THE SENATE

• There shall be a Senate of GRASAG-UHAS, which shall be the highest decision-making organ of GRASAG-UHAS and shall meet at least three (3) times every academic semester.
•  The Senate shall comprise:
  a) Members of the Executive Council
  b) One nominated/elected member from each department offering a postgraduate programme
  c) Chairpersons and members of the various standing committees of GRASAG-UHAS
  d) Ex-officio member(s), who may also attend meetings, contribute to debates but shall have no voting rights
  e) Observers (who must be members of GRASAG-UHAS), may also attend meetings, contribute to debates, but shall have no voting rights.
• All Executive Council members shall be present at all Senate meetings unless otherwise stated in a letter to the Secretary-to-Senate, which shall be read to the Senate
• All members of the Senate must ascribe to the Oath of Office set out in Appendix II of the Constitution
• There shall be a Chairperson of Senate who shall be a senator, nominated by another senator and approved at the first meeting of Senate
• Notwithstanding, the first Senate meeting shall be chaired by the President of GRASAG-UHAS until a substantive Chairperson has been elected
• There shall be a Deputy Chairperson of Senate and a Secretary-to-Senate who shall be senators, nominated by another senator and approved at the first meeting of Senate
• The Chairperson shall preside in Senate at all sittings and in his/her absence, the First Deputy Chairperson shall preside
• No member of the Executive Council shall be appointed as Chairperson, as Deputy Chairperson or as Secretary-to-Senate
• The Chairperson of the Senate shall be responsible for convening of all Senate meetings. Notwithstanding, the first Senate meeting shall be convened by the President of GRASAG-UHAS not later than six (6) weeks after the start of a new academic year
• The Chairperson of the Senate shall act as the President in the absence of the President and the Vice-President or, in the case of an en-bloc resignation of the Executive Council, until such time that bye-elections are carried out as provided for in the Constitution
• The President of GRASAG-UHAS or at least twenty per cent (20%) of voting members of Senate (with names and signatures) may request for an emergency meeting of Senate, provided that the agendum/agenda and the notice of such request is addressed to the Chairperson of Senate
• The Chairperson of Senate shall within seventy-two (72) hours, upon receipt of the notice, convene an emergency Senate meeting that shall strictly concern itself with the proposed agendum/agenda
• Quorum shall be at least fifty per cent plus one (50% + 1) of voting Senators of GRASA-UHAS.
• Decisions of Senate, unless otherwise stated, shall be taken by a simple majority of those Senators present and shall be binding on members of GRASAG-UHAS.
• •The proceedings of the Senate shall be communicated by the Secretary of GRASAG-UHAS, to graduate students within seventy-two (72) hours after the close of such proceedings.