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GSA Bylaws
  1. Name

    The name of the organization shall be the "Group on Student Affairs" (hereinafter referred to as the GSA) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (hereinafter referred to as the AAMC).

  2. Purpose

    The purpose of the GSA is to advance medical education and, specifically, to represent the interests of medical schools and medical students in the areas of admissions, student affairs, financial aid, minority affairs, and student records. The functions of the GSA are to provide a means of communication among, and to facilitate interaction of the AAMC with, institutional representatives with responsibilities in the above-named areas. The GSA shall advise the AAMC on matters of policy relating to the GSA's areas of interest and expertise and may recommend such policy to the AAMC governance for consideration. The GSA shall also engage in activities involving project analysis, program development, and data-gathering about emerging trends in order to assist the GSA and the AAMC to anticipate and respond effectively to environmental changes as they affect medical education, medical schools, and medical students in the areas of the GSA's interest and expertise.

  3. Membership
    1. Members of the GSA shall be of three types:
      1. Institutional members who are appointed annually by the deans of medical schools that are institutional members of the AAMC (hereinafter referred to as member medical schools) and who shall serve at the pleasure of their respective deans. Each member medical school shall have five institutional members, one in each of the five GSA's areas of interest and expertise. In some circumstances, the dean of a member medical school may appoint an additional institutional member, a member-at-large, who shall be an administrator in one of the five areas of the GSA's interest and expertise.
      2. Individual members who may be self-nominated or nominated by other GSA members. They shall be administrators who work in one or more of the five areas of the GSA's interest and expertise at member medical schools.
      3. Affiliate members who may be appointed:
        1. by the deans of medical schools that are affiliate institutional members of the AAMC (e.g., the Canadian medical schools).
        2. by the deans of medical schools that are provisional institutional members of the AAMC (e.g., newly developing schools).
    2. Institutional members from member medical schools shall be entitled to vote and there shall be only one vote per member medical school. This vote shall be cast by the institutional member so designated by the dean of each member medical school (hereinafter referred to as the "voting representative") or his/her designee.

  4. Meetings and Quorums
    1. At least one meeting of the GSA membership shall be held annually. Additional meetings may be called by the GSA Steering Committee or by the voting representatives at 25 percent of member medical schools.
    2. A majority of the voting representatives of member medical schools (as defined in Section III) shall constitute a quorum.
    3. Formal actions other than the election of GSA officers may be taken at meetings in which a quorum is present. At such meetings, decisions will be made by a simple majority vote of voting representatives present.
    4. In the conduct of meetings, the order of business shall be under the direction of the GSA Chair who shall make all parliamentary decisions. The Chair's decisions may be reversed by a two-thirds majority of voting representatives present.

  5. Officers
    1. The GSA officers shall consist of the GSA Chair, the GSA Chair-Elect, and the GSA Vice-Chair and shall function as a coordinating body of the GSA Steering Committee (as defined in Section VI, 2, A below). The GSA Steering Committee shall be staffed by the AAMC GSA Executive Secretary.
    2. The GSA Chair will appoint annually the chair of the GSA Nominating Committee. The Immediate Past Chair of the GSA will usually serve as chair of the GSA Nominating Committee; the current chairs of regional Groups on Student Affairs (hereinafter referred to as regional GSAs) will usually constitute the membership of the GSA Nominating Committee. The GSA Nominating Committee will provide at least two nominees annually to the membership at large for purposes of selecting a GSA Vice-Chair. The names, brief biographies, photographs, and personal statements of nominees will be mailed to all GSA institutional members to familiarize them with each nominee's goals and purposes for his/her tenure as an officer. One ballot containing the names of nominees provided by the GSA Nominating Committee and a place for any write-in candidates will be mailed to the GSA voting representative at each member medical school. The GSA voting representative will vote after consultation with the full GSA delegation at his/her medical school. Balloting will be completed by October 1 of each year. The results of the election will be announced by mail and at the GSA Business Meeting at the AAMC Annual Meeting. Election to the position will be by simple majority of voting representatives.
    3. The person elected as the GSA Vice-Chair shall serve a three-year term of office on the GSA Steering Committee under the assumption of automatic progress through the offices of GSA Vice-Chair (one year), GSA Chair-Elect (one year), and GSA Chair (one year).
    4. The term of office of the elected GSA officers shall extend from the end of the GSA Business Meeting at the AAMC Annual Meeting, at which time each officer will assume the appropriate office in the progression, until the end of the GSA Business Meeting at the AAMC Annual Meeting of the following year, at which time the each officer will move to the next office in the progression or will leave office after serving as Chair.
    5. If a vacancy occurs during an officer's term of office , those officers holding positions will be advanced to fill the vacancy. A GSA Vice-Chair will be selected by the GSA Steering Committee to serve until the next GSA Business Meeting at the AAMC Annual Meeting, at which time the GSA Nominating Committee will either forward the name of the interim officer as a nominee or nominate two other candidates for the position of GSA Chair-Elect, as well as nominate other candidates for the position of GSA Vice-Chair.
    6. Eligibility for GSA offices will be limited to institutional GSA members.
    7. The GSA Executive Secretary shall be an AAMC staff member appointed by the President of the AAMC.

