Gender Equality Movement (GEM) Belmont University

Transcription

1 Gender Equality Movement (GEM) Belmont University ARTICLE I: Name The name of this organization shall be the Gender Equality Movement hereinafter referred to as the Gender Equality Movement, or GEM. ARTICLE II: Purpose Section 1: The Gender Equality Movement is established for the expressed purpose to identify and encounter the intersectional injustices as they relate to gender inequity at Belmont University, in the greater Nashville community, and globally. The Gender Equality Movement will strive to examine the influence of gender and sex on individuals and the greater society in which they live. ARTICLE III: Principles The Gender Equality Movement recognizes that there are many injustices in relation to gender inequity and that we need to approach this multi faceted problem from many different fronts. The three committees (Economic and Educational Disparity, Violence Against Women, and Intersectional Injustices) will focus on specific problems as they relate to gender inequity. Gender Equality Movement members recognize gender based injustices and understand that we need to work on changing this reality. This change needs to happen for all women, regardless of their other identities. GEM members also recognize the impact that gender inequity has on men, and believes that true change cannot happen without the collaboration with men. Members of the Gender Equality Movement must recognize the goal of the organization is to work toward equitable treatment of gender. The Gender Equality Movement is a community where individual experiences can be shared, intersectional understandings of sex and gender are discussed, and action is taken to work toward the equitable treatment of individuals in respect to their gender and sex. Each member of the Gender Equality Movement should respect all experiences and understandings regardless if they see other understandings as right or wrong. Members will respect the agency of others and ensure that the Gender Equality Movement is a safe space to have conversations about identity. ARTICLE IV: Membership Section 1: Membership in the Gender Equality Movement at Belmont University shall be open to all students, faculty, and staff at Belmont University. A member in good standing shall be any member, as defined above, that follows Gender Equality Movement s Principles found in Article III.

2 Section 2: It shall be stated that Gender Equality Movement membership and membership privileges must be open to all students without regard to gender, sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, ability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by law, so that all members of the community are treated at all times with dignity and respect. ARTICLE V: Officers Section 1: The officers shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary (Event Services Contact), Marketing Chair, Historian, and Community Service Chair. The officers shall be responsible for all administrative duties of the organization. Section 2: The President shall act as a representative of Gender Equality Movement, call and facilitate meetings of the executive council, appoint committees as seen necessary, and oversee official Gender Equality Movement events. Section 3: The Vice President shall assist the President with all administrative duties and assume those duties in the absence of the President, help oversee official Gender Equality Movement events, and keep a database of past events and contact information for any guests Gender Equality Movement brings to campus or other events. Section 4: The Secretary shall keep accurate and detailed records of all meetings and affairs, send/transmit all official Gender Equality Movement correspondence, coordinate preparation and distribution of meeting minutes for General Body and Executive Council meetings, and create and keep updated a detailed calendar with the meetings and events at the beginning of each semester (with the assistance of the Executive Board.) The secretary will also serve as the Event Services Contact. Section 5: The Treasurer shall receive and distribute Gender Equality Movement funds upon the authorization of the President in accordance with the financial rules and regulations of Belmont University, keep accurate records of expenditures and receipts, facilitate fundraising activities, and create a budget for each semester. Section 6: The Marketing Chair shall promote Gender Equality Movement events and meetings, create and post promotional posters around Belmont University, actively seek publication in campus publications, and actively post information, photos, and events on Gender Equality Movement s social media pages. Section 7: The Community Service Chair shall facilitate all community service projects for the organization, shall create and maintain a list of Belmont University and Nashville based organizations that the Gender Equality Movement has served with/for or wishes to serve with/for, actively seek out these organizations and partnerships, as well as planning and facilitating service projects with these organizations.

