Student Council

Section I​: Membership

Any SDS student currently enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is eligible to be a member of the organization.

Section II​: Categories of membership

• Voting Membership – limited to currently enrolled SDS students in UNCC academic programs

• Honorary Members – open to alumni, professionals and UNCC faculty. Honorary members do not hold voting rights.

Section III​: Dues

Membership to the organization does not require payment of fees during the Fall 2018 semester. Members will be notified in advance of events that require fees to participate. In the event a fee is associated with an organization activity, members that do not submit payment by the deadline indicated will not be able to participate.

Section IV​: Selection

Students interested in becoming members should submit a complete membership application, either online or in person to a member of the Executive Board.

Section V​: Voluntary Member Withdrawal

Any member of our organization can, at any time, voluntarily withdraw his/her membership from the organization. Members wishing to withdraw membership should notify the Secretary, President, and/or Vice President of their request to ensure their contact information is removed from distribution lists.

Section VI​: Non-Voluntary Member Removal

A member can be removed through a majority vote by the Executive Board for the following reasons:

• Failing to abide by the bylaws

• Mismanagement of organization funds, intellectual property, or assets

• Failing to abide by all UNC Charlotte policies and guidelines

Section VII​: Non-discrimination.

In keeping with UNC Charlotte’s policy of nondiscrimination, our organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, veteran status and physical or mental ability or disability.

Section I​: Executive Board

The Executive Board consists of organization officers: President, Vice President, Marketing Officer, Program Manager, Treasurer, Secretary. Members of the executive board will take an active role in defining organizational goals each term, formulating and planning programs/events consistent with mission and goals, and monitoring financial and operational activities of the organization.

Section II:​President

The President will serve as the primary point of contact for the organization, leading meetings and overseeing activities of members. The President will serve as the Senator, representing the organization at GPSP meetings. Additionally, the president will take an active role in leading Executive Board functions, consulting with the Advisor on an ongoing basis, assisting in coordination of officer transition between terms, and promoting the organization within the university and community. To become the President, you have to be a board member in a previous semester.

Section II:​Vice President

The Vice President will work closely alongside the President. He will assume all presidential duties in the absence of the President, assisting in the execution of his/her duties and perform tasks as directed by the President or the Board. To become the Vice President, you have to be a board member in a previous semester.

Section III:​Treasurer

The treasurer will keep accurate records of organization funds and accessing any university funding. The preparation and coordination of budget is handled by the treasurer. The responsibilities include providing assistance to vice-president and program manager in the development of fundraisers. Treasurer will be attending funding workshops according to the availability.

Section IV​: Secretary

●   maintains accurate and complete records for the organization, including but not limited to

meeting minutes and attendance, member/alumni database, various records for organization activities.

• prepares and distributes agendas and assists in correspondence with outside organizations.

• re-register organization at the end of each school year

Section V​: Marketing Officer

The Marketing Officer will take the lead on marketing communication, managing the organization’s online presence and creating original promotional materials, including flyers and social media posts.

Section VI:​Program Manager

The Program Manager will serve as the owner of all organizational activities including but not limited to programs, workshops and social events. This includes drafting action plans for programs, preparing event budgets, reserving university resources and other related tasks as necessary.

Section I​: Advisor

The organization Advisor will be a resource for members and act as a liaison between the university and SDS SO. The Advisor is expected to serve for a minimum of two semesters and be available for events such as organization meetings as needed. The Advisor holds no decision-making or voting authority.

Section I​: Nominations

Nominations for officers are held in January and August for each subsequent academic year, or when a position becomes vacant, whichever occurs first. In order to be eligible for nomination, the candidate must be a full-time student in academic programs under SDS and is enrolled for the term in which they are seeking office. All candidates must submit a complete application online within the designated timeframe.

Section II​: Elections

Following nominations and application submissions, officers will be elected by members through a ballot vote. Voting will take place at the last SDS SO meeting held during the fall and spring semesters. Voting will be done on a secret ballot.

Section III​: Outcome

The current officers will collect the ballots and tally up. The winner is decided by the nominee with the most votes for the position. In the event of a tie, the current officers will vote to break the tie. The winner is decided by majority vote from the ballet vote and verified by the faculty advisor.

Section IV​: Terms

Officers will serve for one semester and may apply for re-election for the following term. At a maximum, officers will serve two semesters in a same position.

Section V​: Officer Impeachment

Officers are subject to impeachment through a majority vote by the Executive Board for the following reasons:

• Failing to fulfill duties and responsibilities of the role

• Mismanagement of organization funds, intellectual property, or assets

• Failing to abide by all UNC Charlotte policies and guidelines Section VI​: Voluntary Officer Resignation

Any officer of the organization can, at any time, voluntarily resign from their position prior to the end of their term. The officer must notify the Executive Board of their intent two weeks prior to resigning in order to facilitate a replacement.

Section VII​: Officer Succession

If Executive Board roles become available during the semester, the remaining Executive Board members will take over responsibilities of the vacant position as needed or elect a current member of the organization to the role. As defined within the Officer Duties, the Vice President will assume the role of President should the position become vacant due to voluntary resignation or impeachment. The Vice President will maintain the assumed position for the remaining term, at which point they may choose to accept the role as President as succession or open the role to nominations.

Section I​: Committees

The SDS SO retains the right to form committees as needed, which all eligible members may join.

Section II​: Procedures

Rules regarding the proposal of amendments are as follows:

• Amendment proposals should be introduced during a scheduled organization meeting, with a written summary provided to Executive Board members for reference.
• Members present at the meeting will be given the opportunity to pose questions and discuss the proposed amendment.
• The written summary will be distributed through email to all members for review following the meeting in which it was introduced.

Section III​: Voting

The proposed amendment shall be voted on by the Executive board and members through an online vote. Amendments may only be passed by majority vote (2/3)

Should the organization need to be disbanded, the Executive Board will hold a meeting to discuss steps needed to resolve any existing debts and divide assets.

By-laws

1. The Board can approve proposals for new activities from the members. The President can appoint an ad hoc Project Leader for such projects.

• For organization activities that require any additional fees, interested members must RSVP and submit payment by the designated deadline to ensure participation. Furthermore, events that are free of charge and are supported by University funding may require RSVP.

• Membership fees for new members can be instituted and/or revised at the start of a new term. Any such change must be discussed and approved by the board.