Communication Club Constitution

Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1: Name
This organization is known as the Communication Club of the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University. Abbreviation: (Comm. Club)

Section 2: Purpose/Mission
The Communication Club’s purpose is to create opportunities for students to experience the world of communications as it relates to career goals through events, informational sessions and further activities.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Eligibility for Membership
Any currently enrolled College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University undergraduate student may join the Communication Club. The Executive Committee has responsibility of deciding on the membership limit.

Section 2: Voting Member Criteria
The Executive Committee are the only members with voting rights. They must attend all meetings and events and be chosen by the previous year’s Executive Committee.

Section 3: Removal of Members

If there is a need for an Executive Committee member to be removed the steps outlined must be taken.

  1. Email notification of offense as a first warning.
  2. Email notification of offense and meeting with Executive Committee members, within two weeks of offense, as a second warning.
  3. Removal from the Comm. Club through a meeting with the Club President and Faculty Advisor.

Article III: Officers

Section 1: Officer Qualifications
All officers must be current CSB/SJU students. There is no GPA requirement, but the Student must have taken at least two of the three introductory communication courses and be interested in the field of communication. See Article IV for Election procedures.

Section 2: Elected Officers

The elected officers include:

  1. President
  2. Treasurer
  3. Public Relations/Advertising Executive(s)
  4. Community Relations Executive(s)
  5. Event Coordinator(s)

Section 3: Duties of Officers

President: The president will facilitate at all meetings of the club and shall be the primary contact with the institutions, appoint committee chairs and runs the election process. The president, with the approval of the executive committee, shall call regular and special meetings of the club. The president shall delegate and oversee duties of meetings, events, advertising, public relations, community relations and finances. These duties should be assigned to corresponding executive positions.

Term: Full academic year

Treasurer: The Treasurer should be responsible for following duties:

  1. Keep record of all receipts and club expenditures
  2. Apply for funding from the Co-Funding Board. Assume responsibility for the following Funding Board rules that apply to requesting allocations, funding, and institutional financial policies.
  3. Develop and organize fundraising activities.
  4. Submit monthly audit statements to the CFB contact: Susie J. Schroeder.

Term: Full academic year required.

Public Relations/Advertising Executive(s): The PR and advertising executive(s) is responsible for all email, advertising and promotions of meeting and upcoming events. They are also responsible for abiding by all email and public relations policies outlined by Student Activities. These members are also responsible for updating the Communication Club’s website, in the event that one is properly set up.

Term: At least one academic semester

Community Relations Executive(s): The Community Relations Executive(s) is responsible for updating the Communication Club Board located on fourth floor of the Quad and for signing up for and setting up the table at “Involvement in the HCC.”

Term: At least one academic semester

Event Coordinator: The Event Coordinator is responsible for communication with any guests, reserving any rooms the club may want to use and ordering any food or beverages for events.

Term:At least one academic semester

Section 4: Vacancy in Office
In the event a vacancy should occur (resignation or removal); the next person will take over the duties.

Ex) President resigns, Event Coordinator will take over. The Event Coordinator resigns, the PR/Advertising Executive will take over. The PR/Advertising Executive resigns, the Community Relations Executive will take over. The Community Relations Executive resigns, the PR/Advertising Executive will take over. The Treasurer resigns, the President will take over.

Please refer to the special election section of Article IV for selecting a new member to fill the vacant office.

Section 5: Removal of Officers
A petition to remove the officer in question must be submitted to another officer. This petition must contain the signatures of 2/3 of voting members. When such petition is received, the officer shall call a meeting of the club to determine whether or not the officer should be removed. The academic advisor must be present at this meeting.

Grounds for removal are to be presented by the officer in charge at a regular or special club meeting. The officer in question shall be provided an opportunity to present a defense either in person or in writing. A quorum shall be present, and a 2/3 vote of the voting members shall decide upon removal.

Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers
The removed officer has two weeks to request an appeal. The appeal must consist of three reasons the officer should be reinstated. A meeting will then be called and a 2/3 vote is required on the appeal for the officer to be reinstated.

Article IV: Elections

Section 1: Nomination Process
In the spring semester, by April 1, an email will be sent out to all CSB/SJU students announcing the acceptance of Communication Club applications to be executive members. All CSB/SJU students who submit an application are considered nominated.

Section 2: Election
The current Communication Club Executive members will meet and review all of the applications. A verbal vote will be taken at this meeting requiring a 2/3 vote for what applicants will be accepted as an executive member. One person cannot serve more than three and a half academic years in one position with the Communication Club. The Department of Student Activities must be notified of new members by April 1.

Section 3: Special Elections
Within two weeks of a vacancy occurring, the executive members will meet and review the student applications for the vacant position. A new candidate will be decided upon and asked, via email, if they are still interested in the opportunity to join the Communication Club. If they accept, the position is then filled, if they decline, the application process will begin again. The position should be filled within one month of the vacancy.

Article V: Advisor

Section 1: Selection
The club will ask the communication professors if they would be willing to be the club’s advisor. Currently it is Karyl Daughters.

Section 2: Duties
The advisor needs to attend any special meeting called to address issues in the club. Otherwise the advisor will only be involved if the executive committee asked for their involvement.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1: Regular Meeting/Club Activities
The club will have at least one executive member meeting and one all club meeting each academic semester. Members will be made aware of meeting and activities via email.

Section 2: Special Meetings
A special meeting will be called if there is an unplanned issue in the club that must be addressed immediately. Members will be notifies via email.

Section 3: Parliamentary Authority
The president will begin all meetings by listing the meeting agenda. After the president is done each member will be asked if they have any information to share. If so, it will be on hand raising basis.

Section 4: Quorum*
2/3 of the communication club membership must be present for official club business to occur.

Article VII: Committees

Section 1: Committee Structure
There is not committee’s formed at this time. If some are formed they must fall under the title of an executive member’s position and that executive member is responsible for the committee.

Section 2: Special/Ad-Hoc Committees
Special/ad-hoc committees may be formed if needed.

Article VIII: Finances

Section 1: Co-Funding Board
The club will apply for CFB monies and if allocated resources, will follow all CFB and institutional regulations.

Section 2: Honorariums
No member of the Communication Club will receive an honorarium.

Section 3: Dues (optional)
No dues are required to be involved with the Communication Club.

Article IX: Amendments

Section 1: Ratification
The Communication Club’s constitution may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members at a club meeting. The public relations/advertising executive will communicate the reminders at least two weeks in advance in order to notify all members.

Section 2: Submittal to Department of Student Activities and Joint Club Board
Any changes made to this constitution must be submitted to the Department of Student Activities and the JCB.

Article X:
The Communication 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 XI:
The Communication Club considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Communication Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.

Article XII

The Communication Club agress that its activities, mission statement and goals are consistent with the Benedictine Values.

Date of recognition/revision: January 29, 2008