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  6. GSA Sections and GSA Committees
    1. GSA Sections
      1. GSA Sections recommended by the GSA Steering Committee and established by the AAMC Executive Council shall operate under bylaws which are in conformity with these Bylaws and which have been approved by the GSA Steering Committee.
      2. GSA Sections shall represent functional areas of interest and expertise related to student affairs.
      3. Any institutional GSA member designated by the dean of his/her member medical school for Section membership and any individual GSA member who has received the permission of the dean of the member medical school at which he/she holds an administrative position in the Section's area of expertise shall be eligible for membership in a GSA Section. Eligibility for the position of chair of a GSA Section shall be limited to institutional GSA members designated by the deans of their member medical schools for membership in the Section.
      4. Institutional GSA members of GSA Sections shall elect annually a chair; they may also elect annually a chair-elect and other such officers as are necessary to carry out Section business.
      5. Chairs of GSA Sections shall be members of the GSA Steering Committee.
      6. The GSA Chair shall be a member of the Coordinating Committees of GSA Sections.
      7. GSA Sections shall hold at least one meeting annually unless a simple majority of institutional GSA members designated by the deans of their member medical schools for Section membership vote (by mail or at a previous meeting) to postpone or cancel a meeting.
      8. GSA Sections may have program committees appointed by Section chairs in consultation with the GSA Chair and the GSA Steering Committee.
    2. GSA Committees
      1. The GSA Steering Committee shall be composed of the GSA officers, the regional GSA chairs, and the chairs of GSA committees and Sections. All members of the GSA Steering Committee shall be voting members. Appropriate AAMC staff may also be ex-officio, non-voting members of the GSA Steering Committee.
      2. The GSA Steering Committee shall have the duties of an executive committee for the GSA, including assistance in the planning for GSA national and regional meetings and advising the GSA Chair on GSA committee appointments.
      3. Other GSA committees may be appointed by the GSA Chair in consultation with the GSA Steering Committee and with the concurrence of the AAMC President.
      4. Any institutional GSA member and any individual GSA member who has the permission of the dean of the member medical school at which he/she holds an administrative position in (an) area(s) of the GSA's interest and expertise shall be eligible for membership on GSA committees. Eligibility for the position of chair of GSA committees shall be limited to institutional GSA members.
      5. Appointments of members on GSA committees shall be made annually by the GSA Chair with the advice of the GSA Steering Committee. An individual may not be appointed to the same committee for more than three consecutive years except to serve for a maximum of three additional years as chair or, at the discretion of the GSA Chair with the advice of the GSA Steering Committee, to serve additional consecutive years to retain special expertise.
      6. The GSA Chair, in consultation with the GSA Steering Committee, shall appoint the chairs of GSA committees.
      7. The number and functions of GSA committees shall be reviewed annually by the GSA Steering Committee. As appropriate, GSA committees no longer needed may be dissolved by the GSA Chair, in consultation with the GSA Steering Committee and the GSA Executive Secretary, or on the recommendation of the AAMC Executive Council.
      8. GSA committee appointments shall extend from December 1 of one year through November 30 of the following year. If a vacancy occurs during this period, the replacement will be appointed by the GSA Chair after consultation with the GSA Executive Secretary and with the committee chair concerned.
    3. GSA committees shall include representatives from each regional GSA and GSA Section. GSA Sections shall include a representative from each regional GSA. GSA committees and Sections may, from time to time, invite, as guests, representatives from other appropriate organizations (e.g., health professions advisors and OSR) to meet with the committee or Section. The GSA Executive Secretary will assign appropriate AAMC staff members to GSA committees and Sections.
    4. Minutes should be kept of all GSA committee and Section meetings and circulated to committee and Section members and to others appropriately concerned. Official records of all GSA committee and Section meetings will be maintained at the AAMC.
    5. The role of all GSA committees and Sections shall be advisory to the GSA Steering Committee and the AAMC. Accordingly, they shall obtain approval for any major projects from the GSA Steering Committee and from the AAMC. Contacts with major organizations outside the GSA (e.g., the Federation of State Medical Boards, the medical specialty boards, etc.) shall be undertaken through AAMC channels, including communications with appropriate AAMC Councils, and in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the GSA Steering Committee.
    6. Descriptions of the purpose and function of each current GSA committee and Section shall be on file at the AAMC and should be distributed to each new member of each committee and each Section.

