Constitution and More News

Hafizah and Dolly both volunteered to be SOC Reps, and the Constitution is finished. Here's what it says:

Constitution of Poet‘s Collective of Columbia College Chicago

Preamble

We, the members of Poet‘s Collective, establish this constitution to fully explicate our intentions.

Article I. Note

The title of our organization is Poet‘s Collective, and will be known as Poet‘s Collective for the duration of its existence.

Article II. Purpose

Poet’s Collective is a weekly meeting established in order to share, write, and create poetry.

Article III. Membership

Section A. Membership

There are only active members. Active members are fully authorized to participate in all activities Poet’s Collective may conceive.

Section B. Membership Qualifications

1. Membership in Poet’s Collective shall not be discriminatory on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, familial status, height, marital status, national orgin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or weight.

2. At the time of initiation, each prospective member must be within Student Organization guidelines.

Section C. Selection of Members

1. Executive board members may nominate new members.

2. After attending one meeting, members will be accepted via verbal confirmation.

Poet's Collective of Columbia College Chicago is strongly and actively committed to increasing diversity and providing equal opportunity within its community.

Section D. Voting Privileges

1. All members of Poet’s Collective have an equal vote. If the matter is divided the Executive Board will make the final decision.

Section E. Termination of Membership

1. Members may quit at anytime for any reason.

2. The Executive Board may terminate membership for conduct that violates respect toward fellow members or to the respectful conduction of meetings.

Article IV. Officers

Section A. Elected Officers

Poet’s Collective will have a president who will direct the meetings. The president will be present and preside at all meetings, oversee the management of the entire group as a whole, and will have the power to appoint, based upon applications, members executive committee.

Poet’s Collective will have a vice president. The vice president will preside over any

meetings when the president is not present and will succeed the president after he or she has graduated and/or moved on from Poet’s Collective.

An elected secretary will take notes at meetings, will be entrusted with the paperwork of each meeting, and will keep in his or her possession submissions and any other paperwork relevant to Poet’s Collective.

An elected treasurer will oversee donations, money, advertising, and any capital from the university.

Section B. General Members

All active Poet’s Collective members shall contribute in all Poet’s Collective activities

Section C. Qualifications for holding office

1. All elected officers must be currently enrolled in Columbia College Chicago's MFA Poetry Program

2. All active members that are on social or disciplinary probation are prohibited from holding any office- elected or appointed.

Section D. Selection of Officers

1. Elections usually take place in September and January.

2. Voting procedures: Election will be orchestrated by the President. Only Columbia College MFA Poetry students can run for office. The current members of Poet’s Collective will elect the members of the Executive Board.

3. Officers assume office the next meeting after they are appointed.

4. Officers will be in office until the conclusion of the current semester.

Section E. Filling Vacancies

1. When there is a vacancy in an Executive Board seat, Executive Board members will vote for an active member to fill the vacant seat.

Section F. Recall of Officers

1. Officers maybe removed due to failure to perform assignments, excessive absence or disorderly conduct.

2. Officers will be impeached when three-fourths of membership has elected to dismiss the officer.

Article V. Advisor

The President of Poet’s Collective will select the advisor.

Article VI. Operations

1. All members of Poet’s Collective are eligible to vote for members of the executive board.

2. Meeting times will be decided on a semester-by-semester basis.

3. Members will be notified in changes in meetings via telephone, email, and face to face

contact.

4. Quorum: Poet’s Collective must have four members to stay active.

Article VII. Budget and Finance

1. In the event Poet’s Collective seeks funds, a budget will be created to allocate said funds. The Treasurer shall be in charge of the budget and will present it at each meeting or when asked.
2. In the case of disbursement, all funds shall be given to the Poetry Center of Chicago

Article VIII. Amendments

In order to maintain flexibility, amendments to the constitution will be allowed. The officers will vote on the amendment, with a two-thirds (2/3) majority rule determining whether or not the constitution will be amended.

Article IX. Registration Renewal

Registration renewal will be in September immediately after the election period. The president will be responsible for supervising the registration process. Poet’s Collective will apply for registration, then, on an annual basis.