Revised Constitution
of the
Student Technologies Association
Miami Dade College

Preamble

 We, the members of the Student Technologies Association, establish this organization to provide Miami Dade College students with a forum for discussing and sharing their ideas, knowledge, and enthusiasm for computers and applied technologies.

Article I:  Name

The title of the organization shall be STUDENT TECHNOLOGIES ASSOCIATION (the "Organization"), a student organization chartered by Miami Dade College (the "College"), under the Laws of the State of Florida.  

Article II:  Objectives

Section 1:        Organization formed for the following purposes:

a.         to provide a vehicle for the development and enhancement of students’ computer and technological skills beyond the class room;

b.         to provide a forum for members to exchange ideas and discuss problems related to the use of computing technology.

c.         to provide an opportunity for students who share a common interest in computers and other technologies to congregate, associate, socialize and perform community activities;

d.         to explore emerging technologies in computers, programming, engineering, Internet technologies, artificial intelligence, graphics, animation, information technologies and other computer sciences and arts;

e.         to promote the positive uses of computer technologies within the College and the community.

Section 2:        Mission Statement

It is the Mission of the Organization to promote and support a community of computer enthusiasts at Miami Dade College by providing a forum for associating with like-minded individuals; hosting interesting speakers and events; maintaining an informative and educational web site; providing the opportunity for students and members of the technology community to congregate; providing community service in areas of technology and motivating members to volunteer; providing a synergetic convergence of resources, talent and assets to advance the positive application of computers and related technologies; and fostering good will and passion in the pursuit of professional excellence.

Article III:  Membership

Section 1:        Eligibility

All students and faculty of the College who are interested in computers shall be eligible for membership. Persons joining the Organization must abide by this Constitution, its By-laws and Rules, Roberts Rules of Order, College policies, and Local, State and Federal laws. Benefits of membership include an e-mail copy of the Organization's newsletter (paper copies will be provided upon request if a member doesn't have e-mail or web access), and notices. Other benefits include voting rights, invitations to events and activities sponsored by the Organization, and a listing on the membership roster on the web site. Members must register with the Organization each year to keep their memberships active.

Section 2:        Classes Of Membership

There shall be four classes of membership: General, Associate, Faculty, and Patron.

a.         General Members are students enrolled at Miami Dade College, in good academic standing, at the time of becoming a member.

b.         Associates are members who are former students who wish to participate in the Organization's activities; a former student is an individual who has graduated from the College, or who has taken a credit course at the College within the past year.

c.         Faculty members are current and former employees of the College.

d.         Patrons are those members who provide financial or other support to the Organization and whose participation is approved by the Board of Directors and College policy; and the benefits of Patron membership shall be determined by act of the Board.

Section 3:        Membership Rights and Responsibilities

Members shall have all of the rights and privileges conferred by the Organization, the College and Student Life, including but not limited to: the right to participate in the Organization and its Special Interest Groups’ events and activities; the right to be heard in the proper forum and receive due process; and fair access to the Organization's facilities and resources. Each member of the organization shall be entitled to one vote provided, however, Faculty, Associate and Patron members shall not be entitled to vote in the elections of officers, or in the adoption or amendment of the Constitution or By-laws. All members are required to attend meetings on a regular basis; participate in the election of officers and the decision-making process; and conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner consistent with the Organization's principles, College policy and applicable laws. Members are also expected to participate in all fundraisers by donating their time and effort.

Article IV:  Officers and Duties

Section 1:        The Officers of this organization shall be:

a.         President
b.         Vice-President
c.         Secretary
d.         Treasurer
e.         Three (3) General Members of the Board of Directors, who shall serve as Standing Committee Chairpersons

These officers shall comprise the Board of Directors who shall conduct the day to day business of the Organization. Four directors shall constitute a quorum and it shall require a vote of not less than four directors to approve resolutions and transact business.

Section 2:        Duties of Officers

a.         Officers shall attend all Board meetings and endeavor to attend all Membership Meetings.

b.         The President shall: preside at all meetings, and conduct the same according to the rules adopted; enforce the Constitution and By-laws; decide all questions of order; sign all official documents adopted by the Organization; and perform all other customary duties pertaining to the office of president.

c.         The Vice-President shall assume all the duties of the President in his absence. The Vice-President may also take over the duties of another office in the absence of the office's holder. The Vice President will also serve as the representative of members who are night students.

d.         The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings, keep a roll of members, carry on all correspondence, and read communications at each meeting. The secretary must maintain a copy of this Constitution, the By-law's and Robert's Rules of Order. The secretary will send a copy of the meeting minutes and membership attendance to the president and post same on the Organization's web site. At the end of his/her term, the secretary shall turn over all Organization records, property and other items to his/her successor.

e.         The Treasurer shall receive and receipt all money paid to the Organization, receive, control and administer other assets, keep an accurate account of all cash flow, pay bills if properly authorized by the Organization or the President and at least one other officer, and shall create an itemized statement of disbursements and receipts for distribution to the membership at the end of the year. The treasurer must conform to the rules, regulations and reporting requirements of Student Life and the College regarding Organization's funds, and regularly publish these records on the Organization's web site. At the expiration of his/her term, the treasurer shall turn over all Organization records, property and other items to his/her successor.

f.          General Members of the Board shall attend to the Organization's affairs and shall serve on the appropriate Standing Committees as the coordinators.

