CONSTITUTION
for Library and Information Science Students to Encourage Networking
(LISSTEN)
ARTICLE I:
Name and Purpose of the Organization
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be LISSTEN, an acronym for Library and Information Science Students to Encourage Networking.
Section 2. The purpose of this organization is to enhance the educational experiences of students in the School of Library and Information Science (hereafter referred to as the Program); address members' concerns; promote professionalism; and provide networking opportunities.
The relationship between students enrolled in the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science (SJSU SLIS), Special Session and the California State University/Fullerton is covered by the CSUF-SJSU Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is in effect from 2002 through 2007.
ARTICLE II: Requirements for Membership and Selection of Members
Section 1. Membership in this organization shall not be denied to any student in the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, Special Session Program hosted at California State University, Fullerton and on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation or disability.
Section 2. There shall be a minimum of five (5) CSU Fullerton students who are currently enrolled in at least one class with a maximum of 20 percent of the members who are not CSU Fullerton students.
Section 3. There shall be three types of membership in the organization: voting, associate, and honorary. ALASC and SAASC Chairs are automatically deemed Associate LISSTEN Board Members. While associate members will not have voting privileges on LISSTEN matters, they may provide valuable input regarding other LISSTEN issues such as event planning, professional development, etc.
Section 4. Voting membership is limited to students enrolled in the Program during a semester. All students enrolled in the Program are invited to request a ballot. All students enrolled in the Program have the right to participate in a recall vote.
Section 5. Membership is automatic and shall include all students enrolled in the Program. All faculty and staff of the Program are associate members of LISSTEN. Any person giving outstanding service to the organization may be voted in for honorary membership.
Section 6. Any member may be suspended or expelled from the organization for conduct obviously contrary to the Constitution of the organization or for conduct that impairs the rights of the members to enjoy the benefits of the organization. The offense must be reported in writing and submitted to the President and one other officer who is not involved in the offense by a club member. After the offense is submitted, the offending member has the right to a 24-hour notice of a hearing before his/her peers at a regular meeting and the offending member may be suspended or expelled by a 66% (two-thirds) affirmative vote of the voting members present.
ARTICLE III: Officers
Section 1. Officers
The elected officers of the organization shall be the President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary and other officers as necessary. LISSTEN shall be presided over by a Board of Directors that shall include at least five (5) elected officers and an unspecified number of elected members who will be identified as Board Members-at-large. The total number of persons on the Board cannot exceed more than 5% of the SLIS Special Session student population. The term of office will be one year beginning July 1st.
Section 2. Powers and Duties of Officers and Board Members:
Board members are defined as:
- Officers - Members who have specific duties, such as but not limited to, President, 2 Vice Presidents (one located at CSUF and the other at SJSU), Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Webmasters and Editors.
- Members-at-large - Members who have no specific duties and assist the officers in various areas and serve on at least one committee during their term as board member.
(Hereafter, Officers and Members-at-large are together referred to as the "Board".)
Each elected Board member must be part of one committee or team, such as but not limited to area specific teams, and various specific event committees. Each committee or team has a chair. All Board members are eligible to chair a committee or team. If a committee or team needs a chairperson and no member-at-large wants to be chair, then an officer must be selected to chair. All area specific teams are encouraged to participate in LISSTEN activities and Board meetings in the San Jose and Fullerton areas. However, the main duty of each area-specific committee is to plan one event in its local area during the Fall semester and one event during the Spring semester. Leadership of area specific teams may be shared between two co-chairs.
At an organizational meeting following the elections, the elected Board members shall:
- Plan activity calendar and discuss goals for the following school year.
- Form committees and teams.
- Appoint chairs for committees and teams.
The responsibilities of the officers shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
Clause 1. The President shall:
- Preside at all meetings of the organization. S/he shall be the official spokesperson of the organization, representing the policies, views and opinions of the organization in its relations with the campus and community at large.
- Plan meeting agendas.
- Organize the planning of the LISSTEN calendar of events.
- Approve all expenditures and newsletter articles.
- Serve as cosigner on all bank accounts with the Treasurer.
- Act as a liaison between the Board, Faculty Advisor, Alumni, other student organizations, and office staff of north and south facilities.
