Constitution
The constitution was revised in December of 2010. New version coming soon to the web.
CONSTITUTION OF SPECTRUM, THE GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDERED, STRAIGHT ALLY STUDENT ORGANIZATION AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
Created March 1990
Revised 1992, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006
Article I Name
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Spectrum, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Straight Ally Student Organization of Ball Sate University (hereafter, “Spectrum”).
Article II Purpose
Section 1. The Goals of Spectrum shall be:
A. To provide an anonymous, healthy, and safe place for Ball State University students and surrounding community who are discovering their sexual orientation to find understanding and develop a network of support.
B. To educate the Ball State University and Muncie communities on lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender issues, cultures, and history through various programming efforts.
C. To provide a place for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender students and allies to meet, gain information, and socialize.
Article III Membership
Section 1. Qualifications of Membership:
A. Membership in Spectrum shall be limited to students, faculty, and staff of Ball State University. Ball State University alumni, and others not currently affiliated with the university, may be nonvoting members of Spectrum.
B. Persons meeting the requirements of membership shall not be denied membership on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, status as a Vietnam veteran or other protected classification.
C. No dues shall be required from the membership.
D. Members must attend at least two meetings per semester to maintain membership.
Section 2. Anonymity of Membership
A. All officers of Spectrum shall follow membership procedures as specified in this Article.
Section 3. Confidentiality of Membership:
A. Membership forms shall be available at each general meeting and in the Spectrum office
B. It is not a requirement of attendance to fill out and return a membership form.
C. The Secretary should make it clear that membership forms will be kept confidential to the executive board and the Student Life professional and graduate staff.
D. Membership information shall be used only for Spectrum related purposes and not released to third parties.
Article IV Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Executive Board and their rank within Spectrum shall be:
A. President
B. Vice President
C. Secretary
D. Treasurer
E. Parliamentarian
Section 2. No officer can hold more than one position at one time.
Section 3. Election of Officers:
A. The nominations of officers shall be held at the first Spectrum meeting in November. Elections for all positions will take place during the meeting before Thanksgiving break.
B. Further nominations can be submitted up to one meeting prior to the meeting at which elections are to be held. Nominations may only be presented at the Spectrum meeting. C. Any member may accept the nomination of more than one office; during the election, if he or she is elected to a position, he or she must withdraw the nominations for other offices. Furthermore, the member must accept the first position he or she is elected to.
C. Written platforms shall be required and submitted to the executive board on date determined by the executive board, prior to the meeting at which elections are to be held.
1. Platforms shall outline time commitments, goals, and a general statement of purpose for running for office.
2. The platforms shall be presented to the executive board for the purpose of making copies to distribute.
3. Platforms are to the distributed by the Vice President only.
D. The manner of election shall be as follows:
1. The Vice President shall conduct the voting procedures, which should occur as the first order of business. In the case of the Vice Presidential race, an advisor from the Student Life Office shall conduct electoral procedures—including distribution of platforms.
2. An advisor shall be present for the duration of the voting. The advisor present shall tally votes and return an answer to the Vice President, who will then announce the new officer. The advisor shall keep all votes in an envelope marked with the date of the election, should any vote be contested at a later date.
3. While each candidate is speaking, his or her opponent(s) will not be present.
4. Candidates will present their speeches in alphabetical order by their last name. Candidates for President shall have ten (10) minutes for their speeches; candidates for the other positions shall have five (5) minutes. An additional five (5) minutes is allowable for questions and answers for all candidates.
5. Each Spectrum member shall have one vote.
Section 4. Appointment of Directors and Liaisons
A. Any member of Spectrum may apply for a Director or Liaison position outlined in Bylaws, Article C, Sections 3 and 4.
B. Those interested must submit a platform to the Executive Board by a time and date determined by the Executive Board, and platforms shall outline time commitments, goals, and a general statement of purpose for running for office.
