BYLAWS OF THE GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT ASSEMBLY FINANCE COMMISSION

ARTICLE 1 Membership

1.1 The GPSAFC Chair shall be appointed by the GPSA.

1.2 The GPSAFC shall consist of at least six other members appointed by the GPSA. If possible, finance commissioners should be selected to represent each of the professional schools (JGSM, Law, School, and Vet School) and each of the areas of the Graduate School (Humanities, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences). Finance commissioners need not be members of GPSA.

1.3 The Chair of the Funding Policy Committee will be seated on the GPSAFC.

1.4 Finance commissioners will serve until the end of the academic year in which they were appointed, including the Annual Budget hearings for the following academic year.

1.5 There is no limit on the number of years a student may serve on the GPSAFC.

1.6 If a finance commissioner is absent from more than two consecutive GPSAFC meetings without providing prior notice to the Chair, the Chair may ask the GPSA to replace that Commissioner.

ARTICLE 2 Duties of Finance Commissioners

2.1 The GPSAFC Chair is responsible for the functioning of the GPSAFC and its actions. The Chair shall establish the agenda, schedule and chair meetings of the GPSAFC. The Chair shall ensure that GPSAFC responds to requests from student groups in a timely fashion. The Chair, in conjunction with the Office of the Assemblies staff, will set the schedule for the Annual Budget process each spring and run the Funding Workshop.

2.2 The GPSAFC Chair may appoint a Vice-Chair and delegate any of the Chair’s responsibilities to the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair is responsible to the Chair, and the Chair can terminate the Vice-Chair’s duties at any time.

2.3 Finance commissioners shall attend meetings of the GPSAFC and vote on allocations requested by eligible student groups, based on student needs, university and GPSAFC policy, and available funds.

2.4 Finance commissioners are expected to recuse themselves from voting on allocations for organizations in which they are members.

ARTICLE 3 Meetings

3.1 The GPSAFC shall meet at least three times each semester, normally on a monthly basis (e.g. September, October, November in the fall; February, March, and April in the spring).

3.2 The GPSAFC Chair shall notify Office of the Assemblies staff as soon as possible of the GPSAFC meeting times and locations.

3.3 Each spring, the GPSAFC shall review annual budget applications for the following year and make allocations.

3.4 The GPSAFC Chair shall coordinate with Office of the Assemblies staff to determine a cut-off date for current-year budget changes (including new annual budget applications and Special Project Requests), in advance of the annual budget allocations for the following year. If funds remain for allocation in the current year, the GPSAFC should hold a meeting shortly before this cut-off date.

ARTICLE 4 Amendments

4.1 These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of seated GPSA members.

4.2 The GPSAFC Funding Rules (Appendix A) and the GPSAFC Funding Maximums (Appendix B) may be amended by a majority vote of seated GPSA members. Funding maximums can be raised at any time; any lowering of maximums cannot take effect until the next budget cycle. The Funding Policy Committee shall recommend changes for the next budget cycle before the end of February of the current academic year.

4.3 The Funding Policy Committee must recommend changes to these bylaws or to Appendix A or B necessitated by changes in University policies and procedures.

4.4 Any changes to the President and Treasurer’s Handbook, other than updates to University policies and procedures, must be approved by the Funding Policy Committee Chair and GPSAFC Chair. Should they disagree, the matter will be referred to the full Funding Policy Committee, and, if necessary, to the GPSA.

Appendix A Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Finance Commission Funding Rules

I. Preamble

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Finance Commission (GPSAFC) is the funding arm of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA). The GPSAFC is responsible for funding over 200 registered graduate and professional student organizations on the Cornell campus. GPSAFC funding comes from the Graduate and Professional Student Activity Fee; thus the Commission is responsible for disbursing student money to student groups.

