The Draft Constitution

ofOf the

Ghana Nuclear Society Student ChapterChapter(GNS-

SC)
ofOf
Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the
University of Ghana. (GSNAS-UG)

Preamble
We, the graduate students of the Graduate Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied sciences
(GSNAS), in order to improve the quality of our education, to provide ourselves with services
which would otherwise not be provided, to express our views and represent ourselves in
collaboration with other groups whose decisions affect us, and to fairly and accountably
allocate resources which have been granted to us as a whole, from the mandate of the national
chapter of the Ghana Nuclear society enacted by virtue of this constitution a central body
unto which legislative, executive, judicial, and representative powers are conferred. The
name of this Organization shall be Ghana Nuclear Society Student Chapter, hereinafter
designated GNS-scGNS-SC. In order to ensure that this Association continues to work on our
behalf and in our interest, we have adopted this constitution to govern this Association.

Article I: Objectives and Operation

1. The objectives of the Chapter shall be consistent with the objectives of the Ghana Nuclear
Society (National), hereinafter designated as the Society, as defined in the National
Constitution of the Ghana Nuclear Society; namely, “the advancement of science and
engineering relating to the atomic nucleus and of allied sciences and arts”.
[2.] For the furtherance of these objectives, the GNS-SC Chapter shall undertake:
a. To promote the professional development of its members by its programs, by
its relations to other student Chapters and/or Associations on the Atomic
Campus of the University of Ghana and its relationship with the Society.
b. To contribute toward the development of nuclear science and technology at
the University of Ghana’s Graduate School of Nuclear and allied Sciences
through activities in which student members and faculty may participate.
3. Obligations of the GNS-SC Student Chapter
I. To the Ghana Nuclear Society

[a.] The activities of the GNS-SC Chapter shall be in accordance with the provisions
of the GRASAG Constitution and of the Rules and Bye-laws of the General
Assembly of GSNAS and the Society.
I.[II.] To the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Science and the University of Ghana
 a. The Branch shall conform to and abide by the rules and regulations of
the University of Ghana and GSNAS concerning the formation and
operation of student organizations.

Article II: Membership

[a.] All undergraduate students of GSNAS shall be members of this Association. Further, this
Organization shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Student Body of GSNAS. Under
this Constitution, a Student is a person considered by the Registrar of University of
Ghana to be a currently registered student working towards at least one graduate degree at
the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Ghana. Students shall be able to
hold office in this Association provided that they qualify as a graduate student and are in
good standing as defined herein and do not have definite plans or expectations to leave
school or receive graduate degree prior to the expiration of their term in office. Officers
and other students responsible for transacting business on behalf of the Association shall
be considered members of the Government of the Association.
[b.] Only currently registered students of the University of Ghana who have satisfiedy their
obligation of payment of dues may shall be active members and thus considered in good
standing. Consequently, only active members may vote or hold office.
a.[c.] We will not haze according to the Laws of Ghana; restrict membership based upon race,
colour, national origin, religion, sex, physical, and mental disability, medical condition
(cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation,
citizenship or status.

2. Dues, Assessments, and Contributions

a. The annual dues for student members of the Chapter shall be fixed by the Executive
Council and may be subject to review as when appropriate and hitherto approved by
the General Assembly of the University of Ghana Atomic Campus.
b. The Association may accept local non-compulsory financial contributions
c. Dues are payable at the beginning of the school year. Special Levies over and above
annual dues may be assessed by the Chapter upon two-thirds vote by the General
Assembly with two- thirds attendance of the members of the General Assembly.

Article III: Organization and Structure

The Government serving the Association shall be unified and work toward a common
mission
of the Association. The Association’s Executive Council (Council), the Association’s
appointed Officers (Officers), the Association’s Committees, and the Association’s Judicial
Board (JudBoard) shall be responsible for the operation this Association. These bodies, all
their subsidiaries, and any other organizations chartered by this Constitution shall comprise
the Government of the Association.

Section A: The General Assembly

1. The General Assembly (GA), hereafter referred to as the GA shall hold the Executive
Council accountable to the Association. It shall be responsible for ensuring the proper
functioning of the Executive Council by providing guidance on major organizational
objectives and by holding the Association's officers accountable for the completion of
their duties. The GA shall, as the primary representative body of the Association, be
empowered to develop policy statements that serve as the definitive Student (Members)
opinion on a given issue. These statements shall strive to represent the full spectrum of
members of the Association viewpoints on an issue, and shall be approved by full
consensus of the GA’s voting membership.

