Student Development & Enrollment Management

Office of the Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Management

Undergraduate Students' Councils By-Laws &
Graduate Students' Committees By-Laws

Prepared by:

Dr. Layla Nimah - VPSDEM
Dr. Tarek Nawas - Dean of Student - Beirut
Dr. Mars Semaan - Dean of Student - Byblos
Mrs. Janine Zakka - Guidance Director - Beirut
Mr. Elie Samia - Guidance Director - Byblos
Mr. Sami Garabedian - SCLC Chairman - Beirut
Mr. Albert Andraous - SCLC Chairman - Byblos

Students From Beirut Campus
Mr. Jalal Loubani
Ms. Loubna Asmar
Ms. Nora Junaid
Mr. Rabih Ammar
Mr. Rasheed Abu Hamdan (partial participation)

Students From Byblos Campus
Mr. Ramzi Dib
Mr. Ralph Outayeck
Mr. Elie Nehme
Mr. Serge Hovnanian
Ms. Rym El Ejjeh (partial participation)

July 2007

Table of Contents

Undergraduate Students' Councils By-laws

   ARTICLE I: Name
   ARTICLE II: Purpose
   ARTICLE III: Council Membership
   ARTICLE IV: Duties of the Council Officers
   ARTICLE V: Duties and Responsibilities
   ARTICLE VI: Subcommittees
   ARTICLE VII: Meetings
   ARTICLE VIII: Minutes of Councils
   ARTICLE IX: Activities
   ARTICLE X: Elections
   ARTICLE XI: Evaluation of the Councils
   ARTICLE XII: Changing the By-Laws
   ARTICLE XIII: Breaking the By-Laws
   ARTICLE XIV: Appeal

Graduate Students' Committee By-Laws

   ARTICLE I: Formation
   ARTICLE II: Eligibility
   ARTICLE III: Election Procedures
   ARTICLE IV: Electoral Body
   ARTICLE V: Duties of the Graduate Committee
   ARTICLE VI: Convener and Meetings
   ARTICLE VII: Specific Mandate of the FGSC

Undergraduate Students' Councils Bylaws

ARTICLE I: Name

These councils shall be known as the Student Councils of the Lebanese American University. They shall be formed of:

A University Council known as the University Student Council of the Lebanese American University (USC),
Two Campus Councils (one for Beirut and one for Byblos) known as the Campus Student Councils of the Lebanese American University (CSC).

ARTICLE II: Purpose

The purpose of the USC is:

To represent the students of the Lebanese American University in the regulation and coordination of all phases of student governance.
To promote the LAU's highest interest and to cultivate its culture as stated in its mission and vision.
To promote and advance the welfare of the LAU student population.

The purpose of the CSC is:

To enhance campus atmosphere and life through extra curricular activities.
To act as an effective liaison between the students, faculty, staff and administration.

ARTICLE III: Council Membership:

1 - Eligibility:
Any undergraduate student is eligible to run for election if he/she fulfills the following criteria at the time of the election:

Has completed at least 15 credit hours at LAU not counting Withdrawals.
Is currently enrolled at LAU and registered in at least 12 credit hours.
Has achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Has at least two more semesters to graduate.

2 - Electoral Body:
Students fulfilling the following criteria are eligible to vote:

Holders of a valid LAU ID card i.e. a current one.
Undergraduate students registered in at least 9 credit hours.
Each student has the right to vote once for the assigned number of candidates running for the school in which he/she is registered.

N.B
Votes shall be cast on a one person/one vote basis.
Students with undeclared major are considered Arts and Sciences students.

3 - Council Representation:
A - In the Campus Student Council, students elect 12 representatives:

In Beirut: 6 from each of the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business.
In Byblos: 3 from each of the four schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering and Architecture and Pharmacy.

The Director of Guidance on each campus will act as the advisor for the respective council.

B - There are 10 student representatives, 5 from each campus, serving on the University Student Council. These students are also members, but do not hold any office in their respective CSC.