II. General Criteria for Funding Student Organizations

A. To be eligible for funds, an organization must provide a valuable service to the Cornell community.

B. The GPSAFC shall not make allocations exclusively for the personal benefit of organization members.

C. Per University policy, the GPSAFC cannot fund: 1) Partisan political organizations and activities: Partisan political organizations are defined as those which are affiliated with a registered political party or candidate, or which are formed for the purpose of supporting or opposing any particular legislation. Partisan political activities are those which are used to support or oppose any particular legislation. Non-partisan activities sponsored by partisan organizations may be funded. Funded groups may “not participate in or intervene in (including the publication or distribution of statements), and campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.” Internal Revenue Code- Section 501 (C{3})) 2) Any religious activities. 3) Charitable organizations: Although the line between charity and service is often a blurred one, the University financial criteria does attempt to draw a clear distinction between the two. While this criteria prohibits any direct allocation to charitable organizations, it does allow for the funding of “recruiting, administration, and travel expense, which would be necessary to make it possible for Cornell students to participate in service projects.” The essential difference seems to be that of making an outright financial gift on one hand and aiding Cornell students in some kind of worthwhile project on the other.

D. In keeping with the University’s policy on nondiscrimination, no organization or activity funded by GPSAFC shall discriminate in its membership policies on the basis of race, religion, age, gender, sexual preference, or ethnic background, except where gender and age are bona fide qualifications for membership. Any group that violates this policy may have its remaining funding suspended or revoked.

E. The GPSAFC shall mandate that organizations take full advantage of income-producing opportunities and alternate funding sources, and shall consider their capacity and willingness to do so.

F. Duplication of an organization’s activities by other campus organizations shall be avoided.

G. The GPSAFC shall consider the extent to which an organization and its programs are determined and directed by graduate and professional students.

H. To be eligible for funding, an organization must be registered with the Student Activities Office for the current year.

I. An organization must have an advisor who is a full-time member of the faculty or staff of Cornell University in order to be eligible for funding. Graduate students do not qualify.

J. The membership criteria and selection processes of an organization should reasonably enable any student to compete and join if he/she has sufficient interest and ability.

K. To be eligible for funds, an organization must make full disclosure of its income and expenses. If additional funding is obtained from other University sources and/or external sources during a school year, a report of this funding should be furnished to the GPSAFC. This ensures that duplicate funding is not allocated.

III. Specific Rules for Funding Student Organizations

A. An organization must have more than 40% graduate membership to be eligible for funds.

B. To receive GPSAFC funding, the president or treasurer of an organization must be registered as a graduate or professional student at Cornell University for the current academic year.

C. The GPSAFC will not fund activities for which any organization member receives academic credit.

D. No faculty or staff salaried by Cornell University within the last six months can receive payment for services with GPSAFC funds.

E. Fund transfers cannot be made to Student Assembly Finance Commission funded organizations; events may be co-sponsored.

F. Events must occur during the academic year, defined for GPSAFC purposes as starting the first day of orientation in August and ending the day of commencement in May, to ensure that the Cornell community has the opportunity to participate.

G. Events must occur on the Cornell campus or within the greater Ithaca area to ensure that the Cornell community has the opportunity to participate.

H. All advertising must include the statements “Funded by the GPSAFC” and “Open to the Graduate Community.”

I. Groups applying for GPSAFC funding for the first time will have allocations in their annual budgets restricted to amounts set annually by the Funding Policy Committee in the Funding Maximums (Appendix B). Once funded, these groups may apply for Special Project Requests.

IV. Specific Expenditures Ineligible for GPSAFC Funding

� Organization/student travel (including transportation, lodging, and meals, or any individual/group registration fees that include transportation, lodging, or meals) � Office supplies or equipment � Organization stationery, certificates, membership or business cards � Resume books, directories, or other materials for professional/career development � Phone equipment, toll call or fax expenses � Postage � Office space or secretarial expenses � Conference expenses or membership fees (except for some Club Sports as detailed in V.3.iii) � Admission fees for performances, films, museums or sporting events � Container deposits � Gifts or trophies � Publication of academic journals � Purchase of books, magazines, or academic journals � Newsletters � Web design � Alumni-related expenses

V. Funding Categories and Line Items

Student organization budgets are divided into specific funding categories, which are classified by subject: Program, Social, Club Sports, and Publication. Only expenses that can be included within the given categories are considered for funding. There is no “Miscellaneous” category. Funds cannot be transferred between categories.

An organization may only apply for funding from one of the following categories: Program, Club Sports, or Publication. Any organization may apply for funding in the Social category.

