Art Club Constitution
18 September, 2017
Article 1: Name and Mission
Section 1: Name
Officially, this club shall be recognized as, The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Art Club.
Section 2: Mission
Art Club is devoted to the promotion of the arts at CSB/SJU and the surrounding communities. Our mission is focused on the promotion of creativity and fun while connecting with art faculty and the artist community of central MN.
Article 2: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility
Art Club is open to ALL majors/minors attending CSB/SJU. The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University invites all individuals who have a passion for creativity and wish to contribute to the art community of CSB/SJU.
Section 2: Voting Membership Criteria
Upon joining Art Club, all members become “voters”, and have the ability to vote on topics during the club meetings. Along with this privilege comes the expectation and responsibility of attending a majority of the meetings. The executive officials have the authority to revoke a member's voting membership, while agreeing/disagreeing that the member has unreasonably neglected his/her responsibility. Upon losing voting membership, the member can regain their membership after going to at least two thirds of all Art Club meetings for the year.
Members who are studying abroad automatically become non-voting members, but may resume their voting membership upon their return to CSB/SJU.
Section 3: Responsibilities
As a member of The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Art Club, you are expected to:
- Attend all general and special meetings
- Participate in club events and activities
- Contribute ideas and help facilitate activities, as well as carry out original intentions
Section 4: Removal of Members
No membership will be revoked unless there are serious circumstances. The severity will be determined by the current Art Club members. Upon the Art Club members’ discretion, the issue will be addressed through voting at a special election (meeting), where the accused will have an opportunity for defense. If a membership is revoked, the executive officials shall decide if and when a removed member can be reinstated to Art Club.
Section 5: Anneal
Any student removed from the Art Club by its members has the opportunity to appeal to the Joint Club Board. Should a student's membership still be denied, the Joint Event Board will determine if and when a student may rejoin the club.
Article 3: Executive Officials
Section 1: Qualifications
Any member of Art Club may run for any executive office, regardless of length of membership within the club. Although, individuals running for offices should have displayed active participation and show leadership capabilities. Members of the executive office should be able to engage in meetings, generate ideas, and be an equal participant of Art Club.
Section 2: Executive Officials
The following positions are executive offices: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Advisor. Their term of office shall start on the first day of April during the spring semester.
Section 3: Duties of the Executive Officials
President: The president calls and presides all meetings. The president also calls executive meetings when necessary. The president oversees all events and activities, and appoints members to oversee a particular activity or event if necessary. The president shall see that Art Club follows the regulations set by the Co-Funding Board, the Joint Club Board, CSB/SJU, and this constitution. The president shall run and oversee any election process, however are unable to vote if they are elected for an executive position for an additional term.
Vice President: The vice president shall assist the president in all roles. The vice president shall become president if the office is open before the end of the term.
Secretary: The secretary shall record all the topics discussed at every meeting and shall post the minutes and file a copy in the club's records. The secretary shall also send out the emails to notify members and the campus community about meetings and events associated with Art.
Treasurer: The treasurer shall keep all financial records and submit monthly audits to the Co-funding Board. The treasurer shall notify the club of its finances upon requests.
Advisor: The advisor must be CSB/SJU faculty or staff who offers guidance to the Art Club. The relationship between the Art Department and the Art Club will be able to effectively communicate all art related events on our campuses and in the surrounding areas.
Section 4: Vacancy in Office
Should a vacancy in the executive office occur, the other officials shall assume that office until the place is filled again by a special election.
Section 5: Removal from Office
If any member of the Art Club feels that any of the officials are not fulfilling or are abusing their office, that member must bring it to the attention of either the president or the vice president. Should both the president and vice president be under accusation, it shall be brought to the attention of the secretary, treasurer, and/or advisor. That official shall send to all members of the club a petition to sign via mail, clipboard, or email. At that time, the accused official will have the opportunity of defense at a special meeting where a special election is conducted. The club shall decide if the removed official can or cannot run for office again.
