Final Whc Constitution 2009

The Constitution of Weatherford Hall at Oregon State University Preamble The residents of Weatherford Hall, seeing a similarity of interest and desiring a unity of action, do hereby establish this Council for Weatherford Hall. We the students and other residents are dedicated to promoting the safety and well-being of each other, by working together to create a community free of discrimination, and full of tolerant well-rounded individuals emboldened with the entrepreneurial spirit. We will uphold the rights of all residents, grow as individuals, pursue success in life, and become a more diverse and accepting community, grounded in the traditions of Oregon State University and knowledge full that as times change, so must we all.

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Article I: Name of Organization The name of this organization will be "Weatherford Hall Council."

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Article II: Objective The objective of this organization will be to promote the self-governance of the Weatherford Residence Hall at Oregon State University. Our intent is to pursue academic and personal success while promoting community awareness, community service, and cooperation amongst the student residents, faculty in residence, hall staff, visiting professors, guests, and the Austin Entrepreneurship Program participants. We will accomplish our objectives by promoting the development of entrepreneurial skills amongst our residents, providing educational and social programming, and encouraging the development of an active, welcoming community.

Article III: Membership 1.) The members of this organization will consist of all current residents in Weatherford Hall at Oregon State University. 2.) Membership shall not be denied to any student based on race, color, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, age, marital status, previous state of incarceration, disability, or veteran status

Article IV: Structure Section A: Council Form Weatherford Hall Council will be a representative democracy herein referred to as “Weatherford Hall Council” and, for the purposes of this document, referred to as “WHC.” Weatherford Executive Council will be herein referred to as “Weatherford Executive Council” and, for the purposes of this document, be referred to as “WEC” Weatherford Hall Council will consist of the officers listed within Article IV, section D and, for the purpose of this document, be referred to as “WHC”

Draft: April 30, 2007

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Section B: Rules of Order 1.) The Rules of Order of all WHC bodies, business, activities, and events will be the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.”

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2.) A simplified form of parliamentary procedure may be used at the discretion of the Chairman of an event, but in cases where the procedure comes into question, the Rules of Order as stated above will be the definitive word on the subject. Section C: Governing Body 1.) The governing bodies of the Hall will be the Weatherford Hall Council, Weatherford Executive Council and any Standing Committees, all of which will meet regularly throughout each term, and coordinate the business of the hall. 2.) No business may be voted upon at any WHC governing body meeting, event, or activity without one half of the voting membership present. Therefore, a quorum will consist of one-half of the voting membership for all councils, and committees.

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3.) All WHC governing body business voting will follow Article IV, Section B of this document, entitled Rules of Order. Therefore, all business will be passed with a majority (50 percent of members plus one) vote, unless otherwise stated by the referenced Rules of Order.

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4.) No WHC business may be in violation of University Housing and Dining Services (UHDS), Residence Hall Association (RHA), Oregon State University constitutions, statues and policies, or State/Federal Law. Any business in said violation will automatically be ceased, revoked, and/or stricken from this governing body.

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5.) The first meetings of WEC and WHC each term will be no later than the second week of each term, excluding Fall Term where the first meeting will be held no later than the fourth week. 6.) After the first WEC and WHC meeting of each term, the WEC and WHC will hold a meeting each week or as deemed necessary, except during summer term, dead week, finals week, or other University sanctioned vacation times. 7.) In the absence of an elected treasurer, the WHC will set a budget for each term by the third week of a new term. WHC may restrict expenditures as needed. The expenditures of all committees and WHC councils may be subject to review, upon request.

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8.) The WEC can approve an amount not to exceed $100 for emergency needs, if the required WEC quorum approves. Emergency funds generally refer to, but are not limited to, under-budgeted activities, and should always be used in the best interest of the Hall. WHC must be informed of any WEC expenditures at its next regular meeting. This emergency approval process may only be enacted once per academic term. Deleted: January 29

Section D: Weatherford Hall Council 1.) The WHC will consist of the following members: Draft: April 30, 2007

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a. All WEC members b. All Floor/Wing Representatives c. Hall Council Advisor(s) d. Residence Hall Association Executive Officer(s) e. Resident Director (R.D.) f. Resident Assistants (R.A.’s) g. All other residents 2.) Mandatory meeting attendance will be required of all WEC members and Floor/Wing Representatives but all other WHC members may attend at their convenience or when requested specifically by WEC. 3. WHC may elect, through special or general election, other positions it deems necessary. They may include but are not limited to: i. Hall Publicity Coordinator(s) ii. Hall Historian iii. Hall Webmaster iv. Hall Homecoming Coordinator 4. All WHC members present at WHC meetings excluding the RD, RA(s), WHC Advisor(s), RHA Advisor(s), and Guest Speakers, will have the right to vote. Section E: Weatherford Executive Council 1.) The WEC will consist of the following offices: 1. Hall President 2. Hall Vice President of Social Programming 3. Hall Vice President of Educational Programming 4. Hall Vice President of Environmental Programming 5. Austin Entrepreneurship Program Representative (optional) 6. Hall Secretary 7. Hall Treasurer 8. Hall Sports & Recreation Coordinator (optional) 2.) The WEC will meet before all WHC meetings to decide the order of business, and delegate speaking responsibilities as well as other required duties.

