CONSTITUTION
California State University, Dominguez Hills Chapter
of the
CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION
 
index

Article I. Name
Article II. Purpose
Article III. Membership
Article IV. Relationship with the State-wide CFA
Article V. Officers
Article VI. Governance
Article VII. Voting and Quorum
Article VIII. Executive Committee
Article IX. Standing Committees
Article X. Elections
Article XI. Meetings and Referenda
Article XII. Amendment of the Constitution
Article XIII. Parliamentary Authority
 

Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the California State University, Dominguez Hills Chapter of the California Faculty Association.

Article II. Purpose
The purposes of this Chapter shall be to defend and promote academic freedom, tenure, due process, and shared governance; to protect and advance the professional and economic interests of CSU faculty: to promote the standards, ideals, usefulness, and welfare of the profession; and to facilitate the purposes, objectives, and programs of the state-wide California Faculty Association at the local level.

Article III. Membership
The membership in this Chapter shall be all Bargaining Unit Faculty at this University who are members of the California Faculty Association.
 
 
Article IV. Relationship with the State-wide CFA
The Constitution and other policy documents of the Chapter and any actions taken by the Chapter or its officers shall be in conformity with the Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, and other policy documents of the state-wide CFA.

Article V. Officers
The officers of the Chapter shall be a president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer.
A. President -
The president shall carry out the policies of the Chapter, exercise a general supervision over the activities of the Chapter, preside at meetings of the Chapter and Executive Committee, serve as spokesperson for the Chapter, appoint standing and ad hoc committees, and certify elected Chapter representatives to the CFA Assembly. By state-wide CFA by-laws the president is also a representative to the CFA Assembly.
B. Vice President -
The duties of the vice president shall include assuming the duties of the president at the request of or in the absence of the president, and additional duties as assigned by the president.
C. Secretary-treasurer -
The secretary-treasurer shall keep a record of all proceedings and correspondence of the Chapter and Executive Committee: shall keep a record of all monies received and of all disbursements, prepare an annual financial statement, and present a statement of Chapter finances at each Chapter meeting or whenever requested to do so at Executive Committee meetings.

Article VI. Governance
This Chapter shall be governed by the membership either in annual meetings or by referenda. In order to facilitate the transaction of Chapter business, the Executive Committee is empowered to take action on behalf of, but remains subject to the instruction of the membership. Similarly, the president may take action on behalf of, but remains subject to the instructions of the Executive Committee and membership.
 
 
Article VII. Voting and Quorum
All members of the Chapter shall have the right to vote in Chapter elections and Chapter meetings. A quorum at Chapter meetings shall consist of at least five percent of the total membership of the Chapter, but not fewer than ten members. The outcome of a vote shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast.


Article VIII. Executive Committee
A. Membership
The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, the immediate past president, the representative to the Lecturer’s Council, the representative to the Council for Affirmative Action, the chapter grievance coordinator, the campus membership coordinator, and the newsletter editor.
B. Quorum -
A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
C - Voting -
All members of the Executive Committee shall have voting power.
D. Duties and Powers -
The Executive Committee shall be vested with the authority to conduct the business of the Chapter, subject to the policies of the CFA and the governance of the membership. In addition, the Executive Committee shall:
1. be responsible for the Chapter's continuing and effective presence on campus and for implementing efforts to promote CFA goals;
2. schedule and prepare agenda for Chapter meeting or referenda,
3. make temporary appointments to fill vacant Executive Committee positions, except that of president, until new elections have been held to fill the positions for the unexpired terms of office, and appoint alternate representatives to the CFA Assembly when elected representatives are unable to attend a meeting; and
4.conduct elections as specified in Article X.
 E. Chapter Delegates to the CFA General Assembly
The chapter delegates to the CFA General Assembly shall be the chapter president, the representative to the Lecturers Council, the delegate at large, and the representative to the Council for Affirmative Action.