Section 6: Appeal
Any official removed from the office has the opportunity to appeal to the Joint Club Board. The Joint Club Board may reinstate any removed official. Should the appeal be overturned, the Joint Club Board shall decide if the member can or cannot run for office again.
Article 4: Elections/Special Elections
Section 1: Conditions for Elections
Elections are to be held to select the executive officials for the coming academic year.
Section 2: Nomination Process
Any member of the Art Club may be nominated for an executive office. However, the nominee must accept the nomination in order to be on the ballet.
Section 3: Election Process
Elections are to be held by April first, under present executive officials. In the case of vacancy in office, an election should be held as soon as possible. A list of candidates will be compiled at that meeting. All positions need to have at least three persons nominated. Candidates will be awarded offices based upon the most votes. The president and other member chosen by the president shall be recorders; they shall not vote in the election and shall be unbiased in the discussion process.
Section 4: Special Elections
Special elections shall occur in the event of a removal of office or membership. All members will take part in a special election, which is to be conducted after the defense of the accused. The special election can be conducted by a secret ballot at a special meeting. In order for the vote of removal to be valid, 2/3 of the club must vote in favor of removal.
Article 5: Meetings
Section 1: Regular Meetings
Regular meetings are to be conducted on a biweekly basis. Time and place will be set by the executive officers every meeting according to the needs of Art Club. These meetings have information regarding upcoming events, opportunities for involvement in the art community, and other art experiences.
Section 2: Executive Meetings
Executive officers of the club shall meet at least twice a month on Monday nights. At least once every two months, the advisor will be present at the club meeting.
Section 3: Special Meetings
Special meetings shall be called when necessary. In the case of a member or an executive official giving a defense, a special meeting will occur. Unless dealing with a removal, a special meeting shall be conducted like a regular meeting.
Section 4: Conduction of a Meeting
At the beginning of every meeting, minutes shall be read. Then, any unresolved issues shall be worked out and voted on. Should any issue remain unresolved, it can either be brought up next meeting or voted to be put down. By the end of the meeting, all issues should be dealt with and any tasks for members should be assigned.
Section 5: Voting at Meetings
When an issue is brought to be voted upon, it is to have two recommendations. Over half of the voting members are needed for a vote to be valid. Voting by the club can be conducted verbally or by ballot.
Article 6: Committees/Appointees
Section 1: Committees
Should it become necessary, the president has the authority to create committees to oversee certain activities within the club.
Section 2: Appointees
Should it become necessary, the president has the authority to appoint members to oversee certain activities within the club.
Article 7: Finances
Section 1: Dues
Members of Art Club are not required to pay any dues. Because of this, members who wish to travel to different art experiences funded by the club will be required to attend at least one Art Club meeting a month and volunteer for at least one club event a semester.
Section 2: Honorariums
The Art Club will be working with the Art Department to plan an annual event for an artist's visit to the campus for a lecture and optional workshop. Payment to their provided lecture to the entire CSB/SJU campus will be negotiated. The price will be discussed in preparation for each event and according to each artists' commitment.
Article 8: Amendments
Section 1: Proposing Amendments
This constitution may be changed any time during the academic school year. The proposed change must be brought to the attention of the executive officers and the advisor. The members of the entire club will be voting upon the new amendment.
Section 2: Amending/Ratification
All Art Club members are responsible to vote on all amendments to the constitution. Voting may be done verbally or through a ballot. Two thirds of the club roster must vote in favor to the make the amendment valid. Amendments may be incorporated into any part of the constitution. It must be made sure that a past copy of the constitution is on file before revisions. Any amended constitution created by the Art Club must be dated and filed.
Section 3: Submittal to the Department of Student Activities and Joint Club Board
Any amendments to the constitution must be submitted to the Department of Student Activities and the Joint Club Board for final approval.
Article 9
The CSB/SJU Art club admits students without regard to their race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and other activities, generally accorded or made available to members of the organization.
Article 10
The CSB/SJU Art Club considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The CSB/SJU Art Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.
Article 10
The CSB/SJU Art Club agrees that its activities, mission statement and goals are consistent with the Benedictine Values.