The Newman Catholic Student Association's constitution was adpoted in 1961. To access the latest revision from Spring 2010, click here [MS Word Format] or you can read it below.

The Pennsylvania State University Newman Catholic Student Association CONSTITUTION Adopted: September 1961 Revised: Spring 2010 Article I. Purpose The Newman Catholic Student Association, henceforth referred to as “Newman,” will create an environment, through meetings, events, and activities, that is conducive to the spiritual, social, and intellectual growth of the undergraduate Catholic population at University Park. Faithful devotion to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, depth in prayer, growth in Christian virtue, radiation of charity, joy in fellowship, and active witness to the Truth are all ends that Newman hopes to foster in its members through Jesus Christ, with the active working of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God the Father. Attainment will strengthen and propel members towards sainthood and the beatific vision, thereby allowing for the sanctification of the world. Article II. Membership A. The majority (50% +1) of all active members shall be full-time, officially registered undergraduate students at University Park. B. The membership shall be divided into active and associate members. 1. An active member is any University Park student who has attended four (4) or more general meetings in one (1) semester. a. A member who is unable to attend regular meetings due to academic reasons, at the discretion of the Vice President, (e.g. weekly class conflict, co-op) will be considered an active member if he or she met the requirements during the previous semester for active membership. Otherwise, previous active members will retain there active status into the next semester for eight (8) meetings. 3. All students with expressed interest shall be associate members until having attended four (4) general meetings. Those who wish to further the purpose of the Newman Catholic Student Association shall also be considered associate members. 4. Only active members may hold office, vote, preside, officiate, or solicit funds on behalf of the organization. 5. A minimum of twenty (20) active members must be maintained at all times. 6. Newman is committed to fostering an open and honest dialogue with the University Park community and recognizes the dignity of all human persons and the respect that must be afforded to those made in the likeness of God. Thus in compliance with the Center for Student Engagement, Newman will not restrict membership based on characteristics of a student, which are intrinsic to the identity of that student, and are not essential to the potential value of that student as a member of that organization and the Penn State University Community at large. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. C. New Membership and Recruitment 1. Any and all new members will be given full disclosure during recruitment, including but not limited to the disclosure of: a. New Membership Manual b. Schedule of New Member Events and Activities c. A list of responsibilities d. A definition of personal rights, and a copy of the University Hazing policy, prescribed by Policies and Rules for Student Organizations (These documents will be available upon request by the Center for Student Engagement). 3. All members, including but not limited to new members and recruits, reserve the right to refrain from participating in any activities without consequence, based upon personal/religious beliefs, personal values, or moral reserve as defined by the member. 4. Any and all interaction/activity between members and/or new members will be limited to guidelines stated by university policy, as well as local, state, and federal laws. D. Membership Removal 1. Newman reserves the right to expel any member for cause. a. Cause shall include but is not limited to active disruption against the interests, efforts, and mission of Newman. 2. The request for expulsion must be countersigned by an officer, who shall in turn inform Newman at the next general meeting. The person against whom expulsion has been raised will have an opportunity to defend themselves verbally or in writing at the next general meeting. Expulsion is defined as a prohibition from participation in any function of Newman, attendance of any meeting, or association with the club. This sanction will last for a minimum of one (1) year. Other sanctions may be recommended and applied according to the active membership body. 2. The quorum for a vote to expel a member is fifty percent (50%) of active members including signed proxies. 3. Seventy-five percent (75%) of those present and voting or voting by proxy must be reached to expel a member. Article III. Officers For the purposes of this document, any reference to the "Full Board" will refer to all persons who hold general elected office: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and the Social, Service, Religious Education, Publicity, and Fundraising Chairpersons. References to the "Executive Board" pertain to the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. A. Officer Eligibility: Only full time, officially registered undergraduate students shall be eligible to serve as appointed or elected officers, with certain limitations. To be eligible for any office and remain qualified to serve for the entirety of the term, a member must have a University grade point of 2.0 or higher and have completed at least one full semester at University Park as an active member of the Penn State Newman Catholic Student Association, at the time that they begin their term as a newly elected officer. 