Constitution
College Democrats at Indiana University 2023 Constitution
Preamble & Name
This organization shall be called the College Democrats at Indiana University (hereafter “College Democrats at IU”). This organization shall comply with all Indiana University regulations and local, state, and federal laws.
The College Democrats at IU are committed to advancing progressive policy and student interests within the Democratic Party while educating and encouraging civic action among college students to improve representation of young voices within democratic systems.
Article 1: Executive Board Members and Duties
The governing body of the College Democrats shall be the executive board. The executive board shall have general authority over the actions of the College Democrats. The executive board shall consist of a president and vice president, accompanied by directors of political affairs, finance, marketing, voter registration, outreach & diversity and a press secretary - for a total of eight board members. Executive board members are limited to undergraduates at Indiana University Bloomington who plan to be on campus for the whole of the term, which is one calendar year (December to December).
The executive board will meet once a week during fall and spring semesters, and once a month over the summer, at a time and place agreed upon by the full board. For any issue requiring an executive board vote, success of a motion is defined by ⅔ of the board voting in the affirmative.
The description of each board member’s general responsibilities are as follows:
President: The President is the chief executive officer of the College Democrats and the primary representative to the party, school, and community. They are tasked with, in addition to overseeing all operations of the organization, guiding strategy and overall direction, enforcing the standards and requirements of the board, the constitution and the bylaws, maintaining and building the good reputation of the College Democrats, as well as working with their counterparts on the State Federation and National Organization. The president will also be responsible for maintaining the on-campus office of the College Democrats, currently located in room 574 of the Student Involvement Tower in the Union.
Vice President: The Vice President is the chief administrative officer and is tasked with assisting the president in enforcing the standards and requirements of the board, the constitution, and the bylaws. Their duties include filling in for the president when needed, keeping records during executive board meetings, managing space reservations for meetings and events, and facilitating organization of both physical and electronic records.
Political Affairs Director: The Director of Political Affairs works to advance the political goals of the College Democrats beyond merely participating in the electoral process. The Director of Political Affairs is tasked with lobbying school, party, state, and national officials to create real and lasting changes to policy and legislation in the interest of the College Democrats and apprising organization members of ongoing legislative activity within these levels of government. They also assist the president in communicating with local campaigns and elected officials. All press releases will be drafted by the Press Secretary and the Political Affairs director unless delegated to another board member.
Finance Director: The Finance Director is the chief financial officer of the College Democrats and is tasked with managing all of the organization's financial needs, including but not limited to bank information, purchases, legal filings and event budgets. The Finance Director will also assist the president in planning the annual fundraiser, typically held in December, along with any other fundraising opportunities.
Marketing Director: The Director of Marketing will be the resident social media and tech expert of the executive board. They will work to increase the social media presence of the College Democrats at IU as well as advertise on campus. They will work to ensure that the online presence of the organization is engaging, professional, and effective.
Press Secretary: The Press Secretary will be responsible for the weekly newsletter informing members of the activities of the organization and other happenings on campus and in local, state, and national politics. All press releases will be drafted by the Press Secretary and the Political Affairs director unless delegated to another board member. The Press Secretary will work with the president and the marketing director to sustain and develop a positive image for the organization.
Outreach & Diversity Director: The Director of Outreach and Diversity is the official representative of the College Democrats to other campus groups. The Director of Outreach and Diversity is tasked primarily with ensuring that lasting relationships with other student groups are built, maintained, and properly utilized. They are also expected to establish and maintain good relationships with various culture centers on campus in order to ensure that the College Democrats at IU are properly representing all Hoosiers. The Outreach & Diversity Director will also support the president in communicating with speakers for events and meetings, typically through email.
Voter Registration Director: The Director of Voter Registration will be responsible for the success of the College Democrats at IU’s effort to register students to vote, specifically in Bloomington. They will also be responsible for organizing regular voter registration tables, drives, or events, and setting numerical goals for student voter registration and working to meet those goals.
