Note: As per Student Engagement requirement during re-registration phase on April 25, 2022, the following changes are enacted to the constitution:
- Membership (Active Member) is restricted to currently enrolled UIUC students.
Note: As per voting done the week of May 1st 2018, the following changes are enacted to the constitution:
- Competition coordinator term is henceforth from Spring to Fall, as opposed to Fall to Spring, to better align with the Illini Dancesport Invitational schedule.
Note: As per voting done the week of April 15th 2017, the following changes are enacted to the constitution:
- Title change from “Director of Dancesport” to “Assistant Coach”
- Dissolving position of Vice President and the President absorbing the responsibilities thereof
- Dissolving position of Assistant Competition Coordinator and the Competition Coordinator absorbing the responsibilities thereof
- Dissolving position of Director of Finance and the Treasurer absorbing the responsibilities thereof
The constitution has been updated to reflect these changes.
Table of Contents
Article I. Organization Identity and Mission
Article II. Active Team Members
Section 1. Definition of Active Team Member
Section 2. Right to Be an Active Team Member
Section 3. Authority of the Active Team Membership
Article III. Scope of This Constitution’s Authority
Article IV. Public Availability of This Constitution
Section 1. Collective Decision-Making Model
Clause 1. Distribution of Decision-Making Powers and Responsibilities
Clause 2. Meeting and Voting Procedures
Subclause 1. Definition of Meetings
Subclause 2. Scheduling Meetings and Setting Their Agendas
Subclause 4. Specific Role of the President Within the Meeting
Subclause 5. Specific Role of the Secretary Within the Meeting
Subclause 6. Order of Meetings
Subclause 7. Voting Within a Meeting
7.1 Proposing and Seconding a Motion
7.4 Passing a Motion When All Officers Are Present
7.5 Passing a Motion When Some Officers Are Absent
Subclause 8. Voting Outside of Meetings
Section 2. Autonomous Duties of Executive Officers
Clause 1. The Autonomous Nature of These Duties
Clause 2. Delegation of Duties
Clause 3. Delegation of Ultimate Responsibilities
Clause 4. The Right and Duty to Vote May Not Be Delegated
Subclause 1. Principle of Conflict Resolution
Subclause 2. Procedure of Conflict Resolution
Clause 6. Specific Autonomous Duties of Executive Officers
Subclause 6. Competition Coordinator
Clause 7. Specific Autonomous Duties of Executive Chairs
Subclause 1. Team Captain Orange
Subclause 2. Team Captain Blue
Subclause 3. Director of Public Relations
Clause 1. Creation, Amendment, and Authority of Bylaws
Clause 2. Authorization of Bylaws That Could Affect Membership Status
Subclause 1. Defining Competitively Oriented Classes
Subclause 2. Determining Competition Registration
Subclause 3. Right to Assess Membership Fees
Subclause 4. Discretion in Referring to Broader Membership
Section 4. Accounting Principles and Procedures
Clause 1. Independence of the Team’s Financial Records
Clause 2. Use of Artificial Time Periods
Clause 3. Access to Financial Records
Clause 5. Documenting and Justifying Expenditures
Subclause 1. Recording the Monetary Value
Subclause 2. Use and Storage of Evidence
Subclause 3. Justifying Expenditures
Subclause 4. Further Definition of Accounting Principles in Bylaws
Section 5. General Election of Officers and Chairs
Clause 2. Principle of Elections
Clause 3. Management and Oversight of Election
Subclause 1. Appointment of Election Coordinator
Subclause 2. Discretion Concerning Procedural Details
Subclause 1. Announcing the Elections
Subclause 2. Use of Electronic Software and Proper Settings
Subclause 3. The Nomination Process
Subclause 4. Accepting Decisions to Run and Personal Statements
4.2 Advancing the Election Process Before the Deadlines
4.3 Privacy of Personal Statements
4.4 Content of Personal Statements
Subclause 5. Distribution of Election Information
Section 8. Extended Absence of Officers and Chairs
Clause 2. Disclosure and Approval by Active Team Members
Section 9. Removal of Officers and Chairs
Clause 1. Principle of Removal
Clause 2. Procedure of Removal
Subclause 1. Initiation of the Procedure
Subclause 2. Formulation of the Agenda Item
Subclause 3. Scheduling the Meeting
Subclause 4. Roles of the President and Secretary
Subclause 5. Discussing the Agenda Item
Subclause 6. Approving the Motion
Subclause 7. Recording and Distributing the Minutes
Subclause 8. Referendum to Remove the Officer or Chair
Subclause 9. Rights Retained and Lost by the Removed Officer or Chair
Clause 3. Limitations of the Removal Process
Section 10. Handling Vacancies in the Executive Board
Clause 1. Redistribution of Responsibilities
Clause 3. Referendum to Rearrange the Executive Board
Article VI. Relationship with Professional Coaches
Article VII. Referendum by Petition of Active Team Members
Article VIII. Amending the Constitution
Article IX. Indemnification of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Article I. Organization Identity and Mission
Illini Dancesport is a competitive ballroom dance team that is registered as a student organization with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and is open to anyone in the local and surrounding communities who voluntarily participate in its activities and support its mission. This mission is to provide educational and motivational support to those who wish to excel at competitive ballroom dancing regardless of their levels of experience, to foster a sense of family and community among its dancers, and to extend its goodwill and friendship toward the communities with which it interacts.
