Student organization's Constitution

The constitution of an organization contains the fundamental principles which govern its operation.  A constitution will serve to clarify the organization's purpose, outline its basic structure, and provide a cornerstone for building an effective organization.  It will also allow members and potential members to have a better understanding of what the organization is all about and how it functions.

The following is an outline of the standard information to be included in a constitution.  The objective is to draft a document that covers these topics in a simple, clear, and concise manner.  Include the date when the document is adopted/revised.

 

Article I	The name of the organization. (Do not use "Texas Tech" or "Red Raiders".)
Article II*	The purpose of the organization
Article III*	The requirements of membership; include the selection, rights and responsibilities, resignation, dues, and expulsion procedures of members. (Active members must be enrolled students.)
Article IV*	A list of officers, terms of office, description or responsibilities; include provisions for vacancies of offices, methods of election of officers, election        procedures, time of election.
Article V	Regular meeting time, provisions for calling special meetings, and what constitutes a quorum at a meeting.
Article VI*	State any present or intended relation the organization may have to any other local, state, or national organization.
Article VII*	Proposed activities
Article VIII	Structure of the executive committee, description of standing committees, committee responsibilities, and method of member selection.
Article IX*	Selection procedure of advisor and advisor’s responsibilities (At least one advisor must be a full-time faculty/staff member of Texas Tech University).
Article X	Accepting rules of order, such as Robert’s Rules of Order-Newly Revised
Article XI	Requirements for adopting amendments

 

*The Student Affairs Handbook requires an organization’s constitution to address these issues:  purpose, membership selection, intended relationships, officer list, proposed activities, and advisor selection.