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3.) The WEC has the power to act when WHC does not meet. Restrictions may be placed upon WEC by WHC as to the actions it can take, and all WEC actions taken independently of WHC are subject to review. Section F: Floor/Wing Representatives 1.) The Sections will consist as follows: a. Ground Floor A&B Representative b. Ground Floor D&E Representative c. First Floor A&B Representative d. First Floor D&E Representative e. Second Floor A&B Representative Draft: April 30, 2007

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f. Second Floor D&E Representative g. Third Floor B &C Representative h. Third Floor C & D Representative i. Fourth Floor C Representative Section G: Standing Committees 1.) WHC will have the power to elect standing committees at its own discretion. These committees may include but are not limited to: a. Events & Activities Committee b. Sports & Recreation Committee c. Homecoming Committee d. Constitution Committee 2.) Standing Committees will have their powers and duties delegated to them by the WHC through the use of appropriately worded additions to the bylaws. Section H: Voting Procedure 1) All WHC members and guests presenting an article at a council session that requires a monetary contribution from WHC will present their requested article and then leave the council meeting room. a. WHC members and guests may return to the council session at the end of the vote. b. The hall president may ask any member or guest to leave the room for a sensitive vote if he/she deems that this action is appropriate. c. The WHC members and guests that leave the voting room will automatically be tallied as “for the motion” unless the secretary is notified of an alternate status.

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2) All voting records will be kept with the hall secretary and posted in the meeting minutes. 3) Articles that require a monetary contribution from WHC funds must be presented to WEC prior to the requested meeting date.

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Section I: Finances and Budgeting 1) The hall treasurer will be responsible for distributing funds from the Weatherford Hall Council account. a. Funds will be distributed within the week following council meeting. b. Funds not obtained within two weeks of council will be deposited back into the WHC account. c. All fund requests shall be voted upon by a quorum of the WHC. If a quorum is not present the request shall be made at the following WHC meeting.

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2) A budget will be established each term after the social fees deposit is made. 3) The budget shall consist of six parts distributed in the following order; a) A stipend between four hundred and six hundred dollars shall be set aside as rollover for the following term. Draft: April 30, 2007

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b) Fifty dollars shall be set aside for each wing currently totaling four hundred dollars(a wing as defined by Article IV, Section F). c) One third of the remaining funds in the budget shall be set aside for the General Fund. d) The remaining funds shall be dispersed equally into the Social, Educational, and Environmental Funds. a. Any excess funds in the Social, Educational, or Environmental funds at the end of each term shall be returned to the Gerneral Funds. b. WEC members may request for a certain amount of their funds to be rolled over between terms. I. This request must be made to WEC by the seventh week of the term. Rollover funds will not be granted under any circumstance past this point. 4) Funds requests must be tangible and be presented in memo format to WEC prior to each WHC session. Funds requests not presented to WEC at the required time will not be heard until the following meeting.

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Article V: Elections & Office Holding Section A: Weatherford Hall Council Elections 1.) Weatherford Hall Council Elections will occur no later than the Second Week of Fall Term. The R.A.’s and the R.D. are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the proper election procedure is followed. 2.) The election procedure is as follows: a. The candidates will present a statement of interest and qualifications in a one page (maximum) bid for their desired position to the elections committee. The one page bid of all candidates will be displayed in a prominent location, where Hall residents may view them as to facilitate an informed vote. b. b. Candidates do not have to be on the ballot for them to be considered, as a write-in slot will be provided. c. Residents may also vote for no confidence/none of the above. d. Voting will take place at the Weatherford Service Center, or a booth setup under the Weatherford Archway. During election week, the polling station will be open for a minimum of 2 days, from 5pm to 10 pm. e. If a position is unopposed, candidates still must present a bid, and receive a majority of the votes (over 50 percent), or the position will not be filled and a special election will be called as in Section F of this Article. f. Other requirements can be added by the elections committee. 3.) Executive officers may be appointed on a temporary basis to fill vacancies between election periods. Temporary officers will hold office until the next election period. Section B: Floor/Wing Representative Elections

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1.) Section Representatives will be elected from within the Section they represent with the consent of a majority of the floor/wing residents, and will be elected by the third week of Fall Term. Section C: Requirements for Candidacy 1. Candidates for any elected or appointed WHC office must be in good academic and conduct standing. No appeal will be possible to waive these requirements.

