Mission Statement Section I 1.

To promote understanding and work toward a world free of discrimination, especially that which is based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation Vision Statement Section I 1. Though human experience is as vastly different as we are individually, it is possible to find joy, comfort and companionship in our common humanity. We recognize that in the past, inherent basic rights of all human beings have not always been respected due to prejudice, ignorance and fear all resulting in oppression. By upholding this Constitution of PRIDE!Kent, we as a body pledge to employ legitimate and nonviolent means to achieve acceptance, equality and liberation for all gender and sexual minorities as well as the equality and liberation of all people. Article I: Name Section I 1. Officially, this organization is named PRIDE!Kent. The organization may also be referred to as PRIDE! or Pride. The capitalization of PRIDE denotes the acronym People Respecting Identity, Diversity and Equality. Article II: Purpose Section I 1. The purpose of PRIDE!Kent shall be to educate the Kent State University campus community and surrounding communities about issues relevant to gender and sexual minorities.

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2. PRIDE!Kent shall provide social, educational and active programming for its members as well as members of surrounding communities. 3. PRIDE!Kent shall work toward providing a supportive, accepting environment for any persons who identify as a gender or sexual minority, any persons exploring their sexual identity, any persons supporting the community as an Ally, and any persons seeking a safe environment in which to learn about or associate with people who identify with the mission of PRIDE!Kent. 4. PRIDE!Kent shall work toward the advancement of human rights and acceptance of all people. Article III: Membership Section I 1. Membership, either Active, Affiliate or Honorary, shall be extended to any individual who identifies with the interests of PRIDE!Kent. a. Active membership shall be extended to Kent State University students. i. Active membership within PRIDE!Kent yields full floor and voting privileges on any and all items of PRIDE!Kent business including resolutions, items of legislation and elections pending the individual is eligible as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. ii. Active members are eligible to vote if they have attended three (3) meetings per semester or eight (8) meetings in one semester. Participation in PRIDE! sponsored events outside regularly scheduled PRIDE! meetings may count toward attendance. iii. Any active member may request that the Executive Board review any other members eligibility to vote. Results of this review are not required to be reported to the inquirer. b. Affiliate membership shall be extended to any individual attending meetings who is not enrolled in courses at Kent State University. i. Affiliate membership within PRIDE!Kent yields full floor privileges at all times and voting privileges on any and all items of PRIDE!Kent business including resolutions, items of legislation and elections pending the event of a tie and only if the individual is eligible as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. ii. Affiliate members may appeal to the Executive Board for active membership once meeting the voting eligibility requirements outlined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. The extension of active membership shall be decided by a Board majority vote with one of those votes being that of the President. This vote may be called at any time providing an Executive Board majority presence with the presence of the President. c. Honorary membership may be extended by the President to any individual that does not conform to the definition of an active or affiliate member but demonstrates an effort to contribute to the mission and goals of PRIDE!Kent. i. Honorary membership yields full floor privileges on any and all items of PRIDE!Kent business including resolutions, items of legislation and elections. Section II 1. Affiliate and Honorary members must adhere to the following additional guidelines: a. Affiliate and Honorary members of PRIDE!Kent may not hold office.

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b. Affiliate and Honorary members of PRIDE!Kent are expected to abide by all University rules and regulations. Ignorance of these rules and regulations does not warrant an excuse for violation. c. Affiliate and Honorary members of PRIDE!Kent may serve on any committee operating under the organization and may hold a committee chair position. Section III 1. Active, Affiliate and Honorary membership status may be revoked at any time at the discretion of the Executive Board by a simple majority vote with one vote being that of the President. a. With revocation of membership status comes prohibition from attending PRIDE!Kent meetings and/or sponsored events for a period of time to be determined by the Executive Board. b. The revocation of membership status may be appealed to the Executive Board through a written appeal after one full week has passed. The Executive Board may choose to lift or uphold the revocation through a simple majority vote with one vote being that of the President. c. Membership status may not be revoked on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability or veteran status. Article IV: The Executive Board Section I 1. The Executive Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Activism Initiatives Chair and Allies Chair. Section II 1. Expectations of the Executive Board as a governing body are as follows: a. The Executive Board is the governing body of PRIDE!Kent and is responsible for guiding the organization in the fashion most appropriate for and in the best interest of the organization's members. b. The Executive Board is collectively responsible for all general administrative duties of PRIDE!Kent. c. It is the responsibility of the Executive Board to uphold the rules, regulations, policies and bylaws of the organization as outlined in the Constitution and to collectively interpret the Constitution when policy is called into question. d. Each member of the Executive Board is expected to attend all general membership meetings and board meetings. i. In the event that any Executive Board member is absent from a total of three (3) of the aforementioned meetings without proper notification and approval by the President, their seat shall be vacated immediately. e. The Executive Board is expected to create additional Executive board positions, committees and Committee Chairpersons that it deems necessary in order to better fulfill its duties. f. Members of the Executive Board shall act as spokespersons of PRIDE!Kent at all times, and as such shall conduct themselves in a manner that positively promotes PRIDE!Kent and it's mission and goals.

