Spectrum Bylaws

Article I: Membership

Section 1 – Registration Any individual is a considered a member of the organization pending the completion of a registration form which provides the organization the individual’s full name, email, and student NSHE number as prescribed in the requirements to be acknowledged as a student organization by CSUN. In order to first be eligible for membership, individuals must attend five or more meetings for the respective fall or spring semester. None of the information provided by members shall be released for any reason without the consent of the members involved. Any changes to the registration form can made as approved by a simple vote. Executive officers automatically receive membership status at the commencement of their term and remain so for the duration of their term ignoring all membership requirements set forth by this organization’s constitution and bylaws.

Section 2 – Ending Membership Membership ends upon 1) the day before the subsequent Fall or Spring semester, 2) the member’s request, or 3) the day an individual’s membership status is revoked.

Section 3 – Methods Revoking Membership Status ​ Spectrum reserves the right to exclude association from anyone who violates UNLV student conduct code. A copy of the code can be found at the Office of Student Conduct or by requesting a copy from the Executive Board. Any member who is found by a two-thirds majority vote by the executive officers to disrupt and fail to uphold the purpose ​ or interferes with the mission of the organization can have their membership status revoked or suspended. Individuals whose membership status is revoked lose any non-executive officer positions they may have held within the organization and may ​ petition the executive board in writing to be reinstated. A simple majority of the executive board is required to grant reinstatement. If any member of Spectrum feels threatened or menaced by another member of organization, they may request in writing that the threatening member be expelled from the organization. The complaint will then be sent to our faculty advisor(s) to be dealt with as seen fit.

Article II: Officers

Section 1 – Powers and Duties of Officers ​ Elected Executive Officers Director 1) Organize, coordinate and preside over general meetings with the Chancellor. 2) Act as an official representative for the organization. 3) Nominate a replacement for the vacant office of Administrator. 4) Keep official paperwork current with CSUN, serve as the official link between the organization and CSUN, maintain a working knowledge of CSUN policies, and advise other officers on CSUN-related matters. 5) Build and maintain a database and working knowledge of contacts within and activities of other social justice-oriented organizations or offices on campus.

Chancellor 1) Organize, coordinate and preside over general meetings with the Director. 2) Act as an official representative for the organization. 3) Hold the Administrator accountable for fulfilling their duties. 4) Keep official paperwork current with SDSJ, serve as the official link between the organization and SDSJ, maintain a database and working knowledge of SDSJ policies, and advise other officers on SDSJ-related matters. 5) Build and maintain a database and working knowledge of contacts within and activities of other social justice-oriented organizations or offices within the Las Vegas area. 6) Serve as official link between the organization and financial sponsors.

Administrator 1) Assume officer duties for temporarily absent officers. 2) Nominate a replacement for vacant elected executive officer positions. 3) Organize and preside over officer meetings. 4) Hold officers accountable for fulfilling their duties. 5) Ensure the organization follows the Constitution. 6) Assume all responsibility and authority not specifically assigned. 7) Enforce officers maintaining a succession folder.

Treasurer 1) Give monthly reports on income, expenditures, and remaining funds to officers. 2) Handle all financial transactions including deposits, payments, and reimbursements. 3) Create and enforce the budget for the academic year (budget must be approved by two-thirds officer vote). 4) Manage the merchandise. 5) Maintain physical and digital financial records for the organization. 6) Research and maintain database of financial sponsors and other means of income for the organization.

Secretary 1) Keep the membership roster updated and take attendance. 2) Keep and make public a record of the of officer meetings and any votes. 3) Manage the organization’s email account, online files, and mailing list. 4) Assist in transition of any private information. 5) Maintain inventory of organization supplies. 6) Keep other officers up to date with specific tasks assigned to them.

Public Relations Officer 1) Manage the organization’s social networking accounts. 2) Assist officers and members in publication, promotion, and recording of events. 3) Ensure photos and/or videos are taken at all events and that photos and videos from outside sources are archived, with consent from the owner, for future reference. 4) Send organization email announcements and submit announcements to the UNLV mailing list. 5) Create graphics for the organization for use on social media or other promotional outlets.

Event Coordinator 1) Propose any event to be hosted or sponsored by the organization to be approved by a simple majority of the executive officers. 2) Plan, execute, and resolve any and all matters associated with an event. 3) Cooperate with other social justice-oriented organizations both within the UNLV campus and the Las Vegas area.

Section 2 – Normal Officer Vote Procedure ​ Any officer may call for a vote either during the course of an officer meeting, or may request the Administrator’s approval for a vote via the official online officer forum. Officers may either vote yea, nay, or abstain. For online votes, officers have one week to vote or they will be counted as having abstained and as soon as a simple majority is reached the vote is closed. All votes, unless otherwise specified, pass with a simple majority. In the case of a tie, votes will be recast, and in case of a second tie the Administrator will break the tie.

Section 3 – Officer Vote Procedure Instances in which a two-thirds majority instead of simple majority is needed for an ​ officer vote include but are not limited to removing a member from the organization, removing an elected officer from their position, changing the bylaws of the organization, and bringing a constitutional change before the general membership for a vote. The two-thirds majority vote follows normal vote procedure. Any vote not specified as ​ requiring a two-thirds majority requires a simple majority. ​

Section 4 – Officer Compliance ​ The disciplinary policy of the organization is intended to encourage officer compliance with the Constitution & Bylaws. At all steps during the disciplinary procedure, the Administrator will provide direction for an officer to improve their performance. When needed, an officer will be provided additional training and information. If a vote is required that concerns the discipline of an officer, they are excluded from submitting a vote. If the Administrator is neglectful in their responsibilities, any officer may submit an to the Director and the Chancellor who will be granted discretion in disciplining the Administrator.