- Supervise committee chairs.
- Oversee board members and make sure tasks are complete.
- Administer election process for the new Board.
- Manage the LISSTEN Blackboard course site.
Clause 2. The Vice Presidents shall:
- Help President with duties, as needed.
- Step in for President where needed.
- Serve as a committee chairs.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
- Perform all other duties assigned by the President.
Clause 3. The Treasurer shall:
- Handles all financial affairs and budgeting of the organization. S/he maintains AS Agency Accounts in the organization’s name, which requires signatures of the Treasurer, President and Advisor.
- Reimburse only those expenses that have been approved by the President.
- Prepare budget estimates for Board approval.
- Issue checks for approved reimbursement and contracts.
- Balance checkbook against bank statements.
- Serve as the Fundraising committee chair.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
Clause 4. The Secretary shall:
- Take minutes at all the meetings.
- File minutes and submit required copies to all organization members including the webmasters for the LISSTEN website.
- Check campus mail once a month, or arrange for someone to check it.
- Type up documents as needed for the President or Board.
- Update the LISSTEN student handbook during each semester with an orientation. Submit handbook changes to the webmasters and have print copies available at orientation.
- Be responsible for all organization correspondence and keep copies of all correspondence on file.
- Serve as a committee chair.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
Clause 5. The Historian shall:
- Save copies of all pertinent LISSTEN correspondences, flyers, newsletters, etc. in print and electronic format as available.
- Organize print records in a logical manner and present them at the end of the term in a three-ring binder to the President and the Board.
- Serve as a committee chair, if needed.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
Clause 6. The Webmaster(s) shall:
- Update web page design in some way annually.
- Manage website pages with the knowledge that there may be minor updating on a weekly basis.
- Post newsletter editions in html and PDF formats for all newsletter issues.
- Serve as a committee chair, if needed.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
Clause 7. The Newsletter editor shall (this position can be divided between 2 people):
- Oversee production of three (August, November, and February) newsletters per school year. More newsletter editions may be published throughout the school year if decided upon by the Newsletter editor and the President.
- Collect articles from staff, students, and alumni.
- Obtain President’s approval for each article.
- Provide newsletters for distribution during Fall and Spring orientation.
- Edit all articles and obtain approval of at least one other page editor. If a page editor is not officially assigned, the Newsletter Editor will invite LISSTEN board members to help in the page editing process.
- Serve as a committee chair, if needed.
- Attend all three Board meetings.
- Design layout for print version of the newsletter.
- Convert print version of newsletter and other necessary documents to PDF format so that the newsletter may appear in PDF on the LISSTEN Web site.
Section 3. Officer qualifications (President and Treasurer Only):
Clause 1. The President and Treasurer of the student organization are required to meet the minimum requirements established for Minor Student Representative Student officers by the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
- Officers must be a regularly enrolled (non-extended education) student in good standing in the SJSU SLIS program.
Clause 2. Must be a voting member of the organization for one semester.
Clause 3. Must be carrying a minimum of three units a semester in the SLIS Program and have a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.0.
Section 4. Recall
Any member of LISSTEN who is dissatisfied with the work of an elected member of the Board may express his or her complaint in a letter or an email to the Board. The affected officer will be requested to present a written rebuttal. If necessary, the Board may elect to meet with the complainant and/or the affected officer to discuss the complaint(s) reported. Upon review and careful consideration of the complaint(s)' rebuttal statement(s), and any meetings with the complainant or affected officer held by the Board, the Board shall make a decision to resolve the alleged complaint(s).
If the Board is unable to resolve the complaint in a manner satisfactory to both parties (complainant and affected officer), arbitration shall be scheduled. The arbitration panel shall consist of the complainant, the affected officer, and a third party not a member of the Board. The third party shall be a member of the San Jose State University (SJSU)/ California State University at Fullerton (CSUF) administration.
