Constitution of University of California, Los Angeles chapter of the Student California Teachers Association

ARTICLE I. Name and Location

Section 1.       The name of this association shall be Student California Teachers Association – UCLA Chapter (SCTA-UCLA) hereinafter known as the Association.

 

Section 2.       Headquarters for the Association will be maintained in Los Angeles, California.

 
ARTICLE II. Purposes

Section 1.       Promote education in young adults.

 

Section 2.       Provide members with opportunities for developing personal growth and professional competence.

 

Section 3.       Provide opportunities for gaining an understanding of the history, ethics and programs of the education profession.

 

Section 4.       Provided opportunities for participating in cooperative work on the problems of the profession and community.

 

Section5.        Provide professional membership on the local, state and national levels during the preparation period for a career in education.

 

Section 6.       Strive for higher standards of preparation.

 
ARTICLE III.  Non-discrimination Statement

Section 1.       The SCTA-UCLA Chapter, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University Policy, does not discriminate on the bases of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, medical condition (cancer related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam Veteran or a special disabled Veteran.

 

Section 2.       The SCTA-UCLA Chapter, also prohibits sexual harassment.  This non-discrimination policy covers organization membership, access to organization programs and activities, and the general treatment of members in the organization.

ARTICLE IV.  Membership

 Section 1.       Membership in the Association shall be open to any UCLA student preparing for a career or interested in education who has never been eligible for another category of membership within the NEA.

 

Section 2.       In addition to being a member of the Association, each member shall be affiliated with the State and National Student Program.

 

Section 3.       The membership year shall be from September 1 to August 31.

 

ARTICLE V. Officers

 

Section 1.       The officers of the Association shall be responsible to the membership in all matters concerning the discharge of their duties.

 

Section 2.       The officers of the Association shall be a President, an External Vice President, an Internal Vice President, a Financial Executive Officer, a Communications Officer, and an Ethnic Minority Representative.

 

ARTICLE VI. Organization

 

[1]Section 1.     EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the officers, state officers from the local[2], and the local advisors.

 

Section 2.       GENERAL MEETING: There shall be a minimum of twelve        general meetings of the members of this Association annually.

ARTICLE VII. Affiliation

Section 1.       The Association shall be affiliated with the California Teachers Association (CTA), National Education Association Student Programs (NEA-SP), and the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies Center X (GSE&IS).

Section 2.       The Association shall not affiliate with any local, state of national group, union or association that competes for membership with CTA and NEA.

ARTICLE VIII. Financial Records

 

Section 1.       SCTA-UCLA Chapter shall make financial records available to authorized University officials upon request.

ARTICLE IX. Amendment Process

 

Section 1.       This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting.

 

Section 2.       Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Secretary and read at the previous regular meeting.

 

Section 3.       EFFECTIVE DATE. Any amendments to this Constitution shall become affective immediately upon approval by the membership.

ARTICLE X. Suspension of Rules

Section 1.       Any section of any article of this Constitution may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at any general meeting, provided that nay request for a suspension must be accompanied by a statement of the purpose for the suspension of the rules.

 

Section 2.       EFFECTIVE DATE. Any amendments to this Constitution shall become effective immediately upon approval by the membership.

 BYLAWS

ARTICLE I. Officers

 

Section 1.       The term of office for the officers shall be one year or until their successors are duly qualified.  Incumbents are eligible to seek reelection one additional term.  The officers shall assume office the 1^st week of Session A of the Summer Quarter following their election.

 

Section 2.       President [Christine Tran]

a.      shall be the chief executive officer of the Association;

b.      shall represent the Association as spokesperson on matters of policy or assign responsibility for such representation;

c.      shall prepare the agenda and preside at all meetings of the    Association;

d.      shall serve as ex-officio member on all committees; and

e.      shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, appoint the parliamentarian and the members of all standing committees.

 

Section 3.       External Vice President  [Angela Itoge]

a.      shall preside in the absence of the President;

b.      shall perform other duties as delegated by the President and/or the Executive Committee; and

c.      shall assume the office of President upon resignation of the President.

 

Section 4.       Internal Vice President [Joanna Chow]

a.      shall assume secretarial duties such as keep accurate records and files of the proceedings of general and Executive Committee meetings; and

b.      shall submit monthly reports to the respective district, regional or state presidents.

 

Section 5.       Financial Relations Officer [Onnie Luk]

a.      shall be responsible for the safekeeping and accounting of all funds;

b.      shall provide financial reports at each Executive Committee and Representative Assembly Meeting; and

c.      shall sign all checks drawn on the bank account of the Association.

