International Development,

Community, and Environment

Student Association

Constitution and By-Laws

Official Draft Proposed by the Subcommittee for Amending the Constitution

Submitted on the 11th of April 2018
 International Development, Community, and Environment
Student Association
Constitution & By-Laws
Table of Contents

Section I: Mission Statement...................................................................................................................... 3

Section II: Membership .............................................................................................................................. 4
Section III: Meetings................................................................................................................................... 4
A. General Assembly Meeting Protocols .................................................................................................. 4
B. Executive Team Meeting Protocols ..................................................................................................... 4
C. Special Meetings .................................................................................................................................. 4
D. Voting .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Section IV: Constituent Bodies .................................................................................................................. 6
A. Officers................................................................................................................................................. 6
B. Program Representatives ...................................................................................................................... 8
C. International Student Representatives .................................................................................................. 9
D. IDCE Representative to the Graduate Student Council ....................................................................... 9
E. Faculty Representatives and Advisor ................................................................................................... 9
F. Committees ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Section V: Procedures............................................................................................................................... 11
A. Elections ............................................................................................................................................. 11
B. Removal of elected Officers and Representatives .............................................................................. 13
Section VI: Student Association Budget ................................................................................................. 14
A. Budget Cycle and Timing .................................................................................................................. 14
B. Funding of Committees ...................................................................................................................... 14
C. Meeting Funds .................................................................................................................................... 16
D. Discretionary Funds ........................................................................................................................... 16
E. Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Section VII: Amendments and Ratifications .......................................................................................... 17

2
Section I: Mission Statement

A. The International Development, Community, and Environment (hereon IDCE) Student

Association (hereon SA) is committed to addressing student concerns and issues by representing
the IDCE graduate student body. The SA will seek to enhance the dialogue between students,
faculty, and staff of IDCE, as well as work toward greater harmony within the student body and
the community at large. The SA will actively promote intra-departmental communication and
foster community and networking within IDCE.

B. The SA will seek to communicate student issues through:

1. Academics: Help to improve course structure, availability, and content by creating a
meaningful dialogue with the relevant parties.
2. Administration: Provide space for constructive input into the hiring of faculty and
staff, as well as the functioning of the admissions and career services to better reflect the
needs of students.
3. Facilities: Provide advice on the use of physical space and supplies available for IDCE;
encourage respect and better allocation of those resources.
4. Faculty Relations: Act as liaison to faculty through regular representation at IDCE
department meetings, and faculty attendance at SA public meetings.

C. IDCE SA is committed to the following values:

1. Diversity and inclusion
2. Transparency
3. Equity
4. Social and environmental justice

3
Section II: Membership

A. All current graduate students and students pursuing a certificate program shall be members of
the SA.
B. All members shall have equal opportunity to participate in the SA.
C. All members are permitted to be a part of any committee formed by the SA.
D. Any member can run for an elected position.

Section III: Meetings

A. General Assembly Meeting Protocols

1. Meetings are open to all IDCE graduate students, faculty, and staff members.
2. Meetings shall be held every two weeks at the optimal time, date, and location for the
student body, as determined by the Co-Presidents; generally during the scheduled break
in university classes known as the "common hour."
3. A quorum, which is defined as at least 10% of the entirety of IDCE SA, must be
present for a formal meeting to be held.
4. Meetings will have a written agenda; the agenda and minutes will be approved by the
Executive Team and will be available on the SA website.

B. Executive Team Meeting Protocols

1. Meetings are open to all members of the Executive Team.
2. Meetings shall be held every two weeks at the optimal time, date, and location for the
Executive Team, as determined by the team.
3. At least 3 Officers must be present.
4. Meetings will have a written agenda; the agenda and minutes will be approved by the
members and will be available on the SA website.

C. Special Meetings
1. A special meeting is a meeting that is held on a date different from established SA
meetings.
2. A special meeting can be called if:

4
 a. A vote was not resolved at the previous meeting and has an immediate
deadline.
b. An elected position is vacant, in which instance the special meeting will be a
special election (see Section V.A.4).
c. An issue arises that requires immediate attention by the SA.
d. Any member deems it necessary to hold a meeting.
3. A special meeting must be announced by the Co-Presidents. However, the meeting,
like regular meetings, is open to all members of the SA.
4. A special meeting, if called, is to be held during the “common hour”.
5. A special meeting will only address the issue or concern for which it was called. To
that extent, it will follow regular meeting protocols, such as notification of the meeting,
quorum, and voting regulations. All discussions, voting, and outcomes of a special
meeting will be made public by the Co-Presidents within 3 days.

