Constitution Writing Guide

From the Student Organizations Committee

Article I. Name
The Name of this organization shall be____________________.

Article II. Purpose
In this section you describe the purpose/purposes of your organization as it relates to Cornell College, your own members, and the community in general. This may be just a simple statement or a detailed description.

Article III. Membership
Membership shall be open to any person in the Cornell College community. It is possible to collect dues as a requirement for membership. Requirements for voting privileges ("who may vote") must be stated in the constitution. Note: Some groups such as Residence Halls may have some restrictions on membership. Any restrictions must be approved by the student senate and the department of student life.
It is required to define a quorum in the constitution. This will clarify and streamline procedures dealing with elections, by-laws, amendments, and ratification.

Article IV. Organization
1. The primary duty of the president will be to be responsible for the overall success of the group. The president may also be required to: Call and preside over meetings, represent the organization outside the group whenever necessary and, fulfill any other duties the group sees fit.
2. The duties of the vice-president will be to perform the duties of the president in the latter's absence. Note: Additional duties may be assigned according to the needs of your particular organization. For example, the duties of the treasurer may be re-assigned to the vice-president.
3. The duties of the secretary will be to keep the records of the business of the group, to conduct its correspondence and to take minutes at the meetings.
4. The duties of the treasurer will be to administer the financial affairs of the organization. All funds shall be depos9ited in the student activities fund at the Cornell College business office, and all disbursements shall be made by checks drawn upon this fund by the treasurer. Note: The statement regarding disbursement of funds must be included in your group's constitution.
5. The group will choose one or more faculty/staff advisors and will consult with them on matters of procedure and programs. In the absence of all officers the faculty/staff advisor may function as president pro-tempore. In no circumstances except as stated above, shall the advisor be give voting privileges or direct control of any kind over the disbursement of funds or the direction of the group.

Article V. Elections
An appropriate procedure for elections should be described as part of the constitution. This should include a specific date on which elections will be held, for example "The second week of eight block". It is also possible to grant an officer most likely the president the right to call for elections. However, in such case a deadline must be set for election to be called. In no circumstances shall a term of office exceed one calendar year.

Article VI. By-Laws
By-laws are rules and procedures used by an organization to run its own meetings and affairs. By -laws need not be approved by senate, however the procedure by which they are adopted (i.e. a 2/3 quorum vote) must be specified in the group's constitution. By-laws themselves are not a part of the constitution.

Article VII. Amendments
This constitution may be amended by the procedures you set up in this section. This requires the approval of the student senate and the group itself. Note: Amendments to social group and residence hall constitutions also require the approval of the department of student life.

Article VIII. Ratification
This constitution shall become effective upon ratification upon a quorum vote of the group (usually 2/3) following the approval of student senate. Note: Ratification of social group and residence hall constitutions also requires the approval of the department of student life.

****Special Note*****
This is just a guide all requirements may be found in the compass under "Campus Student Organizations." You may also want to consult the student senate constitution. If you need additional help, feel free to contact the chair of student organizations.