2003-2004
Article I:
The name of this organization shall be RU Choice.
Article II:
The purpose of RU Choice is to increase awareness of and interest in women’s
reproductive rights and health issues by educating all Rutgers University-New
Brunswick students about women’s reproductive rights issues. RU Choice
will provide students the opportunity for pro-choice activism and political
involvement on and off campus.
The goal of RU Choice will be to provide updated information to the student
body regarding current political agendas both in favor of and opposed to women’s
struggle for reproductive freedom to the student body, and to provide a space
for reproductive rights activists to work on grassroots organizing campaigns
to effect social change.
Article III:
Membership shall be open to all Rutgers University-New Brunswick students
and must comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis
of race, sex, handicap, age, sexual orientation, or political and religious
affiliation. Compliance with these laws means that membership benefits and
the election of officers will not be made on the basis of these factors.
Article IV:
Section 1: The minimum number of officers of RU
Choice shall be a president, secretary treasurer, and public relations coordinator.
a. The president shall call and preside over general meetings,
provide liaison between RU Choice and other campus organizations and administration;
and prepare an annual report for submissions to the outgoing Douglass College
Government Association by May 15. If co-presidency is an option, then both
individuals are responsible for complying with the rules of the presidency.
b. The secretary shall prepare minutes of all meetings
for presentation at the succeeding meetings, record all the actions of the
organization, and maintain all correspondence. The secretary must also keep
an up-to-date list of all voting members. The Secretary and President will
also be responsible for leaving a written report in the organizational file
for incoming officers. The organizational file can be found in the Student
Activities & Administrative Office of the Douglass College Center.
c. The treasurer shall handle all financial transactions
and records and be responsible for any other monies as required, prepare an
annual report for submission to the Student Activities Accounts Office by
May 15, and submit books to the Business Office in the Douglass College Center
or to the Dean of Students Office of Douglass College for auditing when requested.
d. The public relations coordinator will be in charge
of creating flyers and bulletins to be disseminated over all Rutgers University-New
Brunswick campuses, and shall be in charge of making events known to the community.
Section 2: The advisor to the organization shall
be a member of the Rutgers University faculty or staff.
Section 3: The Executive Board shall consist of
the above named officers and the advisor. The advisor is a non-voting member.
It shall be the responsibility of the executive board to supervise the nomination
and election process.
Article V:
Section 1:
a. The method of nomination from the floor and self-nominations
shall be used to nominate all candidates for the following academic year;
the officers nominated shall include president, secretary, treasurer, and
public relations coordinator.
b. The officers will preside over the election and will
tabulate the results; unless an incumbent officer is a candidate and in such
case he/she shall not tabulate the results.
c. Nominations for offices should be made at the meeting
prior to elections.
d. Elections will take place at the second to last meeting.
The winning officers will also be announced at the second to last meeting.
e. If, after the close of the nominations, there are no
candidates for a given office, the present Executive Board shall appoint an
individual to fill the vacancy with the present membership’s approval within
three weeks of the election.
Section 2:
a. The above-mentioned officers shall be elected by a
majority of the votes cast by secret ballot.
b. The election shall be conducted within the same time
period allotted by the Government Association where chartered.
Section 3: Should a vacancy occur in any office
except the presidency, a special election shall be held at the next meeting
to fill the office unless such vacancy occurs within eight school weeks prior
to election day, when the president shall appoint a temporary officer to serve
out the term. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the president, the office
shall be filled by the secretary, and that position filled as provided above.
Section 4: Impeachment proceedings may be brought
against any officer of the organization by any three members of the organization.
These three members must file charges in writing. The organization must then
have a special meeting approximately two weeks from the date the charges are
filed. All organization members must be notified in writing of the meeting
date when impeachment will be discussed.
Removal from office requires a 2/3 vote of voting members.
Article VI:
Special meetings will be held when requested by any of the officers, the
advisor, and/or when petitioned by ten percent of the membership.
Article VII:
a. Any member may propose an amendment to the Constitution. A written copy
of the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Executive Board, which
shall give written notification to the membership at the meeting following
the receipt of the proposed amendment.
b. The constitution may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the membership, provided
the amendment was submitted in writing at a previous regular meeting and notice
was given to all members at least one week before the meeting on the constitutional
amendment. The amendment will go into effect after it has been presented
to the Douglass College Government Association.
Article VIII:
All posters and other paraphernalia used to advertise activities will be
removed from the area to which they were affixed after the expiration of said
activities.
Article IX:
RU Choice will not collect regular dues from members but may ask for donations
(not necessarily monetary) for special purposes or events from time to time
as determined by the RU Choice Executive Board. Membership in RU Choice will
not be contingent on payment of any dues or fees.
Article X:
This organization shall abide by all applicable laws of the State of New
Jersey and the United States. This organization shall abide by all applicable
rules and regulations of the University and under the privileges as granted
by the Office of Student Involvement, Deans, and Dean of Students where chartered.
This organization shall also abide by the rules and regulations of the Board
of Governors, the University, and the colleges as provided by the Board of
Governors and the Deans of the College.