Trinity Diversity Connection Constitution
Article I: Organization Name
The name of this organization shall be the Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC) and shall be a chartered organization at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.
Article II: Philosophy
The Trinity Diversity Connection desires to foster and support an increased concern for diversity on campus by advocating for students, creating spaces for cultural celebration diversity, promoting leadership development and providing opportunities for education and reflection. In addition, we want to assist the University in recruiting and retaining students from diverse backgrounds and encourage student interest while emphasizing that all are made to feel welcome to participate regardless of background. To encourage this shared understanding and desire for diversity on campus, Trinity Diversity Connection provides a place where all diversity issues at large can be explored in a partnership with associate group, which focus on varying religious, cultural and diversity issues. Trinity Diversity Connection will provide a place where all types of diversity groups can come together to celebrate, embrace and advocate for diversity.
TDC defines diversity as the existence of individual difference that makes each person unique and whole. These differences encompass gender, race, culture, national origin' ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, body size, and physical and learning ability that have been historically underrepresented. A diverse community affirms the central importance of our common humanity and enhances the personal development and academic achievement of each community member.
Article III: Membership
TDC membership is open to everyone in the Trinity University community
Section 1: The General Assembly will be the membership-at-large.
Section 2: The TDC Board will be composed of the following positions: President, Vice president, Internal Affairs Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Social Activism Coordinator, Treasurer, Marketing Director(s), and Webmaster.
Section3: The Executive Council shall include the TDC Board and the following Associate Group Officers (if applicable): President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Public Relations, and TDC Liaison.
Article IV: Officers
TDC Board members take office in March for the upcoming academic year, or upon approval of the current Board.
Responsibilities of the board members:
· To attend weekly TDC Board meetings and bi-monthly Executive Council meetings
· To assist in assuming any unforeseen duties
· To be present at all TDC Traditions and visibly support associate groups
Section 1
The responsibilities of the President of the Trinity Diversity Connection shall be:
A. To act as a liaison between TDC and the University
B. To work with the other chartered campus organizations
C. To fully inform associate group officers of their responsibilities and requirements
D. To abide and edit the Constitution as needed
E. To represent TDC to the Association of Student Representatives to propose for TDC's annual budget along with the Treasurer
F. To meet weekly with TDC's advisor
G. To preside over all Board and Executive meetings
The responsibilities of the Vice President shall be:
A. To aid the President in any capacity
B. To act as president in the event that the President cannot assume his/her responsibilities, and to assume the Presidential office if the President should give up or misuse his/her office in anyway
C. Maintaining records of Associate Group program records, accessible to all in the TDC cubicle.
D. To plan and organize TDC Special Events
E. To plan and organize the TDC End-Of-Year Gala
F. To be in charge of TDC general meetings
The responsibilities of the Internal Affairs Coordinator shall be:
A. To take the minutes of all Board meetings to be e-mailed the day after the meeting to all Board members
B. To act as TDC's TSPACE coordinator
C. To coordinate and facilitate the Dialogues on Diversity (DoD)
D. To work with the University to help with the recruitment of students from all backgrounds
The responsibilities of the Program Coordinator shall be:
A. To plan and oversee Winter Jubilee during the Winter Semester
B. To plan and oversee Celebration & Awareness Week (CAW) in the fall semester, and Taste of Diversity in the spring
C. To organize TDC's participation in Spirit Week
The responsibilities of the Social Activism Coordinator shall be:
A. To coordinate TDC's social activism project each semester
B. To plan and organize TDC service events
C. To maintain and expand the TDC library
The responsibilities of the Treasurer shall be:
A. To manage and reconcile the TDC budget
B. To represent TDC to the Association of Student Representatives to propose for TDC's annual budget along with the President
C. To manage transactions through the p-card and reimbursement checks
D. To meet once a month with the TDC Advisor
The responsibilities of the Marketing Director(s) shall be:
A. To publicize all TDC Events
B. To aid Associate groups seeking help for publicity
C. To assume responsibilities of Webmaster when the Webmaster position is unfilled
The responsibilities of the Webmaster shall be:
A. To update the web page no less than once a week
B. To add event notices and information to the web page Calendar
Section 2: Election of the Board Members
The current Executive Council will vote for the incoming TDC Board. A simple majority vote will be taken of each associate group and of the TDC Board. Voting will take place as defined in Article VII. The elections will take place either the last meeting in February or in March, before Spring Break
Section 3: Requirements of the President
The applicant must have been an active TDC member for at least 2 years with 1-year experience in the TDC Board and 1 year on an Executive Board of any student organization. Exceptions can be made as determined by the current TDC Board.
