SAGE

Student Association of Graduates in English By-Laws Department of English, University of Kansas 

As amended May, 2025 

Preamble 

The Student Association of Graduates in English (SAGE) exists to provide graduate students with opportunities that will enhance understanding of the discipline and the profession of the academic in English, as well as participation in affairs related to graduate education and service. 

Article I: Name 

The name of this organization shall be the Student Association of Graduates in English (SAGE), hereafter referred to as the Organization. 

Article II: Purpose 

SAGE strives to foster community among graduate students in English and serve as advocates for ourselves and our interests. SAGE works with faculty in the department to prepare students for professional life, as well as communicate with the English Department to foreground our professional and academic needs. As advocates for ourselves, SAGE works to organize events and fundraising opportunities to help build community and support travel for academic conferences, professionalization activities, and research opportunities. 

Article III: Membership 

Section 1: Criteria 

Membership shall be open to any University of Kansas English graduate student. 

Section 2: Nondiscrimination Clause

Consistent with all applicable federal and state laws and University policies, this organization and its subordinate bodies and officers shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, veteran’s status, sex, national origin, or disability in its selection of members, educational programs, committee representatives or activities. 

Article IV: Service Positions 

Section 1: Executive Board

Officers of the Executive Board of the organization shall be as follows: two (2) Co-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary and three (3) First-Year Liaisons, one each from creative writing, literary studies, and composition and rhetoric. 

Section 2: Election of Executive Board Officers

The Executive Board Co-Presidents, Treasurer, and Secretary nominations should be taken beginning in January of the Spring semester of the preceding term. Formal elections should be held no later than the final SAGE meeting of the semester. The newly elected officers should begin their term at the beginning of the summer following their election.

The First-Year Liaison nominations should be taken at the beginning of the new semester. Formal elections for these positions should be held no later than the first SAGE meeting of the semester.

Section 3: Standing Committees

Standing committees provide members of SAGE opportunities to represent and advocate for particular issues relevant to the current English Graduate Student population. For more details on these committees, please see Article _____. 

Section 4: Committee Representatives

Each committee will internally select a member to represent their committee. Where applicable, this representative will also serve as a voting department member (determined by the department). 

ARTICLE V: Duties of Executive Officers

Section 1: Co-President

Those eligible to be Co-President must have reasonable understanding of and experience as a graduate student in KU’s English department. The Presidents are responsible for conducting organization business including, but not limited to: overseeing SAGE projects and sub-committees; organizing and facilitating executive meetings; acting as a liaison between SAGE and the chair of the department; spearheading the establishment of the goal-setting document (related to activities, funds, etc) for the term; and providing general overall guidance to the Organization. Ideally, the co-president should have been on the executive board at least for 1 year OR have been an active SAGE member for 3 years.

Section 2: Secretary (Communications Officer) 

The Secretary is responsible for recordkeeping and communication, which includes but is not limited to: recording and distributing minutes of the executive committee and all other SAGE meetings; documenting the goals for the term, maintaining both the executive board goals and committee goals in one living document; upkeeping records of officer attendance; distributing agendas, meeting notifications, and other official announcements; and administering the SAGE e-mail listserv. The secretary is also responsible for communicating potential Summer Institute guests through a poll to SAGE members and disseminating that information to the current Director of Graduate Studies. The secretary should have been an active SAGE member for 2 years.

Section 3: Treasurer

The Treasurer primarily focuses on the management of SAGE funds. They should ensure that the money is in a secure place (e.g. a checking account). The Treasurer always uses a separate SAGE account rather than a personal account that could be or is used for additional groups or persons. The Executive Committee should always approve the distribution of SAGE funds, or at the very least the Presidents should be informed, before the money is allotted to anyone or for anything. In accordance with the mission of SAGE, these funds are reserved for the promotion of graduate student professionalism in the form of reimbursing conference registration fees of presenters, funding other professionalization opportunities, and to finance social events that promote graduate student interaction. Additional responsibilities include: Actively working with the Events/fundraising committee to organize fundraisers specifically designated to enhance the coffer of SAGE; depositing and distributing the funds; keeping the budget balanced; managing and advertising applications for the reimbursement and/or allotment of conference registration fees for graduate students; and encouraging and engaging in the activities organized by SAGE. The treasurer should have been an active SAGE member for 2 years.