Article II. Active Team Members
Section 1. Definition of Active Team Member
Illini Dancesport (“Team,” “the Team”) derives its existence and identity from its Active Team Members (“the Active Team Membership”). Students currently enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who have been registered for one or more competitively oriented Illini Dancesport classes or have been registered for one or more ballroom dance competitions as affiliated with Illini Dancesport (or anything substantially equivalent, such as University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) in any given membership period (extending from the beginning of the first summer session to the end of spring semester each year, as determined by the UIUC academic calendar) are eligible to become Active Team Members. An eligible individual becomes an Active Team Member by consenting to be registered in the database of Active Team Members (constructed and maintained as defined in Article V Section 2 Clause 6 Subclause 3) and, if applicable, paying any required membership dues (assessed as defined in Article V Section 3 Clause 2 Subclause 3).
Section 2. Right to Be an Active Team Member
Anyone who fulfills the eligibility and procedural requirements described above in Section 1 has the right to be an Active Team Member. No criteria beyond that expressly described in this Constitution may be used to exclude anyone from the Active Team Membership.
Section 3. Authority of the Active Team Membership
Ultimate authority for all decisions belonging collectively to the Team resides in the Active Team Membership. Any authority that this Constitution invests in individuals or groups of individuals by virtue of their positions is derived from the collective authority of the Active Team Membership. This Constitution derives its legitimacy from its ratification by the Active Team Membership, and the Active Team Membership has the collective right to amend it (Article VIII). Active Team Members also have the right to elect (Article V, Section 5) and remove (Article V, Section 9) executive officers or chairs, and to determine policies by referendum (Article VII).
Article III. Scope of This Constitution’s Authority
This Constitution is the supreme expression of the collective authority of the Active Team Membership and governs all other expressions of authority within the Team, including but not limited to all procedures and decisions of the executive board (defined in Article V). It is, however, subject to any relevant policies of the UIUC as well as relevant local, state, and federal laws. The Constitution becomes effective as soon as it is ratified. It remains authoritative indefinitely, although it is subject to amendment (Article VIII). None of its provisions are to be enforced retroactively.
Article IV. Public Availability of This Constitution
As the supreme governing document of Illini Dancesport, this Constitution shall be made available to the general public.
Article V. Executive Board
An executive board shall be elected of, by, and for the Active Team Membership in order to provide leadership and governance to the Team in the specific ways described below. The executive board consists of the following five, voting officers: President, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Coach, and Competition Coordinator and the following three, non-voting chairs: Team Captain Orange, Team Captain Blue, Director of Public Relations. With the exception of attending executive board meetings and the duty to vote, non-voting chairs are executive leaders of the organization and share the same rights and responsibilities contained herein.