3 Section 8: The Historian shall keep record of all GEM information including founding documents, meeting minutes, event information, and contacts. Section 9: The elected officers shall form the Executive Committee. Section 10: All elected officers should be in good academic standing at Belmont University (above a 2.0 G.P.A.). All elected officers are allotted three absences each semester from the Gender Equity Movement events and meetings. Excused absences are only documented as such when it is communicated to the President at least 24 hours in advance of the event, is a valid excuse, and is not for an event that was planned by said officer. ARTICLE VI: Committees The President of the Gender Equality Movement will be able to form committees as needed throughout the year. These committees will be open to all members in good standing (see Article IV). Proposed committees: Section A: Economic and Educational Disparity: Plan and facilitate meetings and events that surround the issues regarding gender and economic and educational inequity. This includes but is not limited to job discrimination, the glass ceiling, educational equity at Belmont, in the surrounding community, and globally, access to safe and legal health care, and knowledge on women s health. Section B: Violence Against Women: Plan and facilitate meetings and events that surround the issues regarding gender violence. This includes but is not limited to assault on women at college campuses, domestic violence, mental health, and woman on woman violence. Section C: Intersectional Injustices: Plan and facilitate meetings and events that surround the issues regarding gender and a variety of intersectional identities. This includes but is not limited to discussions on gender, sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, ability, veteran status, or any other identity not here stated. ARTICLE VII: Elections Section 1: The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Marketing Chair, Historian and Community Service Chair shall be elected by the members of the Gender Equality Movement to serve a term of one year. Elections shall be held at the last General Body Meeting for the Gender Equality Movement during the Spring Semester. The officers shall be elected by means of an online ballot. The term of office for all officers shall begin upon completion of finals during the Spring Semester and end on the same day of the following year.

4 Section 2: Nominations of candidates for a Gender Equality Movement officer position shall be verbally nominated on the day of elections by any member in the organization. Nominees for officer positions must be Gender Equality Movement members in good standing (see Article IV and Article V, Section 10). Section 3: Voting shall take place after the close of nominations for each office. Officers shall be elected by majority vote of those Gender Equality Movement members. Nominated parties will be allowed to vote. All voting shall be done via secret ballot to be collected and tabulated by the Secretary via online forum. Section 4: The order of succession shall be: (1) President (2) Vice President (3) Secretary (4) Treasurer (5) Marketing Chair (6) Community Service Chair (7) Historian Section 5: Vacancies occurring in any of the elected offices shall be officially filled at the next regular Gender Equality Movement meeting following the occurrence of such a vacancy or vacancies. The order of succession shall be followed in the filling of any vacant office during any unexpired term. If an officer declines to succeed to a vacant office, then an election shall be held to fill the office for the remainder of the unexpired term. The election procedure for filling the unexpired term of a vacant office shall be the same as for the normal procedure for elections. ARTICLE VIII: Appointments Section 1: The President shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, such positions as may contribute to the successful operation of Gender Equality Movement. ARTICLE IX: Removal from office Section 1: Any officer may be removed from office for failure to perform his/her prescribed duties by a two thirds vote of the membership, provided that all members are notified of this pending action at least one week prior to the removal decision. Removal from office can occur either for failure to carry out the responsibilities of that office, or for actions which violate the purposes of the organization. Written charges by a member are to be presented to the Executive Committee who will notify the officer in question with sufficient opportunity given for the officer to answer charges at an officers meeting. Section 2: Any officer who is not longer a member in good standings entering does not qualify for an elected position shall be removed from office (see Article IV and Article V, Section 10). ARTICLE X: Meetings

5 Section 1: General membership meetings shall be held once a week, with additional meeting called by the President as needed. Notice of additional meetings must be given to all club members in the timeliest manner possible, usually not less than one week. Section 2: The Executive Committee shall meet every two weeks or when called by the President. Section 3: Official notice of the meeting at which the election of Gender Equality Movement officers will take place must be provided to all Gender Equality Movement members not less than two weeks prior to such meeting. ARTICLE XI: Funding The Gender Equality Movement will request funding from the Student Government Association (SGA) when there is a need for funding. The Gender Equality movement can also ask for donations to support the group that flows Belmont's policies on donations. ARTICLE XII: Amendments Section 1: Amendments to this constitution must be proposed in writing by any member in good standing at any meeting at which 2/3 of the voting members are present. These amendments will be placed on the agenda for the next Officer Meeting. Officers will then have a discussion about the amendments, and they will only become effective following approval by a 2/3 majority vote from the Executive Council. ARTICLE XII: Registration Renewal Section 1: The Gender Equality Movement will apply to the Office of Student Activities for registration on an annual basis at the end of Spring Semester for the following academic year.