Section 4: Requirements of Board Members (Excluding President)
The applicant must have been an active TDC member for at least 1 year serving at least one year on any TDC Associate Group Executive Board. Exceptions can be made as determined by the current TDC Board.
Article V: Primary Advisor
TDC's primary advisor, as assigned by the Vice-President of Student Affairs, is the Coordinator for Diversity and Intercultural Relations. The Advisor will offer support and assistance to TDC and Associate groups in the general operation of the organization, as well as provide any particular support needed from an advisor's perspective.
Article VI: Executive Council Meetings
Attendance of Executive Council meetings is required of all TDC Board members and at least two elected Executive Council officers (as defined in Article III, Section III) from each associate group. Executive Council meetings are open to the General Assembly and any interested member of the Trinity community.
Article VII: Voting
At least one-half of TDC Associate groups must be represented for a simple majority required to pass any motion, which may be brought up by any Executive Council officer. Each associate group and the TDC Board will be allowed one vote. Unless otherwise noted, a simple majority of groups in attendance is required for a motion to be passed. Voting does not include the General Assembly.
Article VIII: Formation of Associate Groups
TDC does offer support to those student organizations whose purposes in alignment with that of TDC. Students interested in doing so may propose an associate group under TDC at any time during the school year. The following procedures must be implemented when a new associate group is proposed:
Section 1: The interested student must speak with the TDC Board, preferably presenting at board meeting, about the proposed associate group.
Section 2: The interested student or the TDC board on behalf of the interested student must present the proposed associate group to the Executive Council explaining its alignment to the purpose of TDC, and its ability to follow all responsibilities of Associate groups.
Section3: Approval is to come from the Executive Council through a simple majority vote as defined in Article 7.
Article IX: TDC Events
Section 1: TDC is encouraged to hold at least one campus-wide event each year, unless the Executive Council determines otherwise.
Section 2: These events include:
· Celebration & Awareness Week (CAW) held during fall semester. This involves all Associate groups' participation putting on events throughout the week to raise awareness of diversity on campus.
· Winter Jubilee is a celebration of diversity held directly before the winter holidays.
· Taste of Diversity is held during the spring semester. This is a community-wide outreach event to celebrate diversity.
· Special Events to be held once each year. These are performances for the community to raise awareness about diversity.
· Dialogues on Diversity are discussions held throughout the year with students, faculty, and staff involving a plethora of issues and topics related to Diversity issues on campus and in the community.
· Social Activism events include one project and one service event each year.
· TDC Gala held at the end of the year is a celebration held for TDC members.
Article X: Impeachment of the Board Members
Should TDC members feel that any of the TDC Board members has not performed his/her duties to the fullest capacity, a two-thirds majority of all Associate groups is required to remove the cabinet member from their office. The TDC Board will not vote. An offense would be considered improper if it includes one or more of the following:
Section 1: The Board member may be impeached if they do not perform duties as
they are assigned in a timely fashion.
Section 2: The Board member may be impeached if they are found responsible for any violation by the Student Conduct Board.
Section 3: The Board member may be impeached if they use their authority in a way other that to uphold the purposes of TDC as stated above.
Section4: The Board member may be impeached if they have been formally suspended from the University.
Article XI: Risk Management
In accordance to the policies of Trinity University, TDC agrees to sign a no-hazing policy at the start of every school. TDC agrees to not use illegal drugs and to obtain an alcohol use permit for events containing alcohol. TDC agrees to follow all fire and travel regulations set forth by the University. TDC also agrees to not sexually abuse or harass any members. Finally, TDC agrees to proper behavior at all parties and events.
Article XII: Adoption of the TDC Constitution
This constitution shall take effect immediately upon its approval by a two-thirds majority using the voting procedure found in Article VIL
Article XIII: Amendments
This constitution may be amended at any Executive Council meeting provided the Amendment is passed by a two-thirds majority vote of using the voting procedure found in Article VII.
These by-laws may be amended at any Executive Council meeting provided the amendment is passed by a simple majority vote of using the voting procedure found in Article VII.
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Trinity Diversity Connection By-Laws
ARTICLE l: New Officer Training Program
Section 1: The current Board and the Primary Advisor will be responsible for training associate group officers.
