STUDENT ARTIST COUNCIL

Student Representatives elected by the student body operate under the advisement of the Director of Student Services. First year and second year students select three representatives each and CFA students select one. The seven student representatives meet with members of the administration as requested, including the Director of Student Services, Faculty Chair, Provost, President and the Operations Manager, to discuss curricular, academic, facilities and social issues.

CONSTITUTION OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF ART STUDENT ARTIST COUNCIL

ARTICLE I – STRUCTURE AND PURPOSE

Section 1: The Student Artist Council (hereafter Council) of the Graduate School of Figurative Art at the New York Academy of Art shall be composed of seven student representatives – three from the first year, three from the second year, and one CFA. MFA candidates will be representing each concentration (drawing, painting and sculpture) CFA candidate will represent the certificate of fine arts program.

Section 2: The purpose of the Council shall be:

A- to maintain cohesion and foster interchange of ideas among the graduate students;

B- to coordinate and promote activities of interest to the students;

C- to serve as liaison between the student body, faculty and administration;

D- to receive and consider any criticisms, problems, suggestions or petitions submitted by a member or members of the student body and take the necessary, proper and responsive action;

E- to attend all Quality Assurance Committee meetings and provide student status reports to the faculty and administration;

F- to hold at least one general Student Artist Council meeting during the fall and spring semesters to conduct Council business.

ARTICLE II – REPRESENTATION

Section 1: Any student registered for the Master of Fine Arts program offered by the Academy shall be eligible to serve on the Council.

ARTICLE III – REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1: The representatives of the Council shall be three first year and three second year MFA students from each concentration – drawing, painting and sculpture, and one student from the CFA class.

Section 2: The representatives of the Council shall, as necessary, represent the Council and the students of the Academy in local, state, regional or national boards, panels, or organizations.

Section 3: The representatives of the Council will serve one academic term (fall and spring semester) as representatives.

ARTICLE IV – ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES

Section 1: The representatives of the Council shall be elected as follows:

A- Through an anonymous online voting process, representatives shall be elected by all graduate students enrolled full- time or part-time at the Academy. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes.

B- No individual shall represent a concentration in which he or she is not currently enrolled.

Section 2: The term of office for the representative of the Council shall begin immediately following election results (October) and end in September.

Section 3: In the event of a vacancy a special election will be conducted.

ARTICLE V – IMPEACHMENT

Section 1: Any representative of the Council may be impeached and removed from office for gross or continued failure to perform constitutional duties. Any member of the Council, faculty and administration may initiate impeachment proceedings.

Section 2: Should two-thirds of the Council members vote in favor of an impeachment resolution, the representative will be notified of the vote result and be given one week to request the opportunity (at the next regularly scheduled meeting) to address the Council and have a vote to confirm the removal from office. Two-thirds of the Council members currently enrolled in the MFA program voting in favor of the confirmation shall be sufficient for immediate removal from office.

Section 3: Should the representative in question decline to request a confirmation vote within one week of notification or should the representative fail to appear at the next regularly scheduled meeting, the removal from office will be automatic and immediate.

ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS AND BY-LAWS

Section 1: Amendments to this constitution shall be proposed by any student enrolled in the MFA program, faculty and staff member employed at the Academy. Amendment proceedings shall not be initiated unless all six currently enrolled representatives are present. Four affirmative votes of the representatives at the next regularly scheduled meeting are necessary for final approval.

Section 2: By-laws may be adopted to facilitate the implementation of any article of the Constitution by a simple majority of the representatives.