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- Submitted By:______________
- Submission Date:____________
- Constitution Committee Member Assigned Liz Tse
- Executive Board Approved Date___4/11/95____
CSA CONSTITUTION
- I. Name of Organization
- The name of this organization is Chinese Student
Association at Rensselaer, or CSA .
- II. Purpose
- The purpose of the Chinese Student Association
(CSA) at Rensselaer is to promote social interactions
and friendship among the students from the People's Republic
of China and the Rensselaer community. CSA will sponsor
activities such as traditional Chinese festivals and the
showing of Chinese movies, to provide the Rensselaer community
an opportunity to become more familiar with the culture,
language and lifestyle of the People's Republic of China.
It shall also be the purpose of CSA to provide various
services to its members that will enable a successful
transition into life at Rensselaer.
- III. Membership
-
- A) Affirmative Action and Hazing
-
- It is the policy of the Rensselaer Union
and CSA to provide, to the maximum extent feasible,
equal opportunity to all qualified individuals
without regard to race, color, religion, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, or disability
for all aspects of club activities.
- Reckless or intentional endangerment
to health or forced consumption of alcohol or
other drugs for the purpose of initiation into
or affiliation with any Rensselaer Union organization
is prohibited.
- B) Definition of Membership
- It is the policy of the Rensselaer Union
that all officers, appointed officers, committee chairs
and Voting Members of recognized clubs and organizations
be full-time activity-fee-paying students and/or their
spouses. Only Voting Members can vote in business
and election matters. Only Regular and/or Voting Members
can run for and hold elected and appointed offices
and committee chairs.
- Regular Members
- All currently registered Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute students who have paid
the Rensselaer Union full-time activity fee,
and their spouses, are eligible for Regular
Membership. ("Regular" student status is monitored
by RPI's Bursar).
- Any student who was registered at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for the Spring
semester and is registered for the Fall semester
will be considered a student during the summer
session and will therefore be eligible to
be a Regular Member during the summer session.
- Voting Members
- Voting Members shall be those Regular
Members who have attended a minimum of two
consecutive meetings.
- Only Voting Members can vote in
business and election matters.
- Associate Members
- Continuing-education, part-time
students and non-activity-fee-paying degree-completion
students, RPI faculty, staff, alumni (and
their spouses) and legal dependents of RPI
activity-fee-paying students (except their
spouses) are eligible for Associate membership.
Students registered at Russell Sage College,
Hudson Valley Community College and the other
Hudson-Mohawk consortium Schools are also
eligible for Associate membership.
- Associate Members may participate
in CSA activities. However, they may not vote,
hold office, or be committee chairpersons
(except with special Rensselaer Union Executive
Board approval). Their per-person subsidy
will be less than that of a Regular Member.
- Volunteer Members
- Volunteer Members shall be those
who are not eligible to be Regular or Associate
Members because they are not affiliated with
the Rensselaer Union or Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, (i.e., they are not members of
the "Rensselaer Community") but whose talents,
skills, or knowledge will assist the organization
in fulfilling its purpose. Volunteer Membership
does not imply that the Volunteer Member is
exempt from club dues.
- Volunteer Membership status must
be approved by the CSA membership for each
Volunteer Member on an annual basis, and such
membership shall not exceed 5% of club membership
without the annual approval of the Rensselaer
Union Executive Board.
- Volunteer Members may participate
in CSA activities at the invitation of CSA
membership and the Union Executive Board.
However, they may not vote, hold office, or
be committee chairpersons (except with special
Rensselaer Union Executive Board approval).
Their per-person subsidy will be less than
that of a Regular Member.
- C) Other Requirements
-
- All CSA members must adhere to all Rensselaer
Union guidelines, and are subject to all Rensselaer
Union and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute standards
anddisciplinary procedures.
- When CSA, if it is part of their program,
represents RPI by engaging in competitive events
with other schools or organizations, only Regular
Members may compete on behalf of CSA (except with
special Rensselaer Union Executive Board approval.)
- The process by which an individual becomes
a member of CSA is by submitting a membership
application and paying a membership fee where
applicable.
