Organization Constitutions

Constitutions and bylaws serve as the guiding basis for your organization. Here are some hints to help write your governing document:

Keep it simple - avoid confusing terminology.
Present a draft of the document to the Student Activities Office staff for review and suggestions.
Write carefully - Amendments to the constitution are changes directly to the body of the document (changes are more difficult to make than bylaws).
Bylaws are the specific day to day rules which are not included in the constitution, but due to their importance, cannot be changed without using formal procedure.

Sample Constitution Format

Article I. Name

State the official name of the organization.

Article II. Purpose

State the purpose or goals of the organization. It may be, by definition, academic, cultural, service-oriented, political, religious, etc. The group should not duplicate the ideals of an existing student organization. If there are similarities, state the unique aspects which characterize the organization.
State any local, regional or national affiliations with any other groups.
State how the organization's purpose is consistent with the university mission.

Article III. Membership

Define who is eligible for membership. Membership may only be open to WPI students and must be open to all WPI students.
State that the organization will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status or national origin.
State guidelines for membership renewal, removal or voluntary discontinuance. Members must have the freedom to discontinue membership at any time.
State that the organization will ensure that its membership will not practice any physically or psychologically abusive hazing behaviors either intentionally or unintentionally.
State any requirements for membership such as paying dues, academic progress, etc.

Article IV. Officers, Duties and Requirements

Describe the governance structure; is there an executive board?
State the duties of the officers (call meetings, determine agendas, approve expenditures, etc).
State any requirements for officers (academic progress, extended membership, etc.).
State the organization must have full-time WPI students in good academic standing as officers.

Article V. Meetings

State approximately how often meetings can be held.
State who has the authority to call meetings.
State what quorum is required at meetings (if appropriate).
State how meetings will be run (Roberts Rules of Order, etc.).

Article IV. Elections & Officer Replacement/Removal

State how officers will be elected, appointed, removed or replaced. It is strongly suggested that elections be conducted by democratic procedures.
State the time line for elections. Elections should take place prior to the end of C-Term.
State what justifies removal from office.
State the formal process for removal.

Article VII. Judicial Action (Optional)

State the process for disciplining members of the organization.
State that the organization will abide by decisions of the Campus Hearing Board and/or the Greek Judicial Board in dealing with charges brought against the organization.

Article VIII. Finances

State how the organization will be funded (dues, outside sources, request to SGA).

Article IX. Advisor

State the process for selecting/removing the advisor. For non-Greek organizations, advisors must be full-time WPI faculty or professional staff members.
State whether the advisor is a voting or non-voting member.

Article X. Amendments/Revisions

State the procedures for amending/revising the constitution (such as posted notices of amendments for two weeks prior to vote, placing an amendment on the floor for two weeks, etc.)
State who may propose an amendment.

Article XI. SOC & Organization Affirmation Clause

This must appear at the end of the Constitution:

The (name of the organization) agrees to abide by the policies of Worcester Polytechnic Institute as well as all federal, state and local laws. Any changes to this constitution and/or bylaws will follow, in word and spirit, all WPI policies and all federal, state and local laws.

Revisions or Amendments To A Constitution Of A Recognized Student Organization

Any revisions or amendments to a constitution or bylaws of a recognized student organization must follow, in word and spirit, all WPI policies and all federal, state and local laws.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: March 20, 2007 14:05:43