Constitution of Graduate Student Reading Series

Graduate Student Reading Series (RS) GSO Bio

The Graduate Student Reading Series GSO is operated by graduate students at Emerson College’s Creative Writing MFA program. Revived in October 2024, the Graduate Student Reading Series celebrates the creative writing of WLP graduate students and fosters community through monthly readings organized by and for WLP graduate students. By curating a warm, homey, and encouraging space for WLP graduate students and Emerson student writers to showcase their writing and gain exposure as emergent writers; cheer each other on and network; and provide a space for writerly community and joy.

Reading Series GSO Mission/Purpose Statement

It is the intent and purpose of the Graduate Student Reading Series, or, Reading Series Graduate Student Organization (RS GSO), is to host monthly readings for WLP graduate students to share their creative writing in a homey, supportive, and encouraging environment. These monthly readings are an opportunity for camaraderie, community-building, volunteering, and literary citizenship, where WLP graduate students, particularly writers across the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry MFA tracks, may socialize and cheer each other on in order to broaden their writerly networks and gain creative inspiration. At the beginning of each month in the Fall and Spring semester, the RS GSO will send an RSVP form via the WLP Front Desk to WLP Graduate Students and grant the first ten signups the chance to read up to ten minutes of original work during the reading at the end of the month. Graduate students may also volunteer to emcee a reading and choose an optional theme for the reading through the RSVP form. They will be selected to emcee on a first-come-first-serve basis. The reading will be followed by optional socialization off-campus. By converting this unofficial organization into a GSO, we hope to gain access to a wider range of campus locations and to school funds for refreshments.

To best support the vulnerability and community-building of the grad student readers and the audience, the RS GSO strongly encourages any and all WLP graduate students to attend regardless of whether or not they are reading and maintains that any non-WLP graduate students may attend; however, the RSVP form will go only to WLP graduate students so that they have priority over reading slots and space in order to maintain the warmth and intimacy of this beloved tradition.

The Constitution of Graduate Student Reading Series GSO of Emerson College

Established June 2025

Article I: Name

The name of the organization is the Graduate Student Reading Series GSO, or, Reading Series GSO (hereinafter “RS GSO”).

Article II: Objectives

It shall be the objective of the RS GSO to:

1. Provide the graduate student writers of Emerson College, particularly the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing, with opportunities to showcase their creative writing through such means that include but are not limited to:
   • hosting a series of monthly readings at minimum; and potentially additional readings by demand
   • partnering with the unofficial Writing Series (forthcoming September 2025) to allow writers additional days and outlets for generating and sharing creative work
2. Build literary community in Emerson graduate students across disciplines, MFA concentration, genre preference, etc.
3. Motivate and celebrate graduate student writers through a consistent and welcoming platform and a supportive audience

Article III: Ethics

The RS GSO shall always uphold a standard of positivity, support, open-mindedness, and respect.

1. The RS GSO will adhere to a first-come-first-serve policy on RSVP forms, ensuring fairness in signups. The RS GSO will also adhere to a consistent day of the week for readings (i.e. Friday) in accordance with majority availability. To accommodate conflicting schedules and maximize community-building opportunities for unavailable students, the RS GSO will partner with the unofficial Writing Series, which will host weekday write-ins at least once a month in the 10th floor lounge of Ansin so that graduate student writers can still meet, collaborate, and support each other.
2. While the Reading Series is a graduate student organization, it is also a beloved tradition at Emerson and a basis for expanding and solidifying one’s writerly network before graduating. Each year of the RS GSO, in conjunction with incoming and graduating cohorts, officers shall include the option on the RSVP form to join a graduate students’ WhatsApp group specific to that academic year. Officers will periodically send announcements, updates, news, and reminders on the WhatsApp.
3. Graduate students may at any time volunteer to assist with organization, communication, marketing, setup, etc., and the officers will include them in the operation of that month’s reading or subsequent readings. Volunteers may quit at any time.
4. The volunteer emcee will read author bios as submitted by readers and may seek clarification from the reader in advance of the reading. Where requested by the reader, the emcee may improvise or devise a bio for that reader.
5. Either the emcee or an officer will serve as time-keeper for the reading and ensure that readers adhere to their ten-minute maximum; in the event of a prolonged reading, the emcee or officer may politely signal or call out the reader to prompt them to wrap up, ensuring that no reader gets significantly more time than another.
6. Officers are seen as representatives of Emerson College and WLP, and shall act with the utmost integrity while selecting readers and emcees, communicating with graduate student writers, sharing work of their own, and setting expectations of respect, support, and appropriateness for each reading.
7. Readers agree to share work that is reasonably polished and appropriate for an on-campus reading. Excessively graphic, sexual, obscene, or offensive material will not be tolerated and will incur an interruption from the emcee or officer, who will usher that reader off and welcome the next reader.
8. The primary purpose of this organization is for the betterment of the graduate student experience, particularly that of WLP graduate students, at Emerson. All operations and conduct shall be carried out with their interests in mind.