Section 1. Collective Decision-Making Model
Clause 1. Distribution of Decision-Making Powers and Responsibilities
Executive officers will operate autonomously to make decisions needed to fulfill the duties outlined in Section 2 Clause 6, although specific decisions made autonomously may sometimes be overridden by the executive board using the process described in Section 2, Clause 5. Unless explicitly stated otherwise within this document, decisions defined herein as belonging to the executive board are decided collectively through voting on a proposal (or “motion”) as described in Clause 2 Subclause 7. Authority for any decisions not explicitly defined in this document but nevertheless relevant to the health and well being of the team rests collectively with the executive board. The executive board may act to further add to the decisions that individual executive officers may make autonomously and may delegate power to make decisions that are not already defined as the autonomous decisions of specific officers in any other way it sees fit, with the following specific restrictions: 1) the board may not construe any such arrangements as having absolved itself and its officers from ultimate responsibility to make sure the duties are fulfilled, 2) the arrangements may not contravene the autonomous roles of officers defined in Section 2 Clause 6 or any UIUC policies, and 3) if the executive board chooses to delegate undefined duties by appointing individuals to official positions, the titles of these positions may not misleadingly suggest that they are elected members of the executive board and they may not be given the right to vote at executive board meetings.
Clause 2. Meeting and Voting Procedures
Subclause 1. Definition of Meetings
Meetings, by definition, allow for the simultaneous communication of all of those present. Meeting forms include in-person, face-to-face communication taking place among officers present in the same room and the use of phone or video technology to achieve something substantially equivalent. Text-based communication, such as email, is fully permissible but does not constitute a meeting.
Subclause 2. Scheduling Meetings and Setting Their Agendas
The president (Section 2, Clause 6, Subclause 1), with adequate input from all other executive officers, is responsible for developing the schedule of meetings and their agendas, both of which are subject to the collective approval of the executive officers through a formal vote. As with all matters to be approved by the executive board, all officers must agree that the schedule and agenda have been adequately discussed before being approved.
Subclause 3. Quorum
Meetings may not officially commence unless two-thirds (rounded up to the nearest whole person) of the executive officers are present. Officers have a right to participate in meetings through phone or video technology whenever necessary and possible, and officers who do so count towards the quorum.
Subclause 4. Specific Role of the President Within the Meeting
Meetings may not officially commence without the presence of the president or an executive officer who will chair the meeting in place of the president. The president is responsible for calling the meeting to order, announcing the transition to each agenda item, ensuring that only one person is speaking at a time, clearly announcing any votes that are to be taken by stating the specific motion to be voted on, announcing the conclusion of each vote (whether the motion is accepted or rejected), and adjourning the meeting.
Subclause 5. Specific Role of the Secretary Within the Meeting
Meetings may not officially commence without the presence of the secretary or an executive officer who will record and distribute the minutes in place of the secretary. The minutes must include, at a minimum, the following: the date, time, and location of the meeting; a roll call of who is present or absent; a record of all votes taken, how individual board members voted and whether the proposal was accepted or rejected (including the adoption of a proposal by consensus); a record of any notable needs, dates, delegations of responsibility, and conclusions from discussions; and a reference to any reports presented (for example, a financial report of the treasurer) and their storage for future access of the board or the Team.
Subclause 6. Order of Meetings
The first task to be completed at each meeting must be the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting and approval of the agenda for the meeting that is then being conducted, unless these have already been formally approved outside of the meeting. Each agenda item is then dealt with in the approved order with the aim of leading to a specific conclusion that is approved by the board in the form of a consensus or a vote. Except where a presentation by a specific person is an approved agenda item, all executive officers have equal rights to talk during discussions. The president adjourns the meeting when all approved business is concluded, or when the board collectively approves adjourning despite unfinished business that will be dealt with outside of the meeting or at a future meeting.
Subclause 7. Voting Within a Meeting
7.1 Proposing and Seconding a Motion
Any vote taken must take the form of a specific “motion” or “proposal” that can simply and succinctly be stated or restated by the president and recorded by the secretary. Any executive officer may move for something to be voted on. In order to be considered, a motion must be “seconded” by another officer. This ensures that time is not wasted on discussion that is only of interest to one person and thus not appropriate to a meeting. If it seems obvious that the motion is of interest to more than one officer, the president may, for the sake of efficiency, open the motion for consideration without it being seconded. However, if another officer genuinely questions whether the motion is of interest to more than one person, that officer may insist the motion be seconded before consideration. In such a case, if no one seconds the motion, the motion may not be discussed or voted on.
