CONSTITUTIONS

• “A constitution is a document that describes the organisation and how it operates.”

From:

Constitutions,

The University of Lincolnshire and Humberside Students Union,

England

BY-LAWS

• By-laws provide the rules to govern the day-to-day operation of the organization.

CONSTITUTIONS INCLUDE

• Name • Purpose • Membership • Officers • Committees • Operations • Ratification & Amendment • By-laws

ORGANIZATION NAME

• “The name of this organization shall be ________ (________).” • Include college affiliation.

• Include affiliation with state or national organizations.

ORGANIZATION PURPOSE

• “The purpose of this organization shall be . . .” • The purpose or mission statement should be clear and concise.

• Goal statements may be included.

MEMBERSHIP

• Membership criteria may include student status, GPA*, major etc.

• Membership criteria may NOT include race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law.

*In compliance with FERPA

MEMBERSHIP

• Membership Categories • Voting Members • Membership Responsibilities –Attendance & Participation • Dues or Assessments • Membership Termination

OFFICERS

• Titles • Eligibility • Duties & Responsibilities • Election – When & How • Removal – When & How

COMMITTEES

• Standing Committees – Name, Membership, Duties • Special (Ad Hoc) Committees – Special Committee Establishment – Special Committee Appointment Process

OPERATIONS

• Quorum • Number of Votes Required for Decisions • Business and Finance • Referral to

Robert’s Rules of Order

• Advisor Role • Disbursal of Assets

RATIFICATION & AMENDMENT

• Ratification Process –i.e. “This Constitution shall be effective upon a 2/3 vote of the membership.” –Institutional Recognition

RATIFICATION & AMENDMENT

• Amendment Process –Introduction of Amendments –Required Process –Vote •Who Votes •What kind of Majority

BY-LAWS

• Authorization to Establish By-Laws • Process to Establish By-Laws – Simple Majority Vote • By-Laws can be Separate or Included: – Processes – Rules

"Some men look at Constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. . . .Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. . . We might as well require a man to wear the coat that fitted him as a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regime of their ancestors." -Thomas Jefferson

Bibliography

• • • • • Robert, H. M., (1984). Robert’s Rules of Order , NY: Berkley Publishing.

Constitutions,

University of Lincolnshire & Humberside Students Union, www.humber.ac.uk/su/leader/constitution.html.

The Constitution of the Student Assembly,

State University, Lake Superior http://assembly.lssu.edu/constitution/preamble.html.

Organization Constitutions,

California State University Chico, www.csuchico.edu/sac/OrgConst.html.

Guidelines for Constitutions,

Georgetown University, www.georgetown.edu/student-programs/og/const.hml.