D. Voting
1. Voting shall be conducted in one of two ways:
a. Voting may be conducted publicly at SA meetings by all SA members present.
i. After an item has been brought to the floor and discussed sufficiently,
any member of the SA can motion to bring the item on the floor to a vote.
ii. All students in the SA are allowed to vote on an item and can vote
either “yes” or “no” or abstain from voting.
iii. If there is not a sufficient majority to pass an item or there is significant
disagreement over an item, said item may either be tabled for future
meetings or moved to an online vote (see below).
b. Confidential online voting shall be conducted for the following reasons:
i. A student representative or member of the executive team feels that an
item merits wider attention or scrutiny from the entire IDCE SA or a
group within the SA.
ii. If any member of SA feels the vote warrants privacy due to the
sensitive nature of an issue.

5
 iii. Online voting shall be conducted in a manner that ensures all students
are made aware of the vote in an email. Additionally, voting should be
conducted in a way that ensures any personal information from voters
remains private. Voting must be open for an appropriate window of time.
2. All votes require a 50% plus one majority of those voting to pass.
3. All voting records, including withheld votes, will be recorded and made public by the
Communications Officer.
4. Votes that are tied can be carried to the next SA meeting for continued discussion and
re-vote.

Section IV: Constituent Bodies

A. Officers
1. There will be five Officers (herein referred to collectively as the Executive Branch) in
the Executive Team.
2. There will be two Co-Presidents who shall coordinate and work together to most
effectively share and complete the following responsibilities:
a. Moderate public meetings and make those meetings known and open to all
constituents.
b. Create agendas for each meeting with input from all interested parties.
c. Make meeting minutes readily available to the student body after receiving
them from the Communications Officer and making any necessary amendments.
d. Form and disband committees as needed during public meetings to encourage
participation and resolution of issues.
e. Monitor the progress of committees and other actions of the SA and take active
feedback to improve their function.
f. Bring necessary issues to vote before the voting members of the SA during
public meetings.
g. Communicate reminders, announcements, and minutes from meetings to all
affected constituents with the Communications Officer.
h. Make the SA Constitution and By-Laws available and accessible to the
community.

6
 i. Attend and report on departmental meetings with faculty.
j. Solicit students to be a part of faculty committees as needed.
k. Hold and report on meetings with the Director of IDCE.
3. There will be one Communications Officer whose role will be to:
a. Take meeting minutes and send them to the Co-Presidents within 3 days.
i. These meeting minutes will be sent to the SA by the Co-Presidents
within one week of the public meeting.
b. Maintain current email lists of every constituent in concert with the
Representatives to enable clear communication.
c. Keep a record of all voting histories.
d. Maintain documentation for every permanent committee so that institutional
knowledge can be maintained during subsequent iterations of the SA.
e. Keep a record of all committees and a record of their formation and dissolution,
as well as their current members.
f. Maintain the web and social media presence of the IDCE SA.
g. Attend regular executive meetings of the elected Officers and Representatives
outside of the public meeting.
h. Take attendance of elected Representatives and Officers at both executive
meetings and public meetings.
i. Ensure all IDCE graduate students are informed of IDCE events, issues, and
matters relevant to graduate students and ensure that those communications are
accessible for and inclusive of everyone.
4. There will be one Treasurer whose role will be to:
a. Keep track of the current accounts of the SA and make this information
available to members.
b. Make arrangements for providing refreshments for meetings and other events.
c. Communicate with the Conference Travel Fund and other money-granting
bodies of the SA to ensure their smooth operation.
d. Prepare tentative budget allocations and produce a budget overview at the
beginning and end of each semester.

7
 e. Keep track of all budget requests and make sure that appropriate documentation
is produced for all requests prior to compensation.
g. Attend regular executive meetings of the elected Officers and Representatives
outside of the public meeting.
5. There will be one Chair of the Social Planning Committee whose role will be to:
a. Oversee meetings of the Social Planning Committee.
i. The purpose of the Social Planning Committee is to organize IDCE
community events, both social and educational, throughout the year.
ii. The committee shall be composed of volunteers from the SA.
iii. The committee will receive yearly funds, as stipulated by the budget
(Section VI.B.1).
b. Plan and advertise social events for the entirety of the IDCE community,
including collaboration with Student Affairs as appropriate.
i. Events will include, but not be limited to, one department-wide event
per semester. These events can include Friendsgiving and Spring Fling.
c. Regularly report events and results of committee meetings at SA general
meetings.

