Constitution
as adopted on March 4, 2002
Table of Contents
Preamble. 3
Section I – General 3
Article 1 [Name and Address] 3
Article 2 [General Provisions] 3
Article 3 [Scope] 3
Section II – Members. 3
Article 4 [Membership] 3
Article 5 [Membership Fees] 4
Article 6 [Member Expulsion] 4
Article 7 [Terms of Election] 4
Section III – Member Meetings. 5
Article 8 [Frequency and Location] 5
Article 9 [Presiding Officer] 5
Article 10 [Agenda] 6
Article 11 [Adjournment] 6
Section IV – Board and Presidency. 6
Article 12 [Members of the Board] 6
Article 13 [President and Vice
President Elections] 6
Article 14 [Other Board Members] 7
Article 15 [President] 7
Article 16 [Vice President] 8
Article 17 [Secretary] 8
Article 18 [Term] 8
Article 19 [Vote of No Confidence] 9
Article 20 [Removal of Board Members] 9
Section V – Financials. 9
Article 21 [Treasurer] 9
Article 22 [Sources of Funds] 10
Article 23 [Usage of Funds] 10
Article 24 [Reimbursement] 10
Section VI – Final Provisions. 11
Article 25 [Amendment Process] 11
Article 26 [Lifetime of the
Constitution] 11
With the objectives of increasing awareness of the
existence of a gay-lesbian community on campus, providing support and
assistance for students in finding their sexual and social identity, creating a
place where gay students feel at home and be themselves, planning and
conducting social events with an inherently gay-lesbian theme, promoting
equality and fight discrimination of homosexuals on campus and beyond, the eQ
Alliance is formed and its members adopt this constitution.
(1) The
name of the organization is eQ Alliance.
(2) The
mail address is a P.O. Box at the Texas Christian University, Fort Worth,
Texas, 76129.
(3) The
address for e-mail is as assigned by the TCU Information Services.
(1) The
eQ Alliance is a TCU Student Organization as defined by the TCU Student
Organization Committee. As a TCU Student Organization, the eQ Alliance accept
and submit to all applicable statutes and TCU policies in all of its policies and
practices including but not limited to alcohol, discrimination, and hazing
regulations and prohibitions.
(2) The
purpose and objective of the eQ Alliance are as stated in the Preamble to this
Constitution.
(1) Topics
not regulated by this constitution shall be handled by rules and regulations
adopted during the eQ Alliance meetings.
(1) Member
of the eQ Alliance may become any TCU student who applies for membership and
pledges to adhere to this Constitution and the rules and regulations adopted by
the eQ Alliance. The potential member must also fulfill TCU’s requirement for
membership in a student organization.
(2) The
Board decides over the acceptance or rejection of membership applications
without discrimination on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or
financial ability.
Article 5
[Membership Fees]
(1) The
Board may instate, change, and discontinue membership fees with the consent of
the members using a relative majority vote. A quorum is not required.
Membership fees must apply to every member equally with the exceptions
specified in (2).
(3) It
is the Treasurer’s responsibility to collect and account for said membership
fees.
(1) If
a member exposes severe misconduct as described below, the members may elect to
warn or expel that member using an absolute majority. A quorum is required.
(2) A
member cannot be expelled for failure to pay membership fees if such failure is
the result of economic hardship.
(a) violates federal, state, or local law,
(b) violates TCU or SOC regulations,
(c) violates the Constitution or other
adopted eQ Alliance rules and regulations,
(d) is irresponsible, obstructive, or
destructive or that undermines the operations of the eQ Alliance including
social events and the eQ Alliance meetings.
(1) During
the eQ Alliance meetings, the members vote on items and candidates. All votes
must be held privately. The members may opt to vote publicly if no member
including the Board objects.
(2) Every
member attending the meeting has one vote. Votes of absent members are
discarded. The Presiding Officer counts the votes for items or candidates as
well as abstained votes and documents it in the meeting minutes.
(3) In
cases where this Constitution calls for a relative majority vote, the item or
candidate that receives the largest number of the votes wins the overall vote.
(4) In
cases where this Constitution calls for an absolute majority vote, the item or
candidate that receives more than half of the votes wins the overall vote.
(5) In
cases where this Constitution calls for a two-third majority, the item or
candidate that receives at least two-thirds of the votes wins the overall vote.
(6) The
Presiding Officer must abstain from voting unless explicitly specified. However,
in case of a tie, the Presiding Officer must vote. Whichever item or candidate
the Presiding Officer votes for wins the overall vote.
(7) A
quorum is established if at least two-thirds of all members, excluding the
Presiding Officer, are present and able to vote.
