INDEX BY ARTICLE:

Preamble
I. Name
II. Motto
III. Purpose
IV. Membership
V. Non-disc. Clause
VI. Duties
VII. Elections
VIII. Impeachment
IX. Meetings
X. Library
XI. Lecture Series
XII. Ammends.


CONSTITUTION
OF THE
PHILOSOPHY CLUB
OF
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
OF PENNSYLVANIA

est. 1968


As submitted to the Student Government Association on 1/18/99



PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Philosophy Club of West Chester University establish this Constitution to outline the faculty, purposes, and implementation of this organization. The Philosophy Club's goals are the following: to act as the mediator for student concerns and the Philosophy Department; to encourage philosophical thinking by members; and to provide an academic environment for members.


 ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Philosophy Club of West Chester University of Pennsylvania.


 ARTICLE II: MOTTO
The motto of the Philosophy Club shall be "If you have questions, we have more questions."


 ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
The purpose of the Philosophy Club shall be to provide an academic environment for the discussions and other related functions on philosophical topics.


 ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section A: General Membership
Any student with a major or minor in Philosophy or Religious Studies and enrolled at West Chester University shall be a general member of the Philosophy Club. The general body, when used throughout this Constitution, refers to the general members.

Section B: Active Membership
A student attending a minimum of three (3) meetings of the Philosophy Club, or upon a majority vote on the part of the Executive Board, is to be named an active member of the Philosophy Club and enjoy the privileges thereof. A member is taken off the active list if that member fails to attend at least three (3) meetings of the Philosophy Club during at least one semester and at most two semesters. Only active members may be counted as 'members' when filling out forms asking the total amount of members exist in the Philosophy Club, especially when reporting to S.G.A.


 ARTICLE V: NON-DISCRIMINATORY CLAUSE
The Philosophy Club is not limited to Philosophy major and/or minors. Any interested student, faculty, staff, or community member may be a member. The Philosophy Club shall not discriminate against people because of their race, religion, sex, nationality, or their mental or physical disability.


 ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Section A: The Executive Officers
The Executive Officers shall be:

  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Treasurer
  4. Secretary
  5. Advisor
The President reserves the right to combine the third and fourth position, to be named Secretary-Treasurer, and shall have the combined duties as enumerated in Article IV Section C.

Section B: The Committee Chairs
The Committee Chairs shall be:

  1. Caretaker to the Library, who shall also be named Chair of the Library Committee
  2. Coordinator of the Lecture Series, who shall also be named Chair of the Lecture Series Committee
The President reserves the right to appoint Committee Chairs to members already holding an Executive Board position.

Section C: Duties of the Executive Officers
Presidential duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  1. Preside at all general meetings of the Philosophy Club
  2. No vote in matters of business, unless the issue is a tie
  3. Be responsible for updating the Constitution as required by the Student Government Association
  4. Be responsible for revisions of the Constitution to reflect policy and procedural changes
  5. Represent the Philosophy Club to the University student body
  6. Act as co-Coordinator of the Lecture Series along with another non-executive member
  7. Have at least four (4) office hours per week in the Philosophy Club office
  8. Actively communicate to the Advisor the progress and activities of the Philosophy Club
  9. Request from the Advisor details about student-related developments and activities of the Philosophy Department
  10. Automatic membership of all Philosophy Club committees
  11. Be responsible for the training of his or her successor
The Vice-President's duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Assume the duties of the President in cases of absence
  2. Act as co-Coordinator of the Lecture Series in the case the no one occupies the position
  3. Act as Chair of the ad hoc Constitutional Committee in the case of proposals for revisions or amendments of this Constitution
  4. Automatic membership of all Philosophy Club committees
  5. Responsibility for the training of his or her successor
The Treasurer's duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Keep an accurate record of all the Philosophy Club's funds
  2. Attend all University Budget meetings as required by the Student Government Association
  3. Turn in the new budget as required by the Student Government Association
  4. Assume the duties of Vice-President in case of absence
  5. Responsibility for the training of his or her successor
The Secretary's duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Record and file the minutes of all business meetings
  2. Keep an accurate record of contact information of all active members
  3. Maintain all other miscellaneous paperwork relevant to the Philosophy Club
  4. Act as Caretaker to the Library in the case that no one occupies the position
  5. Have at least two (2) office hours in the Philosophy Club office
  6. Responsibility for the training of his or her successor
The Advisor's duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Advise the Executive Board as to the policies and procedures of the University
  2. Advise the Executive Board as to student-related activities and developments of the Philosophy Department
  3. Request from the President updates and developments of the Philosophy Club
  4. Act as mediator to the Philosophy Department and the Philosophy Club
In the case that the President chooses to exercise the option of implementing a Secretary-Treasurer, his or her duties shall include those duties outlined under Secretary and Treasurer above.

