CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I - NAME

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Students Interested in Growth, Networking and Leadership. Hereafter referred to as SIGNAL.

Section 2. The officers of SIGNAL shall make up the Executive Board of SIGNAL, hereafter referred to as the Board.

ARTICLE II -PURPOSE

Section 1. SIGNAL exists to provide business students at the University of New Hampshire the opportunity to learn about leadership within organizations, to begin building professional networks, and to learn various business and professional skills not normally addressed through a theory-based business curriculum.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall be responsible for planning and organizing SIGNAL activities, both at the strategic and tactical level, and for consulting with the faculty advisor and the general membership.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. As an organization sponsored by the Department of Management in the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, our membership will be limited to current WSBE undergraduate students who are in the sophomore year or above. For individuals who are existing UNH students of sophomore standing or greater, but are new transfers into the WSBE program, they must have successfully completed the ADMN 400 course (Introduction to Business) before they can be a member of SIGNAL. New members will be admitted to SIGNAL at the beginning of both the fall and spring semester, provided that they have successfully completed both their freshman year and the ADMN 400 course.

Section 2. All members of SIGNAL have right to partake in SIGNAL activities, and suggest ideas to the board or the general membership. All members in good standing have the right to vote on policies, procedures, and officers. To be a member in good standing of SIGNAL, the member must have attended greater than 1/2 of the meetings of the previous semester, and must have paid any dues that SIGNAL has imposed upon the general membership, or fees that have been charged for any activity that member has been involved in.

Section 3. If it is brought to the attention of the board of directors that a member of SIGNAL has acted in a manner that is inconsistent with the mission, goals, or reputation of SIGNAL, the board of directors may recommend that member be expelled from the organization. In order for this to occur, the board must bring the matter to the attention of the full membership of SIGNAL. During this meeting, the board or their representative will explain to the members of SIGNAL what behavior has taken place that suggests the individual be expelled. The individual will have the opportunity to respond to the charges and defend him/herself. A quorum of --> If it is brought to the attention of the faculty advisor that a member of SIGNAL has acted in violation of the Student Code of Conduct of the University of New Hampshire, then the faculty advisor has the authority to summarily expel the student in question from NASL immediately[Author:atp] .

Section 1. SIGNAL will meet approximately 7 times per semester during the academic year. Meetings will be called by the Board, and will be advertised by both email and flyer at least 48 hours in advance.

Section 2. Policy decisions that affect the entire membership, such as dues or other requirements, will be placed before the members by the Board in any NASL meeting. Changes in policy may be made by a simple majority vote, whereas changes to the constitution require both a quorum (50%) of current members in good standing, and a 2/3 majority.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

Section 1. SIGNAL will be governed by a board of directors that will include at least 5 but no more than 8 students who are members in good standing with SIGNAL. All members of the board of directors shall have at the minimum a 2.5 GPA. Members of the board will interact with the faculty advisor in making both strategic and tactical decisions regarding SIGNAL policies, activities, and changes to organizational structure. SIGNAL board members will be elected on an annual basis, beginning in January of 2005. The founding board members will be considered the legitimate board of directors until that time

Section 2. SIGNAL board members will also serve as the specific officers for the organization. These officers will include at the minimum:

Chief Executive Officer: The CEO will be responsible for organizing, scheduling and leading SIGNAL meetings, serving as the primary contact for guest speakers, organizing the election of new board members, and assisting the COO in organizing meetings of the board of directors.

Chief Operating Officer: The COO will be responsible for organizing, scheduling and leading meetings of the board of directors, serving as the leader of NASL meetings in the event the CEO is not able to attend, and assisting the CEO in organizing elections.

Chief Information Officer: The CIO will be responsible for publicizing SIGNAL events and meetings, both to NASL members and to local press outlets when applicable. As such the CIO will be responsible for collecting and managing a list of contact email addresses for both current SIGNAL members and SIGNAL alumni/ae. The CIO will also be expected to maintain a record of SIGNAL activities, speakers and programs, as well as a record of board meetings, although some of these functions may be transferred to a separate office at some point in the future

Section 3. The board of directors, in consultation with the faculty advisor, may choose to establish additional officer positions to be filled by board members as future events warrant. During the January elections, the current members in good standing of SIGNAL will elect individuals to specific offices, as well as elect other board members to bring the total board to the required total. If the current board of directors believes it is necessary to establish a new office, they will appoint an individual to that office from the current board of directors for the remainder of the calendar year.

Section 4. While any individual may be elected multiple times to the Board, no individual may be re-elected to the position of CEO or COO.

