Concordia College Student Organization Constitution:

Campus Democrats

Ratified for Academic Year 2018-19

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Organization Title…………………………………………………………………….….......1
II. Statements of Purpose……………………………………………………………………….1
III. Membership…………………………………………………………………………………..1
A. Eligibility………………………………………………………………………………..1
B. Equal Opportunity Statement……………………………………………………………1
C. Student Conduct Statement……………………………………………………………...1
D. Criteria for continued membership……………………………………………………...1
E. Categories of membership—respective privileges………………………………….…..1
F. Reasons for removal—grounds, procedure, appeal……………………………………..2
IV. Elections………………………………………………………………………………………2
A. When elections are held…………………………………………………………………2
B. When elections are announced……………………………………………………….....2
C. Nomination procedure…………………………………………………………….….....2
D. Election procedure…………………………………………………………………….2-3
E. Initiation and duration of term…………………………………………………………..3
V. Officers………………………………………………………………………………….….....3
A. Qualifications………………………………………………………………………….3-4
B. Offices and respective duties………………………………………………………….4-5
C. Terms of office…………………………………………………………………………..5
D. Procedure for filling vacated offices…………………………………………………….5
E. Removal from office…………………………………………………………………….6
F. Appeal policy for removed officers…………………………………………………...6-7
VI. Committees…………………………………………………………………………………...7
VII. Meetings………………………………………………………………………………………7
VIII. Finances………………………………………………………………………………………7
IX. Constitutional Amendments………………………………………………………………7-8
X. Adviser………………………………………………………………………………………..8
XI. Ratification…………………………………………………………………………………...8
 1

I. Organization Title: Campus Democrats

II. Statements of Purpose
A. Campus Democrats will provide a healthy atmosphere for the exchange of ideas as it
seeks to foster political engagement among college Democrats and those interested in
learning about Democratic politics and principles. The organization will provide
opportunities to participate in local political affairs to encourage the practical application
of Democratic ideals.
B. Members of the organization will gain a more nuanced understanding of Democratic
principles, policy, and politics as they engage in discourse within the organization, as
well as in their political engagement in Democratic politics.
C. Campus Democrats will provide a structured, engaging community that will seek to
promote the understanding of Democratic ideals and the free exchange of political ideas
in the public square.
III. Membership
A. Eligibility
1. Full time Concordia Students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 are eligible
for membership in the organization
B. Equal Opportunity Statement
1. Concordia College is an equal opportunity employer and equal opportunity
educator. Concordia is fully committed to equal opportunity in employment
decisions and educational programs/activities, in compliance with all applicable
federal and state laws, for all individuals without regard to race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or status
with regard to public assistance.
C. Student Conduct Statement
1. This organization shall abide by the Concordia Student Conduct Policies.
D. Criteria for continued membership
1. Members must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75
2. Members must attend a minimum of five meetings and at least two organization-
sponsored events per semester
3. Officers must attend every meeting and every event, unless their absence is
reasonably excused (i.e. illness, campus-sponsored event, family emergency, or
other extenuating circumstance)
E. Categories of membership and respective privileges (voting rights)
1. Members of the organization have the right to vote on matters proposed by the
board of officers, as well as to make a motion regarding a matter on which they
would like the organizational body to vote
2. Officers of the organization have the same voting rights as members, as well as
the right to make motions regarding matters on which they would like the
organizational body to vote
3. The Chair reserves veto power on motions originating in the body of general
membership
 2

