% , Constitution
We, the undersigned, wishing to secure for ourselves the pleasures and benefits of an association of those interested in Computer Science and Engineering, enact this constitution as our governing law.
The official name of the organization shall be the "Computer Science and Engineering Club" and may be referred to as the Club throughout the rest of this document. The abbreviation of the Club name shall be "ACM Club".
The purpose of the Computer Science and Engineering Club is to promote interest in Computer Science and Engineering, foster professional development, promote academic success, and build professional skills. We seek to form a scholarly, secular, nonpolitical, and nonprofit student association which fulfills these criteron for persons interested in Computer Science and Engineering.
This Constitution shall be the supreme ruling document for the Computer Science and Engineering Club. The Board of the Club shall be its governing body, and shall establish By-Laws which provide rules of conduct for the Club in accordance with, and subordinate to, this Constitution.
- Officer: The elected officials who hold the primary authority and responsibility within the club.
- Cabinet Member: Additional board members which are similar to officers, but do not hold financial responsibility.
- The Board: The set of individuals containing both the officers and the cabinet members.
- Coordinator: Those appointed for the purpose of assisting the club in the execution of its activities.
- All members must pay their dues for the quarters during which they wish to retain membership. Such dues must be payed in the amount defined in the By-Laws
- All members must adhere to the University Code of Conduct1
- All members must adhere to the ACM Code of Ethics2
A members may be removed from membership due to violations of the Constitution, the University Code of Conduct, or the ACM Code of Ethics. Such removal may only occur following a hearing by a neutral party of adjudicators, who will make a recommendation to the Board. The Board will then vote on the removal, with the result decided by a simple majority.
The Board shall be the highest decision-making body within the Club, and shall be composed of Officers and the Cabinet, whose duties and related information are provided below.
- All Board members must fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities.
- All Board members remain members of the Club, and must therefore meet all standards set for members.
No member of the Board, nor any representative of the Club acting in any capacity shall receive any financial compension for services rendered to or on behalf of the Club, except for pre-approved reimbursement of expenses incurred in the course of work on the Club's behalf. Exceptions may be granted by a recommendation of the President and 2/3 vote of the Board excluding the affected member(s).
Officers may potentially be reimbursed for their membership payments to the ACM, and such reimbursements shall not be considered inconsistent with this clause, so long as they are agreed upon and approved following the usual procedure defined above.
Impeachment of any Board Member will be attained only after successful completion of the following process:
- Impeachment must be proposed at a meeting and approved by a simple majority vote of some portion of the active membership defined in the By-Laws.
- If the vote was successful, the individual being impeached is allowed a meeting in which to make their defense
- Such a meeting will be scheduled to accommodate the individual
- If they fail to attend such a meeting, impeachment may still continue
- Impeachment votes shall be done via the standard voting procedure.
The Officers shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer and the Secretary, and shall be listed with both the CSUSB Student Leadership and Development Office and the Association of Computing Machinery as the Club's responsible leadership.
The President serves as the executive officer of the Club, and is responsible for its operatons. The President acts as the Club’s primary spokesperson and representative. The President has the power of appointment to Cabinet positions if a mid-year vacancy occurs, and to Coordinator positions year-round. Such nominations are subject to a simple majority vote of approval by the Board.
The Vice President shall serve as President when the President is unavailable, and shall assume the office of President per the rules defined in the Vacancies section of this document. They shall also perform other duties as directed by the President to encourage participation and growth of the Club.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for all accounts and bookkeeping of funds for the treasury of the Club. They shall make all necessary reports to both CSUSB and the ACM, and shall track all incomes and expenditures necessary for such reports. The Treasurer shall work to foster the financial health of the Club, and shall oversee all banking and cash handling for the Club.
The Secretary shall keep and be responsible for all Club documents, shall attend all meetings to the best of their ability, and shall stand as the final source of information about the Club's rules and history. The documents that shall be accounted for, at a minimum, are: meeting minutes, event attendance, membership records, the Constitution and its bylaws.
- All Officers must meet all requirements set for members of the Board
- All Officers must be members of the Association of Computing Machinery
- All Officers must be elected by a vote consistent with the Election section of this document
If the President should resign, be recalled, or die, then the Vice President shall complete the remainder of the term in the President's position. A new Vice President will be elected according to the standard election procedure. Other Board positions will be filled in the manner prescribed for the given position.
