Constitution of the Lambda Alliance at the University of Pennsylvania
Revised with Edits and Amendments Passed on November 2010
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
LAMBDA ALLIANCE
of the
U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y L V A N I A
* Adopted Fall 2005
*Additional amendments incorporated Fall 2008
* Redrafted with amendments Fall 2010
PREAMBLE
W |
e, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, and allied undergraduates of the University of Pennsylvania, dedicated to representing and serving gender and sexual minorities at Penn by facilitating communication, collaboration, and advocacy between our groups and the community at large, do hereby ordain and establish this coalition called the Lambda Alliance of the University of Pennsylvania.
In achieving our aims we will:
Support our constituent groups by providing a forum for collaboration and assisting them where necessary with funding, planning, and dispute resolution;
Sustain community-wide events, including but not limited to: QPenn, IvyQ, leadership retreats for LGBTQA student leaders, and the LGBT Center’s fundraising and development events;
Advocate for LGBTQA issues on campus by working with administrators, alumni, staff, faculty, and student leaders, while serving as the representative voice for LGBTQA undergraduates to the press and the wider community.
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY AND MEMBERSHIP
Name
1. The name of the organization is the “Lambda Alliance of the University of Pennsylvania”, which may be abbreviated to “Lambda Alliance” or “Lambda.”
Interpretation
2. In this constitution, unless inconsistent with context, subject matter, or applicable law:
(1) this document is “the Constitution”;
(2) “the Alliance” means the Lambda Alliance;
(3) “the Preamble” means the Preamble to this constitution, which constitutes a Statement of Purposes for the Alliance;
(4) “the Body” means the General Body of the Lambda Alliance;
(5) “Penn” means the University of Pennsylvania;
(6) “the Board” and “the Executive” mean the Executive Board of the Lambda Alliance as established herein;
(7) “GBM” means General Body Meeting, as defined herein; and
(8) Each individual point of this constitution shall be referred to as a “Rule”.
Status of the Constitution
3. Subject to such regulations as may be from time to time prescribed by the University, the Constitution shall be the supreme authority of the Alliance, the resolutions and decisions of the constituent groups, student government, the Executive Board, or the General Body notwithstanding.
Types of Membership
4. Lambda has three classes of members: constituent groups, associate groups, and individual members.
5. Constituent groups are groups run by undergraduates at Penn with an LGBTQA focus recognized as such in accordance with the accession procedures outlined in §8-9. They vote in all elections and resolutions.
6. Associate groups:
(1) Are undergraduate-run groups with an LGBTQA focus or other organizations pursuing the aims of the Preamble;
(2) Are granted associate group status for a renewable term of one (1) year by the special resolution (See §38.2 and Schedule I) of General Body;
(3) Do not have a vote on General Body;
(4) May have their membership status revoked by ordinary resolution (See §38.1 and Schedule I); and
(5) Shall be kept current both in Schedule II of the Constitution and on the Lambda website.
7. Individual members of Lambda are all full-time undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania not in their final semester as an undergraduate who have attended at least two (2) events sponsored by a constituent group or the Lambda Alliance itself in the calendar year. They do not vote, save in elections.
Accession of Constituent Groups
8. Undergraduate student groups at Penn are eligible to accede to constituent group status if:
(1) The prospective member is recognized as an undergraduate student group by the Office of Student Affairs and/or the LGBT Center;
(2) The prospective member has an LGBTQA focus;
(3) The prospective member has demonstrated its intention to actively pursue the objectives set out in the Preamble; and
(4) The prospective member has the membership and support required to function effectively and for the foreseeable future as an organization.
i. The aforementioned “support” shall include, but is not limited to, a mission statement and and/or constitution.
(5) A list of constituent groups shall be kept current in Schedule II of the Constitution and on the Lambda website;
9. Following the receipt by the Chair of a written application to join Lambda as a constituent group from an eligible organization as defined in §8, the General Body may, by special resolution, approve the prospective member’s application for constituent group membership. A prospective member shall become a constituent group immediately following the passage of the special resolution.
Rights and Obligations of Constituent Groups
10. Constituent group membership shall be perpetual, subject to the provisions of this chapter.
11. All rights, privileges, and obligations of constituent group membership are held wholly and exclusively by the constituent group, cannot be transferred to another organization or individual, and terminate upon the cessation of membership, voluntary or otherwise, by that constituent group.
12. Constituent groups shall be required to attend all meetings of the General Body;
(1) Should a constituent group be absent from more than two (2) General Body Meetings in one (1) semester, the Chair may entertain an ordinary resolution to compel the group in question to attend the next meeting, the time and place of which shall be communicated by no less than contacting all officers of the compelled group one (1) week in advance. Should the group fail to attend that compulsory meeting, it shall become an associate group and may reapply for constituent group membership in the same manner as an ordinary undergraduate student group the following year.