F. Reasons for removal

1. Grounds
a) If a member or officer fails to attend or complete the requisite number of
meetings or events, if they fail to uphold their duty as an officer or
committee member, or if they fail to comply with Concordia’s student
code of conduct, they stand to be removed.
2. Procedure
a) Members are under the board’s jurisdiction for removal.
b) For the procedure for removal of an officer, see Article V, Section E.
3. Appeal
a) After a two-week period, members may appeal to the board for their
reinstatement in the organization. If the board feels that the member’s
reinstatement complies with organizational and institutional guidelines for
conduct, they may be reinstated by unanimous vote by the board. The
board the reserves the right to refuse reinstatement in cases where the
campus code of conduct has been breached.
b) For the procedure for reinstatement of an officer, see Article V, Section F.
IV. Elections
A. Elections are held at the first meeting of the academic year. At the first meeting, the Chair
will initiate and lead the motion to nominate, vote upon, and elect members to each
vacant position. In cases of vacated officer positions, the Vice Chair will initiate and lead
the formal proceedings.
B. Elections will be announced at least one week in advance of the next regularly scheduled
meeting via email by the Communications Director. This email will include a list of
vacant positions and their responsibilities.
C. Nomination procedure
1. For the first elections of the year, the Chair will initiate the nomination procedure.
Thereafter, the Vice Chair will be responsible for initiating this procedure.
2. To initiate the election process for an officer position for the duration of the
academic year, the Chair/Vice Chair will move to nominate a member to each
vacant position.
3. Members may self-nominate by a show of hands.
D. Election procedure
1. For the first elections of the year, the Chair will initiate the nomination, voting,
and election processes. Thereafter, the Vice Chair will be responsible for
initiating these processes.
2. The Vice Chair will compile a list of nominees for each position. Only one
position will be voted on at one time. Each nominee will have thirty seconds to
speak on why they believe they are the best candidate to fill the vacancy.
3. The Vice Chair will explain the rules of the instant run-off vote by secret ballot.
The Vice Chair will then administer the votes (see section v. below). The Chair
and Vice Chair will count and announce the votes following each ballot.
 3

4. Rules of the instant run-off vote:

a) Members will vote by secret ballot. Each member may vote for two
nominees (one vote each) or vote for one nominee twice (two votes for
one nominee).
b) If a nominee reaches a simple majority of the votes, they will
automatically be considered one of the two final nominees. If two
nominees split the votes directly in half, they will both automatically be
considered the two final nominees.
c) The nominee(s) who receive(s) the fewest number of votes after the first
round will be removed from the ballot.
d) Votes will be re-cast and ballots will be modified subsequently until there
are two final nominees who have achieved a simple majority of the total
number of votes.
e) The two final nominees will be given one minute to speak on why they
believe they are the best candidate to fill the vacancy.
f) A final vote will be held by secret ballot in which members may choose
only one nominee.
g) The Chair (and other extant officers) may ask questions and confer among
themselves to determine whether the nominee is qualified to serve. Other
members may voice objections on the grounds of qualifications as well.
h) Should there be no objections to the election of the nominee, the Vice
Chair will administer a final vote of verbal assent/dissent from the
members.
i) Should there be a reasonable objection on the part of the members to the
election of the nominee, the Vice Chair will lead the members in a civil,
respectful forum in which they may voice their concerns to the board.
j) Having made sufficient consideration of the qualifications of and/or
concerns about the nominee, the board will vote by verbal acclamation to
elect the nominee to the officer position.
5. The Chair reserves the right to move to appoint a new officer by vote of
acclamation.
E. New officers will begin their terms at the outset of the academic year. In the case of an
officer filling a prematurely vacated position, they will begin their term immediately
following their election.
V. Officers
A. Qualifications
1. Eligibility for nomination to any officer position is contingent on previous
membership and demonstrated commitment to the organization.
2. A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required for a member to be nominated for an officer
position. If a prospective nominee has not yet achieved this GPA, they will work
with the Chair and Vice Chair to develop a strategy for achieving it.
 4

3. The board will holistically evaluate the qualifications and experience of a

nominated member for specific positions (i.e. finance/mathematical background
for Treasurer, organizational leadership experience for Operations Director, etc.).
B. Officers and responsibilities of each
1. Chair
a) The Chair will be primarily responsible for the representation of the
organization at events and activities both on- and off-campus.
b) The Chair will oversee the conduct of the organization, presiding over
group meetings and ensuring the organizational initiatives are effectively
implemented.
c) The Chair will be responsible for the screening of external questions,
concerns, and feedback.
d) The Chair (in concert with the Treasurer) is responsible for the
authorization of all expenditures.
2. Vice Chair
a) The Vice Chair’s role is primarily one of intermediation between the Chair
and officers.
b) The Vice Chair is responsible for the reading and administration of
meeting procedures requiring votes or consensus.
c) The Vice Chair will be responsible for the screening of internal questions,
concerns, and feedback.
3. Communications Director
a) The Communications Director is responsible for the dissemination of
weekly meeting reminders and agendas, as well as supplementary
information regarding Campus Democrats’ ongoing initiatives.
b) The Communications Director is responsible for updating and maintaining
the email list.
c) The Communications Director is responsible for updating and maintaining
Campus Democrats’ social media presence.
4. Field Coordinator
a) The Field Coordinator is responsible for coordinating communication and
negotiating logistics/details of cooperative events held by Campus
Democrats and external organizations (e.g. Campus Democrats on other
campuses, the DFL, local candidates or officials, etc.).
b) The Field Coordinator may seek out these community partnerships or
opportunities to hold events following consultation with the Chair and
Vice Chair (and, when necessary, the faculty adviser).
5. Operations Manager
a) The Operations Manager is responsible for coordinating communication
and negotiating logistics/details of on-campus events (e.g. securing a table
in the Atrium, reserving a regular meeting space, reserving campus space
for events, etc.).
 5

