Recommended Constitution Format for Student Organizations
Click here to view a fillable PDF of the club constitution.
Article I: Name
Section A: State the official name of your organization.
Article II: Purpose
Section A: State the purpose or goals of your organization. The purpose of your organization can be academic, cultural, service-oriented, political, religious, etc. in nature. Your group should not duplicate the purpose of an already existing student group. If your group is similar to another group, state how your group is different from the other group. Also state any local, regional, or national affiliations in this section.
Article III: Membership
Section A: Define who is eligible for membership. Your group must be open to all Middlesex Community College students.
Section B: State if there is a distinction between voting and non-voting members. Membership may not be restricted based on gender, race, religion, creed, etc.
Section C: State any requirements for membership such as attending two or more meetings, paying dues, etc.
Section D: You may also state the process of removal of membership such as yearly renewal, dues, etc. Members must be permitted to remove themselves from membership at any time.
Section E: Membership is only open to currently enrolled Middlesex Community College students.
Article IV: Meetings
Section A: State approximately how often meetings will be held.
Section B: Specify who may call a meeting. State what quorum is required at a meeting where decisions are made. For example, the quorum necessary for business could be “5 members or 50% of the membership, whichever is greater.”
Section C: Specify how decisions are made and who makes them. Note what proportion of voting membership is required for the passage of procedural and substantive motions (typically, a simple majority).
Section D: State the order of business and any procedural rules.
Section E: State requirements for when notice of meetings must be posted or for when agenda items are due.
Article V: Officers and Duties
Section A: Define the offices which will be elected and those which will be appointed (if any). The organization must have Middlesex Community College students, in good academic standing, as its officers.
Section B: President
I: Clearly state the duties of the officers (i.e. call meetings, set the agenda, take minutes; send out newsletters; organize major events; etc.).
Section C: Vice President (and so on for each officer)
Article VI: Advisors and Duties
Section A: Faculty/Staff Advisor (The advisors must be Middlesex Community College faculty or professional staff members. The advisor must be approved by the Director of Student Engagement & Retention.)
I: List responsibility of the advisor here
II: List responsibility here, and so on (one line for each responsibility).
Section B: The Office of Student Engagement Liaisons will assist with:
I. Planning and logistical support of organizational events and programs
II. Coordinate all organizational purchases approved by SGA
III. Assist with organizational budget management
Article VII: Elections
Section A: State when elections are held (beginning of each semester or every spring) and how they are called.
Section B: Define the quorum necessary for elections
Section C: Who is permitted to run for office?
Section D: Define how elections are run
Article VIII: Replacement and/or Removal of Officers
Section A: In the event that an officer resigns, there should be provisions stating a time limit for replacement. Provisions for replacement should also be specified (i.e. appointment by the President, election, etc.)
Section B: In the case of an officer removal, the ground which could justify such an action should be stated (i.e., negligence in fulfilling their duties, etc.). If there is a meeting or removal, specify the vote required for the removal motion and the rights of the officer in question.
Article IX: Constitutional Amendments
Section A: Define the procedure for amending the constitution (i.e., positing the proposed amendment two weeks before the final meeting; requiring five signatures before the amendment may be considered, etc.)
Section B: State who may propose an amendment. Usually, there is a required delay between the introduction of an amendment and the voting (about 2 weeks). Specify the quorum and vote necessary for amending the constitution. Usually, this is the regular meeting quorum and a ⅔ majority vote.
Section C (required): All amendments must be approved by the Director of Student Engagement & Retention.
Article X: Bylaws
If your organization has a set of bylaws, state the procedure for adopting and amending them.
Article XI: The Office of Student Engagement Clause (Required at the end of your constitution)
The Organization agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the Office of Student Engagement and Middlesex Community College. This constitution, amendments to it, and the bylaws of this organization must be approved by the Director of Student Engagement & Retentions and SGA to insure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.