SOL Constitution

Fully updated SOL constitution can be found here

Last Known Version: 7/23/2016.

Constitution

Article I

Name

The name of the organization shall be the Columbia University Student Organization of Latinos, otherwise known as SOL.

Article II

Purpose

The purpose for which Student Organization of Latinos is formed is herein stated:

A) SOL seeks to foster and empower the existing Latino/Latin American identities on campus in an effort to celebrate and strengthen the Latino Community at Columbia University. To accomplish this, SOL’s actions will abide by four principles: support, inform, unite and connect. We are dedicated to improving communication amongst Latino students and Latino Student Groups. This communication will encourage the open sharing of resources amongst Latino student groups and ultimately promote the events, programs, and initiatives these student groups host each year.

B) Student Organization of Latinos Commitments:

  1. In order to support, inform, unite and connect Columbia’s existing Latino/Latin American identities SOL will commit to the following actions:
  1. Weekly emailed newsletters and updated community calendar that work to increase awareness of campus happenings
  2. Monthly constituency meetings
  3. Hosting 2 major events per semester
  4. Co-sponsorship

Article III

Membership

A) Executive Board Membership is open to all Columbia University students and affiliates, including alumni/ae and graduate students, who identify with the Latino/Latin American experience and who demonstrate a willingness to further the constituency’s aims.

B) Executive Board Membership shall not be denied on the grounds of religion, race, ethnicity, political views/affiliation, or sexual orientation.

C) Executive Board Members shall be encouraged to contribute ideas and actively participate in the development and implementation of all programming.

D) Students and affiliates interested in becoming Executive Board Members must go through the election procedure discussed in Article IX.  

Article IV

Officers and Duties

Only the following members are allowed to vote on internal board decisions or Constitutional changes. The officers (executive board members) of SOL shall consist of:

A) Co-Chairs

1. The two Co-Chairs shall preside over all meetings and may only vote at the end of an election.

2. The Co-Chairs shall be the main contacts representing SOL.

3. The Co-Chairs shall oversee all chairs of committees.

4. The Co-Chairs shall promote minority recruitment and shall maintain active networks with other student organizations on campus, especially but not limited to students of color organizations.

5. The Co-Chairs shall commit themselves to dedicating themselves to furthering the mission of SOL.

6. The Co-Chairs shall work alongside with the Treasurer in creating the SOL budget.

7. The Co-Chairs shall be the main point of contact between Columbia University Administration and SOL.

B) Treasurer

1. The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all funds received and spent by SOL.

2. The treasurer shall make monthly reports to the SOL Executive Board.

3. The treasurer shall make a budget proposal each semester.

4. The treasurer is responsible for making budget appeals to the Activities Board at Columbia.

5. The treasurer shall host a budget making workshop at the beginning of the year, immediately after Treasurer’s training, so that Treasurer’s duties can be shared amongst the board throughout the year.

6. The treasurer shall work alongside the co-chairs to create the annual SOL budget.

7. The treasurer shall ensure that before he/she leaves the position, there is a budget allocation for the following academic year in place.

C) Secretary

  1. The Secretary shall take minutes of each meeting and make them accessible to the Executive Board via email as well as to Latino constituents and organizations upon request.
  2. The Secretary shall maintain an organized weekly newsletter that is sent out to SOL members, as well as those interested in remaining informed on the Latino / Latin American happenings on campus.
  3. The Secretary shall assist anyone in charge of reserving meeting space.

4. The Secretary shall establish and maintain a constituent email list.

5. The Secretary shall be in charge of the Community Calendar which will include all upcoming events in the community. The Secretary shall be in charge of ensuring the accessibility of the Community Calendar to all constituents.

6. The Secretary shall work closely with the Co-Chairs on pre-calendaring each semester.

D) External Relations Board

The External Relations Board shall consist of an Alumni Chair, a Graduate Chair, a Multi-Cultural Greek Life Chair, a Cultural Chair, a Preprofessional Chair, and a Social Justice/Identity Chair. All External Relations Board Members shall have the following responsibilities:

  1. Establishing a relationship with the designated organizations they will be representing.
  2. Maintaining contact with their designated organizations via email and in-person meetings.
  3. Updating the SOL Executive Board about information and news relating to their designated organizations on a weekly basis during Executive Board meetings. This information and news includes but is not limited to:
  1. Events that the organizations are having and how SOL can support these events.
  2. Concerns the organizations may have regarding current events on and off campus and how SOL can help with addressing these concerns.  
  3. Initiatives that these organizations may be trying to lead and how SOL can support these initiatives.