Article 2: Board Election Procedures & Terms
Elections shall take place in early December at a date determined by the executive board. This date should be promulgated to general membership at least two weeks prior. Candidates will be asked to declare candidacy before the election typically utilizing a google form. If a candidate is not elected to their preferred position, they are welcome to run down the ballot for any remaining available positions.
New board members will be elected by a simple majority vote of those present at the election, including both current board members and general membership. Votes will be taken via paper slip ballot. If in any of these races no candidate receives a majority, a run-off will be held between the top two candidates.
Positions will be voted on in the following order:
President
Vice President
Political Affairs Director
Finance Director
Marketing Director
Press Secretary
Outreach & Diversity Director
Voter Registration Director
In order to be eligible to run for an executive board position, a candidate must have attended at least two general meetings in the semester preceding their candidacy, with the exception of candidates for president, which must be currently sitting board members. All candidates must also be present at the election and make a short speech outlining their ability to fulfill the stated duties of the role. A candidate may substitute a pre-recorded video for attendance at the election, if pre-approved by the executive board.
This organization, if raising funds, shall ethically raise and distribute profits from organizational functions to either the organization or to members who provide a service that directly benefits the organization. Individual members may not receive compensation from for-profit companies if acting as a representative of a student organization.
Article 3: Board Vacancies, Appointments & Removal Procedures
A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the executive board: resigns in notice to the President, is removed from office, or becomes personally incapacitated. For all vacancies, the executive board position must be filled within two weeks, unless extenuating circumstances arise.
For a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president shall assume the office. If the vice president declines to serve, a vote shall be taken among the executive board to elect a new president among current board members.
For non-presidential vacancies, the president shall either call for a special election subject to the same standards as regularly scheduled elections. The president also has the option to appoint a replacement, after calling for applications from general members and selecting from those applicants, with a ⅔ vote among the executive board, to fill the vacancy.
If the president finds that a board member needs to be removed, the president may call for a removal vote at any executive board meeting, provided that they have communicated their plans to do so with the board member subject to removal at least 72 hours prior. Reasons presidents may call for removal include missing executive board meetings or general meetings (for example, missing two meetings in a row of either type without communicating with the president is grounds for removal), failing to fulfill duties as stated in the constitution or agreed upon, including in the bylaws, between the president and the board member, disorderly conduct, unconstitutional actions, or other offensive behavior.
If a president is not fulfilling their duties, the rest of the board may call a vote and remove them with a ⅔ vote, in which case the regular presidential vacancy procedures will apply.
Article 4: General Membership and Meetings
The executive board shall plan general meetings at an average of once per week during fall and spring semester. All general meetings are considered open to the public and formal membership requirements do not exist as a prerequisite to attend meetings. Meetings shall be led by the president or another board member(s) at the delegation of the president. Communications of regular meetings shall be distributed through GroupMe and social media channels.
Disruptive behavior is not tolerated in meetings, and a board member may request a disruptive participant to leave the meeting.
Hazing is strictly prohibited. Hazing shall be defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person’s consent or lack of consent.
Article 5: Electioneering, Endorsements, & Extra-Organizational Party Involvement
The College Democrats at IU shall not endorse or participate in the campaigns of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in a Primary Election, with an exception in order to support IU students who are seeking the party nomination for a public office. In this case, the executive board will meet with the candidate and decide, by a ⅔ vote, if they want to endorse.
Campaign information and invitations for all Democratic candidates or other advocacy organizations on and off campus may be forwarded to the members of College Democrats at IU without bias. Participation in Democratic Primary campaigns by individuals within College Democrats at IU and the executive board is encouraged and shall be supported, so long as it is understood that they are doing so as individuals and not representatives of College Democrats at IU.
Article 6: Amendment Procedures & Bylaws
If this constitution needs amending, a board member may suggest a change that will be accepted with a ⅔ vote of the executive board. The constitution and subsequent amendments shall be made publicly available.
From time to time, specific needs may arise to govern the regular operations and policies of the executive board and organization. Bylaws may be adopted to meet those needs. The same ⅔ vote threshold exists for adding and modifying bylaws. These bylaws shall be subordinate to the constitution and available at request of any organization member.
