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Black Student Organization (BSO)

Constitution and By-Laws

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Contents
Article I. Article II. Article III. Article IV. Article V. Article VI. Article VII. Article VIII. Article IX. Article X. Article XI. Article XII. Name ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Membership & Meetings .......................................................................................................... 3 Executive Board, and Advisor(s): .............................................................................................. 4 Committees ............................................................................................................................... 6 Executive Board/Chair/Co-Chair Duties and Responsibilities ................................................... 6 Presidential Succession ......................................................................................................... 7 Nominations and Elections ................................................................................................... 8 Discipline, Vacancies or Removal from Office .......................................................................... 8 Amendments ............................................................................................................................. 9 Dissolution ................................................................................................................................ 9 Amendment History .............................................................................................................. 9

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The Constitution of the Black Student Organization of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Article I.
Section I. Name

Name

i. The Organization shall be known as the Black Student Organization (BSO) of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. All logos, images, and symbols are the sole property of the Black Students Organization and may not be used without the expressed consent of the Executive Board. Herein, the BSO shall be referred to as Organization

Article II. Purpose

Section I. To create an environment that respects and appreciates the African-American community at UNLV. To serve as a vehicle that provides services back to the community and encourages more African-Americans to attend college To increase the African-American presence on campus through events and programs designed to support students academic and social needs To educate, celebrate, and support African-American students in their pursuit of attending an undergraduate degree

Section II.

Section III.

Section IV.

Article III. Membership & Meetings

Section I. The membership shall be comprised of any full-time or part-time undergraduate student that is attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Membership in the Black Student Organization shall not be based on race gender, age, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, or religious conviction Upon full payment of dues, members shall have access to all official membership privileges. Official membership privileges will be determined by the Executive Board per every academic semester in accordance to the position of the Organization The membership dues shall be fifteen dollars ($25) per academic year Forums and events will be held during the month at the discretion of the Executive Board. The Executive Board meetings shall be held once a month at such times and locations as designated by the President. The President will be responsible for bringing written agendas to the meetings that include a review of old business, new business, committee reports (if applicable) and roundtable discussion

Section II.

Section III. Section IV.

Section V. Section VI. Section VII.

Page |4 Section VIII. Section IX. Emergency meetings may be held at the discretion of the Executive Board and/or the Advisor(s) In order to become an official member, one must apply to the organization, pay dues in full, and meet the required 2.0 G.P.A

Article IV. Executive Board, and Advisor(s):

Section I. The executive officers shall consist of: i. President ii. Vice President iii. Operations Director iv. Membership Director v. Financial Director vi. Marketing Director vii. Historian viii. Executive Assistant ix. Community Involvement Chair x. Former President (for one term only unless the former President is re-elected) xi. Advisor(s) xii. Graduate Advisor (s) b. The executive officers shall serve a term of one academic year. In order to serve on the Executive Board, officers must be a full or part time student at UNLV, maintain a minimum 2.5 G.P.A, be a dues paying member, and keep the rest of the executive board abreast of any position updates. Section II. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Organization. He/She shall chair all meetings of the Executive Board and General Assembly, create meeting agendas and keep meetings on time. He/She will serve as an ex-official member of all standing committees. The President shall also be the chief spokesperson for the Organization and shall represent the Organization in relations with other professional and educational organizations, foundations, and businesses. He/She will maintain all email accounts, and serve as the chief contact with outside/diversity organization groups. He/She whom serves as President shall not hold another presidential position within any other UNLV student organization. The Vice President shall assist the President in the execution of his/her duties. In the event of absence of the President, the Vice President shall be awarded the power to perform all of

Section III.

Page |5 his/her duties. The Vice-President shall also serve as the Organizations special (collaborative) events coordinator. In order to properly execute the responsibilities of his or her position, the President and Vice-President shall be empowered to create committees to assist in the completion of projects and/or tasks under their jurisdiction. He/She will aide in maintaining all email accounts. It is the Vice Presidents responsibility to complete and submit the CSUN recognized student organization application (annually in the Fall semester). Section IV. The Operations Director shall be the chief operations officer of the Organization. The Operations Director shall be responsible for website development, liability waivers, food waivers, community requests, room equipment and room reservations. He/She is charged with applying for university and community awards as well as organization donations requests. The Membership Director shall be chief membership officer of the organization He/She will record attendance at Organization events/meetings, maintain all Organization correspondence and organize membership information. He/She will create and distribute membership packets and T-shirts. The Financial Director shall be the chief financial officer of the Organization. The Financial Director shall be responsible for the receipt and distribution of funds of the Organization as approved by the Executive Board. They must ensure that the organization has a valid bank account at all times. The Financial Director is responsible for all tracking all bank account transactions, including receipts, depositing, and recording all monies. The Financial Director/Officer is responsible for the submission of the monthly fiscal reports and statements to the Executive Board and reports to the General Assembly. In addition, the Financial Director shall also be responsible for coordinating fundraising activities including the receipt, depositing, and recording of all monies. The Financial Director also has the ability to recruit BSO members to assist him/her with fulfilling their responsibilities to the Organization. The Financial Director will create a budget for all planned events with the input of the Executive Board based on existing account balances and sources of funding. The Historian shall be the chief officer of all BSO media. He/ She will organize and post photos and posts to designated social media within 48 hours of event, create slideshows for events, archive and collect event print collateral (event handouts, flyers, etc.) and record attendance at events. The Historian shall assist the Public Relations Committee and Chair with content creation for Social Media and the BSO website. The Executive Assistant shall assist with all organizational duties. The Executive Assistant shall be responsible for recording, maintaining, and distributing the minutes of all Executive Board meetings, as well as any special business meetings. He/She will report to the Vice President and serve as the contact between Executive Board members, reminding members of executive board meetings. He/She must maintain knowledge about all e-board positions, roles, and responsibilities. He/She will manage the calendar (keeping the organization updated on special upcoming dates, and potential outreach opportunities). He/She will keep the rest of the Executive Board up to- date on upcoming meetings and other Executive Board members attendance. He/She will attend special meetings as needed (e.g. International Council Meeting, Black History Month planning meeting).

