Another Option Constitution
Last Reviewed 3/30/15
Article I: Name, Purpose, and Affiliation
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Tufts Another Option. It may also
be referred to in official documents as Another Option.
Section 2. Another Option strives to ensure the existence of alcohol-free events and
activities on weekends and weekend nights. It achieves this by organizing and
hosting its own events, partnering with other organizations, and by advertising
independent non-alcoholic events that are unaffiliated with Another Option.
Section 3. Another Option is unaffiliated with any local, state, or national
organizations. Another Option does communicate and coordinate with the Tufts
Health Education Department.
Article 2: Membership
Section 1. Membership Requirements
(a) Another Option accepts all persons associated with Tufts University that have
paid the activities fee and express an interest in the club. The club also accepts
part-time students and allows friends of members to attend events; however,
they are not considered members for voting purposes, when the need arises.
(b) Should the need to vote arise, every member physically present shall receive
one vote. Regarding optional E-voting, every member that replies shall receive
one vote.
Section 2: Members have the privilege of putting forth event proposals, running for
a position on the Board, and helping board members organize events.
Section 3: Office holders are appointed to the Another Option board by expressing
interest in organizing events and by the consensus of the existing board.
Section 4. Another Option counts one employee of the Health Education department
of Tufts Health Education department as an adviser to the club. In addition, all board
members of Another Option who have taken a leave of absence from the board
retain the ability to rejoin at any point.
Section 5: Another Option does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion,
gender, nationality, handicap, sexual orientation, age, or any other basis as
proscribed by Tufts policy or local, state, or national law.
Article 3: Officers
Section 1: There are four specified positions on the Another Option board, along
with any number of non-specified board positions as determined by member
involvement in club activity organization. These four ‘primary’ positions are
President, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, and Secratary
(a) The President of Another Option shall be the first signatory for any
official paperwork that requires signatures and other official duties
outside the club. The President is responsible for ensuring the smooth
operation of the club as a whole, facilitating all voting, ensuring that
board meetings and club events run smoothly, and responding to
suggestions and complaints. The holder of this position shall share
responsibility with the Events Coordinator for reserving rooms for
meetings and events. The President should be familiar with other
members and attendees of Another Option events and be able to interact
with them without conflict. The President will work with the adviser from
the Health Education department of Tufts Health Services. This member
should be open to suggestions and have good communications and
organizational skills.
(b) The Treasurer shall be the second signatory for budgetary purposes and
shall manage all financial affairs in coordination with the President,
including but not limited to budget management and any member-borne
costs of events. This member should be organized, trustworthy,
financially responsible, and able to work within a budget.
(c) The Events Coordinator is responsible for organizing and advertising
events and activities sponsored by Another Option as well as student
recruitment (in concert with the President). They are responsible for
managing Another Option’s room reservations for meetings and events
on campus. They should be familiar with past events and the organization
thereof, and should serve as a liaison with members of allied clubs in the
case of a joint event.
(d) The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes of all Board meetings and
for facilitating communication among Board members for miscellaneous
club matters. The Secretary aids the President in running board meetings
smoothly and keeping the Board on-schedule for its various event
timelines and deadlines. The Secretary may also be responsible for
managing Another Option’s social media presence and website.
(e) In addition to these named positions, the board of Another Option may
contain any number of board members. These officers work with each
other and the President, Treasurer, and Events Coordinator in organizing
events, communicating with members and other clubs on campus, and
proposing events.
In case of extenuating circumstances (e.g. the President or Treasurer is signatory for
another TCU-recognized group), another Board member may hold signatory
powers.
All members of the Board shall also be responsible for maintaining general order
and sending out reminders for events, meetings, etc. Crossover in responsibilities
will vary among Board members with each event or activity.
Section 2: Board members must be full-time Tufts students that have paid the
activities fee. The President must have sophomore standing or above. There are no
other restrictions.
Section 3: Board Members shall be elected to their positions as detailed in Article 4.
Article 4: Election and Impeachment
Section 1: Any candidate running to be President of Another Option must have
previously served on the Board in some capacity and will preferably have been a
Treasurer or Events Coordinator on either Another Option’s board or that of
another club, though this is not a requirement. The President must be able to work
with the adviser from the Health Education department, whose role is detailed in
Article 9. The President, Treasurer, and Events Coordinator will be determined by a
secret ballot vote among the Board before Reading Period each spring semester.
To join the Board, a member must express interest in helping the Board organize
events. At this point, the member may begin attending Board meetings on an at-will
basis of the existing Board, and may become a permanent member of the Board
after being the point person in the organization of an Another Option-sponsored
event.
