CONSTITUTION NCCU COLLEGE DEMOCRATS

Preamble In order to promote a better America, with equality, opportunity, and freedom within a just and strong society, we dedicate ourselves to organizing the participation of Democratic college students at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). In this mission, we call for full participation of all NCCU students and alumni regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Understanding the importance of participation in the Democratic Party to the preservation of our values and principles, we, Democratic college students, do hereby associate ourselves and adopt this Constitution as the NCCU College Democrats.

Article I: Name The name of this organization shall be the NCCU College Democrats, hereafter referred to in this document as the College Democrats. Article II: Mission and Goals Section 1: Mission: To actively support the politics and ideas of the Democratic Party, locally, statewide, and on a national scale and increase participation of college students in Democratic affairs. Section 2: Goals: To educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party; to cultivate political awareness and activism on the NCCU campus and among NCCU students; to train future leaders of the democratic party; work alongside Democratic leaders and legislators, while maintaining an active role in politics within North Carolina and abroad. Section 3: Governing Authority: All activities and functions of the organization must be legal under University, local, state, and federal laws. The most recent version of the Student Code of conduct will supersede all requirements set forth during the creation and revision of this constitution. In addition, the most recent version of Roberts Rules of Order shall be the authority over those questions which have not been specified by university regulations or this constitution. Within this constitution, a majority shall be defined as more than 50%.

Article III: Membership & Due Section 1: Membership Statement: Membership in the College Democrats shall be open to any college student currently and continuously enrolled at NCCU, who wishes to be known as a College Democrat and who has the best interests of the College Democrats and the Democratic Party at heart, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Section 2: Additional Membership Requirements: To be considered an active student member, an individual must pay a due. Together with Article III, Section 1, these additional requirements define what it means to be an active student member.

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

Section 3: Recruitment: Recruitment shall take place throughout the year and membership is open at all times. Section 4: Voting Rights: Only active student members, as prescribed by Article III, Section 1 and 2, are eligible to vote. Section 5: Revocation of Membership: Membership may be revoked without mutual agreement for non-participation, misconduct, or violations of any provisions of the Constitution. The member will be notified in writing of the possible revocation at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members and relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Membership can only be revoked upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members. The revocation of membership process may be initiated by the group of officers, who can by majority vote choose to begin the revocation of membership procedure. If an active student member seeks the ejection of another member for the organization, he or she may bring grievance before the group of officers during an officer meeting. The officers will determine if revocation of membership is appropriate. Section 6: Reinstatement of Membership: Membership may be reinstated after one full semester has passed. The former member may submit a request for reinstatement to the President. At the next membership meeting, the organization must vote on the reinstatement request. Membership may be reinstated by a 2/3 affirmative vote of the active student members Article IV: Officers Section 1: Eligibility: Potential officers must meet the minimum eligibility requirements of active student membership (Article III, Sections 1 & 2). All officers of the organization shall possess (at the time of their election and during their term) at least the minimum requirements regarding enrollment hours, GPA, and academic and disciplinary standing to serve in a leadership position. Officers who do not meet these requirements during their term shall be resigned or removed. Section 2: Additional Eligibility Criteria: Potential officers must be considered active student members according to Article III, Sections 1 and 2, no sooner than one regular meeting prior to the beginning of the nomination period. Members who have had their membership revoked or reinstated are ineligible to be an officer. The requirements of this section may be waived by a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members, prior to nominations and elections. Section 3: Officer Requirements: Additional officer requirements include maintaining a functional knowledge of the Democratic Party and its platform, as well as, being able to dedicate 8-12 hours weekly (Monday-Friday) to the duties and task pertinent to the office held. Section 4: Composition: The Officers, henceforth referred to as the Executive Board shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Director of Membership & Development, Public Relations Director, Event Director, and Director of Political Affairs. No officer will be permitted to hold more than one officer position at a time, unless appointed to an interim position. Section 5: Obligation & Annual Strategic Plan: The Executive Board shall determine the agenda and policy of the College Democrats and coordinate all activities and events. Members shall maintain active involvement in activities and endeavors of the club. In addition, no later than two weeks after newly new officers are elected shall they jointly establish a strategic plan and vision for the year, in which every officer will be assigned duties and task. Each member of the Executive Board is required to submit monthly a written progress report on goals and objectives and a detail of their pursuit of such. C: Meetings: The Executive Board shall meet on a regular basis determined by the President or the majority of the Executive Board.

