CONSTITUTION
The Constitution
of
The Read Center Student Association
Approved: 1995
Article I. Name
Article II. Membership
Article III. Legislative
Article IV. Executive
Article V. Programming
Article VI. Communications
Article VII. Organization
Article VIII. Judicial
Article IX. Vacancy of Office
Article X. Elections
Article XI. Amendments
Article XII. Ratification
The name of this organization shall be the Read Center Student Association (RCSA).
The membership of this organization shall be composed of all students residing in Read Center, formerly known as Smithwood, who have paid their activity fees. Read Center is composed of Beck, Clark, Curry, and Landes Wings. Officers of this organization must be members of the RCSA and fulfill any requirements set forth in the RHA Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 1. The legislative power of this organization shall be vested in the Board of Governors (BoG) composed of the Governor of each floor and Executive Staff Officers. The Governors shall be elected each year by the residents of the floor they represent. The Executive Staff Officers shall be elected each year by the members of the Read Center Student Association.
Section 2. The BoG shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as determined by its members. The Executive Vice President shall preside at the meetings of the BoG and vote only to determine the outcome of a tie. The Governors, or in the absence of the Governor, his/her representative, shall be the only members of the BoG who shall vote. The Executive Secretary, appointed by the Executive Staff approved by the BoG, shall take minutes and handle all correspondence for the Board of Governors. A quorum of a simple majority of the voting members shall be necessary to transact business. Any and all actions taken by the standing Boards and committees funded by the BoG shall be subject to review and reversal by the BoG. The procedures of the BoG shall be in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.
Sections 3. The BoG shall:
A) By vote, act on all proposals affecting the living environment of Read Center for which the RCSA has jurisdiction.
B) Rule on budgeting requests recommended by standing committees.
C) Rule on appointments made by the President and Executive Staff.
Section 1. The executive power of this government shall be vested in the Executive Staff composed of the President, Executive Vice President, Programming Vice President, Communications Vice President, Financial Vice President, the IUSA Senator, and the directors.
Section 2. The Executive Staff officers shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as determined by the Executive Staff.
Section 3. The Executive Staff Officers:
A) The President shall preside over the meetings of the Executive Staff, attend meetings of the BoG, serve on the RHA Presidents Council, and have any and all authority granted by Roberts Rules of Order.
B) The Executive Vice President shall preside over the BoG, be responsible for all the internal affairs business within the RCSA, and shall have any and all authority granted by Roberts Rules of Order. The Executive Vice President shall become President in the event of a vacancy of that office.
C) The Programming Vice President shall preside at the meetings of the Board of Vice Governors and shall have any and all authority granted by Roberts Rules of Order.
D) The Communications Vice President shall have Executive authority and responsibility for the Publications Board.
E) The Financial Vice President, responsible for all of the financial business of the RCSA, shall chair the meetings of the Center Store Board, composed of the manager(s), store accountant, and Governors as specified in the Center Store Charter, and shall chair the meetings of the Board of Financial Review, composed of the four Governors and four students-at-large, and shall have any and all authority granted by Roberts Rules of Order.
F) The IUSA Senator shall be responsible for representing Read Center to the Indiana University Student Association, and bringing back the needs, opinions, and desires of said organization. The Senator shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Staff.
G) The elected members of the Executive Staff shall appoint directors as outlined by the Bylaws or as created with two-thirds approval by the BoG. These directors shall be non-voting members of the Executive Staff.
Section 4. RCSA Executive Board may be impeached by a two-thirds vote by the BoG; then, Judicial Board of Read Center, upon hearing, may remove these officers from office. Executive Officers shall automatically be removed from office upon presentation to the Read Center Judicial Board of a petition to the effect signed by two-thirds of the residents. The Read Center Judicial Board shall certify the validity of the signatures.
Section 1. Programming and coordination of center-wide, as well as campus-wide, social, educational, and recreational events, within Read Center and involving RCSA shall be the responsibility of the Read Board of Vice Governors.
Section 2. The Board of Vice Governors shall be composed of one Vice Governor from each floor. They shall be elected at the beginning of the Fall Semester by the members of the floor they represent.
Section 3. The Board of Vice Governors (BoVG) shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as determined by its members. The Programming Vice President shall preside at the meetings of the BoVG and shall vote only to decide the outcomes of a tie. The Vice Governors, or in the absence of the Vice Governor, his/her representative. A quorum of one-half the voting members shall be necessary to transact business. The procedures of the Board of Vice Governors and if deemed necessary, all matters of financial affairs, shall be in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.
Section 4. A Secretary for the BoVG shall be appointed from the membership of the BoVG by majority vote. The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence for the BoVG. The Vice President of Programming shall report the activities of the BoVG to the BoG.
Section 1. All center-wide communications and publicity business of the RCSA shall be the responsibility of the Communications Board.
Section 2. The Communications Board shall be composed mandatorily of the floor Communications Director(s) selected through floor elections held at the beginning of the year, plus any volunteers of Read Centers' residents wising to be involved.
Section 3. The Communications Vice President shall have Executive authority and responsibility for the Communications Board.
Section 4. Specific responsibilities of the Communications Board shall be outlines in the RCSA Bylaws.
Section 1. Read Center shall consist of the following five unit buildings; Beck, Clark, Landes, and Curry, each of which will be organized by the floors, and the sixth floor.