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Article V: Responsibilities of Executive Board Members Section I 1. Each member of the Executive Board is expected to fulfill the individual responsibilities associated with their positions. Section II 1. The President is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Facilitate general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings b. Observe a minimum of six (6) office hours per business week, four (4) of which must be during CSI business hours c. Hold each executive board member accountable for their individual responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution d. Ensure all actions taken by the Executive Board coincide with the interests of PRIDE!Kent e. Ensure all CSI and USG paperwork is submitted by specified deadlines f. Attend all mandatory allocations workshops and USG meetings g. Grant and revoke access to the PRIDE! office key as necessary h. Make executive decisions in the event an immediate decision is necessary i. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment j. Appoint and oversee a Director of Alumni Affairs, Director of Minority Affairs, Director of Marketing and Publicity and Director of Membership Affairs (Article VI) k. Oversee the maintenance of Executive Board binders 2. The Vice President is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Facilitate general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President b. Observe a minimum of six (6) office hours per business week, four (4) of which must be during CSI business hours c. Facilitate PRIDE!Kent Speakers' Bureaus for classes and conferences i. Recruit, train and maintain contact with speakers ii. Act as a liaison between interested parties and speakers d. Maintain the PRIDE!Kent Library by seeking new materials and ensuring current materials are kept organized and accessible e. Manage the PRIDE!Kent website along with the Secretary f. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment 3. The Secretary is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Facilitate general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President b. Observe a minimum of five (5) office hours per business week, four (4) of which must be during CSI business hours c. Record the agenda and minutes from general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings as needed and distribute accordingly

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d. Maintain attendance records, distributing sign in sheets during general meetings, collecting and recording those who were present and compiling a master directory for reference. i. The master list is to include contact information (email address and phone number) e. Create and distribute PRIDE!Kent newsletters to members f. Serve as the PRIDE!Kent Historian by maintaining the PRIDE!Kent scrapbook i. This scrapbook should include but is not limited to articles written about significant PRIDE!Kent events, photographs, letters and projects g. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment h. Maintain PRIDE!Kent social media and networks of electronic communication along with the Vice President i. Maintain the PRIDE!Kent calendar of events along with the President 4. The Treasurer is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Facilitate general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President, Vice President and Secretary b. Observe a minimum of five (5) office hours per business week, three (3) of which must be during CSI business hours c. Maintain the organization of finances and expenditures in compliance with university guidelines d. Attend all mandatory allocations workshops and USG meetings as designated by the President e. Develop and facilitate a minimum of one (1) fundraiser per semester during or outside regularly scheduled general membership meetings f. Report as necessary to the Executive Board the status of funds g. Develop and facilitate a minimum of one (1) fund raising opportunity per semester during or outside regularly scheduled general meetings h. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment i. Serve as the Chair of the Fundraising Committee 5. The Activism Initiatives Chair is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Remain nonpartisan, yet knowledgeable of the political climate as relevant to LGBTQ issues b.Work with the Executive Board to plan rallies, peaceful protests, volunteer activities and other activism efforts. c. Advise the Executive Board on initiatives to give PRIDE!Kent a more active role in advocating for LGBTQ rights and causes. d. Oversee an activism committee dedicated to organizing and facilitating the aforementioned initiatives. e. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment 6. The Allies Chair is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Facilitate general membership meetings in the absence of all other Executive Board

