A. NAME
The name of the organization shall be “Western Group on Student Affairs” (hereinafter referred to as the WGSA).
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of the WGSA 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, diversity affairs, and student records. The functions of the WGSA are to provide a means of communication and mutual assistance among its members, with medical schools in other regions, and with the National Office and to provide a forum for discussion of matters to be acted on at national GSA meetings.
III. MEMBERSHIP
A. Members of the WGSA shall be of three types:
1. Institutional members who are appointed annually by the deans of medical schools which are members of the region 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 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 interest and expertise.
2. Individual members who may be self-nominated or nominated by other WGSA members. They shall be administrators who work in one or more of the given areas of the WGSA’s interest and expertise at member medical schools.
3. Affiliate members who may be appointed: a. by the deans of medical schools that are affiliate institutional members of the AAMC in the Western Region or b. by the deans of medical schools that are provisional institutional members of the AAMC in the Western Region (e.g., newly developing medical schools)
B. 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.
C. All members duly appointed by their deans shall be eligible to participate in all WGSA programs and activities as organized by regional and national officers.
IV. MEETINGS AND QUORUMS
A. At least one meeting of the WGSA membership shall be held annually and at other times as may be appropriate (i.e., at the national meeting of the AAMC, or WGSA regional meeting), unless a simple majority of all the representatives vote (by mail or at a previous meeting) to postpone or cancel a meeting. All WGSA members shall be notified of the dates and locations of regional meetings at least thirty days prior.
B. Representatives from a majority of WGSA institutions shall constitute a quorum.
C. Formal actions other than the election of WGSA Chair officers may be taken at meetings in which a quorum is present, and decisions will be made by a simple majority vote of those present.
D. Meetings shall be conducted by the WGSA Chair, who shall make all parliamentary decisions. The Chair’s decisions may be reversed by a two-thirds majority of representatives present.
V. OFFICERS/REPRESENTATIVES
A. The WGSA officers shall consist of the WGSA Chair, the WGSA Vice-Chair, a Secretary, the WGSA Committee Representatives and the WGSA Program Chairs for the subsequent meeting. The Chair will preside at the regional meetings and represent the Region on the GSA Steering Committee. The WGSA Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair. The WGSA Vice-Chair will have oversight of the WGSA financials held in a custodial account at the AAMC and shall present a financial report at the fall annual meeting. The usual and customary procedure shall be for the WGSA Vice-Chair to advance to the position of WGSA Chair. The terms of office for the WGSA Vice-Chair and WGSA Chair are for 2 years, extending from the end of the regional meeting at which the appointment takes place, to the end of the regional meeting held two years hence. The Immediate Past Chair serves as the chair of the Nominating Committee. The term of office for the WGSA Program Chair is for 2 years beginning from the regional meeting two years prior to the meeting they will host.
B. The Program Chair shall be appointed from the established rotation of medical schools in the Western Region.
C. For new appointments to the WGSA, e.g. to the Committee on Student Affairs, Admissions, Student Diversity Affairs, Student Records or Financial Aid, the Chair of the WGSA, after consultation with the executive committee, shall send recommendations to the GSA National Chair who will finalize the appointment with appropriate input from the AAMC staff.
D. To assist in the operation of the WGSA, the Steering Committee will appoint a member of the WGSA to the position of Secretary for a term of two years. The Secretary will be responsible for taking minutes during all meetings, maintaining WGSA records and the membership email listserv, and performing other duties, as requested.
E. All votes for Vice-Chair shall be cast by the voting representative by either written or electronic balloting. Ballots shall be distributed to the voting representative at each member medical school, who will vote after consultation with the full GSA delegation at the school. Ballots will be due to the Chair no later than one week prior to the spring WGSA meeting. Results of the election shall be publicly announced at the spring WGSA meeting. The WGSA Vice- Chair shall take office at the regional meeting at the time the current WGSA Vice- Chair advances to WGSA Chair and there is a vacancy.
F. Election to the Steering Committee of two members-at-large for two-year terms shall be held annually at the WGSA spring/summer business meetings or through online election process, with voting by each institutional and individual member of the WGSA present, when an in-person vote, or by each voting institutional member when online elections are held. These two-year terms shall be elected in alternating years from each other. The two elected members-at-large will coordinate and facilitate the orientation for new members at the spring WGSA meetings; email communications to WGSA members to identify both mentors and mentees; pair new WGSA members up with compatible mentors; follow-up with mentor/mentees pairs to ensure the presence of a working relationship; and perform other duties, as requested. Both the Executive Secretary/Treasurer and the two members-at-large will be expected to attend all Steering Committee meetings.
G. If a position becomes vacant prior to the end of a term the position will be filled in the usual manner.
VI. COMMITTEES
The WGSA shall appoint such committees as are necessary to carry out regional WGSA business. Institutional and individual WGSA members will be eligible for appointment to regional WGSA committees.
The Executive Committee shall include the WGSA Chair, the Vice- Chair, the WGSA Program Chair (s), the Secretary, the GSA Committee Representatives and its Immediate Past-Chair. The OSR western regional chair shall be an ad-hoc member.
VII. FINANCES
A. Registration fees will cover the cost of organizing and presenting the regional meeting.
B. All expenses must be approved and signed by the Vice Chair.
C. No resources of the organization may accrue to the financial benefit of any of its members.
VIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
For matters not covered in these rules and regulations, the parliamentary authority shall be Robert’s Rules of Order.
IX. AMENDMENTS
Subject to the approval of the GSA Steering Committee, these rules and regulations may be altered, repealed, or amended or new rules and regulations adopted by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at any annual meeting of the WGSA membership or by ballot response of two-thirds of the voting membership for which 30 days’ written notice of the proposed bylaws change had been given, provided that the total number of votes cast for the changes constitute a majority of the voting representatives.
Reviewed and approved by the GSA Steering Committee: November 3, 2017
Reviewed and approved by the Western GSA: September 12, 2017