Model Constitution & Bylaws for Student Organizations

California State University, Fresno

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
INDIAN STUDENT CLUB, FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY
ARTICLE I:

NAME

Section 1

The name of this organization shall be the Indian Student Club of

California State University, Fresno, to be called ISC from here
forward in this and other documents of ISC.

ARTICLE II:

PURPOSE

Section 1

The purposes of this organization are to create a strong sense of

unity and belonging amongst the Indian community at Fresno State,
and to be a bridge to other communities on campus. The
organization wishes, through its various activities, to cherish the
Indian culture and values, and at the same time respect other
cultures. It seeks to provide information on the social and cultural
aspects of Indian to the University community, and also information
on professional and career opportunities through presentations by
guest speakers. Such presentation will be open to all interested
individuals.

ARTICLE III

AUTHORITY

Section 1

This organization is recognized by California State University,

Fresno and adheres to all regulations as set forth in the
Handbook for Student Organizations and Use of Campus
Facilities and Grounds.

Section 2

The rules contained in the most recent version of Roberts

Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary
authority for this organization and shall govern in all cases to
which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent
with these bylaws and any special rules of order the
organization may adopt.

ARTICLE IV:

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1

Membership in the organization shall be open to all those

regularly enrolled California State University, Fresno students
who are interested in membership. There shall be no other

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requirements for admission to regular membership.

regular member has equal rights and privileges.

Each

Section 2

There shall be two types of membership in the organization: voting

and honorary. Voting membership is limited to regularly enrolled
students at California State University, Fresno. Any eligible California
State University, Fresno student who completes and signs a
membership application shall be deemed a member upon filing of the
application with the secretary.

Section 3

Eligibility for membership or appointed or elected student

officer positions shall not be limited on the basis of race,
religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, gender
identity, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or
disability. The organization shall have no rules or policies that
discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin,
ethnicity, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital status,
citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability.

Section 4

Any person who has tendered outstanding service to the organization

may be conferred with honorary membership by consensus of the
committee. Any honorary member shall have the privilege to not be
assessed as long as he/she is a member of the club.

Section 5

Any member may be suspended or expelled from the organization for

conduct obviously contrary to the Constitution of the organization or
for conduct which grossly impairs the rights of the members to enjoy
the benefits of the organization. The alleged offense must be in
writing and submitted by a member. After the alleged offense has
been submitted to the organization, the accused member shall have
a right to a hearing before the organization at a regular meeting and
may be suspended or expelled only upon the affirmative vote of
three-fourths of the voting members present. The accused member
has the right to appeal an adverse decision at a regular meeting, and
the accused member shall be reinstated unless the suspension or
expulsion is again approved by three-fourths vote.

Section 6

Any member removed by such a vote may file a grievance with the
University Student Grievance Board by contacting the Dean of
Student Affairs Office. A member of the Deans staff will review the
procedures with the student.

ARTICLE V:

OFFICERS

Section 1

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The elected officers of the organization shall be the President,

Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Event Co-ordinator, Website

Administrator, News and Publicity and others as deemed necessary see provisions for amending.
Section 2

Powers and Duties of Officers:

a. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization.
He/She shall be the official spokesperson of the organization,
representing the policies, views, and opinions of the organization
in its relations with the campus and community at large. He/ She
shall keep the committee working together as a team; resolve
differences and build cohesiveness. He/She shall have such
further powers and duties as may be prescribed by the
organization.
b. The Vice-President shall preside at organization meetings in the
absence of the President. He/She shall perform all legal duties
assigned by the President. The Vice-President shall actively
participate n organizing events, and be responsible for enforcing
the mission and the constitution of the club. He/She shall notify all
members of the organization meetings.
c. The Treasurer shall handle all financial affairs and budgeting of
the organization, maintaining all necessary accounting records.
Said records shall be maintained in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. He/She shall maintain bank
accounts in the organizations name, requiring signatures of both
the Treasurer and Chair for authorized disbursements. All
disbursements in excess of $50.00 require the majority approval
of the organization. The financial records will be kept current at all
times and presented at the general meetings and committee
meetings as necessary.
d. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings of the
organization, keep these on file, and submit required copies to all
organization members. He/She shall be responsible for all
organization correspondence and shall keep copies thereof on
file. He/She shall also act as historian and shall maintain all
records of the organization. The secretary shall schedule and call
meetings and actively participate in organizing correspondence
and shall keep copies thereof on file.
e. The event co-ordinator shall be responsible for events on an
ongoing basis. He/ She needs to manage the logistics and work
closely with the VP and Secretary on operational details of
events. Would also be responsible for leaflets and flyers for event
notification.
f. The Web Administrator shall develop and maintain the
organization website.

