ARTICLE I: ORGANIZATION
Section 1
The name of this student organization shall be the Ecumenical Campus Ministries (ECM) at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), herein referred to as ECM.
Section 2
ECM does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, handicap, gender, gender identity or expression, citizenship, sexual orientation, or age.
Section 3
ECM shall meet the SVSU requirements to be a registered student organization (RSO).
Section 4
The term "members" refers to the General Student Assembly, Student Executive Board and ECM Board of Directors.
Section 5
ECM leadership shall consist of a Student Executive Board that includes: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer.
Section 6
All student members that are not on the Executive Board shall be considered the General Student Assembly.
Section 7
ECM shall uphold the confidentiality of its members.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1
The purpose of ECM is to provide hospitality to students as well as an opportunity for Christian fellowship through social and regular meeting activities.
Section 2
ECM shall maintain an inclusive membership that values Christian diversity and participation, and that encourages but does not force, students, faculty, and staff to explore their Christian faith.
Section 3
ECM shall educate the campus community about issues related to Christian diversity.
Section 4
ECM shall establish and maintain relationships with organizations, departments, and individuals at SVSU and in the community.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
All student members must be SVSU students.
Section 2
Membership shall be determined by attendance for voting purposes; however, students, faculty, staff, or other individuals may attend meetings or correspond with ECM in an unofficial capacity without possessing the right to vote.
Section 3
The calendar for determining membership and election cycles shall be the academic year.
Section 4
To be eligible to vote, students must have attended three meetings, three ECM approved events, or any combination of the two within the current year.
Section 5
It is up to the discretion of the Student Executive Board to determine voting procedure medium unless otherwise stated in the Constitution.
Section 6
SVSU faculty are eligible to become a Faculty Advisor and shall be approved by a majority vote of members in attendance at a regular meeting.
Section 7
The Secretary shall keep records of attendance and voting eligibility, which shall be kept in an official folder and reviewed at an Executive Board meeting prior to any election.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
Section 1
The Student Executive Board shall determine meeting days and times before the final meeting of the previous semester.
Section 2
Meeting dates and times shall be scheduled so that all the officers and the maximum number of members can attend.
Section 3
Meeting locations shall be determined before the end of the previous semester so that the room can be reserved through Student Life or the Conference and Events Center.
Section 4
Any cancellations of meetings for any reason will result in a notification sent to the members through V-Space at least 12 hours prior to the meeting time when possible.
ARTICLE V: ELECTORAL PROCESS
Section 1
Annual elections shall occur within 1 month of the beginning of the fall semester.
Section 2
Officers elected will serve until the next election the following school year.
Section 3
Method of voting shall be determined by the Student Executive Board.
Section 4
Elections shall occur by voting for one office at a time in the following order: President, Vice President, Secretary/ Treasurer.
Section 5
Candidates shall be nominated by a member of the General Assembly or current Executive Board and seconded by a different member.
Section 6
Members may seek more than one office during an election, but may not hold more than one position at any given time.
Section 7
The candidate receiving the most votes shall be declared the winner.
Section 8
In the case of a tie, a re-vote will occur.
Section 9
If a tie exists after the re-vote, the current Executive Board shall vote to break the tie; however, if one of the candidates is a sitting member of the current Executive Board, their vote shall be excluded.
Section 10
If a tie exists after the Executive Board votes, then the vote returns to the General Assembly to break the tie.
ARTICLE VI: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Section 1
A member of the General Assembly may initiate removal of officers for any reason.
Section 2
The reason for removal shall be disclosed in writing to the officer in question, to all ECM members, to the Faculty Advisor and to the Board of Directors.
Section 3
The officer in question shall not vote, but may be present to speak on his/her behalf.
Section 4
Removal of officers shall be approved by a 2/3 majority of all members in attendance.
ARTICLE VII: RESIGNATION
Section 1
Officers wishing to resign shall submit a signed letter of resignation via E-MAIL or in writing to the Executive Board. The letter will be made available to all members of the organization.
Section 2
Officers shall formally announce their resignation at a regular meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: FILLING VACANCIES
Section 1
When an office is vacated by removal or resignation, a special election will be held to fill that office.
Section 2
Special elections are subject to election procedures from Article III of this Constitution.
Section 3
Special elections shall be held one week after their announcement. They are subject to Article V with the exception of Section 1.
Section 4
In the case of special elections and appointments, replacement officers shall only fulfill duties for the remainder of the election cycle.
ARTICLE IX: STUDENT EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1
ECM leadership shall consist of a Student Executive Board that includes: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer. The Student Executive Board or officers shall be elected for the period of one academic year.
Section 2
All members of the Executive Board must be SVSU students throughout the duration of their term.
Section 3
Term limits do not exist for the Executive Board.
Section 4
The Student Executive Board shall meet once per month aside from regular meetings.
Section 5
The Executive Board is responsible for communication with members of the general assembly and The ECM Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X: DUTIES
Section 1
The President shall:
Preside over meetings.
Delegate tasks to members.
Appoint committees.
Act as spokesperson for ECM.
Work collaboratively with the Secretary to create an agenda.
Section 2
The Vice President shall:
Perform Presidential duties in the absence of the President.
Oversee election procedures except for when the sitting Vice President is on the ballot being counted.
Section 3
The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
Be responsible for any notes and official documentation.
Maintain membership, attendance, and email lists.
Announce account balances and recent transactions at weekly meetings.
Coordinate fundraisers.
Keep records of transactions and balances.
Section 4
Other duties that may be assigned, appointed, or delegated to any member include, but are not limited to:
Representative to Student Association
Advertising/Promotion/Public Relations
Webmaster
V-Space
Section 5
Elected positions may be created or eliminated by using amendment procedures outlined in Article XII of this Constitution.
ARTICLE XI: EXPENDITURES
Section 1
Money shall be withdrawn from the account to finance events, and promotional materials.
Section 2
The Secretary/Treasurer and one other member of the Student Executive Board chosen by the Student Executive Board shall be the only persons to withdraw money from the account.
Section 3
All expenses shall be approved by a majority of the Executive Board.
Section 4
Receipts shall be turned in within two weeks of the expense so that the Treasurer can issue reimbursement in a timely manner.
ARTICLE XII: Amendments
Section 1
Any member may propose amendments to the Constitution at any time by submitting a written proposal to the Student Executive Board.
Section 2
An officer shall read proposed amendments to the General Assembly at a regular meeting at least one week prior to voting for the proposed amendment.
Section 3
Amendments shall be approved by a majority of all members in attendance at the time of voting.
Section 4
The Constitution may be reviewed, modified, and ratified at any time during the academic year.
Section 5
The Constitution shall be ratified by a majority of all ECM members in attendance at the time of voting.
Section 6
Amendments to the Constitution shall take effect immediately upon ratification.
RATIFIED ON JANUARY ____, 2010
BY:
____________________________________
Ecumenical Campus Ministries President
____________________________________
Ecumenical Campus Ministries Vice President
____________________________________
Ecumenical Campus Ministries Secretary/Treasurer