PSGSC 2026

Revised & Amended January 2026

HISTORY & PURPOSE

The Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council (PSGSC) was founded in 2000 by combining the graduate student councils of horticulture, agronomy, and plant breeding and plant genetics (PBPG). The PSGSC was created to foster enhanced communication and promote more social interaction among the graduate students of horticulture, agronomy, and PBPG, including those not located in the Moore / Horticulture / Plant Sciences Building. The PSGSC has since expanded to include graduate students from a wider range of disciplines, including Plant Pathology, Botany, Integrative Biology, Entomology, Agroecology, and Soil Science – all of which are related to classical plant biology and agronomy.

 PSGSC has four primary goals:

  • To develop a community amongst graduate students in plant science fields at UW-Madison, spread across different graduate training programs;
  • To foster awareness and education of plant science within the UW and beyond;
  • To host events designed to encourage fellowship and scholarship amongst graduate students training to be professionals in plant science fields and create awareness of resources for professional development;
  • To be an avenue of communication between graduate students, their respective training programs, and home departments. 

PSGSC Events and Responsibilities:

  • Organize and host an annual Plant Sciences Symposium with an opportunity to invite students across the country, as well as professionals across academia, industry, government, and similar sectors.
  • Manage a community gathering and snack space in Moore Hall/Horticulture/Plant Sciences, also known as the “Candy Cart”;
  • Optional Community Events/Spaces:
    • Host 1 social event per month during the Fall and Spring semesters;
    • Host 1 professional development event per Fall and Spring semester;
    • Host 1 volunteer event per Fall and Spring semester;
    • In all events, members of PSGSC should aspire to be open and amenable in their communications with graduate students from different cultures and backgrounds, across the continental United States and countries abroad – in an effort to celebrate diversity and inclusion and learn from each other.
    • All events, if appropriate, are open but not limited to community members. 

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

  1. MEMBERSHIP. A “community member” is any current graduate student enrolled in a graduate training program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including but not limited to Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Plant Pathology, Botany, Integrative Biology, Agroecology, Entomology, and Soil Science. All community members are welcome to participate in PSGSC events. 
  2. DUES. There are no dues required for membership at any level in this organization.

ARTICLE II

FINANCE

  1. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the PSGSC shall be from January 1 to December 31, inclusive.
  2. CHECKS. All checks issued on behalf of the PSGSC shall be issued by approval of the President, Vice President or Treasurer.
  3. PAYMENTS. All payments due to the PSGSC shall be made to the Treasurer, who shall record them. Payments can be made in the form of check, direct deposit, or Venmo. PayPal may be used as a method of payment for symposium sponsorships, if the sponsor requests to pay by credit card, rather than check or direct deposit.
  4. ACCOUNTS. PSGSC will conduct all banking using the savings and checking accounts under the council name (Student Organization Account: Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council) at UW Credit Union.