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e. The News and Publicity in charge shall look after the designing of
posters and flyers and/or any art-related work which would go
hand-in hand with the events news and publicity of the club.
The above responsibilities are merely indicative and not
exhaustive. It shall be the responsibility of the committee to deliver
together as a team.

Section 3

Qualifications necessary to hold office in this organization are

as follows:
The president and treasurer of the student organization are
required to meet the minimum requirements established for
Minor Student Representative Student Officers.
Minimum Academic Qualifications
Students must be matriculated and enrolled at a CSU campus
and maintain a minimum overall 2.0 grade point average each
term. The students must be in good standing and must not be
on probation of any kind.
Incumbent Unit Load
This requires undergraduate students to earn six semester (nine
quarter) units per term while holding office. Graduate and
credential students must earn three semester (four quarter)
units per term while holding office. Students enrolled at quarter
campuses must attend a minimum of two quarters during the
academic year to maintain eligibility.
Incumbent Maximum Allowable Units
Undergraduate students are allowed to earn a maximum of 150
semester (225 quarter) units or 125 percent of the units required
for a specific baccalaureate degree objective, whichever is
greater. Graduate and credential students are allowed to earn a
maximum of 50 semester (75 quarter) units or 167 percent of the
units required for the graduate or credential objective,
whichever is greater. Students holding more than this number
of units will no longer be eligible for minor student government
office.

Section 4

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Petition by one-third of the total number of members shall be cause

for recall election. The offense must be in writing and submitted by a
member. After the offense has been submitted to the organization,
the accused officer shall have at least 48 hours before the hearing. A
recall election shall be held at the next regular business meeting after

the presentation of the recall petition and shall be conducted as a

special election. Recall will require a favorable vote of three-fourths
of the voting membership in attendance.
Section 5

In the event that an elected officer is unable to fulfill his/her term of

office, there shall be a special election to fill the vacancy. Any eligible
member, including those already holding office, may be nominated
for a vacant office.

ARTICLE VI:

SELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1

The President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are

elected once a year. Elections are held at the end of the spring
semester and shall take place at a regularly scheduled meeting
of the organization at which a quorum is present. At least one
weeks notice shall be provided for any meeting at which an
election is to be held.

Section 2

Nominations for officers shall be made at the regular meeting

immediately preceding the election. Nominations may also be made
from the floor immediately prior to the election for each office.
Members may nominate themselves for an office.

Section 3

The officers shall be elected in this order: President, Vice President,

Treasurer, and Secretary.

Section 4

Officers shall be elected by majority vote. If no candidate receives a

majority vote, a runoff election shall be held between the two
candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In the event of a
tie, there shall be a revote. If the result of the revote is still a tie, the
election shall be decided by the flip of a coin.

Section 5

Votes shall be cast by secret ballot; however, when there is only one
candidate for an office, a motion may be made to elect the candidate
by acclamation.

Section 6

Officers shall assume office on the first day of the semester

following the election and shall serve for the entire academic year.

Section 7

Officers may be recalled from office for cause. To initiate a

recall election, a petition signed by one-third of the total number of
voting members must be submitted at a regular meeting and a
recall vote shall be taken at the next regular meeting. The
officer subject to recall shall be given written notice of the recall
at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at which the recall vote will
be held and shall be given an opportunity to provide a defense.
A two-thirds vote is required to remove an officer.

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Section 8

In the event that an elected officer is unable to fulfill his/her

term of office, there shall be a special election to fill the vacancy.
Any eligible member, including those already holding office, may be
nominated for a vacant office.

ARTICLE VII:

MEETINGS

Section 1

Regular meetings shall be scheduled weekly during the

academic year.

Section 2

Special meetings may be called by any elected officer. All

members must be given a minimum of 24 hour notice prior to
the meeting time.

Section 3

Business cannot be conducted unless a quorum of the

membership is present. A quorum for this organization is
defined as a majority of the voting membership. A quorum for
this organization is defined as 50%+1 of the voting membership.

Section 4

Members must be present to vote. Absentee or proxy voting is not

permitted.

ARTICLE VIII:

ADVISORS

Section 1

The organization shall appoint an individual employed on a halftime or more basis as a faculty or staff member by California
State University, Fresno to serve as the university advisor to the
organization. Auxiliary staff and student assistants are not
eligible to serve as advisors. The advisor shall fulfill the
responsibilities specified in the Handbook for Student
Organizations and Use of Campus Facilities and Grounds.
to this organization as required by University guidelines.