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2. Candidates must have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.50 or above, and a 3.00 or above for Graduate Students. 3. First term freshman and first term transfer students without an Oregon State University G.P.A., are exempt from the G.P.A. requirement for the purposes of an election. Section D: Holding Office: 1.) Officers must live in Weatherford Hall while in office. 2.) Any student with a cumulative G.P.A. below 2.50 will be removed from office pending an appeal to WEC for reinstatement. 3.) Any student on academic probation will be removed from office, with no chance of appeal for reinstatement. Section E: Succession 1.) In the event that any WEC member cannot temporarily perform their duties, if feasible, a proxy will be sent in their place. If no proxy can be found, WEC will appoint a suitable replacement as appropriate, until the regular officer can return to normal duty. 2.) In the event of a permanent vacancy of the President’s position, the Vice President of Social Programming will be immediately confirmed as the new President. The new President will then appoint a new Vice President of Social Programming with the approval of the WHC. 3.) In the event of a vacancy of any executive office, except the President’s position, the vacancy will be filled by Presidential appointment, with approval from WHC. The appointment will be effective until the next election period. 4.) In the event of multiple WEC vacancy, if the order of succession is not determined by the WEC officers at the beginning of the year the order of succession is as follows: 1. Hall President 2. Hall Vice President of Social Programming 3. Hall Vice President of Educational Programming 4. Hall Vice President of Environmental Programming 5. Hall Secretary 6. Hall Treasurer 7. Hall Sports & Recreation Coordinator 8. Optional Offices in order by vote of WHC

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5.) In the event of a vacancy in a Section Representative position, the Section will appoint or elect a resident of their Section to fill that position at their discretion, within a two-week time. Section F: Annual Succession of Office 1.) Throughout the three terms of office, the WEC shall compile a packet of brief descriptions of the programming taking place within the WHC, and other pertinent information to be used by succeeding members of the WHC. A copy of the completed packets will be turned over to the Hall Secretary during the last week of the month of May. 2.) Newly Elected WHC members will take office immediately following their election, and will have administered the oath of office by the RD. Section G: Resignation 1.) WHC members wishing to resign should inform the WHC at any WEC or WHC meeting. The resigning member shall give two weeks notice before resigning.

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Section H: Impeachment/Recall 1.) WHC officers may not be subject to impeachment and recall until three weeks after their election or appointment.

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2.) Reasons for impeachment can include, but are not limited to, failure to fulfill duties of the office, and no longer meeting qualifications for the office. 3.) Identical formal typed accounts of alleged offenses describing reasons for impeachment shall be filed with the WEC, the alleged offender, and the Resident Director. 4.) Any hall resident may file an Impeachment/Recall petition, but for it to be considered by WEC the petition must have at minimum ten percent of the Hall’s current residents signatures on it. 5.) All of the WEC members, the filer of the complaint, and the accused officer must have the opportunity to present their case before WEC. The RD and one resident not affiliated with WEC must also be present and the RD will preside over the impeachment hearings. The non-affiliated resident will be appointed by the RD. 6.) All parties must have ample time to speak without any objections. After all sides have spoken, questions may be asked and answered. 7.) The WEC shall adjourn for a necessary time before reconvening for a vote. A secret ballot will be used, and may be counted only by the Resident Director and the resident not affiliated with WEC (see line 5). The accused must leave the room during the vote. 8.) Appointed officers may be recalled by a two-thirds majority vote of all WEC members. 9.) The recall is effective immediately, and may only be appealed to the RHA Executive Council.

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10.) Succession and/or Special Election will follow an Impeachment/Recall as outlined in Article V, Section A & E, above.

Article VI: Constitution Amendments & Revision 1.) The WHC Constitution must be reviewed once each academic year. This shall be done in a committee presided over by the hall President and hall Vice Presidents and supported by any willing WHC officer or resident, and will begin no later than the second week of winter term.

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2.) Proposed amendments to the WHC Constitution will be presented in writing at a WHC meeting, posted for public display, and voted on at the next WHC meeting, unless postponed until some specified date.

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3.) Amendments to this constitution shall become effective after review and approval by two-thirds of the voting membership of WHC, and approval of the RHA’s Presidents Council.

