The Constitution of the Political Science Association (PSA)
ARTICLE I: PURPOSE
1.1 As a non-partisan organization, the undergraduate Political Science Association of the Pennsylvania State University is dedicated to acting as a liaison between undergraduate students and the Department of Political Science, providing leadership and organizational experience to motivated undergraduate students, and facilitating a better understanding of domestic and international politics and political issues on campus and throughout the community. To this end, the Political Science Association seeks to promote a greater understanding and cooperation between the academic community and the political world. Additionally, the Political Science Association is dedicated to the promotion of political awareness, activism, and education through the sponsorship of various student-run events at Penn State.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
2.1 At all times, the majority of all active members shall be full-time, officially registered undergraduate students at University Park.
2.2 The membership shall be divided into active and associate members:
2.2.1 Only currently registered University Park students are eligible for active membership.
2.2.1.1 All others interested in furthering the purpose of the Penn State Political Science Association shall be associate members.
2.2.2 To be considered active, a student must have attended at least one meeting of the Political Science Association over the course of the semester and have paid dues, as may be required, for the semester.
2.2.3 Only active members may hold office, vote on matters before the organization, preside over organization meetings, officiate over organization events and meetings, or solicit funds on behalf of the organization.
2.3 The membership shall be divided into voting and non-voting members:
2.3.1 All persons who have met the requirements of active members shall be considered voting members.
2.3.2 Persons who have not met the requirements for active members shall not be voting members.
2.4 At all times, there shall be at least twelve active student members.
2.5 The organization shall comply with all applicable University policies and all applicable local, state, or federal laws necessary for its recognition as a student organization. This includes those governing interactions between all members—old and new.
2.5.1 Upon recruitment, all new members shall have access to the governing documents, organization calendar, membership documents, anti-hazing policy, and other information in electronic or printed form upon request.
2.5.2 No members shall be compelled to participate in activities that contradict their personal or religious beliefs, values, or morals. Refraining from these activities shall incur no consequences.
2.6 The club reserves the right to expel a member who is not following the policies of the organization with a super majority vote of attending members—quorum is seventy-five percent of active members.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
3.1 Only full-time, officially registered, active University Park student members shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers.
3.2 The elected officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
3.3 The Executive Board will consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and standing and ad-hoc committee chairs. The only Board members to have a vote in matters requiring its approval shall be the elected officers, who shall decide Board matters by simple majority. In the event of a tie in Board decisions, the Rules Chair shall cast the deciding vote.
3.4 Duties of Officers:
3.4.1 The President is the spokesperson for the organization and shall oversee and direct all activities of the Political Science Association and shall preside over any meetings of the organization. To assist in carrying out the officers’ required responsibilities, the President may create committees and appoint active members of the organization to serve as chairs of these committees and may abolish committees (excluding those stipulated in the Constitution). The President has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote on any motion before the organization. Additionally, the President may veto any decision of the organization, having first secured the authorization of a majority of the Executive Board. The President will act as primary spokesperson to the media, except in situations when he may designate other officers or persons to speak to the media on behalf of the Association. Moreover, the President, or another officer or chair designated by the President, shall determine the agenda for meetings of the organization.
3.4.2 The Vice-President shall serve as President when the President is unable to do so. In the event of the impeachment of the President or the upon the President’s decision to vacate prematurely the office of President before the completion of his term, the Vice-President will automatically assume the office of President and serve the remainder of the term. The Vice-President shall work with the President in overseeing all activities of the organization and specifically shall provide support to the Secretary with regard to organizational activities and communicating with other organizations. The Vice-President shall handle administrative and executive duties necessary for the club delegated by the President.
3.4.3 The Secretary shall be charged with keeping minutes at all organization meetings and shall maintain the organization’s records and documents unless they are specifically delegated to another officer or chair. Additionally, he/she will assist the President and Executive Board with logistical planning for all events and act as a liaison to other organizations seeking to work with the Political Science Association. The Secretary will keep a record of events held and other specifics for use by future officers and for the purposes of reporting to various University officials and groups throughout the year.
3.4.4 The Treasurer shall be charged with maintaining the organization’s finances and shall organize and supervise any fundraising activities. Specifically, the Treasurer will coordinate financial activities with the Office of Associated Student Activities, acquire purchase orders as needed, handle all matters involving the University Park Allocation Committee (unless the President asks another chair or officer to do so), and work in conjunction with committee heads and officers who are overseeing events requiring the expenditure of funds. The Treasurer shall maintain all necessary financial records and documents.