  7. Regional Groups on Student Affairs
    1. The purpose of the regional GSAs shall be to encourage communication among GSA members with common regional interests and to provide a forum for discussion of matters to be acted on at national GSA meetings.
    2. The total number and geographical names of the regional GSAs as presently constituted shall be continued unless changed by action taken at a national GSA meeting. The presently constituted regional GSAs are:
      1. Central,
      2. Northeast,
      3. Southern, and
      4. Western.
    3. Any institutional GSA member and any individual GSA member who has received the permission of the dean of the member medical school at which he/she holds an administrative position in (an) area(s) of the GSA's interest and expertise shall be eligible for membership in the appropriate regional GSA. Eligibility for the position of chair of regional GSAs and of regional GSA Sections shall be limited to institutional GSA members.
    4. Each regional GSA shall have a chair and chair-elect and other such officers as are necessary to carry out regional GSA business. Regional GSA officers will be selected by the voting representatives of the member medical schools located in that region.
    5. Each regional GSA shall hold at least one meeting annually unless a simple majority of all of the voting representatives at the member medical schools located in the region vote (by mail or at a previous meeting) to postpone or cancel a meeting.
    6. Regional GSAs shall appoint such committees as are necessary to carry out regional GSA business. Institutional and individual GSA members will be eligible for appointment to regional GSA committees.
    7. Regional GSAs shall have bylaws which are in conformity with these Bylaws and which have been approved by the GSA Steering Committee.

  8. Parliamentary Authority

    For matters not covered in these rules and regulations, the parliamentary authority shall be Robert's Rules of Order.

  9. Amendments

    Subject to approval by the AAMC President and the Executive Council, these by-laws may be altered, repealed, or amended or new by-laws adopted by a two-thirds vote of the voting members representatives present at any annual national meeting of the GSA membership for which 30 days' written notice of the proposed bylaws change has been given, provided that the total number of votes cast for the changes constitute a majority of the voting representatives.

Original GSA Bylaws adopted Fall, 1965, AAMC Annual Meeting
Approved September 15, 1972, AAMC Executive Council
Amended March 26, 1981, AAMC Executive Council
Amended September 12, 1985, AAMC Executive Council
Amended February 16, 1995, AAMC Executive Council
New GSA Bylaws approved February 27, 1997, AAMC Executive Council

11/8/01

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