PREAMBLE:

In the future, daily life will require a knowledge and familiarity with multimedia technology. The Digital Media Society will prepare Columbia students to embrace new technology and stand at the forefront of a field expanding beyond the limits of imagination. The Digital Media Society will create multimedia awareness among all Columbia students and usher them into a high-tech era.

ARTICLE I - Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Digital Media Society hereafter referred to as DMS.

Section 2. The officers of Digital Media Society shall make up the Executive Board of Digital Media Society, hereafter referred to as the 'Board.'

ARTICLE II - Purpose

Section 1. The DMS's objectives are:

1. create campus awareness about the field of multimedia
2. foster and showcase animation/design talent of students
3. conduct seminars on advancing media (WWW, internet, etc.)

Section 2. The Executive Board shall ensure that all club activities and projects further the above stated objectives.

ARTICLE III - Membership

Section 1. The requirements of membership are to be determined each year by the Board.

Section 2. Only members who are undergraduate students in Barnard College, Columbia College, or the School of Engineering and Applied Science may vote or hold office.

Section 3. The privileges and responsibilities of membership are to be determined each year by the Board at the start of the school year.

Section 4. Membership may be revoked by a 2/3rd vote of the Board due to failure to fulfill the privileges and responsibilities of membership.

ARTICLE IV - Meetings and Procedures

Section 1. The Board shall decide each year when meetings are held. There is to be at least one meeting per week.

Section 2. All club policies require the approval of the Board by either a majority or consensus vote.

ARTICLE V - The Officer Board

Section 1. The organization shall have the following officers: president (or co-presidents), vice president, administrative chair, and treasurer.

Section 2. Duties of the officers are outlined below but may be altered by the Board as need arises

Section 3. President (or Co-presidents) -The president will act as the chief executive of the organization and will be the individual most accountable for the operations of the organizations and all its members acting under the auspices of the organization. S/he will have the responsibility of enforcing the Constitution and the Bylaws. The duties and obligations of the president shall include the following:

1. The president shall be present at all organizational meetings, except in extenuating circumstances. The president has the right to preside over the Officer Board, and any other committee s/he wishes to preside.
2. The president shall represent Digital Media Society in all official functions outside the organization. The president has the right to designate a replacement from the membership to that function with the approval of the Officer Board.
3. The president shall be responsible for initiating and maintaining relations with organizations inside and outside of the Columbia community.

Section 4. Vice President -

The vice president shall act as the second officer of the organization and will have the primary responsibility of assisting the president. The duties and obligations of the vice president shall include the following:

1. The vice president shall be present at every organizational meeting except in extenuating circumstances.
2. The vice president shall preside over meetings and assume all respective responsibilities, if and when the president cannot. In cases where the president specifically declares the s/he cannot fulfill the duties of her/his office, the vice president shall assume all the powers of the president only when the president specifically delegates those powers to the vice president.
3. The vice president shall ensure that all activities and meetings held under the auspices of the organization are properly advertised to the public. For this purpose, the vice president will be in charge of the publicity committee.
4. The vice president shall also be responsible for maintaining communication between current members and alumni. In order to achieve this end, the vice president shall work in conjunction with the administrative chair to establish an alumni data base network.

Section 5. Administrative Chair - The Administrative Chair will be in charge of accessing communication between the members and alumni, and keeping records resting of all Digital Media Society activities and members. The duties and obligations of the Administrative Chair shall include the following:

1. The administrative chair shall be present at every organizational meeting except in extenuating circumstances.
2. The administrative chair shall be in charge of keeping archives of all the records resting from Digital Media Society activities and meetings. This includes taking attendance of weekly Digital Media Society meetings.
3. The administrative chair shall be in charge of the production of the Digital Media Society newsletter. In accordance with the chair's discretion, an additional person or staff can be appointed to its publication.
4. The administrative chair has the power to conduct meetings, if the president and vice president cannot be present.

Section 6. Treasurer -

The treasurer shall be responsible for the financial well-being of the organization. The duties and obligations of the treasurer shall include the following:

1. The treasurer shall be present at every organizational meeting except in extenuating circumstances.
2. The treasurer shall keep separate financial records of activities conducted under the auspices of the organization. The treasurer shall record any transactions that affect those accounts.
3. The treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues and any other funds which are owed to Digital Media Society.
4. The treasurer and the president shall have the power of disbursement. Any payment that Digital Media Society owes shall be endorsed by the treasurer/president. No other Officers shall have the power to disburse Digital Media Society funds. Any requests for financial compensation or donation must be submitted in writing to the treasurer. The treasurer shall keep all such financial records on file until the end of the year financial report is filed.
5. The treasurer shall keep records of any material possessions or other holdings of the organization.

ARTICLE VI- Electing the Officer Board

Section 1. Elections shall be held after spring break in the beginning of April of every academic year in order to ensure a smooth transition from one Officer Board to the next.

Section 2. In order to be eligible to run for office, the candidate must have been a full member for at least one semester.

Section 3. Nominations shall be made until a deadline a to be determined by the current Board. Nominations must receive two seconds.

Section 4. Election procedure

1. One officer not running for reelection and a neutral member appointed by the Officer Board will count the ballots.
2. The current president shall preside over the meeting. If the president is running for another office, then the vice president shall run the meeting.
3. All results will be announced at the conclusion of the election.
4. A member may run for one office. There will be no limit to the number of times that an officer may run for reelection.

ARTICLE VII- Removal and Resignation of Officers

Section 1. Any member at a meeting may propose to remove an officer. A special meeting time will be set at which the reasons for removal will be discussed and a vote will be held.

1. Removal of the president requires a vote of three out of four officers and three-fourths of the entire membership.
2. Any other officer requires three-fourths of the entire membership.

Section 2. Any officer shall have the right to resign from office upon a submission of a letter to the president.

ARTICLE VIII- Appointments

Section 1. Upon the vacancy of an office, the president may appoint a replacement with the majority vote of the Officer Board.

Section 2. Upon the vacancy of a committee head position, the appropriate officer may appoint a replacement with the majority vote of the Officer Board.

ARTICLE IX- Committees

Section 1. Any officer may propose to form a special committee for a designated time period to carry through a specific function associated with the DMS's purpose.

1. A majority vote by the Officer Board is required for the formation of this committee.
2. The officer under whose auspices the committee falls shall nominate the committee head.
3. The committee head must be approved by a majority vote of the officer board.

Section 2. The committee head shall be responsible for all actions of committee members when acting on behalf of the club. The head must ensure that all committee actions mesh with the desired goals of the Officer Board and is ultimately responsible to the officer under whom the committee falls.

ARTICLE X- By-Laws

Section 1. By-laws of the club shall be determined each year by the Officer Board by the third week of September and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the membership.

Section 2. Any member may propose to amend or repeal a by-law with a two-thirds vote of the membership.

ARTICLE XI- Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1. Any member may propose to amend or repeal part of the Constitution with a two thirds vote of the membership.

ARTICLE XII- Ratification

Section 1. This constitution shall be established by a vote of three-fourths majority of the membership of the organization.