Preamble & Name
This organization shall be called the College Democrats at Indiana University (hereafter “College Democrats at IU”). This organization shall comply with all Indiana University regulations and local, state, and federal laws.
The College Democrats at IU are committed to advancing progressive policy and student interests within the Democratic Party while educating and encouraging civic action among college students to improve representation of young voices within democratic systems.
Article 1: Executive Board Members and Duties
The governing body of the College Democrats shall be the executive board. The executive board shall have general authority over the actions of the College Democrats. The executive board shall consist of a president and vice president, accompanied by directors of political affairs, finance, marketing, voter registration, outreach & diversity and a press secretary - for a total of eight board members. Executive board members are limited to undergraduates at Indiana University Bloomington who plan to be on campus for the whole of the term, which is one calendar year (December to December).
The executive board will meet once a week during fall and spring semesters, and once a month over the summer, at a time and place agreed upon by the full board. For any issue requiring an executive board vote, success of a motion is defined by ⅔ of the board voting in the affirmative.
The description of each board member’s general responsibilities are as follows:
President: The President is the chief executive officer of the College Democrats and the primary representative to the party, school, and community. They are tasked with, in addition to overseeing all operations of the organization, guiding strategy and overall direction, enforcing the standards and requirements of the board, the constitution and the bylaws, maintaining and building the good reputation of the College Democrats, as well as working with their counterparts on the State Federation and National Organization. The president will also be responsible for maintaining the on-campus office of the College Democrats, currently located in room 574 of the Student Involvement Tower in the Union.
Vice President: The Vice President is the chief administrative officer and is tasked with assisting the president in enforcing the standards and requirements of the board, the constitution, and the bylaws. Their duties include filling in for the president when needed, keeping records during executive board meetings, managing space reservations for meetings and events, and facilitating organization of both physical and electronic records.
Political Affairs Director: The Director of Political Affairs works to advance the political goals of the College Democrats beyond merely participating in the electoral process. The Director of Political Affairs is tasked with lobbying school, party, state, and national officials to create real and lasting changes to policy and legislation in the interest of the College Democrats and apprising organization members of ongoing legislative activity within these levels of government. They also assist the president in communicating with local campaigns and elected officials. All press releases will be drafted by the Press Secretary and the Political Affairs director unless delegated to another board member.
Finance Director: The Finance Director is the chief financial officer of the College Democrats and is tasked with managing all of the organization's financial needs, including but not limited to bank information, purchases, legal filings and event budgets. The Finance Director will also assist the president in planning the annual fundraiser, typically held in December, along with any other fundraising opportunities.
Marketing Director: The Director of Marketing will be the resident social media and tech expert of the executive board. They will work to increase the social media presence of the College Democrats at IU as well as advertise on campus. They will work to ensure that the online presence of the organization is engaging, professional, and effective.
Press Secretary: The Press Secretary will be responsible for the weekly newsletter informing members of the activities of the organization and other happenings on campus and in local, state, and national politics. All press releases will be drafted by the Press Secretary and the Political Affairs director unless delegated to another board member. The Press Secretary will work with the president and the marketing director to sustain and develop a positive image for the organization.
Outreach & Diversity Director: The Director of Outreach and Diversity is the official representative of the College Democrats to other campus groups. The Director of Outreach and Diversity is tasked primarily with ensuring that lasting relationships with other student groups are built, maintained, and properly utilized. They are also expected to establish and maintain good relationships with various culture centers on campus in order to ensure that the College Democrats at IU are properly representing all Hoosiers. The Outreach & Diversity Director will also support the president in communicating with speakers for events and meetings, typically through email.
Voter Registration Director: The Director of Voter Registration will be responsible for the success of the College Democrats at IU’s effort to register students to vote, specifically in Bloomington. They will also be responsible for organizing regular voter registration tables, drives, or events, and setting numerical goals for student voter registration and working to meet those goals.
