Constitution

Article 1. – Organization

Section 1. The name of the organization shall be “Initiative for Development and Education in Africa at Georgia Tech", hereafter referred to as GT- IDEA.

Section 2. GT-IDEA will abide by all Institute policies and procedures.

Article 2. – Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of Initiative for Development and Education at Georgia Tech will be to promote strong and sustainable student-led initiatives for development in Africa. GT-IDEA shall seek to channel efforts and expertise at Georgia Tech towards economic developments needs in Africa.

Section 2. GT-IDEA shall strive to enhance the effectiveness of the organization with respect to its intended purpose.

Article 3. – Membership

Section 1. The members of GT-IDEA will be Georgia Tech students, who meet eligibility criteria for participation in extra-curricular activities as stated in the GT Handbook and SGA policies. Only GT students can vote or hold office.

Section 2. Associate members are GT faculty, staff, alumni and their spouses who are interested in the organization. They may not vote or hold office.

Section 3. Membership will not be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, origin, age, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Section 4. There will be no maximum number of members.

Section 5. Membership will take effect when an interested party signs up on the membership roster and pays all dues set for the year.

Article 4. – Officers

Section 1. Only GT students who are members of GT-IDEA, can hold or run office.

Section 2. The duties of the Executive Board of Directors are stated below:

President: The President will be the primary administrator, the executive officer of the Executive Board, and will be responsible for monitoring business of the organization. He or she will preside at meetings. The President will also act as contact between members of GT-IDEA and external organizations.

Vice-President: The VP will be the junior executive officer and will represent the President in his or her absence. He or she will assist the president in running the organization, and will be in charge of public relations.

Secretary:The Secretary will record membership list. He or she will be responsible for recording minutes of the meetings, and for communication of information to members.

Treasurer: The Treasurer will manage all financial transactions, including collection of dues. He or she will be responsible for documentation of all income and expenditures, creating budget for the organization, and ensuring that generally accepted accounting practices are in place.

Section 3. In the event that a member of the Executive Board cannot attend an activity organized by GT-IDEA, a representative may be delegated, but may not vote.

Section 4. Nominations for positions in the Executive Board will be open during the week following the first meeting in the Spring semester.Elections will be conducted during the second meeting of the spring semester.Any student member may campaign or be nominated for any position on the Executive Board. The candidate names will be emailed out to the list to be voted on at the following meeting. The candidate for each office with the highest number of votes wins. The elected officers will assume office immediately after the elections.

Section 5. Officers shall be removed in the following manner:

If an officer fails to maintain Institute requirements for holding office, he or she shall resign immediately.

If it is believed that an officer is not fulfilling his or her constitutional duties, then a petition requesting his or her removal must be signed by at least half of the voting membership and presented at a general meeting. Then, upon verification of the validity of the petition, by the advisor, and, at least two weeks but no more than four weeks from the date of submission, another meeting shall be held at which the grievance will be presented, with both sides having the opportunity to present a case.

The Faculty Advisor, if appropriate, shall preside over the removal hearing. After all arguments have been heard, a secret-ballot vote shall be held. If at least two-thirds of the voting members present vote for removal, the officer shall be removed immediately.

If the President is removed or resigns, the Vice-President will take his/her place in the interim until the next election term. All other officers will be nominated by the membership and voted on in accordance with regular election procedures at the next meeting.

Article 5. – Advisor(s)

Section 1. A full time GT faculty or staff member will serve as advisor to the organization.

Section 2. Nominations for advisor will take place within the Executive Board. An advisor will be chosen within two weeks of a vacancy. After choosing the advisor, the Executive Board will invite him or her to serve as advisor for the next academic year.

Section 3. During Officer Elections, the organization will vote on whether to continue the Advisor appointment or not. The vote must be 2/3 rd of those voting in order to retain the advisor for the next academic year.

Section 4. The duties of the advisor include: meeting with organization officers, reviewing the yearly budget, signing all required paperwork, and advising and guiding on issues of risk management, leadership, and Georgia Tech policy.

Section 5. The advisor can be removed for not carrying out the duties and expectations as defined in this document. Any member can bring concerns to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will meet with the Advisor to discuss the concerns. After this meeting, the Executive Board will vote on whether to remove the Advisor. If there is a majority vote, then the Advisor will be removed.

Section 6. If an Advisor is removed or resigns or appointment is not continued, the Executive Board will follow the process stated in Article 5, Section 2.

Article 6. – Dues

Section 1. At the beginning of the year, the Executive Board shall decide the dues to be paid by the members.

Section 2. Dues will not be less than the amount designated by the SGA.

Section 3. Dues must be paid by the end of the fourth week of the semester.

Article 7. – Parliamentary Procedures

Section 1. The Roberts Rules of Order will be used in instances not covered in this constitution.

Article 8. – Voting and Constitutional Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to the constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Board for changes and considerations.

Section 2. Written notification of all members must be made by mail or email, at least 2 weeks in advance of any proposed chances in the constitution.

Section 3. At least one-fifth of the dues paying members must be present to conduct an official vote. A two-thirds vote of those present will be required for adoption.

Section 4. All amendments to this constitution are subject to the approval by the SGA and the Student Activities Committee.