International Student Organization Grinnell College Constitution (Revised February 2000)
Part I: Name of the Organization
1. The name of the organization shall be International Student Organization (ISO).
2. International encompasses all nationalities.
Part II: Purpose
The purpose of the organization shall be:
1. To promote international understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among cultures on campus and in the Grinnell community.
2. To encourage all students to broaden their horizons and their exposure to international cultures.
3. To provide a forum for discussion of current global issues.
4. To act as a network group for members during their stay at Grinnell College and elsewhere in the community.
Part III: Membership
1. Any student currently enrolled at Grinnell College can become a member of ISO.
2. To sign up, interested students can contact any ISO cabinet officer personally, through email, or at the organizations fair at the beginning of each year.
3. Anyone can become a member at any time during the year.
4. The ISO Publicity Coordinator(s) will keep membership current.
Part IV: Structure
1. The executive committee of ISO shall consist of the seven elected office- bearers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer/Historian, 2 Social Coordinators and 2 Publicity Coordinators.
2. The purpose of electing officers is to create a committee that is responsible for making decisions that are necessary to fulfill the organization's purposes and to notify members of decisions. Every elected officer stands accountable for his/her decisions and actions to the membership.
3. The OISS Assistant (appointed by the Director of International Student Services) will serve as a liaison between ISO and the OISS. The Assistant may attend Cabinet meetings when the executive committee or the OISS Assistant feels the need to communicate directly with the other. ISO supports a strong relationship with OISS and intends that the liaison role of the OISS Assistant will facilitate this relationship.
While each officer has a distinct job description; it is understood that every officer shall cooperate with his/her colleagues in the implementation of programs during the year. It will also be understood that the following guidelines will be adhered to:
1. Responsibility
2. Communication
3. Cooperation
4. Confidentiality
5. Duties of the Executive Committee
6. To mobilize the members towards the achievement of the organizational goals/purposes.
7. To plan, evaluate, execute, and attend ISO activities.
8. To familiarize newly elected cabinet members with their duties and current ISO issues.
9. Duties of the ISO officers
Duties of the President
The President shall:
1. Act as a spokesperson for ISO and handle all non-membership correspondence;
2. Chair ISO meetings;
3. Oversee the delegation and implementation of all planned activities;
4. Act as a communications liaison on campus and in the Grinnell community
5. shall send meeting agenda to cabinet prior to weekly meetings
Duties of the Vice-President
The Vice-President shall:
1. Assume responsibilities of the President in the temporary absence of the President;
2. Take minutes at the weekly cabinet meetings;
3. Distribute minutes to officers;
4. Read previous minutes for approval;
5. Submit all records and files to the Treasurer/Historian to organize;
6. Assist President in overseeing the delegation and implementation of all planned activities;
7. Oversee regular and special elections.
Duties of the Treasurer/Historian
The Treasurer/Historian shall:
1. Keep all financial records updated;
2. Make a report to the executive committee at each weekly meeting;
3. Meet routinely with the ISO advisor to balance accounts;
4. Coordinate the appropriation of funds when required;
5. Assume responsibility for documentation of ISO events (such as pictures, write-up summaries of events, and logging attendance numbers at events);
6. Make copies of all ISO records (such as minutes and publicity)
7. Maintain files for annual submission to college archivist
8. Maintain all inventory lists in the ISO office and storage room
Duties of the Social Coordinators
The Social Coordinators shall:
1. Coordinate all social activities;
2. Work closely with the Publicity Coordinators for the publicity of events;
3. Submit expenses to the ISO Treasurer/Historian on a routine basis;
4. Make all reservations of dates and space on campus for ISO events
Duties of the Publicity Coordinators
The Publicity Coordinators shall:
1. Be responsible for all publicity of ISO activities on campus and in the scommunity
2. Keep membership list current;
3. Keep membership informed of activities on a regular basis;
4. Distribute minutes of ISO meetings to ISO membership;
5. Serve as a liaison between ISO and OISS office regarding communication to ISO membership.
VI: Elections
1. Elections shall be held at least three weeks before the end of the academic year.
2. Anyone becoming a member by the beginning of the Spring semester may run for any office.
3. No person shall occupy more than one office at a time.
4. There shall be write-ins, but write-in candidates must fulfill the requirements put forth in Part VI (Elections).
5. Candidates cannot be on academic probation at the time of election and at anytime during the term in office.
6. Candidates cannot be planning to go off campus during either semester.
7. All candidates are allowed to vote.
8. The location and time period for voting will be determined by the executive committee.
9. The executive committee will determine the time and location for campaign speeches prior to election day.
10. Votes shall be counted immediately after the closing of voting.
11. Elections shall be decided by secret ballot or through email response conducted by the Vice-President and shall be counted by 2 current ISO officers who may not be candidates and 2 members at large who shall be selected by the cabinet.