In the Beirut Campus the 5 representatives are chosen as follows: Two students, who received the highest vote count in each of their two respective schools, and one at large, who received the highest number of votes on campus.
In the Byblos campus: the 5 representatives are chosen as follows: One student who received the highest vote count in each of their four respective schools, and one at large, who received the highest number of votes on campus.

4 - Membership and Officers of the Councils:
Each of the USC or CSC councils shall have the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

The LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrolment Management (VPSDEM) shall be the President of the USC. The other officers are the student representatives. The Deans of Students, as well as the Directors of Guidance of both campuses are also voting members of the 15 member USC.

The Directors of Guidance in each campus are the advisors to, and act as ex-officio members of their corresponding CSC.

5 - Selection of Officers:
The selection of the officers of all councils shall take place at the end of a workshop day, which will be the second Saturday following the elections (refer to Article X in this document). The workshop is mandatory to all elected members and will cover “Roberts' rules of order”, as well as the “Students Councils By-Laws”. Any elected member, who absents him or herself from the workshop day, will be denied the right to hold any officer position in the councils. By the same token, a series of workshops will be held to familiarize the students with the Student Code of Conduct, conflict resolution and negotiation skills, as well as leadership or any other required skill to help them carry out their duties.

The CSC and the USC officers may be respectively selected by consensus from among the members of each council. However, if a consensus cannot be reached, a vote shall take place by secret ballot. Each council member has the right to run for one position only. All the positions shall be voted upon at the same time. For this purpose, the CSC shall be convened by their respective Directors of Guidance and the USC by the VPSDEM or his/her assignee.

In case of a tie for any position, the tie rule applies.

TIE RULE

In case of a tie, the student with the highest CGPA will be chosen
If two students have the same CGPA, the student who has completed the largest number of credits at LAU will be chosen.
If there is still a tie, a draw shall take place.

The results of the selection and/or election of the CSC are to be signed by the Director of Guidance and the representatives of the respective campuses, and kept in the Guidance offices. The secretary of each student council will also keep a copy.

6 - Loss of membership / replacement:

Student members of any of the student councils will lose their membership for any of the following reasons: placed on academic probation, dismissed or expelled from LAU for any reason, served a disciplinary citation or warning, or if they transfer from one school to another.
Membership is also lost if one misses three consecutive meetings of the Council.
In case of a vacancy in an office, the first runner up for the position will fill the vacancy.
In case of a vacancy for a representative seat, due to any reason including resignation, the first runner up in the concerned school will fill the said vacancy for the duration of the academic year.

ARTICLE IV: Duties of the Council Officers

1 - The Campus Student Council:

A - The President:

The president of the Campus Student Council shall preside over its meetings. However no meeting is legal in the absence of the advisor.
The president presents the CSC requests, issues, and concerns to the LAU administration or councils.
No issues, requests, or concerns may be presented to the concerned office or department at the University unless the proper procedures have been followed.
The council president shall bring issues to the administration on a special form on which the comments of the Director of Guidance are present.
The president is to keep the vice president duly informed to secure a smooth coordination and continuity in case of absence.

B - The Vice President:

The vice president will act for the president in his/her absence, and should coordinate the activities with the different clubs.

To do this, the vice president should abide by the procedure on coordination of activities.

The Vice president of the CSC represents the president in his absence or when asked to.

C - The Secretary:

The secretary will record and keep minutes of all council meetings, and perform other secretarial and administrative duties as they arise.
The secretary will send copies of all minutes to the appropriate Dean of Students and the Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management.
The Secretary will maintain the Council's archives and record the Council's attendance on the CSC, and all its ad-hoc or subcommittees.

D - The Treasurer:

The treasurer will keep all the books for income and expenses.
The treasurer will submit his budget report at the end of each term.
The treasure will sign with the president all expenses incurred.

E - Officer at Large:
The officer at large should be responsible of the web page of the CSC, and carry out duties required of him by the CSC when needed.

