Constitution and By-laws

Constitution

I. Membership
Upon their retirement, all faculty, staff, academic and administrative personnel (AAPs) of Georgetown University are thereby eligible to become members of the Georgetown University Association of Retired Faculty and Staff (GUARFS), provided they meet the conditions outlined in the section on membership in the by-laws. Retirees become active members by notifying the Association’s treasurer and paying the Association’s dues.

II. Purpose
The mission of the Association is to facilitate social and professional ties among the University’s retirees and to assist Georgetown and its retirees in continuing mutually beneficial relations. The Association works with the Provost and other parts of the university administration to further these aims and to reach out to the greater Georgetown community.

The officers of the Association are elected for two-year terms. Elections occur at the annual meeting in the spring of each even-numbered year, and all those active members of the Association in attendance, either in person or online, are eligible to vote in the elections. As President-Elect, the sitting Vice President is expected to be nominated to take over as President in the next term. The remaining offices to be filled are Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The immediate past President serves a concluding two-year term on the Executive Council.

These elections are preceded by the work of a Nominating Committee, which is appointed by the Executive Council. This committee shall give the membership of the organization four months’ notice of the upcoming election and invite nominations at least three months in advance of the annual meeting. It will indicate that only active members are eligible to serve as officers. The Committee shall announce its recommendation(or, slate) at least one month before the annual meeting.

The officers, together with the immediate past president and the chairs of committees, constitute the Executive Council. The chairs of committees are appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Council for two-year terms, which are renewable. The Council proposes needed by-laws for Association approval, sets Association meeting dates and agenda, and appoints nominating and other committees as necessary. In the event of a vacancy among the officers, the Council appoints an interim replacement. Members of the Council can be removed by a majority vote of the Council for violating Council norms or the mission of GUARFS.

At each annual meeting, the President will present an overview of the past year’s significant achievements and challenges, as well as a projection of intended directions for the coming year.

At each annual meeting, the Treasurer will present a projected operating budget that has been approved by the Executive Council as information for the members.

IV. Amendments

To amend this constitution notice of proposed amendments must be given one month prior to a meeting at which the amendments are to be considered. Amendments are approved by a majority of those voting at that meeting.

The Constitution was adopted on April 24, 2004, at a meeting of the Association.

The amendment to change the name of the Association was adopted on May 3, 2017, at a meeting of the Association.

The amended Constitution was adopted on May 3, 2018 at a meeting of the Association.

An amendment to change the procedure for the election of the officers and to include reports from both the President and the Treasurer in the business of the annual meeting was adopted on May 15, 2023, at a meeting of the Association.

By-laws

Membership

The following are eligible to become members of the Georgetown University Association of Retired Faculty and Staff.

  • Faculty, Staff, and AAPS who are retirees from Georgetown University as defined by the Georgetown University Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits.
  • Non-University Employed School of Medicine faculty who held a clinical faculty appointment for at least 10 years and have attained the age of 55.

The Executive Committee may at its discretion offer membership to those individuals who do not meet all of the above requirements but have attained the age of 55 and were employed by Georgetown University for at least ten years or those who were not employed by Georgetown University but who have attained the age of 55 and have made significant contributions to Georgetown University and/or GUARFS.

Benefits of Membership:

  • Participation in activities such as luncheons/lectures and trips or excursions.
  • Opportunities to connect with fellow retirees at the holiday party, the Mass of Thanksgiving, and a luncheon hosted by the President of the University or the Jesuit Community.
  • Free registration for two courses each term for the member and spouse in the Georgetown University Learning Community mini-courses.
  • Information about volunteer opportunities.
  • Information about services available to retirees

To become an active member, one must submit a completed GUARFS Membership Application. The confirmation email will provide a link to GUARFS Dues Payment Service that enables the recipient to pay dues online.

If one is already a member, dues can be paid each year by going to GUARFS Dues Payment Service.

Dues are $20 annually. GUARFS fiscal year runs from July 1 and June 30.

For questions about membership please contact: guretirees-membership@georgetown.edu
For questions about dues payment please contact: guretirees-treasurer@georgetown.edu

GUARFS Governance

President – Chief representative of the Association

Vice-president – Assists the President as directed

Secretary – Writes and maintains the minutes of EXCO meetings; solicits and receives the applications for Faculty Research grants; prepares a summary for EXCO review. Assists the Membership Coordinator as needed regarding the sending of membership emails. Maintains the archives

Membership Coordinator – Maintains official membership list, including (among other elements) email, local address, and phone numbers; reaches out to staff and AAP retirees by mail to get correct post-retirement email addresses; works with the Treasurer to collect members’ annual dues

Treasurer – Responsible for managing the budget, bank accounts, and collecting dues

Events Chair – Responsible for organizing events sponsored by the Association such as lectures, lunches, field trips & other social & cultural events

Benefits Liaison – Informs EXCO members of University benefits that affect the members

Learning Community Program Coordinator – Responsible for scheduling the mini-courses, overseeing enrollments, publicizing the courses, and securing classrooms & required  technology

Medical Center Liaison – Responsible for representing the Medical Center and its retirees in the work of the organization

Law Center Liaison – Responsible for representing the Law Center and its retirees in the work of the organization

Past president – His/her role is to serve as an advisor to EXCO

Norms of the Executive Council

Rights
  • Executive Council members have the right to candidly express their views on GUARFS-related topics at Executive Council meetings.
  • Executive Council members have the right to have their views treated respectfully by other members of the Executive Council.
Responsibilities
  • Executive Council members have a responsibility to attend Board meetings and GUARFS activities and events.
  • Executive Council members have a responsibility to fulfill the various duties of their office.
  • Executive Council members have a responsibility to accurately represent to those outside the Executive Council the positions this body has taken. Members must seek Executive Council prior approval before taking any public action on behalf of GUARFS.