Ruair's Constituion
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Article I
Section I
The purposes of the Association of International Relations shall be:
1.1 To increase the level of interest and debate in international relations.
1.2. To promote a better understanding of the global political environment in which we live to the Rutgers community.
1.3. To offer Rutgers students the opportunity to participate in Model United Nations conferences.
Section II
1.5. The Association and its members, in pursuit of the purposes in Section 1, shall act in accordance with the principles of the fundamental equality of all members.
1.6 Membership shall be open to all Rutgers University students, faculty and staff regardless of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Section III
1.7 This organization shall abide by all applicable rules and regulations of the University and under the privileges as granted by the Division of Student Affairs and by the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors.
1.8 The Association shall abide by all applicable laws of the State of New Jersey and the United States.
Article II
Section I
2.1 The Executive Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Director of Operations, Director of Communications and a Head Delegate. These shall be the Executive Officers of the Association of International Relations.
2.2 The President shall have power, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, to sign agreements with other organizations, provided a majority of the Executive Board concurs.
2.3 Executive Board Officer’s term shall begin the first day of May
2.4 There shall be a two year (four semesters) term limit for the office of the president. There shall not be a term limit on holding an executive board position, except for that of the Presidency
Section II
2.5 The President, Head- Delegate, Vice-President, Director of Finance, and Director of Communications shall be the voting members of the Executive Board, where the President acts as Chairman.
2.6 The President can appoint an officer following a vote of approval by a majority of the Executive Board.
2.7 The Executive Board shall reach all decisions by consensus. However, all decisions shall be made by a majority vote where each Executive Board member shall have one vote. In the event of a tie or a deadlock on a decision, the President casts the deciding vote. In matters related to Model United Nations conferences, the Head Delegate shall cast the deciding vote.
2.8 In cases of a prolonged disagreement between president and other Executive board members, the decision can be made thru a referendum of all active members in the club on that particular decision.
2.9 The Executive Board must aim to represent the good of the Association and to preserve the ideals set forth in this constitution.
Article III
Section I
3.1 After attending seven meetings per semester or fourteen meetings in total, a member shall be granted active membership status for the duration of the administrative year for voting purposes. A member shall be granted membership status for the purpose of conference attendance after three meetings per semester.
3.2 Active members will be eligible to attend conferences, vote at membership meetings and become officers of the Association.
3.3 In order to maintain active membership status, members shall attend three meetings every semester.
3.4 Should an active member fail to attend three meetings in a semester, (s) he shall lose the active membership status.
Section II
3.5 The membership shall convene once a year at a date and location fixed by the President to discuss the strategy and long-term objectives of the Association.
3.6 The President shall solicit items from the active members for the agenda of the meeting and shall accept such items until one week prior to the meeting.
3.7 The President shall present a written and oral report on the operations of the Association of International Relations to the annual membership meeting.
3.8 The membership may debate any facet of the Association’s operations or matters arising from the present Constitution during the annual meeting.
3.9 It shall be the goal of the membership to reach all decisions by consensus. However, unless otherwise specified or agreed to by a majority of the members, all decisions shall be made by majority vote.
3.10 The President or his/her designate shall act as the Presiding Officer at the annual membership meeting.
Section III
3.11 The Association’s delegations to conferences shall be composed of active members of the Association.
3.12 The Head delegate shall be responsible for conference formalities and logistics after soliciting the advice of the Executive Board.
3.13 If an Executive Board Officer or Executive Officer feels a delegate is not fulfilling his/her responsibilities, a request may be drawn to the whole Executive Board. The Board shall then vote upon termination of the delegate, with a majority vote.
Article IV
Section I
4.1 The Executive Board shall decide on the day of the elections within April.
4.2 To be eligible to run for office the candidates must have active membership status.
4.3 The membership will elect the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Director of Communications, Director of Operations, and a Head Delegate.
