Updating our constitution
We are in the process of reviewing and amending our constitution. It has not been updated since 1996! A committee has been set up to review our very out of date constitution, and propose amendments to reflect CSU/APA in its modern state in 2010. Our current constitution is made available below for review.
The review committee will be having work sessions over the next week (2/10-2/17). They will then make available a copy with proposed changes here for open review. In the meantime, please feel free to contact the chair of the committee, Cassie Gaffney, at [email protected] with comments about the current constitution. The other members of the committee are Andrew Gotlieb, Tanja McCoy, Andrew Batson and Ryan Noles, and Julia Ferguson as a non-voting representative of the current Executive Board.
The review committee will be having work sessions over the next week (2/10-2/17). They will then make available a copy with proposed changes here for open review. In the meantime, please feel free to contact the chair of the committee, Cassie Gaffney, at [email protected] with comments about the current constitution. The other members of the committee are Andrew Gotlieb, Tanja McCoy, Andrew Batson and Ryan Noles, and Julia Ferguson as a non-voting representative of the current Executive Board.
1996 version:
student_apa_constitution.pdf | |
File Size: | 1464 kb |
File Type: |
This process will likely take a few weeks:
Thank you for your patience during this process.
- Committee reviews constitution, and proposes amendments.
- Public comment period.
- Amendments read at two consecutive meetings.
- 2/3s of members present at second meeting must approve the amendments.
- Amendments will be reviewed and (hopefully) approved by the university.
- Elections for the new executive board may occur.
Thank you for your patience during this process.
UPDATED Constitution Process
There have been concerns brought up a member regarding our recent approval of our constitution last Wednesday. I wanted to address these concerns first, then provide the "plan" for us (can't resist the urban planner joke, sorry).
The first was that we were not in compliance with our 1996 constitution by not having quorum at the meeting at which we held the vote to approve the amended constitution last Wednesday. However, the 1996 Constitution stipulates that: "Amendments to this constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present at two consecutive meetings at which the amendment has been read." Seven members came to the meeting, five members voted, and all five approved the document, so we are indeed in compliance. The absolute minimum we would have needed to pass it would have been three members present with two voting yes. We would obviously have preferred a much larger (and more representative) attendence at the meeting, but such is not the case, despite verbally announcing the meeting, emailing, twittering, gchat status-ing, and blogging the announcement.
The other concern is that we called elections for this upcoming week. This was an error in my part; I apologize for "jumping the gun," if you will. This whole constitution update process is new to us as an organization, and I was not aware that approval by the university would be such a lengthy process! More details on the process will be covered later in this email, under the Current Plan of Action section.
As for potentially needing to update our constitution again, some concerns were raised by Mr. Liss after a brief review of the document. We may need to change quorum requirements, for example. Mr. Liss is doing a full review of our constitution tomorrow, and I will be meeting with him Wednesday morning to discuss any potential problems that would prevent it from being approved by the Student Life Committee. If members of the Constitution Review Committee (voting members- Andrew Batson, Ryan Noles, Tanja McCoy and Andrew Gotlieb, advisory member- Julia Ferguson; Ms. Gaffney has resigned from her position as committee chair) are available Wednesday afternoon, I would like to call a meeting of the committee to draft edits to our constitution. This is incredibly late notice, so we will do the best with whomever can come. If you're available, we'll meet at 1pm. Location TBD.
If there are indeed things that need to be addressed in our constitution, then there will be a special meeting Thursday at 5:30pm in the Bonda room for the second reading of the constitution. If we have this meeting, please make every effort to attend in order to cast your vote. However, if no concerns are brought up, and Mr. Liss is confident our constitution in its current form will pass, and no edits need to be made, we will continue forth as described in steps 7 and on in the Current Plan of Action:
Current Plan of Action:
After the discussion with Dr. Keating and Mr. Liss today, this is what I understand to be the course of action for CSU/APA. Any changes/corrections to this plan will be disseminated as information becomes available.
If the above plan does not work - if, at some point, our constitution falls to pass one or the other of its votes of approval, be it within our organization or the Student Life Committee - then we will likely be running too close to the end of the semester to redo another draft, and will have this as an option:
There is one, final option open to us. It is as follows:
===
To wrap this up, I want to reiterate what I said two meetings ago: I am sorry for any frustration created by us as an organization for any members. Every thing we have done as an organization has been new to us as an executive board, and I apologize for any mistakes - both perceived and real - we may have made. I appreciate everyone's patience during this constitution process especially. I welcome any member to contact both myself and Dr. Keating, our adviser, to set up a meeting with both of us to discuss any comments, questions or concerns you may have. It is a testament to our significant growth over the past few years that we are experiencing growing pains like these. We are highly regarded within the walls of the Levin College, as well as the outside community, and we have many great opportunities ahead for us during the remainder of this spring semester.