2 - The University Student Council

A - The President
The president of the USC or her/his designee shall represent the Council, call for its meetings, and approve the meetings' agenda prepared by the Secretary. Only meetings attended by the president or his/her assignee are considered official and valid.

B - The Vice President

The Vice President of the USC will supervise, along with the appropriate staff of the SDEM entity, the operations of the USC and its subcommittees.
The vice president of the USC may be asked by the VPSDEM to represent the student body of LAU in some functions outside the University. In any such functions, the VP cannot claim to represent the students of LAU unless he/she is specifically asked to do so. The VP should alternate on yearly basis between campuses.
The Vice President of the USC is to be a member of the Student Affairs Council.

C - The Secretary

The secretary will record and keep minutes of all council meetings and perform other secretarial and administrative duties as they arise.
The secretary will send copies of all minutes to all members of the council
The Secretary will maintain the Council's archives and record the Council's attendance on the USC, and all its ad-hoc or subcommittees.

D - The Treasurer
The Treasurer's financial duties will be specified based on the authority given to the Council by its Bylaws.

ARTICLE V: Duties and Responsibilities

A - The Campus Student Council:

Selects members to participate in some campus councils as fully voting members.
Communicates concerns of the student bodies to the faculty and administration of the school/university.
Establishes proper channels for communicating campus issues to the whole student body in accordance with the bylaws.
Establishes, as need arises and in accordance with bylaws, ad hoc committees to study various issues. (The Guidance Office will assign a faculty advisor to each newly formed ad hoc committee)
Initiates extracurricular activities not covered by clubs.
Coordinates with the clubs for activities of similar nature.
Selection of members to serve on campus councils shall be done by consensus or voting. Above rule on selection of officers applies.
Members serving on councils are to report back to the CSC on issues discussed and decisions taken.
Copies of the minutes of the campus council(s) are to be given to the CSC secretary for archiving.
Ad hoc committee's minutes are to be kept also by the CSC secretary.
Concerns of students to be communicated to the administration or schools should be of general interest to the student body as a whole.
Individual problems or issues are to be dealt with in the different SDEM offices.
Concerns that need to be brought to the attention of a school or administration are to be discussed first in a meeting of the CSC, whereby the formulation of the request is to be approved. The letter is to be signed by the president of the CSC with comments from the advisor.
The Guidance office sends the request to the concerned body.
All printed material need the approval of the Guidance office before circulation.

B - The University Student Council:

Selects members to participate in some University councils as fully voting members.
Communicates concerns of the student bodies to the administration of the university.
Establishes proper channels for communicating University issues to the whole student body in accordance with the bylaws
Establishes, as need arises and in accordance with bylaws, ad-hoc committees to study various issues. (The VPSDEM shall assign a faculty advisor to each newly formed ad-hoc committees)
Selection of members to serve on University councils shall be done by consensus or voting. Above rule on selection of officers applies.
Members serving on councils are to report back to the USC on issues discussed and decisions taken.
Copies of the minutes of the University council(s) are to be given to the USC secretary for archiving.
Ad-hoc committee's minutes are to be kept also by the USC secretary.
Concerns of students to be communicated to the administration should be of general interest to the student body as a whole.
Concerns that need to be brought to the attention of the administration are to be discussed first in a meeting of the USC, whereby the formulation of the request is to be approved. The letter is to be signed by the president of the USC.
The VPSDEM office shall send the request to the concerned body.
All printed material need the approval of the VPSDEM before circulation.

ARTICLE VI: Subcommittees

A - Campus Student Council:
1 - Subcommittees of the CSC are to be formed from CSC members for the sole purpose of helping the Council carry out its responsibilities as approved by the Board of Trustees. To this end, there shall be two subcommittees:

a - Communication Subcommittee
This subcommittee is charged with improving communication with students. More specifically, this subcommittee shall aim at spreading the values of LAU among students. This subcommittee can address campus wide concerns which are of interest to students, as well as keep the students informed about different campus matters.
b - Activities Subcommittee
This subcommittee is to propose, plan and help implement campus activities. This subcommittee should plan and implement several campus activities per semester.