4.4 The President shall preside over the elections and, along with the second highest ranking officer present, shall tabulate the results unless s (he) is a candidate, and in such cases s (he) shall not tabulate the results. The next highest-ranking officer shall do it. At all times, the results shall be tabulated by the two highest ranking officers not contesting the office for which the results are being tabulated.
4.5 Nominations shall be made by self-nomination at least one week before the elections. If the President and Vice President are considered to be candidates for re-election together, then the vote for both offices shall occur simultaneously. In this instance the next highest ranking officer shall preside over that portion of the election, and the next two highest ranking members shall tabulate the votes. If the ticket extends below the offices of President and Vice-President then the voting membership shall nominate a neutral party to tabulate the vote.
4.6 Elections will be made by secret ballot, with a majority vote for election.
4.7 A candidate for a position, if running unopposed, must receive a vote of confidence from the voting membership. A vote of confidence shall consist of receiving fifty percent plus one approval from all present voting members.
4.8 If no valid candidates are elected for a particular office, the President-elect shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy within three weeks. If at that time no candidate can be found for the vacancy, one of the continuing Executive Board members shall serve in the vacancy duty until a valid candidate can be appointed by the President.
4.9 In the event of a sudden vacancy in any executive office, the President shall appoint an interim officer following a vote of approval by a majority of the Executive Board, until such time as a proper official election may be held for the office.
4.10 In the event of a tie, the room of general members will go into lockdown with the candidates of the contested position outside of the room. General members will quorum, until the officer acting as chair deems it appropriate to re-vote. In the event of another tie, the general members will continue to quorum until such time that the tie is broken.
Article V
Section I
5.1 Before (s) he shall enter on the execution of office, (s) he shall take the following oath: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and enforce the Constitution of the Association of International Relations. The President shall oversee all activities, conduct all meetings, and act as Chairman of the Executive Board. The President shall act as the official spokesperson of the Association. (S) he, in case there is an officer’s position vacant, shall appoint interim officers with the advice and consent of the Executive Board. The President with the Treasurer is responsible to make transparent all financial records to the entire Executive Board if any Officer requests it during an Executive Board meeting.
5.2 Upon confirmation of election results the President shall have no more than three weeks to transfer all administrative passwords, records, and all other outstanding information required for the proper governing of the organization to the President-elect. If after this transfer period the newly elected executive board is not in possession of the above mentioned items, it shall be the responsibility of the Board to compel the former President through the pursuit of University administrative action.
5.3 The Vice-President shall be responsible for the coordination of all records for the Association, assisting the President as required and executing special projects determined by the President.
5.3 The Head Delegate shall be responsible for the formalities and logistics of Model United Nations collegiate conferences. This includes but is not limited to accommodations, registration, training, preparation and positioning delegates in committees. The Head Delegate shall finalize the roster for the delegation after soliciting the advice of the executive board.
5.4 The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing the annual budget, overseeing all financial affairs and coordinating fundraising activities for the Association. S (he) shall keep current and accurate records and reports of the Association’s financial matters.
5.5 The Director of Communications shall be the Association’s spokesperson when the President is unavailable. (S) he shall be responsible for the Association’s internal communications, administering the Association’s website and preparing materials for each Executive Board and membership meetings. S (he) shall record all activities and events of the Association. S (he) shall be responsible for all official correspondence both internally and with the University and outside agencies. S (he) shall also keep minutes of all Executive Board meetings.
5.6 The Director of operations shall be responsible for coordinating on campus events
5.6 Officers must hold Executive Board meetings at least once every thirty days from September to May.
Article VI
Section I
6.1 Executive Board officers, being vital to the success of the Association, shall fulfill the responsibilities in Article IV.
6.2 An appointed officer not fulfilling the responsibilities in Article IV shall be removed from office by the President with the majority vote of the Executive Boards vote. However, the officer being charged of negligence must recues himself/herself.
6.3 An Executive Board officer not fulfilling the responsibilities in Article IV shall face impeachment proceedings.
Section II
6.4 Impeachment proceedings may be brought against any Executive Board officer by any three active members of the Association.