(2) “Attendance” of a General Body Meeting consists of having present one pre-approved representative for the duration of the GBM.
(a) All executive board members, as defined by the constituents’ respective constitutions, or generally accepted practices in the absence of an official constitution, are considered “pre-approved”; furthermore,
(b) Any full member of a constituent group, as defined by the group, may be considered a pre-approved representative if written notice is received by the Vice-Chair of Communications and/or Chair of Lambda from the constituent group’s executive board at least one (1) day before the meeting in question.
i. By choosing to be represented by a non-executive-board-member, the constituent group’s executive board recognizes that it will abide by decisions made by that representative on its behalf during the meeting(s) for which the representative is pre-approved.
(3) No individual shall represent more than one (1) group at any GBM.
(4) Members of Lambda’s Executive Board shall not represent a constituent group.
13. Once per annum, each constituent group will submit to a review by the Executive in order to determine if it continues to meet the requirements for membership as outlined in this chapter. This review shall take place in person with at least the Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs and the top two (2) members of the constituent’s board present. The review will be conducted with the advancement of the constituent group in mind and shall serve as a form of 360-degree feedback.
14. Constituent groups shall not be assessed dues.
Cessation of Constituent Group Membership
15. A constituent group’s membership shall only be terminated if:
(1) The constituent group resigns its membership in writing to the Chair;
i. This resignation shall include an explanation of why it is in the best interests of the group and/or the community, as well as a list of alternatives to resignation considered, if any.
(2) The constituent group defaults on the GBM attendance policy as defined in §12;
(3) The constituent group ceases to exist as an organization, effective from when it formally communicates this to the Chair or loses its registration with the LGBT Center and/or the Office of Student Affairs by virtue of being inactive; or
(4) The constituent group is expelled by the General Body as a consequence of disciplinary measures conducted in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter (See §16-17).
16. A constituent group may only be subject to disciplinary measures if:
(1) It has demonstrably and/or willfully acted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of Lambda;
(2) It has failed to fulfill its obligations of membership under the Constitution;
(3) It has willfully violated the Constitution, or its own constitution; or
(4) It is unable to function as an organization due to a lack of support and/or membership.
17. The General Body may undertake disciplinary measures against a constituent group (“the respondent”) upon the presentment of a petition of charges, proposed by any individual member and seconded by any other member (“the complainants”), to the Chair. The procedure for the resolution of disciplinary measures following presentment of charges is found in Schedule III of this Constitution.
CHAPTER II
THE GENERAL BODY
Name and Powers
18. The supreme governing body of the Alliance is a General Body of constituent groups, as defined in §5 of the Constitution.
19. The General Body may exercise any power, duty, or function explicitly or implicitly delegated by the Constitution to the Board.
20. Constituent group representatives shall, in the exercise of their duties, be bound by decisions of their group.
Meetings of the General Body
21. The General Body shall meet:
(1) In its Annual Meeting, as defined in §25-27;
(2) At the discretion of the Executive;
(3) Upon the written application of three (3) constituent groups to the Executive; or,
(4) At the discretion of the General Body, expressed at its last meeting.
22. Meetings of the General Body shall be held at a date and time determined by the Executive, unless otherwise directed by the Constitution.
23. Notice of any General Body meeting, including the place, date, time and provisional agenda for the meeting, and any special resolutions proposed for the consideration of the General Body at that meeting, must be communicated to all Constituent Groups by the Chair no later than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
24. If notice is communicated electronically to the last known address of the chief executive officer of a Constituent Group, adequate notice is deemed to have been given.
The Annual Meeting of the General Body
25. The Annual Meeting of the General Body, hereafter referred to as “the AGBM”, shall be held within twelve (12) months of the previous AGBM at a precise time and date set by the Executive Board.
26. The Chair shall communicate notice of the AGBM to all individual members no later than twenty-one (21) days prior to the day the meeting is scheduled to be held.
27. The business of the AGBM shall be to elect the members of the Executive Board.
Conduct and Procedure at Meetings of the General Body
28. Quorum shall consist of two-thirds (2/3) of all constituent groups and meetings shall be held in person.
29. All individual members have the right to attend and speak at any meeting of the General Body, save if the General Body moves into a closed session (See §36).
30. At each meeting, the executive board will report on its actions, its decisions, and all relevant events that have occurred since the last general body meeting.
31. At each meeting, there will be time allotted for constituent groups to report on and discuss their activities, issues, and concerns.
32. Any member may bring business before the General Body, but special resolutions shall take priority over any other items.
33. The Chair shall be Chair of all meetings of the General Body absent alternative arrangements made by the General Body and all rulings of the Chair may, on the motion of any constituent group, be referred to the General Body for adjudication (See §38.3).
34. The Chair shall under no circumstances preside in matters in which the person holding that position has personal interest. If such matters are discussed in the General Body, an impartial Chair shall be elected by the consensus of the General Body to preside for the duration of those items that require the absence of the original Chair. Absent consensus, the interim chair will be named by ordinary resolution.