Thanks,
Heather Furman
President
The first was that we were not in compliance with our 1996 constitution by not having quorum at the meeting at which we held the vote to approve the amended constitution last Wednesday. However, the 1996 Constitution stipulates that: "Amendments to this constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present at two consecutive meetings at which the amendment has been read." Seven members came to the meeting, five members voted, and all five approved the document, so we are indeed in compliance. The absolute minimum we would have needed to pass it would have been three members present with two voting yes. We would obviously have preferred a much larger (and more representative) attendence at the meeting, but such is not the case, despite verbally announcing the meeting, emailing, twittering, gchat status-ing, and blogging the announcement.
The other concern is that we called elections for this upcoming week. This was an error in my part; I apologize for "jumping the gun," if you will. This whole constitution update process is new to us as an organization, and I was not aware that approval by the university would be such a lengthy process! More details on the process will be covered later in this email, under the Current Plan of Action section.
As for potentially needing to update our constitution again, some concerns were raised by Mr. Liss after a brief review of the document. We may need to change quorum requirements, for example. Mr. Liss is doing a full review of our constitution tomorrow, and I will be meeting with him Wednesday morning to discuss any potential problems that would prevent it from being approved by the Student Life Committee. If members of the Constitution Review Committee (voting members- Andrew Batson, Ryan Noles, Tanja McCoy and Andrew Gotlieb, advisory member- Julia Ferguson; Ms. Gaffney has resigned from her position as committee chair) are available Wednesday afternoon, I would like to call a meeting of the committee to draft edits to our constitution. This is incredibly late notice, so we will do the best with whomever can come. If you're available, we'll meet at 1pm. Location TBD.
If there are indeed things that need to be addressed in our constitution, then there will be a special meeting Thursday at 5:30pm in the Bonda room for the second reading of the constitution. If we have this meeting, please make every effort to attend in order to cast your vote. However, if no concerns are brought up, and Mr. Liss is confident our constitution in its current form will pass, and no edits need to be made, we will continue forth as described in steps 7 and on in the Current Plan of Action:
Current Plan of Action:
After the discussion with Dr. Keating and Mr. Liss today, this is what I understand to be the course of action for CSU/APA. Any changes/corrections to this plan will be disseminated as information becomes available.
- I will forward a copy of the most recent draft of the constitution (one that was approved last week) to Mr. Liss for his review.
- I have a meeting Wednesday morning with Mr. Liss to go over the outcomes of his review. If no changes are recommended, the constitution as approved last week will move forward through the university for approval.
- Any changes that need to be made based on his recommendations will be made before 5pm on Wednesday, with as many members of the Constitution Review Committee (Mr. Batson, Mr. Noles, Ms. McCoy, and Ms. Ferguson) as available.
- First reading of the constitution will be read at the conclusion of Wednesday's regularly scheduled CSU/APA meeting.
- Second reading of constitution version 4.0 will be read at a special meeting Thursday (5:30pm, Bonda room).
- There will be a vote to approve at the Thursday meeting. If 2/3rds of the members present at the second meeting approve it, it will go forward. If not, we move to Contingency Plan, or potentially adopt the Third Option (both described below).
- The constitution & associated forms will be turned into Mary Meyers of the Student Life department by the close of business Friday (it's the university's deadline!) for her review and submittal to the Student Life Committee of the Faculty Senate, who are responsible for approving constitutions.
- The constitution will be reviewed by the Student Life Committee of the Faculty Senate on March 26.
- If approved by the Student Life Committee, elections will be called one week in advance of a CSU/APA meeting, and business will be conducted under the auspices of the new constitution.
- Elections occur according to the policies and procedures listed under the new constitution.
- A transition period will occur, and the new executive committee will take over running CSU/APA.
If the above plan does not work - if, at some point, our constitution falls to pass one or the other of its votes of approval, be it within our organization or the Student Life Committee - then we will likely be running too close to the end of the semester to redo another draft, and will have this as an option:
- Create a "Summer Planning Committee" per procedure listed in the 1996 Constitution. This committee will be responsible for planning for the fall semester- events, activities, speakers, meeting schedule, etc. It is recommended that those interested in running for an executive committee position volunteer for this committee.
- Angie will serve in a "figurehead" role as president, per order of succession as the remaining 1996 Constitution-recognized executive committee members. The rest of us are graduating, and will no longer be registered students and will be unable to serve in our roles.
- Elections will be held at the beginning of the fall semester per requirements of the 1996 Constitution.
- The new executive committee is free to update the constitution if they so choose.
There is one, final option open to us. It is as follows:
- Operate independent of the Student Life Department.
===
To wrap this up, I want to reiterate what I said two meetings ago: I am sorry for any frustration created by us as an organization for any members. Every thing we have done as an organization has been new to us as an executive board, and I apologize for any mistakes - both perceived and real - we may have made. I appreciate everyone's patience during this constitution process especially. I welcome any member to contact both myself and Dr. Keating, our adviser, to set up a meeting with both of us to discuss any comments, questions or concerns you may have. It is a testament to our significant growth over the past few years that we are experiencing growing pains like these. We are highly regarded within the walls of the Levin College, as well as the outside community, and we have many great opportunities ahead for us during the remainder of this spring semester.
Thanks,
Heather Furman
President
apaconstitution_03.10.10.pdf | |
File Size: | 102 kb |
File Type: |