Section 4: First-Year Liaisons

First-Year Liaisons, in their role on the executive board, should serve as representatives of the incoming Graduate Student class as it relates to changes or adjustments made to SAGE. First-year liaisons should consider and convey any ideas or concerns related to Committee Divisions and opportunities facilitated by SAGE so as to allow the organization to better proactively serve the incoming cohorts.

Article VI: Committees, Committee Representatives, and Responsibilities

Section 1: Committee Flexibility 

The members of the organization shall have the authority to create or dissolve any committees, standing or special, that will further the purpose of the organization. Committees can be changed during general meetings and approved, making changes to the by-laws and committee descriptions immediately.

Section 2: Committee Divisions (Last Revised January 2025)

SAGE Committees are currently organized in the following divisions, with membership in each noted parenthetically. Committees that are voting department members are indicated with an asterisk: 

Accessibility/Sustainability (1) 

Advisory Representative* (1)

Creative Writers* (2)

Events and Fundraising (3)

FYW/GTA/Lecturers* (3)

Graduate Committee* (3)

Graduate Student Advisory Board Representative (1)

GTAC Representative (1)

Professionalization* (3)

Retention, Recruitment, and Belonging* (2)

Each standing committee will maintain a representative to delegate authority and organize responsibilities for members of their committee. This representative will also serve as the voting department member, where applicable.

Section 3: Committee Meetings and Goal Setting

Committees should meet at least 2 times per semester (generally once before midterms and once after midterms) to consult with one another on the semester’s goals and progress towards those goals, with the first being a goal-setting meeting and the second being a progress report on how committees are meeting their goals and what to do next semester. More meetings are encouraged at the discretion of the committee. Committee Descriptions are attached as Appendix I of these by-laws.

Section 4: Committee Representatives

In addition to all committee duties, Committee Representatives should attend monthly SAGE meetings to report on their committee goals. Committee Representatives should take note of any concerns or issues their committee presents and be prepared to report them. Pertinent or time-sensitive issues may be raised to any member of the Executive Board; if that is not advisable, they may then be raised to the Director of Graduate Studies or Department Chair. Other issues may be reported in monthly SAGE meetings. In the chance that Committee Representatives cannot attend a meeting, they should send their committee report to the secretary. 

Article VII: Elections

Section 1: Election and Reelection of Standing Committee Members

Committee positions should be reassessed and voted on during the last SAGE meeting every academic year, wherein the previous committee members’ terms technically end. If a committee member would like to maintain their committee position, they must be reelected in the Spring. Nominations for these positions should be taken throughout the Spring (with the final deadline left to the discretion of the Executive Board). 

Section 2: Election of Committee Representatives

Each committee should elect a member to be the representative, as well as the voting member (if applicable), of their committee in the weeks following the election. All English graduate students may nominate officers. Officers accept or decline nominations. Once committee slates have been filled by nominations, English graduate students then approve or contest by email, with contested votes determined by ballot voting. In the event of no contest for any one position, incumbents may be voted for/ against the renewal of their position. 

Section 3: Term Requirements and Turnover Responsibilities

All Executive Board Officers and Committee Members take office following the completion of the spring semester of each academic year and shall serve one full academic year until the following spring when new officers are elected. The outgoing Executive Board Officers and Committee Representatives are expected to provide a synopsis for the incoming officers and representatives in their respective positions of any activities the officer arranged during their term, issues still open or in progress, and any other relevant and/or helpful documents or information. This synopsis should be provided on the day of the election or shortly thereafter. There is no term limit for SAGE membership in any position.