Article V:  Elections of Officers

Section 1:        Eligibility

All Student Members in good standing shall be eligible to hold office. Good standing shall mean a college credit student enrolled at the College in both the Fall and Spring Semesters of the academic year, in computer-related program of study, and taking at least one course per semester.  Officers must have a minimum of a 2.5 grade point average, be able to demonstrate computer literacy, and otherwise meet the requirements of the By-Laws and MDC regulations.

Section 2:        Term

The term of office for each position shall be one year, from October to September. There shall be a term limit for all officers of two terms.

Section 3:        Voting

Officers shall be elected by more than 50% of the voting members during elections held annually during the General Membership Meeting in September. In the event of a tie, the faculty advisors shall provide the tie-breaker.

Article VI:  Removal of Officers

Section 1:        Removal from Office

            a.         Any officer who fails to attend any three scheduled General Meetings and/or Board of Director meetings in a Semester may be removed by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors, or by a simple majority of the General Membership.

            b..        Any officer who fails to carry out the duties of office, or becomes disqualified from office, may be removed by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors, upon the advise and consent of the faculty advisors, or by a simple majority vote of the General Membership.

            c.         Any officer who loses the confidence of the membership may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the General Membership.

            d.         An officer may also submit a resignation, in writing, to the Board of Directors.

Section 2:        Proceedings

            a.         Removal proceedings may be initiated by (i) a resolution of the Board of Directors; (ii) a petition filed by 20 percent of the General Membership; or, (iii) a complaint filed by two or more Faculty Advisors.

            b.         Notice shall be given to the officer, in writing, stating the cause for removal, and such notice shall be delivered to the officer by email no less than 7 days notice in advance of the next scheduled meeting. The item shall also be placed on the meeting agenda.

            c.         At a meeting to remove the officer, the reasons for removal shall be read into the record and the officer will be permitted to make a statement before any debate and vote.

Section 4:        Replacement

In the event that an officer resigns, is removed or disqualified, or is unable to serve the remainder of a term, a temporary replacement shall be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Board and shall serve until the election of a new officer is held at the next General Meeting. Term limit restrictions shall not apply where the replacement officer assumes office on or after January 1 of the academic year.

Article VII:  Suspension and Expulsion of Members

Section 1         Suspension

            a.         The President shall have the authority to suspend any member at any meeting for inappropriate behavior, after a warning, for a suspension period of 48 hours.

b.         The Board of Directors may suspend any member for a period of up to 60 days, for the following reasons:

1.         Failure to attend two consecutive General Meetings

2.         Failure to observe Roberts’ Rules of Order

3.         Violation of any provision of the Constitution or By-Laws

            c.         Suspended members are not allowed to attend meetings, vote, hold office, or receive benefits of membership.

Section 2         Expulsion

a.         Members may be expelled by the Board of Directors or by petition of a majority of the general membership, for the following reasons:

1.      Violation of any prohibited acts contained in the Constitution, By-Laws, or College rules and procedures

2.      Involvement in any felony or serious misdemeanor

3.      Suspension or Expulsion by the College

4.      fighting, stealing, sexual harassment or other criminal conduct

5.      behavior which harms the Organization’s name, rights, or assets

6.      continued inappropriate behavior

b.         Expulsions shall be subject to review by the Faculty Advisors and the Student Life Organization.

Article VIII:  Standing Committees

Section 1         Standing Committees

a.         Membership Committee  The Membership  committee shall be responsible for handling matters of membership, including recruitment, registration, issuing membership cards, collecting information from members, and the like. This committee shall be headed by one of the general board members

b.         Communications Committee  The Communications committee shall be responsible for distributing information to the Organization's members and shall operate and maintain the Organization's web page, newsletter, mailing lists, emails, and other publications. This committee shall be headed by one of the general board members

c.         Events Committee  The Events Committee shall be responsible for coordinating the events, activities, meetings, guest speakers, training and entertainment of the Organization and the Special Interest Groups. The committee shall maintain the Official Calendar of Events, and shall be headed by one of the general board members.

d          Fund Raising Committee  The Fund Raising Committee shall be responsible for raising money for the Organization. This committee shall be headed by the Treasurer

Section 2:        Appointment  

The chairperson of each committee shall be nominated by the President, and confirmed by the Board of Directors. No Board member may be chairperson of more than one committee. Members for each Committee shall be selected by the chairperson thereof, and approved by the Board of Directors.

