CONSTITUTION OF PRISM

Amended April 17, 2007

Article I: Name and Logo of Organization

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be PRISM.

Section 2: The following graphic shall be the logo of PRISM

Article II: Purpose of the Organization

Section 1: The purposes of PRISM are to challenge heteronormativity, to promote visibility and acceptance of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (GLBTQ) communities, to provide on-campus education and activism regarding GLBTQ issues, and to offer a safe, confidential, and supportive environment for all members, be they queer or straight. PRISM also provides sponsorship of The Haven, a peer support group that offers a confidential forum for discussions about TCNJ students’ experiences, feelings, and thoughts concerning issues of coming out.

Article III: Qualification of Membership

Section 1: PRISM welcomes all supporters and interested parties and discriminates on no grounds.

Article IV: Officers of the Organization

Section 1: Executive Team Diagram

Fundraising

NCOD/

NDOS

Public

Health

Public Relations

Advocacy

Social

Activities

Haven Coordinator

Web-Master

Historian

[Supervised by President] [Supervised by President] [Supervised by President]

Section 2: Above is the structure for the PRISM Executive Team. This body comprises two smaller sub-sections: the Executive Board (hereafter referred to as “Board”) and the Membership Chairs (hereafter referred to as “Chairs”). Within the Board are the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Chair positions include those for specific activities that PRISM runs throughout the academic year: National Coming Out Day (NCOD), National Day of Silence (NDOS), Advocacy, and Public Health. In addition to these activities Chairs, there are also Chair positions that encompass membership and organizational development: Social Activities, Publicity/Public Relations, and Fundraising. Together, these two groups of Chairs and Board members serve as a seamless team to effectively meet the needs of PRISM and the campus community as a whole. Additional members of the Team are the Web Master, Historian and Haven Coordinator, who serve as satellite chairs to the Executive Team.

Section 3: Term of office shall be one year, starting in January and ending in December. However, if an officer is placed in a position sometime during the year, the term of the office is only until the next election.

Section 4: It shall be the duty of the President:

To call to order and chair all meetings, to oversee all major aspects of the organization, to delegate any additional responsibilities to the appropriate Executive Team member, and to act as a liaison to other organizations. The President shall hold meetings with each Board member individually. The President also directly supervises the Haven Coordinator, Web Master, and Historian, in addition to other members of the Executive Team.

Section 5: It shall be the duty of the Vice President:

To perform all duties delegated by the President; to execute the President’s duties in the President’s absence; to handle any and all event needs, including room reservations and acquisition of appropriate equipment; and to oversee the work of the Advocacy and Social Activities Chairs. In the event that either Chair is unable to fulfill the requirements of his or her position, the Vice-President must step in to take over his or her planning and see that the programs are planned properly. The President should be immediately notified if this action is necessary. The Vice President is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution. The Vice-President reports directly to the President.

Section 5: It shall be the duty of the Treasurer:

To handle all financial transactions concerning the organization, to adhere to SFB Treasurer Guidelines, and to keep the budget up to date for announcement at all meetings. The Treasurer reports directly to the President regarding the financial status of the organization, and the appropriate Team members report to the Treasurer when there is a direct financial transaction and/or concern. The Treasurer oversees the work of the Fundraising and NCOD/NDOS Chairs. In the event that either Chair is unable to fulfill the requirements of his or her position, the Treasurer must step in to take over his or planning and see that the programs are planned properly. The President should be immediately notified if this action is necessary. The Treasurer is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution. The Treasurer reports directly to the President.

Section 6: It shall be the duty of the Secretary:

               
To take accurate minutes at all meetings, to distribute the minutes 
to all general members, to read the mail at meetings, to check the PRISM 
mailbox in the Campus Life office regularly and distribute the mail to the 
appropriate parties, to check regularly and maintain the PRISM email 
account by sorting incoming emails to their appropriate folders, to check 
the PRISM voicemail account regularly, and to keep the Alumni database up 
to date.  The Secretary 
oversees the Public Health and Public Relations Chairs.  In the event that either Chair is 
unable to fulfill the requirements of his or her position, the Secretary 
must step in to take over his or her planning and see that the programs 
are planned properly.  The 
President should be immediately notified if this action is necessary.  The Secretary is also responsible 
for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be 
included in this Constitution.  
The Secretary reports directly to the 
President.