C. The Executive Board shall review all submitted platforms and decide upon the most qualified person for each position.
D. The President shall present the most qualified person to the Spectrum body for appointment.
E. The Spectrum body will then have a vote to approve or deny the President’s appointment.
Section 5. Terms of Office
A. The term of office shall be defined as beginning on the first day of regularly scheduled classes in the spring semester and ending on the last day of regularly scheduled classes of the following fall semester.
B. The newly elected officers will attend executive board meetings from elections until returning from winter break.
Section 6. Removal of Officers:
A. Members of Spectrum bringing charges against any officer for the purposes of removal from office shall present these charges in writing. Individual copies of such charges shall be considered public information.
B. The officers of Spectrum can remove any officer by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the whole executive board if that officer is found to be in violation of the Spectrum Constitution and Bylaws. The charged officer will not have a vote.
Section 7. Resignation of Officers:
A. The resignation of an officer must be presented in writing to the President at least one week prior to such time that a resignation may take place.
B. If the President resigns, written notice shall be presented to the Vice President at least one week prior to the resignation.
Section 8. Replacement of Officers:
A. If there are sixty (60) days or more left in the term, Spectrum will elect a member to fill out the remainder of the vacancy.
B. If there are fewer than sixty (60) days left in the term, the officers of Spectrum shall decide whether to elect, appoint, or leave vacant the position.
Article V Advisors
Section 1. Spectrum receives and annual allocation from the Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. As a part of its provision, Spectrum works with an advisor who is employed by the Office of Student Life.
Section 2. The advisor who is employed by the office of Student Life shall be responsible for maintaining records of Spectrum’s University Foundation account and keeping the President and Treasurer aware of the account balance.
Article VI Executive Board
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers as outlined in Article IV. Section 2. The formation of committees and their heads is outlined in the Bylaws, Article C.
Section 3. The procedure of appointments of Directors and Liaisons and details of their positions are outlined in the Bylaws, Article C.
Article VII Meetings
Section 1. An executive board meeting may be called at any time by the President.
Section 2. The Spectrum executive and general body meetings shall be open to the public. The officer are expected to attend every executive and general body meeting, with the exception of three excused absences under extenuating circumstance which should be explained at the following executive board meeting. Spectrum meetings and executive board meetings shall be held only in the fall and spring semesters.
Section 3. Spectrum social meetings shall be planned once per week unless extenuating circumstances arise. Social meetings are to be planned and executed by the Vice President.
Section 4. Spectrum executive board meetings shall be planned once per week unless extenuating circumstances arise. Executive board meetings are to be planned and executed by the President.
Article VIII Attendance
Section 1. Attendance roll call at social meetings is not to be taken under any circumstance. Except for the executive officers, disclosure of identity shall be confined to first names only and shall be voluntary.
Section 2. Attendance is required of officers at all planned executive board meetings, general body meetings, and events.
Article IX Quorum
Section 1. The quorum for Spectrum social meetings shall be one half (1/2) of the average number of members in attendance at social meetings that semester.
A. The Secretary shall keep a written tally of the number of members in attendance at each meeting for the purpose of determining the definition of quorum.
B. The appropriate minimum number of members required to achieve quorum shall be agreed upon by a simple majority vote of the executive officers at the executive board meeting to be held before the social meeting at which a vote is to be taken.
Section 2. The quorum for Spectrum executive council meetings shall be a simple majority of officers, except as specified in Article IV, Section 5 of the Constitution.
Article X Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the Spectrum Constitution and Bylaws may be proposed by:
A. Any member of Spectrum
B. Any officer of Spectrum
C. Any director of Spectrum
D. Any committee formed by Spectrum for the purpose of constitutional revision.
Section 2. Proposed amendments to the Spectrum Constitution and Bylaws must be submitted to the Spectrum executive board in writing at least one (1) executive meeting before the general body meeting in which a vote is to be taken.
Section 3. Amendments shall become a part of the Spectrum Constitution and Bylaws upon ratification by a simple majority of quorum of Spectrum members at a Spectrum social meeting.
Section 4. No new or old business may be considered or voted upon outside the fall or spring semesters.