2. Meetings of the GA shall serve as forums of discussion on behalf of and representing the
Association and the GA may discuss any topic directly impacting the GNS and or the
Student Community. It may examine other issues by a majority vote of the GA or at the
request of ten percent of the Association in the form of a written petition.

3. The GA shall strive to protect the rights of students and serve to foster cooperation and
communication among the various segments of the GSNAS Community.

4. Policy recommendations of Association's Committees shall be subject to review by the

GA. These recommendations shall be considered a binding policy by consensus approval
of at GA.

5. Population votes of the GA, as defined by this Constitution, shall be reserved for the
amending the Constitution, allocations of funds, and amendments to the Election Code.

6. Final authority over the allocation, and any reallocation, of this Association's financial
resources shall be solely vested in the GA. The GA may delegate reallocation of funds
with a 2/3 vote of the full voting membership of the GA.

7. The first GA meeting shall be co-chaired by the GNS President and GSNAS SRC until
the GA chair is appointed by the house, who must be a member in good standing.

Section B: The Executive Council (Principal Officers)

1. The six Executive Council of the Association shall be the President, the Vice President,
the General Secretary, the Treasurer/Financial Secretary, the Organizer and the Publicity
Secretary/PRO.

2. The Executive Council shall be empowered to act in lieu of the GA when it is out of
session or unable to meet in a timely manner. Under these circumstances, the Executive
Council shall make decisions with a majority of all Executives voting in favour unless
otherwise specified. These decisions may not include amending the Constitution or any
other governing documents of the Association, approving new permanent Executives,
approving policy statements or approving the Operating Budget of the Association. All
actions undertaken by the Executive Council in lieu of the GA will be subject to
subsequent review by the Council at its next meeting.

3. The Executive Council shall serve to create and direct a strategic plan for the Association.
4. The President shall have the following duties and powers:

a. The President shall be the chief executive officer and general spokesperson for the
Association and its Government.
b. The President shall attend faculty meetings and any other affairs that require their
presence as a representative of the graduate Student Body of GSNAS.
c. The President shall serve as a voting member of the Corporation Joint Advisory
Committee.
d. The President shall have an oversight role on all committees and /or standing
committees. He/she may attend committee meetings but shall not have voting
rights.
e. The President shall be responsible for the execution of all decisions of the GA.
They may jointly execute a decision with other Student or non-Student
Associations/Organizations.
[f.] The President may call general meetings for GNS-SCGNS-SC and set the agenda
for these meetings in accordance with this Constitution. The President shall
however, make a good faith effort to keep the GA informed of all pertinent
matters.
f.[g.] The President shall organize an orientation for The Executive Council
members/Government prior to the first GA meeting of the First Semester, the
purpose of which shall be to give the Executive body all necessary information to
fulfil their duties in Article III, Section A and B.
g.[h.] The President may determine University of Ghana-external groups with which
the Association shall maintain relations. Such recognition shall be required for
funds to be expended in conjunction with such groups.
h.[i.] The President shall be a financial signatory and shall have access to all accounts
of the Association.
i.[j.] The President shall or may appoint a member of the Executive council to inform
the GA of the state of the Association/Government as to when a GA meeting is
called for.
5. The Vice President shall have the following duties and powers:
a. The Vice President shall act as the chief operating officer of the Association.
b. In the event that the President shall be temporarily unable to perform the duties of
that office, the Vice President shall assume the Presidency until such a time as the
President is able to resume their duties. Written notification shall be sent by the
President to all members of the GA at the occurrence of such an event.
c. The Vice President shall be responsible for assisting the President with the
completion of their duties.
d. The Vice President shall sit on the Nominations Committee.
6. The Chief of Staff shall have the following duties and powers:
a. The Chief of Staff shall chair the Nominations Committee.
b. The Chief of Staff and Nominations Committee shall be responsible for soliciting
c. applications for representatives to Institute Committees, interviewing candidates,
and selecting a slate of nominees. Approval of nominations shall be governed by
the Nominations Committee Bylaws. At a minimum, the Council shall have an
opportunity to object to all nominations.
d. The Chief of Staff shall and Nominations Committee shall be responsible for
determining when to derecognize student representatives to Institute Committees
for neglecting their responsibilities. This process shall be governed by the
 Nominations Committee Bylaws. At a minimum, the Council shall have an
opportunity to object to all removals.
e. The Chief of Staff shall maintain relationships with student representatives to
Institute Committees and provide them with data relevant to their duties.
f. The Chief of Staff shall ensure that up-to-date information about Institute
Committees including membership, attendance, and meeting minutes are available
on the UA website.
g. The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for conducting the Institute Committee
nominations process in accordance with the Nominations Committee bylaws.
7. The Treasurer/Financial Secretary shall have the following duties and powers:
a. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Association. The Treasurer
shall serve as the financial advisor to all entities of the Association.
b. The Treasurer shall be a financial signatory and shall have access to all accounts
of the Association.
c. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Association’s Finance Board as to
whether such a need be required and thus approved by the GA.
d. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of Association’s
account(s).
e. The Treasurer shall be responsible for assisting the President with the completion
of their duties.
f. The Treasurer shall be responsible for submitting reimbursements on behalf of the
Executive Council and the Committees.
g. The authority to administer the financial assets and liabilities of the Association
shall be vested in the Association’s Treasurer. For allocating funds, souvenirs and
any other items to members or Student groups, the Association Finance Board
shall operate in accordance with the own bylaws and operating procedures from
GA in addition to this Constitution. Allocation power shall be the responsibility of
the Executive Council.
h. The Treasurer shall serve as the Chair of the Association’s Finance Board, should
such a Board be instituted.
i. The Treasurer shall, for each Semester, submit/present a report to the Student
body through GA meetings detailing all expenses and income accrued during said
interval.
8. The Secretary shall have the following duties and powers:
a. The Secretary shall maintain the Association’s schedule of meetings and events.
b. It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to ensure that an accurate account of
the
significant events of the Association shall be kept for future reference. Further, the
Secretary shall endeavour to keep an accurate account of all membership rolls of
the Association and any other records that the Executive Council deems
necessary. Records and documents of the Association shall be open to timely
inspection by any member of the Association. Information of a sensitive nature
may be excluded from this inspection. If information is believed to be wrongly
classified as sensitive, members of the Association may appeal to the Judicial
Review Board, who will then have access to the information for review.
c. The Secretary shall act as Secretary for the Executive Council. In this role, the
Secretary shall be responsible for facilitating communication between internal
bodies of the Association as well as external organizations as determined by the
President. Likewise, the Secretary shall be entrusted with ensuring the timely
 recording and disbursing of the Association’s Executive Council minutes and
notices.
d. The Secretary shall ensure maintenance of the archival records of the Association.
e. The Secretary shall assist the President with the completion of their duties.
f. The Secretary shall ensure that the content of the Association’s website and
Association bulletin board remains current.
g. The Secretary shall ensure that an up-to-date, complete list of students by
constituency
is maintained. This list will be used during a population vote.