7.2 Discussing a Motion
All executive officers present at the meeting have an equal right to discuss a motion before a vote is taken. The president closes the discussion when it appears that all officers are satisfied with their contributions. If anyone formally objects and wishes the discussion to continue, closing the discussion requires the support of two thirds of the officers present.
7.3. The Voting Process
Only elected executive officers may vote. The vote must be taken in a way that allows the secretary to accurately record the votes of each person. If there is a consensus (every single officer present supports the motion), however, the secretary may simply record that the motion passed by consensus. It is at the discretion of the executive officers to further define the voting process in accordance with these principles.
7.4 Passing a Motion When All Officers Are Present
If all officers are present, a motion passes if it has the support of a majority (more than half, rounded up to the nearest whole person) of the officers who vote. Officers who are absent or who abstain from the vote are not included in this calculation.
7.5 Passing a Motion When Some Officers Are Absent
If a quorum is reached but not all executive officers are present, a motion may only pass when two thirds of all executive officers vote in favor of it. Executive officers who are absent have the right to retroactively add their votes to the minutes. These votes retain the same power as votes cast within the meeting.
Subclause 8. Voting Outside of Meetings
The executive board officers may, at their discretion, define in bylaws (defined in Section 3) processes by which voting may occur outside of meetings, such as through electronic forms of communication. These processes must include adequate protections to ensure that all officers have an opportunity to vote and that all votes and abstentions can be collected in a timely manner. In any such case, any officer may formally object that the vote requires discussion in meeting. In the presence of such an objection, the executive officers may decide to override the objection and continue to collect votes and abstentions via electronic forms if two-thirds of the officers vote to do so.If not, the topic of discussion will be added to the agenda for the next meeting following the procedures defined in Section 1, Clause 2, Subclause 2.
Section 2. Autonomous Duties of Executive Officers and Chairs
Clause 1. The Autonomous Nature of These Duties
The specific duties described below in Clause 6 and Clause 7 are the autonomous responsibilities of each executive board member. Executive officers and chairs do not need to receive permission or approval to complete any of these tasks except where explicitly stated otherwise.
Clause 2. Delegation of Duties
Officers and chairs may offer assistance to other executive board members, and may seek assistance with their own duties or delegate their own duties to anyone they see fit, regardless of whether that person is an executive board member or Active Team Member, as long as the sharing or delegation of duties is consensual between both parties and does not decrease an executive board member’s ability to perform the autonomous duties explicitly stated herein. This right of delegation includes the right of officers to autonomously establish committees to help with their own autonomous duties. Officers and chairs do not need permission or approval for this, but they retain responsibility for overseeing the proper and timely fulfillment of the duties.
Clause 3. Delegation of Ultimate Responsibilities
Executive board members may transfer ultimate responsibility for overseeing the completion of their autonomous duties to other executive officers, as long as this transfer is consensual between both parties and is approved by the executive board and clearly recorded by the secretary. Such agreements must include an explicit description of the time frame over which the agreement is intended to be active. Such agreements mean that the officer or chair who has accepted the responsibility accepts it in its entirety and that the officer or chair whose responsibility was transferred no longer bears any responsibility for overseeing the proper and timely fulfillment of the duties so long as the agreement remains active. Individuals who are not executive board members may not take part in these agreements.
Clause 4. The Right and Duty to Vote May Not Be Delegated
Through the process of election, each executive officer is invested with the collective authority of the Active Team Membership, which forms the basis for the right and duty of officers to vote on motions within executive board meetings. Therefore, no officer may delegate his or her power to vote.
Clause 5. Conflict Resolution
Subclause 1. Principle of Conflict Resolution
Any executive officer may move for the board to override a decision made independently by any other executive board member, even if that decision is defined below in Clause 6 or in subsequent board meetings as being the autonomous responsibility of that officer or chair. Overriding decisions of an executive officer requires the vote of two thirds of all executive officers.
