Constitution of the Society of Linguistics Undergraduates
September 1, 1997
Article I. Name
The name of this Society shall be Society of Linguistics UnderGraduate Students (S.L.Ug.S).
Article II. Purpose
The purpose of this society shall be to enhance the academic experience of students with interests in linguistics.
Article III. Membership
Section 1.
Any registered student at the University of California shall be eligible for a membership in this Society. S.L.Ug.S will not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, physical disability, mental disability, or sexual orientation. All members agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the California Administrative Code, and will not engage in hazing as outlined in the California Administrative Code.Section 2.
Application for membership may be made by submitting an e-mail application to the S.L.Ug.S Secretary at minisymp@trill.berkeley.edu. Applicants must be able to offer verification of being currently registered as students at the University of California when requested at the time of application approval.Section 3.
There is no membership initiation fee.Section 4.
Members may resign from the society at any time by notifying the Secretary.Section 5.
Honorary membership in the Society may be offered by the Society to persons recommended by a voting member. This status must be approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the membership. Honorary members shall be entitled to all of the privileges except those of making motions, of voting and of holding elective office.Section 6.
Only undergraduate students registered at the University of California at Berkeley may vote, make motions, nominate candidates for elective office, or hold elective office.Section 7.
University of California faculty and staff may be invited by the society to become associate members, not eligible to vote or hold elective office, but having all other privileges of membership without any of the obligations.Section 8.
Charter members shall be those members who attend and apply to join the Society at the initial Society meeting. Charter members will be exempt from time in Society requirements for holding elective office.Article IV. Officers/Elections
Section 1.
The elected officers of the Society shall be a Chairperson, Secretary,Treasurer and a Publicist. The duties and powers of the officers are as follows:The Chairperson is the chief executive officer of S.L.Ug.S and will chair all meetings. S/he will be ultimately responsible for the execution of all actions of S.L.Ug.S, shall maintain close contact with the Linguistics faculty and the Department of Linguistics, and shall register S.L.Ug.S as an officially sponsored student organization with the University of California and the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). The Chairperson shall keep good relations with other campus organizations. In addition, the Chairperson shall be responsible for the training of the officers of the next administration. The Chairperson shall also have all other powers and responsibilities described in the Constitution.
The Secretary shall maintain all non-financial records of S.L.Ug.S, take minutes of all meetings for publicly accessible records, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
The Treasurer shall maintain publically accessible records of all financial transactions of S.L.Ug.S, shall file for an annual budget and contingency funds, when appropriate, with the ASUC, obtain signatory power from the ASUC as soon as possible after being elected, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
The Publicist shall maintain good relations will all other groups S.L.Ug.S associates with, be responsible for all publicity of S.L.Ug.S, and have all other powers and responsibilities described elsewhere in the Constitution.
Section 2.
The elected officers shall all serve on the Executive Committee until they resign or are otherwise no longer eligible to hold office.Section 3.
Officers shall be at least 18 years old, and members of the Society for at least seven months.Section 4.
The elected officers shall be elected by ballot at the first business meeting held during spring semester at UCB each year, to serve for one year or until ineligible to hold office or until their successors are elected and able to assume their offices.Section 5.
No member may hold more than one elected office at time.Section 6.
At every business meeting in spring semester, the Chairperson shall open the floor for nominations for elected officers. Nominations must be made by members present, and must be seconded by another member. The Secretary shall receive and record the nominations and produce a ballot for the spring semester election. The Secretary shall verify the eligibility of all of the candidates at the time of election and shall count and deliver the ballots to the Executive Committee for verification.Section 7.
Newly elected officers shall assume office at the second business meeting in spring semester.Article V. Meetings
Section 1.
Business meetings of the Society shall be held at least once in fall semester, and at least twice in the spring semester.Section 2.
Events and non-business meetings of the Society shall occur as desired by the members holding them.Section 3.
The Chairperson shall inform the Publicist at least seven days in advance of any unscheduled business meetings so that the membership may be informed.Section 4.
Business meetings can be called by the Chairperson or by any member of the Executive Board and shall be for the purpose of nominating and electing officers, receiving reports from officers and committees, and for any other Society business that may arise, not specifically in the domain of the Executive Committee. The Publicist shall be notified at least seven days in advance of all business meetings.Section 5.
Business meetings shall begin only when a majority of the elected officers are present.Section 6.
Special elections must be held at business meetings.Section 7.
The presiding officer shall appoint a recording secretary at the start of every business meeting to record the minutes and submit the record to the presiding officer after the meeting.Section 8.
Business meetings shall not be adjourned until a majority of the members voting agree to adjourn, unless a major interruption occurs, preventing normal business.Section 9.
In the absence of the elected Chairperson at a scheduled business meeting, an officer shall have the members present elect a presiding officer to hold the meeting.Article VI. Constitutional Amendments
Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall draft all amendments to the Society constitution.Section 2.
Amendments shall be approved at a Society business meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members voting.Article VII. Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of S.L.Ug.S, all unspent funds shall revert to the ownership of the ASUC. All privately obtained assets shall be donated to a non-profit organization at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Historical Note: This constitution is modeled after the constitution of the Student Cognitive And Neuroscience Society at UC San Diego. This constitution was written on August 22, 1997 by Alan Yu, with consultation with Daniel Granville. The author hopes that it will be amended or changed to best suit the needs and desires of the Society.