The Vice President of the CSC is the chair of these subcommittees

The subcommittees can meet in the absence of the president of the CSC.
Proposals from them should go in writing to the CSC at large.

2 - Formation of Ad Hoc committees

Ad-hoc committees may be formed by CSC whenever the issues or concerns do not fall directly in the mandate of the council.
The ad-hoc committee should have a specific and clear duty and will cease to exist once its function is completed.
Students from outside the councils may be members of any ad-hoc committee. Their choice should be approved by the Dean of Students.
The Dean of Students shall name the faculty advisor for the ad-hoc committee of the CSC, if needed.

3 - Representation on councils

The president and secretary of the CSC shall be members of the Campus Life Council.
Members from the CSC shall serve committees as needed.
Two students shall serve on each campus committee as regular members.
The President of the CSC could be asked to attend a council/committee meeting when there is a need and at the discretion of its Chairperson.
Student representatives on campus councils/committees are to report to their respective councils on issues discussed or actions taken.

B - University Student Council:
1 - Subcommittees of the USC are to be formed for the sole purpose of helping the Council carry out its responsibilities as approved by the Board of Trustees. To this end, there shall be two standing subcommittees; other subcommittees may be initiated following the right procedures:

a - Communications Subcommittee
This subcommittee is charged with improving communication with all students. This subcommittee aims at spreading the values of LAU among students. It can address university wide concerns which are of interest to students, and keep them informed about different university matters.

b - Activities subcommittee
This subcommittee is to propose, plan and help implement inter-campus activities. This subcommittee should plan and implement at least one inter-campus activity per semester. Activities are to alternate between campuses. This subcommittee is also charged with planning the election of Miss LAU.

The Vice President of the USC is the chair of these subcommittees and the secretary is a regular member.
Other members from the USC may volunteer to be on these subcommittees.

The subcommittees can meet in the absence of the president of the USC.
Proposals from them should go in writing to the USC at large.

2- Formation of a standing subcommittee
A standing subcommittee of the USC may be formed, if need be, by general consensus of the USC members on its mandate and in conformity with the USC bylaws.

3 - Formation of Ad Hoc committees

Ad Hoc committees may be formed by the USC whenever the issues or concerns do not fall directly under the mandate of the councils.
The ad hoc committee should have a specific and clear duty and will cease to exist once its function is completed.
Students from outside the councils may be members of any ad-hoc committee. Nominations of members may come from USC members, and must be approved by the VPSDEM.
The VPSDEM shall name the faculty advisor for the ad-hoc committee of the USC, if needed.

4 - Representation on councils

Members from the USC shall serve on the following University councils: Admissions, University Council for Financial Aid, Curriculum and Library.
Two students shall serve on each said council as regular members.
The Vice President of the USC could be asked to attend a council meeting when there is a need and at the discretion of its chairperson.
Student representatives on university councils are to report to the USC on issues discussed or actions taken.

ARTICLE VII: Meetings

The CSC shall have biweekly meetings
The USC shall have monthly meetings.
During the first meeting, each Council shall schedule the place and time of subsequent meetings for the semester.
Changes in time and place of meetings are only allowed at the beginning of the spring semester.
The choice of date and time of a meeting is reached through consensus among the regular members of each council.
Approval of the VPSDEM should be secured for an emergency meeting of any council (CSC or USC).

ARTICLE VIII: Minutes of Councils

Minutes of the CSC or USC are to be taken by the respective secretary, approved by the council at large in its next meeting, circulated and archived as indicated in the duties of the secretary.
Members of CSC or USC serving on campus or university councils are to give a copy of the minutes of these councils to their respective secretaries for archiving.
Ad Hoc committee's minutes are to be kept also by the secretaries unless the ad hoc committee has a mandate that is confidential in nature.

ARTICLE IX: Activities

A - Activities of CSC

1 - Types of Activities

Activities proposed by the CSC.
Club activities needing help from the CSC
Activities that might involve the whole university
Graduation Celebration (Prom Night)

a. Activities proposed by the CSC
Proposed activities are to be discussed in a regular CSC meeting.
There could be three different possibilities:

The activity is not allowed by the administration decision.
The activity is covered by an existing Club.
The activity is fine and can be carried by the CSC.