Section 7: It shall be the duty of the Activities Chair:

To plan and execute the social activities that PRISM puts on regularly. Included in these activities are bowling and clubbing nights and excursions to New York City, Philadelphia, and New Hope. For these (typically) monthly events, the Chair will be responsible for creating his/her own calendar of events to make available to the membership and for posting on the PRISM office door. He or she will also be responsible for making announcements at meetings to remind the membership of the upcoming activities. Beyond the typical “social” activities, the Chair will be responsible for planning two “philanthropic” programs – fun community service / volunteer programs – in which the membership can become involved. Additionally, the Chair will be responsible for assisting the Fundraising Chair in coordinating fundraising programs (at least two) throughout the year. Ideas for both of these “extra” programs (philanthropic and fundraising) will be listed in the Activities Chair Job Book. However, it is expected that the bulk of the Chair’s time be spent on planning monthly events, as they are more time consuming to pull together and are, overall, extremely important for our organization’s health. The Social Activities Chair is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 8: It shall be the duty of the Fundraising Chair:

               
The Fundraising Chair will be responsible for raising two hundred 
(200) dollars per semester by running as many programs as necessary. The 
Chair should also know how much money is in the fundraising line at all 
times. It is beneficial for the Chair to work with other Chairs in order 
to help fundraise for or during their programs.  Additionally, the Chair will be 
responsible for assisting the Social Activities Chair in coordinating 
fundraising programs (at least two) throughout the year.  The Fundraising Chair reports to and 
is supervised by the Treasurer.  
The Fundraising Chair is also responsible for completing other 
tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this 
Constitution.

Section 9: It shall be the duty of the Advocacy Chair:

To organize and oversee programs and activities that deal with GLBTQ activism in order to educate and engage the membership, the campus, and the wider community. The Chair shall plan an event concerning marriage equality, possibly overseeing a committee for this purpose and handling all logistics. The Advocacy Chair will be responsible of the “Straight, But Not Narrow” program that is presented during Welcome Week and will also oversee the PRISM Big/Little project. He or she will plan a Transgender Awareness Week program during the fall, which will include several programs to highlight transgender issues. The Chair will coordinate a “sister” program with Gay-Straight Alliances of local high schools. He or she will also engage in ongoing member education initiatives when issues relevant to GLBTQ-Straight activism arise. The Advocacy Chair is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 10: It shall be the duty of the Public Health Chair:

To plan and execute AIDS Awareness Week (AAW). Although the nature and number of programs during this time are to be determined at the discretion of the Chair, it is generally recommended that the week include at least one fundraising program; efforts to raise campus knowledge about HIV/AIDS through activities such as tabling, flyering, and information sessions; and co-sponsorship with other on-campus organizations. The Public Health Chair will plan and execute an annual Drag Show fundraiser, or another program or fundraiser of comparable magnitude, during the spring semester. It is recommended that the funds raised during AAW and this event be combined and donated to a charitable organization dealing with sexual health issues. The Chair will plan and execute other, more minor programs throughout each semester. Recommendations include Valentine’s Day programming, movie showings, and inviting speakers to PRISM meetings. However, programming is in no way limited to these options. The Chair will take responsibility for education of PRISM’s members regarding sexual health issues and will attempt to make information and resources readily available. The Public Health Chair is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 11: It shall be the duty of the Publicity/Public Relations Chair:

To design and see to the distribution of any and all advertisement that is needed for all programs. This includes posters, flyers and table tents; acquisition of banner space, materials for banners, and for planning banner making nights; Signal Ads; WTSR pitches; the “This Week at TCNJ” calendar; and all other related projects. The Chair will be expected to utilize the membership to assist in the distribution of flyers, posters, and table tents throughout the campus. The Public Relations Chair is responsible for maintaining adequate tabling supplies, such as “Coming Out Guides” and other vital resources. The Public Relations Chair is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 12: It shall be the duty of the NCOD/NDOS Chair:

