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UCR KATIPUNAN CONSTITUTION

Katipunan Pilipino Student Organization
September 28, 2024
University of California, Riverside
Preamble
We, the members of Katipunan (Pilipino Student Organization) at the University of California, Riverside, in order to advance the awareness and development of both the Pilipino and Pilipino-American culture through cultural, educational, communal, and social means, with the cooperation of administration, faculty, and students, do approve and establish this Constitution.
ARTICLE I
Katipunan Pilipino Student Organization
The official name of this organization shall be Katipunan (Pilipino Student Organization) at the University of California, Riverside and may be referred to as Katipunan for the remainder of this Constitution.
ARTICLE II
Purpose of Organization
Section 1: Purpose of the Constitution
To list and define the responsibilities of the Cabinet and its members.
Section 2: Purpose of the organization
To further and attain the goals outlined in the Preamble.
To encourage and support students in the pursuit through the following: culture, academics, community, and social aspects.
ARTICLE III
Membership practice
Active membership of this student organization shall be chosen without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, color, disability, national origin, age, or marital status, except in cases of fraternity and sorority organization which are exempt by federal law from Title IX regulations concerning discrimination on the basis of sex. Active membership should also be composed of at least 50% UCR Students (undergraduate or graduate).
A. Eligibility for Membership
Katipunan is all-inclusive. Membership is open to students and non-students regardless of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ability, age, school, and political affiliation. All who pay the designated yearly dues are official Katipunan members and are encouraged to promote the organization’s well-being and spirit.

B. Categories of Membership
The categories of membership are as follows:

C. Removal of members
Members can be removed from the organization for the following reasons: Making Racist or discriminatory comments, breaking Federal, State, Local, or University Law.

Members of Katipunan are expected to adhere strictly to a zero tolerance policy to all forms of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Any instances of sexual assault/sexual harassment that is brought to the attention of the Katipunan cabinet shall be investigated and will result in revokement of membership for the individual who has perpetrated the act. No refund shall be given for any membership dues paid. Necessary officials shall also be notified, including but not limited to the Title IX office at UCR.

All Active Members have the ability to request the removal of another member. Any Active Member who wishes to have another member removed must present their reasoning in writing to the executive board through an email/electronic or hard copy documentation. Once the complaint/request is brought to the executive board, the following process must take place:

ARTICLE IV
Officers
A. List of officers
The Cabinet shall be members and any registered UCR students (Undergraduate or Graduate) for the academic year with discretion of Executive Cabinet if issues may arise. The Executive Cabinet consists of the President, External Vice-President, Internal Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The General Cabinet consists of the Cultural and Community Advocacy Chairperson, Historian(s), Public Relations Chairperson(s), Social Activities Chairperson(s), Academics Chairperson, Athletics Coordinator, Alumni Liaison, Outreach Director, PACN Coordinator, Apprentice Advisor, and Katipunan Apprentices.
Katipunan Apprentices are not limited to the instruction of the Apprentice Advisor.


Appointments: Cabinet Positions

Appointments: Special Positions

NOTES: At minimum, there must be a primary officer (president), a secondary officer (vice president), and a treasurer. Your organization should not be composed mostly of officers. Officers should not comprise more than 30% of your membership (exception: newly registered student organizations that only have 5 members).

B. General Duties and Responsibilites of Officers
The President's duties include:
The External Vice President's duties include:
The Internal Vice President’s duties include:
The Treasuer's duties include:
The Secretary’s Responsibilities include:
The Cultural and Community Advocacy Chairperson’s Responsibilities include:
The Historian(s)’ Responsibilities include:
The Public Relations Chairperson(s)’ Responsibilities include:
The Social Activities Chairperson(s)’ Responsibilities include:
The Academics Chairperson’s Responsibilities include:
The Athletics Coordinator’s Responsibilities include:
The Alumni Liaison’s Responsibilities include:
The Outreach Director’s Responsibilities include:
The PACN Coordinator’s Responsibilities include:
The Apprentice Advisor’s Responsibilities include:
The Katipunan Apprentices’ Responsibilities include:
C. Qualifications for Becoming an Officer
To be eligible to become an officer in this organization, potential candidates must be Active Members as outlined in Article III Section B.
D. Terms of Office
Every officer position will last ONE academic year.
E. Procedure for filling vacated offices
When a position is vacated, it is under the discretion of the newly elected executive board to appoint someone through an application/interview process to fill the position.
F. Procedure for removal of officers
Section 1: Enactment of the By-Laws
By-Laws must be enacted by a majority vote of the Cabinet.

