ACADEMIC PURSUIT CONSTITUTION
Article I
Name:
This organization shall be known as the Academic Pursuit Club.
Article II
Purpose:
The purpose of this club is to provide students with the opportunity to attend a wide array of cultural and artistic events such as, but not limited to, special speakers, museums, plays, conferences, and concerts. This club will serve to expose students to cultural and academic events within and outside of their academic fields thus helping to give students a well-rounded educational experience. In addition, this club will provide students with community service opportunities that expose them to experiences that they will not get inside of the classroom or within their major coursework. This club will work for the students.
Article III
Membership:
Section One: Membership shall be open to all full-time and part-time undergraduate students of the college who have paid their student activities fees for the current semester.
Section Two: Members are considered to be active if they attend and/or participate in three-quarters of the club meetings and half of club activities and events.
Article IV
Officers:
Section One: The club will have a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian.
Section Two: The responsibilities of the officers for this club shall be as follows:
President- preside over all meetings, attend all scheduled meetings, and events, work to plan and develop events and activities that club members wish to attend, and schedule regular meetings of the group.
Vice President- preside over the meeting in the absence of the President, attend all scheduled meetings and events, and assist the President in planning group activities and events.
Secretary- keep the minutes of each meeting, take meeting attendance, attend all scheduled meetings and events, and assist the president in planning group activities and events.
Treasurer- track the financial responsibilities of the club, make financial arrangements for the club’s events and activities, attend all scheduled meetings and events, and assist the president in planning group activities and events.
Historian- track the activities of the club by taking pictures and making them into a displayable form that can be passed down in the club from year to year (scrapbook of events, etc.), attend all meetings and events, and assist the president in planning group events and activities.
Section Three: The officers for this club will be selected at the last April meeting of each academic year.
Section Four: All current members of the club are eligible to hold office.
Section Five: The term of each office will run from May 1st of one year until April 31st of the following year (one year terms).
Article V
Advisors:
Section One: An advisor will be selected based on the majority vote of the current members of the organization.
Section Two: The advisor will help the club to find different academic opportunities and service events that the students may wish to attend. The advisor will be present at all meetings and help to ensure that the club is running smoothly. This person will also attend the different academic activities that club members chose to attend.
Article VI
Elections
Section One: Any current member of the club shall be eligible to nominate any current member of the club for office. Nominations will be made at the last meeting in April. Self-nominations will not be allowed. Once nominated, the nominee has the option to accept or decline the nomination for any office.
Section Two: Each member of the club will receive one vote for each office. Ballots will be anonymous and written on a sheet of paper so that no member of the club knows who has voted for whom. The advisor of the club will count the ballots.
Section Three: No election may be held if there is not a quorum of 50% of the club members plus one present at the meeting.
Section Four: If a tie exists, members of the club will be given the chance to vote again if there were more than two people running for the position in which the tie occurred. If there is still a tie, the club members will have the option of voting to have co-officers for the tied position.
Article VII
Meetings:
Section One: The club will meet no less than two times per month.
Section Two: The club officers may hold meetings independently of the general meetings with only the officers present or with the club advisor.
Section Three: The president, vice president, or advisor may call a special meeting of the group if one is necessary.
Article VIII
Vacancies:
If an officer of the club leaves the club during his or her term, the remaining club officers or advisor will announce this at the next general club meeting and ask individuals to consider running for this position. At the following meeting after this announcement is made, individuals may nominate other members of the club to fill the missing position. Voting procedures will follow the standard election rules. If an advisor leaves in the middle of a term, the club members will discuss this and nominate advisors to take this person’s position. The club members will vote as to whom they wish to fill this vacancy. This procedure will follow the standard procedures detailed above for picking an advisor.
Article IX
Amending procedure:
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members in the club and if approved by the Rules and Regulation Committee of the Student Government Association.
Article X
Removal from Office:
Section One: If a club officer is found not to be performing his or her duties, club members may vote to remove this person from office. This individual must be made aware of this or her pending removal at least one week prior to the next meeting where this issue will be discussed. The individual being removed has the right to make a presentation to the members of the organization stating why he or she feels that removal is not warranted. Following this, members will cast anonymous ballots voting on the issue. If the two-thirds of the students in the organization feel removal is warranted, the student shall be removed from office. The club advisor must be present at this meeting and count the ballots for removal.
Section Two: If an advisor is found not to be performing his or her duties, the club may vote to remove this person from office. This individual must be made aware of his or her pending removal at least one week prior to the next meeting where the issue will be discussed. The individual being removed has the right to make a presentation to the group stating why he or she feels that removal is not warranted. Following this, members will cast anonymous ballots voting on the issue. If two-thirds of the students in the organization feel removal is warranted, the advisor will be removed. The club president will count the ballots.
Article XI
Recognition of Safety and Waiver of Liability:
Section 1:
- The Student Government Association (herein, SGA) and this Club, Academic Pursuit, recognize that the overall safety and wellbeing of its Club members is a priority function of the Club.
- This Club (named above) is only authorized to conduct its activities in a designated University approved location such as one provided on campus grounds or at a recognized location that is designed or approved for this Club’s specific activities.
- Each Club member, as a material condition of membership, understands, accepts and agrees that his/her participation in this Club is voluntary and that he/she voluntarily assumes all risks and liabilities associated with his/her participation. Each Club member, by accepting membership, agrees to hold the SGA harmless from and indemnify the SGA against any and all liability, including, but not limited to physical, financial, emotional and property damage claims, whether sustained or inflicted, in connection with or in any way related to the participant’s participation in the Club.
- Once approved the SGA acts as an administrative resource for the Club and is not responsible for managing Club activities. The Club must be under proper supervision (by an advisor or coach or certified facility manager) while performing Club activities which may include but are not limited to practices, meetings and competitions.
- Any and all injuries, whether incurred or inflicted in connection with Club activity, must be reported to Westfield State University Public Safety (413) - 572-5262 immediately per University reporting procedures. The SGA Parliamentarian or Representative must also be notified of such injury in writing no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the injury occurs. Reports of injuries will be kept by the SGA within the Club’s file.
- After a report of such an injury has been made, all Club activities must cease while the cause of the injury is determined and an assessment of the situation occurs. After such determination and assessment by the Rules and Regulations committee, the club may resume its activities only if authorization from the SGA Parliamentarian to resume is issued in writing.
Section 2:
- Failure to adhere to these conditions may result in sanctions, up to and including, revoking the Club’s active status as determined by the Rules and Regulations Committee.