               
To plan and execute National Coming Out Day (NCOD) and National Day 
of Silence (NDOS).  NDOS will 
take place in the spring semester on whatever day is decided on 
nationally. NDOS should include some type of demonstration and, if 
possible, some sort of “breaking the silence” event in the 
evening.  NCOD will take place 
in the fall semester on whatever day is decided on nationally.  The Chair is further responsible 
for the Coming Out Monologues as a part of NCOD.  The NCOD/NDOS Chair is also 
responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which 
may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 13: It shall be the duty of the Web Master:

To update and maintain the PRISM website, online calendar, and LiveJournal. The Web Master reports directly to the President. The Web Master is also responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 14: It shall be the duty of the Historian:

               
To keep historical documentation through pictures, archived 
articles, etc., of all PRISM activities. The Historian is to make a 
scrapbook of each year’s PRISM activities, as well as display 
pictures in the PRISM room. The Historian reports directly to the 
President. The Historian position will be offered to the Social Activities 
chair at the time of election; if declined, the position will be opened to 
the rest of the membership.  
The Historian Chair is also responsible for completing other tasks 
assigned by the President, which may not be included in this 
Constitution.

Section 15: It shall be the duty of the Haven Coordinator:

               
To receive and obtain training for all Haven facilitators, to 
schedule hours for facilitators to be signed on to the Haven screen name, 
to check the Haven email account, and to motivate facilitators to keep 
informed of current GLBTQ issues.  
The Haven Coordinator reports directly to the President.  The Haven Coordinator is also 
responsible for completing other tasks assigned by the President, which 
may not be included in this Constitution.

Section 15: A member of the Executive Team shall give any necessary information and assistance to the next person who takes his or her position following the election. Executive Team members shall also update and maintain the Job Books that they were given when they started their Team position. The Job Books will be kept in both electronic and “hard” copy form to ensure that they are not lost or destroyed. In the event that a member of the Executive Team does not possess a Job Book, he or she is responsible for creating a new one with the help of his or her direct supervisor.

Section 16: The Executive Board will meet on a weekly basis, at a time agreed upon by the entire Board. The Executive Team will also meet once per week. Any Team member who misses more than ONE meeting without a valid excuse (severe illness or other emergency) will receive a verbal warning. Future violations will be subject to disciplinary action (written warning up to and including removal from the Executive Team).

Section 17: All Executive Team members must perform at least three office hours per week. At the discretion of the Executive Team, additional members will be given access to the PRISM Center.

BY-LAWS

Article 1: Membership

Section 1: Application for Membership: PRISM encourages anyone interested in the purpose of our organization to contact us via our email address (PRISM@tcnj.edu), our phone extension (2390) or by attending weekly meetings. There are no dues for membership.

Section 2: Active Membership: An active member of PRISM must attend three (3) meetings and/or sponsored events each semester.

Section 3: Membership Limitations: Members must be matriculated students at The College of New Jersey.

Section 4: Termination of Executive Team Members: If an Executive Team member is found by the active membership and/or the remainder of the Team to not be fulfilling his or her duties, the Chairperson’s immediate supervisor will have a discussion with the person and issue him/her a verbal warning. Reoccurrences may result in a written warning, up to and including termination. The President may also be placed on job-action, as long as over 51% of the executive team is in agreement with such action.

Section 6: Terms of Elections:

One year’s experience on the Executive Board is required for any candidate for the position of President.
One year’s experience on the Executive Team is required for candidates for the positions of Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. If, however, at the time of election, no qualified individual wishes to run for one of these positions, that position will be opened to any Active Membership individual.
One semester’s Active Membership is required for all other Team positions.

Section 7: Election Procedure:

Elections shall be held at a meeting in December.
Candidates must be nominated and seconded by members or may be self-nominated and seconded by members.
During that meeting, candidate speeches will be given, and all present members shall vote on the candidates for Executive Board positions.
At a later time, possibly in the evening of that day, candidates for Executive Team, Historian, Web Master/Mistress, and Haven Coordinator shall meet with the previous Executive Team in its entirety, and the newly-elected Executive Board. Candidates will give their speeches to this body and will be elected by them.
Candidates may use said candidate speech and any additional self-promotion materials on the election day as their sole means of personal promotion.

