The Black Student Union Constitution
State University of New York
Binghamton University
Preamble
Dedicated to the theme of “Unity in Heritage,” and the principles of self-determination, self
awareness, and unity, the Black Student Union, founded in 1968, will strive to unite and educate
students of African descent about their cultural heritage. By promoting community service and
stressing academic excellence, the Black Student Union will develop students into active leaders
in the struggle for Black liberation.
Article I: Objective
A. To provide an atmosphere where students of African descent are free to express their
concerns and develop plans to further their interests.
B. To establish an environment where students of African descent feel comfortable with the
transition from high school to college.
C. To provide programs and entertainment which supports and caters to the interests of students
of African descent on the Binghamton University campus.
D. Serve as both a social and political force for the campus community.
Article II: Membership
A. Membership
1. To be a voting member of the Black Student Union, one must attend seven (7) BSU
General Body meetings per academic year, prior to elections.
2. Membership into the Black Student Union is open to all Binghamton University students.
3. Both the Executive Board and the General Body will be considered members of the Black
Student Union.
4. General Body meetings of the Black Student Union shall be open to all Binghamton
University students, faculty, and staff.
5. In order to run for an executive position, you must be a voting member and participate in
at least two (2) committees headed by a current executive board member.
Article III: Executive Board
A. Composition
1. The Executive Board will consist of 10 voting positions. President, Vice-President,
Treasurer, Educational Coordinator, Historian, Political Correspondent, Publications
Coordinator, Public Relations, Secretary, and Social-Cultural Coordinator.
B. Powers
1. The executive power of the Black Student Union will be invested in the Executive Board.
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C. Executive Board Responsibilities
1. All Executive Board members must attend weekly General Body and Executive Board
meetings.
2. All Executive Board members must attend Black Student Union events.
3. Professional conduct is to be upheld in the event a conflict arises. Otherwise the persons
involved may be subject to impeachment proceedings, in accordance with the guidelines
of the constitution.
4. It is the responsibility of the Executive Board members to distribute advertisements
equally, as deemed by Public Relations.
5. All Executive Board members are expected to sit at bake sales and other forms of
informational tabling, when deemed appropriate.
6. All Executive Board members are responsible for the recruitment of candidates for
election onto the Executive Board for the next academic year.
7. All Executive Board members must facilitate a minimum of one General Body Meeting
topic per semester.
8. Each Executive Board member will have office hours, for three hours per week.
9. 4/5 of the Executive Board must be undergraduate students.
10. The Executive Board shall maintain the appearance and services of both the office and
lounge.
11. Each Executive Board member must participate in the BSU Youth Program and UTURN
at least four (4) Saturdays or Sundays per semester, but you are expected to attend all.
D. Executive Board Absenteeism and Tardiness
1. All Executive Board members must not be absent from more than three (3) Executive
Board Meetings and General Body Meetings per semester. If an Executive Board
member violates this policy the member will automatically be impeached unless an
appeal is made to the General Body.
2. The President or the Executive Board will not cancel any more than two (2) Executive
Board or three (3) General Body meetings per academic semester.
3. All Executive Board members are expected to attend Executive Board and General Body
meetings promptly. No Executive Board member is to be more than ten (10) minutes late
to two (2) consecutive meetings. This will be an equivalent to an absence.
E. Executive Board Positions
1. President
a. Coordinate and administer the organization.
b. Delegate responsibilities throughout the Executive Board.
c. Serve as chair of weekly Executive Board meetings.
d. Maintain communication throughout Executive Board.
e. Serve as representative of the organization for the Presidents Round Table at
Binghamton University.
f Develop a weekly agenda for Executive Board in times of crisis.
g. Serve as a mediator for the Executive Board in times of crisis.
2. Vice-President
a. Enforce guidelines outlined by the constitution.
b. Assure Executive Board delegated responsibilities are complete.