If the complainant remains dissatisfied, the complainant shall have the right to submit a petition signed by at least twenty (20) members to schedule a recall vote. The Board shall then schedule a recall vote within one month. When the recall election is scheduled, members shall cast their votes by written secret official ballot. The ballots shall be counted at a predetermined time and place and the complainant and affected officer must be notified and invited. If 66% (two-thirds) of the voting LISSTEN membership votes to remove the member from the Board, that member shall be so removed and nominations from among LISSTEN members shall be opened for a replacement member to the Board. A new election will be scheduled within one (1) month of the recall vote. Recall requires an affirmative vote of 66% (two-thirds) of the total voting membership.
Section 5. In the event an elected officer is unable to fulfill his/her term of office, the Board will appoint a replacement from within the Board with unanimous consent. If no one within the Board wants the officer position or it is a Member-at-large position, LISSTEN members shall provide nominations and the Board shall vote. If the position of President of the LISSTEN Board shall become vacant, the remaining elected directors of the Board shall elect a Board member to the position. Any eligible member, including those already holding office, can be nominated for a vacated officer position.
ARTICLE IV: Meetings
Section 1. Regular meetings are scheduled at least three times in person with weekly email updates and communications throughout the year. The time and place of each meeting shall be determined by the Board and posted on LISSTEN's Web site. Any member of LISSTEN may attend each regularly scheduled Board meeting or any general membership meeting. The Board may determine whether meetings will be held face-to-face or online using the LISSTEN Blackboard course site.
Section 2. Special meetings are called by any elected officer or by 5% of the voting members of the organization. All members must be given a minimum of 48 hours (2 working days) prior to the Special Meeting time.
Section 3. Business cannot be conducted unless a quorum of the membership is present. Quorum for this organization is defined as 66% of the voting membership.
A 66% (two-thirds) majority vote of LISSTEN Board members is required before entering into any contractual agreement, which binds LISSTEN. At no time during the course of holding office shall any Board member obligate LISSTEN or SJSU/SLIS without written permission following a 66% (two-thirds) majority vote. Furthermore, the Treasurer of the Board and Chairperson of the Committee seeking the obligation shall sign any contract that legally binds LISSTEN. Any Board member violating the terms of this article section is subject to immediate dismissal from the Board and to all legal recourse available for damages incurred through misconduct on the part of the member.
ARTICLE V: Elections
Section 1. Officers are elected once an academic year. Elections are held at the end of each academic year for the following year’s term. Open recruitment for Board Membership shall begin during a two-week period at least one month (usually April) prior to the end of the spring semester. Any student enrolled in the Program may volunteer to serve on the LISSTEN Board. Nominations are taken for each Officer position and for Members-at-Large. The Board is elected by the outgoing Board with an invitation to LISSTEN members to request a ballot to participate in the election. An outgoing Officer, who will not be on the Board the following year, will prepare a ballot at the end of the two-week period. The ballot and information on each nominee are distributed to outgoing Board members. The aforementioned outgoing Officer will count the ballots. If there is a tie in the voting for an Officer position, the tie is broken by the highest-ranking Officer not on the ballot.
Elections to replace Members-at-Large may be held at the end of Fall session to replace members who have resigned or left the SJSU SLIS Program after the Spring elections.
A member of the Board may resign from office by addressing a letter or an email to the Board stating the wish to resign and the effective date of the resignation.
Section 2. At least one week's notice will be provided for any meeting at which an election is held.
Section 3. Votes will be cast by secret ballot and counted by the outgoing president and one other outgoing Board member.
Section 4. A candidate must receive at least 66% (two-thirds) of the votes or if necessary run off elections will be held.
ARTICLE VI: Advisors
Section 1. An individual employed on at least a half-time basis by the SJSU SLIS Program at CSU Fullerton will serve as advisor to this organization.
Section 2. The advisor(s) will serve a term of one academic year and is selected at the same time as the officers of the organization.
Section 3. The advisor(s) may be removed by a 66% (two-thirds) vote of the membership at a regularly scheduled organization meeting.
Section 4. A staff member from the CSUF Dean of Students Office or a School-Based Assistant Dean may coordinate with LISSTEN to assist the faculty advisor and the officers.
ARTICLE VII: Dues
Section 1. This organization can assess membership fees. Assessments are determined each semester or each academic year by a quorum of the membership at its regularly scheduled organization meeting.
Section 2. All money must be deposited into an Associated Students, Incorporated, Accounting Office agency account. The University does not recognize off-campus bank accounts for student organizations at CSU Fullerton.