Article VIII: Removal of Officers 

Section 1: Failure to Fulfill Duties

Officers failing to fulfill their responsibilities and duties may be removed by the regular members of the organization. This includes missing three SAGE meetings during the academic year or two consecutive monthly meetings. If reports are submitted in absentia to a member of the Executive Committee prior to the meeting, then the officer has partially completed their given responsibilities and will not be removed from their position solely for lack of attendance. 

Section 2: Academic and University Probation

Officers placed on academic or university probation at the time of their elections or throughout their terms of office will be rendered ineligible to hold their position and thus removed until the probation is lifted.

Section 2: Default Process for Removal

The removal of a member requires a 3/4 vote of the Executive Committee and will either be proposed and voted upon during regular meeting and agreed to by a majority vote or will be proposed via email over the SAGE listserv and will be approved if there is not an email show of dissent from five people or more following the notification of the officer in question. If five or more people dissent, the executive committee will reconsider the removal. Notification shall be provided in writing no less than seven working days prior to the vote. 

Section 3: Accusations of Misconduct

If an officer or committee member has been accused of any form of misconduct, they will be asked to step down from their position while the investigation occurs. In the event the absence is prolonged, an interim officer will be appointed from within the committee until either: (1) the investigation is completed and the accusations are revoked, in which the officer may return to their duties; (2) the investigation finds accusations to be true, in which the officer will be immediately removed from their duties; or (3) the regular term has ended.

Article IX: Replacement of Officers 

Section 1: Executive Board Vacancies 

In the case where some part of the Executive Board is vacant, the other president will immediately fill the position until which time as an appointment can be made according to the line of succession (Treasurer, Secretary etc). 

Section 2: Committee Vacancies  

All other positions found to be vacant shall be filled by appointment immediately. The Executive Board will appoint an interim; this interim will hold office for the duration of the current term. 

Section 3: Temporary Leave

In the event that an executive officer, committee representative, or committee member must take a temporary leave, they should be allowed to do so. The executive officers and committee members should first attempt to divide the duties of the member on temporary leave. In the event that these divided duties exert the abilities of the executive officers and committee members beyond their comfort (up to the discretion of those members), the executive officers and committee members should appoint an interim executive officer or committee member. If the member on temporary leave is unable to return to their duties prior to the end of the term, it is strongly urged that the member resign from their position, wherein a new officer or member will be appointed. Concerns about the fulfilment of duties can be raised to any member of the Executive Board.

Article X: Meetings 

Section 1: Scheduled General Meetings 

A minimum of three regularly scheduled general meetings shall be held each semester. The Executive Committee may call additional meetings only if the immediate need arises. 

Section 2: Parliamentary Authority 

Meetings shall be conducted according to the agenda set prior to each meeting. Prior to each meeting, the Co-Presidents shall solicit items from acting committee chairs that officers would like to address at the meeting. The Presidents shall make the meeting agenda according to the items committee members state they would like to discuss. 

Article XI: Amendments 

Section 1: Required Notice

All amendments to this constitution require notice of one week prior to being discussed and voted upon, either in a regular meeting or via the SAGE listserv. 

Section 2: Voting on Amendments

All amendments will either be proposed prior to and voted upon during a regular meeting and agreed to by a majority vote or will be proposed via email over the SAGE listserv and will be approved if there is not an email show of dissent from five people or more. If five or more people dissent, the executive committee will reconsider the changes and resubmit for approval. 

SAGE Executive Officers

Co-Presidents: Jasmine Holthaus and Laura Northup
Secretary: Ellie Davis
Treasurer: Victoria Wamsley

SAGE Committees

Accessibility and Sustainability Committee

Advisory Committee

Creative Writers’ Committee

Events and Fundraising Committee

FYW/GTA/Lecturers Committee

Graduate Student Advisory Board (GSAB) Representative

Graduate Committee

GTAC Representative

Lecturers/Readers and Professionalization Committee

Retention, Recruitment, and Belonging Committee

Please note that you are encouraged to attend Voting Department meetings even if you do not serve on a voting committee. All graduate students are eligible to attend, but only voting members can vote on motions and proposals.

