PSGSC 2026

PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS

  1. 2026 Amendments
    1. Standardized language usage when referring to council/board and board members/officers. All “board” is changed to “council”, and “board members” to “officers”.
    2. Article V – Officers Responsibilities
      1. 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).
      2. Plan, advertise for, and chair on at least TWO PSGSC sponsored event committees (social, professional development, or outreach) in the year.
      3. Take an active role in the planning and execution of the Annual Symposium.
      4. Participate in Meeting Minutes rotation.
      5. 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.
  2. 2025 Amendments
    1. Article VI –CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      1. 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:
          1. Verbal abuse, threats, or insults
          2. Physical intimidation or aggression
          3. Harassment or bullying of any kind
          4. Disrespectful or demeaning comments or gestures
          5. 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.
          1. This amendment is the addition of a representative code of conduct, inserted into the Constitution as Article VI
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 01/22/2025
    2. Article VI – ADDITION OF NEW REPRESENTATIVE AND TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE PSGSC
      1. Amendment is the changing of Article VI – ADDITION OF NEW REPRESENTATIVE AND TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE PSGSC to Article VII – ADDITION OF NEW REPRESENTATIVE AND TRAINING PROGRAM TO THE PSGSC to reflect the addition of Article VI – CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 08/20/2025
    3. Article VII – HAZING
      1. Amendment is the changing of Article VII – HAZING to Article VIII – HAZING to reflect the addition of Article VI – CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 08/20/2025
    4. Article VIII – RULES OF ORDER
      1. Amendment is the changing of Article VIII -RULES OF ORDER to Article IX – RULES OF ORDER to reflect the addition of Article VI – CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 08/20/2025
    5. Article IX – AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
      1. Amendment is the changing of Article IX – AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS to Article X – AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS to reflect the addition of Article VI – CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 08/20/2025
    6. Article X – PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS
      1. Amendment is the changing of Article X – PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS to Article XI – PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS  to reflect the addition of Article VI – CODE OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG OFFICERS
      2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 08/20/2025
    7. Article XI – NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
    8. Article V – Board Member Responsibilities
      1. BOTANY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Forward PSGSC emails to the Botany Graduate Student Listserv. 
          2. Help orchestrate the semesterly PSGSC hosted FAC with PSGSC Integrative Biology Representative, if applicable.
          3. Maintain PSGSC display board in Birge Hall with up-to-date materials and notices of community events.
        3. This amendment updates the responsibilities of the Botany Representative.
        4. Amendment was voted on and passed: 12/02/2025
      2. PRESIDENT
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Schedule and facilitate regular board meetings.
          2. Run or delegate social media pages (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) in coordination with the Student Engagement and Outreach Representative.
          3. Maintain PSGSC display box in Moore Hall (by room 351) with up-to-date materials and notices of community events.
          4. Form committees to address the goals of the organization.
          5. Serve as the main point of contact and coordinator for the Annual Symposium. 
          6. Represent plant sciences graduate students on campus.
          7. Assist in graduate student recruitment where feasible.
          8. Keep up social and networking events for members.
          9. 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 a board member position; therefore, the Past President does not have to be an active student of the University.
        3. This amendment adds the PSGSC Affliate position to accurately reflect the efforts of past PSGSC presidents in mentoring.
        4. This amendment was voted on and passed 12/02/2025.
    9. Article III – Election of Board Members
      1. VACANT/UNCONTESTED POSITIONS. If there are no nominations for a position, the President and current board member 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 board member in the new calendar year. If the call is not answered, the board member 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. 
      2. This amendment makes the removal of vacant positions up to a council decision, rather than an automatic removal. It also changed Article VI to Article VII in the writing to accurately reflect the title changes that occurred in the last amendment.
      3. This amendment was voted on and passed 12/02/2025
  1. 2024 Amendments
    1. HISTORY AND PURPOSE
      1. 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.
        1. This amendment proposes to add the discipline of Agroecology to the list of included programs, as well as the addition of “of” for word flow.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
    2. ARTICLE II Finance
      1. 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.
        1. This amendment proposes the removal of PayPal as a method of payment/reimbursement for the PSGSC.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      2. 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.
