Black Student Association Constitution

Black Student Association Constitution

Article I: Name and Purpose

I. Black Student Association (BSA)

II. The BSA has three main missions:

a. To bring the students from diverse backgrounds together to build a sense of community.

b. Promote diversity, in addition to race, to the CSB/SJU student body and community.

c. To encourage cultural identity

Article II: Membership

I. Membership is open to all students from the College of Saint Benedicts and Saint John's University Campuses. Memberships can also be held by staff members of both campuses but are restricted from having voting privileges. It is the hope of the BSA to invite members of the Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedicts community who are interested in learning about some of the diverse cultures we have on campus (primarily those of African heritage) and the people who represent those cultures. Memberships include voting, non-voting, and affiliate members (those members such as staff who are interested but cannot take place in voting situations.)

II. Voting members include those who have attended fifty percent of the meetings or more.

III. The removal of members is not a necessary function of the BSA. The removal of voting rights due to lack of participation is the consequence of not attending fifty percent of the BSA meetings.

Article III: Officers

I. The President and Vice-President must be a junior or senior as of years on campus. Only one member can only hold one BSA Executive Board position at a time (special occasions are specified in section four).  To be eligible for an official position, you have to be a member of the BSA for at least a semester and in good standing with the BSA.

II. The members of the Executive Board are as follows:

a. President
b. Vice president
c. Treasurer
d. Secretary
e. Public Relations Officer

III. The duties of the executive board members are as follows:

a. The President will preside at meetings, call special meetings, run the election process, will appoint committee chairs when the committees are formed.
b. The Vice President assumes the President's duties in his/her absence, schedule meeting/practice rooms/facilities, primary contact with the JCB, plans member/officer training programs, other
c. Treasurer will keep all financial records, submits monthly audit statements to CFB contact, notifies organization of financial issues, prepares budget/allocation requests,

d. Secretary will take and distribute minutes of all club meetings, recorder keeper (current and past members, files minutes, etc.), club historian, notify members of meetings, handles the official correspondence of the club, other

e. Public Relations Officer will promote activities of the BSA and to encourage the student population to get involved with the BSA.

IV. In the absence of a President, Vice president will take the role of the president. In the absence of the VP, the secretary will take the role of the Vice president and any other member of the executive board that has a vacancy. In these special occasions, an executive officer can hold a second position until the special elections are concluded.

V. When an executive board member violates an institution rule, they undergo a probation period. Upon a second offense to an institution rule, the will be immediately removed from office. When a voting member finds that an executive board a member is not accomplishing their tasks, they have two options:

a. They can bring up the complaint in a BSA meeting in front of the whole club, or

b. They can approach an executive member in a non BSA meeting and then the executive board member has the responsibility to bring the complaint to the rest of the executive board. The executive board then votes to bring the complaint to the entire BSA. In the case of a tie (amongst the Executive Board) the complaint will be dismissed.

VI. When the complaint has been approved to the entire BSA, the executive board member then states his/her case to the BSA. Then the BSA voting members will vote to decide to impeach the executive board member.

Article IV: Elections

I. Only self-nomination will be accepted. This shows to the BSA that the individuals who are applying are motivated enough to get the position they want.

II. Terms for all executive board members will be one year, with elections of the new officers taken place in March.

III. In the case of a special election, members will notified that there is a position available and members interested in filling the position will have to send their platforms the day before the next meeting.

Article V: Advisor

I. The members present at the founding of this constitution will decide who will be the club advisor. The BSA will also revise at the election of the new officers whether or not it is in the best interest of the BSA to find another faculty advisor.

II. The faculty advisor's main responsibility is to help guide the BSA to fulfill its missions. It is also a responsibility of the faculty advisor to follow the guidelines as stated by the advisor contract.

Article VI: Meetings

I. The BSA will meet on a bi-weekly basis. Members will be notified via e-mail and cell phone.

II. Special meetings would be called in place of vacancy of executive board member, and any other emergency event decided by the President.

III.We will run the meetings in accordance to what we see fit.

IV. In the case of the event of a vote, a two-thirds attendance of voting members is required for a vote to occur.

Article VII: Committees

I. The BSA executive board members will convene on a weekly basis and within these meeting the executive board members will decide on a majority vote whether a committee needs to be formed. If the vote is passed, they will bring it up in the next BSA meeting and formulate the club then.

Article VIII: Finances

I. The BSA will apply for monies through the CFB.

II. No officers will be given an honorariums or stipends from the BSA.

III. No dues shall be paid.

Article IX: Ratification

I. At the beginning of every academic year, and at the time of the resubmission of the constitution, the constitution is subject to revision. Changing of anything on the constitution has to be approved by a two-thirds vote of the voting members.

II. All changes to the Constitution must be sent to SALD and JCB.

Article X

The Black Student Association 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 XI

The Black Student Association considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Black Student Association recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.

Article XII

The Black Student Association agrees that its activities, mission statement and goals are consistent with the Benedictine Values.