Emergencies Lawrence Police Department: 785-832-7509

Mental/Physical Health

Suicide Hotlines: Headquarters Crisis Center (785) 841-2345

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): CAPS Personal Counseling Services can help students with issues related to adjusting to college and other psychological, interpersonal, and family problems. Individual, couple, and group sessions are available. 

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center: Outpatient mental health services for children, adolescents and adults: therapy, psychiatric services, screening, crisis intervention, evaluations, referrals & community based services (case management) for those that meet criteria. Homeless outreach program assists individuals and families with/without mental illness in locating housing. Emergency services 24hrs/day. Phone: 785-843-9192. Located on 200 Maine Street.

Watkins Health Services: Counseling, advocacy, response, and education. Phone: (785) 864-9500.

Sexual Harassment & Assault/ Domestic Violence Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center: (not directly affiliated with KU) Counseling, advocacy, response, and education. Phone: (785) 843-8985.

CARE Coordinator: Watkins Health Services provides support to victims of sexual and domestic violence. Merrill Evans, LSCSW, is our CARE (Campus Assistance, Resource, and Education) Coordinator whose primary role is to coordinate support for individuals (both victim and alleged perpetrators) impacted by sexual violence including incidents of sexual assault, sexual battery, partner violence, dating violence and stalking. The CARE Coordinator is a confidential position and is not required to report incidents to University officials or organizations. If you or someone you know has been affected by any form of sexual violence, please do not hesitate to contact Merrill or stop by Watkins Health Center Room 2615 during normal business hours. If WHS is closed, the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center is available 24 hours for victim assistance at 785-843- 8985.

Willow Domestic Violence Center: Provides free and confidential services to victims of domestic violence. Services include 24-hour crisis hotline, safe shelter, peer counseling, support group, court advocacy, and more. Phone: 785-843-3333 or1-800-770-3030. Address: 1920 Moodie Road.

Drug/Alcohol Addiction

Alcoholics Anonymous: 311 East 9th Street, Lawrence, KS 785-842-0110

Narcotics Anonymous: 785-749-6631. Help with recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Center for Change: 1910 Haskell Ave Ste A-9 785-856-4357

Food Scarcity

Just Food Food Pantry offering food once per month on a walk-in basis; collection/distribution for partnering agencies. Hygiene products occasionally available. Bread and produce donations available daily. 

Childcare

ChildCare Aware of Eastern Kansas Customized child care referrals, professional development and resources for early childhood professionals, and referrals to community resources for individuals, children, and families. Phone: 785-865-0669. Address: 2706 Iowa, Suite C.

Homelessness

Lawrence Community Shelter Provides shelter & case management for homeless adults and families. Phone: 785-832-8864. Address: 3655 E. 25th Street.

Misc. Services

SafeRide: SafeRide operates 10:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m. seven nights per week, except during class breaks and holidays. Call 785-864-SAFE [7233] during those hours to request a ride.

Student Legal Services: 785-864-5665

Food Resources

Campus Cupboard 

Location: Lutheran Campus Ministry1421 W 19th Street. Hours: Thursday 4:00-7:00pm. 

Campus Cupboard On Wheels

Location: Lot 65 (Memorial Stadium). Hours: First Monday of every month 1:00-2:00pm

Just Food

Location: 1000 E. 11th Street, Lawrence. Hours: 1 :00-7:00pm Monday, 9:00am-4:00pm Tuesday- Friday. Appointments also available if these times do not work.Phone: (785) 856-7030

Ballard Center Mobile Food Pantry

Location: Douglas Country Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St, Lawrence, KS 66046. Hours: Every third Wednesday at 9:00am. Phone: (785) 842-0729

Ecumenical Campus Ministries - Veggie Lunch

Location: 1204 Oread Ave. Hours: Every Thursday 11 :30-1 :00pm Phone: (785) 843-4933