Article IX. Standing Committees
Section 1. Standing committees
The standing committees shall be the Faculty Rights Committee, the CSUDH Lecturers Council, the Committee For Affirmative Action, and the Elections Committee.
Section 2. Appointment, membership, and term
a)    The chairs of the Committee for Affirmative Action and the CSUDH Lecturers Council shall be elected by the chapter membership at the same time as the election of the chapter officers.  These chairs shall serve two-year terms and shall also be chapter delegates to the CFA General Assembly.

b)    The chair of the Faculty Rights Committee and the Elections Committee shall be annually nominated by the Executive Committee at its September meeting and ratified by a plurality vote at a Chapter meeting or by a mail ballot.

c)    Standing committees shall consists of at least three members of the Chapter, one of which must also be a member of the Executive Committee, except for the membership of the Elections Committee which is outlined below.

d)    Replacements for vacated committee positions shall be chosen by the Executive Committee. The term of membership for standing committees is two years.

Section 3. Elections committee –
Members of the Elections Committee will not be eligible for nomination to elective office nor be members concurrently on the Executive Committee. The Elections Committee shall present a slate of nominees to the Executive Committee no later than March 15 of odd-numbered years.

Section 4. Ad Hoc Committees –
The Executive Committee shall appoint ad hoc committees as needed.


Article X. Elections
Section 1. Timing -
Elections shall be conducted during March and April in odd-numbered years. Special elections shall be held as soon as practicable after an office has been vacated. All appointments to the Executive Committee shall be made by the president and ratified by the elected officers. These appointments shall have a term of at least one year.

Section 2. Call for Nominations -
Nominations shall be solicited from members of the Chapter and from the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Slate of Nominee -.
A slate of nominees (preferably with at least two names for each position) shall be developed by the Elections Committee. Additional nominations may be submitted to the Executive Committee, within an established deadline, by petition signed by at least ten members of the Chapter. Nominations submitted by petition shall appear on the ballot. No person shall be a candidate simultaneously for more than one elective office.
 
Section 4. Balloting -
The Elections Committee shall arrange the preparation and distribution of ballots; shall receive and count ballots, and announce and certify the results. A ballot for each office shall contain entries for all nominees and space for write-in candidates. Provision shall be made for including brief biographical sketches and statements submitted by the candidates for inclusion with the ballots. Each election shall be conducted by a secret ballot. The outcome shall1 be determined as specified in Article VII.
Section 5. Vacancy for President
The vice president shall automatically assume the office of president and complete the term of office as president when the position of president is vacated. A new vice-president shall be elected at the earliest opportunity.
Section 6. Recall -
All elected members of the Executive Committee are subject to recall.
A. A two-thirds vote by the members at a regularly-scheduled meeting, or a petition signed by 20 percent of the members of the Chapter, shall cause a recall election to be conducted within one month.

B. Provided that at least 20 percent of the members submit ballots, and upon a sixty percent vote of the ballots cast, the person shall be recalled and shall vacate his or her position on the Executive Committee.
 

Article XI. Meetings and Referenda
Section 1. Meetings -
A. Regular Chapter meetings shall be called not less than once each year. Additional meetings may be called at the will of the president and shall be called when the president is so directed by petition of more than ten percent of the members in the Chapter. A meeting shall be called within three weeks of receiving such a petition, except that the Executive Committee may postpone meetings which would fall between academic terms.

B. Written notice of each Chapter meeting shall be sent to each member of the Chapter no less than one week in advance of the date selected for the meeting. Notice shall include time, place, and purposes of the meeting.
 
Section 2. Referenda -
Initiatives shall be proposed either by the President or by petition of more the ten percent of the members of the Chapter. The vote on the referendum shall be held within three weeks of presidential notice or receipt of petition.


Article XII. Amendment of the Constitution
Section I. Initiation -
Constitutional amendments may be initiated either by petition from any ten members of the Chapter or by recommendation of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Approval -
Notice setting forth each proposed amendment, with reasons thereof, shall be sent to each member at least fourteen days prior to distribution of the ballots. At least seven days shall be allowed for the return of ballots. Approval of two-thirds of the membership responding to the secret ballot shall constitute approval by the Chapter. After approval by the Chapter, amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted to the CFA Board of Directors.

Article XIII. Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Chapter insofar as they are not inconsistent with this constitution.