Article IX:  Faculty Advisors

Section 1:        Primary Faculty Advisors

The Primary Faculty advisors shall be full-time faculty or staff of Miami Dade College and approved by the Chairperson of the Computer and Information Science Department. Faculty Advisors agree to follow the rules and procedures set forth by the College, and pledge their support to the organization.

Section 2:        Special Interest Group Faculty Advisors

The Special Interest Group advisors shall be faculty or staff of Miami Dade College and approved by the Primary Faculty Advisors and the Chairperson of the Computer and Information Science Department. SIG Advisors agree to follow the rules and procedures set forth by the College, and pledge their support to the organization.

Article X:  Meetings and Dues

Section 1:        Types of Meetings

            a.         General Membership Meetings shall be held at least monthly, on a consistent day of the week and at a time set forth in the By-laws and open to all members. The location shall be established by the Board of Directors and notice of meetings, and the agenda, shall be posted on the web site and sent to members by email. Special Interest Groups shall give presentations and report on their activities. Provisions shall be made for night students who are unable to attend the General Meetings. The Board of Directors shall confer prior to each General Meeting to review the agenda and presentations.

            b.         Special Membership Meetings may be called by: the President, the Board of Directors, two Faculty Advisors, or a signed petition of 20 percent of the membership. Notice of a Special Membership Meeting, stating the date and hour of the meeting and the place where it is to be held, shall be given by publication by email to all members no less than 7 days in advance of the meeting, and such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting. No business other than that stated in the notice shall be transacted.

            c.         Regular Board of Directors Meetings shall be held monthly, on a consistent day of the week and time set forth in the By-laws, shall be open to all members.

            d.         Special Board of Directors Meetings may be called by the President, any two Directors, or any Faculty Advisor. Individuals calling a Special Meeting must make a reasonable attempt to contact Board members to arrange a time and date convenient to all members. Notice of a Special Board Meeting, stating the date and hour of the meeting and the place where it is to be held, shall be given by publication by email to all members no less than 3 business days in advance of the meeting, and such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting. No business other than that stated in the notice shall be transacted.

Section 2:        Notice

Notice of  all meetings, stating the date and hour of the meeting, the place where it is to be held and the agenda shall be by publication on the Organization's web site.

Section 3:        Quorums and Proxies

A quorum must be present for official business to be transacted at any Meeting. A quorum constitutes a simple majority of the members.  No member may vote by proxy at any General or Special Membership meeting, or at any Board of Directors meeting.

Section 4:        Dues

Dues may be required of members by the Organization. Any change in the amount of dues shall be approved by the Board, and ratified by a majority of the members

Article XI:  Robert’s Rules of Order

All proceedings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order unless modified by provisions contained in the Constitution or By-Laws.

Article XII:  Special Interest Groups

Section 1:        Formation 

The Board of Directors may establish Special Interest Groups (SIGS) to provide a forum for exploring topics of special concern to a segment of the membership. The official standing SIGs are Networking, Programming, Computer Hardware & Operating Systems, and Digital Media. Additional SIGs may be created by the Board of Directors upon a petition of ten student General Members and a Faculty Adviser.

Section 2:        Limitation of Authority 

No SIG shall act in the name of or take any action which would bind the Organization, nor shall a SIG collect dues or contributions without the permission of the Board of Directors.  

Section 3:        SIG Activities and Meetings 

SIGs agree to conduct regularly scheduled meetings, with timely notice to the Events Committee, and to provide workshops, presentations and reports at General Meetings as part of the regular agenda. SIGs shall not schedule any activities which would conflict with any other previously scheduled Organization or SIG events.

Article XIII:  General Provisions

Section 1:        By-Laws

Other Rules, Regulations, and Codes of Conduct may be set forth in the Organization's By-Laws, which shall be in writing and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors; approved by the Faculty Advisors; and ratified by a majority of members. Nothing in the By-Laws shall conflict or contravene with the Constitution.

Section 2:        Prohibitions

a.         Hazing: The Organization expressly prohibits hazing in any form, whether on or off campus, and forbids any behavior which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of anyone for the purpose of initiation or admission into, affiliation with, or participation in the Organization.

b.         Software Piracy:  It is the Organization's policy to prohibit the illegal copying, duplicating, or transference of copyrighted software at all meetings and functions.

c.         Discrimination: The policy also prohibits discrimination of any kind, and all activities are open to every member of the student body regardless of sex, marital status, race, age, religion, disability or national origin.

Section 3:        College Policies and Procedures

The Organization and its members are required to abide by the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the College, including the Honor Code and the appropriate use of the College's computer equipment and network systems.

Article XIV:  Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted, in writing, to the Board of  Directors for approval. If approved by a majority of the Board of Directors and a majority of Faculty Advisors, then the Amendment must then be ratified by a majority vote of the general membership. If the Board of Directors fails to approve the Amendment, then it shall require the approval by 2/3 vote of the members of the Organization. Approved Amendments must then be approved by the Director of Student Life and the appropriate College department.