35. Minutes of each meeting of the General Body shall be provided to constituent groups within three (3) days of the meeting by email and within one (1) week of the meeting by electronic publication.
36. The General Body may enter a closed session by ordinary resolution. In such a session the General Body may exclude all persons beyond duly recognized representatives of a constituent group and members of the Executive. No votes may be taken in closed session except a vote to end the closed session (two-thirds (2/3 ) of those present is required for this vote).
37. At a meeting of the General Body at which the General Body dismisses the entire Executive, or any individual Executive officer, the General Body shall then move immediately to fill the vacancy or vacancies, following the procedure outlined in §56-62 for the election of officers.
Decisions of the General Body
38. All decisions of the General Body shall be either by ordinary resolution or by special resolution:
(1) All ordinary resolutions of the General Body shall be approved with a simple majority of constituent groups present concurring;
(2) All special resolutions shall be approved with a three-fourths (3/4) majority of all constituent groups. Only questions specified in the Constitution as requiring a special resolution shall be considered matters for special resolutions;
(3) Except for the decision to overturn a decision of the Executive, which requires two-thirds (2/3) approval of all constituent groups and may be sought upon the request of any one (1) member, if said request is seconded by another member.
39. No special resolution may be considered if notice of that motion has not been given by the Chair or a representative of a constituent group to General Body at least eight (8) days prior to the meeting at which the special resolution shall be considered.
40. The constituent groups may pass position statements that reflect the official viewpoints of the Lambda Alliance by special resolution:
(1) The executive board will use the position statements as a close guide when expressing the views of Lambda and its constituents to the wider community; and
(2) In the case of an urgent situation, the eight- (8) day provision of a special resolution may be waived by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of all current constituent groups.
41. Each constituent group shall have one (1) vote, the number of representatives of that constituent group present at the meeting notwithstanding.
42. Any member can motion a vote to take place by secret ballot, requiring only one (1) second for it to take effect.
43. If a vote on a question is equally divided, the question shall resolve in the negative.
44. Constituent groups may vote by absentee ballot only on the election of officers, and do so by lodging their signed, witnessed, and certified vote with the Returning Officer prior to the meeting of the General Body at which the election shall be held.
(1) Votes written in the presence of the Returning Officer shall be considered “witnessed.”
(2) Votes signed by the Returning Officer shall be considered “certified.”
(3) Validity of absentee ballots can be called into question by any one (1) member, after which the Returning Officer will be called upon for verification.
45. No proxy voting on any matter shall be permitted.
Committees of General Body
46. The General Body or the Executive Board may establish such committees as it deems necessary and proper to carry out its work.
47. No such committee shall be created without a specification of the committee’s membership, terms of reference, tenure, and official capacity with respect to the Executive and to the General Body, which shall be listed in Schedule II of the Constitution.
CHAPTER III
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive
48. Between meetings of the General Body, the Executive Board, in accordance with the Constitution and the resolutions of the General Body, shall conduct the affairs of the Alliance.
49. The Executive may exercise all such powers of the Alliance other than those powers and functions that are required by the Constitution to be exercised by the General Body.
50. No enumeration of duties to individual members of the Executive shall be so construed as to limit the discretion of the Executive to make decisions concerning those duties.
Composition of the Executive and Other Officers
51. The Executive shall consist of the following Officers:
(1) The Chair;
(2) The Vice-Chair of Political Affairs;
(3) The Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs;
(4) The Vice-Chair of Outreach Programs;
(5) The Vice-Chair of Finance and Development; and
(6) The Vice-Chair of Communications.
52. Certain other duties may be performed by Office-Bearers. The Executive shall appoint and dismiss all Office-Bearers, specifying their function and tenure of office upon appointment.
53. The Executive or the General Body may delegate to any of its Officers or other members of the Alliance responsibility for tasks not specifically assigned to an Officer in the Constitution.
54. The Executive or the General Body may require the opinion, in writing or otherwise, of any Officer upon any subject relating to the responsibilities of their respective offices.
Eligibility and Election of Officers
55. The General Body shall elect all officers of the Executive at the AGBM.
56. Any individual member may be elected an Executive Officer, with the following exceptions:
(1) No freshman or (co-)chief executive of any constituent group may be a candidate for Chair; and
(2) No freshman may be a candidate for Vice-Chair of Political Affairs or Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs, but a two-thirds vote of all constituent groups may waive this provision.
57. Prior to any meeting of the General Body during which an election shall be held, the Executive shall designate an impartial Returning Officer, who shall not run for any office at that meeting of the General Body, to oversee all electoral matters.
58. When the General Body considers the election of members to an executive office, the Returning Officer shall hold the Chair. The Returning Officer shall count and certify all elections that take place at the General Body.