6.5 The names of the members bringing impeachment charges may remain secret if they choose. Their names shall only be revealed to the President and the Vice President. If either one or both are facing impeachment proceedings, the third and fourth highest-ranking officers shall instead be notified of the names. Officers may not reveal the names under any circumstances.
6.6 Grounds for impeachment include negligence or abandonment of duty to the Association, severe infraction of the Association’s constitution or policy while acting under the authority or representation of the Association, or any action, which intentionally and maliciously harms the Association and/or any of its members.
6.7 Such claims must be submitted in writing to the President no later than one week prior to a hearing in which all charges will be discussed and decided upon by the Executive Board.
6.8 The Executive Board shall inform the officer of any such charges immediately.
6.9 After being notified, the highest available Executive Board Officer and the officer under charges shall meet to discuss impeachment proceedings.
6.10 The Executive Board shall set the date, minus the charged officer, for an impeachment hearing. All Executive Board officers, appointed officers and active members shall attend this hearing.
6.11 The impeachment vote shall be taken at this hearing. The individual being considered for expulsion shall not have a vote and shall not be counted amongst the number of voting members. The voting membership shall consist of the Executive Board officers, appointed officers, and the active membership who attend the hearing. A two-thirds vote of the voting members is required to remove an Executive Board Officer from office.
6.12 If the President is the officer being impeached, the Vice President shall run the proceedings.
6.13 Election to fill the position in question is to occur no more than one month after removal from office. The removed officer is to serve until his or her elected replacement is sworn into office or until the President appoints a suitable temporary substitute.
Article VII
Section I
7.1 Any active member may propose an amendment to this constitution in writing, provided to the Executive Board at least one week prior to the annual membership meeting.
7.2 Any amendment or changes to this Constitution shall be voted upon at the annual membership meeting.
7.3 A two-thirds majority shall amend this Constitution.
OF THE
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Article I
Section I
The purposes of the Association of International Relations shall be:
1.1 To increase the level of interest and debate in international relations.
1.2. To promote a better understanding of the global political environment in which we live to the Rutgers community.
1.3. To offer Rutgers students the opportunity to participate in Model United Nations conferences.
Section II
1.5. The Association and its members, in pursuit of the purposes in Section 1, shall act in accordance with the principles of the fundamental equality of all members.
1.6 Membership shall be open to all Rutgers University students, faculty and staff regardless of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Section III
1.7 This organization shall abide by all applicable rules and regulations of the University and under the privileges as granted by the Division of Student Affairs and by the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors.
1.8 The Association shall abide by all applicable laws of the State of New Jersey and the United States.
Article II
Section I
2.1 The Executive Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Director of Operations, Director of Communications and a Head Delegate. These shall be the Executive Officers of the Association of International Relations.
2.2 The President shall have power, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, to sign agreements with other organizations, provided a majority of the Executive Board concurs.
2.3 Executive Board Officer’s term shall begin the first day of May
2.4 There shall be a two year (four semesters) term limit for the office of the president. There shall not be a term limit on holding an executive board position, except for that of the Presidency
Section II
2.5 The President, Head- Delegate, Vice-President, Director of Finance, and Director of Communications shall be the voting members of the Executive Board, where the President acts as Chairman.
2.6 The President can appoint an officer following a vote of approval by a majority of the Executive Board.
2.7 The Executive Board shall reach all decisions by consensus. However, all decisions shall be made by a majority vote where each Executive Board member shall have one vote. In the event of a tie or a deadlock on a decision, the President casts the deciding vote. In matters related to Model United Nations conferences, the Head Delegate shall cast the deciding vote.
2.8 In cases of a prolonged disagreement between president and other Executive board members, the decision can be made thru a referendum of all active members in the club on that particular decision.
2.9 The Executive Board must aim to represent the good of the Association and to preserve the ideals set forth in this constitution.
