CONSTITUTION OF THE

VETERANS AND FAMILY STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Adopted (07/11/12)

 

Article I

Name

The name of this organization shall be the Veterans and Family Student Association (VFSA) at Oregon State University.

 

Mission Statement

The mission of the Veterans and Family Student Association is to provide an organized support group of students to facilitate and share knowledge of issues and benefits effecting military veterans, including active duty, Guard, and Reserve, military recruits, and their families at Oregon State University.

 

Goals

  • Promote communication and interaction among veterans in order to encourage veterans helping veterans.
  • Facilitate access to health services for veterans and their families.
  • Promote awareness of veteran needs to Oregon State University as well as the State and Federal government.
  • Educate the college and community about the special experiences, circumstances, strengths, and needs of the military veteran and their families.

 

Article II

Members

  1. Active Members shall be enrolled students at Oregon State University and have attended two consecutive meetings.
  2. Associate members shall be faculty or staff, non active OSU students, and any other member of the general public who wishes to participate in the VSFA’s mission. These individuals shall not be eligible to hold office or vote.
  3. All voting members and officers of the VFSA must be currently enrolled for at least 6 credits at Oregon State University and pay student fees.
  4. Membership shall not be denied to any student on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or veteran status.
  5. No member will be excluded from the organization on the basis of political ideology, but every individual in the organization must be sincere to the defined mission statement.

Article III

Officers

  1. Positions and Duties:
    President: Facilitates, oversees and conducts meetings, provides guidance and leadership on the direction and goals of the club.
    Vice President: Performs the actions of the president in his absence. Is responsible for recruiting/grooming future replacement officers.
    Secretary: Takes role, records minutes of the meetings and maintains club documents.
    Treasurer: Maintains organizations bank accounts, collects/records/distributes/deposits all funds related to the organization.

 

  1. Officers shall be nominated June 1st of each year. Election shall be by secret ballot and the candidates receiving the most votes shall be named to their respective offices.
  2. Officers shall be elected to serve for one year or until their successors are elected, and their terms of office shall begin at the close of the meeting at which they are elected.
  3. Vacancies in offices shall be filled by nomination and voting of a quorum of active members.

 

Article IV

Meetings

  1. The regular meetings of the association shall be held on the third Wednesdays of each month from September to June unless otherwise ordered by the association or by the executive Committee.
  2. The regular meeting on the third Wednesday in June shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.
  3. Special meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Committee and shall be called upon the written request of the association. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the notice and three days' notice shall be given except in cases of emergency.
  4. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the members of the association shall constitute a quorum.

 

Article V

Miscellaneous

  1. Relationship: The VFSA shall have no relationship or be controlled by any other local, state or national organization.
  2. Committees: The Executive Committee shall include the officers of the association. They shall supervise affairs of the association between its business meetings, make recommendations to the association and perform other duties as specified in the constitution and bylaws. The Executive Committee shall be subject to the orders of the association and none of its actions shall conflict with actions taken by the association.
  3. Advisor: One or more advisors shall be elected each year in the same manner as the association's officers. Responsibilities shall be those assigned by Oregon State University's Student Conduct Regulations.
  4. Parliamentary Authority: The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution, bylaws and special rules of order the association may adopt.
  5. Procedures for Removing an Officer and/or Revoking Membership: An officer may be removed from office and a membership revoked based on actions harmful to the well-fare of the club and/or the club’s members by following due process. The officer or member will be informed of documented cause and given a designated amount of time to change, during which time the offending officer or member will be referred to campus resources/advisors for guidance. After said period of time documented reoccurrence of behavior will result in immediate suspension of membership
  6. Amendments: This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by two-thirds vote, provide that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting. All amendments must be approved by the Student Activities Committee.

Download as a word file