        1. This amendment proposes the addition of PayPal as a method for symposium use only, rather than use at the Candy Cart or other events.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 06/25/2024
    3. ARTICLE III ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS
      1. TIMELINE FOR ELECTION- NOMINATION
        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.
          1. This amendment proposes that EGSA no longer carries out the vote for this position, rather PSGSC continues to hold the election. This amendment proposes that there be official communication and responsibilities for the Entomology Representative on both PSGSC and EGSA.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      2. NOMINATION
        1. 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.
          1. This amendment proposes the position title change from “Academic and Social Chair” to “Student Engagement and Outreach Representative”.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      3. VACANT/UNCONTESTED POSITIONS
        1. If there are no nominations for a position, the President and current board member 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 board member in the new calendar year. If the call is not answered, the board member 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, the representative position will automatically forfeit voting rights and be removed from the council. The position may be reestablished in the future through the voting procedure outlined in Article VI.
            1. This amendment proposes that if a position does not have a nominee for the next election cycle, the current representative can stay in that role for the next year. It also proposes that if the position lies vacant for two consecutive years, this position will be removed from the council. This amendment proposes the replacement of what was previously stated under “Vacant/Uncontested Positions”
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
    4. ARTICLE IV BOARD MEMBER REQUIREMENTS
      1. ELIGIBILITY
        1. Board members must have no less than one year left of enrollment, to be eligible to fill a year term position.
          1. This amendment proposes that our constitution formally states that each board member must have no less than one year left of enrollment, in which to carry out the full term length of one year.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
    5. ARTICLE V BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
      1. Attend respective department meetings.
        1. This amendment proposes that a responsibility for all board members includes attending meetings for each respective department.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      2. Send a weekly email with appropriate information to be included in the digest (events, snack room, etc).
        1. This amendment proposes the removal of weekly digest emails as a responsibility of all board members.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      3. PRESIDENT
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
          1. Additional Responsibilities:
            1. Schedule and facilitate regular board meetings.
            2. Run or delegate social media pages (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) in coordination with the Student Engagement and Outreach Representative.
            3. Maintain PSGSC display box in Moore Hall (by room 351) with up-to-date materials and notices of community events.
              1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the president.
              2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      4. VICE PRESIDENT
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities for the vice president role.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      5. TREASURER
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities for the treasurer role.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      6. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
        3. Explore community outreach and volunteer opportunities for the council and plant sciences graduate students to participate in.
          1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the student engagement and outreach representative.
          2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      7. AGROECOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE, AGRONOMY REPRESENTATIVE, & HORTICULTURE REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Non Applicable
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities for the roles of the agroecology representative, agronomy representative, and horticulture representative.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      8. BOTANY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Help orchestrate the semesterly PSGSC hosted FAC with PSGSC Integrative Biology Representative, if applicable.
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the botany representative.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      9. INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ 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.
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the integrative biology representative.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      10. PLANT BREEDING AND PLANT GENETICS REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Attend PBPG program meetings.
          2. Can coordinate with other PBPG students on PSGSC for assistance with Seminar tasks, if applicable.
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the PBPG representative, such as clarifying that other PBPG students on the board may help with seminar snacks.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      11. PLANT PATHOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Coordinate with the Plant Pathology Graduate Council (PPGC) to discuss important updates.
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the plant pathology representative.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      12. ENTOMOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ 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. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the entomology representative.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
      13. SOIL SCIENCE REPRESENTATIVE
        1. See Article V Section  ‘ALL BOARD MEMBERS’ for core responsibilities.
        2. Additional Responsibilities:
          1. Coordinate with the Soil Science Graduate Student Council to discuss important updates.
          2. Tanner commons
            1. This amendment proposes the standardization of common board member responsibilities, as well as additional responsibilities specific to the soil science representative. Correction of misspelling of “Tanner” commons.
            2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
    6. ARTICLE VI 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.
        1. This amendment proposes the formal addition of the procedure for adding a new representative and training program to the constitution.
        2. Amendment was voted on and passed: 05/30/2024
  1. 2023 Amendments
    1. HISTORY AND PURPOSE
      1. The PSGSC has since expanded to include graduate students from a wider range of disciplines, including Plant Pathology, Botany, Integrative Biology, Entomology, and Soil Science – all which are related to classical plant biology and agronomy.
