Leadership Alliance Constitution

CONSTITUTION (BYLAWS) OF
[Name of School] Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance

PREAMBLE

We, the members of the [Name of School] Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, establish this Constitution on [Date Ratified].

ARTICLE I. Name

1. The name of this organization will be [Name of School] Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, henceforth referred to as the local campus unit.

2. This organization will be a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-partisan, voluntary organization associated with the Feminist Majority Foundation.

3. The name Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance may be used only with the approval of the Feminist Majority Foundation. The Feminist Majority Foundation shall have the power to withdraw permission for use of the name Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance at any time that the local campus unit or its officers or members fail to conduct themselves within the purpose and principles of the Feminist Majority Foundation or fail to adhere to the standards set by the Feminist Majority Foundation for local campus units.

ARTICLE II. Purpose

The purposes of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance of [Name of School] will be:

1. To establish a broad constituency to work in pursuit of feminist ideals -- social, political, and economic equality for women and men, girls and boys.

2. To study and take action on national, campus, and local feminist issues and concerns.

3. To provide leadership and career building opportunities for feminist students.

4. To educate the college/university community about feminist issues.

5. To enhance feminist community on campus.

ARTICLE III. Principles

1. The Feminist Majority Foundation promotes equality between women and men and boys and girls, and supports constitutional and statutory measures to gain full equality locally, statewide, nationally, and globally.

2. The Feminist Majority Foundation supports safe, legal and accessible abortion, contraception, and family planning, including Medicaid funding and access for minors.

3. The Feminist Majority Foundation is dedicated to achieving civil rights for all people, including affirmative action programs for women and people of color.

4. The Feminist Majority Foundation supports lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay rights.

5. The Feminist Majority Foundation does not permit discrimination on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, age, marital status, national origin, size or disability.

6. The Feminist Majority Foundation promotes non-violence and works to eliminate violence against women.

7. The Feminist Majority Foundation encourages programs directed at the preservation of the environment, clean air and water, the elimination of smog, toxic and hazardous wastes, chemical and nuclear weaponry.

8. The Feminist Majority Foundation supports workers’ collective bargaining, pay equity, and the end of
sweatshops.

ARTICLE IV. Local Campus Unit Standards

1. Any undergraduate student of [Name of School] who agrees with the Feminist Majority Foundation’s purposes and principles as stated above may apply for official membership in the local campus unit. We will strive to maintain a balance between students of all ages. Criteria for participation in the unit include written agreement with the organization's principles, commitment to participate in unit activities, and leadership/activist experience or potential.

2. The local campus unit may not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, ethnicity, or disability, and affirmatively seeks to achieve diversity among participants.

3. Within two years of its formation, the campus unit shall maintain a membership of at least forty people.

4. The campus unit shall establish a faculty and staff team of advisors.

5. The campus unit shall hold at least one meeting per week during the school year.

6. The campus unit shall make efforts to establish links with progressive and feminist individuals and organizations within the community.

ARTICLE V. Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee of the campus unit shall be comprised of the President/FMLA Coordinator, Vice President/Campaign Coordinator, Finance Chair/Coordinator, Publicity Chair/Coordinator, Events and Retention Chair/Coordinator, Recruitment Chair/Coordinator, Press Chair/Coordinator, Communications Chair/Coordinator, Equality Chair/Coordinator, Community Outreach Chair/Coordinator, Web Chair/Coordinator, and Class Representatives/Officers.

2. Duties and responsibilities of Executive Committee:

President/FMLA Coordinator: The President presides over general FMLA meetings; acts as a spokesperson for the group; chairs the executive committee; acts as a liaison to faculty, administration, student government, and the Faculty/Staff team; and is ultimately accountable for the recruitment of new membership. The President is also responsible for monitoring the elections and assuring diversity in terms of sex, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, age, marital status, national origin, and disability.

Vice President/Campaign Coordinator: The Vice President chairs the national campaign efforts of the Feminist Majority Foundation by working closely with the Campus Organizer; and works with the President as a trainee for the position the following year (optional). The Vice President is also responsible for recruiting the faculty and staff team, as well as keeping the minutes for each meeting and submitting them to the group e-mail list and Campus Organizer.

Finance Chair/Coordinator: The Finance Chair is responsible for handling all accounting for the group, submitting budget proposals, applying to the school for grants or other funding, and planning at least two fundraisers a year. The Finance Chair reports on the status of the accounts at each meeting.

Publicity Chair/Coordinator: The Publicity chair coordinates the advertisement and publicity of events and is responsible for ensuring the visibility of the group on campus and turnout to FMLA actions and events. The Publicity chair also works closely with the Recruitment Chair during recruitment drives.

Events and Retention Chair/Coordinator: The Events and Retention Chair is responsible for coordinating and consulting with appropriate committees in planning FMLA events and actions. Additionally, the Events and Retention Chair is responsible for organizing introductions at every meeting, planning social events, and strategies for boosting group moral. The Events and Retention Chair also works with the Recruitment Chair in planning events for the purposes of recruitment. Maintains ongoing communication with Campus Organizer during all event planning.