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c. Maintaining correspondence with other multicultural organizations and the local
community and supporting campus community efforts on multiculturalism and the PanAfrican Diaspora.
d. In the absence of the President, assume his/her duties.
e. Succeed to the Presidency, if the office of Presidency becomes vacant.
f. Chair of Black History Month Committee
3. Treasurer
a. Chair the Finance Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the Finance
Committee.
b. Maintain a record of financial transactions and handle all financial concerns and duties of
the BSU.
c. Give a report weekly at Executive Board Meetings about the financial status of the
organization. No more than two (2) consecutive reports can be missed.
d. Responsible for picking up all incoming mail and packages that the BSU receives.
e. The Treasurer must be an undergraduate student.
f. Maintain a healthy and working relationship with the SA Financial Vice President.
4. Educational Coordinator
a. Coordinate and administer the BSU Youth Program.
b. Chair the Educational Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the
Educational Committee.
c. Give a weekly report at the Executive Board Meetings about the status of the Youth
Program. No more than two (2) consecutive reports can be missed.
5. Historian
a. Formulate evaluation records for each event (ex. pros and cons).
b. Maintain records of Executive Board and member alumni information.
c. Maintain and develop photographs of the Black Student Union activities.
d. Preserve and update records of the Black Student Union history.
e. The Historian cannot be a graduating senior.
6. Political Correspondent
a. Chair the Political Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the Political
Committee.
b. Give a brief report at the beginning of General Body meetings about current, campus,
local, national, and/or global events.
c. Serve as an organizer for political events of the Black Student Union.
d. Coordinate and administer the Black Student Union U.T.U.R.N. Program
7. Publications Coordinator
a. Chair the Publications Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the
Publications Committee.
b. Responsible for the production of pamphlets for Black Student Union events when
deemed necessary.
c. Guarantee and coordinate the production of the Black Student Union’s publications, The
Vanguard.
d. Responsible for the production the Black Student Union’s annual Black History Month
Calendar.
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e. Share the dual responsibility with the Public Relations of coordinating and maintaining
an organized and updated website relating to all BSU current and future events.
8. Public Relations
a. Chair the Public Relations Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the Public
Relations Committee.
b. Create and maintain a publication in the University’s Pipe Dream.
c. Advertise programs and events of the organization to the University, local, community,
and other constituencies.
d. Responsible for making sure Executive Board post advertisements.
e. Responsible for the production of BSU advertisements/flyers.
f. Must include “SA Chartered” on all advertisement/flyers of the BSU.
g. Maintain a file of antiquated flyers/advertisements of the BSU.
h. Share the dual responsibility with the Publications Coordinator of coordinating and
maintaining an organized and updated website relating to all BSU current and future
events.
i. May utilize skills of a Technical Advisor (web page, Vanguard layout, computer) if
he/she deem necessary, as part of their Public Relations Committee.
9. Secretary
a. Maintain minutes on file for Executive Board meeting.
b. Succeed to Treasurer, if the position of Treasurer becomes vacant.
c. Responsible for taking attendance at General Body meetings of the Black Student Union.
d. Facilitate telephone message: maintain the BSU bulletin board, and the BSU library.
e. Responsible for GB meeting reminders via e-mail.
f. Responsible for BSU Lounge meetings (ex. Sister 2 Hermana, any other organizations
that may use the new/old lounge for meetings) and the Events Calendar.
g. Responsible for maintaining and compiling a contact list for other schools and other
organizations.
h. Serve as an assistant to the Treasurer, attending all Finance Committee meetings and
other duties as delegated.
i. In the absence of the Treasurer, assume his/her duties.
10. Social-Cultural Coordinator
a. Chair the Social-Cultural Committee. Delegate responsibilities to members of the
Social-Cultural Committee.
b. Serve as recruiter and facilitator of student performers for social and cultural events
of the Black Student Union.
c. Responsible for the organization of the acts and performances within a show, the
aspects of a social event that are visible to an audience.
d. Serve as a representative on the Homecoming Committee.