Section V.

Section VI.

Section VII.

Section VIII.

Page |6 Section IX. Marketing Director shall be the chair/leader of the Public Relations Committee. He/She will produce and distribute organization advertisements. He/She will be the key contact for media outlets. He/She will develop and order promotional items (pens, T-Shirts, etc.). The Marketing Director will focus on recruiting new members and shall report to the Vice President. He/She shall assist the Historian with content creation for Social Media and the website. Community Involvement Chair shall be the chair/leader of the Community Involvement Committee. He/She shall coordinate community service activities for members, as well as maintain a record of community service events and members hours. He/She will coordinate the Organizations donations, maintain records of donations, and maintain a record of collaboration efforts with non-profit organizations. The former President will serve as a liaison for the next semester and/or year. He/She shall be an honorary member of the Executive board. Advisor(s) shall be a full time employee of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Advisor(s) may be selected or replaced by a majority vote by the Executive Board members. Advisor(s) shall serve as a source of information and encouragement. The Advisor(s) shall ensure that the Organization is operating within the University of Nevada- Las Vegas guidelines. Graduate Advisor(s) shall be a full or part-time graduate student of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Graduate Advisor(s) may be selected or replaced with a majority vote by the Executive Board members. Graduate Adivsor(s) shall serve as a source of information and encouragement. Graduate Advisor(s) shall ensure that the Organization is operating within the University of Nevada- Las Vegas guidelines.

Section X.

Section XI.

Section XII.

Section XIII.

Article V. Committees
Section I. Standing Committees shall be created at the discretion of the Executive Board, which can include a Public Relations committee, a Political Awareness/Current Events Committee, and a Community Involvement Committee. The Public Relations committee shall assist the Marketing Director produce and distribute information that will advertise initiatives and events hosted or co-sponsored by the BSO. It shall construct newspaper and Radio Ads, organize, and promote special events. Additionally, it is responsible for creating innovative methods of recruiting and retaining members. The Political Awareness/Current Events Committee shall identify and address political/social concerns affecting student with emphasis on black student concerns including Voter Registration Drive. The committee shall select and present current events for panel discussions at designated meetings The Community Involvement Committee is responsible for coordinating activities that provide members opportunities to serve to the UNLV and Las Vegas communities.

Section II.

Section III.

Section IV.

Article VI. Executive Board/Chair/Co-Chair Duties and Responsibilities

Section I. The Executive Board shall consist of the Organizations officers.

Page |7 Section II. The Executive Board is the chief policy-making body when the General Assembly is not in session and shall have full authority to act for and on behalf of the Organization except as otherwise specified in the Constitution, Amendments or By-laws. The Executive Board shall be responsible for establishing standing legal, financial, and administrative policy subject to review by the General Assembly. It shall also have the authority to review all proposed amendments to the Constitution and By- laws, to create ad hoc committees, and make acting appointments in the event of vacancies. The Executive Board will have the right to serve as standing committee chairs at the start of each semester if the committee chair position is vacant until elections are held. In addition, the Executive Board also has the ability to establish ad-hoc committees with a majority vote of the Executive Board members. The Executive Board or members shall elect the Chair and Co-Chair of each standing committee by a majority vote and shall serve a term of one academic year. Committee Chairs shall make sure that the committee is meeting all of its objectives and goals. The Chair is empowered to call additional committee meetings at times and locations deemed necessary. The Chair shall coordinate with other committees as necessary to ensure their goals are being met. Additionally, the chair will also present information and progress to the Executive board on the first Executive board meeting of the month along with funds request and concerns. Committee Co-Chairs shall assist the Chair in his/her duties, preside over meetings, and present to the Executive Board whenever the Chair is unavailable. When unable to attend a regularly scheduled Executive Board meeting, members of the Executive Board and Committees shall transmit notice to the President prior to the designated meeting with as much notice as possible. There must be extenuating circumstances for the missed meeting. Notice will be issued to Executive Board members who receive an unexcused absence. Any Executive Board member/committee member who misses three Executive Board meetings in a semester without justifiable cause will be asked to resign voluntarily or be impeached by majority vote of the Executive Board. Disbandment of any duties by an officer/committee member shall be punishable at the discretion of the Executive Board. Upon termination of term, resignation, or impeachment, the person must surrender all Organization resources and/or information to the Executive board including, but not limited to, binders, disks, contacts, logos, etc. by a month or less at an Executive Board meeting

Section III.

