Constitution:

Article I - Name

The Name of this Organization shall be the Political Science Students Association and shall herein be referred to as the PSSA or the organization.

Article II - Purpose

It is the intention of the PSSA to facilitate interaction and familiarity between declared and undeclared Columbia College Political Science majors and concentrators, on the one hand, and the Political Science Department faculty, on the other.  This purpose is founded upon the principle that both students and professors benefit from greater familiarity and interaction with one another.

It is also the intention of the PSSA to provide relevant information to declared and undeclared Political Science majors and concentrators regarding further involvement in the subjects and organizations that interest them as students of Political Science or to which the faculty of the Political Science Department is connected.

To these ends, the PSSA shall endeavor to encourage student/faculty communication and cooperation through various programs and events carried out over the course of the academic year.

Article III - Membership

The PSSA shall be structured in order to encourage maximum individual involvement in the organization, regardless of a member's official class, title or rank.  We shall presume that all members will contribute out of a sense of both duty and enthusiasm and will solicit member input whenever possible.

The following clauses regarding membership are not open to amendment:

1.     The membership of the PSSA is open to Columbia undergraduates and students of all affiliated colleges.

2.     Membership is confirmed by one or more of the following:
                    a. Election to the PSSA executive board
                    b. Declaration of the Political Science major
                    c. Placement on the membership list prior to major declaration

Article IV - Structure and Responsibilities of the Executive Board

Section 1 - Purpose

This Article hereby establishes the Executive Board of the PSSA and enumerates its responsibilities.  If any Executive Board member does not adhere to the rules, regulations and responsibilities set forth in this Article, the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, may ask the member to leave the Board.

Section 2 - Meetings

The Executive Board of the PSSA shall hold regular meetings at least once a week during the academic year.  Executive Board meetings shall be structured in a way that encourages input from every Board member.  One Board meeting every month shall be open to the academic community at large.  Pursuant to Article III, Executive Board members shall demonstrate exceptional commitment to the PSSA and are therefore expected to attend all meetings and shall not miss more than three during the academic year.

Section 3 - Officers

The Executive Board shall consist of the following positions:

1.     President.  The President shall call the meetings of the Executive Board and of the general body.  He or she shall determine the agenda for and preside over all such meetings.  He or she shall maintain the Internet list-serve, through which the membership of the PSSA may be notified of meetings and events.

2.     Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall maintain close contact with the President and serve as a proxy should the President be unable to perform his or her duties.  The Vice-President shall keep careful records of meeting agendas, minutes of the meetings, and the meeting and event schedule of the PSSA.  At the beginning of every Executive Board meeting, the President shall call upon the Vice-President to provide an update of the Board's monthly schedule.  He or she shall, by the morning following each meeting, provide all members of the Executive Board with an overview of the prior meeting's minutes. Weekly e-newsletters will be his/her responsibility.

3.     Secretary.  The Secretary shall inform the Webmaster of upcoming PSSA events and general body meetings, while giving the Webmaster adequate time for him or her to update the website.  The Secretary liaise with other clubs and organizations both on and off campus.  It is the Secretary's duty to create flyers for events and meetings as needed and to allocate advertising and marketing responsibilities.

4.     Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall maintain an account ledger on expenditures to date, create budget proposals as needed, and maintain strong and friendly relations with the Student Development and Activities (SDA) board.  At Executive Board meetings, immediately following the Vice-President's update on the monthly schedule, the Treasurer shall inform the Executive Board of the account balance to date.

5.     Sub-Field Representatives.  Each Sub-Field Representative shall plan and oversee at least one event individually each semester and shall plan one Major Advising Event each semester in tandem.  Sub-Field Representatives shall liaise with professors and have strong knowledge of the course offerings in their respective sub-fields.  There shall be one Representative for each of the following sub-fields:
                      a. American Politics
                      b. International Relations
                      c. Comparative Politics
                      d. Political Theory
                      e. Economics-Political Science

6.     Underclass Representatives.  Underclass Representatives shall plan one event in tandem for each semester as well as plan a New Majors Social in the spring semester.  Underclass Representatives shall liaise with the First Year/Sophomore Academic Advising Center (FYSAAC) and book rooms for PSSA events as needed.  There shall be one Representative for each of the following classes:
                       a. Sophomore (Second-Year)
                       b. Freshman (First-Year)

7.     Webmaster.  The Webmaster shall be in charge of updating the PSSA website in a timely manner.  This includes, but is not limited to, posting upcoming events and body meetings, as well as links to relevant sources of information. 

Executive Board members shall attend at least seventy-five percent of PSSA events in accordance with their academic course schedules.

Section 4 - Elections

Election Procedure

The electorate shall be comprised of the current Executive Board of the PSSA.  A candidate for a position on the Executive Board must receive more than fifty percent of the votes of those present.  If no candidate receives more than fifty percent in the election for any position, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a run-off.  Members of the Executive Board may participate as candidates in the election.

No one member of the PSSA, confirmed or otheriwse, may hold more than one of the offices listed in Section 3 of Article IV.

Resignation-The procedure for resignation by a member of the Executive Board of his or her office is initiated by the submission of a letter addressed to the Executive Board of the PSSA, delivered at or prior to a meeting of the Executive Board.  A meeting of the Executive Board may be called for this purpose and requires the attendance of at least half of the Executive Board members.  In the case of resignation, the remaining members of the Executive Board shall call a General Meeting of all Executive Board members and candidates, and initiate an immediate electoral procedure to fill the vacant position within 2 weeks following the resigning officer's leave.