COLLEGE REPUBLICANS CONSTITUTION
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE
Revised March 20, 2007
I. The name of this organization represented at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be “College Republicans”. This organization shall conform to rules and regulations of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
II. Purposes
Our goal as a club is to…
A. Make known and promote the mission of the University of Wisconsin Platteville.
B. Make known and promote the principles of the National and State Republican Parties among the community of UW Platteville.
C. Recruit students of the UW Platteville community to the College Republican and to the State and National Republican Parties.
D. Aid in the election of Republican candidates at all levels of government.
E. Develop political skills and leadership abilities among Republican students as preparation for future service by them to the party and community.
F. Serve the State and National parties with other objectives as approved by the College Republicans, and as long as such falls into the above purposes.
III. Membership and Advisors
A. “In accordance with state and federal laws and University of Wisconsin System Policy, no
student shall be denied admission to, participation in, or the benefits of, or be
discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville because of the student’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identification or expression, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status.” (UW-Platteville Policies and Procedures Handbook).
B. A person becomes a member by paying the dues set by the membership at that time.
C. Membership will be retained by attending all meetings.
a. A maximum of 3 unexcused absences are allowed per semester. After the third unexcused absence, the member will be expected to submit a written apology to the group as well as give an explanation to the officers. The apology will be presented at the meeting following its receipt by the officers. Following the presentation of the apology, members present will participate in a majority vote of whether or not to allow the student to retain his/her status as a member of the organization. Upon a vote to repeal member status, the student will be unable to retain membership for the remainder of the semester.
b. Excused absences must be submitted to an officer prior to the meeting in which the absence occurs.
D. Final decisions regarding membership will be made by the club officers and advisor(s).
E. Advisor(s) for College Republicans can be any Faculty or Staff Member selected by the
members. A non-Faculty or Staff Member may be an advisor if approved by the Office of
the Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs. The advisor(s) shall advise the organization
on school related activities and assist the club to achieve its goals.
IV. Elections
Nominations will be held the first meeting in April. Nominations can be made by any member, for any member, for any office, with the acceptance of the nominee. Elections will be held at the following meeting. Members must be present to vote. Election procedure will be a secret ballot which is tallied by the advisor. The candidate with the most votes will be considered elected. If a tie occurs, a new vote among the parties with the highest number of votes will be taken. If it results in another tie, the advisor will make the final decision.
V. Officers
A. Officers will consist of a President, Vice-President/Public Relations Coordinator, and Secretary/ Business Manager. All officers must be registered UWP students.
B. To become an officer, the candidate must be a full time student (12 credits or more) at UW-Platteville and must be willing to work and assist the other officers. The term of office is one calendar year. The new officers shall take office the next meeting after the election.
C. Should the position of president become vacant, the vice president will succeed as president. Vacancies in any other positions will be filled by special elections. Officers chosen by special election shall take office immediately following their election.
VI. Responsibilities of the officers
A. President
1. Assure regular meetings.
2. Assist other officers in any way possible.
3. Organize committees.
B. Vice President/ Public Relations Coordinator
1. Assist president with his/her duties.
2. Fulfill the duties of the president in his/her absence.
3. Coordinate group activities and functions.
4. Keep sufficient communication and relations with local, state and national Republican organizations.
C. Secretary/ Business Manager
1. Keep accurate records of the proceedings of the meetings and functions of the organization.
2. Maintain a list of members past and present.
3. Assure regular attendance of the members.
4. Keep accurate records of all the money transactions of the organization and regularly balance the budget.
D. Advisor(s)
1. To over see the workings of the organization.
2. Keep track of and advise the officers in the group’s progress.
VII. Meetings
Meetings will be held at least every other week of the school year. The day and time will be agreed upon each semester by the members. The president shall call special meetings when he/she deems it necessary. Meetings will be announced via e-mail and posters.
IX. Finance
A. College Republicans will be primarily a self-financed organization. It will be financed through fundraising projects, donations, sponsorship, and SUFAC funds. At the beginning of the school year, officers will decide the amount required for dues which the members must pay each semester.
B. Expenditures shall be authorized by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present.
C. In the event that College Republicans should ever dissolve, any remaining SUFAC money shall revert to SUFAC. All self-generated funds will be disseminated to College Republican National Committee (CRNC).
D. All organization funds shall be kept by the treasurer in one general account. The Vice President/ Business Manager will cooperate in every way with the agency mandated by University regulations. The advisor shall have his/her name on all accounts, in the event the organization dissolves.
X. Amendments
Amendments may be added by a two thirds majority vote of the members present. Voting may be held at the regular or special meeting. The amendments to be voted on must be submitted in writing to the president at least two weeks prior to the voting and it is to be read by the secretary at the preceding meeting.
XI. Bylaws
Bylaws to the constitution can be verbally presented at any meeting, and then submitted in writing. A vote shall be taken at the following meeting for all those with knowledge of the proposed change, and it must be passed by a two thirds majority of members present.
XII. Primary Control
College Republicans will be responsible for the observance of the rules and regulations established by UW-Platteville, and the primary control shall rest with the members of the organization.
XIII. Ratification
Upon the approval vote of College Republicans, members and advisor(s) will submit the constitution to the Student Organizations Committee, Student Senate, and the Office for Student Affairs for ratification and approval. Upon receiving UW-Platteville’s recognition, the constitution shall be in full effect.