b) The Operations Manager may seek out partnerships with extant on-
campus organizations/initiatives following consultation with the Chair and
Vice Chair (and, when necessary, the faculty adviser).
6. Treasurer
a) The Treasurer is responsible for the collection and disbursement of the
organization’s funds.
b) The Treasurer (in concert with the Chair) is responsible for the
authorization of all expenditures.
c) The Treasurer is responsible for drafting grant proposals following
consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair (and, when necessary, the
faculty adviser).
d) The Treasurer is responsible for the disbursement of funds following the
dissolution of the organization.
C. Terms of office
1. Elected officers will hold their positions for the duration of the academic year.
2. Should a special election be held to fill a vacated office before the end of the Fall
semester, that officer will hold that position until the end of Fall. At the first
meeting of the Spring semester, a vote will be held to decide whether that officer
should maintain or abdicate their position for the remainder of the academic year.
D. Procedure to fill vacated offices
1. An officer position is considered vacant when an officer communicates to the
board of officers that they cannot fulfill their duties for their term of office, or
after the officer has been removed from office by majority vote.
2. At least five days prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting, the Chair will
issue a statement, disseminated by the Communications Director via email,
announcing the vacancy, procedures for filling the vacant position, and a
description of the duties of the vacant position.
3. At the following regularly scheduled meeting, the Vice Chair will move to
nominate a member to fill the vacated position. Any member may second this
motion. Those members who wish to self-nominate or nominate another member
may do so by a show of hands.
a) The election process will follow the outline in Part IV, Section D.
4. Should a new officer be filling a position vacated by an officer who was removed
from their position, they will serve as Interim Officer for the requisite two-week
pre-appeal period. If the former officer does not appeal for reinstatement, the Vice
Chair will move to formally elect the new officer to their position.
5. Should a member move to nominate a member already serving as an officer and
that extant officer be elected to the first vacant position, a nomination to fill the
new vacancy will follow. Procedures for multiple seats will be chronologically
administered as discrete run-off elections. Prior to asking for a show of hands to
nominate an officer for the new vacancy, the Vice Chair will read the description
and responsibilities of that position.
 6

E. Removal from office

1. Should an officer fail to fulfill their responsibilities to the organization (see Part
III, Section F), the Chair and Vice Chair reserve the right to remove that officer
from their position.
2. The Chair and Vice Chair will meet privately with the officer in question to
discuss their concerns, but if they do not believe the officer will fulfill their duties
or has violated the rules of the organization, they will proceed to remove the
officer.
3. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the Chair will announce a motion to
remove the officer. The Vice Chair will second the motion and lead a forum in
which members may ask clarifying questions or voice their objection.
4. The Vice Chair will administer a secret ballot in which members and officers
(excluding the officer in question) will vote to retain or remove the officer from
their position.
5. Should the ‘retain’ votes exceed more than half of the membership, the board will
determine how to proceed on a situational basis. Should the ‘retain’ votes
comprise less than half of the membership, the board (excluding the officer in
question) will vote by show of hands to remove the officer. This vote must be
unanimous.
6. The officer in question need not be present to be removed, but shall not be kept
(by restraint, misinformation, or deception) from attending the meeting.
7. Members may confer with the Chair or Vice Chair to anonymously request a vote
(by secret ballot) on the removal of an officer from their position if they have
reasonable evidence that the officer in question has violated the rules of the
organization or is not fit to carry out their duties.
F. Appeal policy for removed officers
1. After two full weeks since their removal, a former officer may appeal to the Chair
and Vice Chair for their reinstatement.
2. Depending on the reason for removal, the Chair and Vice Chair reserve the right
to refuse reinstatement if they believe that reinstatement would violate the rules of
the organization.
3. Should the Chair and Vice Chair see no reason to refuse reinstatement, the Vice
Chair will move to vote on the former officer’s reinstatement. Any member may
second this motion. If the motion is not seconded, the former officer will not be
reinstated. If the motion is seconded, the former officer will be given one minute
to speak on why they believe they should be reinstated. The Interim Officer will
be given one minute to speak on why they believe they should retain sole
occupation of their position.
4. The Vice Chair will administer a secret ballot in which all members will vote
‘yes’ to reinstate or ‘no’ to refuse reinstatement. The former officer must achieve
a two-thirds majority of ‘yes’ votes to be reinstated to their former position.
 7