        1. This amendment proposes to change the listing of included programs and expand the language to be inclusive of more disciplines.
        2. Amendment voted on and passed: 07/10/2023
      2. PSGSC has four primary goals: – To develop 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.
        1. This amendment proposes to change the outlined goals to better reflect the current scope of PSGSC.
        2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      3. 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.
        1. This amendment proposes to change the outlined tasks to better reflect the current scope of PSGSC.
        2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
    2. ARTICLE I MEMBERSHIP
      1. MEMBERSHIP
        1. A “community member” is any current graduate students 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 .
          1. This amendment proposes to better define the PSGSC community.
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      2. DUES
        1. There are no dues required for membership at any level in this organization.
          1. This amendment clarifies that however a community member participates in PSGSC does not require a financial obligation.
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023 
    3. ARTICLE II FINANCE
      1. PAYMENTS
        1. 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, Venmo, or PayPal.
          1. This amendment proposes to define the ways in which PSGSC can accept payment. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
        2. 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.
          1. This amendment adds the official name of PSGSC’s bank account. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
    4. ARTICLE III ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS
      1. TIMELINE FOR ELECTION
        1. TIMEFRAME. Nominations and elections of future PSGSC board members 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 board members 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).
        3. ELECTION. Election of board members 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 board members’ terms end, or as quickly as possible before the calendar year ends.
        5. TRANSITION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD BOARD MEMBERS.  Transition between new and old board members will occur during January of the following calendar at the latest, to be determined by the incoming and outgoing board members.
          1. These additions and revisions propose to clarify the process and timeline for every PSGSC election. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      2. Nomination
        1. Any community member of PSGSC is allowed to nominate a fellow community member, current board member, 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… A graduate student can be nominated for more than one position; however, that graduate student can only serve in one of the board member positions if he/she is elected to both positions.
          1. These revisions and additions propose to clarify language within the nomination process. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
        2. To be eligible for nomination and position of President, the nominee must have been an officer in a previous year. Current board members may not intentionally serve in the same position for consecutive years.
          1. This amendment proposes that the President of PSGSC is required to have served previously on the board. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      3. Election
        1. Votes will be submitted anonymously via Google Form.
          1. This revision reflects the change in voting medium from the PSGSC website to utilizing a Google Form. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      4. VACANT/UNCONTESTED POSITIONS
        1. VACANT/UNCONTESTED POSITIONS. If there are no nominations for a position, the President and current board member 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 board member in the new calendar year. If the call is not answered, the board member can continue to serve for up to one additional calendar year – for a total of two years service. At which point, if a replacement is not found, and there are still no candidates, the position, at the discretion of the council, can be filled by an unsuccessful candidate from a different representative position. This board member shall be called, “PSGSC Representative” and help with communication to the unrepresented department(s) and PSGSC event planning. If, after these efforts, the position is not filled, the role will lie vacant for one year until a participating graduate student is nominated and elected.
          1. This amendment proposes an outline for navigating lack of nominations for a board member position. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      5. TRANSITION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD BOARD MEMBERS. 
        1. It is the responsibility of each board member to inform the new board member of their specific roles and duties a minimum of 1 time via a transition meeting.  It is also the responsibility of each board member to provide any necessary documents for the position.
          1. These revisions propose to better outline the yearly transition process between board members. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
    5. ARTICLE IV BOARD MEMBER REQUIREMENTS
      1. ELIGIBILITY
        1. All board members are required to be community members of the PSGSC.  This requirement implies that all board members are required to be current graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying a plant science related discipline.
        2. The amendment revision proposes to retain the previously defined community members. 
        3. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      2. BOARD
        1. There shall be thirteen board members of the PSGSC, who will serve a one-year term, beginning January 1 and ending December 31.