Alumni Chair

The Alumni Chair shall establish and maintain a relationship with Latino Alumni Association of Columbia University, otherwise known as LAACU.  

Graduate Chair

The Graduate Chair shall establish and maintain a relationship with Latino organizations that are from Columbia University affiliated Graduate Schools.

Muli-Cultural Greek Life Chair (MCGLC)

The MCGLC shall establish and maintain a relationship with Columbia University affiliated sororities and fraternities that self-identify as multi-cultural.

Cultural Chair

The Cultural Chair shall establish and maintain a relationship with Columbia University affiliated organizations whose mission pertains to representing and celebrating Latino culture in the Columbia community.  

Pre-professional Chair

The Pre-professional Chair shall establish and maintain a relationship with Columbia University affiliated organizations whose mission pertains to preparing Latinos and/or minorities for their professional careers.  

Social Justice/Identity Chair

The Social Justice/Identity Chair shall establish and maintain a relationship with Columbia University affiliated organizations whose mission pertains to advocating for Latinos and/or minorities.

E) Publicity Chair

  1. The Publicity Chair shall develop and implement strategies that promote SOL’s mission.
  2. The Publicity Chair shall be responsible for advertising all events that SOL hosts via flyers, emails, and all of SOL’s social media platforms.
  3. The Publicity Chair shall also be responsible for handling any other advertising requests from other organizations.  

F) First-Year Representatives

1. The First-Year Representatives shall be elected in the fall semester following executive board elections, no later than the end of October.

2. The First-Year Representatives shall be responsible for maintaining communication with the First-Year class and SOL.

3. The First-Year Representatives shall select another member of the executive board to work closely with on projects throughout the year, based on their interest.

4. There can be up to two First-Year Representatives.

Article V

SOL Weekly Newsletter

In order to continue the aims of SOL and to create a Latino/Latin American presence at Columbia University, weekly newsletters will be sent out to SOL members and those who have agreed to give SOL their contact information and the guidelines for such newsletters are herein stated:

  1. The primary purpose for the SOL Weekly Newsletter is to prepare a central body of information that will include relevant events/discussions occurring on campus, as well as highlights of those events held by members of the greater Diaspora of students of color.
  1. It is the responsibility of the SOL secretary to create an organized and informative newsletter on a weekly basis.
  2. The date of the newsletter will be every Saturday afternoon with final submission requests to be given by Friday evening in order to allow for a timely delivery.

Article VI

SOL Constituency Meeting

In order to meet the mission of the organization and to create a Latino/Latin American presence at Columbia University, constituency meetings will be held on a monthly basis and the guidelines for such meetings are herein stated:

  1. The primary purpose for the Constituency meetings is to create a sense of family and camaraderie among students interested in learning more about the Latino/Latin American identity, community and culture, and to further communication between existing organizations. SOL will serve a supportive role All members of the Latino/Latin American community, especially presidents and group representatives are invited to participate in this “check-in” setting meant to open doors of communication and collaboration.

  1. The Structure and objectives of the SOL Constituency meetings are as follows:

  1. Meetings will be conducted in an open agenda fashion
  2. Some potential areas of address are:
  • To learn how organizations can better assist one another
  • Allow new members of the community to become involved
  • Provide easy access to OMA Pre-Calendaring requests
  • and to address issues of concern that may be occurring on campus
  1. The Constituency meetings shall be held monthly on a regular basis
  2. Each Constituency meeting will be facilitated by a member of the SOL Executive Board in collaboration with SOL’s advisor to provide organization and efficiency
  3. All SOL members and affiliated community members are encouraged to participate in meetings and any resulting committees in order to contribute to the growth of this and other organizations
  4. Should an emergency occur, SOL will seek act quickly as possible in order to reserve a space for and plan an emergency meeting.
  • A emergency shall encompass, but is not limited to, the following descriptions:
  1. It calls for a meaningful response from all organizations.
  2. If one Latino group needs support.
  3. If it is an issue that affects the majority of Latino Organizations.