59. All nominations for elections to an executive office may be made from the floor and shall require individual members to propose and second the nomination, after which the nominee must accept the nomination to render it valid.
60. The electoral procedure for all elections shall be as follows:
(1) The General Body may require speeches and Q&A sessions, of whatever nature it chooses, from candidates for each office, the duration of which shall be established by the Returning Officer in function of the position’s importance and the time allotted for the elections, subject to approval by the Body.
(2) After the Body is satisfied with the depositions of the candidates, the Body shall descend into a closed session without the candidates to consider their candidacies.
(3) Following an ordinary resolution to conclude the closed session, the individual members present shall proceed to elect one of the candidates to the office.
(4) Voting shall be done by secret ballot, and conducted according to the Optional Preferential Method outlined in Schedule IV of the Constitution.
(5) Any two individual members present may demand and shall receive up to three (3) recounts of all votes cast for any election held during that meeting of the General Body.
(6) The order of elections, where multiple positions are to be elected at one meeting, is as follows:
(a) The Chair;
(b) The Vice-Chair of Political Affairs;
(c) The Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs;
(d) The Vice-Chair of Outreach Programs;
(e) The Vice-Chair of Finance and Development;
(f) The Vice-Chair of Communications.
(7) Should a candidate not be elected to the nominated position, the candidate may be nominated from the floor in any subsequent election held at that same meeting.
(8) The election process may be sustained over a second meeting by ordinary resolution of the Body provided that Executive would be functional in the interim.
61. The term of each incumbent Executive Officer shall expire upon the adjournment of the AGBM, and the terms of their successors shall then begin. All Office-Bearer appointments shall also expire at this time.
62. If any position is not filled during the election process or becomes vacant during the year (except through impeachment), the vacancy will be filled through an appointment made by the executive board.
Duties of the Executive Officers
63. The Chair shall:
(1) Organize, call, and chair meetings of the General Body and the Executive;
(2) Represent Lambda and the undergraduate LGBTQA community to the administration, the press, student government, and the wider community;
(3) Sit on all University committees or councils on which Lambda has a seat, save if the Chair is by virtue of appointment or office already member of such groups, in which case the Executive shall designate the next most qualified officer to take the seat;
(4) Facilitate relations among all constituent groups, ensuring fair and balanced representation;
(5) Ensure a good working relationship between Lambda and the LGBT Center, insofar as Lambda’s mission and vision are not hindered;
(6) Make decisions on behalf of the Executive in time-sensitive matters, such decisions subject to the ratification of the full Executive at its next meeting;
(7) Maintain a relationship with Penn GALA by participating in their meetings whenever possible;
(8) Assist the Vice-Chairs in all duties where possible;
(9) Direct the long-term strategy and growth of the Alliance; and
(10) Exercise overall supervision of the Alliance’s activities.
64. The Vice-Chair of Political Affairs shall:
(1) Assist the Chair in all duties where necessary;
(2) Attend with the Chair meetings of a political nature, such as those with the 5B, the Office of the President, and the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Life;
(3) Advocate for policy changes on campus to benefit Penn’s LGBTQA community;
(4) Work with the LGBT Center, the advocacy branches of constituent groups, and relevant Lambda and University committees to coordinate the advocacy efforts of Penn’s entire LGBTQA student community;
(5) Ensure Penn’s strong presence at each IvyQ by initiating the board elections and maintaining communication with IvyQ members in the event of a gap period between IvyQ boards;
(6) Liaise with Local, Regional, and National LGBTQA and political entities insofar as such interactions fall in line with the vision of the current Executive, as guided by the Body;
(7) Set up and attend meetings with faculty and administration as needed; and
(8) Keep a record of Penn’s policies that affect the LGBTQA community and any changes made to those polices.
65. The Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs shall:
(1) Facilitate communication between constituent groups;
(2) Ensure that the executive board maintains an ongoing dialogue between itself and the constituent groups;
(3) Mediate or designate a mediator to help resolve disagreements between constituent groups;
(4) Initiate the QPenn planning effort by reaching out to potential candidates, ensuring timely elections, and providing continuity where necessary;
(5) Work with the LGBT Center to plan leadership retreats for Penn’s LGBTQA student leaders;
(6) Maintain close ties between Lambda and any affiliated committees;
(7) Work with the chairs and presidents of constituent groups to host Planning Meetings in order to encourage collaboration; and
(8) Represent accurately the viewpoints of students not represented by any specific organization.