The Program category is further subdivided into four line items: Speaker, Event Production, Reception, and Publicity. Money allocated in the Program category may be spent at the student organization’s discretion, within the per event and per year limits in the GPSAFC Funding Maximums (Appendix B). At its discretion, the GPSAFC may choose to restrict allocations to specific line items within the Program category.

The categories available to student organizations break down as follows:

1. Program: Funds allocated to the category may be applied to any of the following line items, within the per event and per year limits listed in the GPSAFC Funding Maximums (Appendix B):

a.  Speaker:  For expenses of bringing a speaker or performer to campus, including:
	i.	Honoraria.
	ii.	Personal vehicle travel, including toll fares and parking fees.
	iii.	Rental vehicles, including rental fee, gas, toll fares, and parking fees.
	iv.	Airline, train, or bus travel.
	v.	Lodging (not including bar, video, valet, phone or other personal charges).
	vi.	Meals eaten at a restaurant (not including grocery purchases).

b. Event Production: For expenses of producing a cultural, educational, or theatrical event on campus, including: i. Rental of equipment: any equipment necessary for an event to be successful, including A.V. equipment, VCRs, slide or film projectors, and table space. ii. Services: additional services provided by the university required for an event, such as Public and/or Life Safety, lighting or sound experts, or security fees to protect an exhibit. iii. Room rental: for on-campus facilities that charge a fee. Whenever possible, organizations should find and use facilities with no charge. iv. Purchase of equipment: equipment needed to conduct an event that is part of the main focus of an organization may be purchased, if it does not meet either part of the Cornell definition of “capital equipment” (costs more than $500 and lasts at least 2 years), and must not be available for rental or loan. v. Films: for expenses of showing a film on campus; Cornell Cinema must approve all titles before they are ordered. vi. Food may not be funded out of this line item.

c. Reception: For food served during or following a cultural, educational, or theatrical event on campus. i. Receptions must be held on campus and be open to the graduate community. ii. Welcome reception and end-of-year events may not be funded out of this line item.

d. Publicity: For advertising of GPSAFC funded events, limited to: i. Poster copying ii. Banners (for specific events) iii. Daily Sun ads

2. Club Sports: For organizations whose main purpose is the practice and playing of sports, the following expenses may be funded: i. Equipment: equipment necessary for practices or competitions may be funded for purchase or rental through Special Project Requests, provided it is not used for personal use. Equipment must be left on campus at the end of the academic year so the club may continue to use it in future years. ii. Facilities rental: for practices or competitions within the greater Ithaca area. iii. Tournaments: expenses for tournaments hosted by organizations within the greater Ithaca area may be funded through Special Project Requests, using the Event Production and Reception line items. iv. Personalized clothing may not be funded. Jerseys and pennies that are not personalized may be funded provided they remain with the club for use in future years. v. Competitions or tournaments outside of the greater Ithaca area may not be funded. vi. Funding for speakers may be provided in the Program category through a Special Project Request.

3. Publication: For organizations whose main purpose is the publication of a non-academic journal or magazine, printing or copying of issues may be funded. Organizations must indicate number of pages per issue, number of issues printed, and how and where issues will be distributed. Publications made solely for an organization’s membership may not be funded. Funding for speakers may be provided in the Program category through a Special Project Request.

4. Social: For social gatherings and organizational meetings, including welcome receptions and end-of-year events.

VI. Appeals

An organization that feels that is has been treated unfairly by a GPSAFC decision has the right to appeal its original allocation using the following procedure:

1. Fill out an Appeal Form obtained at the GPSAFC Office or on-line. Appeals cannot be made for any amount greater than the original budget request. 2. Specify as much as possible the reasons for the appeal, explaining why the GPSAFC should further fund the event. 3. The GPSAFC will discuss the appeal at its next meeting. 4. The organization will be notified of the GPSAFC’s decision shortly after the meeting. If the organization wishes to further appeal the GPSAFC’s decision, they must contact the GPSAFC chair by e-mail at gpsafc@cornell.edu within one week of notification of the results of their first appeal. 5. The GPSAFC chair will refer the matter to the Funding Policy Committee, which may decide to uphold the GPSAFC’s decision, advise GPSAFC to reconsider, or refer the matter to the GPSA. 6. If an organization has appealed to the GPSAFC and the Funding Policy Committee and wishes to appeal further, a final decision will be made by the GPSA.