Section 2

The advisor(s) shall serve a term of one year and will be selected at
the same time as the officers of the organization.

Section 3

If an advisor is deemed to be ineffective by the organization, the

advisor(s) may be removed from their role by majority vote of a
quorum of the membership at a regularly scheduled meeting. A
minimum of seven days notice must be given prior to such a
vote.
FINANCES

ARTICLE IX:
Section 1

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This organization has the ability to assess the membership for

special purposes. Assessments shall be determined by a
quorum of the membership at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 2

The ISC is a non-profit student organization. The primary source of

finances would be member fees. Additionally, events may be
organized which serve as fundraisers while also staying true to the
mission of the club. All transactions would be recorded and an
accurate financial picture shall be maintained at all times. The ISC
shall have a bank account as an artificial person.

Section 3

Membership dues shall be $20 per academic year. Dues shall be

paid by the second week of the fall semester. There will be a late fee
of $10 each additional week after the set deadline.

Section 4

Members who have not paid their dues or special assessments by

the due date shall be considered as not being in good standing and
shall lose all membership privileges, including voting, until the dues
are paid.

Section 5

Organization funds shall not be used to purchase or reimburse

members for alcoholic beverages.

ARTICLE X:

DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS

Section 1

Any member may be suspended or expelled from the

organization for conduct obviously contrary to the Constitution of
the organization or for conduct which grossly impairs the rights of
members to enjoy the benefits of the organization. The alleged
offense must be in writing and submitted by a member. After the
alleged offense has been submitted to the organization, the
accused member shall have a right to a hearing before the
organization at a regular meeting and may be suspended or
expelled only upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the voting
members present. The accused member has the right to appeal an
adverse decision at a regular meeting, and the accused member
shall be reinstated unless the suspension or expulsion is again
approved by three-fourths vote.

Section 2

The membership shall review the hearing report in executive

session, and the member accused of misconduct shall have an
opportunity to rebut the information in the report.
After
providing a statement to the membership, the member accused
of misconduct shall leave the room for the remainder of
deliberations.

Section 3

The membership shall vote first on whether the member has

engaged in misconduct. If by a two-thirds vote, the membership
determines that misconduct has occurred, the membership shall
then by a two-thirds vote, determine appropriate sanction(s).

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The accused member shall be immediately notified of the

outcome.
Section 4

By a two-thirds vote, the membership may reinstate a member

who has been suspended or expelled.

Section 5

The University can place an organization on probation for failure

to observe regulations and responsibilities, as well as financial
obligations on campus.

Section 6

Official recognition of a student organization may be withdrawn

for hazing. Hazing is defined as any method of initiation into a
student organization or any pastime or amusement engaged in
with regard to such an organization which causes, or is likely to
cause, bodily danger, or physical or emotional harm, to any
member of the campus community; but the term hazing does
not include customary athletic events or other similar contests
or competitions. Organizations or individuals found guilty of
violation of this section of the Education Code will be subject to
suspension by the University. (Title 5, California Education
Code,
Subchapter
4,
Article
1,
Section
40301).

Section 7

If an organization loses recognition or benefits as a result of

action taken by the Director of Student Involvement, it may
appeal
to
the
Dean
of
Students.

Section 8

A final appeal may be filed with the Dean of Students within ten
(10) work days after receiving written notification from the
Director of Student Involvement if the organization does not
accept the decision and/or the sanctions. The written appeal
must state all reasons why the student organization does not
accept the decision of the Director of Student Involvement. The
Dean of Students may meet with organization representatives or
make his/her decision based on the information submitted for
review and the written request for appeal. Written notification of
his/her decision and any sanctions shall be sent to the
organization within ten (10) working days after having received
the appeal. The decision of the Dean of Students is final.

Section 9

A description of the student club & organization conduct review

process is available:
http://www.csufresno.edu/studentactivities/programs/studentorgs/index.shtml

ARTICLE XI:

AMENDMENTS

Section 1

Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented to the

membership, in writing, one meeting prior to the meeting where the
amendment will be voted upon.

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Section 2

Bylaw amendments require approval by two-thirds of the voting

members present at a regular meeting. The amendment shall be
effective immediately unless otherwise stipulated in the amendment.

Section 3

A copy of any amendments to these bylaws must be submitted

to the Student Involvement Office at California State University,
Fresno within two weeks after adoption.

ARTICLE XII:

DISBURSAL OF ORGANIZATION ASSETS

Section 1

In the event INDIAN STUDENT CLUB, FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY

should become defunct, all assets will be turned over to (The
California State University, Fresno Associated Students, Inc.) to be
used to promote student programming on the campus.

This constitution was approved on _________________.

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