Article III
Section I
3.1 After attending seven meetings per semester or fourteen meetings in total, a member shall be granted active membership status for the duration of the administrative year for voting purposes. A member shall be granted membership status for the purpose of conference attendance after three meetings per semester.
3.2 Active members will be eligible to attend conferences, vote at membership meetings and become officers of the Association.
3.3 In order to maintain active membership status, members shall attend three meetings every semester.
3.4 Should an active member fail to attend three meetings in a semester, (s) he shall lose the active membership status.
Section II
3.5 The membership shall convene once a year at a date and location fixed by the President to discuss the strategy and long-term objectives of the Association.
3.6 The President shall solicit items from the active members for the agenda of the meeting and shall accept such items until one week prior to the meeting.
3.7 The President shall present a written and oral report on the operations of the Association of International Relations to the annual membership meeting.
3.8 The membership may debate any facet of the Association’s operations or matters arising from the present Constitution during the annual meeting.
3.9 It shall be the goal of the membership to reach all decisions by consensus. However, unless otherwise specified or agreed to by a majority of the members, all decisions shall be made by majority vote.
3.10 The President or his/her designate shall act as the Presiding Officer at the annual membership meeting.
Section III
3.11 The Association’s delegations to conferences shall be composed of active members of the Association.
3.12 The Head delegate shall be responsible for conference formalities and logistics after soliciting the advice of the Executive Board.
3.13 If an Executive Board Officer or Executive Officer feels a delegate is not fulfilling his/her responsibilities, a request may be drawn to the whole Executive Board. The Board shall then vote upon termination of the delegate, with a majority vote.
Article IV
Section I
4.1 The Executive Board shall decide on the day of the elections within April.
4.2 To be eligible to run for office the candidates must have active membership status.
4.3 The membership will elect the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Director of Communications, Director of Operations, and a Head Delegate.
4.4 The President shall preside over the elections and, along with the second highest ranking officer present, shall tabulate the results unless s (he) is a candidate, and in such cases s (he) shall not tabulate the results. The next highest-ranking officer shall do it. At all times, the results shall be tabulated by the two highest ranking officers not contesting the office for which the results are being tabulated.
4.5 Nominations shall be made by self-nomination at least one week before the elections. If the President and Vice President are considered to be candidates for re-election together, then the vote for both offices shall occur simultaneously. In this instance the next highest ranking officer shall preside over that portion of the election, and the next two highest ranking members shall tabulate the votes. If the ticket extends below the offices of President and Vice-President then the voting membership shall nominate a neutral party to tabulate the vote.
4.6 Elections will be made by secret ballot, with a majority vote for election.
4.7 A candidate for a position, if running unopposed, must receive a vote of confidence from the voting membership. A vote of confidence shall consist of receiving fifty percent plus one approval from all present voting members.
4.8 If no valid candidates are elected for a particular office, the President-elect shall appoint an individual to fill the vacancy within three weeks. If at that time no candidate can be found for the vacancy, one of the continuing Executive Board members shall serve in the vacancy duty until a valid candidate can be appointed by the President.
4.9 In the event of a sudden vacancy in any executive office, the President shall appoint an interim officer following a vote of approval by a majority of the Executive Board, until such time as a proper official election may be held for the office.
4.10 In the event of a tie, the room of general members will go into lockdown with the candidates of the contested position outside of the room. General members will quorum, until the officer acting as chair deems it appropriate to re-vote. In the event of another tie, the general members will continue to quorum until such time that the tie is broken.
Article V
Section I
5.1 Before (s) he shall enter on the execution of office, (s) he shall take the following oath: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and enforce the Constitution of the Association of International Relations. The President shall oversee all activities, conduct all meetings, and act as Chairman of the Executive Board. The President shall act as the official spokesperson of the Association. (S) he, in case there is an officer’s position vacant, shall appoint interim officers with the advice and consent of the Executive Board. The President with the Treasurer is responsible to make transparent all financial records to the entire Executive Board if any Officer requests it during an Executive Board meeting.
