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THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CLASS OF 2011
Section I:
This document will be the Constitution of the Class of 2011, hereinafter referred to as the Class, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The governing body of the Class will be the Class Council, hereinafter referred to as the Council.
Section II:
The Council will be governed by the guidelines put forth in the Constitutions of both the Class and the Rensselaer Union. It will be responsible for initiating all legislative action pertaining exclusively to the students of the Class of 2011.
Section I:
Upon payment of the activity fee, a student listed on the Institute’s records to graduate in the year 2011 will become a member of the Class.
Section II:
The Council will be represented by a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, Webmaster, Publicity Director, four (4) Senators, eight (8) elected Representatives and any At-Large members.
Section III:
A person seeking to become an At-Large member will be given the right to vote upon attendance of his/her third consecutive meeting, not counting excused absences, upon approval by the Council at the end of the third meeting. The member in question will be asked to leave the room during the approval process.
Section I:
a) The President will call and administer all meetings of the Council.
b) The President or his/her appointee will attend and direct all activities held by the Council for the Class.
c) The President will oversee all internal elections and interviews.
d) The President will be responsible for all necessary appointments.
e) The President will be an ex-officio member of all committees.
f) The President will be responsible for the official announcement to the class for any events pertaining to the Council.
Section II:
a) The Vice-President will assume the President’s responsibilities in his/her absence for as long as that position is vacant. During this time, the Vice-President will assume the same voting rights as the President.
b) The Vice-President or his/her appointee will attend and assist the President in directing all activities held by the Council for the Class.
c) The Vice President will be in contact with the heads of all committees and help coordinate their meetings.
d) The Vice President will also be in contact with all non-members of the Council that are members of committees.
e) The Vice President will reserve meeting rooms for the Council and help heads of committees to reserve rooms for their own committee meetings.
f) The Vice President will also be in charge of all internal communications between meetings and give twenty-four (24) hours notice of an irregular meeting to all Council members.
Section III:
a) The Secretary will record and be responsible for the minutes and attendance of all meetings and post and circulate copies of the minutes.
b) The Secretary will keep a long-term record of all minutes and attendance, and bring them to all meetings.
Section IV:
a) The Treasurer will keep an accurate financial record for the Class, in accordance with the procedure set forth by the Rensselaer Union, and be responsible for all financial transactions of the Council. He/She will obtain a majority approval of the Council for any expenditure exceeding fifty (50) dollars.
b) Only Presidential approval will be needed for expenditures not exceeding fifty (50) dollars. The Treasurer will submit a complete financial report, at least once a month.
Section V:
a) The Historian will maintain records of Class activities.
b) The Historian will be the yearbook committee chair and go to all related meetings.
Section VI:
a) The Webmaster will create, as necessary, a Council website.
b) The Webmaster will be responsible for maintaining and updating the website regularly.
c) The Webmaster will use his/her own discretion for all matters pertaining to the website, however the council may request by majority vote the replacement, rearrangement or removal of all material pertaining to the Council website.
Section VIII:
a) The Publicity Director will be responsible for publishing and advertising events and opportunities pertaining to the class.
b) The Publicity Director will be the chair of the publicity committee.
c) The Publicity Director will have their actions directed by a vote of the Council.
Section I:
a) The appointed chairperson of each committee must be a voting member of the Council.
b) At least two-thirds (2/3) of each committee must be voting members of the Council, unless otherwise specified by the committee chair.
c) When votes are to be brought up before a committee, all committee members possess the right to vote.
d) The Council will posses veto action over a committee by two-thirds (2/3) vote.
Section II:
Each year, two (2) members will be appointed, by vote of the Council, to serve as representatives to the Undergraduate Council. The two (2) will be liaisons between the Council and the Undergraduate Council informing each other of the other’s proceedings.
Section III:
Prior to the start of the sophomore academic year, the Council will appoint, by vote, a Ring Committee Chairperson who will select an appropriate committee. This committee will be responsible for awarding the Class’ ring contract to a company and designing the Class Ring. The Committee will submit a progress report, at regular intervals, to be approved by the Council. Ring Chair will maintain their positions for the duration.