1. Further Restrictions for Executive Board Positions: a. President - A candidate for the office of President will have completed at least three (3) semesters at Penn State by the time they begin their term and have earned at least thirty-six (36) credits. It is recommended that the candidate for President should also have been a member of Newman’s board in the past. Those students who are anticipating taking a leave of absence for a semester during their tenure as President (e.g. internship, co-op, or semester abroad) are restricted from running for this office. The President shall not be an officer of any other club or organization during his or her term. b. Vice President - A candidate for the office of Vice President will have completed at least two (2) semesters at Penn State by the time they begin their term and have earned at least twenty-four (24) credits. The Vice President shall not be an officer of any other club or organization. c. Treasurer - A candidate for the office of Treasurer will have completed at least two (2) semesters at Penn State by the time they begin their term and have earned at least twenty-four (24) credits. d. Secretary - A candidate for the office of Secretary will have completed at least one (1) semester at Penn State by the time they begin their term and have earned at least twelve (12) credits. 2. Nominees and officers are strongly encouraged to think realistically about all other commitments they might have outside of Newman and plan accordingly, with full knowledge that every office in Newman is essential to the survival of the organization, and requires significant time and dedication. B. Description of Offices 1. Executive Board a. The President shall: i. Serve as spokesperson for the organization and be empowered to handle day-to-day affairs, with Executive Board oversight. ii. Preside at and call all General, Full, and Executive Board meetings iii. Be responsible for the execution of all decisions and actions of Newman. iv. Be the chair of all committees, unless otherwise delegated v. Form coordinator positions and otherwise appoint individuals to positions of consultation with majority confirmation by the Executive Board. vi. Be authorized to spend one hundred dollars ($100) an academic semester to further Newman interests, with both summer sessions being considered one academic semester for financial purposes. vii. Annually update the Center for Student Engagement (CSE) officers list. b. The Vice President shall: i. Assume the duties and authorities of the President in the absence, removal, or inability of the President to perform his duties ii. Assume any duties in aid of the President per the President’s request. iii. Be an ex officio member of all committees. c. The Treasurer shall: i. Keep a permanent and accurate record of all receipts and disbursements a. Disbursements must be substantiated by Refund Request Forms, or by another method the Treasurer deems appropriate. This will ensure accuracy in reporting, as well as proof of proper filing of the disbursement if questioned about a late or missing reimbursement. ii. Report the financial situation of the organization at all Full and, if requested, Executive Board meetings. iii. Ensure budget creation and adherence as established by the Full Board. iv. Provide full disclosure of Newman finances to all active members upon request and report all expenditures at general meetings. v. Update the ASA Treasurer’s card and Copy Central Officer List annually. d. The Secretary shall: i. Keep a permanent and accurate record of all meetings. ii. Conduct correspondence as the Full Board directs, maintaining one copy for file iii. Publish a weekly newsletter. iv. Maintain the Newman listserv. v. Maintain attendance records for all general and board meetings and furnish a roster of active and associate members as needed. 2. Full Board a. Chairpersons shall preside over meetings of their respective committees and be responsible for the duties of their respective chairs and/or committees as follows: i. Social: Plan and facilitate fellowship activities that give Newman members an opportunity to meet outside of general meetings. ii. Service: Plan volunteer opportunities for members, keep members informed of service opportunities in the local community, and provide for the continuation of Newman philanthropies. iii. Religious Education: Continually educate members in the Catholic faith, foster the individual spiritual lives of members, coordinate Bible studies and Acquire the Fire Teams, organize intellectual and spiritual events for the organization, and administer and maintain the Newman Library. iv. Publicity: Advertise and promote the organization. At the request of other officers, some events or activities may require additional publicity. Media may include, but are not limited to, Mass announcements, fliers placed in dorm mailboxes and various locations across campus, Collegian advertisements, use of websites, etc. v. Fundraising: Plan and implement events to gain funds for the organization and its philanthropies. 