Possibility I:
The CSC should not under any circumstances proceed with the activity. However, the members can discuss the issue in a regular CSC meeting and decide to appeal to the administration. The appeal should be done in writing, on a letter carrying the signature of the president of the CSC and the comments of the Advisor. Minutes of the meeting discussing the issue and proposing the appeal should be attached to the letter. The letter is to be channeled by the Director of Guidance to the proper council or office. Decision of the Council or office is to be communicated in writing to the president of the CSC and it holds as final.

Possibility II:

The VP and treasurer of the CSC should meet with the Club president and treasurer, in the presence of the Activities Coordinator, to discuss all the logistics of the activity: Time and place, budget needed, contribution of each party to the expenses, sponsorship, help needed, etc… are topics to be discussed.
Minutes of the meeting should be taken by the Activities Coordinator and signed by the VPCSC, Club president and Activities Coordinator. A copy should go to each one of them.
The treasurer of the CSC is responsible for keeping all documentation for the activity.
The Advisor of the CSC should be made aware of the decisions immediately after the meeting. In case of an objection, the Advisor may call the President and VP of the CSC as well as the President of the club to take a pertinent decision about the activity.
If there are no objections, the activity is carried out.
Copies of the minutes will be kept with the Activities Coordinator and the secretaries of the CSC and Club.

Note: if the Club refuses to coordinate this activity, the CSC will have the right to carry it out alone.

Possibility III:

In this case, after the approval of the activity by the CSC, the VP and treasurer of the CSC should meet with the Activities Coordinator to propose a chart for the activity: date and time, location, budget, sponsorship, help needed etc… The proposal is to be signed by the people present.
This proposal needs the approval of the President of the CSC and the Director of Guidance before implementation takes place.
A copy of the proposal is to be kept with the activities coordinator and the CSC secretary.

b. Club activities needing help from the CSC

A Club may seek the help of the CSC to carry out an activity. In this case, the President of the Club should address a letter to the CSC through the Activities Coordinator specifying the activity and the help needed. The CSC should take the decision to grant financial help or deny it. Any denial of financing an activity should be duly justified. If help is to be granted, the CSC should vote on the amount.
The CSC has the right in this case to ask the Club for a copy of the financial report of the activity after its implementation. If denied, this club will forfeit its right to the pre-approved yearly activities, and the remaining budget will have to return to the university.

c. The activity is fine and can be carried out by the CSC

If a proposed activity is deemed to involve the whole university, the CSC can raise it as a suggestion to the USC who has the freedom of considering it or not.
The communication for this issue is to be done between the two vice presidents. Implementation should be carried out by both CSC upon the approval of the USC.

d. Graduation Celebration (Prom Night)
Planning for this activity is to be done by the CSC. Detailed proposal should be presented to the Student Affairs Council for final approval.

2 - Budgets

For any financial transaction: expenses of an activity, sponsorship, donations, budget of the council etc… proper documentation is needed.
For this purpose, the treasurers of CSC and clubs as well as the treasurer of the USC, will be given a workshop on how to manage and document financially matters at the beginning of the year and before the starting of any activity. Written procedures will be given to them for reference.
At the end of each semester, the treasurers are to submit a documented financial report to the Guidance office.
Failure to do so will subject them to a penalty that will be decided by a committee formed of: President of the concerned CSC, Directors of Guidance and Deans of Students.
A Term budget shall be allocated to each student council at the beginning of the term and will be assessed upon submission of term financial reports.

3 - Guidelines for Sponsored Activities
A sponsored activity is an activity that needs extra funds not available in the budget of the student councils.