3.4.5 The officers, with the help of chairs, shall make members—and, if possible, the larger student body—aware of political issues at hand and encourage activism while maintaining the organization’s non-partisan nature. Moreover, they shall, in the same manner, work to establish a dialogue between the students (majors and minors) and faculty of the Department to gauge its effectiveness.
3.5 Filling Unexpected Vacancies:
3.5.1 In the event of an unexpected vacancy of the office of Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or President and Vice-President simultaneously, the organization will use the following procedure:
3.5.1.1 The vacancy or vacancies will be announced via the organization listserv/website and a meeting date and time for a special election will be announced.
3.5.1.2 Nominations will be taken as they otherwise would.
3.5.1.3 If a majority is not obtained by any of the candidates, the active members shall vote again for one of the top two candidates.
ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES
4.1 The following standing committees will be established and maintained to supplement the duties of the officers:
4.1.1 The Events Committee shall be responsible for organizing events, including but not limited to, guest speakers, special panels, and routinely sponsored roundtable discussions.
4.1.2 The Alumni-Relations Committee shall be responsible for maintain relations with alumni of the Political Science Department, as well as Penn State alumni currently working in fields of interest to the organization’s membership. This committee shall work with the Events Committee to contact alumni who can speak at events, meet with members during trips, etc. Further, it shall aid the Department in organizing a student-alumni banquet or similar event at the end of each academic year.
4.1.3 The Rules Committee shall ensure that the organization follows this Constitution and shall consult the Executive Board on proper procedure and rules in this context.
4.2 The President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall select applying members as committee chairs. Leadership, knowledge, enthusiasm, and competence must be considered in addition to the chair’s specific duties.
4.2.1 In the event that a committee head is found not to be performing their duties in a professional, competent, and/or ethical manner, the President, in consultation with the Executive Board, may remove the committee head from their position and appoint a new member to fill the position.
4.3 As a matter of procedure, all committee heads will be required to re-apply for their positions immediately following the completion of elections. Additionally, new persons interested in being committee heads may file applications at this time.
ARTICLE V: FINANCES
5.1 All organizational funds are to be handled through the Office of Associated Student Activities.
5.2 Usage of organizational funds up to the amount of one hundred dollars requires the approval of the President, Treasurer, and one other officer.
5.3 Usage of organizational funds over the amount of one hundred dollars requires the approval of a simple majority of active membership.
5.4 The Treasurer shall oversee the collection of dues. Dues are herewith set at five dollars per semester; the Executive Board shall determine if dues need to be paid each semester.
5.4.1 No member shall be compelled to pay dues unless holding an office or chair in the organization unless dues are not required that semester.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
6.1 General meetings of the organization's membership shall be held at least once a month with the frequency of meetings to be decided by the President, in consultation with the Executive Board.
6.2 Members shall be notified of all meetings via e-mail, and adequate advanced notice of all meetings shall be given to all active members.
6.3 The President may call a special meeting if he feels that circumstances warrant such a meeting.
ARTICLE VII: VOTING
7.1 Quorum for all voting shall be two officers plus any other members that attend the meeting unless otherwise stated in this Constitution.
7.2 A simple majority shall be necessary, unless otherwise constitutionally stipulated, in order for a motion to pass. This majority shall be derived from the active members who may vote present.
ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS
8.1 The election of officers shall be held during the last meeting of each academic semester on a date to be determined by the President in consultation with the Executive Board.
8.2 The Secretary shall give active members at least one week’s notice of the elections. Those members who wish to run for office and who meet the necessary qualifications will be required to submit, in written or electronic format, a request to be considered a candidate in the upcoming elections. Active members may nominate other qualified members. The Secretary will require that this notice be received by a reasonable deadline before the elections occur including floor nominations if deemed permissible by the Secretary.
8.3 Election Code:
8.3.1 No person involved in the election process may be an official candidate. The President shall appoint a non-official candidate with approval of a simple majority of the general membership, to oversee the election process.
8.3.2 Members nominated previously must be officially announced at the election by the Head of Elections or an officer.
8.3.3 Members nominated for office may briefly address the membership.
8.3.4 Active members who meet voting qualifications may cast one vote per office.
8.3.5 All voting will occur by secret, written ballots.
8.3.6 Ballots will be counted by the Head of Elections and overseen, if possible, by the Vice-President or, if not, by a current committee chair designated by the sitting President. Anyone requesting a recount of the votes will be afforded one in the presence of the entire Executive Board.