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General Bylaws 1) The Elections Committee will hold a constitution review meeting before the regularly scheduled elections, to provide information to possible candidates, and clarify any and all resident questions about this constitution. 2) WEC will review this Constitution at the first WEC meeting of the school year. 3) The hall President is a non-voting member of WEC and WHC, except in the case of a tied vote. 4) All WHC voting members may be represented by proxy in the event of an absence. Any resident may be a proxy for elected or appointed position holding WHC members. 5) All WHC voting members are entitled to a single vote, and may not represent another WHC voting member by proxy. A member need not be physically present at a meeting to vote; written votes will be accepted if a motion has been previously moved and the motion’s exact phrasing has been determined. 6) Any WHC voting member with two or more unexcused absences without prior notice to the WEC may be considered for removal. This removal will be immediate, and will only require a two-thirds majority vote of the WHC to pass. 7) All Section Representatives will be prepared to provide a report on their respective Section’s activities and condition during each WHC meeting. 8) All regular meetings of WHC will be open to all residents, and invited guests. 9) Closed meetings of WHC may only be held to consider recall of a WHC member. 10) A roll call of officers present will be taken at all WHC meetings. 11) All residents, and invited guests will have the right to speak at all WHC meetings, after being properly recognized by the Chairman of the meeting. 12) The WHC will hold a budget meeting each term, where the budget will be discussed and approved, no later than the third meeting of that term. o In the case of a floor representative missing a required Hall Council meeting, their floor will be charged an amount of five dollars. Funds that are removed for attendance reasons will not be awarded back to a floor/wing. o These five dollars shall be returned to the general fund. o If a floor representative member is unable to attend a WHC meeting, it is their responsibility to find a proxy for the WHC meeting.

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13) UHDS employees, (including the Residential Director and Resident Assistants) may sponsor events by coordinating with the appropriate WEC/WHC officers and members.

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14) In the event of a controversial voting item being passed by the WHC, the WEC will have the power to veto the item and discuss it in the next WEC meeting session. The veto shall be passed when 50 percent of the WEC members agree to perform said action on the passed item. This special voting scenario will adhere to a separate set of voting bylaws: o Voting by the WEC for this special scenario will be officially tallied by each WEC member e-mailing or bringing their written vote to the hall president. o Votes will be tallied by the hall President within one day of receiving all WEC votes. If more than 50 percent of the WEC votes to veto or allow the vote, the special voting session will be considered completed. o If a veto is passed by WEC, a formal announcement will be made to all WHC members within one day of the special vote. The veto will be discussed with WHC members at the next scheduled meeting.

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Duties of the Hall President 1) The Hall President will preside over all meetings of WEC and WHC. In the absence of the Hall President, the normal order of succession will be followed to determine who will preside over the meeting. 2) May call a special WEC or WHC meeting to deal with any business that cannot wait until the next regularly scheduled meeting. 3) Represent WHC at the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) President’s Council.

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4) Attend all RHA events, or send the Hall Vice Presidents or other appointed representative as a proper representative of the hall. Duties of the Hall Vice President of Social Programming 1) Be responsible for a minimum of two social programs per term, excluding Midnight Breakfast. 2) Represent WHC at the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly. a. If the Hall Vice President of Social Programming is unable to attend the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly, it is their responsibility to find a proxy for the meeting.

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Duties of the Hall Vice President of Educational Programming 1) Be responsible for a minimum of two educational programs per term, excluding Midnight Breakfast. 2) Represent WHC at the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly a. If the Hall Vice President of Educational Programming is unable to attend the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly, it is their responsibility to find a proxy for the meeting.

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Duties of the Hall Environmental Chair 1) Be responsible for a minimum of two environment-oriented programs per term, excluding Midnight Breakfast. 2) Represent WHC at the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly a. If the Hall Environmental Chair is unable to attend the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA’s) General Assembly, it is their responsibility to find a proxy for the meeting.

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Duties of the Hall Secretary 1) Be responsible for recording accurate minutes at all WEC and WHC meetings. 2) 2.) Email copies of the minutes following each WHC meeting to each WHC member, RHA, and other appropriate persons as described in the RHA guidelines. 3) Publicize copies of the minutes each week by seeing that they are posted in designated locations.

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4) Have a copy of this Constitution at all WEC and WHC meetings. Duties of the Hall Treasurer 1) Keep accurate records of all WHC accounts.

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2) Keep accurate records of all WEC/WHC sessions and perform operations in accordance with the established bylaws. This includes maintaining the hall directory and the attendance logs. 3) Present printed financial statements at WHC meetings upon request by the WEC. 4) Distribute funds and purchase orders, and inform all WHC members of the guidelines and procedures of obtaining and using WHC funds.

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5) Take minutes at meetings in the absence of the secretary.

Duties of the AEP Representative 1) Keep the WEC and WHC bodies updated on AEP events and speakers. Introduce speaker schedule and bio at each hall council meeting.

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