Article VII

SOL Semester Events

In order to remain conscious of the mission of SOL and to continue fostering growth and unity within the Latino/Latin American presence at Columbia University, SOL agrees to hold two to three events a semester and the guidelines for such events are herein stated:

  1. The primary purpose for hosting SOL Semester Events is meant to specifically target community building in order to empower and strengthen the friendships and bonds within the Latino community.
  1. It is the responsibility of every SOL executive board member to collaborate together and develop a successful plan of action for each event chosen to be held.
  2. Events may take the form of any or more of the following:
  1. Welcome Reception
  2. Publication
  3. Informative Panel
  4. Musical Showcase
  5. End of the year banquet
  6. Community service initiative

Article VIII

SOL Co-Sponsorships

In order to maintain a relationship with related organizations and to demonstrate continued support for their endeavors, SOL will allocate a portion of its yearly budget specifically to monetary co-sponsorship and the guidelines for such actions are herein stated:

  1. The primary purpose for the SOL Co-Sponsorships is to provide both monetary and non-monetary support to those events/activities/initiatives developed by any organization that has similar missions for Columbia’s student body
  1. It is the responsibility of the treasurer to maintain record of any co-sponsorship given
  2. It is the responsibility of the treasurer to respond to the requesting organization on SOL’s final decision to either co-sponsor or not
  3. It is the responsibility of any requesting organization to properly fill out a co-sponsorship request form (to be created / revised each new academic year) and to submit this request to the executive board via email or handed in submission

Article IX

Election Procedures

A)  Elections for the executive board of SOL of the following academic year shall take place at the end of the second semester of the previous academic year.

B) Applications for office on the executive board of SOL must be submitted to the SOL executive board by the deadline specified.

C) Applicants for the position of Co-Chair of SOL must have held previous office on the executive board of SOL for at least one semester.

D) Every organization that would like to be represented in SOL elections shall name one member to represent their organization during the election. This member shall be entitled to vote during the election.

E) Every Executive Board Member of SOL from the current term shall be entitled to vote during the election.    

G) Any participant entitled to vote may cast only one vote for each office for any candidate. No proxy votes shall be permitted.

H) On the day of election, each candidate shall speak briefly and present their platform to the voters present as well as the Latino constituents present. Time will be allotted for the candidates to respond to questions. After all of the speeches, voting will take place.

I) Officers of SOL shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast for that office by eligible voters.

J) Votes shall be publicly counted.

K) In the case of a tie, those candidates for which the number of votes are tied both fill the position in question as co-chairs for that academic year.

L) The First-Year Representatives shall be elected by SOL’s Executive Board.

Article VIII

Maintaining Office in the Executive Board

A) An officer shall hold only one elected position in SOL per academic year.

B) Attendance at executive board meetings is mandatory; if officer cannot attend, or will be late to an executive board meeting he/she shall notify the board at least 24 hours in advance.

C) Recurring absences of officers at executive board meetings shall be grounds for formal impeachment by the board.

D) An officer must fulfill the duties stipulated within the constitution and those agreed upon by the rest of the executive board.

Article IX

Impeachment Procedures

A) If an officer does not fulfill his or her duties, as stated in Article II, or fails to uphold the constitution of SOL, he or she is subject to impeachment.

B) Formal motions of impeachment of an officer shall be made at a SOL executive board meeting. The individual in question shall be notified of the meeting for the impeachment proceedings.

C) The officers moving to impeach and the officer in question shall present their respective arguments and cases before the executive board.

D) After discussion, the Executive Board of SOL shall then vote on the motion. In order for the motion pass, three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Board is required.

Article X

Unexpected Vacancies

A) If at any point in the first semester of the academic year a vacancy is created on the Executive Board, then elections shall take place as soon as possible to fill the vacancy.

B) If a vacancy is created during the second semester, then the Executive Board will appoint a replacement for the remainder of the year.

C) The election for filling a vacancy shall preside under the same guidelines set forth in Article V.

D) Officers of SOL voluntarily resigning shall submit a written resignation two weeks prior to date of exit.

Article XI

Amendments

This Constitution may be altered, amended, repealed or otherwise changed by a two-thirds majority vote of a quorum at the meeting following the proposed change, or, if necessary, a special meeting called for such purpose.

 (Revised Constitution: 2014-2015)