For CSC

The activity should be approved by the council in a regular meeting.
A list of potential sponsors should be presented by the VP of the council to the Activities Coordinator
The Activities Coordinator should give clearance for the go ahead after consulting with the Director of Guidance and the Dean of Students. Proper coordination with the Development Office is required.
The CSC may seek assistance from any LAU community member to help secure a sponsorship. However, this should be done in coordination with the Activities Coordinator.
The treasurer should keep track of any donation in kind or money. Receipts should be given.
The treasurer should present a financial report for the CSC at the end of the activity.
Thank you letters to the sponsors should be addressed by the President of the CSC and co-signed by the Director of Guidance.

For USC

The activity should be approved by the council in a regular meeting.
The VPUSC should coordinate with the VPs of both CSC to get a list of potential sponsors.
The VPs of the CSC should complete items 3 through 6 mentioned above for CSC activities.
Thank you letters to the sponsors should be addressed by the VPUSC and co-signed by the Director of Guidance in the relevant campus.

4 - Fund Raising Activities
A special committee composed of the Directors of Guidance, Deans of Students, VPUSC and VPSDEM as the chair, shall be responsible of all requests for sponsored and fundraising activities. Procedures will be set by the committee for the approval, the control mechanisms and the accountability processes, in coordination with the different university constituency.

5 - Procedures to present issues/concerns/requests:

For CSC

Issues/concerns/requests that are campus specific, ought to be discussed and agreed upon in a regular CSC meeting.
Issues/concerns/requests are to be presented to a campus council ,committee or office in a letter addressed by the president of the CSC, and carrying comments by the Advisor.
CSC representatives on a council are to make sure that the subject of the letter is on the agenda of the council for the meeting following the submission of the letter.
The representatives are to report the council's decision back to the CSC.
If issues/concerns/requests are addressed to an office, the president of the CSC is to follow-up on this matter, document the results, and report back to the CSC.
If an issue/concern/request is deemed to impact the other campus, the CSC can choose to channel it to the USC for discussion, adoption or rejection.
If adopted, it is up to the USC to proceed with the follow-up.
If rejected by the USC, an appeal to a university council is possible and should be made through the Dean of students of the concerned campus.

For USC

Issues/concerns/requests that impact the University as a whole should be first discussed in a regular USC meeting.
A letter should go from the VPUSC and the secretary indicating the subject. The USC president's comments are necessary for any letter to be accepted.
If the letter is to be addressed to a university council, members of the USC serving on that council should make sure that this item is on the agenda of the council meeting following the letter.
The members ought to report the council's decision back to the USC.
If the letter is to be addressed to an office, the VPUSC and Secretary should follow on the subject and report back to the USC.
If an appeal is to be made to a higher university council, the VPSDEM should make sure that the VP and secretary of the USC appear in front of the council to present this specific subject.
After that, the decision of the council is final and the USC has no right to pursue the subject any further.

6 - Communications with students:
Student Councils shall carry Communication with students through: a special web page that should be manned according to set rules, fliers, e-boards, posters and publications. All types of communication are to be pre-approved by the Director of Guidance or the Dean of Students for CSC and by the VPSDEM or his/her assignee for the USC.

ARTICLE X: Elections

1 - Basic Information about the elections
A - Time of Elections:

First Friday following November 10 of each year.
Applications, provided by the Guidance Office, are to be filled and submitted by the candidate in person.
Time for applications:
Starting date: 10 working days before Election Day.
Finish date: 5 working days before Election Day.
Withdrawal from the election: 3 working days before Election Day.
Eligibility Check: to be done by the Guidance Office in a maximum of 2 working days after submission of the application.
Each school elects its own representatives.
Student activities carrying any political connotation are not allowed during the two-week period starting 10 working days before Election Day.
Special security measures will be implemented during election week.

B - Campaigning Rules

Posters: Maximum size 70cm x 100cm
Photographs: exclusively for candidates; same restriction on size as for posters.
Posters and Photographs must be approved by the Guidance office.
Banners: No Banners are to be allowed on campus or on the roads in the vicinity of the campuses.
Posters and photographs can only be displayed during election week.
Location for the posters and photographs shall be set ahead of time by the Guidance office in coordination with campus services.
Space for posters and /or photographs shall be allocated equitably to all candidates.
Flier's violating the letter and spirit of the Student Codes of Ethics and Conduct, and carrying libels, may not be distributed. All fliers should receive the approval of the Guidance Office.