B. Program Representatives
1. There will be one student representative per program.
2. The SA may determine the need for other student representatives.
3. The Representatives’ duties are to:
a. Maintain clear communication with their program's constituents.
b. Encourage program participation through regular program meetings and events.
c. Attend executive meetings with the elected Officers and Representatives
outside of the public meeting.
d. Maintain communication with faculty program representatives and raise any
issues or concerns students may have with the Program Chair and/or relevant
faculty.
e. Attend relevant faculty meetings of their respective programs.

8
C. International Student Representatives
1. There shall be one or two international students elected to serve as International
Student Representatives.
2. These Representatives’ duties are:
a. Maintain clear and regular communication with international students.
b. If there are two representatives, these representatives must meet and coordinate
with each other on a regular basis to serve the needs of international students and
share the responsibilities of the post in an equitable manner.
c. Foster the inclusion of international students by addressing professional,
academic, and other needs of international students.
d. Support the planning of events, such as cultural holidays or educational
opportunities, which respectively showcase and celebrate the diversity of the
IDCE community.
e. Work together to ensure that the needs and issues faced by international
students are addressed by the entire IDCE SA and faculty.
f. Maintain communication with the IDCE student affairs and career offices,
faculty and other relevant organizations within the scope of SA.

D. IDCE Representative to the Graduate Student Council

1. There will be one elected representative from IDCE that will attend and report on
business of the Graduate Student Council.
2. This Representative can also hold an elected position in the SA.
3. If the Representative is unable to attend a Graduate Student Council meeting, he or she
is responsible for sending a proxy who will represent IDCE and report on the meeting to
the SA.

E. Faculty Representatives and Advisor

1. The SA will work with the Director of IDCE to identify a faculty/staff advisor.
2. The SA will work with the Director of IDCE and the faculty to identify members of the
faculty willing and able to serve as active participants in the SA.
3. Faculty representatives will attend SA meetings as necessary and appropriate.

9
F. Committees
1. Committees shall be formed to act as a special task force for specific issues that arise
within the IDCE community.
2. A member of the SA must motion for a committee to be formed if the need for one is
present.
3. Each committee must have a chairperson(s), who shall be elected by the committee
members.
a. The committee chair shall be responsible for ensuring the following is
accomplished:
i. Ensure that the committee continues to function properly.
ii. Be the contact person for all relations with the committee, including
contact with the Executive Team about intended activities.
iii. Provide updates to the SA.
iv. Recognize the need, if it should arise, for the dissolution of the
committee and recommend dissolution to the Executive Team.
v. Keep a written history of the activities and practices of the committee.
4. There shall be two standing committees: the Social Planning Committee (see IV.A.5)
and Students Making an Inclusive Learning Environment.
a. Students Making an Inclusive Learning Environment
i. The purpose of SMILE is to ensure that IDCE does its best to maintain
an inclusive, open, and welcoming environment for all people, especially
in regards to historically marginalized groups.
ii. The committee will be composed of members of the IDCE community
and hold regular meetings and report to the SA on activities.
iii. Plan and hold events that foster an active dialogue about issues of
diversity, oppression, and discrimination.
iv. Advocate for diversity, inclusion, and social justice within IDCE as
well as the entire Clark University community.
5. There shall be one committee formed to disburse Conference Travel Awards
a. A committee to award Conference Travel funds will be formed once a
semester.

10
 b. The committee will be led by the Treasurer and must consist of at least two
more members of the SA.
c. Any student that requests funds during the semester may not serve on the
committee.
d. Priority for conference awards will be given to presenters first and attendees
second, as well as to those who have not received prior funding, but it is
ultimately at the discretion of the committee.
e. The committee will review the conference award application at the beginning
of each semester and make changes as needed.
f. Students may receive funds for one conference per semester.
g. At the time of the call for conference award applications, the committee
will decide on a maximum amount to be awarded to the selected applicants,
according to the budget and upon approval of the Executive Team.
h. In order to receive funding, applicants are required to submit an itemized
receipt to the Treasurer.
i. Additionally, each student that presents at or attends a conference must give a
presentation to the IDCE community.
i. Once a semester, the SA may designate a day for all students receiving
monies from the SA Conference Travel Award Committee to give a brief
presentation of the conference attended.
ii. If a student wishes, he or she may instead present the conference
experience through a Brown Bag Lunch or similar forum.