66. The Vice-Chair of Outreach Programs shall:
(1) Assure that the Lambda Alliance maintains outreach best practices with other organizations in the 5B at Penn and with sister organizations at peer institutions;
(2) Exert as much effort as possible to continue Lambda’s leadership in terms of outreach among minority groups as well as in general membership statistics among all organizations;
(3) Coordinate outreach efforts among Lambda, the Admissions Office, and the LGBT Center to newly admitted or prospective LGBTQA students;
(4) Initiate in a timely manner Lambda’s freshman outreach effort by assisting the LGBT Center during New Student Orientation (hereafter, “NSO”) and by helping constituents to develop programming for NSO;
(5) Represent Lambda in all coordinated University and 5B outreach efforts (such as those listed in Schedule V), appointing additional representatives as required after discussion at a GBM;
(6) Be responsible for a strong LGBTQA presence during all Activities Fairs; and
(7) Continually search for new ways to expand and invigorate Lambda’s membership.
67. The Vice-Chair of Finance and Development shall:
(1) Oversee and coordinate all financial matters;
(2) Publish a budget each spring for the following academic year, after consultation with the Executive and the LGBT Center, making it available to the relevant party in the LGBT Center as well as all constituent groups as soon as it is finalized;
(3) Keep electronic accounts of all monetary transactions;
(4) Ensure Lambda Alliance’s financial status and expenditures are transparent to Lambda Alliance’s constituent groups and the LGBT Center;
(5) Coordinate fundraising for Lambda Alliance and/or assist the LGBT Center with fundraising and development on behalf of Lambda Alliance;
(6) Represent Lambda on the Intercultural Fund and T-Change by default, appointing a replacement from the Executive with the Chair’s approval if necessary;
(7) Where necessary and requested, assist Lambda Alliance’s constituent groups with securing and managing their funds; and
(8) Consult with the other executive board members prior to the expenditure of funds. A majority of the executive board must approve any expenditure of funds.
68. The Vice-Chair of Communication shall:
(1) Maintain and improve the Lambda Alliance’s website;
(2) Take attendance at and maintain attendance records of executive board meetings and GBMs, announcing violations of policy and initiating disciplinary efforts when necessary;
(3) Take minutes at executive board meetings and at GBMs, making GBM minutes publicly available within three (3) days after each meeting;
(4) Keep records of all news items pertaining to Lambda and all statements issued by it;
(5) Maintain Lambda Alliance’s listserv and all other lists/groups under Lambda’s control;
(6) Assist the Chair with media relations, managing ties with Penn’s Office of University Communications;
(7) Coordinate the advertising efforts for Lambda Alliance, including a social media presence;
(8) Develop a written history of the Lambda Alliance;
(9) Coordinate and distribute a periodic newsletter to the listserv; and
(10) Serve as liaison between Penn and the other Ivies should Penn not be selected to host IvyQ.
Cessation and Vacancy of Office
69. An Officer shall permanently cease to hold office if the officer:
(1) Resigns in writing to the Chair;
(2) Dies or is judged permanently incapable of exercising duties of office by a medical professional;
(3) Ceases to be an individual member of the Alliance; or,
(4) Is removed from office in accordance with the Constitution.
70. If an executive office becomes vacant more than sixty (60) days prior to the AGBM, the Executive shall call a meeting of the General Body within thirty (30) days to elect a replacement executive officer who will serve out the remainder of the departed officer’s term.
71. Between the creation of the vacancy and the election of a successor, or if the executive office in question becomes vacant less than sixty (60) days prior to the AGBM, the Executive may appoint an individual member to act in that officer’s capacity.
72. If the vacancy is that of the Chair, the Vice-Chair of Political Affairs shall become Acting Chair, and the office of the Chair shall become temporarily vacant pending the election of a new Chair.
Meetings and Decisions of the Executive
73. The Executive shall meet whenever and by whatever means it deems proper.
74. A simple majority of Executive Officers shall constitute a quorum to do business.
75. The Executive may close its meeting to all but the Officers of the Executive.
76. All decisions of the Executive, save when otherwise noted in the Constitution, shall be made by a simple majority of Officers. Each Officer shall have one vote, save the Chair, who shall vote only if they are equally divided.
Removal of an Officer
77. The General Body may at a meeting dismiss by special resolution any officer of the Executive or the entire Executive if they believe the offending party (-ies) have willfully and/or persistently behaved in a manner prejudicial to the interests of Lambda or have failed to perform their duties in accordance with the Constitution and the resolutions of General Body.
78. Upon the presentment of a special resolution containing charges approved by two (2) constituent groups, the defendant(s) shall have at least one (1) week to prepare their defense, and shall be given an opportunity to present their defense in person and in writing to the General Body before the General Body considers the resolution for their dismissal.
79. The results of the successful passage of the special resolution to dismiss are as follows:
(1) The officer (or officers) in question shall be instantly relieved of duties and title(s);
(2) The office shall be declared vacant; and
(3) The vacancy will be filled according to the procedure outlined in §70-71. The General Body shall provide for the selection of a Returning Officer and compliance with the Constitution’s electoral rules in such an event.
80. Both defendant(s) and complaint(s) shall have all rights of natural justice and due process in the dismissal proceedings.