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members b. Observe a minimum of five (5) office hours per business week, three (3) of which must be during CSI business hours c. Act as the liaison between straight-identifying members of PRIDE!Kent and the Executive Board d. Act as the liaison between other student organizations and PRIDE!Kent e. Work toward increasing straight-identifying membership f. Develop and facilitate at least one (1) event each semester outside general membership meetings i. This event must be in collaboration with another student or community organization g. Complete their term of office except in a case of voluntary resignation due to extreme crisis, failure to meet position requirements, sanction by CSI or in a case of impeachment Article VI: Responsibilities of the Presidents Directors Section I 1.The President is responsible for appointing four directors: a Director of Marketing and Publicity, Director of Minority Affairs, Director of Alumni Affairs and Director of Membership Affairs. These positions serve as leaders within PRIDE!Kent as an official subcommittee of the Executive Board under the President, however they do not vote on Executive Board issues. These positions, unlike Executive Board positions, may be filled by affiliate members at the discretion of the President. Each Director is expected to observe a minimum of (2) office hours per business week. Section II 1. The Director of Marketing and Publicity is expected to fulfill the following duties: a. Manage PRIDE!Kents presence on campus b. Lead marketing and promotions efforts for PRIDE!Kent included, but not limited to, chalking, posting fliers, tabling, etc. c. Assist in promoting PRIDE!Kent through social media via Facebook and Twitter. 2. The Director of Minority Affairs is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Advise the Executive Board on initiatives to give PRIDE!Kent a more active role in advocating for racial minorities in the LGBTQ community. b. Oversee a committee to maintain a presence within the racial minority community. c. Actively work with the Executive Board to remain informed of issues facing racial minorities within the LGBTQ community. 3. The Director of Alumni Affairs is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Compile and maintain a list of PRIDE!Kent alumni with updated contact information b. Create and distribute a monthly news letter to alumni c. Work with the Treasurer to organize donation solicitation from alumni d. Manage all other communications between the Executive Board and PRIDE!Kent alumni including invitations to PRIDE!Kent events, answering questions about current organization programming, etc. e. Work with the Secretary as an assistant Historian helping maintain scrapbooks, etc.

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4. The Director of Membership Affairs is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities: a. Conduct monthly satisfaction surveys with the membership. b. Act as the liaison between the Executive Board and the membership when necessary. c. Actively work with the Executive Board to formulate campaigns for the purpose of membership involvement and retention. Article VII: Elections Section I 1. Any candidate seeking election to the Executive Board of PRIDE!Kent must fulfill the following criteria at the time of application: a. Must be an Active Member who meets all voting eligibility requirements as outlined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. b. Must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.25 c. Must not be on academic probation or semester warning d. Must be enrolled in a minimum of nine (9) undergraduate credit hours e. Must have completed at least one semester at Kent State University as defined by at least six (6) credit hours of work f. Must be able to fulfill a complete term of one (1) academic year if elected g. Must not be under suspension or reprimandation of the Executive Board at the time applications are released h. Must not have been dishonorably dismissed from a previous Executive Board position after resignation Section II 1. The pre-election process shall be conducted as follows: a. Applications for Executive Board positions for the following academic year shall be released two meetings prior to the beginning of Spring Break. i. This application is to be submitted to the President or designated Election Facilitator before the conclusion of the first meeting held after Spring Break. b. The Executive Board will review the applications immediately following the due date. c. The Executive Board will conduct interviews with each applicant. i. At least four (4) Executive Board members must be present to conduct these interviews unless there are fewer than four (4) Executive Board members eligible to perform said duty ii. If a current Executive Board member is seeking election, they may not be present during the interview process of any candidate seeking the same position. iii. The interviews are to be completed within seven (7) days of the application due date unless extreme circumstances hinder the process. d. The Executive Board shall hold another meeting to review all applicants interview responses. e. The Executive Board will select two (2) applicants as candidates for each position. i. These candidates will be the two applicants the Executive Board deems the most qualified by a simple majority vote with one vote being that of the President ii. If a current Executive Board member is seeking election, they may not vote on the selection of candidates for the positions they are seeking.