ARTICLE III

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

  1. TIMELINE FOR ELECTION.
    1. TIMEFRAME. Nominations and elections of future PSGSC officers who wish to serve the following calendar year will be completed after the annual symposium in the current year, by the community members who wish to participate.
    2. NOMINATION. Nominations for PSGSC officers for the following calendar year will occur at least one month before the current board’s term ends (e.g. December of the current service year).
      1. For the Entomology Representative position, the Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) will provide PSGSC with their nomination, as this representative on PSGSC will also serve as EGSA’s PSGSC Representative. Other nominations will be accepted for this position, however.
    3. ELECTION. Election of officers will occur three weeks before the current board members’ terms ends, preferably before Finals Weeks of the Fall semester of the current academic year.
    4. TIE BREAKERS. Tie breakers will occur two weeks before the current officer’s terms end, or as quickly as possible before the calendar year ends.
    5. TRANSITION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD OFFICERS.  Transition between new and old officers will occur during January of the following calendar at the latest, to be determined by the incoming and outgoing board members. 
  2. NOMINATION. Any community member of PSGSC is allowed to nominate a fellow community member, current officers, or oneself to serve in their respective training program position or an executive position for the following calendar year. The council positions based on the graduate training groups mentioned in History & Purpose are as follows:  President, Vice President, Treasurer, Student Engagement and Outreach Representative, Agroecology Representative, Agronomy Representative, Botany Representative, Entomology Representative, Horticulture Representative, Integrative Biology Representative, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics Representative, Plant Pathology Representative, and Soil Science Representative. Additional officer positions may be added for programs in line with the mission of this organization.  A graduate student can be nominated for more than one position; however, that graduate student can only serve in one of the officer positions if he/she is elected to both positions. To be eligible for nomination and position of President, the nominee must have been an officer in a previous year. Current officers may not intentionally serve in the same position for consecutive years. 
  3. ELECTION. Each community member will be allowed one vote per officer position.  Votes will be submitted anonymously via Google Form.  Election to an officer position will be determined by which candidate receives the most votes.
  4. TIE BREAKERS. In the case of a tie between two candidates the members will be allowed to re-vote for that position.  A new ballot will be given to members with the candidates involved in the tie and the same election rules stated in Article II Section 3 will apply.
  5. VACANT/UNCONTESTED POSITIONS. If there are no nominations for a position, the President and current officer shall reach out to students in the specified training program to encourage a nomination. A call should be made to graduate students for the nomination and election of a current graduate student, to replace the previous officer in the new calendar year. If the call is not answered, the officer may choose to continue to serve for up to one additional calendar year – for a total of two years of service pending eligibility as defined in Article IV Section 1. At which point, if a replacement is not found, and there are still no candidates, the position will lie vacant until a participating graduate student is nominated and elected during the following election cycle.
    1. If the representative position lies vacant for two consecutive years, in the first meeting of the third year, the representative position may be voted to  be removed from the council. The position may be reestablished in the future through the voting procedure outlined in Article VII. 
  6. TRANSITION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD OFFICERS. It is the responsibility of each officer to inform the new officer of their specific roles and duties a minimum of 1 time via a transition meeting.  It is also the responsibility of each officer to provide any necessary documents for the position. 

ARTICLE IV

OFFICER REQUIREMENTS

  1. ELIGIBILITY: All board members are required to be community members of the PSGSC.  This requirement implies that all officers are required to be current graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying a plant science related discipline. Officers must have no less than one year left of enrollment, to be eligible to fill a year term position.
  2. COUNCIL: There shall be thirteen officers of the PSGSC, who will serve a one-year term, beginning January 1 and ending December 31.
  3. TERM: Council terms are the full calendar year. By serving on the PSGSC, officers are expected to honor their commitment of service. If unexpected circumstances arise or major life events, a officer must submit a formal letter of resignation to the President, Vice President, and Treasurer. 