3. Coordinators: a. Website: Maintain and update the Newman website with appropriate materials that have been approved by the Executive Board, chronicle Newman events, and instruct new Coordinators in maintaining the website. b. Music: Provide music for regular meetings, organize volunteer musicians, and provide music for social, service, or religious education events as needed. c. Dance Marathon co-Coordinators (“THON” co-Coordinators): Involve the organization in the University’s annual Dance Marathon, attend mandatory Dance Marathon meetings, and educate members about the event and fundraising procedures. i. There shall be two (2) persons elected by the Full Board to hold the office of Dance Marathon co-Coordinators. These persons shall share all responsibilities of this position and be jointly and individually responsible for the execution of their obligations. ii. The co-Coordinators may appoint a member of their committee to act as the main liaison between the club and its Dance Marathon family. iii. The two THON co-coordinators may not dance in THON during their term as THON co-coordinators for Newman. d. Outreach/ Alumni-Relations: (1) Act as a liaison between the club and Newman alumni in order to maintain an active and strong relationship between the aforementioned, informing alumni of club of news, progress, and events to this end. (2) Be responsible for contacting and interacting with other organizations or entities at the request of the President, Vice President, or the Executive Board. Such activity may consist of, but is not limited to contacting houses of prayer for intercessory prayers on behalf of Newman, promoting large events by contacting organizations or entities, and interacting with other campus organizations on behalf of Newman with the full and clear permission of the President, Vice President, or Executive Board. a. The Outreach chair is also responsible for all logistics involved with having a speaker come to a Newman event. b. The Outreach chair should strive to have one inter-faith inter-club event per year. e. Intramural Sports: Organize interested general members into sports teams for the intramural leagues and coordinate the teams with the Intramural Sports Office. f. The Full Board may create coordinator positions and elect individuals as it prescribes. g. All Chairpersons and Coordinators shall keep organized records and materials to allow for thorough and informed transitions of their replacements. This includes but is not limited to: a transitional letter, records of activities with suggestions for improvement, and contact information of the resigning officer, all of which should placed and organized into that officer’s binder. Effective transitions are vital to the continued survival of the club. C. Filling Unexpired Vacancies: 1. Succession and appointment of officers a. In the event that the President is unable to continue in office, succession to the office with full duties and authorities shall take place as follows: Vice President, Treasurer, and then Secretary. In this case, the succeeding officer shall not serve as “Acting” President, but rather as the official new President of the Newman Catholic Student Association. Should the Vice President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary be unable to assume the office of President, the Full Board shall select an Acting President from its membership. b. In the event that any officer position, with obvious exception to the Presidency, is vacant (by means of removal, resignation, etc.) the President shall appoint an acting officer with full duties and authorities, subject to a majority vote by the Full Board. For vacancies on the Executive Board, elections for that vacancy may be requested by a majority of active members as prescribed in Article VII, Section A at the first general meeting following the announcement of the vacancy or the appointment by the President. D. Filling Expired Vacancies: 1. Elections fail to fill a board position a. In the event that an election at a general meeting fails to produce a candidate to fill a board position, the President will delegate the duties and responsibilities of the vacant position to the members of the Newman Board. Between this election meeting and the first general meeting of the next semester, any general member may request to be the new holder of the vacant position, subject to acceptance by a majority vote of the Full Board. b. If no replacement is found by the next semester, elections for the vacant position will be held at the first meeting of that semester. If this fails to find a candidate to fill the position, follow the procedures in Article III, Section D, Subsection 1, Point a, until the next general elections. E. Officer and Coordinator Activity and Performance 1. All officers and coordinators shall remain active within the organization while they hold office. 