CHAPTER IV
QPENN, IVYQ, AND OTHER MATTERS
Initiating QPenn
81. QPenn is the annual collaborative LGBTQ awareness week, which features events and activities planned by all constituent groups.
82. The Chair shall preside over the last GBM of the spring semester each year at which individual members shall elect two (2) QPenn Co-Chairs.
83. It shall be the responsibility of the QPenn Co-Chairs to exercise overall responsibility over QPenn, including the initiation of QPenn Board Elections (See Schedule VI for suggested QPenn Board positions). These elections should be held in the fall semester at a GBM.
84. If all QPenn Board positions are not filled at the fall elections, the QPenn Board may either hold a separate election or make appointments with the approval of the Lambda Board.
Management of QPenn
85. At least one (1) of the QPenn Co-Chairs will attend each GBM after the board is established and until the following year’s elections will have taken place in order to present all pertinent updates on the planning process to the Executive and to the General Body. No reports shall be provided to any other authority without the advice and consent of the Executive.
86. If necessary, the same impeachment procedures as designated for the Executive (as outlined in §77-80) may be applied to the QPenn board, initiated by presentation of charges by two (2) individual members.
Finances of QPenn
87. The organizers of QPenn shall keep an accurate record of all expenditures and revenues connected to QPenn, providing creditors and/or the Vice-Chair of Finance and Development with such records upon request.
88. The organizers shall at all times have sufficient records to permit an audit of QPenn’s finances. Such an audit may be ordered by the Executive or the General Body by ordinary resolution, and the results of the audit shall be made available to all constituent groups and, if requested, to the LGBT Center or the University.
89. Detailed records of advertising sales and supplement purchases shall be kept and passed along to the following year’s board each year.
90. All surplus monies generated by QPenn shall be used first to settle outstanding debts, and then dedicated to the following year’s QPenn Week.
Withdrawal of Support for QPenn
91. The General Body may withdraw support from QPenn by special resolution if it is its opinion that QPenn is in violation of the Constitution, that the organization or format of QPenn is unsatisfactory, or that the organizers have acted in a matter prejudicial to the interests of Lambda or the LGBTQA Community.
92. The QPenn Co-Chairs shall have the right to respond to the resolution to withdraw support prior to its consideration by the General Body. All rights of natural justice and due process shall be conferred upon all parties to the resolution to withdraw support.
93. Withdrawal of support shall instantly terminate the current QPenn leadership and transfer all realizable assets to the Executive until new leadership is installed.
Initiating IvyQ
94. IvyQ is the annual inter-Ivy LGBTQA conference event, which is hosted at an Ivy League institution as determined by a democratic bid process the preceding year.
95. The Vice-Chair of Political Affairs shall preside over a GBM at which individual members shall elect at least the head representative, the IvyQ Chair, to the IvyQ planning process. This meeting shall not be the AGBM and shall take place within 12 months of the previous IvyQ elections. The incumbent IvyQ Chair’s term shall cease upon election of the new IvyQ Chair.
Management of the IvyQ Planning Committee
96. The IvyQ Chair shall be responsible for the election of the rest of the IvyQ Board (Schedule VI) as well as the development of Penn’s host bid, which shall be submitted each year if feasible.
97. In the event that Penn wins the IvyQ Host Bid, the IvyQ Chair will be responsible for notifying the community via the Executive and maintaining appropriate contact and engagement with individuals in the Penn community as well as the other institutions throughout the planning process.
98. In the case where Penn does not win the IvyQ Host Bid, the IvyQ Chair will modify the Planning Committee as necessary and will be responsible for ensuring Penn’s full commitment to IvyQ throughout the year by working in conjunction with Lambda’s Vice-Chair of Communications.
99. All other points of the planning process are at the discretion of the Committee, subject to overturn by the Body after a special resolution.
Lambda Alliance and the LGBT Center
100. The LGBT Center is financially responsible for Lambda Alliance.
101. The full time staff of the LGBT Center will have a reciprocal advisory relationship with Lambda Alliance, with the Director of the LGBT Center being designated the official advisor of Lambda.
102. Lambda Alliance will hold either a voting or an ex-officio position on the LGBT Center’s Advisory Council. This does not replace another student representative position on the advisory council.
Financial Matters
103. In addition to the LGBT Center, Lambda may accept funding from other sources so long as they do not violate its status as a nonprofit, nonpartisan student organization.
104. A majority of the executive board must approve the budget proposed by the Vice-Chair of Finance and Development.
(1) Only the Chair and the Vice-Chair of Finance and Development will have the authority to withdraw funds from the Lambda Alliance’s account.
105. No monies shall be spent by Lambda outside of its budget, save in consequence of appropriations made by the General Body by ordinary resolution.
106. Any funds designated for constituent group events shall be made available for competitive application in an impartial and merit-based fashion as determined in advance for the year and published in Schedule VII by the Executive upon receipt of such funds, with no fewer than fourteen (14) days’ notice to each constituent group before applications are accepted.
