Association of Graduate and Professional Administrators Bylaws
Revised by Executive Committee vote on 3/11/2021
Article I. NAME
Section 1.1 Association of Graduate and Professional Administrators (AGPA)
Section 1.2 Association of Graduate and Professional Administrators is an organization of university professionals committed to responding to the needs of graduate and professional students at The Ohio State University. AGPA members exchange ideas and coordinate the dissemination of graduate and professional student information and resources. AGPA supports professional development and promotes the value of the combined talent of its members.
Article II. MISSION
Section 2.1 AGPA exists to provide professional development, training, and networking to university administrators who work with graduate and professional students with the goal of enhancing the overall educational experience of these students at The Ohio State University. Through intra-university collaboration, AGPA aids in the development of best practices for graduate and professional student services and uses its unified voice to advocate policies that support this student population.
Article III. VALUES
Section 3.1 AGPA ascribes to the values of The Ohio State University and enacts these values as follows;
3.1.A. Commitment to Excellence – As a group, we promote best practices that serve to support, guide, and continuously improve the graduate and professional student experience.
3.1.B Collaboration as One University / Diversity in People and Ideas – The group inherently promotes and encourages relationships, cooperation, and the sharing of information among graduate and professional administrators from across the university. The group welcomes people of all backgrounds, opinions, and beliefs; and diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged and supported.
3.1.C Acting with Integrity, Transparency, and Trust – The group provides professional development opportunities that deliver information and support to individuals for the performance of their job duties. This allows members to make better-informed decisions, provides opportunities for feedback, promotes good stewardship of university resources, and encourages a culture of professionalism with the goal of providing the most accurate and reliable information and services to graduate and professional students.
3.1.D Innovation / Simplicity in our Supporting Processes – The group advocates for efficient and streamlined processes that continuously improve the graduate and professional student experience.
Article IV. PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
Section 4.1 This group is meant to provide a space for active collaboration and discussion of best practices for the diverse array of job functions carried out by administrators serving graduate and professional students across campus. These functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
4.1.A Admissions
- Funding
- Recruitment
- Application Processing
4.1.B Student Support Services
- Advising
- Alumni Services
- Career Services
- International Student Services
- Professional Development Services
4.1.C Administrative
- Assessment
- Curriculum Support
- Data Maintenance/Reporting
- Event Planning
- Fiscal/HR
- Student Record Maintenance
- Course Scheduling
Article V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 5.1 The AGPA Executive Committee is charged with leading and maintaining the overall organization. The Executive Committee meets at least once per semester to discuss pertinent issues facing the graduate and professional community. The Executive Committee is comprised of the Officers and ex-officio positions.
Section 5.2. AGPA shall elect the following Executive Officers: President, President-Elect, Education and Engagement Officer, Communications Officer, Technology Officer, and Treasurer.
Section 5.3 President
5.3.A Chairperson of the Executive Committee responsible for planning and overseeing Executive Committee meetings
5.3.B Responsible for and provides support for other Officers
5.3.C Presides over general body meetings in support of the Education and Engagement Officer
5.3.D Maintains liaison responsibilities with university administration and represents AGPA (or assigns a designee) in university-wide committees that address graduate and professional issues
5.3.E Coordinates annual election process with support from the Executive Committee
5.3.F Mentors the President-elect
Section 5.4 President-elect
5.4.A Represents President when President is unable to perform duties
5.4.B Assists President in communications with university administration, AGPA membership, and other Executive Committee members
5.4.C Conducts other duties as assigned by the President
Section 5.5. Treasurer
5.5.A Seeks funding opportunities for the organization
5.5.B Applies for grants on behalf of the organization
5.5.C Develops financial plan to ensure organizational viability
5.5.D Maintains budgetary information and advises Executive Committee accordingly
Section 5.6 Technology Officer
5.6.A Addresses and coordinates all technology requests and needs for the organization
5.6.B Serves as webmaster for the AGPA website
Section 5.7 Communications Officer
5.7.A Manages communications with AGPA members
5.7.B Records meeting minutes of all executive and general body meetings and archives relevant AGPA documents
5.7.C Maintains list serv and membership database
5.7.D Responsible for communication to membership
5.7.E Responsible for membership recruitment, orientation and surveys
5.7.F May form a team to assist in carrying out responsibilities
Section 5.8 Education and Engagement Officer
5.8.A Provides continual learning and collaborative opportunities to members
5.8.B Organizes events related to educational programming, professional development and social engagement
5.8.C May form a team to assist in carrying out responsibilities
Section 5.9 Conference Planning Committee Chair
Teams: Each Executive Committee officer can choose individuals to form a team. Teams are charged with operationalizing the AGPA mission through collaborative work groups. Each team has either one Team Chair or two Team Co-Chairs chosen by the corresponding officer and an appropriate number of team members as determined by the presiding officer. The Conference Planning Team is elected Teams report progress to the President Elect.