2. The Full Board shall determine if any officers’ or coordinators’ activity is unacceptable, or if he or she is failing to meet the duties or eligibility requirements of his or her position. a. Unacceptable activities include, but are not limited to: i. Being absent from multiple Board Meetings without a valid excuse ii. Being detrimentally tardy to multiple Board Meetings without a valid excuse iii. Failing to observe the rulings of the Full Board iv. Creating a constant division amongst Board and/or regular members v. Failing to fulfill duties as outlined in Article III, Section B. b. Expectations of acceptable and unacceptable activities are decided by the Full Board at the beginning of each new Presidential term. 3. Should this determination be made, the officer or coordinator in question will be formally notified of this fact. 4. Should the level of activity remain unacceptable after this notice is given the officer or coordinator in question will receive another formal notice 5. Upon the failure to improve after the second notice the officer or coordinator may be removed from office by the Full Board. An officer or coordinator can be removed from office with a seventy-five percent (75%) vote of the Full Board with a standard operating quorum of seventy-five percent (75%). 6. If the officer is removed from office, then the procedures under Article III, Section D shall be used fill the vacancy. Article IV. Meetings A. The Newman Catholic Student Association will have at least eight (8) general meetings per semester. 1. Forty-eight (48) hours advance notice must be given to all active members via announcement over the Newman listserv, at preceding meeting(s), and/or by publication on the Newman website. 2. The President shall call all general meetings and, in consultation with the full board and advisor, determine the frequency of such meetings. B. The Full Board shall meet bi-weekly during the academic year as called by the President for planning purposes, unless agreed to otherwise. Forty-eight (48) hours advance notice shall be given to all Full Board members and active members via announcement over the Newman listserv, at preceding meeting(s), and/or by publication on the Newman website. General business of the club shall be taken care of at these meetings. There will also be a period for non-board members to bring business before the board at every board meeting. i. It is required that a meeting of the Full Board take place during the summer months. This meeting will be to adopt the budget and to plan meetings, events, and activities for the coming academic year. The date(s) of this meeting shall be determined by the Full Board-elect prior to the end of the Spring Semester. (The meeting will be planned while they are the Board-elect and will be held when they are the Board.) C. The Executive Board shall meet weekly and as called by the President. D. Committee Chairpersons shall meet with their committees monthly and shall notify the Executive Board of the time and location. E. Special meetings may only be called by the President with majority approval of the Executive Board. Article V. Voting A. General Meetings 1. Only active members may vote. 2. The quorum is thirty-three percent (33%) of the active membership. 3. A majority (50%+1) of the active membership present or voting by proxy is required for passage of binding action. B. Meetings of the Full and Executive Boards 1. The quorum necessary for any official club action is seventy-five percent (75%) of the Full and Executive Boards, respectively. 2. A majority (50%+1) of the Full Board present or voting by proxy is required for passage of binding action. 3. Every member of the Full Board shall have voting privileges. 4. Non-board members have the right to attend. 5. Officers-elect attend board meetings and are extended all rights of Board members with the exception of voting. a. An exception is for officers-elect who currently hold office, who will vote as the current office they hold. C. Full Board Authority and Officer Accountability 1. The Full Board shall be empowered to make all policy decisions on behalf of Newman and within the officers’ respective collective jurisdiction. The Executive Board and President shall be empowered to make all operational decisions on behalf of Newman within their respective collective jurisdiction. i. Questions of grave significance as determined by the President shall be brought before the general active membership during a regularly scheduled meeting with reasonable notice given over the Newman list serve. 2. Officers and Coordinators serve for and on behalf of the general active membership of Newman. i. The Full Board will serve to provide accountability and oversight to the Executive Board. Likewise the general membership will serve to provide accountability and oversight to the Full Board. ii. The Full Board and active membership shall be empowered to review a decision of the Executive Board or individual officer and Full Board, respectively, by a thirty-three percent (33%) vote, sixty-six percent (66%) required to overturn a decision. The 33% shall come from those present at the general meeting on the occasion. Article VI. Finances A. All funds are to be deposited and handled through the Office of Associated Students Activities (ASA). Newman may not have an off-campus account. B. Newman shall not collect dues. C. Expenditures 1. General Club Purchases a. These are for items the entire club can use, such as equipment, that will help give Newman a better quality of club operation and can be reusable year after year in order to give a substantial return on investment. b. The President and Treasurer may each authorize the spending of one hundred dollars ($100) once per academic semester, with both summer sessions being considered one academic semester for financial purposes, but can be overruled by a majority vote of the Full Board. c. The Executive Board may authorize, in addition to the President and Treasurer’s authorizations, the spending of two hundred dollars ($200) per academic semester, with both summer sessions being considered one academic semester for financial purposes. d. The Full Board must authorize secondary expenditures not itemed in the budget over two hundred dollars ($200). e. Any unauthorized expenditure may not be reimbursed. 