- All members of CSA that have perceived
health concerns in conjunction with the performance
of CSA's activities shall have annual physicals
to ascertain its members' fitness and ability
to participate in the activity. In no event will
this requirement supercede the Affirmative Action
and Equal Opportunity clause (III.A.1).
- D). Membership List and Communication.
-
- An accurate membership list will be
maintained and kept on file as prescribed by the
Rensselaer Union Executive Board and the Student
Senate.
- The membership requirements are public
knowledge and the Secretary of CSA is designated
to provide that information on request.
- IV. Officers
-
- The CSA Executive Board shall consist of
the President, 1st. Vice- President, 2nd. Vice-President,
the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Public Relations
Chairperson. All Voting Members are eligible for these
positions. The Executive Board shall be the chief
policy-making body of the organization. Any decision
of the CSA Executive Board shall be made by a simple
majority vote of the members of the Board, each of
whom will have one vote. However, any decision made
by the CSA Executive Board may be overturned by a
simple majority of the Voting Members.
- The term of each office will be one year,
starting immediately following elections. Any officer
who is seen to be unfullfiling of their duties and/or
acts in such a way as to impair the organization's
ability to function may be removed from their post
in accordance with the procedure stated in section
VI.C.
- Duties and powers of each office:
- President:
- Preside over all General Body meetings.
- Act as chief spokesperson for the
organization.
- Has the authority to make executive
decisions involving the organization in case
of emergency.
- Sign all documents and financial
statements not delegated to other members
of the Executive Board.
- If a temporary absence should occur,
the 1st. Vice-President will take over the
duties of the President.
- 1st. Vice-President:
-
- Shall coordinate the work of the
Executive Board and any committees.
- Assist the president in the performance
of his or her duties.
- Preside over all Executive Board
meetings.
- If a temporary absence should occur,
the 2nd. Vice- President will take over the
duties of the 1st. Vice-President.
- 2nd. Vice-President:
-
- Head any committees including those
dealing with the social and cultural activities
of the organization.
- Be responsible for, along with the
committee members, creating and organizing
activities.
- Secretary:
-
- Be in charge of keeping attendance
and the minutes at all general body and Executive
Board meetings.
- Carry on official correspondence
of the organization.
- Maintain organizational records,
including pertinent information regarding
all the members of the organization.
- Maintain and report an accurate
membership list, and make it available upon
request by the Rensselaer Union.
- Treasurer:
-
- Maintain the official membership
list in conjunction with the Secretary, and
also collect club dues.
- Report on the financial situations
as required by the Union Executive Board and
the membership.
- Draft a budget plan for the forthcoming
year. Budget plans are to be approved by the
general membership.
- Shall co-sign, with the president,
for all financial affairs of the organization.
- Public Relations Chairpersons:
-
- Be responsible for the correspondence
and networking which will establish and maintain
contact with Chinese communities.
- Be responsible for the recruitment
of new members to the organization.
- Be a source of communication and
collaboration between this organization and
others.
- Be responsible for organizing functions
that foster support within the organization.
- Election for the Executive Board shall
be held at the end of each year, the exact date to
be set by the Executive Board. Notice of an election
shall be given two weeks prior to the holding of the
election, and shall be clearly posted on the "election
bulletin board" at the Union one week prior to the
election, and be accurately posted in the "Campus
Notice" section of the newspaper at least 24 hours
prior to the election.
- Nominations will be taken from the floor
at the meeting prior to election. All nominations
must be seconded.
- Election procedure and order for election
officers: Voting shall be by secret ballot for the
six Executive Board positions. The person receiving
the most votes should receive the position of President.
The Executive Board should then decide on the other
five positions. Any disputes should be decided by
the Voting Members in a Regular Meeting.
- During the meeting in which the election
of officers take place, there must be a quorum of
at least 50% of all Voting Members.
- A simple majority of the Voting Members
present is required to elect an office.
- A current CSA officers list including names,
student ID numbers, addresses, and phone numbers will
be maintained and kept on file as prescribed by the
Rensselaer Union Administration Office. An updated
list must be submitted within one week of the election
or appointment.