          1. The revision of board size reflects the current number of board members positions. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      3. TERM
        1. Board terms are the full calendar year. By serving on the PSGSC, board members are expected to honor their commitment of service. If unexpected circumstances arise or major life events, a board member must submit a formal letter of resignation to the President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
          1. This amendment proposes to better define the term of an elected PSGSC board member as well as outline the process of resigning from a position. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
    6. ARTICLE V BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES 
      1. ALL BOARD MEMBERS
        1. Attend regular PSGSC meetings. Share updates from respective programs, including any initiatives, changes to the program, new student arrivals, activities, and seminars, etc. Send a weekly email with appropriate information to be included in the digest (events, snack room, etc). Contact new graduate students to inform them about the PSGSC and welcome them to the program. Plan, advertise for, and lead at least one PSGSC sponsored event (social, professional development, or outreach) in the year. Take an active role in the planning and execution of the Annual Symposium. Participate in Meeting Minutes rotation.
          1. This amendment outlines the shared responsibilities for all board members regardless of title. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      2. PRESIDENT
        1. Run or delegate social media pages (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) in coordination with the Student Engagement Chair. 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.
          1. This amendment refines and adds roles the President is expected to carry out. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      3. VICE PRESIDENT
        1. Support and aid the President in daily activities. Help update and maintain the PSGSC website. Remain in contact with board members. 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.
          1. This amendment refines and clarifies the Vice President’s role. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      4. TREASURER
        1. Manage Candy Cart 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.
          1. This amendment expounds the Treasurer role. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      5. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT CHAIR
        1. 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 board members to fulfill student engagement.
          1. This amendment refines and details the once, Journal Club Chair, as a new position with similar goals. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      6. AGROECOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend monthly Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences department meetings, if applicable. Share important updates about the program during PSGSC meetings.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Agroecology Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      7. AGRONOMY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend monthly Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences Department meetings and share important updates with the PSGSC. Encouraged to be involved in departmental committees and initiatives. Coordinate with PBPG and Horticulture representatives to assist with Seminar tasks (coffee, etc.), if applicable
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Agronomy Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      8. BOTANY REPRESENTATIVE 
        1. Attend monthly Botany department meetings and share important updates with PSGSC. Forward PSGSC emails to the Botany Graduate Student Listserv. Help orchestrate the semesterly PSGSC hosted FAC with FAC-czar.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Botany Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      9. HORTICULTURE REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend monthly Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences (PAS) department meetings and share important updates with the PSGSC. Coordinate with Agronomy and PBPG representatives to assist with Seminar tasks (coffee, etc), if applicable
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Horticulture Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      10. INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Help, if applicable, with the semesterly PSGSC sponsored FAC.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Integrative Biology Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      11. PLANT BREEDING & PLANT GENETICS REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend PBPG program meetings and Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences (PAS) department meetings to share important updates with the PSGSC. 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 Agronomy and Horticulture representatives for assistance with Seminar tasks, if applicable.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      12. PLANT PATHOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend Plant Pathology department meetings and/or speak with the head of the plant pathology graduate council (PPGC) to discuss important updates from the plant pathology department meeting. Share important updates with PSGSC. Be a point of contact for plant pathology graduate students and postdocs about all upcoming events in PSGSC.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Plant Pathology Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      13. ENTOMOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE 
        1. Attend monthly Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) meetings where information from faculty and committee meetings is relayed. Share updates from the PSGSC.
          1. This amendment renames the once “Russell Laboratories Representative” to clarify the training program and role of this position. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
      14. SOIL SCIENCE REPRESENTATIVE
        1. Attend Soil Science department meetings or speak with the soil science graduate student representative about what is discussed at department meetings. Forward emails from PSGSC to the Soil Sciences Graduate Student Listserv. Open the Jackson Turner Commons for socials and coffee hours if rotations occur.
          1. This amendment defines the role of the Soil Science Representative. 
          2. Amendment voted on and passed: 7/10/2023
  1. 2015  Amendments
    1. ARTICLE III
      1. NOMINATION. 
        1. Currently, the positions on the Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Journal Club Chair, Agronomy Representative, Horticulture Representative, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics Representative, and Plant Pathology Representative.
          1. This amendment proposes to change the representative positions (i.e., the first four listed positions will remain) to reflect current membership.
          2. Amendment vote not recorded.
        2. Current officers may not serve as officers in consecutive years. The exception to this rule regards officers (not including the sitting President and Vice President) who wish to run for the position of President or Vice President.”
          1. This amendment proposes a change in language surrounding election of officers in consecutive terms.
          2. Amendment vote not recorded.