Section 2: Recall of a Cabinet Member
  1. 1. Any Cabinet Member who neglects any of their major responsibilities or fails to fulfill them shall be recalled from their position by Cabinet.

  2. 2. Process of recalling a Cabinet Member:
    1. 1. Executive Cabinet should advise the Cabinet Member that they are failing their duties. This constitutes the first warning.
    2. 2. If a second verbal warning is warranted, the Cabinet Member shall be placed on probation. Executive Cabinet will withhold the voting rights of the Cabinet Member and review their case.
    3. 3. After a two week probation period, the Cabinet shall notify the Cabinet Member whether they shall continue in their office or whether they shall resign at the next Cabinet meeting.
    4. 4. All resignations must be formally typed, announced in the presence of organization leaders, signed in accordance with final examinations by the Cabinet, and soon after placed on file.
ARTICLE V
Meetings

A. Quorum
A quorum defines the minimum number of members that must be present in order to vote and make decisions for the group. The quorum for this organization is 50% of the Active members plus ONE more Active Member (50%+1 of the Active Members).

Section 1. First Meeting
The first cabinet meeting date of the next academic year shall be decided at the discretion of the newly elected Executive Cabinet members.

Section 2. Regularity
  1. The Cabinet shall hold weekly meetings unless otherwise specified.
  2. All Cabinet meetings shall be closed to the general public.
    1. a. The beginning of cabinet meetings including the review of past events, up until the Cabinet Member reports.
      1. i. The General public must leave before the Cabinet reports begin.
  3. All members of the Cabinet must attend all meetings unless a reasonable excuse is presented to the Secretary twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled meeting concerning absence.
    1. a. A reasonable excuse must be presented regarding tardiness within six hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
    2. i. A reasonable excuse is determined by the discretion of the Secretary.
  4. All the proceedings shall be carried out under respectable procedures.
  5. All the proceedings shall be kept under strict confidentiality during closed sessions.
  6. Cabinet Meetings shall only be held if the quorum is met.

Section 3. Organization Governmental Authority
  1. The governmental authority of the organization shall be vested in the Cabinet.
  2. The Cabinet and organization members shall have the authority to contribute input regarding organizational concerns.
  3. The Cabinet shall have the power to enforce all laws passed by the majority vote. The quorum shall be the majority of the Cabinet.
  4. The cabinet members must vote regarding Katipunan concerns.
  5. The positions of External Vice-President and Internal Vice-President shall serve and be seen as equals.

D. Meeting minutes and records
It shall be the responsibility of the secretary to take meeting minutes and keep related records of all meetings (including special and emergency meetings). Meeting Minutes and other records are vital for an organization’s success. Election results, impeachment of an officer, approval of a budget or expense, and passing of an amendment are just a few of the important items that meeting minutes are used to validate/verify. Additions and corrections are to be made at this time and a final approval of the minutes must be made. For cabinet members who are absent to the meeting, it is their responsibility to read the previous meeting minutes.

ARTICLE VI
Elections

A. Times and period when elections occur
In one general meeting, elections for the Executive Cabinet (President, External Vice-President, Internal Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary) shall proceed in the following order during the academic Winter term: Secretary, Treasurer, Internal Vice-President, External Vice-President, and President. For General Cabinet positions, nominations will occur during Spring Quarter.

B. Nominations
Only active members are eligible for nomination. Any member can nominate another active member. Any active member can also self-nominate themselves, but must be seconded by another member. Nominations shall be open to the general membership two weeks prior to the respective application deadline. Nominations shall remain open to general membership for one week. To be considered an official candidate, the nominee must be a fully paid member. After the one week nomination period, nominations will be closed and all the nominees will be notified.

C. Notification and posting of elections
  1. Newly Elected Executive Cabinet must notify the newly selected cabinet members within one week after the Interview Day.
    1. a. Notification of the newly selected cabinet members shall occur at the discretion of the newly elected Executive Cabinet.
  2. Any newly appointed cabinet member can only hold one Cabinet position at one time unless the current cabinet deems it necessary under unforeseen circumstances.
  3. All relinquishing and newly appointed Cabinet members must be present at the Annual Induction Banquet under the discretion of the current Cabinet.