9. In addition to the items outlined below, the Principal Officers are responsible for
additional
duties given to them in the Bylaws of the Executive Council and Standing Committees.

10. Elections, Appointments, Removals, and Censure

a. The term of office for all Principal Officers shall be one year, beginning from the
vacation period of the Second Semester.
b. All principal officers shall be elected by the Association in a process
governed by the Election Code.
c. The Nomination of any other principal officer shall be done by the President elect
alone or together with the any other principal officers elected and the nominees
consequently considered and approved by a 2/3 population vote of the council.
d. The President may resign by submission of a written resignation to the
Association.
The Vice President and any other principal officers may resign by submission of a
written resignation to the President. The President shall serve official
notification of the resignation to the GA.
e. The President and/or Vice President may be removed by a person vote of at least a
2/3
Population vote. This removal must be based on misuse of power, malfeasance,
gross neglect of duty, or other severe violations of this Constitution. Such a vote
may be
called by written notification to the Council at least 3 days before the meeting
where
the vote will take place. The Judicial Board must approve that the stated reasons
are
within the allowable reasons above.
f. A recall election for the President and/or Vice-President may be mandated by a
person
vote of at 2/3 population of GA or by a written petition signed by ten percent
members of the Association. At the time of such a vote or submission of such a
petition, the individual(s) in question shall temporarily surrender their office(s)
pending the results of a recall election vote. A recall election vote shall require a
2/3 majority to pass.
g. The Chief of Staff, Treasurer, or Secretary may be removed by a person vote of at
least 2/3 of the Executive Council or by the process outlined in item e above. They
may also be removed by a recall election by the process outlined in item f above.
i. Any of the Officers may be censured by the Council in accordance with the
Council Bylaws.
Section C: The Judicial Review Board
1. The Association’s Judicial Review Board (Judicial Board) shall be the judicial
organization of this Association.
a. The purpose of the Judicial Board shall be to interpret this Constitution and other
governing documents of the Association in cases of dispute between the bodies of
this organization or its members. Additionally, this board shall hear complaints
from members of the Association concerning the governmental bodies and act to
resolve the situation. This Board shall also oversee the creation and operation of
the Association’s Electoral Commission as delineated in the Association’s
Election Code.
b. The Electoral Commission (EC) may also be unanimously instituted by GA