Modifications to the Constitution
107. The Schedules of the Constitution may be edited at the discretion of the Vice-Chair of Communications, after notification of the rest of the Executive and subject to its consensus veto, as well as the Body’s veto by simple resolution.
108. The General Body may make amendments to the Constitution by special resolution, given two (2) weeks’ notice to the Executive, which must distribute the proposed amendments to the constituent groups within 24-hours of having received them.
SCHEDULE I
Concise Definitions of Resolution Types as Inferred from the Text of the Constitution
Special Resolutions
Special resolutions are those requiring ¾ of the Body’s approval, which must be proposed at least eight (8) days in advance, unless period is waived by a two-thirds 2/3 vote of all members. Special resolutions are necessary for:
Approval of applications for associate group membership;
Approval of applications for constituent group membership;
Approval of official position statements;
Dismissal of an officer and/or the entire Executive;
Withdrawal of support from QPenn;
Changes to the IvyQ planning process; and
Amendments to the Constitution.
The chair must notify body no later than seven (7) days before a special resolution will be entertained. Thus, the chair has 24 hours to issue adequate notice to the community on special resolutions if they are to be processed as quickly as possible.
Ordinary Resolutions
Ordinary resolutions are necessary for any decision made by the Body not stipulated as requiring a special resolution by the Constitution. Ordinary resolutions require the support of a simple majority of constituent groups present for passage and are necessary in order to:
Revoke Associate Group membership;
Compel attendance by a group in violation of the attendance policy;
Enter a closed session during a GBM;
Conclude closed deliberations during an election;
Extend the election process; and
Approve expenditures outside of budget.
SCHEDULE II
Current Constituent and Associate Groups of the Lambda Alliance
Constituent Groups
The Jewish LGBTQA Community of Penn (J-Bagel)
Nurses’ Penn Understanding Sexuality in Healthcare (PUSH)
Penn Athletes and Allies Tackling Homophobia (PATH)
Queer Christian Fellowship (QCF)
Queer People of Color (QPOC)
Queer Student Alliance (QSA)
Queer Undergraduates in Engineering, Science, and Technology (QUEST)
Wharton Alliance (WA)
Associate Groups
IvyQ Delegation
QPenn
Committees
The Community Engagement Committee
SCHEDULE III
Procedure for the Resolution of Disciplinary Measures
1. The respondent shall be advised of the charges at least two weeks prior to their consideration by the General Body and shall be advised of the right to present an oral and/or written response to the charges;
2. The respondent shall be called to explain relevant conduct prior to and during the consideration of the charges by the General Body;
3. The General Body shall consider all submissions, oral and written, provided as part of the respondent’s defense;
4. All other rights of natural justice and due process shall be conferred upon the respondent and the complainants;
5. Following the consideration of the charges by the General Body, the entire Body shall deliberate on the charges in a closed session where the complainants, respondents, and their representatives, if applicable, shall not be present;
6. After the conclusion of the deliberations session, the General Body shall vote, in alphabetical order and by secret ballot, to warn, suspend, or expel the constituent group,
a. Duration of suspension, if sought, shall be proposed by the complainants during deliberations;
7. The first of these options to be approved by two-thirds (2/3 ) of the whole General Body shall take effect; should none of the options be approved in such a way, the respondent shall be deemed to be acquitted of all charges.
SCHEDULE IV
Optional Preferential Voting Scheme
1. Each voter shall write on one ballot paper the numbers 1, 2, 3 and so on against the name of each candidate, indicating an order of preference. A number need not be placed against the name of each candidate.
2. If Clause 1 (has not been complied with, the Returning Officer shall accept a ballot paper where the Returning Officer is satisfied that the voter has unambiguously indicated an order of preference.
3. A ballot paper, which does not comply with Clause 1 and is not accepted under Clause 2, is deemed informal and must be set aside as finally dealt with.
4. Each ballot holds equal value.
5. Each ballot shall be allocated to the candidate first in the voter’s order of preference.
6. All votes cast in favor of an eliminated candidate shall be redistributed to the candidate(s) next in the voter’s order of preference.
7. After distribution in accordance with Clause 6, the candidate with the smallest number of votes shall be eliminated.
8. The process of elimination shall continue until one candidate holds majority of the total non-exhausted votes.
9. In the final distribution of votes, if two (2) or more candidates have the same total votes, the Chair shall have the casting vote.
10. The candidate remaining after all the distribution of votes shall be declared elected by the Returning Officer.
SCHEDULE V
Further Responsibilities of the Vice-Chair for Outreach Programs
The Vice-Chair for Outreach Programs shall:
1. Represent Lambda in the Kite and Key Society’s Minority Outreach Program
2. Guarantee Lambda’s strong presence at Minority Scholars’ Weekend either in situ or through the support of relevant constituent groups
SCHEDULE VI
Suggested QPenn Board Positions and Suggested IvyQ Board Positions
The following are suggested executive positions and responsibilities for QPenn and IvyQ.