Section IV:
Before the second semester of the junior year, the Council, by vote, will appoint a chairperson of the Senior Week Committee. The Senior Week chair must be a voting member. The committee will be responsible for providing customary entertainment for the Class members during the week after final examinations and prior to Commencement. The committee will work with the Institute in connection with the activities of Commencement. Senior Week Chair will maintain their positions for the duration.
Section V:
All Council members must join at least two (2) committees. Exceptions include Senators due to their Senate committee requirement. Anyone who feels they have an adequate excuse or extenuating circumstances may make a request to have this responsibility waived by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the council.
Section I:
a) The Council will arrange a weekly meeting time by the third week of each fall and spring semester.
b) Additional meetings may be called by the President, Vice President, or by three (3) or more Council members with a signed written request to the President. The meeting must be held within forty-eight (48) hours of the request.
c) The Vice-President will be responsible for communicating with Council members between meetings; this includes notifying the Council of extra meetings and business that the President wishes Council members to know.
d) The Vice President will be responsible for arranging a meeting room and for placing a notice of each meeting on the Class bulletin board.
Section II:
a) A quorum will consist of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting membership. The President will not be included in counting the quorum.
b) All other legislation will be passed by a simple majority of all voting members present.
Section III:
a) Every Council member will have one (1) vote except for the President, who will only vote in the case of a tie.
b) The order of presiding officers will be as follows: the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. If any officer is absent, the highest presiding officer present at the Council meeting will preside. If no officer is present, the meeting may not preside.
c) If the President is absent, the presiding officer will assume the President's voting rights.
Section IV:
a) The President or presiding officer will preside over all Council meetings.
b) The President or presiding officer will give equal time to opposing sides in debate.
c) The President or presiding officer will acknowledge all motions brought to the Council. All motions will be recognized and voted upon if seconded.
Section I:
Undergraduate elections will be in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in the Rensselaer Union Constitution.
Section II:
The President, Vice-President, four (4) Class Senators, and eight (8) Class Representatives will serve one (1)-year terms and will be elected or appointed at a time and place set by the Rensselaer Union Constitution.
Section III:
Filling of Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Webmaster, Publicity Director, Senatorial, or Class Representative vacancies created by resignation or removal will be approved by a majority vote of the Council. This action is to be taken only after proper publicity for the vacant positions has been made for two (2) weeks. Interested candidates for the positions of Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian will be interviewed by the Council. A vote of the Council will then determine who will fill the positions. In the case of extreme irregularities, the Undergraduate Council President will be consulted for further action.
Section I:
Upon a Council member’s second consecutive unexcused absence, or any total of four (4) unexcused absences per Council year, a written warning of removal from the Council will be delivered within forty-eight (48) hours to the member-in-question. If he/she fails to attend the next scheduled meeting and fails to give a valid excuse for an absence to that meeting, he/she will be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council less the member(s) subject to removal.
Section II:
a) Any Council member may move that another Council member be removed from the Council. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Council will mean that the actual vote for removal, as outlined in Section I, will be held at the next meeting.
b) The removal vote will be held in the absence of the member-in-question.
c) Removal of Senators will be brought up before the Senate after following the procedures outlined in Section I.
d) Removal of the E-Board Representation may only be done through the President of the Union as stated in the Rensselaer Union Constitution and the E-Board By-Laws.
Section III:
The Class will have the power to recall its Officers and Representatives, excluding Senators and the E-Board Representative. Recall is accomplished by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the constituents voting in the removal election. A valid removal election is one in which at least thirty (30) percent of the constituency votes. A class removal election may be called for by a majority vote of Council, less the member(s) being voted upon for removal, or by a petition signed by at least twenty percent (20%) of the Class.
Section IV:
Any removed Council member may appeal the removal to the Rensselaer Union’s Judicial Board. The removal will remain in effect until overturned by the Judicial Board.
Section I:
a) The Constitution will be effective immediately upon ratification by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of voting members and subsequent approval by the Undergraduate Council.
b) By-laws necessary for the Council’s operation and amendments to the Constitution must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting council followed by subsequent approval of the Undergraduate Council.
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