(1) The
members of the eQ Alliance shall meet at least once a week during the TCU
academic year except for the time of Christmas break, Spring break, and summer
semester.
(2) The
members may elect to schedule a meeting for a day more than a week after the
last meeting using a relative majority vote. A quorum is not required.
(3) The
President determines the location of the meeting. Such location must be within
the boundaries of the city of Fort Worth, TX. If the relative majority of the
members votes in favor, the meeting may be held outside of Fort Worth, TX.
(1) The
President presides over the meetings and becomes the Presiding Officer. In the
absence of the President, the Vice President presides over the meeting and
becomes Presiding Officer.
(2) If
both the President and the Vice are absent at the time the meeting convenes,
the members may unanimously choose to wait or elect a President pro tempore
using a relative majority vote. For the remainder of the meeting, the President
pro tempore assumes all of the responsibilities and duties of the President and
becomes the Presiding Officer.
(3) If
the President or the Vice President enters the meeting after a President pro
tempore has been elected, the President pro tempore remains Presiding Officer
until the meeting is concluded.
(1) The
Presiding Officer lays out the agenda of the meeting.
(3) Every
item on the agenda shall be discussed in open format. Decision on an item shall
be deferred until every member had the chance to express his or her opinion.
(4) After
an item has been sufficiently discussed, a vote shall be held on whether it
should be deferred until the next meeting or decided upon immediately.
(5) An
item is deferred until the next meeting if the majority of the quorum decides
to defer it. If the meeting has no quorum, items are always deferred until the
next meeting.
(6) An
item is adopted if it receives the majority of the quorum votes. Otherwise, the
item is rejected and may be represented in a subsequent meeting.
(1) If
all items on the agenda have been discussed or deferred and no member wishes to
introduce a new item, the next meeting must be scheduled and the Presiding
Officer may adjourn the meeting.
(1) The
Board consists of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the
Treasurer. Additionally, positions established according to Article 14 (1), also constitute parts of the board.
(2) Only
members that fulfill TCU’s requirements for student organization officers may
become members of the Board, whether through election or appointment.
(1) The
members elect the President and Vice President in general, direct, free, equal,
and secret elections. At the beginning of the first meeting in the new
semester, which must be no later than seven days after the first day of class,
the members hold the presidential elections. The meeting must have a quorum.
(2) The
Board of the previous term stays in office until a new President and Vice
President are elected. The Presiding Officer is selected according to Article 9 .
(3) The
candidates for President and Vice President form one candidate ticket. They are
an inseparable team and elected into office together.
(4) The
candidate ticket, which receives the absolute majority of the votes, wins the
election. If one candidate ticket cannot obtain such majority at the end of the
first run, a second election run with the two runners-up is conducted. The
candidate ticket, which receives the relative majority of the votes in the
second election, wins the election.
(5) If
there is only one candidate ticket for the offices of President and Vice
President of the Board and that ticket does not receive the absolute majority
of the votes, no second election run may be held and the former Board remains
in office. Elections must be repeated for every subsequent meeting until a new
Board has been elected.
(2) Each
appointment to a Board position must be confirmed by the eQ members using a
relative majority vote. A quorum is required.
(3) The
President may not delegate the presidential responsibilities and duties
outlined in Article 15
(1)(e) and Article
15 (1)(f) to a different Board position.
(4) The
President may not create a position that limits the responsibilities and duties
of the Treasurer as outlined in Article
21 .
(1) The
President main purpose is to represent the eQ Alliance and ensure the smooth
operation of eQ Alliance activities. Presidential responsibilities and duties
encompass
(a) to represent and speak for the eQ
Alliance in all outside affairs,
(b) to set the mission and agenda for the eQ
Alliance,
(c) to oversee, set guidelines for, and
execute membership recruitment,
(d) to plan, organize, and publicize eQ
Alliance activities such as social events,
(g) to oversee eQ Alliance finances and
authorize income and spending transactions,
(h) and to mediate in cases of conflicting
interests and views between members, and members and the board, or members and
external parties if such conflict is related to the eQ Alliance.
(1) The
Vice President main function is to support the President in his or her
presidential responsibilities and duties.
(3) The
President may take a leave of absence and delegate his or her presidential
responsibilities and duties to the Vice President. The leave of absence may not
exceed four weeks per presidential term.
(1) The
responsibilities of the Secretary include
(a) recording and delivering the meeting
minutes as regulated by Article
9 (4),
(b) delivering meeting invitations as
regulated by Article 8
(4), and
(c) creating and maintaining a current
member directory consisting of each member’s name and contact information.