2. Committee Purchases a. These are for items that a committee would purchase in order to put on an event, help pay for driving expenses to the event, or pay for clothing that supports their event (such as THON T-shirts). Anything that is directly taken care of by a committee would classify as a committee purchase unless purposely redefined by the Treasurer in his reporting due to financial reasoning. b. The committee event must be approved by the Full Board, with this approval is the implicit approval of all expenditures associated with the event. c. Any purchase for the event must be made with the committee’s budgetary status in mind and if any purchases are in question, the Treasurer must be consulted. D. The Treasurer and Treasurer-elect are to work together in preparing the budget for the subsequent academic year. This budget will be presented to the Full Board for majority approval at the summer planning meeting or, if there is no summer planning meeting, then the budget shall be mailed to all Full Board Members and a ballot held via mail to adopt or reject the proposed budget. Article VII. Advisor A. Newman will retain an advisor. The advisor will be a full-time faculty or staff member of the Penn State Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM). B. The Role and Selection of the Advisor: 1. The Newman advisor position shall annually be offered by the President sequentially to the Director of CCM then to the other Campus Minister(s) in order of seniority of CCM. Upon their acceptance the advisor shall serve one year and be expected to make a reasonable effort to be present at all regularly scheduled general and board meetings. His/ presence, however, is not mandatory He shall be present for consultative purposes and be the voice of reason regarding matters of the Church, including, but not limited to, Catholic doctrine, moral constancy, and faithful practices. 2. If the above individual(s) are unable or unwilling to act as advisor, the President will appoint another staff member of the CCM subject to the majority approve of the Full Board and their acceptance. Article VIII. Election Procedures of New Officers and Removal A. Elected Officers 1. Terms of Office: All Coordinators and Full Board officers shall serve a term no longer than one year, beginning at the conclusion of the spring semester and ending at the conclusion of the following spring semester. (The date for the official end and beginning of terms shall be the Monday after Final Exams Week.) During the period between elections and the end of the spring semester, newly elected officers serve on the Full Board as officers-elect and shall work closely with the Full Board for training and guidance. 2. Nominations shall take place beginning at the second regular meeting following Spring Break (as announced via the Newman listserv, at preceding meeting(s), and/or by publication on the Newman website and concluding at a time determined by the Executive Board). All nominations shall be submitted to the Executive Board. a. Nominations may be made publicly or privately b. Active members may self nominate c. Active members may be nominated for more than one position. 3. Nominations will be taken for all Full Board positions. 4. The list of nominees for these offices will be released one week prior to the day of the election. 5. Election codes: a. The quorum to conduct elections shall be 40% of the active membership. b. The Executive Board will decide the date of the election meeting, giving at least one week notice of the election meeting via the Newman listserv, at preceding meeting(s) and/or by the Newman website. c. No one involved in conducting elections may be an unelected-official candidate. d. The majority needed to elect shall be 50%+1. If no one candidate obtains a majority, the candidate with the smallest number of votes will be eliminated from the options of candidates and a revote for the position will occur immediately. i. If the two candidates with the lowest amount of votes do not, combined, have at least as many votes as the candidate with the third lowest amount of votes, the two candidates with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated from the options of candidates and a revote for the position will occur immediately. e. Elections shall be by secret written ballot. f. Prior to casting ballots, nominees will have the opportunity to speak to the membership to present their qualifications. g. A tie will be resolved by having a revote between those that tied. A tie occurs when the two candidates with the largest number of votes receive an equal number of votes. If the second ballot also results in a tie, the advisor shall cast the tie-breaking vote. h. Elections shall take place in the following order: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Social, Service, Religious Education, Publicity, Fundraising. i. Members may not be elected into