11. Student Association Representative
a. Serve as a representative for the Black Student Union during the Student Association
meetings every Monday at 7pm and report information back to the Black Student
Union during Executive Board Meetings.
b. Motivate members of the constituency to actively participate in the Student
Association (SA) through the Assembly its established committees.
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c. Maintain correspondence with the Vice President of Multicultural Affairs (SA), and
other campus organizations, and the local community.
d. Serve as an ICA representative of the Black Student Union on the Student
Association (SA) ICA committee.
12. Graduate Advisor
a. Maintain relations between undergraduate and graduate constituencies.
b. Advise the Executive Board when deemed appropriate.
c. The Graduate Advisor cannot be an undergraduate student.
d. Assist in the Elections process and/or events.
e. Attend General Body Meetings.
f. The Executive Board shall appoint this non-vetting Executive Board member.
13. Faculty Advisor
a. Maintain relations between faculty and students.
b. Advise the Executive Board when deemed appropriate.
c. Assist in the Elections process and/ or events.
d. The Executive Board shall appoint this non-voting Executive Board member.
F. Vacancies and Replacements
1. Vacancies: An Executive Board will be considered vacant when:
a. The official winner of an Executive Board election does not take office.
b. An Executive Board member resigns.
c. An Executive Board member is dismissed following impeachment proceedings.
d. The Vice-President succeeds to the Presidency.
G. Impeachment
1. BSU member(s) may bring specific impeachment charges against Executive Board
members(s) who have not fulfilled their duties, engaged in conduct that violates the BSU
constitution, or the general well-being of the organization.
2. Impeachment will be initiated in the following manner:
a. A formal letter must be type written by the member(s) bringing the charges to the
Executive Board calling for impeachment of Executive Board member(s) specifically
stating the reasons for impeachment.
b. The Executive Board will have a meeting and discuss the matter with the Executive
Board member(s) and the General Body member(s) who have brought the charges,
and attempt to resolve the matter, if possible.
c. The President will present the matter at the next General Body Meeting from date of
letter calling for impeachment, and call for an impeachment vote from the General
Body. In the event that the President is being impeached the Vice-President will
present the matter at the next General Body Meeting.
d. A majority vote of the General Body will remove the Executive Board member(s)
from office.
H. Resigning and Position Switching
1. Resigning
a. Executive Board member(s) resigning must give their remaining Executive Board
members two weeks prior notice.
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b. A formal letter must be type written by member(s) resigning briefly outlining the
reasons for their resignation.
c. The Executive Board member resigning must complete all delegated responsibilities
prior to their resignation letter.
2. Position Switching
a. Position Switching is unconstitutional.
b. In order to obtain another Executive Board position the interested Executive Board
member(s) must first resign from their original Executive Board position.
c. The Political Committee will now hold elections for the open Executive Board
positions following the election proceedings outlined in the constitution.
I. Quorum
1. Quorum at the Executive Board meetings will consist of three fourths (3/4) of the
Executive Board members.
2. Therefore in order to have quorum seven (7) of the ten (10) Executive Board members
must be present at the Executive Board Meetings.
3. The Executive Board will not vote unless they have quorum.
J. Term of Office
1. Executive Board members will assume their positions for the new academic year after the
final BSU General Body meeting of the academic year.
2. All constituents of the Executive Board can hold their Executive Board position for one
full academic year (Fall-Spring). Eligibility is based on the election proceedings outlined
in the constitution.
3. Executive Board members can remain on the Executive Board, as long as the political
committee enforces the election proceedings outline in the constitution, during every
academic year a returning member would like to be in office.
Article IV: The BSU Committees
A. Committee and/or Chair Responsibilities
1. There will be a minimum of (2) persons, besides the chair, to be involved in each
committee. It is the soul responsibility of the chair of each committee to recruit the
individuals involved in the committees. Committee members cannot be BSU Executive
Board members (except the Organizing Committee which is only Executive Board).
