LISSAConstitution

From lissa

Article I – Name

The official name of this organization shall be the Library and Information Science Student Association of Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, herein-after known as the LISSA.

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of the LISSA shall be to provide an effective student government within the Graduate School of Library and Information Science and to serve as a means for cooperation, communication, and exchange of viewpoints among students, faculty, administration, and alumni on all matters concerning the School and the College. The LISSA encourages constructive change in the School and College and acts to promote increased student participation in the decision-making process.

Article III - Membership

Membership in the LISSA shall automatically include all students currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science who have paid their activity fee. This fee shall be collected by the appropriate administrative authority of the College, the amount to be decided by the Executive Council of the LISSA.

Article IV – Officers and their Function

Section A – Officers Officers of this organization shall include: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Student-Faculty Representative.

Section B – Function

1.The President shall be a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the time they take office, and shall:

a. be elected by the student body in accordance with the Bylaws

b. be the chief executive officer

c. appoint the Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Student-Faculty Representative if no nominations for these posts are received

d. shall keep records and turn them over to their successor

e. be the official representative of the LISSA, unless they delegate this responsibility

f. be the permanent member of the Executive Council and act as its chairman

g. call meetings of the Executive Council when necessary and upon request of any other officer

h. appoint and abolish such committees as the majority vote of the Executive Council shall from time to time deem necessary in the conduct of affairs

i. attend faculty meetings if the Student-Faculty Representative is unable to attend

j. have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the Bylaws of the LISSA

2. The Vice-President shall be a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the time they take office and shall:

a. be elected by the student body in accordance with the Bylaws

b. be a permanent member of the Executive Council

c. be responsible for coordination of communication among the students, faculty, administration, and alumni

d. shall keep records and turn them over to their successor

e. act as President in the case of the President’s absence

f. have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the Bylaws of the LISSA.

3. The Treasurer shall be a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the time they take office and shall:

a. be elected by the student body in accordance with the Bylaws

b. be a permanent member of the Executive Council

c. be responsible for the accurate accounting of the funds of the LISSA and prepare a written semesterly financial statement at the beginning of each semester to be posted for the student body

d. keep and hand over the records to their successor

e. act as President in the case of the President’s and Vice-President’s absence

f. have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and Bylaws of the LISSA

4. The Secretary shall be a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the time they take office and shall:

a. be elected by the student body in accordance with the Bylaws

b. be a permanent member of the Executive Council

c. be responsible for the records and correspondence of the LISSA and annually deliver, during the September of each year, one copy to the Simmons College Archives

d. keep and hand over the records to their successor

e. act as President in case of the President’s, Vice-President’s, and Treasurer’s absence.

5. The Student-Faculty Representative shall be a student of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the time they take office and shall:

a. be elected by the student body in accordance with the Bylaws

b. attend faculty meetings to report and represent student opinion and report to the LISSA Executive Council and student body

c. be a permanent member of the Executive Council

d. shall keep records and turn them over to their successor

e. act as President in the case of the President’s, Vice-President’s, Treasurer’s, and Secretary’s absence

f. Have such additional powers and duties as are provided for by this Constitution and the Bylaws of the LISSA

Article V – Executive Council

Section A – Description The Executive Council shall consist of the five permanent officers listed in Article IV and those appointees deemed necessary by the Executive Council

Section B – Quorum A quorum of the Executive Council shall consist of a simple majority.

Section C – Voting Voting in the Executive Council may be by absentee ballot.

Section D – Function The Executive Council shall implement the purpose of the LISSA as stated in Article II.

Section E – Grievances 1. Individual students may request a private appearance before the Executive Council to express grievances. 2. Sponsorship by at least one member of the Executive Council is necessary for a grievance to be considered. 3. The Executive Council must render a confidential response to the grievance heard.

Section F – Dismissal of Officers Members of the Executive Council may be dismissed only in accordance with the Bylaws of the LISSA.

Article VI – General Meetings

Section A – Description The Executive Council may call general meetings of the LISSA provided one week’s advance notice of the time and place is posted on the official bulletin board and/or electronically mailed to the members of the LISSA.

Section B – Quorum The number present shall constitute a quorum for that meeting.

Section C – Voting The present nature of the School prohibits the gathering of a majority of the students at any one time. Therefore, the LISSA Executive Council assumes the responsibility of distributing and collecting ballots from all students outside general meetings. Under normal circumstances, general meetings will be held to solicit opinion and distribute information.

Section D – Agenda 1. The Executive Council serves as the agenda committee. 2. Any individual student or faculty member may suggest items for inclusion on the agenda to any member of the agenda committee. 3. Such items must receive a majority vote of the agenda committee for inclusion on the agenda.

Article VII – Emergency Meetings

Section A – Description Emergency meetings may be called without the stipulated one week notice by the unanimous vote of the Executive Council. All attempts possible should be made to publicize the meeting.

Section B. – Quorum A quorum will exist when members of the Executive Council present do not exceed one quarter of the total number of LISSA members present.

Section C – Voting In emergency meetings official votes may be taken and the members of the Executive Council may vote. To pass an action, three-quarters of the members present must vote in favor of that action.

Section D – Meeting Minutes Meeting events will be publicized, in written format, and posted on the official bulletin board and website.

Article VIII – Constitutional Amendment

This Constitution may be amended only in accordance with the Bylaws.

Article IX – Faculty Representative

The LISSA extends an invitation to the faculty and the administration to attend all open meetings, and to appoint an official delegate to report and represent faculty opinion. The Faculty Representative shall: a. keep records and turn them over to their successor.

Article X – Association With Other Groups

This Constitution provides for the possibility of including the LISSA in regional, national, or international organizations subject to the voting procedures outlined in the Bylaws for Amendments. This Constitution further provides for the possibility of affiliating the LISSA with other groups of graduate students at Simmons College, for the purpose of increasing student participation in the College as a whole.

adopted: September 1969

retyped: March 1974

amended: May 1985

retyped: August 1985

retyped: June 1988

amended & name change: Fall, 1991

retyped: Spring 1994

retyped: November 2006

proposed amended: February 2008 (reversed to previous version June 2008)