PREAMBLE
We, the members of Tangible Change of the University of Pennsylvania, affirming
our responsibility to the student body, and realizing we have in common certain
problems unique within the campus community, hereby establish these by-laws
for the purpose of implementing, supervising, and funding non alcoholic,
campus-wide undergraduate activities and to provide for greater communication
and cooperation among activities.
ARTICLE I.: Membership
SECTION A.
Tangible Change will be composed of one representative of the following organizations;
UA, SPEC, SAC, Kite & Key, PAC, IFC, Pan-Hellenic Council, Big-C, APSC,
Latino Coalition, UMC, Umoja, CHAC, QSA, and each of the Class
Boards.
SECTION B.
In the event that a person is the representative for more than one Tangible
Change organization:
one of the organizations may assign another board member
to be the representative to Tangible Change
the organizations may choose to allow their common representative
to represent both groups, though he or she will only have one vote.
ARTICLE II. Funding of Activities
SECTION A.
Any activity may be funded if a need for the existence of that activity within
the entire Penn community can be shown and a fulfillment of that need by that
activity can be demonstrated to Tangible Change.
SECTION B.
Any group wishing funding by Tangible Change shall submit a written request
to the Co-Chairpersons at least three weeks in advance of the meeting at which
it wishes to be interviewed for funding. In addition, representatives of
the group shall submit all appropriate paperwork to the body for the interview.
SECTION C.
All officers must be registered, full-time undergraduate students of the University
of Pennsylvania. The only exception for officers shall be part-time undergraduate
students in their last academic semester. The majority of members must be
full-time undergraduates.
SECTION D.
Tangible Change can only fund events that are completely non-alcoholic.
ARTICLE III. The Executive Committee
SECTION A.
The Executive Committee will be comprised of two undergraduate student representative
members of Tangible Change organizations.
SECTION B.
To be eligible for election to the Executive Committee one must:
have been a representative in a Tangible Change organization
since the first day of classes of that semester
have been an undergraduate at Penn for at least two semesters
(including the semester ending that December)
not be scheduled to graduate less than one year from the
date of election.
SECTION C.
The slate of names for the elected position in each election will be prepared
from nominations from the floor and/or from nominations accepted in advance.
SECTION D
Should any vacancy occur, the position will be filled by a majority vote on
nominations from the floor at the next meeting of Tangible Change.
SECTION E.
The Executive Committee is an efficiently operating group concerned with the
continual functioning of Tangible Change's affairs. The two co-chairpersons
should be equipped to discuss any issues or problems initiated by any member
activity.
SECTION F.
The Executive Committee shall continually explore and investigate the current
use of funds, ways to use funds more efficiently, ways to better use existing
facilities and ways to encourage financial cooperation between activities.
The co-chairpersons shall bring to the attention of the Council any inconsistencies
that they discover.
SECTION G.
Members of the Executive Committee may be recalled by the Council with a 2/3
vote.
ARTICLE IV. Meetings
SECTION A.
A meeting shall be called when the co-chairpersons so rule or when 25% of the
registered representatives present a petition to the Co-Chairpersons of Tangible
Change specifying the agenda for that meeting. The Co-Chairpersons shall then
call a meeting within the next (5) school days. The Co-Chairpersons shall give
at least 48 hours notice prior to that meeting.
SECTION B.
A quorum shall consist of 1/3 of the registered activities.
SECTION C.
All roll-call votes shall be tabulated by activity and permanently retained
by the co-chairpersons.
SECTION D.
A voting member shall be defined as a Tangible Change representative who is
present at the meeting and is not abstaining from the vote. Therefore:
an affirmative majority vote is a vote requiring more than
50% of the voting members;
an affirmative 2/3 vote is a vote requiring 67% of the voting
members.
SECTION G.
A motion may only be brought on to the floor by a voting Tangible Change representative
and seconded by a voting Tangible Change representative. Motions will be
attended to in the order in which they are proposed.
ARTICLE V. Allocation & Usage of Funds
SECTION A.
All allocations to activities must be approved by the Tangible Change full
committee or by the Co-Chairpersons acting on behalf of the full committee.
Activities desiring financial support shall first submit complete budgets and
allocation requests to the Co-Chairpersons.
SECTION B.
All activities receiving funds from Tangible Change must maintain all funds
and income within the University accounting system. Deviations from this system
must be approved by Tangible Change.
ARTICLE VI. Amendments to the Constitution
SECTION A.
Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by a petition of l5% of the
representatives of the Tangible Change to the co-chairpersons or by the co-chairpersons
themselves
SECTION B.
Such proposals must be ratified by a 2/3 majority of Tangible Change.
SECTION C.
All amendments shall be voted on at the next meeting of the Tangible Change. |