Article IV: Eligibility

1. Readings and nominations for annual officers are open to any graduate student.
2. Readers are selected on a first-come-first-serve basis; the first ten readers to sign up for a given reading will be guaranteed reading slots unless: a) a student has already read at least twice during a given semester and has signed up for a third reading slot for an event with many new RSVPs, in which case priority will be given to new readers; or b) a student has read inappropriate, offensive, or demoralizing work that is not in the character of the Reading Series.
3. Emcees are selected on a first-come-first-serve basis through the RSVP form and will determine the optional theme for their reading. The President will work with the emcee, sharing the RSVP form, forwarding author bios, and explaining the timekeeping responsibility of the emcee.
4. All RS GSO officers and readers should be current graduate students at Emerson College.
5. It is recommended but not required that an officer commit to a full academic year of organizing and executing the monthly readings.
6. Officers and roles operate on a flexible, voluntary basis. To maintain the relaxed and welcoming tradition of the Reading Series, students who accept a nomination to a leadership position are first and foremost responsible for fulfilling the duties of their role; however, to accommodate potential ad hoc conflicts and to involve as many students in the organization as would like to be involved, officers may occasionally and with transparent communication to other officers enlist the help of trusted volunteers.
7. Students may nominate other students and/or themselves to officer roles.

Article V: Officers

1. RS shall have three required officers (the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer) with the option of additional officers. All officers will hold equal power over decision-making for organizational actions and changes and for officer appointments. All officers will do their best to attend all readings and arrive early for setup and stay after for cleanup. Responsibilities of the additional officer positions will be divided among the three essential officers when recruitment is low. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
   • The President will: host monthly meetings for officers and volunteers to exchange ideas, concerns, feedback, etc.; communicate RS needs and updates with the WLP GPD and Administrative Associate to the Chair; coordinate with the volunteer emcee; recruit readers when signups are low; submit write-ups and photos of RS events to WLP for the biannual e-Newsletter.
   • The Event Coordinator will: book the event space for the reading; place orders for refreshments and pick up said refreshments; create and send marketing materials and communications, including but not limited to: RSVP forms, emails through the WLP Front Desk, texts through the current year MFA student WhatsApp, promotional fliers, and nomination forms.
   • The Financial Officer will: budget for refreshments at the readings; fill out and sign all disbursement forms for spending funds; keep a record of expenditures and deposits; and maintain active communication with Event Coordinator and other MFA GSOs for any funds inquiries and concerns.
2. Officer participation. Officers may sign up for reading slots and emcee appointments once other students have had a chance to RSVP; officers are encouraged but not required to do so if signups for a given reading are low.
3. Officer removal. Any officer may be removed from their position by a two-thirds vote of the other officers.
4. Meeting frequency. All officers are required to meet at least monthly, either in-person or via Zoom, to discuss the state of the RS and implement changes as necessary.
5. The RS reserves the right to create new officer positions as the GSO requires.
6. Any officer member who has not completed their assigned work and expected responsibilities, and has been out of touch with other members of the GSO organization for a span of four to six weeks (excluding health, family, or other personal emergency situations that have been communicated prior to the absence) is considered to have forfeited their position and may be removed from their position at the discretion and vote of the remaining officers.

Article VI: Elections and Terms

1. An officer cannot hold a position for longer than a year without being re-nominated.
2. Nominations for all positions occur annually in the Spring Semester.
3. Officers can nominate themselves for the same job or other positions each voting period.
4. Prior to the close of the Fall Semester (December), the RS will announce upcoming elections and present the opportunity for nominations.
5. Students will self-nominate for their desired position.
6. Nominations include a “pitch” statement explaining why a nominee should be considered for their prospective role.
7. Currently elected officers will review the nominations and vote to appoint officers for the next school year.
8. If there is no immediate replacement for an officer position, the other officers will divvy up roles or step up accordingly until an officer can be identified.
9. If an officer is graduating in the Fall semester and can only serve a semester-long term, a special election may be held by the officers of the RS in order to fill the vacancy.

Article VII: Amendments

1. This constitution may only be amended by a majority vote of all officers. The Secretary is responsible for vote counting and verification.
2. Any Officer can propose a Constitution change and make their arguments at any time.
3. These changes must be shared immediately with the Program Director, the Director’s Research Assistant, and all officers of the GSO.