2. All committee decisions must be presented to the Executive Board, and the Executive
Board will make all final decisions.
3. It is the responsibility of the chair of each committee to serve as the communicator
between the Executive Board and its established committees.
4. All Committees must submit budget proposals to the Treasurer itemizing necessary
expenditures for the programs, events, needed supplies, etc. All Committee budget
proposals must be turned in three weeks prior to the date the request is needed.
5. Committees must meet on a biweekly basis, or more often, not less, as deemed by the
chair.
6. The Executive Board must assist all committees: chairs of each individual committee will
delegate responsibilities of the Executive Board.
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B. The Publications Committee
1. The Vanguard, is the official publication of the Black Student Union, Provides a voice for
people of African descent, and serves to educate the University community with a Black
perspective.
2. The Vanguard is both a political and social outlet for the Black Student Union.
3. Committee members must type and layout the Vanguard.
4. The chair of the committee will ensure that the publication will be produced in a timely
manner with a variety of articles, topics. And other forms of literature and art.
5. The Publications Coordinator will chair this committee.
6. The Vanguard will be produced at a minimum of once per semester.
C. The Educational Committee
1. The sole responsibility of the Educational Committee will be the BSU Youth Program.
2. The Educational Coordinator will chair this committee.
3. Members of the Educational Committee must serve both as counselors for the children
and administrative assistants to the Educational Coordinator.
4. Educational Committee members must be able to attend the Youth Program on a regular
basis.
5. The Youth Program provides love, instills self-esteem, develops brotherhood and &
sisterhood and educates the youth in the Broome County/Binghamton area about the PanAfrican Diaspora.
D. The Political Committee
1. The Political Correspondent will chair this committee.
2. Responsible for the success of BSU’s Black Solidarity Day event/s.
3. The Political Committee is responsible for running the Black Student Union’s Executive
Board elections.
4. The Political Committee is responsible for enforcing the constitution of the Black Student
Union.
5. Introduce and motivate members of the constituency to actively participate in the Student
Association and Off Campus College through the Assembly and its established
committees.
6. Organizing around current, campus, local, national and global events through
programming, workshops or speeches.
E. The Social-Cultural Committee
1. Responsible for the success of the BSU Annual Fashion Show
2. Responsible for the success of BSU Kwanzaa event.
3. Responsible for the success of the BSU’s Annual Tiliman Basketball Tournament.
4. The Social Cultural Coordinator will chair this committee.
5. Responsible for the organization of the acts and performances within a show, the aspects
of a social event that are visible to an audience.
6. Serve as recruiters and facilitators of student performers/participants for social and
cultural events of the Black Student Union.
F. The Finance Committee
1. The Finance Committee is responsible for organizing fundraisers and developing
fundraising ideas, including but not exclusively bake sales, contacting necessary
fundraising sources and others as deemed appropriate.
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2. The Treasurer will chair this committee and the BSU Executive Board Secretary will be
present at all Finance Committee meetings.
3. The Finance committee will propose an itemized budget request to the SA for the next
academic year, but first presenting the request to the BSU Executive Board.
4. All members of the Finance Committee will serve as administrative assistants to the
Treasurer.
G. The Organizing Committee
1. The Organizing Committee will consist only and of all Executive Board members.
2. The President will ensure the success of this committee, while the Social Cultural
Coordinator will serve as chair of this committee delegating responsibilities to the
Executive Board for events.
3. The Organizing Committee is responsible for the success of one “Big BSU event” for
example, Def Comedy Jam, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Music Performances or
Concerts, etc.
4. Responsible for the success of the BSU Barbeque on the Last Day of Classes/Spring
Semester and the BSU BEP Barbeque (during the BEP summer program).
5. Responsible for the success of Black History Month events.
6. Executive Board members will serve as recruiters of professional performers and
speakers for political, social and cultural events of the Black Student Union.
