Whereas, the Graduate & Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) is the representative body for graduate and professional students at Cornell; and

Whereas, the GPSA formed an ad hoc Charter Review Committee in the Fall of 2008 to revise and evaluate the GPSA charter; and

Whereas, the Charter Review Committee recommends making the charter clearer and more organized; and

Whereas, the Charter Review Committee recommends splitting Appendix A and Appendix B from the charter to create the GPSA Charter, the GPSA Bylaws, the GPSA Eligibility and Obligations for Byline Funding, the GPSA Byline Allocation Procedures and the GPSAFC Funding Guidelines; and

Whereas, the Charter Review Committee recommends clarifying the Funding Policy Committee and the Finance Commission by renaming the Funding Policy Committee to the Appropriations Committee (AC); and

Whereas, the Charter Review Committee presents the GPSA Eligibility and Obligations for Byline Funding and the GPSA Byline Allocation Procedures as recommended by the current Funding Policy Committee;

Be it therefore resolved that the GPSA approves the new GPSA Charter, GPSA Bylaws, GPSA Byline Allocation Procedures, and GPSA Eligibility Criteria and Obligations for Byline Funded Organizations, as presented; and

Be it further resolved that all documents approved by this resolution be kept as html, .doc and .pdf formats by the Office of Assemblies for the ease of future use by the GPSA and .pdf documents be posted on the GPSA website for public access and download; and

Be it further resolved that the 2009–2010 Chairs of the Finance Commission and Appropriations Committee, at the first business meeting of the Fall semester, present an updated GPSAFC Funding Guidelines, which reflects terminology changes, such as “Appropriates Committee”, instead of “Funding Policy Committee” and “voting members” and “non-voting members”, instead of “Assembly” and “CoR”; and

Be it further resolved, that all approved documents shall take effect for the 2009–2010 GPSA elections and actions upon approval of the President of the University; and

Be it further resolved that if the GPSA does not approve the new documents, the GPSA will revert to current documents; and

Be it finally resolved that this resolution be sent to the David Skorton, President of Cornell University; Peggy Beach, Director of the Office of Assemblies; Kent Hubbell, Dean of Students; and Alison Power, Dean of the Graduate School.

Respectfully Submitted,

Amy Richter
GPSA Counsel to the Assembly and
GPSA Physical Sciences Rep
Co-Chair of the Charter Committee

Cresten Mansfeldt
GPSA Physical Sciences Rep.
Co-Chair of the Charter Committee

The Charter Committee: Briony Horgan, Karley Hermans, David Walden, Mario Guerrero, Mohammed Hamidian