of the GBC shall be vested solely in the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear removal proceedings under Article V of the Constitution, and disputes concerning the interpretation of the Constitution, Operating Rules or any other duly elected rule of the Council. The Judicial Council shall also have jurisdiction to hear other matters referred to it by the Council.
  • The Judicial Council shall be comprised of five full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students appointed by the EC and confirmed by the Council at the end of their first year.
  • Rulings by the Judicial Council are final and shall be respected as such by all members of the GBC.
  • Members of the Judicial Council shall serve a term comprising the duration of their second year as full-time students of CHICAGO BOOTH.
  • The members of the Judicial Council will vote to elect one of its members to serve as Chair.
  • Removal matters must be brought before the Judicial Council in conformance with Article V. All other matters may be brought before the Judicial Council by the filing by the Council or any full-time CHICAGO BOOTH student of a petition for hearing. The petition for hearing shall describe concisely the nature of the matter and the relief sought.
  • Once a petition for a hearing is filed, the Judicial Council shall serve it on all members of the EC and also make it available for review by others upon request. No earlier than one week after the filing of the petition for hearing, the Judicial Council shall conduct a hearing on the petition. At the hearing, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to address the Judicial Council.
  • After a hearing, the Judicial Council shall conduct a vote and a simple majority shall approve or deny a petition.
  • The Judicial Council has the power to rule on all matters concerning grade non-disclosure violations. If the Judicial Council determines that a violation has occurred, it has the power to ban the violating individual from attending any event that is sponsored by the GBC. These events include but are not limited to LPF, Spring Fling, Winter Formal, Mix-It-Up Dinners, the Booth/Kellogg Bulls game, EnCore, and any student group event that is supported by GBC Community Funds.

Article V: Resignation and Removal

 
  • Resignation by EC Officers, Council Members, and members of the Judicial Council shall be allowed by notification to the EC.
  • Removal of EC Officers, Council Members, and members of the Judicial Council:
    • Removal proceedings may be brought against any EC Officer, Council Member, or member of the Judicial Council for the abuse of power, or for failing to fulfill the responsibilities described in the Constitution and any other duly enacted rule of the Council. A request for removal may be initiated by either a majority vote of the Council, or by a petition presented to the Chair of the Judicial Council or the President bearing the signatures of at least fifty full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students.
    • Once a request for removal has been lodged, further proceedings to remove an EC Officer, Council Member or member of the Judicial Council shall be heard before the Judicial Council.
    • Upon referral of the matter to the Judicial Council, the charged individual shall be presented a written statement of the levied charges (the Statement) within 48 hours. The Statement can be served via electronic mail or any other method that evidences that the Statement has been served. The charged individual will then have one week from the date of service to prepare a defense.
    • No earlier than one week after service of the Statement, the Chair of the Judicial Council shall call a session of the Judicial Council to consider the removal. In the event the Chair of the Judicial Council is charged, the Judicial Council shall elect the Chair. A member of the Council or a student who signed the petition for removal shall be allowed to present to the Council the case in favor of removal, and the charged member shall be allowed to present her defense.
    • The charged individual shall be removed upon approval of a two-thirds majority of a valid quorum of the Judicial Council. The charged individual shall not be present for the vote, which shall be cast by secret ballot.
    • If the Judicial Council votes in favor of removing the charged individual, the individual's term shall cease immediately.
  • That member Cohort Board shall fill any vacancies due to resignation or removal of a Council Member. The President, subject to confirmation by the Council, shall fill vacancies due to resignation or removal of an EC Officer. In the event that the President resigns or is removed, the Chair of the Judicial Council will preside over a vote by the Council to elect a new President. The election of a new President will be upheld by majority vote of a valid quorum of the Council.

Article VI: Referenda

 
  • The Council shall be compelled to vote on whether or not to hold a referendum of full-time students of CHICAGO BOOTH, concerning any questions raised by a petition bearing the signatures of fifty fulltime CHICAGO BOOTH students, presented to the President at least six weeks prior to the end of the Spring Quarter.
  • The Council vote shall be held at the next scheduled meeting of the Council. In the event that no meeting of the Council is scheduled the President shall call a special session of the Council to vote on the measure.
  • In the event that the Council votes to not hold the referendum, the submission of signatures representing 15% of the full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students in favor of such a measure shall be sufficient to compel the Council to hold the referendum. The subsequent referendum, if required, shall be held within one month.
  • Notice of a proposed referendum shall be published prior to the vote, with the timing of said notification, and the length and exact timing of the voting established in the duly enacted rules of the Council.
  • A minimum of one-half (1/2) of the full-time CHICAGO BOOTH student body must vote in order for a referendum to be valid.
  • A simple majority of the ballots cast in a valid referendum shall be sufficient to decide any issue under consideration.
  • The results of all valid referenda shall be binding upon the GBC.

Article VII: Amendment of the Constitution

 
  • This Constitution may be amended by 3/4ths consent of a valid quorum of the Council.
  • This Constitution may also be amended by a Constitutional Referendum.
    • The Council shall be compelled to vote on whether or not to hold a Constitutional referendum of full-time students of CHICAGO BOOTH, concerning a Constitutional amendment proposed by a petition bearing the signatures of fifty full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students, presented to the President at least six weeks prior to the end of the Spring Quarter.
    • The vote shall be held at the next scheduled meeting of the Council. In the event that no meeting of the Council is scheduled the President shall call a special session of the Council to vote on the measure.
    • In the event that the Council votes to not hold the Constitutional referendum, the submission of signatures representing 15% of the full-time CHICAGO BOOTH students in favor of such a measure shall be sufficient to compel the Council to hold the referendum. The subsequent referendum, if required, shall be held within one month.
    • Notice of a proposed Constitutional referendum shall be published prior to the vote, with the timing of said notification, and the length and timing of the voting established in the duly enacted policies of the Council.
    • A minimum of one-half (1/2) of the full-time CHICAGO BOOTH student body must vote in order for a Constitutional Amendment Referendum to be valid.
    • A two-thirds majority of the ballots cast in a valid Constitutional referendum shall be required to modify the Constitution.
  • All amendments shall become effective immediately upon ratification unless otherwise specified in the amendment.

Article VIII: Supremacy and Severability

 
  • This Constitution, and the rules of the Council which shall be made in pursuance thereof, shall be the governing law of the GBC, and members of the GBC shall be bound thereby, provided however that this Constitution shall not exceed any authority vested to it by the Dean of Students Office, the Student Programs and Events Office, or in general the Administration of the University of Chicago and the Booth School of Business.
  • Should any provision of this Constitution be found to violate the authority vested to it by any of the foregoing only those specific provisions ruled to be in violation shall be deemed nullified.

Article IX: Continuation

 
  • All rules enacted by referendum or by vote of the GBC prior to the ratification of this Constitution shall be accepted as if enacted under this Constitution.
  • All GBC Representatives, and the constituted Executive Committee, serving in office on the date of adoption of this Constitution, shall continue to serve in the same capacity until the cessation of their term of office, resignation, or removal.