Constitution
The constitution of an organization contains the fundamental principles
which govern its operation. A constitution will serve to clarify
the organization's purpose, outline its basic structure, and provide
a cornerstone for building an effective organization. It will
also allow members and potential members to have a better understanding
of what the organization is all about and how it functions.
The following is an outline of the standard
information to be included in a constitution. The objective is
to draft a document that covers these topics in a simple, clear, and
concise manner. Include the date when the document is adopted/revised.
| Article I |
The name of the organization. (Do
not use "Texas Tech" or "Red Raiders".) |
| Article II* |
The purpose of the organization |
| Article III* |
The requirements of membership;
include the selection, rights and responsibilities, resignation,
dues, and expulsion procedures of members. (Active members must
be enrolled students.) |
| Article IV* |
A list of officers, terms of office,
description or responsibilities; include provisions for vacancies
of offices, methods of election of officers, election
procedures, time of election. |
| Article V |
Regular meeting time, provisions
for calling special meetings, and what constitutes a quorum
at a meeting. |
| Article VI* |
State any present or intended relation
the organization may have to any other local, state, or national
organization. |
| Article VII* |
Proposed activities |
| Article VIII |
Structure of the executive committee,
description of standing committees, committee responsibilities,
and method of member selection. |
| Article IX* |
Selection procedure of advisor and
advisor’s responsibilities (At least one advisor must be a full-time
faculty/staff member of Texas Tech University). |
| Article X |
Accepting rules of order, such as
Robert’s Rules of Order-Newly Revised |
| Article XI |
Requirements for adopting amendments |
*The Student Affairs Handbook requires an organization’s constitution
to address these issues: purpose, membership selection, intended
relationships, officer list, proposed activities, and advisor selection.