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

Article V: Duties of the Executive Board Positions Section 1: Duties of the President. The President shall: 1: Be the Chief Executive Officer of the College Democrats; 2: Define the agenda of the College Democrats during his or her tenure; 3: Act as the official representative of the College Democrats to university administration, other campus organizations, the general public, Democratic Officials, and the media; 4: Carry out the mandates, policies, and directives of the Executive Board; 5: Preside over all meetings of the College Democrats; 6: Ensure all task assigned to members of College Democrats are completed; 7: Ensure the viability and longevity of the chapter for future years; 8: May appoint ex-officio members to the Executive Board, to ensure goals and directives are completed. Appointed members are not elected, and therefore will serve the President in the performance of his or her duties; 9: Maintain communication with the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development and ensure that all paper work is current. 10: Ensure that all officers are familiar with the Constitution, via review to happen within one month of officer installation and ensure all officers are performing their duties as defined in the Constitution. 11: Keep advisor informed of activities and functions of the organization; 12: Assign special projects to officers; 13: Correspond with other campus student organizations; 14: Maintain contact with the North Carolina Federation of College Democrats and College Democrats of America; 15: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus; 16: Maintain contact with Democratic elected officials and representatives from the North Carolina Democratic Party; 17: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected President.

Section 2: Duties of the Vice President. The Vice President shall: 1: Be the Chief Operations Officer for College Democrats; 2: Assist the President in the performance of his or her duties; including brainstorming ideas and evaluating the progress of the Executive Board and organization as a whole; 3: Actively assist the President in carrying out the mandates, policies, and directives of the Executive Board; 4: Act as President when the President is unable to perform his or her duties; 5: Plan and be responsible for all retreats and training of the organization; 6: Perform an audit of all financial transactions of the organization per semester; 7: Create a tabling schedule;

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

8: Be expected to go or appoint members as delegates to go to other clubs meeting and events to establish bonds with ot her organizations in attempt to recruit members or support for a common cause; 9: Assume the office of the President upon the Presidents death, resignation, removal, or inability to perform duties; 10: Assist in special projects assigned by the President; 11: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus; 12: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected Vice-President. Section 3: Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: 1: Be the Chief Finance & Fundraising Officer; 2: Shall coordinate all alumni donations, fundraising events, selling of merchandise and other fundraising efforts, as well as prepare all grants; 3: Maintain accurate financial records of all monetary transactions to ensure no discrepancies with the Office of Student Leadership, Training, and Development, Campaign Finance Regulations, and to ensure to donors that the chapter is responsible; 4: Be responsible for creating a budget at the beginning of each fall and spring semester, in conjunction with the President; 5: Manage the bank account and budget and handles and distribute funds of the chapter; 6: Be responsible for collecting dues and notifying members who are delinquent in their payments; 7: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected Treasurer; 8: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus; 9: Assist in special projects assigned by the President. Section 4: Duties of the Secretary: The Secretary shall: 1: Notify members of meetings via e-mail and/or telephone at least 48 hours in advance; 2: Maintain an accurate list of members and their contact information; 3: Assist the President in communication with the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development and ensure that all paper work is current; 3: Take attendance at all meetings and maintain an attendance record; 4: Record minutes at executive and general meetings, keeping accurate records, and making them accessible via email, College Democrats Facebook group and other approved sites; 5: Prepare ballots for elections and check eligibility for potential officers, prior to annual elections; 6: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected Secretary; 7: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus; 8: Assist in special projects assigned by the President.

Section 5: Duties of the Membership/Development Director: The Membership Director shall:

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

1: Be responsible for outreach programs, new member recruitment and maintenance and retention of current membership; 2: Hold membership drives to promote membership in College Democrats through innovative programming and widespread publicity; 3: Maintain a current listing of all names, phone numbers, and email addresses of all members and regularly report this information to the North Carolina College Democrats and the CDA National Headquarters; 4: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected Membership Director; 7: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus and assist the president in strategies to increase membership and marketing strategies to ensure our presence on campus for years to come; 8: Assist in special projects assigned by the President.

Section 6: Duties of the Public Relations Director. The Public Relations Director shall: 1: Will be the Chief Communications Officer for College Democrats; 2: Serve as the media contact for College Democrat events, and works closely with the chapter secretary to produce a regular newsletter; 3: Communicate the message of College Democrats and the Democratic Party to the media and the campus; 4: Write and issue, with the Presidents approval, all press releases and advisories on College Democrats events; 5: Design the overall image of the chapter, to include: designing the logo, official seal, letterhead, and color scheme that will be used on all posters and the webpage; 6: Write and submit Democratic op-ed pieces to local press, generate letters to the editor from chapter membership to support the College Democrats pro -Democratic goals; 7: Develop strategy and oversee all internet communications; 8: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newly-elected Public Relations Director; 9: Actively recruit and table for the organization in order to maintain a presence on campus; 10: Assist in special projects assigned by the President.