5. After a two-week probationary period, the Vice Chair will move to formally
reinstate the officer. Any member may second this motion. If the motion is
seconded, the Vice Chair will administer a secret ballot vote in which the
reinstated officer must again achieve a two-thirds majority of ‘yes’ votes to retain
their position.
6. If the reinstated officer retains their position after the probationary period, the
Interim Officer and reinstated officer will co-chair the position. Both officers will
retain their seats and their voting privileges.
VI. Committees
A. Standing committees will be established as needed by motion on the part of the Chair and
by majority vote of the board of officers.
B. The purposes, responsibilities, and durations of committees will be determined on a case
by case basis.
VII. Meetings
A. Meetings are held once every week on a set day and time which best suits the availability
of the officers. Once this day and time is determined, subsequent meetings will be held
on that day and time unless otherwise announced.
B. The Chair will draft a message five days prior to the next meeting with a brief agenda and
any upcoming events or vital announcements which members need to know should they
not attend the meeting. This message will be disseminated by the Communications
Director via email.
VIII. Finances
A. Dues are not required for membership in the organization.
B. The Treasurer is responsible for the collection and disbursement of funds.
C. The Treasurer and Chair are responsible for authorizing all expenditures.
D. Upon dissolution of the organization, a vote will be administered among officers to
determine where the remaining funds will be disbursed. In the event that no officers
remain upon dissolution, remaining funds will be allocated to the Minnesota Democratic
Farmer-Labor Party Office of Clay County, where those funds will be used at the
discretion of the office.
IX. Constitutional Amendments
A. All amendments must be submitted and a revised copy of the constitution will be placed
on permanent file in the Office of Student Engagement).
B. Amendments may be proposed by any member or officer. The Vice Chair will second the
proposal and administer an open quorum vote in which all members must vote ‘yes’ or
‘no’ to accept the premise of the amendment.
C. Following the meeting in which an amendment is proposed, the Chair and
Communications Director will disseminate a notification via email that there will be a
vote on a proposed constitutional amendment at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
D. Between the meeting in which an amendment is proposed and the next regularly
scheduled meeting, the member who proposed the amendment must meet with the board
to discuss the language of the amendment and create an official draft.
 8

E. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the Vice Chair will read the draft of the
amendment and mediate discussion about the nature, implications, or concerns about the
amendment in its preliminary form. The Vice Chair will then administer a public vote in
which each member must vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
F. A 3/4 majority is required for the passage of an amendment.
X. Adviser
A. The adviser’s role will be primarily as a sounding board for organizational revisions or
new initiatives the board plans to pursue. The role may also be one of mediation in cases
of an impasse in conflict, whether between officers, members, or students involved in
other campus organizations. The adviser will reserve a tie-breaking decision where
necessary.
B. The adviser will serve for the duration of the academic year. At the outset of the new
academic year, the adviser will retain their position unless any member of the board
proposes a change in adviser.
C. The adviser must be a full-time academic instructor at Concordia and may not be an
adjunct or temporarily contracted instructor.
D. Should the board feel the adviser is not serving their role as a consultant or mediator, any
board member may propose a vote for change in adviser on the condition that they
provide at least one nominee for the new adviser. The board member may only make this
proposal after consulting the instructor they wish to nominate.
XI. Ratification
A. The constitution, as it presently reads, will go into effect by unanimous vote of
acceptance of all members present at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the
organization.