5.2 Upon confirmation of election results the President shall have no more than three weeks to transfer all administrative passwords, records, and all other outstanding information required for the proper governing of the organization to the President-elect. If after this transfer period the newly elected executive board is not in possession of the above mentioned items, it shall be the responsibility of the Board to compel the former President through the pursuit of University administrative action.
5.3 The Vice-President shall be responsible for the coordination of all records for the Association, assisting the President as required and executing special projects determined by the President.
5.3 The Head Delegate shall be responsible for the formalities and logistics of Model United Nations collegiate conferences. This includes but is not limited to accommodations, registration, training, preparation and positioning delegates in committees. The Head Delegate shall finalize the roster for the delegation after soliciting the advice of the executive board.
5.4 The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing the annual budget, overseeing all financial affairs and coordinating fundraising activities for the Association. S (he) shall keep current and accurate records and reports of the Association’s financial matters.
5.5 The Director of Communications shall be the Association’s spokesperson when the President is unavailable. (S) he shall be responsible for the Association’s internal communications, administering the Association’s website and preparing materials for each Executive Board and membership meetings. S (he) shall record all activities and events of the Association. S (he) shall be responsible for all official correspondence both internally and with the University and outside agencies. S (he) shall also keep minutes of all Executive Board meetings.
5.6 The Director of operations shall be responsible for coordinating on campus events
5.6 Officers must hold Executive Board meetings at least once every thirty days from September to May.
Article VI
Section I
6.1 Executive Board officers, being vital to the success of the Association, shall fulfill the responsibilities in Article IV.
6.2 An appointed officer not fulfilling the responsibilities in Article IV shall be removed from office by the President with the majority vote of the Executive Boards vote. However, the officer being charged of negligence must recues himself/herself.
6.3 An Executive Board officer not fulfilling the responsibilities in Article IV shall face impeachment proceedings.
Section II
6.4 Impeachment proceedings may be brought against any Executive Board officer by any three active members of the Association.
6.5 The names of the members bringing impeachment charges may remain secret if they choose. Their names shall only be revealed to the President and the Vice President. If either one or both are facing impeachment proceedings, the third and fourth highest-ranking officers shall instead be notified of the names. Officers may not reveal the names under any circumstances.
6.6 Grounds for impeachment include negligence or abandonment of duty to the Association, severe infraction of the Association’s constitution or policy while acting under the authority or representation of the Association, or any action, which intentionally and maliciously harms the Association and/or any of its members.
6.7 Such claims must be submitted in writing to the President no later than one week prior to a hearing in which all charges will be discussed and decided upon by the Executive Board.
6.8 The Executive Board shall inform the officer of any such charges immediately.
6.9 After being notified, the highest available Executive Board Officer and the officer under charges shall meet to discuss impeachment proceedings.
6.10 The Executive Board shall set the date, minus the charged officer, for an impeachment hearing. All Executive Board officers, appointed officers and active members shall attend this hearing.
6.11 The impeachment vote shall be taken at this hearing. The individual being considered for expulsion shall not have a vote and shall not be counted amongst the number of voting members. The voting membership shall consist of the Executive Board officers, appointed officers, and the active membership who attend the hearing. A two-thirds vote of the voting members is required to remove an Executive Board Officer from office.
6.12 If the President is the officer being impeached, the Vice President shall run the proceedings.
6.13 Election to fill the position in question is to occur no more than one month after removal from office. The removed officer is to serve until his or her elected replacement is sworn into office or until the President appoints a suitable temporary substitute.
Article VII
Section I
7.1 Any active member may propose an amendment to this constitution in writing, provided to the Executive Board at least one week prior to the annual membership meeting.
7.2 Any amendment or changes to this Constitution shall be voted upon at the annual membership meeting.
7.3 A two-thirds majority shall amend this Constitution.