Section D: Duties of the Committee Chairs
The duties of the Caretaker to the Library shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  1. Ensure that the database of the Library is accurate and up-to-date
  2. Maintain a record of materials owed to the Library by Philosophy Club members
  3. Act as Chair of the Library Committee which shall be responsible for the implementation of the duties here outlined
The duties of the two Co-Coordinators of the Lecture Series shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Invitation of prospective quest speaker(s) to speak at West Chester University to a general audience
  2. Responsibility for hosting any Lecture Series' programs
  3. Act as Co-Chairs of the Lectures Series Committee which shall be responsible for the implementation of the duties here outlined
The duties of the Chair of the Constitutional Committee shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
  1. Assign the drafting of the proposal to a member of the Committee
  2. Ensure that the draft is proofed and unanimously approved by the Committee
  3. Propose the new changes to the general body in a Philosophy Club meeting
In the case the President chooses to exercise the option of appointing a Committee Chair to a member of the Executive Board, then his or her duties shall include those duties of his or her officer position and those of the respective Committee Chair as outlined above.

Section C: Exclusionary Clause
Members with a grade point average of lower than 2.0 may not run for election nor be appointed as a Committee Chair.


 ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS & APPOINTEES
Section A: Elections
The Philosophy Club shall hold elections for the Executive Board, except for the Advisor, at the last meeting of each semester. The general body must be given at least two week's notice of the elections. Quorum, defined as half of the lit of active members plus one, must be met before voting takes place for elections. Positions are won based on a majority count and last for one (1) academic semester.

Section B: Appointed positions
All Committee Chair positions shall be appointed by the President at the beginning of each semester. The Advisor shall be appointed by the Philosophy Department with the approval of the current Executive Board. The length for each position is one (1) academic semester.


 ARTICLE VIII: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Section A: Impeachment
Any Executive Board member may be removed from office with a 2/3rd vote in a general meeting and unanimous votes by the remainder of the Executive Board. The position shall be considered vacant until the Philosophy Club organizes an election for the open position. The President reserves the right to assign the duties of the vacant position to an already elected Executive Board member for the remainder of his or her term.

Section B: Resignation
An Executive Board member may resign but must give at least a two-week notice beforehand, at which time the Philosophy Club may organize an early election. The President reserves the right to assign the duties of the vacant position to an already elected Executive Board member for the remainder of his or her term.


 ARTICLE IX: MEETINGS
Section A: General Meetings
The outline of the General Meetings shall be, but not limited to, the following:

  1. The nature of the regular meeting is to engage the general membership in discussions relating to philosophical topics
  2. The President shall preside over general meetings at least once a week. The role of the President shall be the same as that of a discussant in academic conferences
  3. The President shall preside over general meetings at least once a week. The President may assign a Discussant for that meeting. The role of the Discussant shall be the same as that of a discussant in academic conferences.
  4. The President, during the opening minutes of the general meeting, shall briefly update the general body as to the business-related developments of the Philosophy Club as needed
  5. Because of the nature of the general meeting, Robert's Rules of Order shall not be followed, except during the opening minutes when business is conducted by the President

Section B: Business Meetings
The nature of the Business Meetings shall be, but not limited to, the following:

  1. The nature of the Executive Board, Committee Chairs, and other relevant individuals as needed
  2. The President shall preside over Business meetings.
  3. Business meetings shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order

Section C: Committee Meetings
Any Committee Chair may call a meeting may call a meting of the Philosophy Club. The nature and implementation of committee meetings shall be determined by the respective Committee Chair.


 ARTICLE X: LIBRARY
Section A: Purpose
The purpose of the Library is to maintain academic materials relating to philosophical discussions held in general meetings, to provide supplementary materials for functions, and to provide an academic setting for active members.

Section B: Implementation
The Library shall be composed of books, journals, and other literature to foster academic and philosophical discussions in the general meetings. The Library is to be maintained by the Caretaker and be shelved within the Philosophy Club office. Active Philosophy Club members as defined in Article IV Section B, only may borrow from the library.


 ARTICLE IX: LECTURE SERIES
Section A: Purpose
The purpose of the Lectures Series is to provide an exchange of ideas and information regarding philosophical topics to the general University body.

Section B: Implementation
The President and Vice-President shall act as co-Coordinator of the Lecture Series. A guest speaker from off-campus is to be invited for a talk on philosophically-related topics. A Committee must meet as necessary, either as a part of the Executive Board meeting or separate from it, to discuss business. The Lecture Series may be co-sponsored by the Philosophy Department.


 ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS & REVISIONS
Section A: Amendments
In the case that this Constitution is in need of amendments, the Executive Board and Committee Chairs shall convene, forming an ad hoc Constitutional Committee, chaired by the Vice-President. All revisions must be approved unanimously by all members of the committee and the general body must approve the newly revised Constitution with a 2/3rd majority vote for the changes to be final.

Section B: Revisions
This Constitution is meant to outline the specifics of the implementation of the Club, therefore the President shall be responsible for proposing revisions to the Constitution that reflect changes of policy and/or procedure to the Philosophy Club. The President is responsible for any such revisions to the Constitution before the end of his or her term. To propose such revisions, the President must meet with an ad hoc Constitutional Committee with the Vice-President as Chair. Revisions must be approved by the entire Constitutional Committee and a 2/3rd majority vote by the general body.



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