2. Membership:
a. The Judicial Review board shall be composed of 3 Association members
i. None of the Judicial Board members shall in any other standing committee
with the exception of participation in ad-hoc committees reviewing governing
documents of the Association.
ii. No person intending to run for office in Association’s elections may sit on the
Judicial Board. Obtaining a petition to run for office by a member shall be
considered as a resignation from the board.
iii. Appointments shall be made by the Association’s president, with a 2/3
approval vote by the Council. Failure of the president to initiate a replacement
process for an incomplete Board shall be considered by Council as sufficient
grounds for removal from office, without approval of the Judicial Review
Board.
b. At the end of each academic year, Council shall approve by majority vote, the
continued membership of all members of the board. In addition, Council may
remove any member of the board with an amendment-level vote and 3 days
notice.
c. The chair of the Judicial Review Board shall be chosen by Council by a majority
vote.
I. The chair shall be in charge of administrative duties of the board and serve as
the representative of the board in non-judicial contexts.
II. The chair shall not have any more power than board members in judicial
procedures.
d. At no time shall an officer of this Association or the Council collaborate with a
member
of this board on business of the Undergraduate Association with exception of
committees as described in Article II, Section C, Item 3. a. ii. Additionally, any
member of
the association may seek advice on constitutional issues from board members.

3. Powers and Responsibilities:

a. Once called upon for review, this board shall have the powers to reverse votes or
policies that it deems to be in violation of the letter and intent of this Constitution
and other governing documents.
b. In order to carry out its responsibilities as listed in this section, this board may
request a report, either written or verbal, from any officer of this Association or
member of the Council.
c. This board shall have the full cooperation of the other governmental bodies of this
 Association in executing its decisions.
d. Decisions can be overturned by an amendment level vote from Council with
approval of the president.
e. The bodies affected by the decisions of this board shall act on those rulings
immediately.
f. Each decision of this board, accompanied by a constitutionally-based rationale,
shall be duly recorded in the archives and on the Association’s website or on the
School’s notice board. A copy of all rulings shall be transmitted to the Secretary
for the archives.
g. Members of this board shall not initiate complaints to the Judicial Review Board.
h. This Board shall be responsible for the overseeing of the Electoral Commission,
but its members shall not sit on the Commission and it shall not discuss the
business of the election commission during elections to offer a fair process to
appeal Election Commission decisions. Any appeal of Electoral Commission
decisions can be made directly to the judicial board.

4. Procedures:
a. Upon hearing a complaint and any member of the board considering the complaint
non-frivolous, the board shall convene according to the procedures described in
the
Bylaws of the Judicial Review board and endeavour to render quick and faithful
judgments.
b. When possible, this board shall aim for unanimous decisions, otherwise by
majority vote. At no point shall a decision be made with the support of only one
member.

Article IV: Order of Succession

Section A: Principal Officer Order of Succession
1. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice President shall succeed to
that office until the next regularly scheduled election. In the event of a vacancy in the
office of the Vice President, the President shall immediately appoint a successor who
shall become active upon the approval of fourteen members of the Council.
2. In the event of simultaneous vacancies in the office of the President and the Vice
President, the order of succession from first to last shall be as follows: Secretary,
Organizer, PRO and Treasurer.
a. The first occupied office in this list shall be the succeeding officer and shall
temporarily assume the office of President. The succeeding officer may appoint an
acting Vice President at their discretion.
b. The Acting President shall then call for elections for the offices of the President
and Vice President to be held within thirty days, unless regular elections are to be
held within sixty days.

Article V: Committees & Assistant Officers

Section A: General Regulations for Committees
1. Committees shall be created by the Council, and all powers delegated to these
Committees shall be granted and chartered by the Council.
2. Committees may be established as Standing Committees for the ongoing service of the
Association or as Ad Hoc Committees to address a specific or timely issue over a limited
 duration. The list of Standing Committees shall be enumerated in the Bylaws of the
Council and this list is automatically updated upon the establishment of a new Standing
Committee.
3. Ad Hoc and Standing Committees may be established by a majority vote of the GA
Representatives approving a charter for the committee including: name, purpose,
principles of operation, and membership provisions. Ad Hoc committees must also have
provisions for their period of operation. In the case that the Council is unavailable to
make a timely decision on establishing an Ad Hoc Committee, approval may be given by
a 4/5 vote of all the Principal Officers. The Council must be immediately notified of such
a decision.
4. All committees shall report regularly to the President and Vice-President.
5. The decision of a committee may be overturned or amended by the Council by a majority
vote unless otherwise stated in this Constitution.
6. Committees shall establish bylaws concerning their operation, and these bylaws shall
become effective by approval of a 2/3 vote of the full voting membership of the Council.
These bylaws may be amended by the Committee at any time by a 2/3 vote of its
membership and a majority person vote of the full voting membership of the Council, or
by an independent 2/3 person vote
of the full voting membership of the Council. These bylaws shall reside in a unified
document – the Bylaws of the Standing Committees.