Recruitment Chair/Coordinator: The Recruitment Chair is a leadership position recommended for a sophomore/second year student. She/he is responsible for consistent recruitment; planning events to increase membership throughout the year; and working with faculty and staff on strategies to improve recruitment. The Recruitment Chair plans events with the Equality Chair to ensure a diverse membership and sets ongoing recruitment goals. The Recruitment Chair is also responsible for collecting FMLA Membership Forms, mailing them to the Campus Organizer, and maintaining copies for the groups’ use.

Press Chair/Coordinator: The Press Chair acts as a liaison to campus and community press, garnering press coverage for the group whenever there is an opportunity, including every FMLA event or action. The Press Chair works closely with the Publicity Chair and the President or the Event Spokesperson to ensure consistency in message for all major events and actions.

Communications Chair/Coordinator: The Communications Chair is responsible for maintaining the group listserv and keeping the FMLA membership informed via email. The Communications Chair works closely with the Web Manager and submits FMLA information/pictures to the FMF for consideration for the Choices E-Zine, as well as other reports detailing events and projects the FMLA has undertaken.

Equality Chair/Coordinator: The Equality Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance is representative of the school’s student body in terms of sex, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, age, marital status, national origin, and disability. The Equality Chair coordinates programs that focus on issues of diversity and the elimination of discrimination on campus and the greater community. She or he is in charge of on-going coalition building with progressive groups on campus, organizing an alliance of all progressive groups on campus (if one does not exist on campus), and actively participating in this progressive alliance. The Equality Chair works closely with the Recruitment Chair during recruitment drives.

Community Outreach Chair/Coordinator: The Community Outreach Chair acts as a liaison and outreaches to local women’s rights and progressive organizations, as well as feminist community members in the local area; coordinates all activities in which the group works with community organizations.

Web Chair/Coordinator: The Web Chair works with the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campus Organizer to develop and maintain an online office/website on the Choices Campus Community, www.FeministCampus.org. The Web Chair will learn how to set up, add, and update pages to the group's online office/website; checks www.feministcampus.org weekly to provide updates at meetings and publicize chats and online trainings. The Web Chair collaborates with the Campus Team to host an online chat with group members twice a year. The officer ensures that all group members have online usernames/passwords and teaches members how to use the Choices Campus Community website.

Class Representatives/Officers: Each class year may be represented on the executive committee by one or more Class Representatives. Each Representative is responsible for attending executive committee meetings and assuming responsibility for other tasks as needs arise.

*If your group is unable to fill all executive board committee positions at any given time, we recommend that you fill positions in the order listed above.

3. Officers and members must be currently registered undergraduate students at [Name of School] in good academic standing. Officers must be members for at least one term (quarter, trimester, or semester) prior to election, except for the first year that the local campus unit is established.

ARTICLE VI. Meetings and Procedures

1. Member in Good Standing/Voting Eligibility

A. Members who attend at least 50 percent of the regularly scheduled meetings, are enrolled in the campus at an undergraduate level during the academic year, and have been members for at least 30 days are considered members in good standing and are eligible to vote on organizational matters and in local campus unit elections.

B. Graduate students, non-members and non-students are welcome to observe and participate in open campus unit meetings, but may not hold offices or vote on organizational issues or in elections.

C. All members must complete a membership form (Membership Form for Activists) and resolution supporting the principles of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

2. Election of Officers

A. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the eligible voting members of the local campus unit. Elections will be held on an annual basis during March, at a meeting comprised of a quorum (40%) of the organization's members. Special elections may also be held as needed to fill executive committee vacancies.

B. All voting shall be done by secret ballot.

C. Elections shall take place in the order listed in the constitution. Ballots shall be tallied and winners announced between each seat that is up for election. This will ensure that those who are interested in holding office, but who may not win the position first sought, can run for an alternative seat once the results have been announced.

D. Officers shall serve for the academic year following their election.

E. Results of all elections and officer contact information must be submitted to the Feminist Majority Foundation.

F. Elections will be held annually during March, Women's History Month.

3. Removal of Officers

Any officer of the local campus unit who violates the organization's purpose or Constitution, injures the organization, or fails grievously to fulfill duties as stated may be removed from office by the following process:

A. Written notification to the officer of the request, asking the officer to be present at the next meeting prepared to speak in her/his own defense;

B. Written notification to the membership; and

C. Seventy-five percent of the voting membership must be in attendance to vote on the removal of an officer. A two-thirds majority vote of members present is necessary to remove the officer.

D. Robert's Rules of Order will govern the removal or dismissal of officers.

4. Removal of Members

Any member of the local campus unit who violates the organization's purpose or Constitution or injures the organization may be removed from office by the following process:

A. Written notification to the member of the request, asking the member to be present at the next meeting prepared to speak in her/his own defense;

B. Written notification to the membership; and

C. Seventy-five percent of the voting membership must be in attendance to vote on the removal of a member. A two-thirds majority vote of members present is necessary to remove the officer.

D. Robert's Rules of Order will govern the removal or dismissal of members.

5. Replacement

Should an officer resign or be removed, a special election will be held one week after written notification of all voting members.

6. Meetings

Regular group meetings will occur on a weekly basis at a time to be selected at the beginning of each academic year.

ARTICLE VII. Amendments

Amendments to the constitution must be approved first by a two-thirds majority of members voting and second by the Feminist Majority Foundation.

ARTICLE VIII. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the campus unit in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the campus unit may adopt.

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Founding Member or President / Date

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Founding or Executive Board Member / Date

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Advisor / Date

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