ARTICLE VI - ELECTING, APPOINTING and REMOVING OFFICERS

Section 1. Organizational elections will take place at the first meeting of the calendar year. This will be a business meeting that will not feature any speakers or other activities, but will focus only on the operations of the organization. Members in good standing of the organization who wish to run for Board membership should begin by submitting an application to a current Board member before the end of the calendar year. The written application should include the candidate's resume (with an emphasis on organizational activities), as well as a one page statement of their goals for the organization. Candidates will be interviewed by at least one Board member. The Board will then present a group of at least 5 qualified candidates (which may include current Board members who are eligible for re-election) to the general membership, as well as a recommendation regarding how many board members will be needed for the upcoming year. The general membership will first vote on a motion regarding how many people will be elected to the Board, and then will cast votes for those positions. If, for example, the membership approves that 6 candidates shall be elected to the Board, then each member shall cast a vote for 6 candidates. Candidates are allowed to cast votes during both of these processes.

If an individual is unable to gain a recommendation from the Board to become a candidate for Board membership, they may arrive at the business meeting with a petition signed by at least 1/3 of the members in good standing of the organization. If they do this, they will automatically be considered a candidate for a position on the Board.

Section 2. Officers will be members of the Board of Directors. The new Board of Directors will hold their own meeting to elect Board members to specific positions. These positions will be at least those of CEO, COO, and CIO. Other officer positions may be added to these at a later date by action of the Board. The Board will entertain nominations for each position and will hear brief statements by those under consideration for officer positions. Self-nominations for officer positions are acceptable. Board members will not vote in an election for which they are being considered.

Section 3. The members of the Board may be impeached and removed by the membership. In the case of a Board member violating the UNH Student Code, or otherwise engaging in behavior thought to be detrimental to the organization, that Board member may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the members in good standing of SIGNAL. If another Board member hears of such a situation, they are obligated to call for the removal of the Board member at the earliest scheduled meeting. Additionally, if a member in good standing of the organization brings a statement describing the behavior that violated the UNH Student Code, or was detrimental to the organization, along with the signatures of 5 other members in good standing of the organization, then the organization must formally consider the charges that have been raised. In either case, the Board member who is being accused will have the opportunity to argue against the charges that are raised. After both sides have been heard, a vote of the membership will be taken. A quorum of the organization (50% of members in good standing) must be present at the meeting for an impeachment process to take place.

Section 4. In the event of a midterm vacancy of an elected officer, the Board will choose a replacement for that officer. In the event of a midterm vacancy of a member of the Board, the Board will choose between 2 and 5 members in good standing to present to the organization as candidates for the vacated Board position. A simple vote will be held and the candidate with the largest number of votes will join the Board. Both candidates and current Board members will be allowed to vote in this process.

ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES

Section 1. The standing and ad hoc committees of this organization shall be determined by the Board.

Section 2. The duties of each of these committees shall be determined by the Board upon the inception of the committee.

Section 3. Each committee will be chaired by a Board member who will serve as the liaison between the Board and the committee. The Board will nominate committee members from the general membership who will then be asked to serve on the committee. Additionally, the Board will send a general message either via e-mail or at a regularly scheduled meeting, informing the entire membership that a committee has been formed and asking for volunteers. The chair of the committee will determine how many committee members will be needed, and in the case of an excess of volunteers, will determine who will be the members of the committee.

Section 4. Committees may be formed and dissolved by a majority decision of the Board at any time.

ARTICLE VIII - BYLAWS

Section 1. Initial By-Laws of the organization shall be established the Board. The By-Laws shall be altered by a vote of the membership. A quorum of the members in good standing must be present, and a simple majority vote will be needed to alter the By-Laws.

Section 2. By-Laws of the Board shall be established and altered by the Board. All Board members must be present to establish and alter the By-Laws of the Board. A simple majority vote is needed to enact changes to the By-Laws of the Board.

Section 3. The Board shall meet regularly, with a minimum being one Board meeting for every meeting of the regular membership. In general, Board meetings will be held immediately prior to the organizational meeting.

Section 4. In the event of the Board reaching a tie on an issue of policy, direction, elections, or any other matter, the Faculty Advisor shall cast the deciding vote.

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member in good standing of SIGNAL. Any amendment to this constitution should be proposed in writing to the Board of Directors. The Board members shall review the amendment, and shall put the amendment to the membership for a vote, along with a recommendation from the Board. An amendment to this constitution shall require a quorum of members in good standing of the organization, and shall require a

ARTICLE X - RATIFICATION

This constitution shall be established by a vote of a 3/4 majority of the membership of the organization.