Section 2. The government on each floor shall be by floor council composed of the Governor, Vice Governor, Treasurer, and Communications Director, plus any other floor officers appropriate to the individual floor.
Section 3. The floor officers may be impeached upon presentation to the Read Center Judicial Board of a petition of that effect signed by two-thirds of he residents of the floor. The Read Center Judicial Board, upon hearing, may remove these officers from office. The Read Center Judicial Board shall verify the validity of these signatures. A new floor election must be held within two weeks of the date of vacancy.
Section 4. The floors shall be composed of all students who are residents of the floor and who pay activities fees. The floor shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as determined by the floor. The governors shall preside at those meetings. An account of these meetings shall be kept and presented in the form of a floor report at each of the regular meetings of the Board of Governors. A majority of the floor shall be notified through proper channels as to the date, time, and place of floor meetings. The floor shall be responsible for:
1. Approving of expenditures of funds.
2. Approving all programs and policies of the floor.
3. Establishing, by two-thirds vote, the floor visitation policy.
4. Taking any and all constitutional action to best meet the needs, desires, and opinion of their floor mates.
Section 5. The floor officers' descriptions are outlined in the RCSA Bylaws.
Section 1. The Judicial power of this organization shall be vested in a Judicial Board composed of at least nine (9) and at most thirteen (13) residents selected through application and interviews by the Executive Staff and approved by two-thirds vote of the Board of Governors. The members of this Judicial Board shall serve for the academic year in which they are appointed or until they resign or are removed from office.
Section 2. The Judicial Board shall meet regularly throughout the academic year as determined by the Judicial Board members. A chairperson and a secretary shall be chosen from the J-Board membership. The chairperson shall preside at the meetings of the J-Board and the secretary shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all meetings of the J-Board. All members of the J-Board shall vote, with the exception of the chairperson, who votes only in the case of a tie. A quorum of five members shall be necessary to transact business.
Section 3. The Judicial Board shall be responsible for:
A) Hearing cases of:
1) Residents of a floor failing to comply to floor rules.
2) Persons failing to comply with Read Center, RHA, or University rules in Read Center.
3) Floor or Read Center election contestments and interpretations of the Election Code.
4) Impeachment of floor or Read Center Officers
5) Interpretation of the Read Center Constitution and Bylaws.
6) Persons failing to comply with the Read Center or RHA Constitution and Bylaws.
B) Deciding whether or not to assign University discipline sanctions to violators of floor, Read Center, RHA, or University rules.
C) Guaranteeing to every person appearing before the Judicial Board:
1) The right to a speedy hearing by an impartial body.
2) The right to be notified, in writing, of the time and place of the hearing, and the results of the hearing.
3) The right to have an open or closed hearing before the Judicial Board. Residents in violation also have the right to request appear in front of the Center Coordinator instead of the J-Board.
4) The right to object to a member of the J-Board hearing his/her case of valid reasons, the validity of which shall be determined by the J-Board.
5) The right to testify for him/herself, to choose an advisor, to hear all testimony against him/her, to present witnesses to substantiate his/her case.
6) The right to appeal decision of cases to the RHA Judicial Board or the University Hearing Commission.
7) The right not to be heard more than once by more than one Judicial Board of the same violation.
Section 4. Read Center Judicial Board members may be impeached by a two-thirds vote of the Judicial Board members present. The RHA Judicial Board, upon hearing, may remove these officers from office. J-Board members shall automatically be removed from office upon presentation to the RHA J-Board of a petition to the effect signed by two-thirds of the residents. The RHA Judicial Board shall certify the validity of the signatures
Section 1 If, for any reason, the President shall be unable to complete his/her term, the Executive Vice President shall assume the presidential duties and the Executive Staff shall appoint a new Executive Vice President pending BoG approval.
Section 2 If, for any reason, an Executive Officer or appointed official shall be unable to complete his or her term, the Executive Staff shall have the option to appoint a new Executive or official pending BoG approval.
Section 3. In the event of the vacancy of the half of the Executive Staff offices at any one time, new elections must be held within 30 days of the date of vacancy for those offices vacant.
Section 4. If, for any reason, a governor shall be unable to complete his/her term, an election will be held on that floor to elect a new governor. The same applies to all other floor officers, if there is a vacancy of office.
Section 1. The Executive Staff elections shall be held during the Spring Semester on a date specified by the RHA and approved by the RHA Presidents Council. Those officers to be elected are as follows: President, Executive Vice President, Programming Vice President, Communication Vice President, and Financial Vice President.
Section 2. Officers of the prospective floors shall be elected no later than the first Sunday following the first week of classes.
Section 3. Elections shall run in accordance with the Read Center Election Code. Conduct and supervision of elections shall rest with the Read Center Elections Commission.
A proposed amendment to the Constitution of the Read Center Student Association may be initiated by any member of the Read Center Student Association and presented to the BoG. Of the proposed amendment is approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the BoG, it shall be made public to the residents for no fewer than seven days. By referendum, two-thirds of the Read Center Student Association members voting must approve the amendment for it to be incorporated in the Constitution. At least fifteen percent of the RCSA must participate for an amendment to be valid.
This Constitution shall become effective upon the approval of two-thirds of the Read Center Student Association membership voting.
Executive