two offices. Upon winning an office, candidates running for more than one office will be removed from succeeding ballots. j. In the event that there are no nominees for a position: i. Should the open position be that of a Chairperson, at the meeting of elections, following the elections for all the other offices, nominations will be taken for the vacant position. This/these nomination(s) must be seconded. A vote will then be held. ii. Following the second nomination opportunity, should the officers position continue to be vacant, then the procedure of Article III, D for filling unexpired vacancies will be followed. B. The Coordinators shall be elected by the Full Board-elect, according to the following: 1. After the meeting in which elections are held, the Full Board-elect shall meet, along with the current Full Board and all other interested members of the club, for the purpose of electing new Coordinators. a. At least forty-eight (48) hours notice shall be given to all club members of this meeting. b. Any member may attend this meeting. 2. Active members who wishes to hold a Coordinator position shall indicate his or her desire to seek said office to the President-elect no later than two-four (24) hours before the selection meeting is to be held. 3. Members of the Full Board-elect are ineligible from running for Coordinator positions. 4. Only the Full Board-elect and the current Coordinators shall vote to elect the new Coordinators according to the following: 5. This meeting will be presided over by the President-elect, who will work in consultation with the current Coordinators and Full Board-elect, and the President to determine a procedure for interviewing and selecting the candidates. a. The President’s role shall strictly be to preside at the meeting. He or she will not vote on the selection of the Coordinators unless he or she has been elected to serve on the Full Board for the following year, in which case he or she will both preside and vote. b. In the event that the current President is a candidate for a Coordinator position, then another member of the Executive Board who is not a candidate for a Coordinator position may preside at this meeting. 6. Each member of the Full Board-elect shall have one vote. 7. Each current Coordinator shall also be allowed to place one vote for candidates running for their current position only, unless they are re-running for the position, in which case, they cannot vote. 8. The quorum shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of the Full Board-elect. Coordinators to be elected must receive a plurality of the Full Board-elect. 9. In the event that there are no candidates for a position, the Full Board-elect, shall absorb the duties in question until a candidate is obtained. 10. Information concerning when officers-elect begin their terms may be found in Article VIII, Section A. C. Officer Removal Procedure 1. An elected officer may be impeached for cause at a Full Board Meeting with a seventy-five percent (75%) quorum of the Full Board, open to all active members, with sixty-six percent (66%) vote of active members present, at which time an officer retaining the confidence of the club will notify all active members. a. Cause shall include, but is not limited to, actively working against the interests and efforts of Newman or failure to discharge the responsibilities of their office. 2. Following the impeachment, the impeached officer shall have at least one (1) week, or until the next general business meeting to prepare a defense before a vote is taken by the general membership to confirm or reject the impeachment. During this week the officer(s) impeached will be considered relieved of all club duties. 3. The majority to confirm an impeachment and thus remove the officer is seventy-five percent (75%) of all active members present and voting or voting by proxy. If an impeachment is confirmed, the officer in question is only relieved from the duties of their former office, and is still considered an active member. 4. Votes shall be conducted by secret written ballot. 5. Immediately after removal by majority vote active members may hold elections for the vacated office as outlined in Article VII, Section A. Rules of succession will apply until the election occurs. Otherwise, Article III, Section C for appointing vacancies will be followed. Article IX. Amendments A. Amendments to this constitution may be introduced at the conclusion of any Full Board or general meeting. Voting shall occur within two (2) general meetings following its introduction, with the amendment taking effect following passage. B. Quorum is fifty percent (50%). Sixty-six percent (66%) of active membership present at the meeting is required for passage. C. Any member may introduce a constitutional amendment at the conclusion of Full Board or general meeting. At the following meeting, the active members shall vote on the amendment, as outlined in the article on voting. If the amendment passes, it shall be presented to the Center for Student Engagement. Article X. Parliamentary Authority Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, by Sarah Corbin Roberts shall be used in all cases not covered by this constitution. Article XI. Accessibility of Constitution Copies of this constitution shall be made available upon request and shall be filed with the Center for Student Engagement.