Section 7: Duties of the Events Director. The Events Director shall: 1: Ensure that the chapter maintains a full schedule of events for the members and that the chapter maintains a full schedule of events for the members and the greater campus community; 2: Maintain correspondence with the Communications Director to ensure the success of each campus event; 3: Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her choosing. Section 8: Duties of the Political Activism Director. The Political Activism Director shall: 1: Coordinate student involvement in national, state, and local campaigns; 2: Acts as a liaison between Local and State Party officials, Democratic campaign office as and the campus charter and update membership on progress of candidates; 3: Work with campaigns campus coordinator to promote student involvement in the process;

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

4: Coordinate efforts and strategy with the CDA Nation Student Director of Political Affairs; 5: Recruit, organize, and schedule volunteers for phone banks, GOTV efforts, dorm lit drops, and other activities; 6: Be in charge all voter registration campaigns; 7: Coordinate the on-campus Get Out the Vote effort in coordination with the state, local, and national GOTV campaign; 8: Be familiar with North Carolina Election Law; 9: Obtain campaign materials and have them readably available for tabling purposes; 10: Provide all documents and records pertaining to his/her responsibilities to the newlyelected Political Activism Director; 11: Assist in special projects assigned by the President. Article IV: Term of Office & Term Limit The length of term of office shall be no longer than one year, limited to serving no more than two (2) consecutive terms for each office. Article V: Selection of Officers Section 1: Announcement of Elections: The president shall, at least one meeting prior, announce the date of the upcoming nominations and elections. He/she shall also state the eligibility (as defined in Article III, Section 1& 2) and that all active student members interested in running for an office should consult the Secretary to ensure eligibility before or at the nominations/elections meeting. Section 2: The nomination of officers shall occur each academic year at the membership meeting held during the first or second week of March. One of the officers not running for office (preference determined by the order listed in Article III, starting with the President) shall facilitate the nomination and election process at this meeting. If this is not possible the facilitator will be selected by a majority vote of active student members. Any active student member present may nominate someone or him/self for office by verbally nominating an individual during this procedure. However, the nominee must be considered eligible for an officer position (as defined in Article III Sections 1 and 2 as verified by the Secretary). Absentee/proxy ballots are prohibited during the election process. Section 3: Election Process: The election of officers shall occur at the General Council Meeting held during the second/third week of March. The order of elections shall be: President, VicePresident, Treasurer, Director of Political Affairs, Secretary, Public Relations Director, Membership & Development Director, and Events Director. The organization may not proceed to the election of the next officer until the current one has been resolved. The nominated candidates for each office will be given a chance to address the organization and discuss their qualifications and reasons why they should be selected to that office. Candidates will speak to the organization in alphabetical order by last name. Once each candidate for that office has had the opportunity to speak, all active student members present (minus the nominations/elections facilitator described in Section 1 above) will have the opportunity to vote by secret ballot. However, all candidates for the office will be asked to step out of the room. The facilitator will tabulate all votes immediately, in the presence of the organization. A candidate shall be elected by a majority of all votes cast by active student members. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the top two candidates will immediately enter into a run-off election. In the event of a tie, the facilitator shall cast a vote to break the ties.

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

Section 4: Transition of Leadership & Installation: Newly elected officers take office one week after their election. There shall be a 4 week period of transition for new officers to get acquainted with the functions of the organization and their term will end out-going officers term will end immediately following the one week period. Out-going officers should assist in the transition and training of the officers-elect, from elections until the end of the 4 week period of transition. The change in officer information should immediately be reported to the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development. Article VI: Officer Vacancies Section 1: Removal of Officers: Leadership may be revoked without mutual agreement for nonparticipation, misconduct, failure to fulfill job duties, or violations of any provisions of the Constitution. The officer will be notified in writing of the possible removal from office at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Any officer may be removed from office upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members. The removed officer shall provide all documents relating to the organization and brief his/her replacement of current projects in his/her care. Any officer removed from his/her position will be ineligible for any officer position for one full calendar year. To begin the impeachment process any active student member can attend a group of officers meeting to present relevant information on the accused officer. At the group of officers meeting, a vote will take place on whether the information presented is strong enough to present to the club. A majority vote will confirm or deny the legitimacy of the information at hand, if a majority vote is granted the information will be presented to the club for a vote. Section 2: Resignation: Officers no longer wishing to serve on the board must submit their resignation to the President (or Vice President if the President is resigning) and advisor at least two (2) weeks in advance. Prior to the officers final day he/she shall provide all documents relating to the organization and brief his/her replacement of current projects in his/her care. Section 3: Filling Vacant Officer Positions: In the event an officer (besides President) is removed or resigns, the remaining officers will decide if the position is to be filled. If it is to be filled, the nomination and election process as stated in Article V will take place at the next membership meeting. The officers may appoint an interim officer to serve in the vacant position until the next membership meeting. If the President is removed or resigns, the Vice President will assume the role of President upon a majority confirmation of the remaining officers. If not confirmed, the position of the President will be filled as per the paragraph above. The newly elected officers term shall end at the annual installation of officer s in April. A change in officer information should be reported to the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development, within 10 school days of the election. Article VII: General Council Section 1: The membership should meet at least once per semester during the fall and spring semesters, or as called by the President or majority of Executive Board members. Meetings are open to those defined in Article III, Section 1, and officers (except the President, unless otherwise stated) and active student members (unless otherwise stated) are allowed one vote per motion. The quorum required to conduct business is a majority of the officers and organizations active student