Section V: Procedures

A. Elections
1. Timing of elections: There shall be one election held each year before the winter break
with time allowed for transitionary communication between past and newly elected
officers. All those elected will serve terms from January to December of the following
year and therefore must be a student during this time.
2. Guidelines for nominations

11
 a. To be a candidate for an elected office, a student must submit his or her name at
the time designated by Executive Team.
b. With the self-nomination, each student must submit a brief platform, which
must include the student’s intentions and qualifications.
c. Nominees are required to deliver a speech at the SA meeting prior to elections.
d. If no nominees are submitted by the deadline for a certain position, the
Executive Team will make every attempt to ensure there are candidates available
for the election.
3. Guidelines for elections
a. Elections for the new Executive Team and Student Representatives will be
conducted by the outgoing Executive Team.
b. Every member of the SA is able to vote for the Executive Team.
c. Representatives will be voted on by the members of their respective
constituencies.
d. The winner of an election must receive the most votes.
e. Only verbal campaigning is permitted. If a candidate campaigns in any other
manner, he or she will be disqualified from the election.
f. Elections will be held following the SA meeting where candidate speeches are
given.
g. The voting will be done in the most efficient way, as determined by the
Executive Team.
h. In the event of a tie, there will be a run‐off election between the tied candidates.
i. Any candidate may request to see the results of an election.
6. Special Elections for the replacement of elected positions
a. If there is a vacant position, through resignation or removal, a special election
will occur immediately to fill the position.
b. During special elections, any student that meets the year and program
requirements of the position is eligible to run.
c. Special elections will be held after a special meeting (see Section III.C) or
during a regular SA meeting, giving the candidates the opportunity to make a
speech.

12
 d. Outside of time considerations, special elections will be conducted according to
regular election protocol, as defined in Section V.A.2-3.

B. Removal of elected Officers and Representatives

1. The actions of an SA Officer or Representative during their tenure shall merit removal
from their position should they:
a. Fail to follow the rules set forth in the University Code of Conduct;
b. Violate this constitution or the mission of SA;
c. Consistently fail to fulfill their assigned duties, including timely SA meeting
attendance, as defined by this constitution or determined by the SA.
d. Behave in an unprofessional manor unbefitting of their position. These include
but are not limited to: inappropriate actions or language, failure to fulfill duties,
making students feel unwelcome, acting against the best interests of their
constituents or the department as a whole.
2. Removal process of an Officer or Representative
a. Any SA member may petition to remove an Officer or Representative if
merited according to Section V.B.1.a-d above.
b. Petitions may be brought in private to one or both Co-Presidents, and the
involved parties will seek a resolution.
c. If the parties cannot reach a solution, the issue will be brought to an executive
meeting for general discussion and a vote.
d. If the affected Officer or Representative is deemed unfit to carry on their
responsibilities by a 2/3rds vote, the member will be removed. If the affected
Officer or Representative is not deemed unfit by a 2/3rds vote, they will carry on
in their position.
e. When an Officer or Representative is deemed unfit, a Special Election will be
held to replace said Officer or Representative according to Section V.A.4.
3. Resignation of SA Elected Officers and Representatives
a. If an elected SA Officer or Representative is unable to fulfill their duties, they
may submit a notification of resignation to the SA Executive Team.
b. This notification must be submitted in writing as soon as possible.

13
 c. As part of their outgoing duties, the resigning Officer or Representative must
assist the SA in actively recruiting candidates for the position.

Section VI: Student Association Budget

A. Budget Cycle and Timing

1. There shall be one budget allocation per semester.
2. The budget will be allotted at the discretion of the IDCE Department and the funds will
be made known to the Treasurer at the beginning of each semester.
3. Once the money is allotted, the Treasurer, with input from the Executive Team, will
prepare a budget for the semester that will be presented and voted on in a timely manner.
4. The semester budget shall be presented to the General Assembly and passed by a vote
of the Executive Team.
5. If the proposed budget does not pass, the Treasurer must work to modify the budget,
considering the objections to the initial proposal. A revised budget should be presented at
the next executive meeting.
6. If more money is needed by the SA for events throughout the year, a detailed budget
request can be submitted to the IDCE Department for approval.
7. Any member may request funds for a community activity or event in accordance with
budget guidelines.