Jubilee Cafe

Location: First Methodist Church, 946 Vermont Street. Hours: every Tuesday & Friday 6:00-8:15am

Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (LINK)

Location: First Christian Church, 221 W 10th Street. Hours: 1:00-2:00pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Phone: (785) 331-3663

Heartland Community Health Center

Location: 200 Maine Street, Lawrence. Hours: by appointment only. Thursday: 1 :00-3:00pm, Saturday: 9:00-12:00am. Phone: (785) 841-7297

Salvation Army Food Pantry 

Location: 946 New Hampshire Street, Lawrence. Hours: 9:00-12:00 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday

Free Food at KU

Twitter: @FreeFoodAtKU

Watkins Health Services - Cook Well Live Well Classes

Phone: 785-864-9570

lkigai Noodle - Thursday Night Ramen Kitchen

Location: Westwood House, 1421 W 19th Street, Lawrence. Hours: 6:00-7:30 every Thursday. Phone: (785) 550-6560

Meals on Wheels

SAGE Executive Officers: 

Co-President (2)

Those eligible to be Co-President must have reasonable understanding of and experience as a graduate student in KU’s English department. The Presidents are responsible for conducting organization business including, but not limited to: overseeing SAGE projects and sub-committees; organizing and facilitating executive meetings; acting as a liaison between SAGE and the chair of the department; spearheading the establishment of the goal-setting document (related to activities, funds, etc) for the term; and providing general overall guidance to the Organization. Ideally, the co-president should have been on the executive board at least for 1 year OR have been an active SAGE member for 3 years.

Secretary (Communications Officer) 

The Secretary is responsible for recordkeeping and communication, which includes but is not limited to: recording and distributing minutes of the executive committee and all other SAGE meetings; documenting the goals for the term, maintaining both the executive board goals and committee goals in one living document; upkeeping records of officer attendance; distributing agendas, meeting notifications, and other official announcements; and administering the SAGE e-mail listserv. The secretary is also responsible for communicating potential Summer Institute guests through a poll to SAGE members and disseminating that information to the current Director of Graduate Studies. The secretary should have been an active SAGE member for 2 years.

Treasurer

The Treasurer primarily focuses on the management of SAGE funds. They should ensure that the money is in a secure place (e.g. a checking account). The Treasurer always uses a separate SAGE account rather than a personal account that could be or is used for additional groups or persons. The Executive Committee should always approve the distribution of SAGE funds, or at the very least the Presidents should be informed, before the money is allotted to anyone or for anything. In accordance with the mission of SAGE, these funds are reserved for the promotion of graduate student professionalism in the form of reimbursing conference registration fees of presenters, funding other professionalization opportunities, and to finance social events that promote graduate student interaction. Additional responsibilities include: Actively working with the Events/fundraising committee to organize fundraisers specifically designated to enhance the coffer of SAGE; depositing and distributing the funds; keeping the budget balanced; managing and advertising applications for the reimbursement and/or allotment of conference registration fees for graduate students; and encouraging and engaging in the activities organized by SAGE. The treasurer should have been an active SAGE member for 2 years.

First-Year Liaisons (1 per track)

First-Year Liaisons, in their role on the executive board, should serve as representatives of the incoming Graduate Student class as it relates to changes or adjustments made to SAGE. First-year liaisons should consider and convey any ideas or concerns related to Committee Divisions and opportunities facilitated by SAGE so as to allow the organization to better proactively serve the incoming cohorts.

SAGE Standing Committee Descriptions:

Accessibility and Sustainability Committee (1-2)

This committee will promote understanding and action around accessibility, ableism, and sustainability in the KU English Department community.

Advisory Committee (1)*

This committee represents the English department as a whole; past issues dealt with include discussing concerns about hiring practices in the department. In the past, this committee has met every 1-2 weeks. The SAGE representative for this committee should be a senior graduate student with at least two years’ experience as an active SAGE member. 

*English Voting Department member.

