Based on the consensus of members at the Tokyo meeting, May 18, 2008

Articles 2a and 3c revised at Shanghai meeting, June 10, 2017

THE GLOBAL STUDIES CONSORTIUM

1. Purposes of the Consortium

The purposes of this consortium are to promote and facilitate graduate teaching programs in global studies and to foster cooperation among them. It aims to support programs that focus on transnational, transcultural, global/local, world systems, or cross area themes, and that are hospitable to interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches.

2. Membership

a. Criteria for membership

Membership is ordinarily open to those programs (or departments, schools, consortia, or other entities) that offer or participate in a graduate degree (MA, MS, PhD, or equivalent) program in or related to global studies, or are in the planning stages to create such a program.

b. Procedure for becoming a member

Membership is made by a request (see sample letter) to the steering committee from the graduate program by someone authorized to represent the graduate program. If the steering committee agrees that the request is appropriate, the program is a part of the consortium indefinitely, unless a request is made by a representative of the program to cancel the membership.

c. Members with multiple graduate programs

If a program offers more than one graduate degree (eg an MA and PhD), or two degree programs that are closely related, one membership can cover both degree programs.

d. Voting privileges

Each program that is a member is entitled to one vote in the consortium meetings. Programs that are in the planning stages for creating a global studies graduate program can be accepted as provisional members, ordinarily without voting privileges.

3. ORGANIZATION

a. Annual conference

A conference will be held at the home institution of one of the members of the consortium, ordinarily on an annual basis. It will provide panels and presentations of interest to the consortium. The representative from the host institution will serve as conference chair. The locations of upcoming annual conferences will be selected at the annual business meeting.

b. Annual business meeting

Each year at the annual conference all members are entitled to vote on policy issues related to the consortium.

c. Steering committee

i. A steering committee will deal with matters between annual meetings. It will consist of the present conference chair, the past conference chair, the future conference chair, webmaster, keeper of the records, and chairs of working groups related to the activities of the consortium. Ordinarily the steering committee will consist of no more than 10 voting members.
ii. Representation on the steering committee
The organizers of the working groups will be represented on the steering committee. A report on the working groups’ progress should be provided to the steering committee. The steering committee will aim to have broad geographical representation and include multiple perspectives.

d. Convener of the steering committee

The convener of the steering committee and the annual business meeting will ordinarily be the conference chair who is in charge of arrangements for the annual conference.

e. Consortium archives and records

One of the member programs will serve as the keeper of archives, records, and other information related to the continuing maintenance of the consortium organization. Members will be expected to update information related to their program (including the name and email address of the representative) and provide it to the records keeper.

f. Website maintenance

One of the member programs will maintain the website and provide email coordination for the consortium. All members are expected to provide a link to the consortium website on their own websites, and allow the consortium website to include a link to the members’ websites.

4. ACTIVITIES

a. Procedure for proposing activities

Activities (such as conducting surveys of students and institutions, sharing curricula, exchanging teaching materials, developing online courses, creating a job placement bulletin board, etc) may be proposed at the annual meeting or to the steering committee, and will be selected by a majority vote of the members.

b. Duration of activities

Activities will ordinarily last for a year but can be renewed.

c. Leadership and support for activities

Activities will be organized and conducted by the members that propose them, or agree to help coordinate them.

5. FUNDING

a. Conference participation

Members will provide their own travel and housing expenses for the annual conference and business meeting.

b. Conference funding

The host institution will ordinarily provide support for arrangements, meeting rooms, and a reception for the conference.

c. Subsidized travel

Some funds for travel expenses of members who cannot otherwise afford them will be provided, when possible, by the host institution or other funding agency.

d. Activities funding

Funding for an activity (including website maintenance and record keeping) ordinarily will be provided gratis by the representative or program coordinating that activity.

e. Dues

If dues, or requests for one-time contributions for an activity, are deemed to be necessary, the amount (and the manner of collecting and retaining the funds) will be proposed by the steering committee and decided by a majority vote of the members.

6. REVISING THE BY-LAWS

a. Procedure for revising the by-laws

These by-laws can be revised, deleted, or amended by a proposal made to the steering committee, followed by a majority vote of the members, either by on-line voting during the year or at the annual business meeting.