D. Election procedures

Executive Cabinet

Elections Committee:
  1. Shall be organized by the current Executive Cabinet.
    1. a. Executive Cabinet is responsible for counting ballots during elections.
      1. i. Participation in vote counting will automatically void their vote
    2. b. Shall count all ballots for each position individually. In order for results to be valid, obtained counts must be identical.
  2. Shall attend all days of the stated elections process.
  3. Shall assign a pre-approved time limit for speeches, questions, and answers.
  4. Shall pre-approve the number of questions that each candidate must answer as suggested by the membership throughout the elections process.
  5. Shall pre-approve any audio and/or visual aids that will be used by the candidate on their respective day of election.
  6. Shall enforce all of the rules that are outlined in Article VII.
  7. All votes must first satisfy the quorum before an official election.

Applications
  1. Nominations shall be conducted one general meeting prior to the respective elections.
  2. Members nominated must submit an application for the position they wish to run for.
    1. a. The content of the application will be created by the current Executive Cabinet.
    2. b. Applications shall require fifty signatures of general members to show the support ofthe applicant. If complications arise, the Executive cabinet will have discretion.
      1. i. For a signature to be considered valid, the signer must be a fully paid member.
    3. c. Candidates must submit in their application a description of their platform to be shared to the rest of the organization prior to election day.
  3. Applications must be received by the Cabinet prior to the respective elections. Once received, the applicant becomes an official candidate for the Cabinet position declared in their application.
  4. Applications are considered active once received by the current Cabinet and remain active until the respective election day unless conceded by the applicant at any time prior to that day.
  5. Members may only have one active application for one Executive Cabinet position at any given period.
  6. Only official and paid candidates are allowed to run for the Cabinet position for which they have applied.
  7. President applicants must have prior cabinet experience with the discretion of the current Executive Cabinet if issues may arise.

Elections Regulations
  1. Official candidates for any office must be present at the designated elections meeting with the discretion of the current Cabinet if issues may arise.
  2. Each candidate is only allowed to present promotional material, such as personal presentations, that has been previously approved by the Elections Committee prior to the election day.
  3. No materials shall be distributed by any candidate to individuals on the day of their respective election.
  4. Any slander among candidates is not tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, anything posted on social media.
  5. There will be strict enforcement of a time limit for speeches, questions, and answers as directed by the Elections Committee.
  6. Each candidate shall abide by the guidelines set forth by the Elections Committee and shall respect these guidelines and the Constitution.
  7. A violation of any parts of this Constitution and elections guidelines shall call for an immediate disqualification of the candidate.

Elections Procedure
  1. All elections shall be held by secret ballots unless otherwise stated.
    1. a. In the case of multiple candidates, a ⅔ majority of the votes is needed to be declared elected.
  2. If there is no ⅔ majority vote, a re-vote shall be casted at the time of elections. If the re-vote does not reflect ⅔ majority of the votes, the candidate with the most number of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tiebreaker, the newly-elected executive cabinet will decide under the guidance of the current executive cabinet.
  3. In the case when there is only one candidate for a Cabinet position, a ⅔ majority of the votes is needed to be declared elected.
    1. a. If there is no ⅔ majority vote, a re-vote shall be casted at the time of elections. If the re-vote does not reflect ⅔ majority of the votes, the candidate will not be elected.
  4. Any newly elected Cabinet member can only hold one Cabinet position at one time.
  5. Any newly elected Cabinet member may concede their election at any time prior to their induction thereby conceding their official candidacy for any other cabinet positions thereafter; after which, the vacant position shall be filled in accordance with Article V.
  6. All elections shall be conducted in accordance with Article VIII.
  7. All previous and newly elected Cabinet members must be present at the Annual Induction Banquet under the discretion of the current Cabinet.

General Cabinet

NOTE: The newly elected Executive Cabinet shall remove and/or add a General Cabinet position when deemed necessary.

Applications:
  1. Members who were nominated can choose whether or not to apply for the position(s) they were nominated for.
  2. Nominees have one week after being notified to turn in their application.
  3. Applications shall require fifty signatures of general members to show the support of the applicant. The new Executive cabinet has discretion if problems arise.
    1. a. For a signature to be considered valid, the signer must be a fully paid member.
  4. Candidates must submit in their application a description of their platform to be shared to the rest of the organization prior to election day.
  5. Applicants can apply for one to two positions. No more than two positions are permitted.
  6. Applications must be turned in before the respective application deadline. Any late applications will be discarded unless otherwise stated under the discretion of the Executive Cabinet.
Procedures
  1. Nominees must record a video that is approved by the Executive Cabinet.
  2. Election videos will be released throughout an election week.
    1. a. Positions released per day will be selected under the discretion of the executive cabinet.
  3. Paid general members will have 24 hours to vote on positions released that day.
    1. a. Voting shall consist of casting either a “Confidence,” “No Confidence,” or “Abstain” vote towards each candidate.
    2. b. Nominees will be able to advance to the Interview Stage after receiving ⅔ majority vote of Confidence.
  4. All procedures may be followed but not limited under the discretion of the newly elected Executive Cabinet.

