Constitution

An active member shall be defined as a member who has a 75% participation rate in workshops, programs, events, etc. per semester.

Any Clarkson University graduate student, faculty, or staff member may apply for membership, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements. Upon obtaining officer standing, you are automatically instated as an active member. However, officers are expected to attend events sponsored solely by SPW.

1. Any member found committing an unsafe or irresponsible act, or an act contrary to organization's rules or purpose of the organization shall have his or her membership reviewed for possible suspension or removal by the Executive Board. A 2/3 vote of the Executive Board will suspend a person's membership for no longer than one semester's time.
2. A person will be able to speak in their defense before a vote is taken for either suspension or removal. The person must be notified at least week before a vote is taken on their possible suspension or removal. It is the member's responsibility to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations of the organization.
3. If any member is found committing an unsafe or irresponsible act, or an act contrary to the organization's rules or purpose of the organization, the executive board can make the recommendation to the membership for the removal of a member. A 2/3 vote of the membership will remove a member from the organization.
4. A 2/3 vote of the membership can override any member suspension decision of the executive board.
5. If a member believes that he or she has been unjustly removed or suspended from the organization, the member may call on the SPW organization as a whole for a review of the organization's actions and possible reinstatement of the member. A 2/3 vote of the Senate is required to reinstate a member. In the case of expulsion, the organization may also restore a person to membership or office through the same preliminary steps and vote as is required for an election.
6. Participation rate below 75% will result in a removal of their membership. Exceptions are made through the executive board with a 2/3 vote. Example: Members wishing to become active may plan an event to achieve status.

1. The executive board of this organization shall consist entirely of a President, a Vice-president, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Public Coordinator. They shall be elected for a term of one academic year. The officers will take office at the end of the last meeting of the academic year. No person may hold more than one office at a time.
2. The executive board shall have the power of veto. The executive board needs a ¾ vote to veto any actions of the organization. The membership may override the veto by a 2/3 vote.

Part i - Elections Meeting

The election of officers shall take place two weeks previous to the spring break vacation. The election must be announced to the entire membership at least two weeks prior to the date of elections. The election shall take place after an announced meeting where nominations for officers shall be opened, which must be at least one week before elections.

Part ii - Nominee Prerequisites

The President must have been an active member of SPW for at least one school year prior to the elections. The Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer must have been active members of SPW for at least one semester prior to elections.

Part iii - Nominations

Nominations shall remain open until the voting of a particular office. At any time within this nomination period, someone can be nominated for office by contacting the current President. Anyone may make a nomination. The nominee may accept or decline the nomination.

Part iv - Voting

Only Active members hold the right to vote. Voting shall be done by secret ballot and the results shall be made known within one week following the election. Elections must take place at a meeting where a quorum has been meet. Absentee ballots may be accepted up to three days prior to the election meeting. Elections will proceed in the order listed in this constitution: President through Committee Chairs. Candidates must win by a simple majority of the vote. If anybody isn't nominated for a position, write-in candidates will be accepted. If nobody is elected to a position, the existing officers will appoint someone, by majority vote. The appointee must be a member of the organization and eligible for office as stated in the by-laws.

Part v - In Event of Tie

In the event of a tie, the current Executive Board shall hold a re-vote. The election will follow the same guidelines stated above within one week following the announcement of the election results and will follow the same guidelines as the elections meeting except that only the candidates that tied for office will be allowed to run in the re-vote.

Part i - President

The president shall preside over the meetings and see that all business is carried out in a proper manner. He/she shall vote only in the case of a tie. The president shall choose the chairs of any committees formed. He/she shall oversee the elections for the year to succeed theirs, except in the case where he/she is being considered for another office. In this case the current executive board should choose an arbitrary member that is not being considered for the office.

Part ii - Vice-President

The Vice-president shall assist the president in carrying out his/her duties, and shall, in the absence of the president, carry out the duties of the president as described in part i. The Vice-president is also responsible for e-mail correspondence with members.

Part iii - Secretary

The secretary shall keep an accurate written record of all meetings. Also, the secretary shall carry out all correspondence, keep attendance, and be the custodian of all documents and records. The secretary shall be responsible for the correspondence of the organization and the appropriate faculty and administration. The secretary shall be responsible for an annual written report of activities of the organization, stating goals and intentions of the organization for the coming year.

Part iv - Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the organization and shall make financial reports and expenditures as authorized by the Executive Board. The treasurer shall act in accordance with the finance policy.

Part v - Public Coordinator

The Public Coordinator shall be responsible for the advertisement of the programs hosted by the organization, e.g. reserving the desired rooms.

Part vi - WebMaster

The webmaster shall be responsible for maintaining the organization's website, with its content determined by the officers majority vote.

Any member may challenge an officer by presenting a name and reason to the president. If the president is the party in question, a member may go to the vice-president. Officers may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the membership at a meeting at which quorum has been meet. This meeting must be announced to the entire membership at least one week in advance. The officer(s) affected must be allowed to speak in his/her defense to the entire membership.

If an officer is removed, resigns, or can no longer perform his/her duties, then they shall be replaced in a meeting that follows the same guidelines stated in Article 4, Section 2 for each vacant office. If the office in question is that of the President then the Vice President will take the President's office and office of Vice President shall be replaced.

Any member may propose amendments to this constitution by presenting it to the President at least a week before the member intends to bring it to the floor. The proposed amendments must be made available to the entire membership at least one week before they are to be debated on the floor. The member will bring the amendment to the floor for debate. An amendment shall be adopted upon an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the entire membership. Upon passage, the Secretary will make the proper correction to the Constitution. Only a two-thirds vote of the entire membership nullifies the Constitution.

Any member may propose amendments to the organization's by-laws. The amendment must be submitted to President at least a week before the member intends to bring it to the floor. The amendment must be made available to the entire membership one week before the member brings it to the floor. The member will bring the amendment to the floor and open debate. The amendment will be adopted and added to the by-laws upon a two-thirds majority vote of the membership.