Section 8: Resignation or Termination of the President:

In the event of resignation or termination of the President, the Vice President will become acting President until the time when a new election for the President position can be held. The same qualifications for President shall remain, with the position open only to current or previous Executive Team members. Any changes to this are at the discretion of the current Executive Team.

Article 2: Financial Provisions

Section 1: PRISM events shall be funded by the Student Finance Board (by general budget and Special Appropriations) and fundraising endeavors.

Article 3: Meetings

Section 1: General member meetings will be held in the PRISM Center every Wednesday at the time agreed upon by the Executive Team members for the duration of the year.

Section 2: In the event of a cancelled meeting, the President shall notify the membership.

Section 3: Executive Team members are to attend all meetings. If an Executive Team member cannot attend a general member meeting, he or she is to notify the President within 24 hours of the scheduled meeting.

Article 4: Voicemail & Email Policy

Section 1: The PRISM voicemail account (X2390), AIM screen name (PRISMatTCNJ), and email account (PRISM@tcnj.edu) are not to be used for personal use by any member at any time.

Section 2: The voicemail password is to be known and used only by the Executive Team.

Section 3: The email password is to be known and used only by the Executive Team for purposes relating to PRISM business. The AIM password is only to be known by the Executive Team and should be used for purposes of membership support and announcements. Conversations using this AIM screen name should remain confidential.

Section 4: The President is the sole member of the organization who may change either the voicemail or email passwords. It is the responsibility of the President to notify the appropriate parties when such a change has occurred.

Section 5: All emails sent to the group “listserv” must be addressed in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) line to ensure the confidentiality of the General Membership.

Section 6: Emails containing announcements or “plugs” for personal events may not be sent out to the General Membership. These announcements can be made at general meetings and included in the meeting minutes at the discretion of the Secretary.

Section 7: No “listserv” emails – with the exception of meeting minutes and event reminders sent out by the Secretary – are to be sent out without the express verbal consent of the President. The President reserves the right to review, censor, or refuse any such requested emails.

Section 8: Any breach of By-Laws Article 4:1-7 will result in immediate suspension of voicemail and/or email privileges and is grounds for termination of an Executive Team member.

Section 9: There are to be no sex or sexual acts in the PRISM Center, by any member of the Executive Team, General Member or any one else, at all, ever. A violation of this clause will result in removal from PRISM, and disciplinary/legal sanctions by Campus Police and other state officials.

Flashing Light Clause: If, while in the PRISM office in the basement of the Brower Student Center, one sees the voicemail light is flashing and said person does not have access to the voicemail, her or she will notify either the President or the Secretary.

Article 5: Faculty Advisor(s)

Section 1: The position of Advisor is open to any TCNJ Faculty member and may be shared with no more than one additional faculty member. The Executive Team shall approve an appropriate candidate for the position.

Article 6: Amendments

Section 1: Any amendments of the Constitution shall be made by the current Executive Team, at their discretion.

Section 2: Amendments shall be submitted to the Student Government Association for vote and official change.

E-Team’s Signature:

I have read the attached document, “Constitution of PRISM”, last amended on March 28, 2007, in its entirety, and fully understand the roles and responsibilities assigned to me as a member of PRISM’s 2007 Executive Team. I understand that an electronic copy of PRISM’s Constitution is available online at: http://www.tcnj.edu/~prism/constitution.html, and that a hard copy will be kept in the PRISM Center (BSC 016). I have read Article I, Section IV, which reads, “If an Executive Team member is found by the active membership and/or the remainder of the Team to not be fulfilling his or her duties, the Chairperson’s immediate supervisor will have a discussion with the person and issue him or her a verbal warning. Reoccurrences may result in a written warning, up to and including termination. The President may also be placed on job-action, as long as over 51% of the Executive Team is in agreement with such action”.