- The President shall make all appointments
necessary to temporarily fill an office. If the Presidency
is vacant then the 1st. Vice-President will appoint
the new President. Elections for any temporarily appointed
office will be held within two academic weeks following
the appointment.
- V. Policies, Standing Rules and Bylaws
-
- Policy Establishment: To pass a policy,
standing rule, or bylaw, more than two-thirds of the
Voting Members in attendance is required with subsequent
Union Executive Board approval.
- Policy Revocation: To revoke a policy, standing
rule, or bylaw, more than one-third of the Voting
Members in attendance is required with subsequent
Union Executive Board approval.
- VI. Disciplinary Action/Suspension
-
- Partial and total membership benefits and
rights can be removed by a vote of at least a majority
of the Executive Board at an Executive Board meeting,
if a person has violated CSA policiy, standing rule
or bylaw, or Rensselaer Union/Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute regulations. Any meeting at which the removal
of a person's membership benefits and/or rights are
being voted upon, shall be held only upon notice to
the subject individual and all members of the Executive
Board. The subject individual whose rights are being
voted has the right to attend the meeting, and speak
on his/her own behalf.
- At any time during the penalty period, the
issue resulting in the withdrawal of membership benefits
or rights for student, faculty or staff members of
the Rensselaer Community may be referred to the Rensselaer
Union Judicial Board as an appeal case. The penalty
remains in effect unless or until overturned by the
Rensselaer Union Judicial Board. The withdrawal of
membership benefits or rights of any other members
may be appealed to the Union Executive Board, including,
but not limited to alumni, and Associate Members participating
by virtue of the Hudson-Mohawk Consortium relationship.
- Any officer may be removed from office by
a two-thirds majority of the Voting Members present
at any general body meeting. Any officer removed from
office is no longer eligible to hold any office on
the Executive Board.
- VII. Meetings
-
- There will be one meeting every two weeks
during the fall and spring terms.
- CSA shall abide by Robert's Rules of Order
in the areas not covered by this constitution, or
when question arise, upon a majority vote of Voting
Members present.
- Notice shall be given one week in advance
for the holding of business meetings.
- The authority to make decisions on behalf
of the CSA normally rests with the membership at a
business meeting for which quorum has been met.
- The official language of all business meetings
shall be English unless, by unanimous vote of all
those present in the meeting, an alternative language
is preferred.
- VIII. Committees
-
- Executive Board
- Executive Board: may act on behalf of
CSA between business meetings. The actions of
the Executive Board are subject to review and
approval by the membership at a business meeting.
- The six officers shall be the only members
of the Executive Board.
- In addition to those provisions set
forth regarding the Executive Board in IV.A. above,
the Executive Board has the ability to create
any committee it may deem necessary to conduct
the activities of the club.
- IX. Finance
-
- CSA has the power to collect dues. The Rensselaer
Union Executive Board shall set the level of dues,
if CSA is funded, for each class of membership.
- CSA will follow all Rensselaer Union financial
policies if funded by the Rensselaer Union. The Treasurer
will be responsible for finances.
- The monies, other than funding from the
Rensselaer Union, will be collected in the form of
membership fees, or in the form of donations. If the
CSA is funded by the Rensselaer Union, the funds will
be disbursed under the approval of the Union Executive
Board.
- X. Ratification and Amendments
-
- The club's constitution shall be effective
immediately upon ratification by a two-thirds majority
of Voting Members Members and subsequent approval
by the Rensselaer Union Executive Board.
- If it becomes necessary that any part of
the club's constitution be changed, or that additions
to the club's constitution be made, a two-thirds majority
of Voting Members and subsequent approval by the Rensselaer
Union Executive Board must be obtained.
- XI. Affiliations and Governing Relationships
- CSA is affiliated with the Rensselaer Union
but is not affiliated with any other national or regional
organizations.
- XII. Compliance with Union and Institute Standards
- In the event that the club's constitution comes
in conflict with any Rensselaer Union or Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute rule or standard, then the constitution will
be superseded by that rule or standard.
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