| Article
I |
Name |
| |
The
name of this organization shall be The Albany
Criminal Justice Association. |
|
Article
II |
Purposes |
| Section
1 |
The
purposes of this Association shall be:
|
a) |
To
offer interested students academic support
and guidance relevant to criminal justice
education at the University at Albany and
to offer opportunities for community service
and information and assistance about career
planning. |
b) |
To
foster and facilitate a sharing of information
and the establishment of relationships involving
School of Criminal Justice faculty and alumni,
graduate and undergraduate students, and
the external community. |
|
Article
III |
Membership
|
| Section
1 |
Eligibility.
Membership in the Albany Criminal Justice
Association is open to all recognized and
prospective University at Albany criminal
justice majors and minors. |
| Section
2 |
Eligibility
for Office and Voting Rights |
a) |
Only
students duly admitted to the University
at Albany criminal justice major shall be
eligible to hold office and chair committees
within the Association. No member should
seek office who anticipates being unable
to complete a full term because of studying
abroad or otherwise. |
b) |
All
Association members shall be eligible to
vote on Association business. |
| Section
3 |
Requirements.
All members must regularly attend meetings,
make timely payment of dues abide by Association
rules, and participate in events and projects
sponsored by the Albany Criminal Justice
Association. |
| Section
4 |
Removal
|
a) |
A
member shall be subject to removal from
the Association for acts of serious misconduct
or malfeasance to the detriment of the association
or its members, lack of compliance with
Association rules, violations of University
at Albany policies specified in the Community
Rights and Responsibilities, and for violating
New York State or federal laws through actions
detrimental to the Association or its members.
|
b) |
All
allegations of conduct that would subject
a member to removal from the Association
shall be made to the Judicial Officer, who
shall investigate and present evidence before
a Judicial Hearing Committee. The accused
shall be entitled to a hearing before this
Committee. If the Committee votes to remove
a member, the accused may request that this
decision be presented for review at a scheduled
Association meeting for consideration and
vote by a quorum of the membership. No person
requesting such review shall be removed
from membership except by majority vote
at such meeting. |
|
Article
IV |
Officers
|
| Section
1 |
Executive
Committee. The Executive Committee shall
be comprised of all duly elected Association
officers and shall be chaired by the President.
The Executive Committee shall meet regularly
in addition to general meetings. It shall
appoint other committees as necessary to
carry out the business of the Association.
|
| Section
2 |
Term
of Office. Officers shall assume their duties
immediately following the University's Spring
Commencement, and their term of office shall
endure through Spring Commencement of the
following year. |
| Section
3 |
President.
The
President shall preside over general meetings
and executive committee meetings, serve
as representative of the Association, ensure
that the Association is operating in conformity
with proper standards, nominate committeechairs,
maintain communication with the Dean of
the School of Criminal Justice and the Association
Advisor, and faithfully administer this
office and the business of the Association.
|
| Section
4 |
Vice
President. The Vice President shall fulfill
presidential duties and responsibilities
in the President's absence, schedule meetings
and events with appropriate officials in
conjunction with the Executive Committee,
coordinate the promotion and publicity of
Association events, and faithfully administer
this office and the business of the Association.
|
| Section
5 |
Secretary.
The Secretary shall maintain accurate records
of Association meetings and events and make
them available for members through regular
posting, maintain a current membership directory,
communicate as necessary with officials
and representatives of other organizations
regarding Association business, oversee
elections in conjunction with the Judicial
Officer and Faculty Advisor, and faithfully
administer this office and the business
of the Association. |
| Section
6 |
Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall maintain an accurate
record of Association financial transactions,
assist with fundraising, solicit additional
funding as required in conjunction with
the Executive Committee, collect membership
dues, develop an Association budget in
consultation with the Executive Committee
and present such budget to the membership
for a vote, be authorized to co-sign Association
checks in conjunction with the Faculty
Advisor, and faithfully administer this
office and the business of the Association.
|
| Section
7 |
Judicial
Officer. The Judicial Officer shall oversee
the Association's judicial business. In
this capacity the Judicial Officer shall:
serve as the Parliamentarian at Association
meetings; confer with the President about
constitutional issues and rules of order;
head investigations into removable offenses
and present evidence to the appropriate
committee; oversee election procedures
in conjunction with the Secretary and
Faculty Advisor; and faithfully administer
this office and the business of the Association.
|
| Section
8 |
Committees
|
a) |
Committees
shall be created by the Executive Committee
and ratified by a majority vote of the general
membership. |
b) |
Committee
chairs shall be nominated by the President
and confirmed by the Executive Committee.
|
c) |
Committee
members shall be designated by the committee
chair. |
d) |
Ad
hoc committees may be established by a majority
vote of the Executive Committee.
|
| Section
9 |
Removal
of Officer |
a) |
Resignation.