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iii. In the event that the Executive Board selects two (2) candidates that are also current Executive Board members, they shall select a third candidate from the applicants unless the Executive Board agrees unanimously that all other applicants are not fit to serve. iv. The candidates will be presented to the General Membership at the meeting immediately following their selection by the Executive Board. Section III 1. The election night process shall be conducted as follows: a. Elections shall be held at the meeting two weeks after the applications due date with the PRIDE!Kent advisor present. i. In the event that the advisor is unable to attend, another Faculty or Staff member may be asked by the advisor to attend instead. b. Elections will be facilitated by the current President or another facilitator selected by the Executive Board in the event that the current President is seeking election. c. Election shall be conducted in the following order: Allies Chair, Activism Initiatives Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, President i. The order of candidates for each position will be determined by a coin toss. d. Each candidate will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to speak to the membership, after which the members will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to ask and have answered questions. i. Irrelevant and/or personal questions will not be tolerated, and a member may be asked to step out of the meeting for misconduct during the questioning process and dismissed from the election process as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. e. After each candidate for a position has presented and answered questions, both will be asked to leave the room. The members will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to discuss the candidates. i. Discussion must pertain to what candidates said in their presentations or their answers to questions. A member may be asked to step out of the meeting for misconduct during the discussion process and dismissed from the election process as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. f. Following presentation, questioning and discussion of all candidates for all positions, a vote shall be taken by a simple majority i. This vote shall be conducted via paper ballot. ii. Each active member may cast one vote providing they are eligible as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. g. Votes shall be counted by the PRIDE!Kent advisor. h. In the event of a tie, the affiliate membership shall cast a single, deciding vote providing they are eligible as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. i. The Affiliate members shall have two (2) attempts to break the tie. i. In the event that the tie hold, the Executive Board shall cast one collective final, deciding vote. j. The newly elected Executive Board shall be announced once all positions have been decided upon k. The newly elected Executive Board shall shadow the current Executive Board. i. Each newly elected Executive Board member must attend at least one Executive Board

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meeting after elections. ii. Each newly elected Executive Board member is expected to meet personally with the current Executive Board member occupying their office at least once outside an Executive Board meeting. They will discuss the new Executive Board members responsibilities and pass on their binder with all materials necessary for the new board member to fulfill their duties as well as possible. l. The newly elected Executive Board shall facilitate the last meeting with the assistance of the current Executive Board. m. The official term for new officers shall begin at the conclusion of the current academic year. n. The newly elected Executive Board shall begin preparation for the following academic year at the beginning of Summer Break. Article VIII: Resignations Section I 1. Any officer of the Executive Board who finds they are unable or unwilling to fulfill their duties as outlined in the Constitution or work cohesively with the rest of the Executive Board and seeks dismissal from office must adhere to the following guidelines for resignation: a. Board officers seeking resignation must submit a formal notice of intent to ALL members of the executive board, INCLUDING a signed, paper copy to be delivered in person to the President b. Upon submission, the officer in question will present him or herself at a formal hearing to be conducted at the next or current board meeting. He or she will present in detail his or her reasons for seeking dismissal and answer any questions asked of him or her for sake of clarity of motive behind his or her resignation. c. After the hearing and questioning, all other members of the board will discuss and determine through a simple majority vote with one vote being that of the president whether or not the officer in question will be honorably or dishonorably dismissed. d. The president will contact the officer in question within seven days and make him or her aware of the status of his or her dismissal. e. Documentation of the officers dismissal and status thereof as well as documentation of the reason for dismissal will be filed with the Center for Student Involvement. 2. In the event that any officer of PRIDE!Kent is dishonorably dismissed or tried for impeachment under the conditions of impeachment as outlined in the Article VIII, that officer will be barred from running for election for any Executive Board Position in the future and will have their voting privileges for that academic year and any other subsequent elections revoked. a. Voting privileges for elections may be reinstated through an appeal process. Any former officer who has had his or her voting power revoked and wishes to have this power reinstated must submit a written request for appeal to the currently serving Executive Board. A simple majority vote with one of those votes being that of the President will reinstate voting privilege, however it will not reinstate the privilege of running for an Executive Board position. Article IX: Impeachment

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1. The Executive Board may choose to remove another Executive Board member from their position through a board majority vote (excluding that of the officer in question) with one vote being that of the President in the event that the officer in question has clearly failed to carry out their duties as outlined in the Constitution or in the event that the officer in question has clearly worked to maliciously harm the well being of the organization. The officer in question may choose to appeal their removal to the Active Membership who may then vote to uphold or overturn the removal. a. This appeal must happen within seven (7) days of the Executive Boards vote to remove. b. The President shall present the officer in question to the General Membership and explain why the Executive Board has chosen to remove the officer in question from their position. c. The officer in question shall have five (5) minutes to present their appeal to the General Membership. d. The General Membership shall have five (5) minutes to ask questions of the officer in question. e. The General Membership shall have five (5) minutes to openly discuss the appeal of the officer in question. i. The officer in question may not be present for this open discussion. ii. Discussion must pertain to what the officer in question said in their appeal or their answers to questions. A member may be asked to step out of the meeting for misconduct during the discussion process and dismissed from the appeal process as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. f. Following the open discussion, a vote shall be taken by the Active Membership and decided by a simple majority. i. Each Active Member may cast one vote so long as they are eligible to vote as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. ii. This vote shall be cast by raising of hands. g. In the event of a tie, the Executive Board's decision shall stand. Article X: Vacancies Section I 1. In the event that an Executive Board position is vacated, the President of PRIDE!Kent shall choose an eligible active member as defined in Article VII, Section I to present to the Executive Board as the Presidents Nominee. 2. The Executive Board shall vote whether or not to approve the President's nominee by a simple majority vote. a. In the event that the Executive Board disagrees with the President's nomination, the President will present the nominee to the General Membership to be voted on in the same fashion as outlined in Article IX, Section I, Subsections b through f. Article IX: Meetings Section I 1. General Membership Meetings shall be held every week during the Fall and Spring semesters on Thursdays at 8:00pm EST