QPenn Board
Co-Chairs (2)
1.) Convene QPenn planning meetings (at least
biweekly, moving to weekly by January)
2.) Communicate as necessary with the Daily Pennsylvanian
3.) Set general timetable and ensure that it is followed
4.) Attend Lambda Alliance GBMs
5.) Convene weekly QPenn board meetings
6.) Communicate with groups regarding event planning (non-keynote)
Finance Chair
1.) Sell advertising space in the Supplement
2.) Communicate with all constituent groups to ensure SAC funding
3.) Manage QPenn
funds
4.) Secure funds from various sources (T-Change, SPEC-TRUM, Resource centers,
LGBT groups,
Intercultural Fund, Cross-collaboration, et al.)
Supplement Co-Editors (2)
1.) Compile articles, ads and other content for Supplement
2.) Have working knowledge of relevant publishing software
3.) Maintain contact with the DP regarding the Supplement (release date,
submission deadline,
signing of contract)
4.) Set deadlines for and solicit
submissions
5.) Work with team of content editors to edit submissions
6.) Present Supplement to LGBT Center staff and Lambda Alliance board for
approval before
submission
7.) Secure artistic content, including the Supplement cover design
Communications Chair
1.) Take minutes at all QPenn planning meetings and board meetings.
2.) Work with various groups to ensure that their QPenn events are being publicized appropriately.
3.) Issue appropriate press releases to appropriate publications (PGN, Daily Pennsylvanian, Metro, et al.)
4.) Promote QPenn via Facebook, email, and a blogging platform such as Blogspot/Wordpress/Tumblr/etc.
IvyQ Board
Chair
1.) Oversee all conference events and activities.
2.) Coordinate the activities of the Planning Board.
3.) Serve as a spokesperson to press and external organizations.
4.) Assist in the duties of all officers on the Planning Board.
Vice-Chair
1.) Assist the Chair with duties of organizing the conference.
2.) Direct conference programming, including, but not limited to: scheduling, organizing
workshops, selecting speakers, and other programming needs.
Financial Director
1.) Oversee all efforts to acquire conference funds, including but not limited to: creation
of a sponsorship package, selection of conference sponsors, communication with
sponsors, and acquisition of funds from other bodies.
2.) Maintain a record of conference finances, to be made available upon request to the Lambda
Executive Board.
Housing Director
1.) Secure adequate housing for all attendees
Registration Director
1.) Handle matters related to registration
2.) Arrange check-in for attendees
3.) Prepare check-in materials for attendees, speakers, et a..
Facilities and Dining Director
1.) Secure space for conference events
2.) Arrange food for attendees
Communications Director
1.) Communicate with students at the participating schools
2.) Relay necessary information to the Penn community
3.) Maintain the website
4.) Liaise with the press
5.) Create any promotional materials required for the conference
SCHEDULE VII
The Lambda Alliance currently has no funds available for distribution.
Bylaws of the Lambda Alliance at the University of Pennsylvania
I. Bylaws Regarding Constituent Groups
A. Admitting New Constituent Groups
1. Organizations desiring to become a constituent group can apply by submitting a written proposal according to the terms of the Lambda Alliance Constitution.
2. The proposal will be announced by email to each constituent group within three days.
3. At the next general body meeting, the constituent groups will vote to decide whether the organization will become a constituent group.
B. Removal of Constituent Groups
1. Candidates for removal will be determined according to the terms of the Lambda Alliance Constitution.
2. The constituent groups in question will appoint a representative to speak for no longer than three minutes about what the group has accomplished in the last year, what it is planning for the future, and why it adheres to the requirements for constituent groups.
3. There will then be three minutes for the general body of Lambda Alliance to question the constituent group’s representative.
4. All board members of the constituent group in question will then leave the room.
II. Bylaws Concerning Elections
A. Elections for candidates will occur in the following order: Chair, Vice-Chair of Political Affairs, Vice-Chair of Internal Affairs, Vice-Chair of Finance and Development, and Vice-Chair of Communications.
B. A member of the LGBT Center’s staff or the outgoing Chair will supervise the elections.
C. A candidate who loses an election can drop down to run for other positions.
D. Each candidate will be permitted three minutes to speak (the candidate will be provided with a 30 seconds left warning).
E. There will be a three minute question period.
F. Voting will occur through secret ballot.
III. Bylaws Concerning the Executive Board
A. Impeachment
1. The impeachment announcement must occur at a general body meeting and be accompanied by a written statement not exceeding 500 words. The officer nominated for impeachment and the executive board will be given a copy of the statement.
2. At the next general body meeting, the written statement will be read. The executive board member nominated for impeachment will be given five minutes to speak.