Resignation of office shall be given in
a timely fashion. |
b) |
Impeachable
offenses shall be limited to malfeasance
or failure to discharge the duties or responsibilities
of office, acts of serious misconduct to
the detriment of the Association or its
members, violations of University at Albany
policies as provided in the Community Rights
and Responsibilities, and violations of
State or federal laws that are a detriment
to the Association or its members.
|
c) |
Impeachment/Removal
|
| |
i) |
Impeachment
procedures. All complaints of an impeachable
offense shall be made to the Judicial Officer
or the Faculty Advisor, who shall investigate
and present evidence before the Executive
Committee. The accused shall be entitled
to a hearing before the Executive Committee.
Neither the Judicial Officer nor the accused
party may vote in impeachment proceedings.
If the Executive Committee decides by a
majority vote to impeach the named officer,
then a motion is made to remove the person
from office. |
| |
ii) |
Procedure
for removal from office. After a motion
to remove has been made, a special general
membership meeting shall be called promptly,
at which where the impeached party and the
Judicial Officer may present evidence to
a quorum of the general membership. No officer
shall be removed except by two-thirds vote
of the membership present. |
| |
iii) |
The
impeachment and removal of an officer pursuant
to this Article shall not otherwise affect
the removed officer's membership in the
Association (see Art. III, § 3 regarding
removal of Association members). An officer
removed via these procedures shall be disqualified
from holding future office in the Association,
including committee chair. |
| |
iv) |
Vacancies.
When a vacancy in office arises, the President
is authorized to make a temporary appointment
to fill that vacancy. Nominations for the
vacated position shall be entertained promptly.
The general membership will then vote in
a special election. Should the vacancy be
in the Office of the President, the Vice
President shall assume the duties of the
President and a special election shall be
held to fill the vacancy of the Vice President.
|
|
Article
V |
Faculty
Advisor Position |
| Section
1 |
Qualifications.
The Faculty Advisor shall be a faculty member
in the University at Albany School of Criminal
Justice. |
| Section
2 |
The
Faculty Advisor shall be nominated by the
Dean of the School of Criminal Justice and
confirmed by majority vote of the Association's
membership. The Faculty Advisor shall serve
a term of two years, such term to coincide
as nearly as possible with the effective
dates for terms of office specified in Art.
IV § 2 of this Constitution.
|
| Section
3 |
Responsibilities.
The Faculty Advisor shall not vote in Executive
Committee meetings or within the general
membership. The Faculty Advisor shall have
the discretion to attend Executive Committee
meetings and shall attend all regularly
scheduled general meetings. The Faculty
Advisor also oversees elections in conjunction
with the Judicial Officer and Secretary.
|
| Section
4 |
The
Faculty Advisor shall be authorized to co-sign
Association checks in conjunction with the
Treasurer. |
|
Article
VI |
Elections
|
| Section
1 |
Association
officers shall be elected by majority vote
from the general membership at which a quorum
is present. A quorum shall consist of 50%
of the Association's members. If no candidate
receives a majority vote, then the two candidates
that receive the most votes will vie in
a run-off election held promptly after the
general election. The candidate receiving
the majority of votes is the run-off election
shall be declared the winner. |
| Section
2 |
All
members with voting rights may nominate
any eligible Association member for any
office. Self-nominations are acceptable.
|
| Section
3 |
Election
Procedures. Voting shall be completed by
secret ballot. The Secretary, Judicial Officer,
and Faculty Advisor shall oversee the election
process to ensure adherence to voting procedures,
including, but not limited to the counting
of votes. |
|
Article
VII |
Finances
|
| Section
1 |
Membership
dues shall be established by the Executive
Committee subject to ratification by the
general membership. The Executive Committee
shall establish procedures governing payment
of dues. |
| Section
2 |
The
Treasurer and President, following consultation
with the Faculty Advisor, must approve all
requests for funding and disbursement of
funds. |
| Section
3 |
Dissolution.
In the event of the dissolution of the Association,
all monies shall revert to the University
at Albany School of Criminal Justice to
be used at the discretion of the Dean.
|
|
Article
VIII |
Amendments
and Ratification |
| Section
1 |
Ratification
process. This Constitution shall be ratified
upon affirmative vote of two-thirds of prospective
Association members in attendance at the
meeting in which the Constitution is offered
for ratification, with the concurrence of
the Dean of the University at Albany School
of Criminal Justice. |
| Section
2 |
Amendment
process. Any voting member of the Association
may propose an amendment to this Constitution;
however, notice must be provided to Association
members not later than one meeting preceding
the meeting at which a vote is to be taken
on the proposed amendment. No proposed amendment
shall be ratified except by two-thirds vote
at a general meeting of the Association
at which a quorum is in attendance and the
concurrence of the Dean of the University
at Albany School of Criminal Justice.
|