Interviews:
  1. Nominees will be subjected to an election process, where the candidates who received ⅔ majority confidence votes from paid general members will proceed to the interviews conducted by the newly elected Executive Cabinet.
  2. Group and Individual Interviews shall be held on the same day under the scheduling of the most recently elected Executive Cabinet.
  3. Applicants must prepare to answer questions prepared by the Executive Cabinet.
  4. Interview Day must be within one month after the respective application deadline.
  5. Interview Day shall be set according to the availability of the Newly Elected Executive Cabinet. Newly Elected Executive Cabinet shall notify applicants of this day, ten days in advance.
  6. All of the Newly Elected Cabinet shall be present during Interview Day.
    1. a. Incumbent cabinet members may reside over the interview of candidates in their respective positions.

Selection Regulations:
  1. Official applicants for any position must be present during the designated Interview Day with the discretion of the Newly Elected Executive Cabinet if issues may arise.
  2. Each candidate is only allowed to present promotional material, such as personal presentations, that has been previously approved by the Elections Committee prior to the election day.
  3. Any slander among candidates is not tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, anything posted on social media.
  4. Any newly selected Cabinet member may concede their position at any time prior to their induction thereby conceding their official application for any other Cabinet positions thereafter; after which, the vacant position shall be filled in accordance with Article V.
  5. There will be strict enforcement of a time limit for speeches, questions, and answers as directed by the Newly Elected Executive Cabinet.
  6. Each applicant shall abide by the guidelines set forth by the Newly Elected Executive Cabinet and shall respect these guidelines and the Constitution.
  7. A violation of any parts of this Constitution and the selection guidelines shall result in actions determined by the Newly Elected Executive Cabinet.
  8. The selection process shall be conducted in accordance with Article VIII.
  9. All relinquishing cabinet members may be present during all steps of the selection process.

ARTICLE VII
Financial records

The University shall have the right to audit the financial records of this organization. If the organization will receive funding from Associated Student at UCR (ASUCR) or the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the organization must comply with all funding policies and procedures issued by the funding authority.

A. Dues/membership fees
There will be a yearly due for membership in this organization. The price for the year of 2024-2025 will be $32.

ARTICLE VIII
Cabinet Involvement
Organization involvement and/or participation are required from all Cabinet members for all affiliated organization events and activities unless a reasonable excuse is presented to the Secretary twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled meeting concerning absence or six hours prior concerning tardiness.
ARTICLE IX
Amendments

A. Proposing amendments
  1. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by the Cabinet and/or organization members and approved according to Article VIII, Section 4.
  2. A proposed amendment must be formally submitted to the organization and Cabinet.

B. Amendment Ratification
  1. All proposed amendments must be approved by three-fourths majority vote of the Cabinet.
  2. If this proposed amendment is approved by three-fourths majority vote by the Cabinet, it must be ratified by three-fourths majority vote of the paid organization members with each member having one vote.
  3. Newly Elected Cabinet may amend the constitution under guidelines listed in Article X without formal approval of general membership prior to the upcoming academic school year.

C. Provisions
The Quorum necessary for amendments to the constitution to be voted on shall be no less than 50% +1 of the active members. Amendments to the constitution shall be approved by a 2/3 vote in favor of the amendment. All amendments shall be in agreement with University regulations and policies and are not approved until reviewed by a Student Life official. An updated Constitution must be filed with the Student Life office through the online organization system within one week of adoption. Groups will notify their Organization Advisor in Student Life once the document has been uploaded in the system so that it might be reviewed.

ARTICLE X
Ratification

Section 1:
Upon a three-fourths majority vote of the Cabinet and organization members, this constitution and its By-Laws shall be made effective on the given date.

Section 2:
A three-fourths majority vote must be obtained to ratify this Constitution prior to the last day of the academic Fall term.

Section 3:
The Constitution shall be accessible to all members and non-members.
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