ARTICLE V

OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES

  • ALL OFFICERS
  1. Attend regular PSGSC meetings. 
  2. Attend respective department meetings.
  3. Share updates from respective programs, including any initiatives, changes to the program or department, new student arrivals, activities, and seminars, etc.
  4. Contact new graduate students in the program to inform them about the PSGSC and welcome them to the program (All prospective new students who are admitted should receive a Plant Science Mug as a welcome present that semester).
  5. Plan, advertise for, and chair on at least TWO PSGSC sponsored event committees (social, professional development, or outreach) in the year.
  6. Take an active role in the planning and execution of the Annual Symposium.
  7. Participate in Meeting Minutes rotation.
  8. Time commitment
    1.  Officers are expected to maintain a consistent time commitment of approximately 2–3 hours per week to fulfill their responsibilities. Routine academic obligations, including exams, coursework, or assignment deadlines, do not constitute valid reasons for missing scheduled meetings or sessions; officers are expected to plan accordingly, as they would for any other academic commitment at UW–Madison. Exceptions may be granted in cases of illness, serious family emergencies, or unavoidable academic conflicts such as examinations scheduled concurrently with a session.
  • PRESIDENT
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Schedule and facilitate regular council meetings.
      • Run or delegate social media pages (X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) in coordination with the Student Engagement and Outreach Representative.
      • Maintain PSGSC display box in Moore Hall (by room 351) with up-to-date materials and notices of community events.
      • Form committees to address the goals of the organization.
      • Serve as the main point of contact and coordinator for the Annual Symposium. 
      • Represent plant sciences graduate students on campus.
      • Assist in graduate student recruitment where feasible.
      • Keep up social and networking events for members.
      • Elected presidents will serve as a PSGSC Affiliate under the title of “Past President” in the year after their tenure to provide guidance, mentorship, and advice to the incoming President. As an Affiliate, the Past President is not an officer position; therefore, the Past President does not have to be an active student of the University.
  • VICE PRESIDENT
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Support and aid the President in daily activities.
      • Help update and maintain the PSGSC website.
      • Remain in contact with officers.
      • Foster camaraderie by facilitating participation and inclusion of graduate students outside of the original Moore Hall/Plant Sciences training programs in Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics. 
      • Assemble and distribute weekly digest or announcements in conjunction with the President.
  • TREASURER
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Maintain the bank accounts through UW Credit Union.
      • Maintain an organized log of council expenditures.
      • Empty out and deposit funds from the candy cart.
      • Manage Candy Cart with assistance from fellow officers, including prices and price sheets.
      • Maintain the Costco membership. 
      • Budget for and distribute funds for PSGSC sponsored events.
      • Analyze financial statements and inform other board members on the state of PSGSC financial accounts.
      • Create invoices and assist in grant applications for symposium planning.
  • STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Identify topics of interest for members and create space to explore these topics – e.g. educational trips, building industry connections, hold formal or informal journal discussions. 
      • Organize events for members to build community and engage with one another – e.g. walks, lunches, coffee hours, etc.
      • Help facilitate Social Media postings. 
      • Enlist other PSGSC officers to fulfill student engagement.
      • Explore community outreach and volunteer opportunities for the council and plant sciences graduate students to participate in.
  • AGROECOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Non Applicable
  • AGRONOMY REPRESENTATIVE
  1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
  2. Additional Responsibilities:
    1. Non Applicable
  • BOTANY REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Forward PSGSC emails to the Botany Graduate Student Listserv. 
      • Help orchestrate the semesterly PSGSC hosted FAC with PSGSC Integrative Biology Representative, if applicable.
      • Maintain PSGSC display board in Birge Hall with up-to-date materials and notices of community events.
  • HORTICULTURE REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Non Applicable
  • INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
  1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
  2. Additional Responsibilities:
    1. Forward PSGSC emails to the Integrative Biology Graduate Student Listserv. 
    2. Help orchestrate the semesterly PSGSC hosted FAC with PSGSC Botany Representative, if applicable.
  • PLANT BREEDING & PLANT GENETICS REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Attend PBPG program meetings.
      • Keep a record of “Blue Books” and other resources from past students in the Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics program that contain recollections and memories of past preliminary exams.
      • Organize refreshments (coffee, tea, and snacks) for Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics Seminar. Can coordinate with other PBPG students on PSGSC for assistance with Seminar tasks, if applicable.
  • PLANT PATHOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
    1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
    2. Additional Responsibilities:
      • Coordinate with the Plant Pathology Graduate Council (PPGC) to discuss important updates. 
  • ENTOMOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE 
  1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
  2. Additional Responsibilities:
    1. PSGSC’s Entomology Representative will also serve as the Entomology Graduate Student Association’s PSGSC Representative. See EGSA’s constitution for EGSA responsibilities.
      1. Attend monthly Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) meetings where information from faculty and committee meetings is relayed. Share updates from the PSGSC.
  • SOIL SCIENCE REPRESENTATIVE
  1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL OFFICERS’ for core responsibilities.
  2. Additional Responsibilities:
    1. Coordinate with the Soil Science Graduate Student Council to discuss important updates.
    2. Forward emails from PSGSC to the Soil Sciences Graduate Student Listserv.
    3. Open the Jackson Turner Commons for socials and coffee hours if rotations occur.

Article VI

CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS

To ensure a productive, respectful, and supportive environment for all members of the council, it is hereby stipulated that:

  1. Zero Tolerance for Hostile or Intimidating Behavior
    All officers of the Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council are expected to engage with one another in a manner that fosters mutual respect, professionalism, and collaboration. Hostile, intimidating, or abusive behavior, whether verbal, non-verbal, or through other means, is strictly prohibited during both council meetings and in all interactions, whether in person, online, or through other channels.
  2. Scope of the Provision
    This provision applies to all interactions between officers, regardless of whether they occur during formal meetings or outside of official council activities. Hostile or intimidating behavior includes, but is not limited to, actions such as:
    • Verbal abuse, threats, or insults
    • Physical intimidation or aggression
    • Harassment or bullying of any kind
    • Disrespectful or demeaning comments or gestures
    • Manipulative or coercive tactics that undermine another officer’s role or authority
  3. Accountability and Reporting
    Any officer who experiences or witnesses hostile or intimidating behavior should report the incident to the President or anyone on the executive team (President, Vice President, and Treasurer). The council will follow a fair and transparent process to address these issues, which may include mediation, a review by the executive team, or, in extreme cases, removal from the council. If necessary, the executive council will seek counsel from the RSO faculty advisor. If the concerns are regarding an executive officer (President, Vice President, and Treasurer), the officer should report their concerns to the other executive officers. If the concerns involve all three executive officers, the officer should report to the RSO faculty advisor.
  4. Enforcement and Consequences
    Violations of this provision will be reviewed by the executive team. Consequences for non-compliance may include a formal warning, suspension from duties, or removal from office, depending on the severity and recurrence of the behavior.
  5. Commitment to a Positive Environment
    Officers are encouraged to address conflicts in a constructive manner and to seek guidance from the Executive Team or other resources when necessary to maintain a respectful and productive working environment.

