Our Fall 2005 Newsletter.

Published in the Student Government Publication Voices.

Bylaws of the 2006-2007 UCDems Executive Board

Amendments ratified 5/1/2006

Article I. Executive Board

Section I. Positions

The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Director of University Relations, the Public Relations Director, the Secretary, the Political Director, the Director of Campus Relations, the Events Coordinator, the Membership Director, and the Treasurer. All Executive Board Members shall have access to the UCDems listhost and any storage space allotted to UCDems. By a vote of a simple majority, the Executive Board may add or amend Executive Board positions and their duties. All Executive Board Members will receive one vote on any proposal brought before the board. In the case of a tie, the President will serve as the tiebreaking vote.

The core duties of each Executive Board position are as follows:

a. President

The President will be charged with the maintenance of the UCDems as a cohesive and effective organization on campus and in the community at large. The President will chair each Executive Board Meeting and General Meeting and will ensure that the duties of the Executive Board are being fulfilled. The President shall be the primary liaison between the UCDems and any elected officials, political candidates, and other prominent persons or organizations outside of the University that the Executive Board believes will assist the UCDems in completing its mission.

b. Public Relations Director

The Public Relations Director (PRD) shall be responsible for advertising events sponsored and co-sponsored by the UCDems and for maintaining the public face of the organization. The PRD will direct all publicity activities of the Advisory Board.

c. Secretary

The Secretary shall take minutes at all Meetings and shall convey those minutes to the General Membership. Should the Secretary be unable to attend any Meeting, he or she shall appoint a delegate to take minutes. The Secretary will maintain the calendar of the UCDems, notifying the Membership of upcoming events and ensuring that the UCDems website is updated.

d. Political Director

The Political Director shall be the primary liaison between the UCDems and the Administration of the University of Chicago, including but not limited to: ORCSA, the Office of the President, and the Dean of Students in the College. The Political Director shall also be responsible for maintaining a working relationship with relevant student organizations at the University of Chicago and at other colleges and universities. The Political Director shall ensure that a representative of the UCDems is present at meetings of other student organizations if and when the Executive Board feels it necessary.

e. Events Coordinator

The Events Coordinator, in conjunction with the rest of the Executive Board, shall be primarily responsible for organizing events run by the UCDems.

f. Membership Director

The Membership Director shall be responsible for maintaining and enlarging the membership of the UCDems, including outreach to First Years.

g. Treasurer

The Treasurer will be charged with all matters concerning the UCDems finances. Any Member who is organizing an event will be responsible for submitting a budget to SGFC. The Treasurer shall be the primary contact person for all financial matters and will report on the status of UCDems finances at each Meeting. All money raised shall be deposited into the UCDems ORCSA account. The Treasurer shall coordinate and oversee any fundraising activities that the Executive Board sees fit to initiate.

While each Executive Board Member shall have specific and distinct duties, fulfilling the goals of the organization is the responsibility of the Executive Board as a whole, and so the Executive Board shall endeavor to spread responsibilities in order to best accomplish those goals.

Section II. Committees

Any Executive Board Member, should they feel it beneficial to the completion of their individual duties or the general goals of the UCDems, may convene both ad hoc and permanent Committees which shall be under the direction of that Executive Board Member.

Section III. Webmaster

The Webmaster shall be either a member of the Executive Board or of the General Membership charged with the maintenance and expansion of the UCDems Website. The Webmaster will post all agendas and minutes on the UCDems Website within a reasonable time, and will seek to improve the accessibility and features of the Website at the behest of the Executive Board.

Section IV. Elections

Any Member wishing to run for a position on the Executive Board must declare his or her candidacy at least one week prior to the elections by notification of the current Executive Board. Declarations of candidacy may be made by proxy. At the meeting in which elections are held, each candidate will be allotted two minutes with which to address the membership. No current Executive Board Member shall endorse or publicly favor any candidate for any office. When each candidate has spoken voting will be conducted by secret ballot. The candidate receiving a plurality of votes will be declared the winner and will hold the position to which he or she has been elected until the next year’s elections. Candidates may run for as many positions as desired, but may only hold one position at the conclusion of the elections. The positions shall be voted upon in the order they are defined above, starting with President and ending with Treasurer.

Section V. Quorum

A quorum of Executive Board members must be present to approve any funding requests from the UCDems Treasury or ORCSA account, any co-sponsoring requests or any endorsement requests. Alternatively, if the Secretary receives approval of a given request from a majority of the Executive Board outside of a meeting, that request shall be granted.