First Verbal Warning – As the first step in correcting unacceptable behavior, the ​ ​ Administrator shall review the pertinent facts with the officer. The Administrator will consider the severity of the problem, and the officer’s past performance. A verbal warning will be issued to the officer, which shall be documented by the Administrator in the officer’s personnel file.

Second Verbal Warning – If the unacceptable performance continues, the next ​ ​ step will include a discussion with the Administrator, Director, Chancellor, and Faculty Advisor(s) to consider the severity of the problem and the officer’s past performance. The Director or Chancellor will not be included in the discussion if it concerns their compliance. A second verbal warning will be issued to the officer, which shall be documented by the Administrator in the officer’s personnel file.

Written Warning – If the unacceptable performance continues, the next step will ​ ​ be a written warning. The written warning will clearly state the violation and steps the officer must take if it is to be corrected that will be determined by the Administrator, Director, Chancellor, and Faculty Advisor(s). The Director or Chancellor will not be included in the discussion if it concerns their compliance. Probation will be a part of the written warning and will be set according to the Administrator. At the completion of the probationary period, the Administrator will meet with the officer to determine if the officer has achieved the required level of Performance.

Termination – An officer may be terminated if they do not improve their ​ performance while on probation. To execute a termination the Administrator must first provide evidence, which will include the officer’s history of misconduct, to a meeting of all officers and Faculty Advisor(s) that supports the need for an officer’s termination. The officer in question must have an opportunity to defend themselves against the evidence presented. There must be a supermajority vote in favor of the termination of an officer. If a supermajority vote does not pass, the officer will be placed under a probationary period. At the completion of the probationary period the remainder of the officers including the Faculty Advisor(s) will meet with the officer to determine if the officer has achieved the required level of performance.

Article III: Meetings

Section 1 – General Meetings General meetings shall occur according to a schedule proposed by the Director at the beginning of the semester and then approved by majority vote of the elected executive officers during the Spring and Fall semesters, unless membership is otherwise notified to the contrary at least one week in advance. Format and enforcement is at the discretion of the Director and Chancellor.

Section 2 – Officer Meetings ​ Officer meetings will be held according to a schedule proposed by the Administrator two weeks before the first day of the new semester and then approved by majority vote of the elected executive officers, unless officers are otherwise notified to the contrary at least two weeks in advance. Officer meetings are open to observation by general members except for discussions of disciplinary actions against an officer, general member, or advisor, or for any topic deemed sensitive by the Administrator. No participation by the general members is allowed unless the officers vote to allow a member to speak. Meetings are called to order by the Administrator, at which point all present officers will take turns reporting on their activities for the previous month and plans for the coming month. The Administrator will read the reports of any non-present ​ officers. After all reports are finished, any general business will be discussed and voted on if necessary, and the Administrator will conclude the meeting.

Section 3 – Minutes ​ Meeting minutes of officer meetings shall be archived on the organization’s chosen cloud database and shared within the official online officer forum and with the general membership via email in a timely manner. Minutes of general meetings will not be kept unless a vote is conducted.

Section 4 – General Votes The Administrator shall propose a format for any general votes including elections, which require a majority vote of the elected executive officers to approve.

Article IV:

Section 1 – Purpose Purposes of committees will be to 1) take care of distributing work appropriately on any given issue that the is created to address, 2) brainstorm and create new ideas to present at the organization meetings, and 3) work through different ideas and issues and focus them so that they can be presented to the general membership in order to be voted on.

Section 2 – Creation ​ Any member or officer may propose the formation of a committee. The elected executive officers may create, structure, and dissolve committees through a vote.

Article V: Finances

Section 1 – Dues Currently, no dues or membership fees are required for membership in the organization. However, donations are accepted.

Section 2 – Alternate Funding ​ All operating funds for Spectrum shall be raised through donations, fundraising activities, and grants.

Section 3 – Authorization of Expenditures ​ All authorizations must be approved by a two-thirds officer vote.

Section 4 – Exceptional Expenditures ​ Expenditures in excess of $500 for a single event or purchase must be approved by a two-thirds officer vote.

Article VI: Faculty Advisors

Section 1 – Requirements ​ The advisor must meet the CSUN requirements for faculty advisors and abide by the statement of Faculty/Staff Advisor Commitment as stated in the CSUN regulation packet. The statement reads: “I commit to negotiation and appropriate role with the student officers and will be accessible to the student organization members as a resource.” If the executive officers deem appropriate, they may appoint additional full-time faculty or ​ administrative staff members as co-advisors. ​

Section 2 – Role ​ The authority of the officers supersedes the authority of the advisor(s). The advisor’s roles are: 1) Assist in mediating conflicts between officers. 2) Serve as the official link between the organization and UNLV faculty and administration. 3) Assist in transitioning newly appointed officers into their roles. 4) Build and maintain a database and working knowledge of the organization’s history and role within the campus. 5) Any other roles to their discretion, as approved by the officers.

Section 3 – Removal The advisor may be removed by a majority vote among the officers. The advisor may voluntarily resign at any time. Prospects for a new advisor would then be contacted and decided upon by the officers. The organization must meet minimum requirements for the amount of advisors as specified by CSUN.