B. Funding of Committees
1. The Social Committee
a. The Social Committee will receive a percentage of the SA budget per semester,
according to the discretion of the Executive Team.
b. If the Social Committee has leftover funds, the money will be incorporated into
the General SA Funds, to be used at the discretion of the Executive Team.
c. The Social Committee can request additional funds throughout the semester.
2. Students Making an Inclusive Learning Environment
a. SMILE will receive a percentage of the SA budget per semester, according to
the discretion of the Executive Team.

14
 b. If SMILE has leftover funds, the money will be incorporated into the General
SA Funds, to be used at the discretion of the Executive Team.
3. SA Conference Travel Award Funds
a. The purpose of the SA Conference Travel Award Funds is to provide funding
for students to participate in conferences, through attendance and/or presentations.
b. Any student requesting money must submit the required forms to the Treasurer
by the announced deadline and is encouraged to give a presentation to the SA
upon returning from the conference.
c. If IDCE students wish to travel as a group to a conference within a reasonable
radius of the campus, they may seek collective reimbursement from SA
discretionary funds. Students must carpool together in fair numbers.
Reimbursement will not be provided to cars with less than three students with the
exception of pre-approval from SA.
d. The SA Conference Travel Award Committee will be allocated a portion of the
semester’s budget agreed upon by the Executive Team at the beginning of each
semester.
e. The Committee will be formed by the Treasurer twice a year and will follow
the guidelines established in (Section IV.E.5.c).
f. Based on the applicants and available funds, the committee shall allocate the
money as they deem suitable.
g. The money will be allotted for the Fall and Spring semesters as stipulated by
the academic calendar for that year. Conferences attended outside of these time
frames, such as in the summer and winter breaks, must be attended by students
who plan to return to IDCE the following semester. Graduating students can only
apply for funding for conferences that occur up until their graduation.
h. Funds cannot be disbursed to awardees until the Travel Awards Committee has
sought approval from the Director of IDCE and the students have provided proper
receipts/proof of purchase.

15
C. Meeting Funds
1. To encourage attendance and active participation at SA meetings, a portion of the SA
semester budget will be allocated to the purchasing of food and beverages for General
Assembly meetings.

D. Discretionary Funds
1. Unallocated budget will be put into a fund to provide funding for events or activities
that present themselves throughout the year.
2. Any funding requests, once approved by the Treasurer, will be submitted to the SA
Executive Branch.
a. If the funding request is less than 100 dollars, the Executive Branch can
approve it.
b. If the funding request is more than 100 dollars, the SA must approve the
request by a majority vote of those present. If a member of SA deems it prudent,
especially for larger funding requests, a vote can be moved to email.
4. All funding requests and approvals will be announced at a relevant SA meeting to
inform the public.

E. Miscellaneous
1. SA funds must be used for the benefit of all members of the IDCE community.
2. All events and activities must be aligned with the mission of IDCE.
3. As needed, more funds can be requested from the IDCE Department. These funds,
however, are contingent upon the approval of the Department faculty and staff.
4. Spring Fling
a. There are separate funds, as allotted by the IDCE Department, for a Spring
Fling.
b. Spring Fling is to be held at the end of each spring semester.
c. The funds allocated to Spring Fling are to be used solely for the purpose of the
event.
d. A committee shall be formed under the Social Planning Committee to organize
the event.

16
Section VII: Amendments and Ratifications

A. In order to add to or change this document the SA must vote first to amend the document at
the section in question. After a vote to amend this document has passed, a sub-committee will be
formed.
1. The sub-committee will consider the options on how the document should be amended.
2. The options shall be presented to the SA in an online accessible format at least two
weeks prior to an acceptance vote. During this time, students may raise objections to the
draft. Any objections must be raised with and addressed by the sub-committee on the
constitution.
3. At the end of this period of review, the Executive Branch will vote to accept the
amendments. The vote must be two-thirds in favor of the proposed amendment to pass. If
a two-thirds majority vote in favor of the amended constitution, the constitution will be
considered ratified.
4. The new constitution will supersede any and all other SA Constitutions that have been
in force.

17