5.9.A Conference Planning Team
- Purpose: to plan the AGPA conference
- Develop conference timeline
- Work with Treasurer to maintain conference budget
- Oversee conference fundraising as needed
- Select and secure conference venue
- Select and secure speakers
- Work with Communications Officer/Team to develop communications/promotion plan
- Call for conference proposals
- Select conference presentations in collaboration with the AGPA Executive Committee
- May appoint a Vice Chair to assist in conference planning duties and train to be the Conference Planning Chair the following year
- Execute day-of-event conference tasks
Section 5.10 Ex-Officio Positions Liasons representing their offices and past Presidents serve as non-voting members of the Executive Committee.
5.10.A Graduate School Liaison
5.10.B Graduate & Professional Admissions Liaison
5.10.C Student Life Liaison
5.10.D Past AGPA President shall serve for 2 years unless there is no immediate past president available to serve and then the most immediate past president shall serve until there is an immediate past president
Article VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS
Section 6.1. Election Timeline: Members are nominated for the general election in May and general elections for the year will be held in June. New officers will assume duties on August 1 and continue through July 31. As a condition of their position, outgoing officers are expected to mentor and train the incoming officers during the months of June and July.
Section 6.2 Election Process: Officer positions will be filled by a simple majority vote by those exercising their voting privilege. In the case of a tie, the current Executive Committee shall determine the outcome. Any member may nominate another member (including self) for an office. In the event that candidates run unopposed, election may occur by acclamation of the Executive Committee. Ballot method will be determined by Executive Committee but will in most cases be done electronically via a survey tool. Ex-officio liaison positions are appointed by their respective offices.
Section 6.3 Nomination Eligibility: Elected Executive Committee members shall be employees from any Ohio State unit that serves graduate or professional students and/or programs. No member can hold two executive positions including ex-officio at one time.
Section 6.4 Executive Committee Tenure: The President-elect serves a one-year term as President-elect before serving as President for one year (two-year total tenure). The remaining Executive Committee members serve one year terms, but may choose to. No member shall serve in a voting position on the Executive Committee for more than five consecutive years unless the sixth year is serving as president. Any member who has served five consecutive years may return to an executive committee position after one year.
Section 6.5 Vacancies:
6.5.A Should a member of the Executive Committee change positions within the university so that the individual’s job requirements no longer include tasks related to graduate or professional education, the member may elect to serve out the remainder of the term or forfeit the remainder of the term. Should a member of the Executive Committee leave the university entirely, the member will automatically forfeit the remainder of the term.
6.5.B Vacancy of the President: If the President position becomes vacant, the President Elect assumes the role of President and will continue as President until the completion of the originally-intended term if the additional term of service is less than six months. In such cases that the President-elect assumes the presidency with less than six months remaining, the President-elect position shall remain vacant and the President will complete current and future term of service. If more than six months remain, the president may select from the following two options upon approval of the Executive Committee:
- Hold an election for a president-elect and move to past president at the end of the current term of service
- Hold an election for a president-elect who will serve the remainder of the current term and the subsequent term as president-elect before assuming the role of president
6.5.C. Vacancy of the President Elect: If the President-Elect position becomes vacant due to a vacancy of the president, Section 6.5.B applies. If the president-elect position becomes vacant for any other reason, the following applies. If less than six months remain, the President-elect position shall remain vacant for the current term and the current president shall complete the current and subsequent term of the presidency. If more than six months remain, the president may select from the following two options upon approval of the Executive Committee:
- Hold an election for a president-elect and move to past president at the end of the current term of service
- Hold an election for a president-elect who will serve the remainder of the current term and the subsequent term as president-elect before assuming the role of president
6.5.D All other vacancies: In the case that a member not identified above of the Executive Committee forfeits the remainder of the term, the Executive Committee shall appoint by recommendation of the president a replacement or leave the position vacant until the next annual election by majority vote.
Section 6.6 Removal of an Executive Committee Member: Any executive committee member may, by notice in writing to the Executive Committee, resign at any time. Any executive committee member may be removed from office by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (⅔) of the executive committee with or without cause.
Article VII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 7.1 The current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised” governs the procedures of all meetings of AGPA, except where conflicting with these Bylaws.
Section 7.2 The Chair of the meeting shall be responsible for interpreting all relevant aspects of the Bylaws. Decisions of the Chair may be appealed to the voting members and overturned by a simple majority vote. The voting members’ decision is final.
Section 7.3 The President may appoint a Parliamentarian to advise on the details in Section 7.2 and other relevant matters