Constitution of the National Residence Hall Honorary Golden Panther Chapter (Last revised April 14, 2015) Article I: Name The name of the organization shall be the Golden Panther Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) of Florida International University. Article II: Values Values of NRHH: NRHH is a leadership-­‐based honorary comprised of exemplary residential students who value recognition and service. The members will also act as a resource for those groups desiring information about programming and leadership in the residence halls. Article III: Membership Section I: Qualifications In order to be considered eligible for membership to the chapter, students must meet all of the following: 1. Shall have resided in the residence halls at least two (2) semesters including the semester of selection. 2. Shall be in good academic standing with the University and shall have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the time of induction. 3. Shall be in good standing with student conduct at Florida International University and with the Department of Housing and Residential Life. 4. Shall have demonstrated outstanding service and leadership in the residence halls at Florida International University. Section II: Membership Classifications Total membership shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the total on-­‐campus Housing population. The organization shall have four (4) types of members: active, early alumni, alumni, and honorary. 1. Active members shall be defined as undergraduate students currently living in Housing at Florida International University. They shall be the only members with voting privileges. 2. An Early Alumni of a NRHH Chapter is a member that is still living on campus but can no longer meet the chapter membership expectations. These members do not count toward the 1% membership cap. In order for a member to apply for early alumni status, the member and/or NRHH President must complete the NRHH Member Removal Application. This form can be obtained from the SAACURH AD-­‐ NRHH. The completed Member Removal application shall be submitted to the region’s AD-­‐NRHH. If the member wishes to appeal the decision of the Regional AD-­‐NRHH they may appeal to the entire AD-­‐NRHH board, that decision will be final through simple majority vote. The number of early alumni members a chapter shall be granted per academic year will not exceed fifteen percent of the chapter’s membership. 3. Once active members graduate from or leave the residence hall at the institution, they become alumni. Alumni and honorary members do not count as part of the one percent (1%) cap. 4. In order to be recognized at graduation through NRHH, a member must be currently active or have been active as outlined in the constitution for at least one full year prior to becoming inactive. Inactive members not meeting this requirement will not be permitted to be recognized through NRHH. 5. Honorary membership is offered to faculty members, staff members, or fellow students who have shown outstanding service and devotion to the interests of the residence life program. Honorary members shall have no voting privileges. 6. Once inducted into NRHH, if a member remains in good standing through the completion of their degree at Florida International University, he or she becomes a lifetime member of NRHH. Section III: Member Benefits The following benefits are available to all current members considered to be in good standing: 1. Each active member shall receive one vote on any chapter related business. 2. Active members shall be eligible for nomination to an Executive Board Officer position. 3. Upon graduation, active members shall receive an honors cord to be worn during their commencement ceremony. Section IV: Membership Points The Executive Board shall assign point values to all chapter related activities during the semester. Each current member will be required to accumulate a designated semester point quota. Failure to meet point quota may impact membership status as defined in Article III Section V. Section V: Membership Status 1. All membership benefits as defined in Article III Section III will be available to all members currently in good standing with the Golden Panther Chapter. 2. A current member may be placed in bad standing if they fail to meet the semester membership point quota as defined in Article III Section IV or by not maintaining all membership qualifications as defined in Article III Section I. 3. If a current member is in bad standing due to failure to meet the semester membership point quota, they would need to meet the membership point quota for the following semester to be placed back in good standing. 