(2) Contact
information for members is limited to the phone number, the mailing address, or
e-mail address, or any combination of such.
(3) The
information collected in the member direction may only be used for internal, eQ
Alliance-related purposes and may not be made available to third parties except
as regulated by TCU’s Student Organization Committee.
(1) The
term of the Board is one year. The beginning of the term is the day following the election.
The term ends the day the eQ members elect a new Board according to the provisions in
Article 14 .
(1) If
the members consider the President and Vice President continuously unfit to
fulfill their duties as described in Article
15 and Article
16 (2), the members may elect a new President and Vice
President using the mechanism described in the following clauses. A quorum is
required.
(2) A
member may introduce an item to the agenda asking for a vote of no confidence.
If the item is approved according to Article
10 (2), and there are new candidates for President and Vice
President, the currently discussed item, if existing, is suspended for the
duration of the vote of no confidence.
(3) If
the President or the Vice President is the Presiding Officer, the members elect
a new Presiding Officer for the duration of the vote of no confidence using a
relative majority.
(4) In
an open discussion preceding the election, the members may bring charges
against the President and Vice President who may defend themselves.
(5) The
members elect the new presidential elections using a two-third majority. The
current President and Vice President must abstain from voting.
(6) If
the new candidates are elected, the entire Board is removed from office and the
new candidates assume the offices of President and Vice President,
respectively.
(7) If
the new candidates are not elected, the President and Vice President remain in
office and the vote of no confidence fails.
(1) The
members may remove any member of the Board excluding the President and Vice
President using an absolute majority vote. A quorum is required.
(1) The
responsibilities of the Treasurer include
(a) the collection of membership fees, if
existent,
(b) the collection of income out of
admission fees and fund-raising projects,
(c) accounting of any eQ Alliance income and
expenses according to generally accepted accounting principles,
(d) filing of any state, federal or local
income taxes, or returns, or forms which might be necessary to comply with
tax-exempt status,
(e) handing out funds to cover expenses.
(2) The
Treasurer may only accept and conduct income and expense transactions
authorized by the President.
(3) At
the beginning of the term, the Treasurer assesses the correctness of the
bookkeeping and reports the results to the members. From that moment on until
the end of the Treasurer’s term, the Treasurer is personally responsible and
liable for the funds and the correctness of the books. The Treasurer may not be
held accountable for transactions performed prior or past his or her term of
office.
(4) At
the end of the term, the Treasurer reports to the members the current amount of
funds available and a list of income and expense transactions for the past
term.
(5) The
members may inquire about the funds and request to review the books at any
given time. From the moment such a request has been approved at a meeting, it
is the Treasurer’s responsibility to prepare the books for review within a time
limit of two business days.
(1) The
eQ Alliance may accept authorized monetary contributions from the university,
one of its recognized students, staff, or faculty organizations, non-profit
organizations, corporations, and individuals. Such contributions must not be
accepted if they would create a liability for the eQ Alliance with the
exception of admission fees.
(1) The
President authorizes usage of funds with the member’s approval using a relative
majority vote. A quorum is not required.
(2) Funds
may not be used for
(a) profit-gaining purposes excluding the
planning and conducting of social and fund-raising events,
(b) paying wages or salaries to any member
including Board members.
(3) Any
operating expenses should be covered through eQ Alliance funds.
(1) Expenses
incurred by individual members on behalf of the eQ Alliance must have prior
approval by the President and the Treasurer in order to obtain reimbursement.
Such approval may only be granted if to the best of their knowledge eQ Alliance
funds will be able to cover the expense at time of reimbursement. The approval
must be in writing and filed with eQ Alliance documents.
(1) The
members may change and amend this Constitution through the amendment process
described as follows.
(2) If
an item requires an amendment to the Constitution, the rules governing the
voting on an item as described in Article
10 are suspended.
An amendment to the Constitution is approved if it receives a two-third
majority of the votes. A quorum is required.
(3) If
an amendment is approved, the Constitution is changed as described in the
amendment. The revised Constitution becomes effective immediately following the
approval of the amendment.
(1) This
Constitution is adopted if the absolute majority of the members vote for
adoption. A quorum is required. The Constitution becomes effective the moment
it is adopted.
(2) The
Board that is in office at the time the Constitution is adopted remains in
office.
(3) This
Constitution remains in effect until a new Constitution has been adopted using
a two-third majority vote. A quorum is required.
On March 4, 2002, the members of
the eQ Alliance adopted this constitution. As elected representatives of all
members, the President and Vice President signed as follows.
Rob Wellward Darnell
President
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Bernardo Vallarino
Vice President
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