8.3.7 If a candidate cannot attain a majority of the votes, the voting members shall vote again between the top two candidates.
8.4 The duration of all officers’ terms shall be one academic semester. Incumbent officers may be re-elected to office an unlimited number of times.
8.5 The Executive Board will determine the transition period between administrations, with newly elected officers being installed no later than the first meeting of the next academic term.
8.6 Resignations and Special Elections:
8.6.1 Resignations must be submitted in written or electronic form to the President or, if the President resigns, to the Vice-President. Vacant offices shall be filled by special election like any unexpected vacancy, vacant chairs by application.
ARTICLE IX: IMPEACHMENT
9.1 If an officer fails to fulfill his duties, acts in a manner detrimental to the organization, or fails to comply with applicable University policy, the President, with the approval of a majority of the active membership, may initiate the impeachment process.
9.2 The Executive Board member must be notified by the President or Vice-President that the impeachment process against him is being initiated. He will be notified no later than two weeks before the impeachment vote is scheduled.
9.2.1 The President shall set the exact date for the impeachment vote.
9.2.2 At the meeting where impeachment proceedings are initiated, the member whose conduct is in question will be given the opportunity to state his objections to the charges brought against him prior to any voting on the motion to impeach.
9.2.3 A vote by secret, written ballot shall then take place. If three-fourths of voting members present at the meeting vote for the motion, the member is considered impeached and must vacate his leadership position immediately.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
10.1 Amendments to the Constitution may be introduced by any active member at the conclusion of any meeting. A two-thirds majority of the present voting members shall be required to approve the changes.
10.2 All changes to this Constitution take effect at the general meeting following the mandatory approval of the Office of Student Activities with the former rules and procedures remaining in effect until that approval.
ARTICLE XI: ADVISOR
11.1 The Political Science Association shall retain an advisor at all times.
11.2 The advisor shall be a faculty member of the Department of Political Science and must be approved at the onset of his tenure by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
12.1 Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, by Sarah Corbin Roberts, shall be used in all cases not covered by this Constitution.
ARTICLE XIII: ACCESSIBILITY OF THIS CONSTITUTION
13.1 A digital copy of this Constitution shall be available on the organization’s official website. Those wishing to have a print copy of the Constitution may print it from the website.
ARTICLE I: PURPOSE
1.1 As a non-partisan organization, the undergraduate Political Science Association of the Pennsylvania State University is dedicated to acting as a liaison between undergraduate students and the Department of Political Science, providing leadership and organizational experience to motivated undergraduate students, and facilitating a better understanding of domestic and international politics and political issues on campus and throughout the community. To this end, the Political Science Association seeks to promote a greater understanding and cooperation between the academic community and the political world. Additionally, the Political Science Association is dedicated to the promotion of political awareness, activism, and education through the sponsorship of various student-run events at Penn State.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
2.1 At all times, the majority of all active members shall be full-time, officially registered undergraduate students at University Park.
2.2 The membership shall be divided into active and associate members:
2.2.1 Only currently registered University Park students are eligible for active membership.
2.2.1.1 All others interested in furthering the purpose of the Penn State Political Science Association shall be associate members.
2.2.2 To be considered active, a student must have attended at least one meeting of the Political Science Association over the course of the semester and have paid dues, as may be required, for the semester.
2.2.3 Only active members may hold office, vote on matters before the organization, preside over organization meetings, officiate over organization events and meetings, or solicit funds on behalf of the organization.
2.3 The membership shall be divided into voting and non-voting members:
2.3.1 All persons who have met the requirements of active members shall be considered voting members.
2.3.2 Persons who have not met the requirements for active members shall not be voting members.
2.4 At all times, there shall be at least twelve active student members.
2.5 The organization shall comply with all applicable University policies and all applicable local, state, or federal laws necessary for its recognition as a student organization. This includes those governing interactions between all members—old and new.
2.5.1 Upon recruitment, all new members shall have access to the governing documents, organization calendar, membership documents, anti-hazing policy, and other information in electronic or printed form upon request.
2.5.2 No members shall be compelled to participate in activities that contradict their personal or religious beliefs, values, or morals. Refraining from these activities shall incur no consequences.
2.6 The club reserves the right to expel a member who is not following the policies of the organization with a super majority vote of attending members—quorum is seventy-five percent of active members.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
3.1 Only full-time, officially registered, active University Park student members shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers.