4. Should a current member fail to meet the membership point quota for an entire semester, the Executive Board may place that member in Early Alumni membership status or complete the NRHH removal process application. Article IV: Nomination and Selection Section I: Nomination Nominations may be submitted by any current resident or Residential Life staff member. Section II: Application Procedures 1. Upon nomination, each candidate will receive a congratulatory letter from NRHH and an application package. 2. The application package is to be completed by the candidate and submitted to the Office of Residential Life. Selection III: Selection Committee 1. The new member Selection Committee shall be composed of the Executive Board members of the Golden Panther Chapter. 2. Honorary members shall also be selected by the Selection Committee. Selection IV: Selection Standards 1. At no time shall an induction group for the Chapter cause the total membership to exceed one percent (1%) of the total on-­‐campus Housing population. 2. Each candidate must have contributed outstanding service, leadership, and involvement for the advancement of residential life. 3. The Selection Committee shall receive all applications during the fall semester for an induction to take place at the end of the fall semester. Article V: Executive Board Section I: Eligibility To be eligible for one of the Executive Board positions, members must be in good standing with the Golden Panther Chapter. They should also be in good standing with Florida International University including academic, student conduct, and financial status. Section II: Officers The President shall: 1. Acts as official representative of Golden Panther Chapter of NRHH at Florida International University. 2. Prepare an agenda and conduct all meetings of the Executive Board and General Body. 3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Communicate regularly with the Residence Hall Association (RHA) President and attend all Legislative Board meetings. Meet regularly with the Adviser(s) to maintain open communications between the Office of Residential Life and NRHH. Renew the chapter’s membership as a recognized affiliated NRHH chapter with the NACURH Information Center (NIC). Fulfill any other officer roles or duties as determined to be necessary throughout the course of term in office. Conduct elections as necessary for Executive Board position vacancies. The Vice President shall: 1. Preside over all meetings in the absence of the President. 2. Assist the President in the performance of their duties. 3. Serve as the Campus Administrator for the Of-­‐The-­‐Month (OTM) Database and oversee the monthly submission process. 4. Create and oversee ad-­‐hoc committees as necessary such as a Constitutional Review Committee or OTM Campus Selection Committee. 5. Act as Parliamentarian for meetings as needed. The Vice President of Records shall: 1. Preside over all meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President. 2. Take minutes at all meetings and distribute minutes/agendas to all members, Adviser(s), and the RHA President. 3. Track attendance at all meetings and keep current records of all members, including up to date contact information. 4. Maintain records of membership points for all members including current membership status. 5. Communicate with members through e-­‐mail and social media outlets, including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter. 6. Coordinate and maintain the Early Alumni Program in collaboration with the SAACURH AD-­‐NRHH and adequately maintain all Golden Panther Chapter alumni information. The Vice President of Finance shall: 1. Formulate a budget at the beginning of the year with the President and Adviser(s) and revise it as necessary. 2. Manage all financial transactions of the chapter in conjunction with the RHA Treasurer. 3. Provide an itemized account of all transactions when needed. 4. Submit regular budget updates to all members and Adviser(s) either at meetings or electronically as needed. The Vice President of Member Recognition shall: 1. Assist the Vice President in the honoring of students recognized by OTMS through presentation of certificates, banners, etc. 2. Coordinate recognition efforts for all residents, student staff, and professional staff members of the on-­‐campus residential community. 3. Oversee the new member recruitment and selection process in collaboration with the President and Adviser(s). 4. Organize the annual induction ceremony for new members. The Vice President of Programming and Service shall: 1. Facilitate NRHH’s commitment to academic success through programming opportunities. 2. Develop and coordinate community service activities and initiatives within the on-­‐campus residential community. 3. Maintain ongoing Philanthropy projects that benefit the surrounding community (Ex: Ronald McDonald House). 4. Oversee the NRHH Civility Initiative Programming Grant and the corresponding application process. The NRHH Representative shall: 1.
2.
3.
4.