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

members. Unless otherwise stated in this constitution, a motion is considered passed with a majority vote. Article VIII: Advisor Section 1: Selection: The advisor shall be selected by the officers. To be eligible to serve as the advisor, the person must be a contracted NCCU employee (faculty), as defined by Human Resources. Section 2: Role and Authority: The advisor shall serve as a mentor to the organization, providing guidance to the officers and members in the development and implementation of programs and activities, as well as NCCU policy and procedure. Additionally, the advisor will monitor expenditures of the organization. The advisor has no voting rights. The advisor must be willing to obtain an appropriate level of experience, resource information, and knowledge related to the mission, purpose, and activities of the organization. Section 3: Length of Term: The advisor has no term limit as long as he/she remains a contracted NCCU employee. Section 4: Removal and Replacement of Advisor: The advisor will be notified in writing of the possible removal at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Upon a majority vote of active student members, the advisor will be removed from his/her duties. In the event that an advisor is removed or resigns, a new advisor shall be elected within 15 school days. A change in advisor information should be immediately reported to the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development. Article IX: Finances Section 1: Membership Dues: Membership dues shall be $20 per year or $15 per semester. Membership dues will be collected by the Treasurer during the fall and spring semesters only. All active student members, including officers, are required to pay membership dues. Full or partial refunds can only be granted upon a 2/3 affirmative vote of the officers. Section 2: Budget Approval: The Treasurer (in conjunction with the President) shall create a budget for the fall and spring semesters. The officers and active student members must approve the budget within the first month of each semester. New expenditures, above $50, not approved in the semester budget must be approved by a vote of the active student members. Section 3: Financial Authority: For the protection of the organization and its officers, it is required that two authorized persons approve all monetary transactions. Only the President, Treasurer, and Advisor can be signers with the organizations financial institution. Organizational funds may be spent on items such as office supplies, events and activities, publicity, travel expenses, and conference fees, but will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws. All funds must be deposited within 24 business hours after collection. Section 4: Officer Transition: It shall be the responsibility of all account signers to change contact information, as well as assist in the update of new account signatures with the organizations financial institution after each election. In addition, it is the outgoing Treasurers responsibility to compile and present all banking documents and information about the previous and current budget to the new Treasurer.

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America

Section 5: Dissolution of Organization: In the event that the organization ceases to exist, any funds or resources remaining in the organizations account shall be donated to the North Carolina College Democrats. Article X: External Affiliations This organization is one of many chapters in the state that belong to the North Carolina College Democrats, and one of hundreds in the country of the College Democrats of America. The College Democrats of America is also under the umbrella of the Democratic National Committee. This organization is subject to rules and bylaws of the College Democrats of America. The rules and regulations of the external affiliate shall be followed when not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of this Constitution and North Carolina Central University.

Article XI: Committees Section 1: Committees may be formed by a vote of officers or active student members. At the time of formation, the process for committee member selection, chair selection, and committee and chair responsibilities must also be approved. Committees may be dissolved by a majority vote of officers and active student members. Section 2: In some cases there will be standing committees that occur each and every year. The five (5) standing committees are: The Constitutional Review Committee, Programming, Membership, and Fundraising, and Political Affairs, which shall convene each year and are active when the Executive Board calls them to order each and every year. It is mandatory that the group of officers does in fact call each to order at least once each year. Committee charges will be developed by the Executive Board and the corresponding Executive Board member. Article XII: Publications and Advertising Section 1: Compliance: All graphics and publicity of the organization must comply with the Event Policies, the Student Union, and other building guidelines pertaining to university policy. Section 2: Approval: The Secretary and President must unanimously approve all graphics and publicity (e.g., shirts, flyers, and other forms of advertising/marketing) prior to duplication and distribution. Article XIII: Ratification Section 1: Ratification: This constitution will become ratified by a 2/3 approval of the officers of the organization. Article XIV: Amendments Amendments to the constitution must be proposed in writing to the President. The amendment must then be presented to the organization during a membership meeting and should include a full explanation and/or rationale for the amendment. The amendment must be voted on at the following membership meeting and approved by a 2/3 affirmative vote of active student members. All amended constitutions must be submitted to the Office of Student Leadership, Training, & Development within ten business days.

Constitution| NCCU College Democrats of America