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a. If the University has closed due to extreme weather or other conditions, PRIDE!Kent shall not meet. b. General Membership Meetings shall not be held during Finals Week or University Recesses. Section II 1. The Executive Board Meetings shall be held every week during the Fall and Spring semesters on a day and at a time to be unanimously agreed upon each semester by the Executive Board. a. Any general member of PRIDE!Kent may attend any Executive Board meeting with the simple majority approval of the Executive Board. b. The Executive Board may choose not to meet any given week as decided by a simple majority vote. c. Official notice of the meeting at which election of PRIDE!Kent Executive Board members is to occur shall be provided to all PRIDE!Kent members no less than two weeks prior to the said meeting. 2. Quorum for all voting issues shall be defined as fifty percent plus one of the active membership as defined by the average attendance of the previous semester. Article X: Faculty/Staff Advisor Section I 1. The Faculty/Staff Advisor shall be a full-time Faculty or Staff Member of Kent State University who is supportive of the interests of PRIDE!Kent. 2. The Faculty/Staff Advisor shall not vote on any items of PRIDE!Kent business. The extent of their involvement in voting matters is to advise and provide an unbiased party to count votes. 3. In the event that the position of Faculty/Staff Advisor is vacated, it is the responsibility of the Executive Board to research and select a new Faculty/Staff Advisor. 4. Should the Executive Board deem appropriate, the role of Faculty/Staff Advisor may be shared between two Faculty and/or Staff Members. Article XI: Amendment & Ratification Section I 1. This Constitution of PRIDE!Kent must be reviewed and revised as necessary at least once per academic year. 2. The amendment process shall be conducted strictly according to the following guidelines: - a. Amendments to this Constitution of PRIDE!Kent may be introduced at any time to the Executive Board by any active member eligible to vote as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. or any Executive Board member. b. The Executive Board, with the assistance of the active or affiliate member proposing the amendment, shall present the proposed amendment to the General Membership. c. The General Membership shall have ten (10) minutes to discuss the proposed amendment openly. d. Following the open discussion, a vote shall be taken by the active members eligible to vote as defined in Article III, Section I, Subsection a. ii. i. Each eligible, active member may cast one vote.

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ii. This vote shall be conducted by a raising of hands unless the Executive Board deems another manner of voting appropriate. iii. In the event of a tie, eligible affiliate members shall break the tie. 3. This Constitution of PRIDE!Kent must be ratified by the Executive Board and the General Membership a. Official notice of the meeting at which ratification of this Constitution of PRIDE!Kent is to occur shall be provided to all PRIDE!Kent members no less than two weeks prior to the said meeting. b.The Constitution of PRIDE!Kent shall be ratified by the Executive Board by a simple majority vote. c. The Constitution of PRIDE!Kent shall then be presented to the General Membership and approved by the eligible, active membership through a vote decided by a two-thirds (2/3) majority. Article XII: Anti-Harassment Policy Section I 1. All PRIDE!Kent meetings, events and programming are designated as "safe spaces." PRIDE! Kent exercises a zero-tolerance policy with regards to harassment and violence by or directed toward its members. Any member of PRIDE!Kent who feels they are being harassed or threatened in any way may at any time contact any or all members of the Executive Board for assistance. The Executive Board will initiate an investigation, and in the event that any misconduct has taken place, officers of PRIDE!Kent will work with the member(s) to deal with the issue through all appropriate authorities. In the event that an investigation yields that a member is guilty of initiating or engaging in violent acts or harassment, the Executive Board reserves the right to remove such individuals from all involvement with the organization and suspend voting privileges. Documentation of the incident may also be kept on file with the Center for Student Involvement.

Ratified: April 18th, 2013