Subclause 2. Procedure of Conflict Resolution
To override the autonomous decision of an officer, a rational justification must be offered for why the autonomous decision in question harms the Team in some way or impairs its ability to fulfill its mission as described in Article I. This argument must be made in the context of an agenda item of an Executive Board meeting. At least one week before the item is discussed in meeting, all of the following three things must take place: 1) all officers must be made aware of the argument; 2) the executive board must vote to approve the agenda item; 3) if any documentation or other evidence is to be presented in the meeting, all executive officers must be given full access to it. The officer whose autonomy may be overridden must be present at the meeting. The discussion and vote must take place in the meeting in accordance with general meeting practice as described in Section 1 Clause 2 with the sole exception that a two thirds vote of all officers is required to pass.
Clause 6. Specific Autonomous Duties of Executive Officers
In addition to the autonomous duties outlined herein, each executive officer is responsible for ensuring attendance at executive board meetings, training newly elected officers, creating an annual report, and ensuring appropriate follow through of all autonomous duties, including but not limited to, remedial action.
Subclause 1. President
- The president will take primary responsibility for scheduling meetings of the executive board, setting their agendas, and chairing them, as described in Section 1 Clause 2 Subclause 4.
- Given the consent of the Assistant Coach, the president will take primary responsibility for scheduling space for the Team.
- The president will serve as default liaison between Illini Dancesport and internal UIUC entities, except in the case of certain communications with the Student Programs and Activities Office concerning financial information that are by UIUC policy the responsibility of the individual registered with that office as treasurer.
- The president will renew the organization’s registration with the university annually.
- The president will assist the treasurer in collecting and handling money as needed.
- The president will take primary responsibility for officially addressing the Team on behalf of the executive board in an in-person, face-to-face manner. The president should use this time both to update the Team on important, organizational matters and to encourage the Team to cultivate and fulfill its mission (as described in Article I), but the precise manner by which the president achieves these objectives is at the president’s own discretion. This address excludes all dance and competition matters as addressing the team on these subjects is the responsibility of the Assistant Coach.
- The president has the responsibility of ensuring that tasks outlined in Article V are completed in a timely manner.
- The president directly oversees the director of public relations
- President will offer general assistance to executive officers on an as-needed basis.
Subclause 2. Secretary
- The secretary will record minutes of the executive board meetings as described in Section 1 Clause 2 Subclause 5 and distribute these minutes to all Active Team Members.
- The secretary will take primary responsibility for storing, organizing, and distributing all official Team documents.
- The secretary will maintain an active digital calendar depicting the time and location of Team activities.
- The secretary will maintain a database of Active Team Members, and will handle any requests by individuals to have their eligibility to become Active Team Members be reviewed.
- In coordination with the treasurer, the secretary will take primary responsibility for scheduling classes taught by professionals. This includes, but is not limited to, private lessons, weekly group lessons, and workshops.
- If a gift is given to the team that is material but not monetary in nature and is given on the condition that it be used for a specified purpose, the secretary will keep a record of the gift and any evidence that it is used for its intended purpose. Whoever donated the gift will have the right to access these records upon request.
- The secretary will take primary responsibility for officially addressing the Team on behalf of the executive board through electronic or written communication.
- The secretary will take primary responsibility for maintaining the team’s non-monetary inventory.
Subclause 3. Treasurer
- The treasurer will integrate information provided by other executive officers about the financial needs and resources of the Team to create an overall Team budget (this excludes all aspects of the budget for the annual competition described in Subclause 6 except, if applicable, any Team money that is used to finance the competition). The executive board will use this budget for prospective financial planning, and it is subject to the board’s approval.
- The treasurer will take primary responsibility for providing input to other executive officers or appointees of the executive board about how their decisions will impact the Team budget.
- The treasurer will produce financial reports documenting the Team’s financial activities for summer, fall semester, and spring semester. These must follow the accounting principles and procedures defined in Section 4.
- The treasurer will manage the Team’s relationship with the Student Programs and Activities Office concerning any financial information, including Student Organization Resource Fee (SORF) allocations and disbursements, and will take primary responsibility for both learning about SORF through available workshops and personal communication with relevant employees and completing all relevant paperwork.
- The treasurer will take primarily responsibility for handling money (for example, making deposits and withdrawals in the Busey and registered student organization (RSO) accounts, and paying instructors), in accordance with the principles and procedures defined in Section 4.
- In coordination with the secretary, the treasurer will direct the funding of classes taught by professional instructors in coordination with the Secretary
- The treasurer must be physically present at 1-2 funded competitions during the fall and spring semesters.