3.2 The elected officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
3.3 The Executive Board will consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and standing and ad-hoc committee chairs. The only Board members to have a vote in matters requiring its approval shall be the elected officers, who shall decide Board matters by simple majority. In the event of a tie in Board decisions, the Rules Chair shall cast the deciding vote.
3.4 Duties of Officers:
3.4.1 The President is the spokesperson for the organization and shall oversee and direct all activities of the Political Science Association and shall preside over any meetings of the organization. To assist in carrying out the officers’ required responsibilities, the President may create committees and appoint active members of the organization to serve as chairs of these committees and may abolish committees (excluding those stipulated in the Constitution). The President has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote on any motion before the organization. Additionally, the President may veto any decision of the organization, having first secured the authorization of a majority of the Executive Board. The President will act as primary spokesperson to the media, except in situations when he may designate other officers or persons to speak to the media on behalf of the Association. Moreover, the President, or another officer or chair designated by the President, shall determine the agenda for meetings of the organization.
3.4.2 The Vice-President shall serve as President when the President is unable to do so. In the event of the impeachment of the President or the upon the President’s decision to vacate prematurely the office of President before the completion of his term, the Vice-President will automatically assume the office of President and serve the remainder of the term. The Vice-President shall work with the President in overseeing all activities of the organization and specifically shall provide support to the Secretary with regard to organizational activities and communicating with other organizations. The Vice-President shall handle administrative and executive duties necessary for the club delegated by the President.
3.4.3 The Secretary shall be charged with keeping minutes at all organization meetings and shall maintain the organization’s records and documents unless they are specifically delegated to another officer or chair. Additionally, he/she will assist the President and Executive Board with logistical planning for all events and act as a liaison to other organizations seeking to work with the Political Science Association. The Secretary will keep a record of events held and other specifics for use by future officers and for the purposes of reporting to various University officials and groups throughout the year.
3.4.4 The Treasurer shall be charged with maintaining the organization’s finances and shall organize and supervise any fundraising activities. Specifically, the Treasurer will coordinate financial activities with the Office of Associated Student Activities, acquire purchase orders as needed, handle all matters involving the University Park Allocation Committee (unless the President asks another chair or officer to do so), and work in conjunction with committee heads and officers who are overseeing events requiring the expenditure of funds. The Treasurer shall maintain all necessary financial records and documents.
3.4.5 The officers, with the help of chairs, shall make members—and, if possible, the larger student body—aware of political issues at hand and encourage activism while maintaining the organization’s non-partisan nature. Moreover, they shall, in the same manner, work to establish a dialogue between the students (majors and minors) and faculty of the Department to gauge its effectiveness.
3.5 Filling Unexpected Vacancies:
3.5.1 In the event of an unexpected vacancy of the office of Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or President and Vice-President simultaneously, the organization will use the following procedure:
3.5.1.1 The vacancy or vacancies will be announced via the organization listserv/website and a meeting date and time for a special election will be announced.
3.5.1.2 Nominations will be taken as they otherwise would.
3.5.1.3 If a majority is not obtained by any of the candidates, the active members shall vote again for one of the top two candidates.
ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES
4.1 The following standing committees will be established and maintained to supplement the duties of the officers:
4.1.1 The Events Committee shall be responsible for organizing events, including but not limited to, guest speakers, special panels, and routinely sponsored roundtable discussions.
4.1.2 The Alumni-Relations Committee shall be responsible for maintain relations with alumni of the Political Science Department, as well as Penn State alumni currently working in fields of interest to the organization’s membership. This committee shall work with the Events Committee to contact alumni who can speak at events, meet with members during trips, etc. Further, it shall aid the Department in organizing a student-alumni banquet or similar event at the end of each academic year.
4.1.3 The Rules Committee shall ensure that the organization follows this Constitution and shall consult the Executive Board on proper procedure and rules in this context.
4.2 The President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall select applying members as committee chairs. Leadership, knowledge, enthusiasm, and competence must be considered in addition to the chair’s specific duties.
4.2.1 In the event that a committee head is found not to be performing their duties in a professional, competent, and/or ethical manner, the President, in consultation with the Executive Board, may remove the committee head from their position and appoint a new member to fill the position.
4.3 As a matter of procedure, all committee heads will be required to re-apply for their positions immediately following the completion of elections. Additionally, new persons interested in being committee heads may file applications at this time.
ARTICLE V: FINANCES
5.1 All organizational funds are to be handled through the Office of Associated Student Activities.
5.2 Usage of organizational funds up to the amount of one hundred dollars requires the approval of the President, Treasurer, and one other officer.
