Constitution

Preamble
I. Name
II. Purpose
III. Basic Policies
IV. Membership
V. Officers and their Election
VI. Faculty Advisor(s)
VII. Annual Report
VIII. Constitution and By-Laws
IX. Meetings
X. Dissolution
XI. Registration Renewal
By-Laws

Preamble

We, the members of the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter, do hereby establish this Constitution in order that our purpose be realized to its fullest extent.

I. Name

The name of this organization will be the Society of the American Archivists Student Chapter at Louisiana State University and A & M College at Baton Rouge, henceforth referred to as the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter at LSU.

II. Purpose

The Society of American Archivists Student Chapter is established for the expressed purposes:

1. To provide activities for members to discuss archival issues, interact with professional archivists, and engage in professional activities.
2. To promote communication with other student groups with the University, such as the American Library Association, as well as student chapters at other universities, in order to develop mutual interest in the library and archival professions.
3. To acquaint members with the objectives, ethics and publications of the Society of American Archivists.
4. To advocate the further development of archival studies among faculty, students and academic departments at Louisiana State University and A & M College at Baton Rouge

III. Basic Policies

1. The organization shall be non-commercial.
2. The name of the organization or the name of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern.
3. The organization shall cooperate with Louisiana State University to support the improvement of education in ways that will not interfere with the administration of the University.
4. The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization.
5. The organization agrees to abide by all University policies and local, state, and federal laws.

IV. Membership

1. Any individual who subscribes to the purpose and basic policies of the organization may become a member of this organization, subject only to compliance with the provisions of the constitution. No student who meets the other criteria for membership can be denied membership on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran's status, or sexual orientation.
2. Active membership is restricted to LSU students. Associate membership is restricted to LSU faculty and staff. Associate members are non-voting members.
3. Active members must have current membership in the Society of American Archivists.
4. A minimum of five members in good standing with the Society of American Archivists is necessary to maintain status as a legitimate chapter.

V. Officers and their Election

1. To be eligible to be elected to, appointed to, or to hold office or be a standing committee chairperson, a student must:
1. Must be enrolled as a full-time student at LSU.
2. Must be in good standing with the University, have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and not on disciplinary probation or deferred suspension.
3. Must meet all other academic standards established by the student organization and included in the organization's constitution and/or bylaws.
2. The officers of this organization shall include a President, Vice-President, and an Administrative Secretary. These officers, together with the faculty advisor, will comprise the Chapter Executive Board which shall be responsible for the administration of the organization.
3. Officers shall serve for one year. If a vacancy should occur in the office of Vice-President, Secretary, or Administrative Secretary, an interim replacement shall be appointed by the Executive Board to serve until the next regularly scheduled election.
4. Should the President be unable to fulfill his/her term, then the Vice-President shall fulfill the remaining term as President and a new Vice-President shall be appointed by the remaining Executive Board.
5. Any board member who fails to fulfill the terms of office or to serve in an agree-upon official capacity may be removed. Such action shall be effective only upon a majority vote of the Executive Board of Officers taken at an official meeting for such purpose. In the event that a Board member cannot fulfill the obligations of the position, a new officer may be instated.

VI. Faculty Advisor(s)

1. Faculty Advisor(s) shall be selected from the faculty of the School of Library and Information Science faculty at Louisiana State University or at the discretion of the Dean.
2. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall be a professional member of the SAA.
3. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall attend the meetings of the Student Chapter, and shall aid and advise the group on matters under consideration.
4. The Faculty Advisor(s) shall be the official contact with the Society of American Archivists headquarters.

VII. Annual Report

1. A current activity report on the organization's activities in the past year will be prepared and submitted to the Council of the SAA for review by May 31st of each year.
2. Failure to submit the annual report to the SAA could result in the dissolution of the Student Chapter.

VIII. Constitution and By-Laws

1. The Constitution, together with the Bylaws, shall constitute the operating basis of the chapter.
2. The Constitution and By-laws may be amended or changed at any general meeting or special meeting by a majority vote of 2/3 membership, providing that sections 3 and 4 have been observed. The proposed amendment shall be subject to approval of the Dean of Students or his/her designee.
3. By-law changes and amendment proposals must be submitted to the President in writing with a brief description and explanation.
4. Notice of a proposed change and its substance of change will be submitted in writing by the President to all members two weeks prior to the meeting.
5. A copy of the Constitution and Bylaws will be provided to all members.

IX. Meetings

1. Meetings shall be held at the beginning of each new academic year and periodically throughout the year as deemed necessary. Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the organization in all cases in which they apply.

X. Dissolution

1. In the event of the dissolution of this organization, any funds or assets shall be allocated as designated by the Executive Board in office at the time of dissolution. The executive Board will designate how the money is distributed to one or more of the exempt purposes specified in Section 503(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as from time to time amended.

XI. Registration Renewal

1. The Society of American Archivists Student Chapter will apply to the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement for registration on an annual basis two weeks after the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter's new officer elections.

By-Laws

I. Duties of Officers
II. Elections
III. Committees

I. Duties of Officers

1. The President shall be the chair of the Executive Board and shall have ultimate responsibility for the functioning of the organization at the University. The President will also consult on a regular basis with the faculty advisor. The President will be an ex-officio member of all committees.
2. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the latter's absence, assume the office of President should it become vacated, and direct public relations within the University community.
3. The Administrative Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of all Chapter meetings and activities, for maintaining a file for all permanent records of the organization, for assembling a yearbook of the Chapter's activities, and shall have responsibility for al financial matters pertaining to the organization. Included in these duties will be the preparation of the annual report to the SAA and the oversight of all sanctioned fund-raising activities and preparation of the Chapter financial report at the beginning and end of each academic semester.
4. The Chapter Executive Board may, as a body at regular meetings, appoint members to serve in the planning and coordination of organizational activities.

II. Elections

1. Elections for the offices of President, Vice-President, and Administrative Secretary shall be held in the Spring by ballot.
2. Nomination and elections of officers shall be coordinated by an Ad Hoc committee appointed by the Executive Board.
3. All members in good standing of the Chapter are entitled to vote for officers.
4. Vote shall be by secret ballot according to the procedures established by the Ad Hoc Elections Committee. The faculty advisor will consult with the Elections committee to verify that only Chapter members in good standing participate in the voting. The faculty advisor furthermore shall ensure that the elections are fair and valid.
5. Officers shall be selected by a simple majority of votes.

III. Committees

1. Standing program committees of continuing areas of interest designed to meet the objectives of the chapter shall consist of volunteer Chapter members.
2. Ad Hoc committees shall be appointed as necessary by the Executive Board.