 

Section 6.       Past Officer [Edit Khachatryan]

a.      shall serve in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity as a consultant to the Chapter’s Executive Board, providing continuity between successive administrations;

b.      shall be responsible for other duties as assigned by the Chapter’s Executive Board;

c.      shall be appointed by the current Chapter’s Executive Board;

d.      shall serve as the official historian for the Chapter; and

e.      shall ensure that ballots are prepared for all elections.

 

Section 7.       Communications Officer [Eddie Lopez]

a.      shall prepare an association scrapbook;

b.      shall work on and prepare the local newsletter;

c.      shall create and distribute event flyers;

d.      shall take pictures of the Association events; and

e.      shall provide/secure expert help in the above areas.

 

Section 8.       Ethnic Minority Representative [Jacqueline “Kiki” Monique Bispo]

a.      shall assist in identifying and monitoring ethnic-minority concerns, issues, and activities; and

b.      shall act as a liaison to ethnic specific student groups at the UCLA campus.

 

Section 9.       In the event of a vacancy in the offices of its External Vice President, Internal Vice President/Secretary, Financial Relations, or Public Relations, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee for the remained of the term.

 

ARTICLE II.  Executive Committee.

 

Section 1.       The Executive Committee shall be the executive branch of this Association.

 

Section 2.       The duties of the Executive Committee shall be:

a.      to be responsible to the membership in all matters;

b.      to carry out the policies of the general membership;

c.      to attend to the business for the Association between general meetings

d.      to approve all members of the committees;

e.      to adopt the annual budget;

f.        to make available all official documents for inspection of the Association;

g.      to cooperate with the President in setting up a schedule of meetings for the year;

h.      to act on problems that need immediate attention; and give general direction to the work all standing and special committees.

 

ARTICLE III. General Meeting

 

Section 1.       MEETINGS. The Association shall hold approximately twelve a year at a time and location to be determined by the Executive Committee.  Notice to all meetings shall be emailed to all current and interested members, as well as posted in all buildings of the Association. 

 

Section 2.       SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings shall be held at the call of the President, a majority of the Executive Committee, or upon the written request of 2/3 of the members.  These meeting will consider only items specified in the call for such meeting and shall deal important matters, that arise between regular meetings and that urgently require action. 

 

ARTICLE IV. Committees

 

Section 1.       There shall be the following standing committees, in addition the Executive Committee, appointed by the president subject to the approval of the Executive Committee: Election, Specialized Mentoring: Special Education; K-6 Education; 7-12 Education; Counseling/Psychology; Administration; Credentialing; Outreach/Volunteering, etc.

 

Section 2.       DUTIES. The duties of the committees, as herein provided shall be found in the Association Standing Rules.

 

Section 3.       Special committees may be established by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

 

Section 4.       Special committees shall be established for the purpose of accomplishing a specific task within a limited period of time.  (Also known as “ad-hoc” committees.) The committees’ chairpersons shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE V. Duties

 

Section 1.       Members shall pay annually the current fees for student memberships in the State and the current fees for membership in NEA-SP.

 

ARTICLE VI. Nominations and Elections

 

Section 1.       Elections will be conducted under guidelines approved by the general membership.

 

Section 2.       All elections will be conducted using an open nomination and secret ballot procedure.

 

Section 3.       All candidates for the Executive Board offices President, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, Financial Executive Officer, Communications Officer, and Ethnic Minority Representative shall be Student CTA members, and shall not have signed a regular, full-time teaching contract which becomes effective during their term of office.

 

Section 4.       The Ethnic Minority Representative position will be elected

regardless of the ethnicity of other Board members. The position of Ethnic Minority Representative shall be filled by an ethnic minority.

 

ARTICLE VII. Due Process

 

Section 1.       The Association shall guarantee that no member will be censored, suspended, or expelled without a due process procedure, which shall include an appellate procedure.

 

Section 2.       The Association shall guarantee that no member of the Executive Committee shall be impeached and removed from office without a due process procedure, which shall include an appellate procedure.

 

Section 3.       The general membership shall approve rules and procedures to implement these due process guarantees.

 

ARTICLE VIII. Amendment Process

 

Section 1.       These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at any general meeting.

 

Section 2.       Proposed changes in these Bylaws shall be presented in writing to the membership at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting at which hey will be considered.

 

ARTICLE IX. Suspension Provision

 

Section 1.       Any provision of these Bylaws may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at any general meeting.

 

ARTICLE X. Parliamentary Authority

 

Section 1.       Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not specified in this Constitution, Bylaws and Standing Rules.