Section 2: Training will be in the beginning of the fall and the spring semesters.
Section 3: Both trainings are mandatory for all Executive Council.
Section 4: Before their year in office, newly elected/appointed Board members will meet with the previous Board members in the presence of the Primary Advisor to learn the processes assigned to their position at the end of the spring semester.
ARTICIE II: Attendance at Meetings and Required Events
lf groups foresee conflict and are unable to provide two (2) representative at executive meetings, they must meet with a TDC officer during office hours with a detailed explanation of their absence. In extreme circumstances, groups can elect to send an involved member to the meeting so that they are represented and informed. lf they do so they must notify the TDC board. Because of the importance of meeting and required event attendance, violations will be given to any officer of an Associate Group missing a required event without giving TDC officers prior notice of absence.
Each group gets three warnings/violations TOTAL before their status as an associate group in TDC gets reevaluated. This means that if 3 officers from the same associate group each miss one event without an excuse, the associate group will then be up for Re-Evaluation status.
Disciplinary Actions are as follows:
1st infraction – Warning e-mail to offending officer and President of each organization with notification of the offense
Disciplinary Actions are as follows:
1st infraction – Warning e-mail to offending officer and President of each organization with notification of the offense
2nd Infraction – Warning e-mail to offending officer and President of each organization with notification of the offense. Also, a required meeting, including the offending officer, their Associate Group President, that groups TDC group Liaison, and TDC Advisor.
3rd Infraction – Warning e-mail to offending officer and President of each organization with notification of the offense, as well as a loss of advertising privileges with TDC (includes the rest of that semester's free copies and loss of Trinitonian ads).
4th Infraction – Re-Evaluation of status as a TDC associate group by TDC Board vote.
ARTICLE III: Associate Group Obligations
Obligations for Associate groups include:
1 Regular meetings of the Associate Group's general membership;
2 Budget proposal at the beginning of the year;
3 An update of their constitutional annually;
4 Attendance of TDC Training in the fall and spring semesters;
5 Providing at least two (2)representatives to attend TDC bi-weekly Executive Council meetings;
6 Participation in all TDC Events as defined in Article IX of the Constitution;
7 Programming at least one educational event and one social event per semester. These events may be co-sponsored or done in connection to other campus organizations;
8 Filling out of Program Reports for each Associate group event to be turned into the Vice President.
9 Associate group Presidents and the TDC Primary Advisor must meet once a month.
ARTICLE IV: improper Conduct of Executive Council Members
Should an Associate Group officer commit an offense as defined below, he/she will receive a warning of the offense and be asked not to do so again. Should behavior continue he/she will be put on probation for one semester by the TDC President or Primary Advisor. In this period, the student must attend all required events including Associate group and Executive Council meetings. The TDC President and/or Primary Advisor will monitor that their efforts in Associate Group planning are made in a timely, responsible fashion. lf an Associate Group breaks their probation, the affiliate Associate Group will be asked to take action and on probation until such action is taken.
Improper conduct as an Executive Council member is defined as:
1. Failure to attend a TDC event without prior notice to the TDC Board (see Standing Obligations);
2. Failing to represent TDC respectfully and in a dignified manner.
ARTICLE V: Penalties for Associate groups
The first offense of failing to fulfill requirements as an Associate Group will result in probation for one (1) semester. In this period, the Associate Groups' work will be monitored by the TDC Board. Any tardiness, or discrepancies of the Associate will result in suspension from the group for the rest of the semester.
An associated group may also be placed on probation if the following penalties are incurred:
1. Failing to program at least one social and one educational event per semester;
2. Failure to participate in the TDC Social Activism project;
3. Using money allocated by TDC for purposes other than having;
4. lf the Associate group does not have any active leadership, they will be placed on probation until active leadership can be found;
An Associate group may be placed on expulsion and lose privileges to vote and access to money in the following occur:
1. Consistently failing to have the required number of events as stated in the TDC Constitution;
2. lf the associated group president is removed from office or steps down, the Associate group shall be suspended if no active leadership can be found.
ARTICLE VI: Budget
TDC’s annual budget is proposed by the President and Board according to the previous year’s budget and estimations for the current year’s financial needs. It is submitted to Association of Student Representatives.
ARTICLE VI: General Meetings
To be held two times per semester with the purpose of ensuring a general membership interested in diversity issues.
