P rearnble PURDUE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB This constitution establishes our organization and sets forth the protocols and procedures that will allow the members of the Purdue Creative Writing Club to act as a self-governing body of students. Article I Name Article Il The official name of the organization shall be Purdue Creative Writing Club. It shall be referred to within the constitution as PCWC or club. Purpose of the Organization The purpose of the PCWC is to establish an environment in which writers of all domains & genres are able to collaborate with and support each other; to promote among the members a sense of commitment, responsibility, and pride in their written works; and to ultimately offer a challenge, motivator, and incentive for the members to attain their writing-related goals. Article Ill Definition of Membership Section 1: Regular Membership A. All individuals who are full-time Purdue University students are eligible to be regular members. They shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the club by virtue of their observance of the rules set forth by the PCWC constitution. B. All members who attend at least two (2) write-ins per month shall be considered as active members. C. All officers are no longer considered regular members upon acceptance of the position; therefore, they cannot vote. A. Special Circumstances In scenarios where the number of active members (excluding officers) at a meeting that involves voting is less than five (5), then officers may vote. Section 2: Basic Membership A. Basic membership is open to any individual that is welcomed by Purdue University, either as students, employees, alumni, or visitors. B. Basic membership gives the holder all the rights as a regular member; except voting rights, the ability to hold an officer position, and the ability to make use of the club's resources. Section 3: Honorary Membership A. The PCWC may recognize an individual who has made a contribution to the club as an honorary member. This membership shall be awarded to an individual by the unanimous (100%) vote of
officers or three-fourths (3/4) vote of active members, subject to the supervision and concurrence of the club Advisor. B. Honorary membership gives the holder all the rights as a regular member; except voting rights and the ability to hold an officer position. Section 4: Non-discriminatory statement Membership and participation are free from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran. Article IV - Officers and Officer Duties Section 1: President The President's duties and powers include: 1. To preside over all meetings and elections. 2. To be responsible for creating the agendas for these meetings as well as maintaining order during the meetings. 3. To develop a working relationship with the club Advisor. 4. To act as a communication liaison with the club Advisors and the Student Activity Organization (SAO) and handle all associated matters. Section 2: Treasurer The Treasurer's duties and powers include: 1. To manage the finances, including approving activity budgets and submitting reimbursement paperwork. 2. To keep accounts, deposit the organization's funds, and make expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations. 3. To maintain accurate financial records and create a budget. 4. To maintain and distribute meeting minutes and any official records, such as committee applications. 5. The Treasurer will assume command and fulfill the duties of President in the event the President is temporarily unable to do so. Section 3: Public Relations Director The Public Relations Director's duties and powers include: 1. To be responsible for the publicity of all PCWC events. 2. To maintain and keep the PCWC website and all other forms of social media up to date. 3. To take pictures of events done within the club and publish the photos. 4. To regularly check the suggestions form and discuss any viable event suggestions with the Events Manager and non-event suggestions with the remaining officers. 5. To connect with other groups, clubs, and organizations for potential collaboration.
Section 4: Events Manager The Events Manager's duties and powers include: 1. To coordinate and plan a diverse array of events for the regular members of the PCWC. 2. To ensure that members who are planning on holding events fulfill the necessary requirements and answer all necessary questions posed for the event. 3. To regularly check with the Public Relations Director for any suggestions in regards to potential events. 4. To manage all Event Planning forms. 5. To keep track of any writing-related events happening on or nearby Purdue University. Article V Officer Qualifications All officer positions in the PCWC shall have the following eligibility requirements: 1. All candidates must hold the status of a regular member. 2. All candidates must be on-campus for the term in which they plan to serve. 3. Any individual may not hold more than one position at any given term. 4. Any individual may not hold an officer position for more than two (2) academic terms to encourage leadership diversity. Article VI Elections Section 1: Election Notifications A notification of upcoming elections will be made by the current officers one month prior to an election date. The notification will include a description of the roles, a date range for nominations, a date range for voting, and any other dates and information of importance. Section 2: Conflicts of Interest No member may hold more than one position at any given term. However, in times between elections when positions may be empty, a position's obligations will be adopted into other officer positions until such a time where all positions are filled. A. Special Circumstances In the event that a president is unable to fill his or her duties, the treasurer assumes all responsibility and duties of the president. In the event that the treasurer is unable to fill his or her duties, the president assumes all responsibility and duties of the treasurer. These two situations as defined in this section are no longer considered conflicts of interest. Section 3: Officer Election Officers will be elected by a majority vote. The candidate who receives the majority (50% or higher) of the votes for a position will be appointed that position. Voting will occur at every write-in during the month in which regular members who attend the write-in are able to drop their votes in a box held by the host of the write-in.