VII. Special Project Requests

Groups that have submitted an Annual Budget Application and need additional money may apply for Special Project Requests. Special Project Requests may accommodate programming needs not anticipated in the annual budget application. Special Project Requests should include as much detail as possible, including specific dates and times for events, names of speakers, expected attendance, and other funding sources for the event. Special Project Requests are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. When the available funding is fully allocated, no further requests will be considered. Any funds that are allocated to an organization through a Special Project Request but are not expended within 30 days of the event may revert to the GPSAFC.

VIII. Transfer of Funds Between Categories and Line Items

The GPSAFC uses careful deliberation in their decisions to award money in annual budgets. Thus groups are not allowed to transfer funds between categories under any circumstances. Should groups require additional funds within a category, they should apply with a Special Project Request.

Funds allocated to the Program category without restriction may be applied to any of the line items within that category as needed, within per event and per year limits (see Appendix B). Groups need not submit line item transfer requests for GPSAFC approval.

IX. Co-Sponsorship

A. Co-sponsorships include programs where different elements of a single event are funded by more then one GPSAFC organization since GPSAFC organizations are not allowed to transfer funding from one group to another. Organizations must detail what expenses (by category or line item) will be used by each group for the event. Regardless how many groups are contributing funding, the expenses still need to stay within GPSAFC limits, with the exception of Publicity, Event Production, and honoraria: groups may combine honoraria funds (up to their annual maximum) to pay a higher honorarium for a co-sponsored speaker.

B. If an organization is alleged to be in receipt of funds without making a corresponding report to the GPSAFC and the allegations are proven correct, the GPSAFC has the full right to investigate and take one or all of the following actions:

1. Sending a letter of instruction. 2. Imposing a probationary period on your group. 3. Withdrawing funds, or partially or fully or confiscating funds for a specified period.

X. Amendments

Amendments to these rules must be approved by a majority vote of seated GPSA members.

Appendix B GPSA Finance Commission Funding Maximums

I. Program

Publicity:  No more than $50/event or $100 per year per organization.

Speaker: No more than $500/speaker and 2 speakers per year per organization, consisting of:

	� Honoraria:  No more than $200 per year per organization.
	� Personal vehicle travel:  At IRS business mileage rate (currently $.375/mile).
	� Rental vehicles:  Within Speaker maximum.
	� Airline, train, or bus travel:  Within Speaker maximum.
	� Lodging:  No more than $75/night for long-distance speakers.

� Meals: Only if the speaker eats at a restaurant; one meal for local speakers; $30/day for long-distance speakers (based on $5/breakfast, $10/lunch, $15/dinner).

Event Production:  No more than $500 per year per organization.
Reception:  No more than $350 per year per organization.

II. Club Sports: No more than $500 per year per organization.

III. Publication: No more than $500 per year per organization.

IV. Social: No more than $300 per year per organization.

V. Exceptions to Maximums Publicity: An organization may only receive more than $100 per year if the GPSAFC allocates funding for a third or further speaker; each speaker event beyond the first two may receive no more than $50. Speaker: To receive funding for more than two speaker events per year, an organization must demonstrate the publicity and attendance for earlier speaker events, its appeal to a broad campus audience, and specify funding levels from other sources. To receive more than $500 for one speaker, an organization must indicate funding from other sources or that the speaker is coming from outside the United States. Exceptions may not be given to honoraria, lodging, or meals amounts. Event Production: GPSAFC may not grant exceptions. Reception: GPSAFC may not grant exceptions. Social: To receive more social funding, an organization must demonstrate the publicity and attendance for its earlier social events, its appeal to a broad campus audience, and specify funding levels from other sources. Club Sports: GPSAFC may not grant exceptions. Publication: GPSAFC may not grant exceptions.

VI. First Time Applicants for GPSAFC Funding First time applicants for GPSAFC funding may receive in their annual budgets no more than $150 for Social and $150 for either Program, Club Sports, or Publication. They are not limited from applying for Special Project Requests.