5.3 Usage of organizational funds over the amount of one hundred dollars requires the approval of a simple majority of active membership.
5.4 The Treasurer shall oversee the collection of dues. Dues are herewith set at five dollars per semester; the Executive Board shall determine if dues need to be paid each semester.
5.4.1 No member shall be compelled to pay dues unless holding an office or chair in the organization unless dues are not required that semester.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
6.1 General meetings of the organization's membership shall be held at least once a month with the frequency of meetings to be decided by the President, in consultation with the Executive Board.
6.2 Members shall be notified of all meetings via e-mail, and adequate advanced notice of all meetings shall be given to all active members.
6.3 The President may call a special meeting if he feels that circumstances warrant such a meeting.
ARTICLE VII: VOTING
7.1 Quorum for all voting shall be two officers plus any other members that attend the meeting unless otherwise stated in this Constitution.
7.2 A simple majority shall be necessary, unless otherwise constitutionally stipulated, in order for a motion to pass. This majority shall be derived from the active members who may vote present.
ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS
8.1 The election of officers shall be held during the last meeting of each academic semester on a date to be determined by the President in consultation with the Executive Board.
8.2 The Secretary shall give active members at least one week’s notice of the elections. Those members who wish to run for office and who meet the necessary qualifications will be required to submit, in written or electronic format, a request to be considered a candidate in the upcoming elections. Active members may nominate other qualified members. The Secretary will require that this notice be received by a reasonable deadline before the elections occur including floor nominations if deemed permissible by the Secretary.
8.3 Election Code:
8.3.1 No person involved in the election process may be an official candidate. The President shall appoint a non-official candidate with approval of a simple majority of the general membership, to oversee the election process.
8.3.2 Members nominated previously must be officially announced at the election by the Head of Elections or an officer.
8.3.3 Members nominated for office may briefly address the membership.
8.3.4 Active members who meet voting qualifications may cast one vote per office.
8.3.5 All voting will occur by secret, written ballots.
8.3.6 Ballots will be counted by the Head of Elections and overseen, if possible, by the Vice-President or, if not, by a current committee chair designated by the sitting President. Anyone requesting a recount of the votes will be afforded one in the presence of the entire Executive Board.
8.3.7 If a candidate cannot attain a majority of the votes, the voting members shall vote again between the top two candidates.
8.4 The duration of all officers’ terms shall be one academic semester. Incumbent officers may be re-elected to office an unlimited number of times.
8.5 The Executive Board will determine the transition period between administrations, with newly elected officers being installed no later than the first meeting of the next academic term.
8.6 Resignations and Special Elections:
8.6.1 Resignations must be submitted in written or electronic form to the President or, if the President resigns, to the Vice-President. Vacant offices shall be filled by special election like any unexpected vacancy, vacant chairs by application.
ARTICLE IX: IMPEACHMENT
9.1 If an officer fails to fulfill his duties, acts in a manner detrimental to the organization, or fails to comply with applicable University policy, the President, with the approval of a majority of the active membership, may initiate the impeachment process.
9.2 The Executive Board member must be notified by the President or Vice-President that the impeachment process against him is being initiated. He will be notified no later than two weeks before the impeachment vote is scheduled.
9.2.1 The President shall set the exact date for the impeachment vote.
9.2.2 At the meeting where impeachment proceedings are initiated, the member whose conduct is in question will be given the opportunity to state his objections to the charges brought against him prior to any voting on the motion to impeach.
9.2.3 A vote by secret, written ballot shall then take place. If three-fourths of voting members present at the meeting vote for the motion, the member is considered impeached and must vacate his leadership position immediately.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
10.1 Amendments to the Constitution may be introduced by any active member at the conclusion of any meeting. A two-thirds majority of the present voting members shall be required to approve the changes.
10.2 All changes to this Constitution take effect at the general meeting following the mandatory approval of the Office of Student Activities with the former rules and procedures remaining in effect until that approval.
ARTICLE XI: ADVISOR
11.1 The Political Science Association shall retain an advisor at all times.
11.2 The advisor shall be a faculty member of the Department of Political Science and must be approved at the onset of his tenure by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
12.1 Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, by Sarah Corbin Roberts, shall be used in all cases not covered by this Constitution.
ARTICLE XIII: ACCESSIBILITY OF THIS CONSTITUTION
13.1 A digital copy of this Constitution shall be available on the organization’s official website. Those wishing to have a print copy of the Constitution may print it from the website.