ARTICLE VIII: Method to Amend the Constitution
Section 1. Proposed constitutional amendment or changes will be presented, in writing, to the organization one meeting before this amendment is voted on. Any member of LISSTEN can propose an amendment to this constitution. After discussion and approval by the Board, any proposed amendments shall be posted on the LISSTEN Web site for at least two weeks.
Section 2. At the next meeting of the Board, the proposed amendment shall be considered and adopted if approved by 66% (two-thirds) of the Board members voting online, and not fewer than three members of the Board. An adopted amendment shall be effective immediately, unless the amendment is designated to become effective at a predetermined date.
Section 3 . A copy of this constitution/by-laws and/or amendments to this constitution must be filed in the Dean of Students Office at CSU Fullerton and the SJSU SLIS Special Session office every 2 years or within 90 days after any substantive change or amendment.
Section 4. The Board may adopt by-laws to implement this Constitution. Adoption of any amendment to the by-laws may occur with 66% (two-thirds) of the Board voting and not fewer than three (3) votes.
ARTICLE IX: Disbursal of Organization Assets
Section 1. In the event that LISSTEN should become defunct, all assets will be turned over to SJSU SLIS Special Session office to be used to promote student programming on campus.
ARTICLE X: Statement of Affiliation
Section 1. This organization is not affiliated with any national or international organizations.
ARTICLE XI: Rules of Order
Section 1. LISSTEN accepts "Roberts Rules of Order" (newly revised) as its Rules of Order.
Section 2. Any issue not directly written in this document will be resolved by referring to the Rules of Order.
ARTICLE XII:
APPROVAL
Section 1. This constitution was approved on September 19, 2006.(This must be approved by the entire organization, not just the executive officers and not by one or two organization members.)
_____________________________________________________________________
President Name Signature Date
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Treasurer Name Signature Date
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Advisor Name Signature Date
Rewrite date: September 19, 2006
Rewritten by: 2006-2007 LISSTEN Board:
Judy Weedman, Faculty Advisor
Annie Knight, President
Lucy Bellamy, LISSTEN VP
Tiffany Bronzan, LISSTEN VP
Ozgun Tumer, Secretary
David Durante, Treasurer
Lucia Lee, Webmaster
Vlasta Radan, Webmaster
Kim Banks, Newsletter Editor
Beverly McLeod, Newsletter Editor
Brenda Welch, Historian
Rewrite date: September 26, 2004
Rewritten by: 2004-2005 LISSTEN Board:
Ken Dowlin, Faculty Advisor
Kerry E. Spears, President
Marsha Schnirring, Vice President
Pat Dalpé, Vice President
Brooke Black, Secretary
Paula Romeyn, Treasurer
Daria DeCoomen, Historian
Annie Knight, Newsletter Editor
Cassandra Stearns, Webmaster
Sharon Kidwell, Webmaster
Roxane Ben Vau, San Diego Area Team Co-Chair
Philip Price, San Diego Area Team Co-Chair
Rewrite date: July 31, 2003
Rewritten by: 2003-2004 LISSTEN Board:
Ken Dowlin, Faculty Advisor
Victoria Campbell, President
Wendy Westgate, Historian
Brooke Black, Secretary
Lauren Soll, Treasurer
Kristine Wickson, Newsletter Editor
Cassandra Stearns, Webmaster
Daria DeCooman, San Diego Area Team Chair
Louise Beebe, Member-at-large
Paula Romeyn, Member-at-large
Amendment date: September 28, 1997
Amended by: 1997-98 LISSTEN Board
Dr. Judy Weedman, Faculty Advisor
Mara Alpert, President
Becky Manley, Vice President
Judi Wood, Secretary
Ginny Evans-Perry, Treasurer
Laura Hinze, Publications
Amendment date: December 15, 1995
Amended by: 1995-96 LISSTEN Board:
Dr. Judy Weedman, Faculty Advisor
Yuko Neal, President
Steve Tibbens, Vice President
Mim Nelson, Secretary
Joanie Breitman, Treasurer
Joanna Gilicinski, Historian
Janine Free, Editor
Carmen Hernandez
Pat Warren
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