Article 2: Board Election Procedures & Terms
Elections shall take place in early December at a date determined by the executive board. This date should be promulgated to general membership at least two weeks prior. Candidates will be asked to declare candidacy before the election typically utilizing a google form. If a candidate is not elected to their preferred position, they are welcome to run down the ballot for any remaining available positions.
New board members will be elected by a simple majority vote of those present at the election, including both current board members and general membership. Votes will be taken via paper slip ballot. If in any of these races no candidate receives a majority, a run-off will be held between the top two candidates.
Positions will be voted on in the following order:
President
Vice President
Political Affairs Director
Finance Director
Marketing Director
Press Secretary
Outreach & Diversity Director
Voter Registration Director
In order to be eligible to run for an executive board position, a candidate must have attended at least two general meetings in the semester preceding their candidacy, with the exception of candidates for president, which must be currently sitting board members. All candidates must also be present at the election and make a short speech outlining their ability to fulfill the stated duties of the role. A candidate may substitute a pre-recorded video for attendance at the election, if pre-approved by the executive board.
This organization, if raising funds, shall ethically raise and distribute profits from organizational functions to either the organization or to members who provide a service that directly benefits the organization. Individual members may not receive compensation from for-profit companies if acting as a representative of a student organization.
Article 3: Board Vacancies, Appointments & Removal Procedures
A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the executive board: resigns in notice to the President, is removed from office, or becomes personally incapacitated. For all vacancies, the executive board position must be filled within two weeks, unless extenuating circumstances arise.
For a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president shall assume the office. If the vice president declines to serve, a vote shall be taken among the executive board to elect a new president among current board members.
For non-presidential vacancies, the president shall either call for a special election subject to the same standards as regularly scheduled elections. The president also has the option to appoint a replacement, after calling for applications from general members and selecting from those applicants, with a ⅔ vote among the executive board, to fill the vacancy.
If the president finds that a board member needs to be removed, the president may call for a removal vote at any executive board meeting, provided that they have communicated their plans to do so with the board member subject to removal at least 72 hours prior. Reasons presidents may call for removal include missing executive board meetings or general meetings (for example, missing two meetings in a row of either type without communicating with the president is grounds for removal), failing to fulfill duties as stated in the constitution or agreed upon, including in the bylaws, between the president and the board member, disorderly conduct, unconstitutional actions, or other offensive behavior.
If a president is not fulfilling their duties, the rest of the board may call a vote and remove them with a ⅔ vote, in which case the regular presidential vacancy procedures will apply.
Article 4: General Membership and Meetings
The executive board shall plan general meetings at an average of once per week during fall and spring semester. All general meetings are considered open to the public and formal membership requirements do not exist as a prerequisite to attend meetings. Meetings shall be led by the president or another board member(s) at the delegation of the president. Communications of regular meetings shall be distributed through GroupMe and social media channels.
Disruptive behavior is not tolerated in meetings, and a board member may request a disruptive participant to leave the meeting.
Hazing is strictly prohibited. Hazing shall be defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person’s consent or lack of consent.
Article 5: Electioneering, Endorsements, & Extra-Organizational Party Involvement
The College Democrats at IU shall not endorse or participate in the campaigns of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in a Primary Election, with an exception in order to support IU students who are seeking the party nomination for a public office. In this case, the executive board will meet with the candidate and decide, by a ⅔ vote, if they want to endorse.
Campaign information and invitations for all Democratic candidates or other advocacy organizations on and off campus may be forwarded to the members of College Democrats at IU without bias. Participation in Democratic Primary campaigns by individuals within College Democrats at IU and the executive board is encouraged and shall be supported, so long as it is understood that they are doing so as individuals and not representatives of College Democrats at IU.
Article 6: Amendment Procedures & Bylaws
If this constitution needs amending, a board member may suggest a change that will be accepted with a ⅔ vote of the executive board. The constitution and subsequent amendments shall be made publicly available.
From time to time, specific needs may arise to govern the regular operations and policies of the executive board and organization. Bylaws may be adopted to meet those needs. The same ⅔ vote threshold exists for adding and modifying bylaws. These bylaws shall be subordinate to the constitution and available at request of any organization member.