Clark University Speakers Forum

 

Charter

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Speakers Forum

Amended 9/22/2008

 

Speakers Forum brings an eclectic group of speakers, both with and without significant name recognition, to give entertaining and/or informative lectures on the Clark University Campus. Speakers Forum is open to sponsoring events with other student groups that fit with the mission of Speakers Forum.

                 The speakers that Speakers Forum brings to speakers to Clark to discuss a diverse array of topics throughout the academic year. In some cases these speakers will present uncommon or unpopular views on the topics they discuss. Speakers Forum will not ever use its full budget on one speaker, as this will prevent the organization from bringing a large variety of Speakers that present a diversity of viewpoints on an eclectic group of topics. Furthermore, Speakers Forum will not limit itself to bringing Speakers that are expected to attract a large audience, as this may hinder the bringing of speakers on such an array of issues. However, Speakers Forum is committed to bringing a least two Speakers each year that are expected to draw a large audience, as determined by Speakers Forum.

 

 

Bylaw 124                  

Be it enacted by the Clark University Student Council that all Student Council recognized organizations receiving funding from the Student Activities Fund must:

 

Sec 1a          Be open to membership to all members if the Clark Undergraduate Student Body, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or handicap.

 

Sec 1b          Be continuously available for additional membership, activities, and participation by all members of the Clark Undergraduate Community.

 

Sec 1c          Have an Executive Board.

 

Sec 2a          Open and widely publicize all organizational meetings and events, and activities that the organizations hold, sponsor, or co-sponsor (excluding the Spree Day Committee).

 

Sec 2b          Allow events and activities held, sponsored, or co-sponsored to be open for the participation of all members of the Clark Undergraduate Student Body regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or handicap.

 

Sec 3a          Submit one (1) copy of its charter, if changed to the Judiciary Committee of the Student Council for approval by that committee.

 

Sec 3b          Submit one (1) copy of all executive board changes, as necessary, with updated contact information to the Judiciary Committee of the Student Council.

 

Sec 3c          Keep on file for their reference, and the reference of their members, a copy of their charter.

 

Sec 4            Notify the Student Council Secretary in writing at least one week in advance of any organizational elections for the purpose of openly and widely publicizing the said elections.

 

Sec 5            Have an advisor; said advisor can not be an undergraduate student.

 

Sec 6            Failure to comply with any portion of this bylaw will be cause for an organization to be considered ineligible for SAF funding.

 

Section 1: Membership

Membership in Speakers Forum is open to all undergraduate students at Clark University, regardless of sex, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual orientation, or handicap.

 

Any undergraduate student may become a voting member of Speakers Forum by attending three (3) Speakers Forum meetings. On the fourth Speakers Forum meeting attended by a student, that student becomes a voting member of Speakers Forum and is eligible to cast one (1) vote in any Speakers Forum vote or election.

 

A voting member will lose their voting status if they miss more than three (3) consecutive meetings, with the exception of E-Board members, who have to be formally removed.

 

A voting member who studies abroad will regain their voting status at the first Speakers Forum meeting that student attends upon their return to studies at the main Clark campus in Worcester, MA.

3b. Automatic loss of voting rights may be reversed by a simple majority vote at the meeting that a member would lose his/her voting rights.

 

All students are invited to attend meetings and suggest speaker ideas, formally make a proposal, or seek co-sponsorship. Only undergraduate students who have attained voting member status are eligible to vote on any proposal.

 

At the end of each academic year, any voting member may run for and/or vote for any member to fill the five (5) Executive Board positions in the following academic year. The Executive Board will include a president, a vice president, a treasurer, a publicity director, and a secretary.

 

 The date of the aforementioned election will be determined by the current president, and will be announced during the preceding Speakers Forum meeting and to all Speakers Forum members by email prior to the actual election.  The announcement and email will also outline the format of the election as determined by the President and agreed upon by a simple majority of the E-Board.

  

In the event that a full eboard can not be elected at the end of the year, the newly-elected eboard members will serve as the full eboard, until the third meeting of Speakers Forum in the following academic year, where new voting members can run in a special election to fill any vacant e-board positions.

 

A member of the Executive Board may be removed from office by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the voting body present, excluding the member in question. The member in question must be given one week’s time to defend him/herself before a vote on impeachment may take place.  Both the person who proposed the vote or their representative and the defendant will be given an equal and fair chance to state their cases before the vote takes place.

 

Section 2: Meetings

Speakers Forum will meet weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the need for meetings, as determined by the current president of Speakers Forum

 

Meeting times will be determined at the beginning of the academic year by the full E-Board, and then publicized by email.

 

 

 

 

Section 3: Proposals and Voting

A meeting will be considered to have quorum if three fifths (3/5) of total voting members are present at that meeting. In the event the quorum cannot be achieved at a given meeting, that meeting may take place, but no binding votes may be held.