C - Very Important Remark
Any breach of the abovementioned campaigning rules might cause the candidate a forced withdrawal from the Election. No claim of ignorance of the breach of rules is acceptable.

D - Elections Procedures

A communiqué is sent to the press about the Election Day, and later about the results, but no media is allowed on campus during Election Day.
Election time: Starts at 9:00 am and closes at 4:00 pm sharp.
Checking of ballot boxes is done by Guidance and nominees or their representatives.
No Cell phones or other means of communication are allowed inside the election room(s).
Walkie-talkies can be used on campus but not in the election rooms. Clearance is the responsibility of the users and must be presented to the Guidance Office.
Help of faculty members during Election Day may be requested for manning the ballot boxes.
Dealing with disturbances during Election Day: the Dean of students will a rigorous application of the Student Code of Conduct.
Counting of Votes is to be done electronically.
Official results are to be announced by the VPSDEM.
The Director of the Guidance Office, the Dean of Students and the faculty members present during the election shall sign the sheets that indicate the results of the elections.
These sheets are to be kept in the Guidance Office. A copy of them can be made for the candidates if requested.

E - Preparation for the elections of the Student Councils

Approved bylaws are to be communicated to students via web site and by printing material produced by the Guidance office.
An orientation session is to be held for all candidates on the Saturday following the elections.

Note: The member at large, the person with the highest number of votes on campus, is chosen only after the school representative is chosen.

ARTICLE XI: Evaluation of the Councils

In July of each year, the president and vice president of each student council should meet and prepare an evaluation of the performance of the council during that year. The evaluation is to be discussed with the councils and agreed upon. The final evaluations are to be kept in the guidance office for the CSC and in the VPSDEM office for the USC.

ARTICLE XII: Changing the By-Laws

Approved Student Councils by-Laws are to be implemented and evaluated for 2 consecutive years before a recommendation to change may be presented to the Administration.
A recommendation to change should come from both presidents of the CSC (if the change affects the CSC) and from the president and vice president of the USC for any change in its by-Laws.
Requests for change should be channeled to the Student Affairs Council who would opine on it and send its recommendation to the President.

ARTICLE XIII: Breaking the By-Laws

Any case of miscommunication, or misrepresentation or breach of the Student Council By-Laws, the “Council By-Laws” Committee (CBC) will be summoned to investigate the issue and take appropriate decisions.
For CSC members (not on USC): The CBC shall be formed of the Director of Guidance, the Chair of the CLC, and the President of CSC. It will be chaired by the Dean of Students.
In case the President of the CSC is at fault, the Vice President shall replace him/her.
For USC members, the CBC shall be formed by the Directors of Guidance, Deans of Students, VPUSC, and chaired by the VPSDEM.
If the Vice President of USC is at fault, the Secretary of the USC shall replace him/her.
Any appeal for a decision taken by CBC should be channeled to the Special Appeal Committee.

ARTICLE XIV: Appeal

A committee called “Special Appeal Committee”, formed by the Directors of Guidance, the Deans of Students, the Presidents and VPs of the CSC, the VPUSC, and chaired by the VPSDEM, shall investigate and take appropriate decisions on any appeals or grievance related to student councils issues. All matters discussed by this committee are confidential in nature. A breach of this confidentiality can lead to dismissal from the committee. A decision by this committee is final.

Graduate Students' Committees By-Laws

ARTICLE I: Formation

One committee of graduate students shall be formed on each campus. Each committee shall be called the Graduate Student Committee (GSC). On Each campus, the GSC shall be elected with one representative from each program. Currently, the number of the members shall be three in Beirut and three in Byblos.
The number of graduate programs may reach 5 in each campus.
The recommendation is to have for the year 2007-2008, a representative for each graduate program on each campus, pending eligibility. All the representatives will be chosen according to the approved document, but will form a special committee that will be called the Founding Graduate Students Committee (FGSC) and will be elected according to the approved document and with a specific mandate as indicated later.