Cabinet members are considered full voting members of the Board who have jobs necessary for the club to function. Cabinet members shall be appointed or elected by the club, at the discretion of the officership, using the standard procedure for appointment or election, respectively. Cabinet positions shall be defined in the bylaws.
- All Cabinet members must meet all requirements set for members of the Board
Coordinators are appointed officials tasked with the supervision or support of a narrow and specific set of duties agreed upon by the Board. Coordinators are appointed by the Board via the standard appointments process. Coordinators shall be responsible for the tasks prescribed for them, and shall be accountable for their progress to the Board. If such progress is unsatisfactory or inconsistent with the Board's expectations, the Coordinator position may be dissolved by a simple majority vote of the Board, excluding any affected Board Member.
Coordinators shall be allowed to attend Board Meetings, but shall not be given an explicit vote.
Amendments to the Constitution may be made according to the following procedure:
- The amendment is proposed and discussed at a meeting
- If approved by a majority vote at the meeting of some portion of the active membership to be defined in the By-Laws, the amendment shall continue to the voting stage
- The amendment must then be approved following a two-thirds vote using the standard voting procedure.
The voting procedures should be carried out in such a way that does not create bias towards any participants involved, and is accessible to the maximal number of club members possible.
The procedure for voting shall be defined in the bylaws.
In the event of a tie between two candidates running for a position, the decision of a split election shall fall to a vote of the Club Advisors, and if that is inconclusive, a run-off election between the top two candidates for the contested position. If all other methods of tie-breaking fail, the final decision falls to the President.
Elections will be held at minimum once per school year, typically during Spring quarter. Elections may also happen in the event of unforseen vacancies in the officership.
Nominations of oneself or another interested party will be allowed by informing the board of the intent to run for office via email or spoken word. The current Board may prescribe additional information necessary for inclusion on the election ballot, including (but not limited to), the individual's Coyote ID number or email address.
Officers shall be elected following the standard voting procedure.
Appointments will happen as determined by the Board. The procedure for appointments shall be defined in the bylaws.
Newly elected officers will assume the office at the monthly meeting following elections and will remain in office for one full year. Officers who previously held the position shall be kept available for a transition period of one month, during which they shall provide support to the new officers. These officers may be present at board meetings, but will not have a vote.
Board meetings shall be attended by the Officers, Cabinet members, and Coordinators, and shall be the central coordination and planning meetings for the individuals in those offices. It is the purview of Board Meetings to plan events, make decisions about Club directions, and discuss administrative topics that do not require member input.
Standard meetings shall be attended by Officers, Cabinet members, Coordinators, and the general membership, and shall be the central resource for the dissemination of information, and the receipt of input from the membership.
A quorum for a meeting which is to trasact official business of the club shall be defined in the bylaws.
Meetings are to be held at least once a month, at a schedule determined at the start of each quarter, according to the input of the membership and the availability of the officers.
The treasury shall be kept at the on campus bank, and banking procedures will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the office of Student Leadership & Development.
In the event that this organization becomes and remains inactive during a two-year period, any funds remaining in the account are to be transferred to Computer Science and Engineering department, under the direction of a faculty advisor, as contributions to scholarship funds.
Advisors will be selected at the discretion of the Board of officers with a two-thirds majority vote. Advisors will be re-affirmed automatically on a yearly basis unless the desire to step down has been noted or the Board wishes to include other advisors. An Advisor may be removed from position by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board.
The Computer Science and Engineering Club shall never discriminate by race, religion, natural origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, and/or disability.
Neither the Computer Science and Engineering Club, nor its members, shall conspire to engage in hazing, participate in hazing, commit any act that injures, degrades, or disgraces or tends to injure, degrade, or disgrace any fellow student or person attending the institution.
The Computer Science and Engineering Club membership and leadership must be open to all currently enrolled students at California State University, San Bernardino, except that a social fraternity or sorority may impose a gender limitation as permitted, by Title 5, California Code of Regulations, Section 41500.
The Computer Science and Engineering Club, or its members, when taking stands on issues, recognizes and will fulfill its obligation to make clear that it in no way represents the official position of the California State University, San Bernardino.