CONSTITUTION OF THE CARIBBEAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Caribbean Students Association of Purdue University.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of the organization will be:
To encourage and promote cultural exchange, and foster social and intellectual interaction among Caribbean students.
To promote a better mutual understanding and purposeful relationship with the Purdue and Greater Lafayette Community.
To develop interaction and promote understanding with other student organizations in and around Purdue University.
To facilitate communication between the Caribbean students of the university and other Caribbean organizations.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
There shall be two types of membership; full and associate.
Full membership shall be restricted to Purdue University students of Caribbean origin.
Associate membership shall be open to:
Spouses of full members of the association;
Persons of Caribbean origin within the staff and faculty of Purdue University and the Greater Lafayette community;
Non-Caribbean students, staff and faculty.
Associate members may participate in meetings, pay dues, and be member of committees and vote in elections. However, they are not eligible to hold office in the executive council, or vote for changes to the Constitution and Bylaws.
Membership and participation are free from discrimination based on race, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.
ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by an executive council.
The executive council shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Activities Coordinator.
To be eligible for office, one must have accumulated at least twelve (12) credit hours (undergraduate student) or six (6) credit hours (graduate student); be enrolled as a full time student (paid full student fees) and not on academic probation.
The term of office shall be one academic year. Elections shall be held within the second half of the spring semester. However, the new executive council shall assume duties at the beginning of the fall semester. The officers may be nominated for re-election.
The members of the Executive Council shall be elected as prescribed in the Bylaws (Article VI).
Any vacancies shall be filled according to the provisions of the Bylaws (Article VI).
The Association shall have a Faculty Advisor who must be a member of the Purdue University faculty or administrative staff.
The Faculty Advisor shall be elected as prescribed in Article VI of the Bylaws. He/she shall remain in office for the same period as the executive council.
The Faculty Advisor may be nominated for re-election.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS AND DUTIES
The President shall: call and preside at all meetings of the Association and the Executive Council; serve as “ex-officio” member of all committees; appoint the necessary committees for the operation of the business of the Association; be responsible for liaison with the University; assume overall responsibility for all activities of the association; and submit a report prepared jointly with the secretary at the end of each semester.
The Vice-President shall: succeed the president in the event that he/she is unable to fulfill his/her duties; be responsible for the conduct of public relations activities for the Association; chair the membership committee; and perform such other duties as the President or the Executive Council may direct.
The Secretary shall: keep the minutes of all meetings of the Association and the Executive Council; send out notices of meetings; be a member of the membership committee; be responsible for the membership drive; maintain an up-to-date file of the association’s members; submit a report prepared jointly with the president at the end of each semester; and perform such other duties as the President or Executive council may direct.
The Treasurer shall: collect dues and pay bills; keep account of the Association’s finances, deposits the organization’s funds and make expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations; submit a financial report at the end of each semester; have records available for presentation at all times; and perform such other duties as the President or Executive council may direct.
The Activities Coordinator shall: be responsible for executing social and fundraising events; chair the activities committee; and perform such other duties as the President or Executive council may direct.
An executive council member may be dismissed from his/her post for conduct detrimental to the association. The officer may be dismissed by a majority vote in a meeting where two-thirds of the full members are present.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
The Constitution may be amended by two-thirds of all the full members.
All amendments to the constitution and bylaws are subject to the approval of the Office of the Dean of Students.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I: MEETINGS
A quorum shall consist of 60% of full and associate members.
Members shall be notified of date, time, and place of meetings no later than one week in advance of the meeting.
ARTICLE II: COMMITTEES
There shall be three standing committees of the Caribbean Student Association: Election, Membership, and Activities Committees.
The election committee shall conduct all matters pertaining to the annual general elections. The membership committee shall: maintain an updated roster of members; recruit new members; and be responsible for all association publications. The activities committee shall plan and execute all association events.
A committee shall consist of at least 3 members. The chair of the Elections committee will be selected from the graduating students and the associate members in CSA. The other chairs are outlined in Article V.
In addition to the standing committees, committees shall be appointed to carry out specific assignments as deemed necessary by the Executive Council.
ARTICLE III: DUES
The dues of the Caribbean Student Association shall be $10.00 a semester for full and associate members and $15.00 for the academic year.
ARTICLE IV: REPORTS
A joint president’s and secretary’s report shall be a synopsis of reports from all standing and appointed committees, as well as a summary of the association’s accomplishments.
The treasurer’s report shall give an account of the association’s financial status.
ARTICLE V: VACANCIES
Should a vacancy occur in the office of the President, the unexpired term shall be filled by the Vice-President.
Should a vacancy occur in any other executive office, the unexpired term shall be filled by an appointee of the executive council.
ARTICLE VI: ELECTION PROCEDURES
Members must be present to vote.
Elections shall be cast by secret ballot.
An election committee shall be responsible for organizing, running and monitoring all elections. This committee shall consist of members who are not eligible to hold office in the executive council such as graduating seniors and associate members.
ARTICLE VII: DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
A member may be disciplined for conduct detrimental to the association. Complaints shall be made in writing to the president.
An intermediary shall be appointed by the executive council in an effort to resolve the situation. If a reasonable agreement cannot be reached between both parties, the executive council shall appoint a disciplinary committee to review the situation and recommend appropriate action to the general membership.
Disciplinary action can only be carried out by a majority vote in a meeting where two-thirds of full members are present.
All complaints shall be handled in a timely fashion.
A member is allowed one appeal, in writing.
ARTICLE VIII: RULES OF ORDER
Robert’s rules of order shall be the authority for reference in parliamentary matters.
ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS
The procedure for amending the Bylaws shall be the same as for amendments to the Constitution (Constitution Article VI).