ARTICLE II: Eligibility

Any graduate student is eligible to run for election if he/she fulfills the following criteria at the time of the elections:

Enrolled at LAU
Registered for at least 6 credit hours
Has at least two semesters to graduate
Good academic standing

In case they fulfill these conditions, students will be considered eligible to run for the school in which they are pursuing their degrees.

Graduate students wishing to run for the GSC need to present their nominations in person to their Campus' Guidance Office.

ARTICLE III: Election Procedures

Election procedures governing the undergraduate student councils apply.
The election date is to be on the same day as the Student Councils election, but at a different time: specifically from 5:00 till 7:00p.m

ARTICLE IV: Electoral Body

Graduate students registered for at least 6 credit hours
Eligible graduate students in each program may only vote for their representatives

ARTICLE V: Duties of the Graduate Committee

The graduate committee will be responsible for:

Establishing a proper channel for communication between the University and graduate students.
Establishing a link between graduate students and the Alumni office, as well as working closely with them towards mutual benefit.
Communicating the concerns of graduate students, employers and others, to the appropriate university body.
Promoting the Mission and Values of LAU
Promoting the Student Codes of Ethics and Conduct among graduate students.
The graduate committee is to discuss issues of general concern, and present recommendations to the administration through the Guidance Office.
Personal Academic issues are to be handled by the Schools.

ARTICLE VI: Convener and Meetings

A convener will be chosen by the members of the committee to call for meetings.
He/She shall call for the meetings, prepare the agenda, take minutes, and make contacts.
Meetings are to be held once a month. Time and place of the meetings are to be set at the beginning of each semester.
Changes are allowed in the next semester.
A faculty member, chosen by the Faculty Senate, shall be the advisor of the graduate committee.

Once the election process is completed, the Faculty Senate shall name an advisor for this committee. It is recommended that advisors alternate between campuses on yearly basis.

A- Convener

The convener can be chosen by consensus. If not, a voting process shall take place. The rules of voting for Student Councils apply. The convener shall alternate between campuses on a yearly basis.
Once named, the convener must meet with the Guidance Office to receive a copy of the Student Codes of Ethics and of Conduct.
The convener should assign a special meeting of the GSC with the Director of Guidance, to assure the full comprehension of these Codes, and insure compliance with the codes as well as work on spreading them.

B - Representations on Councils
The GSC is required to choose one representative on each of the Campus Life Councils, and one representative on the Student Affairs Council. The choice can be made either through consensus or voting procedure.
For the CLC representation, only members from the same campus can vote.
The representative on the Student Affairs Council shall alternate between campuses on yearly basis.

C - Communications

Communication between the GSC and the CSC shall be conducted through their respective advisors.
Communication between the GSC and the University Student Council shall be conducted through GSC advisor and the Chair of the USC.

ARTICLE VII: Specific Mandate of the FGSC

The FGSC is formed of all the elected graduate student representatives on both campuses.
A convener and an advisor shall be named according to the above mentioned procedure.
In addition to the above mentioned duties, the FGSC shall have these specific mandates:

Reevaluate the formation of the graduate student committee.
Propose the representation on the GSC: be it by school or program; as well as the number of representatives.
Recommend guidelines for communicating with the Alumni office.
Clarify the nature of activities and procedures for funding activities.
Suggest proper channels of communication with schools and graduate students.
Specify concerns or issues that may be handled by the Graduate Committee.
Suggest the representation of the GSC on University Councils.

Recommendations from the FGSC should be presented to the Student Affairs Council for discussion and consideration before the end of the academic year 2007-2008. The final approval is to be given by the PC.

Office of the Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Management Undergraduate Students' Councils By-Laws & Graduate Students' Committees By-Laws

Office of the Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Management

Undergraduate Students' Councils By-Laws &
Graduate Students' Committees By-Laws