Section 2: All voting procedures, campaign restrictions, and other matters relating
to elections shall be determined by the existing Board in a manner consistent with
the Constitution of Another Option.
Section 3: Members may run for multiple positions (as detailed in Article 3, Section
1) within the Board, but may only hold one of these positions. An official declaration
of intent to take up one office must be made within one week of the announcement
of the election results. Any office that is unoccupied as a result will be subject to an
immediate revote.
Section 4: In the event that no candidate receives more than one half of the vote, an
immediate revote shall take place, with the candidate receiving the fewest votes
excluded. This process shall continue until a candidate receives over one half of the
vote or there are two candidates remaining. In the event of a two-candidate
deadlock, the deciding vote shall be cast by the current President.
Section 5: The President shall be impeached if they are found unable to have the
club renewed as per the laws set forth by the Tufts Community Union Judiciary. Any
member of the Board may be impeached by a popular vote with a two-thirds
majority of present Board members and the club adviser.
The President may also be impeached at-will by the club adviser from the Health
Education department if they are found to pursue goals for the club inconsistent
with its mission of providing non-alcoholic events for members of the Tufts
community.
In the case of an impeachment or resignation, a special election will be held among
the other Board members until all positions with signatory powers (President and
Treasurer) are occupied. Additionally, the Board may choose to hold elections for
any office vacancy (e.g. Events Coordinator, Secretary, etc.).
Article 5: Meetings
Section 1. Board meetings are to be held with a frequency of at least once per month,
and are to be held on an as-needed basis determined by the events and activities
being planned.
Section 2. Only the President – or in the case of their removal, the Club Adviser –
may call an official emergency meeting. All emergency meeting notifications must be
sent to all Board members no less than one week before the date of the emergency
meeting. Notification attempts that have no record shall not be considered valid, and
any meeting held under an invalid notification shall be held void. Board members
are not required to attend, but only members in attendance shall be allowed to vote,
should the need arise. Board members and the Club Adviser may apply for an official
emergency meeting to be held.
In the case that an event is planned in less than a week from when the need for an
emergency meeting arises, the President, or the Club Adviser in the case of the
President’s impeachment, may call for a meeting whose results shall be held valid
until a meeting with at least one week’s notice may be scheduled. The notification
requirement must still be met for the meeting to be held valid.
Section 3. Meetings must be run by the President, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, or
the Club Adviser, and Board members are expected to attend unless extenuating
circumstances prevent them from doing so. If a Board Member is not present for
three consecutive meetings, that member shall be considered on a leave of absence
from the Board until such a time as the member attends three consecutive meetings
in a row.
Section 4: A quorum is considered to be one of the two Board members with
signatory powers, as well as at half of all Board members overall. It is required for
emergency meetings as well as all board meetings.
Section 5. All votes, unless stated elsewhere in the constitution or by agreement of
the Board, shall be simple majority votes.
Article 6: Committees
Section 1. Another Option does not have any formal committees. If committees are
formed for planning different events, the Board must approve all club policies and
by-laws regarding committees prior to their formation.
Article 7: Amendments and By-Laws
Section 1. Any Board member of Another Option may propose an amendment to the
Constitution. A non-board member may also propose an amendment to a Board
member for sponsorship. The sponsoring Board member must make an official
declaration of sponsorship at the next meeting.
Section 2. The proposed amendment may be discussed at any Board meeting where
a quorum is present. The Board will engage in a discussion on the relative merits of
the amendment, in either a group discussion or another format decided on by the
present Board.
Section 3. Amendments must be ratified by a three-fourths majority of the Board
members present at the meeting. All amendments must be submitted to and
approved by the TCUJ to take effect.
Section 4. Procedure for filing a formal grievance is as follows: Any member who
wishes to make a formal complaint against the club, a board member, or club
member may present it to the President. The President shall then consult the Board
as a whole. If necessary, the resolution of the complaint shall be put to a simple
majority vote among the Board.
Article 8: Adherence to College Policies
Section 1. Another Option will adhere to all Tufts rules, regulations and policies.
Section 2. Another Option will adhere to all local, state, and federal laws.
Article 9: Advisor
Section 1. Another Option will have an advisor from the Health Education
department of Tufts Health Services. The Advisor will be a member from the Tufts
Health Education department who interacts with students and student groups and
is willing to serve as advisor.
Section 2. The Club Advisor plays a role in shaping the broader goals of Another
Option, including but not limited to: participating in or running strategy meetings
(where possible), facilitating coordination between Another Option and other
departments of Tufts University, and acting as a liaison between the Board and the
Health Education department. The Club Advisor has the discretion to impeach the
President for engaging the club in alcohol-related activities or other serious
misconduct.