Constitution

PREAMBLE

Traditionally there has been a great deal of silence surrounding issues of sexual orientation. Fear, ignorance, and misinformation can transform a school into a threatening place to live and learn if you are gay, lesbian, transgender, or even questioning your sexual orientation. The North Georgia Gay Straight Alliance (NGGSA) is a student organization that encourages interaction among students of all sexual orientations, thus demystifying sexual orientation and promoting tolerance and acceptance of all students regardless of personal characteristics. The NGGSA has been formed with the intention of meeting the needs of all NGCSU students for information, education, support, and socialization.

ARTICLE I - Name

The official name of this organization shall be the North Georgia Gay Straight Alliance (hereinafter referred to as "organization").

ARTICLE II - Purposes

The purposes of this organization shall be to:

  1. Provide an open and accepting atmosphere where members may come together to discuss issues related to sexual orientation, thereby supporting and encouraging each other.
  2. Educate members and the campus community to recognize the equality and value of gay, lesbian bisexual, and transgender cultures and people.
  3. Provide social opportunities for the members so that having fun is not tempered by harassment.
  4. Advance the academic achievement of the members by providing a safe space to learn and grow into competent, contributing members of society.

ARTICLE III - Members

Section I: Membership Eligibility
  1. Full Members: All undergraduate and graduate students, and members of the faculty, and staff of NGCSU who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning their sexual orientation, or consider themselves "allies" (defined as a person who does not self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender nor questioning and who is substantially supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning people, their rights, and the purpose of the organization) may become full members of the organization upon their request. Every full member shall be able to hold office in the organization unless otherwise stated in the constitution.
  2. Associate Members: All alumni of NGCSU, persons formerly affiliated with the university, or persons living in the vicinity of the university who either self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning, or consider themselves to be "allies" (as defined in Article III, Section I Paragraph 1.) may choose to become associate members upon request.

Section II: Voting Privileges

  1. Each member who is a currently enrolled NGCSU student has one (1) vote.
  2. All members may speak to a motion and engage in debate regarding all issues.

Section III: Eligibility to Hold Office

Only currently enrolled students at NGCSU may hold office.

ARTICLE IV - Officers

Section I: Officers

There will be four officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section II: Duties of the Officers
  1. The Chair shall chair business meetings of the organization, schedule meetings, establish and appoint the chair and members of ad hoc committees, and abolish ad hoc committees.
  2. The Vice Chair shall carry out the duties of the chair in her or his absence or inability to do so and shall function as program chair.
  3. The Secretary shall issue the call of meetings and take and distribute minutes of business meetings.
  4. The Treasurer shall collect revenues, deposit revenues into an account approved by the membership of the organization, and maintain financial records and distribute financial reports.
Section III: Election of Officers

Officers shall be elected annually during the first meeting of the fall semester. The term of office will be for one year. Nominations shall be taken from the floor and members can nominate themselves. Election shall be conducted by secret ballot.

Section IV: Removal from Office
  1. In the event that an officer resigns the Chair shall declare the office vacant. In the event that an officer is not performing the duties of the office or behaves in a manner contrary to the purposes of the organization, the office shall be declared vacant by a majority vote of the remaining officers. After notification of the membership by the secretary that an election will be held to replace the officer, the election shall be scheduled at the next regularly scheduled business meeting. The member who was removed from office may be a candidate in the election.
  2. In the event that the Chair is not performing the duties of the office or behaves in a manner contrary to the purposes of the organization, any five members can request that the secretary send a call for a business meeting to be scheduled for the purpose of taking a vote to declare the office vacant. If the office is declared vacant by the membership, then the Vice Chair shall assume the office of Chair and an election of a new Vice Chair shall be scheduled for the next regularly scheduled business meeting.

ARTICLE V - Dues

The members of the organization may vote to establish annual dues. Payment of dues shall cause a member's membership to be effective through August 31. A member's membership may be considered lapsed if she or he has not paid dues between September 1 and October 31. A member may cause his or her membership to be reinstated by paying unpaid dues

ARTICLE VI - Parliamentary Procedure

Business meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, except where they are inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution.

ARTICLE VII - Amendments

  1. Any member of the organization may propose an amendment to the constitution. The text of the amendment shall be included in the call of the next meeting. If a proposal is submitted after the call of a meeting has been issued, the Secretary may defer announcement of the proposal until the call of the subsequent meeting is issued.
  2. Provided that one week's notice has been provided, and upon a two-thirds majority vote of the members at a meeting, an amendment may be ratified and submitted to the university's Student Life Committee. Upon approval of the Student Life Committee, the amendment shall be effective.

ARTICLE VII - Dissolution

  1. Upon a two-thirds majority vote of the members at a meeting, the organization may be dissolved. The vice president for student affairs shall then appoint a committee of five members of the university's full-time faculty, which shall have the power to distribute the remaining assets of the organization among the other organizations whose purposes resemble the purposes listed in Article II of this constitution.
  2. The university's vice president for student affairs may declare that the organization has been inactive for a period of one year, at which time the organization shall be dissolved. The vice president shall then appoint a committee of five members of the university's full-time faculty, which shall have the power to distribute the remaining assets of the organization among the other organizations whose purposes resemble the purposes listed in Article II of this constitution.