College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors

Constitution of the College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors

Articles

By-Laws

Article I

Statement of Purpose:
The College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors is a group of students which represents and promotes the College. The Ambassadors strive to encourage spirit in the College as well as the University by assisting prospective, new, and continuing students through various activities.

Objectives:

Article II

Membership and Dues:
Members of the organization must be current undergraduate UNT students. Membership in the organization will be determined by application. The group will consist of at most 50 representatives, with a department having no more than five representatives.

The following are mandatory requirements for appointment: students must have a declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences; students must have, at time of appointment, at least 30 earned semester hours of UNT course work; and students must have and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 on all UNT hours attempted. No dues will be required of Group members.

Article III

Meetings:
Members of the organization will be expected to meet regularly. During the long semesters (Fall, Spring), members will be expected to attend at least 2 regularly scheduled service functions. There will be at least 3 regularly scheduled functions of the organization during each long semester. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the President of the organization with two-thirds vote from the executive committee.

Quorum for regularly scheduled meetings will be determined by one-half of the current membership. Quorum for all other meetings will be determined by one-third of the current group membership.

Article IV

Executive Committee:
The Officers of the Executive Committee will consist of a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary. The President will serve as the Chief Officer of the organization and his or her responsibilities include: presiding over meetings, voting in order to break a tie, calling special executive and general meetings with two-thirds of vote and serving as a representative to outside organizations. The Vice-President will fulfill the duties of the President in her/his absence, as well as serve on the Executive Committee, with additional duties to help the College coordinate events, contact members, and oversee drop box. The Secretary will keep track of the minutes of the meetings, keep roster updated and maintain a record of organization votes, and act as the A&S Ambassador historian. Permanent, or "Standing," Committees may be created by unanimous approval of the Executive Committee, followed by an organizational vote, with acceptance by a margin of three-fourths. Temporary, or "Ad-Hoc," Committees may be created on the simple majority approval of the Executive committee. Elimination of a Standing committee must first be approved by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee, followed by an organizational vote, with acceptance by a margin of three-fourths. Ad-Hoc Committees may be eliminated by unanimous approval of the Executive Committee. Quorum for all organization votes on Standing Committees must be three-fourths of the current organization membership.

Article V

Elections:
Officers of the organization will be elected at the end of each Spring semester to serve a term of one year, beginning the day following Spring Commencement. Officers can fun for consecutive terms. Candidates must be nominated by another current organization member. The minimum qualifications for nominees include: a minimum UNT GPA of 2.75; a minimum of 60 semester hours of UNT course work completed; and at least one semester of membership in the organization prior to running for election.

All current organization members are eligible to vote in the election, which will be held during the last general meeting of the Spring semester. At least two-thirds of all current organization members must vote for the results to be valid. Voting will be based upon a prepared ballot, and collected by the Advisor for tabulation. Election by a simple majority is required. The individual must be present to be elected. In the case of a tie, a run-off election will be held. If the run-off cannot be completed before the end of the regularly scheduled meeting where the results are announced, an emergency organization meeting will be scheduled by the current Executive Committee on the first available date.

In the case of a vacancy in one or more of the Officer's positions during the May to April term, an emergency meeting of the organization will be called by the ranking member remaining on the Executive Committee. If no Officer remains, the organization members will appoint an interim Officer at the next regularly scheduled meeting to serve until a new election is held. This interim Officer may be appointed by a simple majority. The ranking or interim Officer must arrange for a new election and call an emergency meeting of the entire organization on the first available date. The election to fill a vacant position must follow the same format as the general election described above.

Article VI

Amendments:
Amendments to this Constitution and its By-Laws must first be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval. The Amendment requires unanimous approval of the Executive Committee. The Amendment may then be presented to the organization at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Votes on Amendments to this Constitution and its By-Laws require a quorum of at least three-fourths of all current organization members. Amendments must pass by at least a three-fourths margin. Amendments are considered effective from the date they are ratified by the organization. Creation of new By-Laws must follow the same procedure.

Provisions of the Articles

By-Law 1 (Appointment of Members)

Members of the organization must be appointed. Appointment of new members will take place at the beginning of each academic year in September. Members will be appointed by a selection committee. This committee will contain at least seven voting members, with at least half of these voting members coming from the current membership of the organization. Officers must serve as voting members on the committee and will elect, by unanimous approval , the additional members of the selection committee. The Advisor of the group, as well as other individuals assisting the Advisor, will serve as non-voting members of the committee. The size and composition of the committee will be determined by the Executive Committee.

Current members of the organization are considered to be continuing members, until they indicate their decision to end their association with the organization; they graduate from the University; or they are removed from the organization, according to the procedures contained in By-Law 2.

Appointments of new members to replace former members during the academic year will be made by the Executive Committee, with final approval by voice vote of the organization at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

By-Law 2 (Removal of Members)

Current members of the organization may be removed for any of the following reasons: inability to maintain the minimum GPA required for appointment; change of major to a Department outside of the College of Arts and Sciences; failure to attend the required number of meetings for two consecutive semesters; or failure to maintain their support for the purpose of the organization as stated in Article I.

Removal for change of College will be considered automatic, with no possibility for appeal. Any other removal will be decided by the Executive Committee at the earliest possible date. The Executive Committee must approve the removal unanimously. The member to be removed for non-attendance has the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before their decision.

Removal for failure to support the purpose of the organization must be initiated by the Executive Committee, and must be approved by unanimous vote. The member to be removed has the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before their decision. The organization must then vote by secret ballot on removing the member. This requires acceptance by a four-fifths margin. The quorum for any vote on removing a member of the organization is two-thirds of the current organization membership. The member to be removed has the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before their decision.

By-Law 3 (Removal of Officers)

Current Officers of the organization may be removed from their elected positions for any of the following reasons: failure to maintain the required GPA for nomination; failure to carry out the duties of the position as outlined in this document; or failure to represent the organization in a professional manner. Removal from an Officer's position is separate from being removed as a member of the organization. Removal on the basis of GPA will be considered automatic, with no possibility for appeal. Removal for failure to carry out the duties of the position or to represent the organization in a professional manner must be initiated by petition, and signed by at least one-half of all current organization members. The Advisor will check the petition to insure that all signatures are valid. Upon the presentation of a valid petition, the organization must vote on removing the Officer or Officers. A secret ballot must be used, and the removal must be approved by at least a four-fifths margin. Quorum for any decision to remove an Officer will be three-fourths of the current organization membership. The Officer to be removed has the right to be heard by the organization before their decision.

By-Law 4 (List of Standing Committees)

Standing Committees will be formed on the basis of need, as mentioned in Article IV.

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Last updated: 2/2/2000