7. Responsible for the success of events done in joint with other organizations, for example
in the past we have done: Afro-Latin Week w/LASU, After Parties w/National Pan
Hellenic Council Workshops w/various organizations, etc.
8. Responsible for the success of BSU’s Recognition Ceremony.
9. Responsible for the coordination of the Pan-African Orientation (Organization Fair)
during the Second Wednesday of Classes during fall semester.
Article V: Organization Structure
A. Elections
1. The Political Committee will be deemed responsible for the structure of elections.
2. The Political Committee will hold an election for the Executive Board for the upcoming
year no later than the second week in April.
3. The Political Committee will publicize elections. Announcing the criteria to be eligible
for election at a General Body Meeting prior to the elections.
4. The Political Committee will set deadlines for letters of intent, which must be due more
than a week prior to the elections.
5. To run for a BSU Executive Board position one must submit a letter of intent (outlined by
the Political Committee), and to be a current BSU General Body member by the time of
election.
6. The Political Committee will determine the eligibility of the candidates in concert with
the Faculty Advisor and the Graduate Advisor.
7. No person may run for nor hold more than one Executive Board position at one time.
8. Persons interested in running for an Executive Board position must be a General Body
Member that is eligible to vote.
9. The Executive Board position of Treasurer, Vice President and President can only be
attained by former Executive Board Members.
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B. Finances
1. The Treasurer will make all final financial decisions of the Black Student Union. A threefourths vote by the Executive Board or a majority vote by the General Body will be
needed to overturn the Treasurer’s decision.
2. The Finance Committee will be responsible for all fundraisers carried out by the Black
Student Union and its committees.
3. Executive Board members cannot make any financial commitments without first
presenting it at an Executive Board meeting.
4. Executive Board members must keep in mind that checks, purchase orders,
reimbursements and other financial payments take three (3) weeks to be distributed, so
make all reservations and plans accordingly.
C. General Body Meetings
1. All Executive Board members must facilitate a minimum of one (1) General Body
meeting topic per semester.
2. General Body meeting topics must be of the interest of our constituents.
3. General Body meeting retention is important. Keep our members interested.
4. General Body meetings are once a week for approximately two hours.
5. The President or the Executive Board will not cancel any more than three (3) General
Body meetings per academic semester.
D. Executive Board Meetings
1. Executive Board meetings are one of the most professional times for Executive Board
members.
2. This time will be used to discuss plans and arrangements for upcoming events.
3. Executive Board members should allot two (2) hours minimum per week for Executive
Board meetings.
4. The President or the Executive Board will not cancel any more than two (2) Executive
Board meetings per academic semester.
E. Activities and Events
1. Events may be combined with a majority vote of the Executive Board in order to make
the workload lighter for the Executive Board and when deemed necessary.
2. Events must start in a timely manner and must be properly organized.
3. All Executive Board members must attend all BSU events.
F. Changes to BSU Constitution
1. To change the BSU Constitution, three-fourths (3/4) of the Executive Board must vote in
agreement with the amendments to the constitution.
2. Following the approval of the Executive Board, a majority vote by the General Body will
be required.
3. Finally, the Student Association must receive a copy and approve of the new constitution.
G. Interpreting the Constitution
1. If there are discrepancies concerning the Constitution, the Executive Board will make all
final interpretations of the Constitution.
2. If there is disagreement amongst the Executive Board about the interpretation of the
constitution, there will be a motion to vote on its interpretation. A three-fourths (3/4) vote
by the Executive Board is the final decision on the interpretation of the constitution.
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H. Ad-Hoc Committees
1. The President can create and appoint people to an Ad-Hoc Committee, which will advise
and make recommendations to him/her on any issue or concern.
I. Grievances
1. Any member or organization who has a grievance with the Black Student Union shall
have his/her concern(s) addressed at the next scheduled Executive Board meeting.
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