Serve as the official representative of the Golden Panther Chapter of NRHH at regional and national NACURH affiliated conferences. Act as the chapter’s voting member for all regional and national NRHH business meetings and boardroom sessions at NACURH affiliated conferences. Work with the RHA NCC to prepare Florida International University delegations for upcoming conferences. Attend the RHA Legislative Board meetings along with the President. Section III: Election and Term of Office 1. Election of officers shall be held in the spring semester. 2. The officers shall be elected by a simple majority of active members present. Members must be present at elections in order to vote. 3. The term of office shall be one academic year. 4. In the event of a resignation of an officer, an election may be held to fill the vacancy. 5. Active members and recently selected new members are eligible to hold an office provided they meet the requirements set forth in Article V Section I. Officers shall assume their responsibilities according to the transition timeline set forth by the current Executive Board or after the last General Body meeting of the spring semester. 6. Officers elected mid-­‐year will assume their responsibilities immediately upon installation. Section IV: Adviser The Golden Panther Chapter Adviser(s) shall be appointed by the Director of Residential Life. The Adviser(s) shall be responsible for the following duties: 1. Shall attend all meetings and events. 2. Shall meet with the President of the Golden Panther Chapter on a regular basis. 3. Shall provide support and guidance to the Executive Board and General Body members. 4. Shall be involved with all purchases and payments for the Golden Panther Chapter. Section V: Removal from Office An Executive Board Officer can only be removed by one of the following: 1. An Executive Board Officer may be impeached by a 2/3 vote through the formal impeachment process as outlined in Article V Section VI. 2. An Executive Board Officer may be dismissed if found responsible for a violation of the student code of conduct. The Adviser(s) will determine if dismissal of office is necessary when related to student conduct violations. 3. An Executive Board Officer will be placed on probation from their respective position for a semester if they fail to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the semester. If their GPA falls below a 2.5, they may be dismissed from office. The Adviser(s) will determine if probation or dismissal is necessary. 4. An Executive Board Officer may choose to formally resign. If resigning, the outgoing Officer should notify the Executive Board and General Body in writing of their resignation and last day of service. Section VI: Impeachment Procedures If an Executive Board Officer is being brought forward for impeachment consideration, the following procedure outlines the process: 1. Written justification must be provided for impeachment and provided to the Adviser(s). 2. The basis for impeachment of an Executive Board Officer shall be malfeasance, misfeasance, and/or nonfeasance. 3. Impeachment procedures shall begin with a 2/3 approval from the non-­‐charged Executive Board Officers. 4. If the Executive Board votes in favor of moving forward with the impeachment process, then the charged Executive Board Officer will be notified in writing by the Adviser(s). 5. Any Executive Board Officer who is informed of an impeachment hearing shall be given a chance to show just cause to stop the impeachment proceedings. 6. The NRHH General Body will serve as the formal hearing body. 7. The charges shall be brought forth to the General Body at a designated meeting, and the body will be notified in advance that impeachment proceedings will be held during that meeting. The charged Executive Board Officer will have a chance to present a formal rebuttal to the charges as well during the designated impeachment meeting. 8. All active members in attendance will be given one vote and a 2/3 majority will be needed to impeach an Executive Board Officer. 9. The outcome of the impeachment proceedings shall be reported to all NRHH members in writing within 48 hours of the vote. 10. Any Executive Board Officer who is impeached will have 48 hours to appeal the decision to the Adviser(s). 11. Any impeached person shall not hold another Executive Board Officer position within NRHH during the remaining academic year and the following academic year. Article VI: Meetings 1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter meetings shall be held as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. If deemed necessary, the President may call an emergency meeting. Executive Board member attendance shall be mandatory. General active members’ attendance shall be mandatory. Failure to attend these meetings can affect an active member’s status with the Golden Panther Chapter, as defined in Article III Section V. Alumni of any NRHH chapter as recognized by the NACURH Information Center (NIC) who are currently registered students are encouraged to attend meetings, but shall have no voting rights. Article VII: Of-­‐The-­‐Month (OTM) Awards The Golden Panther Chapter will submit Of-­‐The-­‐Month (OTM) campus winners for Regional consideration every month. Article VIII: Finances 1.
2.
3.
4.
The Golden Panther Chapter shall receive funding each semester from the Florida International University Residence Hall Association (RHA). The Golden Panther Chapter does not and will not charge fees or dues to its members. All funding proposals are submitted to the Vice President of Finance and approved by the Executive Board. Coordination of purchases is handled by the Vice President of Finance and Advisor(s). Article IX: Amendments to the Constitution Section 1: Procedures 1. Any active member may propose amendments. 2. All active members must receive proposed amendments at least one week prior to the meeting where voting on ratification of these amendments would take place. Section 2: Approval Amendments to the Constitution of this NRHH chapter may be made with the approval of two-­‐thirds (2/3) of the active membership present at the general business meeting where ratification of amendments will be voted on. Article X: Non-­‐Discrimination Clause The Golden Panther Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary shall not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, disability, or sexual orientation in the selection of its members or in its programs. Article XI: University Records The Golden Panther Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary shall maintain a list of current members, their e-­‐mail addresses, the name(s) of the required Adviser(s), and the most recent amended Constitution on file with the Office of Residential Life.