Section IV.

Section V.

Section VI.

Section VII.

Section VIII.

Section IX.

Section X.

Section XI.

Article VII. Presidential Succession

Section I. In the event the President can no longer serve, the Vice-President for the Organization shall succeed to the presidency and serve the remainder of the Presidents term. Another member of

Page |8 the Executive Board will fill the Executive Vice President position with a majority vote of the standing Board. Section II. In the event the Vice President cannot or is unwilling to succeed the presidency, the succession of officer shall proceed from a current member of the Executive Board with a majority vote. Any vacancies will be voted upon by fifty percent of the current membership.

Article VIII.
Section I. Section II.

Nominations and Elections

The elections shall occur by secret ballot. The Organization Advisor(s) shall serve as the Inspector of the Election, no later than fourteen days before the Closing Meeting to cast, receive, and count the ballots for election of officers. Elections for chairs and co-chairs will take during the same election. All members running must be available to serve at least one academic year. Nominations for Officers shall occur two months before the Closing Meeting. Section IV. The election of officers shall be held at the final General Assembly meeting of the semester. The candidates receiving a majority vote must shadow the individual in that position to gain full knowledge of the responsibilities for the organization. The candidates will be inducted at the Soul Food Study Break at the end of the semester. In the event of a tie, the Executive Board will make the final appointment.

Section III.

Section IV.

Article IX. Discipline, Vacancies or Removal from Office

Section I. All infractions must be submitted to the advisor. Infractions should be presented and documented at the following E-Board meeting. All infractions will be proposed to and reviewed by the Executive Board. Justifiable cause must be given for each infraction. Each infraction will be decided by ballot, and the president shall deliver the final decision. In the event the president serves the infraction the Executive Board will decide. All infractions will be recorded within the meeting minutes and the organization advisor(s). During any regularly scheduled Executive Board meeting, the President, or Vice President if infractions should apply to the President, shall remove from office any officer, chair, or co-chair who commits one or more of the following infractions with the majority vote of the Executive Board: 1. Fails to submit notice of intended absence from Executive or General Assembly meetings to the President in a timely fashion based on circumstances. Fails to adequately perform the duties and responsibilities of his or her office as determined by a majority vote of the Executive Board. If an executive officers GPA falls below the Executive Board requirement.

Section II.

Section III. Section IV.

2.

3.

Page |9 Section V. The removed officer shall receive notification and request for resignation from the President within one week of the Executive Boards ruling. The President will inform the member of the violations, the Executive Boards ruling, and his or her right to an appeal by the General Assembly. The member shall within one week of notification, provide a request for a judicial review by the General Assembly and the reason(s) the review is warranted. Failure to request the review within the specified time period will result in the dismissal of the members request, and the procedures for filling vacancies will advance accordingly. If the member requests a review within the specified amount of time, the removal will be delayed pending the General Assemblys ruling. Charges of misconduct, misappropriation and/or negligence on the part of a member or officer shall be submitted to the Executive Board by a member in writing. Within one week the Executive Board must decide by a majority vote if the charges are standing. Any vacancies arising shall be filled according to protocol.

Section VI.

Section VII.

Section VIII.

Section IX.

Article X. Amendments
Section I. Amendments to these By-laws shall be submitted during the summer, after the new Executive Officers take office. All proposed amendments must be ratified by a majority vote of the Executive Board. Once approved, amendments shall be effective immediately.

Article XI. Dissolution

Section I. Although it is intended that the term for which this organization is to exist is perpetual, in the event of dissolution, all assets of the organization shall be distributed only to an organization(s) with the same or similar purposes that qualify for nonprofit status.

Article XII. Amendment History

ESTABLISHED FEBRUARY 2007 Kristi Rodriguez, Josh Peace, Samuel Smith, Robiannce Lewis, Leonardo Wells, Charles Simpson and Jania Braggs. Amended July 2009 Audrey Davis, Brandice Lane, Krishelle Gaines, Amber Hogan, Shanice Stevens, Jania Braggs, Ciara Owens, Shayla Washington and Emil Jones. Amended June 2011 Devron Brown, Lasheea Chenoweth, Nicolas Mathews, Tavarius Bolden, Cristofer Hayes, and Ryan Henson Amended November 2012 Michael Curtis, Mariah Campbell, Candace Watkins

P a g e | 10 Amended October 2013 Brionna Hudson, Michael Curtis, Breeanna Tatum, Chanelle Martin, Imani Patterson Amended December 2013 Breeanna Tatum, Jasmine Harris, Imani Patterson, Stephanie Castille, Dejha Brown Amended March 2014 Breeanna Tatum, Jasmine Harris, Imani Patterson, Stephanie Castille, Dejha Brown