Creative Writers’ Committee (1-2)*

This committee, made up of students who are either studying for their MFA or PhD in creative writing, is responsible for representing creative writers within the graduate student population to both SAGE and the department. 

*English Voting Department member. 

Events and Fundraising Committee (2-4) 

This committee is responsible for planning regular social events and fundraisers, such as the SAGE Halloween Party and departmental mixers, SAGE Book Fair, Silent Auction, and any other events and fundraising efforts deemed necessary by the committee or the SAGE executive council, and promoting and documenting these events on SAGE social media. The committee will also keep record of which SAGE members help with fundraising events, such as helping to set up/tear down and working shifts at the Book Fair, donating to the silent auction, etc., in order to determine eligibility for distribution of travel funding. Two spots reserved for incoming/first-year graduate students. 

FSE Committee/GTA/Lecturers Committee (3)* 

This committee represents the department's GTAs and lecturers on the committee that oversees 100- and 200-level English courses. Previous issues that have been discussed are professional development, GTA support, and flipping the order of GTA teaching schedule so that new GTAs would teach 101 first. Ideally, the SAGE representatives on this committee will represent the three major areas of Rhetoric and Composition, Creative Writing, and Literature. 

*English Voting Department member. 

Graduate Student Advisory Board Representative (1) 

The holder of this position attends GSAB meetings, voices SAGE's concerns at those meetings, and relates information from those meetings to SAGE. GSAB represents all graduate students and their interests to the university in general and to Student Senate and the Dean of Graduate Studies in particular. The holder of this position will learn a lot about university bureaucracy and politics, and, most importantly, serve as an advocate for graduate student interests. 

Graduate Committee (3)*

This committee examines the structure of the graduate program in English; past issues have been language requirements (for example, they added Old English to the list of possible foreign languages a few years ago), the structure of the MA oral examination, etc. Ideally, the SAGE representatives on this committee will represent the three major areas of Rhetoric and Composition, Creative Writing, and Literature. Representatives of this committee should be senior graduate students with at least two years’ experience as active SAGE members. 

*English Voting Department member. 

GTAC Representative (1) 

This position acts as a go-between for English GTAs and the Graduate Teaching Assistants' Coalition, the labor union that represents KU's GTAs. Ideally, the GTAC Representative should be a dues-paying member in good standing with GTAC. They are meant to advocate for English GTAs interests in GTAC and to the university; inform SAGE members of their rights as workers and members of a union; attend both GTAC and SAGE meetings.

Lecturers/Readers Committee and Professionalization Committee (3-4)* 

This committee, which consists of both faculty and graduate students, determines the program of visiting lecturers and writers to the English department each year, as well as working with the Professionalization workshops/coordinator to identify professionalization needs and coordinate workshops and resources for graduate students related to conferences, scholarly publishing, creative publishing, etc. Ideally, the SAGE representatives on this committee will represent the three major areas of Rhetoric and Composition, Creative Writing, and Literature. Which Standing Committee (Department Committee) are we working with? Job Placement Coordinator A note from a previous committee member: it is useful for members to have transportation available, as they are frequently called upon to transport lecturers/readers to and from the airport. 

*English Voting Department member (1-2). 

Retention, Recruitment, and Belonging Committee (1-2)*

This committee is a graduate student voice on the Department of English’s Diversity, Recruitment, and Retention Committee. These representatives advocate for equitable Department initiatives, assist in recruitment efforts, and determine best practices for retention in the department. 

*English Voting Department member. 

Your responsibility as a member of one of these committees would be to attend the meetings (or find a substitute), participate in the meeting, and take notes on the proceedings, which you will then report back to SAGE, either orally at the next SAGE meeting, or in writing (e-mail, etc.). For more information about any committee, contact a former committee member (past members are listed on the SAGE website) or speak to a current SAGE executive committee member.

*Please note that you are encouraged to attend Voting Department meetings even if you do not serve on a voting committee. All graduate students are eligible to attend, but only voting members can vote on motions and proposals.