12. To win, a candidate shall need 51% of the votes cast.
13. If on the first ballot no one person gets a simple majority of the votes cast, then a runoff will take place between the 2 candidates with the most votes.
14. Results will be announced by the Publicity Coordinators shortly after counting the ballots.
15. Newly elected officers shall assume office immediately following the last week of spring semester. They will be required to attend executive committee meetings for the remainder of the semester.
16. Any ISO member can run for any executive committee position.
17. Ballots shall be made by the Vice-President during the campaign week, unless the Vice-President is running for a position himself/herself. In that case the ISO adviser selects a person to saddle with this responsibility.
18. The Publicity Coordinators are responsible for announcing the candidates to the ISO membership.
19. All ISO officers must be at least second semester students attending Grinnell College when they take office.
20. In the event of a tie, there shall be a run-off. The candidates with the most votes shall win the election. In the event of another tie, a second run-off shall take place, and the candidate with the most votes shall win the election.
21. Once nominations close, candidates cannot switch the position for which they are running.
Special Elections
1. A vacancy prior to the spring annual election of any ISO position shall be filled by a special election unless the executive committee through consensus decided to leave the position vacant.
2. In case a vacancy shall not be filled, the duties of the vacant position shall be shared among the remaining officers.
3. Special elections will be conducted by the same rules as found in Part VI (Elections).
4. The executive committee will make immediate arrangements for elections, allowing a one-week period between declaration of candidacy and election deadlines.
Part VII Meetings
1. The executive committee shall meet once a week to discuss ISO business.
2. Any ISO member can request to be placed on the agenda by contacting the president ahead of time. Any ISO member(s) can attend the ISO meeting; however, the cabinet as a whole can request the member(s) to leave the meeting for the period "sensitive" issues are being discussed.
3. The President shall make any necessary announcements at cabinet meetings.
4. Any officer who is absent from two meetings without an acceptable excuse will be given a formal warning by the President or the ISO advisor. After which, any subsequent unexcused absence will mean the expulsion of the officer concerned.
5. In case of dispute, RobertsÕs Rules of Order shall be followed (this guide should be found in the library).
Part VIII Amendment
The proposed changes will be adopted by the consensus unless there is dissension. In case of dissension, the amendment process will consist of line item voting on any amendments submitted by ISO members one week before the vote. The amendments will separately be considered and chosen by plurality vote. Following this procedure, the constitution as a whole will be voted upon for ratification. This shall be conducted over email, or a meeting shall be announced by the Publicity Coordinators to the entire membership during the week preceding the vote on the amendments. Before voting, the members at large shall be given an opportunity to voice their views and submit amendments, either over email or in a meeting forum.
The amendment procedure shall take place at least a month before the end of the academic year.
Part IX Ratification
1. In order to take effect, this constitution must be ratified by 51% of the votes cast at the referendum and is subject to the approval of the Dean of Student Affairs. If ratified, this constitution shall take effect immediately.
2. Members shall vote for or against the constitutions as a whole. Members voting against it shall identify and explain which specific parts of the constitution they oppose.
3. If this constitution does not get 51% of the votes cast, a second referendum shall be held a week later.
4. Parts of the constitution being strongly opposed by the membership shall be discussed at an open Forum and rewritten if need be.
Part X By-laws
By-laws on this constitution shall be enacted by the passage of such a proposal at 2 consecutive meetings.
By passage, it is meant that the motion shall need 51% of the vote cast 2 weeks in a row.
Part XI Resignation
1. A formal letter of resignation to the cabinet is required from the resigning officer.
2. Upon notice of resignation, acceptance by the executive committee immediately will be given or after pending duties by the officer concerned are completed.
3. After the acceptance of resignation, special elections shall take place as designated in Part VI (Special elections).