Article VII

ADDITION OF NEW REPRESENTATIVE AND TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE PSGSC

  1. INTEREST: If an eligible program approaches the current council with interest in formally joining PSGSC as a supporting training program, a formal vote must be taken within the current council to initiate the process of adding a representative, and program, to the organization. An eligible training program is defined as one whose studies focus on science in the context of plants.
  2. PROGRAM VOTE: If the council deems the prospective training program to meet eligibility requirements by a simple majority, the PSGSC must then carry out a vote within that training program, to gauge interest across all students from the training program. A copy of the constitution must be distributed, as well as expectations, information, and guidelines. An electronic voting form will accompany these distributions, asking for graduate students in the training program to formally vote if they would like to join the PSGSC, and understand that a yearly representative from the training program is considered to be an expectation for participation in PSGSC events. The vote from within the prospective training program must meet a quorum of ½ of the enrolled students and pass with a simple majority of those respondents.
  3. COUNCIL VOTE: If the training program passes a vote that they do wish to join PSGSC, and understand the expectations that accompany that, the council will then formally vote to amend the constitution adding a representative to the council from that training program.
  4. NEW REPRESENTATIVE ELECTION: If a new training program joins PSGSC, the new training program representative position will be on the next election ballot.

ARTICLE VIII

HAZING

  1. All forms of hazing shall be prohibited.
  2. Hazing is defined as any action taken or situation created intentionally to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities and situations include, but are not limited to: creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; wearing apparel in public which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and jokes; moral degradation and humiliation in games or activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with the regulations and policies of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ARTICLE IX

RULES OF ORDER

  1. The PSGSC and its officers shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised except in matters specifically provided for in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE X
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

  1. Amendments to this constitution and by-laws shall be initiated within any elected council at any point throughout the council’s term. A subcommittee of elected officers shall review necessary changes before presenting the elected council and all included student members a proposed document for comment and subsequent approval.
    1. The proposed document shall be discussed by the currently elected council on a timeframe proposed by the subcommittee. Once this document is approved it shall be moved to the broader council members.
    2. The proposed document will be presented to all council members for feedback.
      1. A feedback form with questions related to each amendment will be provided.
      2. The proposed document will be formatted as a pdf with line numbers for easy reference in the feedback process.
      3. All council members shall have a set deadline of 1 week from receipt of the proposed document to provide feedback.
    3. Once the feedback deadline has passed, the subcommittee shall make any final changes before presenting a final draft to the currently elected council.
    4. Elected council members shall have 1 week to review the final document before a vote is called. The vote will be held synchronously, either in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format and each amendment or change proposed as a separate motion and voted on individually in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. Once all amendments have been passed, a final vote for the entire document will be called.
      1. A quorum for the vote shall be defined as ⅔ of the current elected council members and to pass all amendments must receive a simple majority.
        1. Example: if there are 12 currently elected council officers quorum is defined as 8 officers and for an amendment or motion to pass it must receive an ‘aye’ vote from 7 officers.
  2. Amendments to this constitution and bylaws shall be implemented directly in the document and outlined in ARTICLE X, with the most recent amendment listed first.

ARTICLE XI

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

  1. UW-System Board of Regents Non-Discrimination Policy 30-06: Student organizations that select their members or officers on the basis of commitment to a set of beliefs (e.g., religious or political beliefs) may limit membership, officer positions, or participation in the organization to students who affirm that they support the organization’s goals and agree with its beliefs, so long as no student is excluded from membership, officer positions, or participation on the basis of his or her race, color, creed other than commitment to the beliefs of the organization, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, or, unless exempt under Title IX, sex.