A, No Majority Vote If no candidate receives a majority vote, a revote will take place consisting of the first fifty percent (50%) of electable candidates when ordered in descending order by vote count, with the top two candidates guaranteed a spot in the vote, in a timeline decided by the officers. If no candidate receives the majority of votes in the revote, then the candidate with the most combined votes of the original vote and the revote will be appointed the position. Section 4: Vacancies In the event of a vacancy in any position, a Special Election will be held to fill those positions. The Special Election will adhere by the rules stated above; however, it will not adhere to the timelines stated in Section 1 of Article VI. Instead, the timeline will be decided by the officers at the time of the vacancy. Article Vll Length of Officer Term All elected officers shall be elected annually and serve a one-year term starting in August and ending the following May, except in cases of special elections or impeachment. A new officer shall assume office upon election or at the end of the previously held term. Article Vll Officer Removal Section 1 Failure to Uphold Duties An officer may be removed from their position for failure to carry out and uphold the duties required of them as defined in this constitution. Section 2 Impeachment An officer may be removed from office by following the impeachment procedure: 1. A written list of grievances, bearing at least one (1) other officer signature or at least three (3) regular member signatures, must be presented to the president, treasurer, and/or advisor of the club. a. The case should not be presented to the president if he or she is the officer in question. b. The case should not be presented to the treasurer if he or she is the officer in question. 2. The case will be examined by the advisor and any eligible officers to review the legitimacy of the list of grievances. a. The officer whose impeachment is being discussed is not an eligible officer. b. The officer(s) who signed and/or presented the impeachment request, if any, is/are not eligible officer(s). c. If the advisor and the eligible officers deem the conditions of the impeachment to be illegitimate, then the impeachment will be dismissed.
3. A recess period of ten (10) days will be in place after the presentation of the impeachment request to allow the officer in question, the member who requested the impeachment, and any other member to meet with the advisor and/or any eligible officers individually. 4. After the recess period, the advisor and the eligible officers will vote on whether or not the impeachment should go through. Section 3 Resignation Any officer may resign from their position at any point. The PCWC will adhere to Section 4 of Article VI to find a suitable replacement. ARTICLE Vill - Advisor Section 1: Advisor Selections The PCWC will select and secure an advisor from the active faculty or staff of Purdue University and will register their name with the Student Activities and Organizations annually. The advisor will be informed of all meetings and activities of the organization and may call a special meeting of the organization to discuss concerns for the ongoing nature of the organization. Section 2: Advisor Evaluation Midway through the Spring Semester, the officers will hold a meeting to evaluate the current advisor and decide on whether or not a new advisor is needed. Section 3: Selecting an Advisor If a new advisor is needed, a meeting will be held following the advisor evaluation meeting where officers are able to suggest eligible individuals according to Section 1 of Article Vlll as potential advisors. A list of individuals whom the officers are willing to have as an advisor will be made. The president will be responsible for reaching out to the individuals on the list. Section 4: Advisor Vacancy In the event that the position of an advisor is vacant, the officers will hold an emergency meeting to discuss and create a list of individuals who are eligible to be advisors. The president will be responsible for reaching out to the individuals on the list. Article IIX - Meetings Section 1: Write-ins Write-ins are considered informal meetings in which all members of the club are able to attend, socialize, and work on their writing projects. There must be at least one officer present at any write-in for it to be considered a club write-in. A. Hosting a Write-in Any regular member is allowed to host a write-in following this procedure:
1. The regular member shall reach out to an officer and inform them that they want to host a write-in with a forty-eight (48) hour notice. 2. The regular member shall ensure that at least one officer is able to attend the write-in that they are hosting. 3. The regular member shall ensure that the write-in is open to all members of the PCWC. 4. Either the regular member or the officer that is supervising the write-in shall inform other members of the club about the write-in using the club's choice of social media platform at that point of time. Section 2: Revision Sessions Revision sessions are considered formal meetings in which all members of the club are able to attend. Revision sessions will be hosted when deemed appropriate by the officers of the club. Revision sessions will be a time for members to receive feedback and revision suggestions on their work. Section 3: Officer Meetings An officer can call a meeting at any time by notifying other officers at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance through social media. The officer calling the meeting must ensure that at least one other officer is able to attend. Section 4: Emergency Meetings Any officer can call an emergency meeting by notifying other officers at any point through any method needed. Group texts through SMS messaging that include all the officers will often be reserved for emergency meeting notifications. Article IX Constitutional Amendments Section 1: Procedure Amendments to this constitution may be proposed using the following procedure: 1. A regular member informs an officer of an amendment proposal. 2. The officer will acknowledge the proposal. 3. The officer will form a vote asking other regular members to vote for/against the proposal within one week of the proposal. The voting period will last one week. a. If a regular member repeatedly tries to ask an officer for an amendment with no acknowledgment on the part of the officer, then the regular member shall reach out to the advisor. 4. A two-third (2/3) majority vote from the active membership is needed for the vote to pass. a. A lack of a vote by an active member will be counted as a 'no' vote. 5. The officers will appoint any number of needed officers to work with the member to incorporate the amendment into the constitution.
Purdue Creative Writing Club Constitution September 29, 2016 Section 2: Approval of Amendments All amendments to the constitution and bylaws are subject to the approval of the Office of Student Activities and Organizations. ARTICLE X - Dissolution Section 1: Dissolution Proposal A dissolution shall be decided when at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the officers agree on a dissolution. A dissolution can be proposed at any officer meeting. If the dissolution proposal passes, the following procedure shall be used: 1. The remainder of the club shall be informed of the dissolution proposal within a week of the proposal passing. a. If at least five (5) active members disagree to the dissolution, the proposal will be dissolved. 2. For the dissolution proposal to pass, a two-thirds (2/3) vote for it from the active members is required. a. A lack of vote by an active member will be counted as a 'no' vote. Section 2: Unspent Funds In the event that a dissolution proposal & vote passes and the club dissolves, then one final meeting will be held by the officers to choose an organization in which the unspent funds will be donated to. 30 20/6 Date of Adoption Date of Recognition President's signature Office of Student Activities and Organizations Advisor's Sig