Section B: Chairs and Officers of Committees

1. The Chairs of all Association’s Committees shall be responsible to the Association’s
President for the proper functioning of their committee. Any Chair, Vice-Chair, or other
Committee Officer may be impeached by Council with a 2/3 person vote of the full
voting membership of the Council, or dismissed by the Association’s President, for a
breach of the general obligations of office.
2. The Chairs of all Association’s Committees shall be nominated by the President. They
shall be appointed if seven days after notice of the nomination has been served to the
Council, provided that five Council Representatives do not register a written objection or
object at an intervening meeting. If five or more Council Representatives object, the
nominee shall require majority approval of the full voting membership of the Council to
be appointed.
3. When the GA is not in session, the President may appoint an Acting Chairman who shall
serve until the GA is back in session and the process in the previous item can be followed.
Unless otherwise specified, no Principal Officer may chair a Committee, and no single
person shall chair more than one Committee. Either of these rules may be suspended on
an individual basis by a 2/3 person vote of the full voting membership of the GA.
4. Each Chair shall undergo a mid-term review involving a meeting with the Association’s
President or Vice President to evaluate the Chair's progress. The findings of these
meetings will be presented to the Council, and in conjunction, the President may
recommend the initiation of removal proceedings for the Chair.
5. The Chair shall be responsible for selecting all of its members via a fair application
process, and may select a Vice-Chair at their discretion. The bylaws of each Committee
may specify
alternative selection criteria for the Committee's membership and Vice Chair as well as
establishing the roles and qualifications for any other officers of the Committee.

Section C: Assistant Officers

1. Assistant Officers shall serve to assist the Principal Officers with the completion of their
duties in a specific area.
2. Permanent Assistant Officer positions shall be enumerated in the Bylaws of the GA if
need be.
3. The Principal Officers may additionally charter and establish temporary Assistant Officer
positions to serve throughout their term with the approval of a majority of the full voting
membership of the Executive Council.
4. Assistant Officers shall establish bylaws concerning their operation and these bylaws
shall become effective by approval of a 2/3 vote of the full voting membership of the
Executive Council. These bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 person vote of the full voting
membership of the Executive Council. These bylaws shall reside with the Bylaws of the
Standing Committees.
5. Selection, removal, and mid-term reviews for Assistant Officers shall be the same as
those for Committee Chairs. The basis for a breach of duty shall be limited to those
explicitly enumerated in the position's charter in the Standing Committee Bylaws.

Article VI: Amendments

Section A: Amendments by the General Assembly
1. This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths majority in a population vote. The
motion to amend shall lie on the table for at least one meeting and no more than three
meetings prior to enactment. The motion must appear on the agenda for the meetings
when the amendments are proposed and when they are voted on.

Section B: Amendments by the Association

1. Upon submission of a written petition signed by ten percent of the Association, the
Executive Council must consider any amendment to this Constitution at its next regularly
scheduled meeting. If the amendment is not passed by the Executive Council, it must be
presented to the Association as a referendum. The amendment shall become part of this
Constitution if it receives a two-thirds vote and the ballots cast exceed thirty percent of
the membership of the Association.

Article VII: Referenda and Advisory Questions

Section A: Advisory Questions

Section B: Referenda
[1.] The submission of a matter to a binding vote by the Association can be made by a
majority vote of the full voting Membership of the Council or by a written petition signed
by ten percent of the Association. The result of the vote shall be binding on the
Association, if applicable, and if at least twenty seventy percent of the Association voted.

Article VIII: Ratification and Precedence

Section A: Ratification

Section B: Order of Precedence

[1.] In case of discrepancies between the constitutions and/or bye laws of the undergraduate
student organizations at MITUniversity of Ghana, the following order of precedence,
from highest to lowest, shall apply:
[a.] The Constitution of GNS -Student ChapterSC
a.[b.] The Bylaws of the Executive Council
b.[c.] The Bylaws of GA and the Standing Committees of the GSNAS
c.[d.] Constitutions of equal status:
i. The Constitution of GSNAS-SRC
ii. The Constitution of GNS National Chapter
iii. The Constitution of GRASAG-LEGON
iv. The Constitution of Dormitory Council
d.[e.] The constitutions or bye laws of activities and other living groups