BoardCovenant2016
Disclaimer:
Italicized quotes come directly from the constitution. All other materials are implicit requirements of board members that must be addressed.
At Hillel, our goal is to help students nourish, and connect to their Jewish identity and empower them to choose the best way to accomplish that goal in a way that will strengthen them personally and communally.
The E-Board is responsible and accountable to the Hillel community, the greater BU Jewish student body, Hillel staff, and the University for all decisions (and actions) made in Hillel.The G-Board is empowered to create policies for its own operation consistent with this constitution; these policies must be passed with a majority vote, and recorded by the Secretary. Policies expire at theend of a G-Boards term; they may be renewed by the incoming G-Board.
In order to achieve these goals, we need strong leadership that adheres to the rules set forth by the student board constitution. It is absolutely essential that you read the responsibilities outlined for your position so that we can vote on amendments as necessary. If passed by a majority vote, this covenant will be amended to the Constitution so that future Hillel board members will follow similar codes of conduct, changed by the incoming President and voted on by future boards.
The Secretary shall serve as an expert of the Hillel Student Board constitution. In conjunction with the Director of Student Activities she/he is responsible for ensuring that all officers are performing their duties according to the constitution, and that all meetings are following the bylaws laid down in this constitution.If board members fail to comply, the Secretary shall be expressly responsible for recommending the removal of an officer or executive based upon acts that are contrary to this constitution.
Therefore, the following conditions must be met while serving on the Student Board or its committees unless the failure to comply is excused by the President or Director of Student Activities.
Religious Life Involvement
E-board must attend two Shabbats every month.
G-board must attend one Shabbats every month.
In certain cases, the President may excuse a board member from this requirement.
Student Groups
The Treasurer:
Shall overseethe distribution of all funds from the G-board to associated Hillel groups and individual community events that have been approved by a majority vote of the G-board.The G-Board is empowered to recognize student groups if those groups are consistent with Hillel’s mission.
Based on these statements, if a community event gets rejected by the G-board specifically due to a failure to align with Hillel’s mission, the student group in question may not hostthe event in Hillel. If the group chooses to host the event elsewhere, it may be removed as a Hillel student group with a majority vote of the G-board.
Communication and Attendance
All E-board members shall attend all meetings. Unless excused by the President(or, in the event the President must miss a meeting, by the Faculty Advisor).G-board members have a limit of 3 excused absences from weekly board meetings.An excused absence is an absence that has been approved by the President.
Board Meetings
Board meetings are open to the public. That being said, there are rules set as to when and how student representatives may voice their opinions and concerns. A student must reach out to a member of the Eboard or the DSA by the end of the weekly Eboard meeting, allowing the President to add it to the agenda before the Gboard meeting. If a student approaches a member of the Eboard or Hillel staff after this deadline, they may still attend the board meeting, but may not have enough allocated time to address their issue until the next meeting. In this event, we encourage those students to reach out to the Eboard or DSA through email so the Gboard may be notified.
The E-Board and G-Board have a duty to jointly hold a town hall meeting at a minimum of once per semester, and as the need arises.
If there is an issue that multiple students would like to address to the board or the entire community, a Town Hall meeting may take place.
Voting
Votes will be by acclamation unless the president decides the issue is sensitive enough to require secret ballot, at which time he/she will act accordingly.
In order for the secret ballots to remain confidential, any members of the public will be asked to leave the room during deliberation over whether a policy should be passed or rejected. This is instated not as a threat to transparency, but rather to ensure that board members feel secure in participating in candid conversations or debates without the threat of another board member leaking confidential statements. Wewere elected democratically to make these sensitive decisions and should have the assurance that statementswill remain private. This remains true UNLESS a board membervoluntarily chooses to publicize his/her own individual votes or opinions about the results. This serves as a crucial point in making sure that every voting delegate in Hillel feels that his/her viewpoints are representeddespite a majority vote.
Confidentiality
All votes discussed in the student boardroom must remain confidential and closed to the public. The same statement applies to any other private topic that the President deems as being confidential. The only case when a board member’s vote may be disclosedis if he/she personally chooses to disclose it publicly. Discussing votes or points of deliberation of other board members, aside from your own, with anyone will result in a breach of this covenantand of the Constitution’s emphasis on a secret ballot.
Social Media
All student board members on the E-board, G-board, and chair committees must depict Hillel and its associated events with respect on social media. Board members do not have to agree or support every decision that the Hillel student board, staff, or groups make as individuals. That being said, all board or committee members must not participate in any form of slander or libel of board decisions, any member of the Hillel community, or any affiliated Hillel group directly. There is a differencebetween representing a group of students who oppose a decision, which we welcome for constructive dialogue, and clear public defamation of Hillel or its policies.
If a board or committee member fails to comply, he/she may be asked to remove the specified post by the President. The limits as to what connotes a “libelous” post on social media can be vague. To maintain consistency, action will be taken if it follows this clause:
ONLY IF a unanimous vote of the Eboard or a member of Hillel staff finds it offensive, false, or inappropriate to Hillel, its members, or affiliated student groups.In this case, the leader in question will be asked to remove or modify the specified post.
The G-Board shall follow all directives of the E-Board and Hillel staff.
He/she will still have the liberty to keep the post, as long as the inaccuracies or offensive language in question are removed or corrected. This is not to stifle the freedom of speech of Hillel leaders, but rather to prevent misinformation from spreading.
If a board or committee member would like to appeal removing or changing the post, he/she may have a meeting with the Director of Student Activities to express concerns.
There is reasonable attention given to the above statements as an infringement on freedom of speech. Publicly condemning a decision voted on by a majority of the Hillel board may encourage constructive criticism. Condemnation is very different from libel,in that condemning involves expressing public disapproval, but libel is damaging to reputation. Disapproval allows for discussion, but libel or slanderingthat defames the reputation of Hillel, its board members, general members, or student groups will not be tolerated.
The G-Board is responsible for creating and delivering programming (pursuant to Hillel’s mission statement) as well as fostering a warm and welcoming environment for the Hillel community, the greater Boston University Jewish community, and the University as a whole.
We wish to be “Warm and welcoming”to all students, which means that any form of maliciously targeting a specific person or group violates this statement.Any member of the G-Board may be removed from their position by the President if they have not followed their duties as laid out in the constitution. This must be done after consulting with the DSA (no approval is necessary) and a majority vote of the E-Board.
In the case of a board member, participating in libel or slander may result in removal from the board, as it does not encourage a “warm and welcoming environment”as mentioned above in the Constitution. As a community, we want to make sure that all voices are heard in a productive manner, so that we may develop plans to execute salient reforms. Blatant attacks and continued negativity only hinders this process.
Community Feedback
The most productive way for students to create change within the community is to approach the President, Eboard, or Director of Student activities about speaking at a board meeting or holding a Town Hall Meeting. We will createopportunities for communal inputthrough enacting a Communication Initiative to gather feedback. Only through discussing with board members or other student leaders can policies be amended to meet the will of the majority without compromising the minority of elected officials on the board, and thus, the community as a whole.
Disclaimer: the President and Director of Student Activities may modify the above statements under certain circumstances with a unanimous vote of the Eboard.
By signing this covenant, I hereby promise to abideby the above policies and the responsibilities delineated in the Hillel Constitution.
If I fail to follow the rules listed in this Covenantor those within the Constitution, I understand that I may be asked to resign.If I feel that I have not breached this covenantor the Constitution, I have the right to appeal my resignation to the DSA, Executive Director, and the Executive Student Board.
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Board Member Signature Today’s Date