- When present at funded competitions the treasurer will check-in to hotels, pay registration, and procure financial documentation for all transactions where applicable.
- The treasurer directs the fundraising efforts of the team
- The treasurer cultivates prospective financial relationships for the team (e.g. working with donors, annual giving programs, an alumni network, etc).
Subclause 4. Assistant Coach
- The Assistant Coach directly oversees team captain orange and team captain blue
- The Assistant Coach directs classes not taught by professional instructors
- The Assistant Coach directs the structured activities at practice space
- Annually, the Assistant Coach will be physically present at 1-2 competitions.
- If applicable, the Assistant Coach directs the assistant instructor program.
- The Assistant Coach will take primary responsibility for discussing the Team’s dance curriculum with professional coaches.
- The Assistant Coach will have the primary responsibility for officially addressing the Team on behalf of the executive board regarding all dance and competition matters, and to encourage the Team to cultivate and fulfill its mission (as described in Article I), but the precise manner in which the director of dancesport achieves these objectives is at the discretion of the individual holding the position.
Subclause 5. Competition Coordinator
- The competition coordinator will oversee the planning and implementation of an annual dancesport competition sponsored by Illini Dancesport and held either at UIUC or at a nearby venue in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area. This will include locating and managing relationships with external professionals related to the Illini Dancesport Invitational, creating and implementing the competition’s budget, striving to ensure the financial self-sufficiency or, if possible, profitability of the competition, and fulfilling any other duties related to planning and implementing the home competition.
- The competition coordinator will create the budget to be used for prospectively planning the competition, but any use of Team funds for the competition must be included in the Team’s overall budget and must therefore be approved by the executive board.
- The competition coordinator will provide all original documentation of revenue and expenses to the treasurer so that the treasurer may incorporate this information into the Team’s financial reports using the accounting principles and procedures defined in Section 4.
- The competition coordinator must be physically present at 1-2 funded competitions during the fall and spring semesters.
- When present at funded competitions the competition coordinator will assist the treasurer in checking-in to hotels, paying registration, and procuring financial documentation for transactions as needed.
- The Competition Coordinator will oversee the completion of travel arrangements (housing, transportation, etc.) for at least 4 funded away competitions during the fall and spring semesters.
- The Competition Coordinator will coordinate with the Assistant Coach, team captain orange, and team captain blue concerning competition logistics
- The Competition Coordinator will manage the registration process for funded competitions and, when applicable, will offer assistance to those seeking partners
Clause 7. Specific Autonomous Duties of Executive Chairs
Subclause 1. Team Captain Orange
- Team captain orange directly reports to the Assistant Coach
- During the fall and spring semesters, team captain orange must be physically present at 1-2 funded competitions each semester.
- When present at funded competitions team captain orange will guide and represent the team.
- Team captain orange must be physically present at 1-2 days of practice space per week to ensure that the space is used and music is provided.
- When applicable, team captain orange will have the primary responsibility of leading structured activities at practice space 1-2 days per week to ensure a positive, educational environment.
- As needed, team captain orange will provide instruction for classes not taught by professional instructors
- When applicable, team captain orange will directly oversees assistant instructors during structured activities at practice space
- Given the consent of the Assistant Coach, team captain orange will assist in officially addressing the Team on behalf of the executive board regarding all dance and competition matters, and will encourage the Team to cultivate and fulfill its mission (as described in Article I).
Subclause 2. Team Captain Blue
- Team captain blue directly reports to the Assistant Coach
- During the fall and spring semesters, team captain blue must be physically present at 1-2 funded competitions each semester.
- When present at funded competitions team captain blue will guide and represent the team.
- Team captain blue must be physically present at 1-2 days of practice space per week to ensure that the space is used and music is provided.
- When applicable, team captain blue will have the primary responsibility of leading structured activities at practice space 1-2 days per week to ensure a positive, educational environment.
- As needed, team captain blue will provide instruction for classes not taught by professional instructors
- When applicable, team captain blue will directly oversees assistant instructors during structured activities at practice space
- Given the consent of the Assistant Coach, team captain blue will assist in officially addressing the Team on behalf of the executive board regarding all dance and competition matters, and will encourage the Team to cultivate and fulfill its mission (as described in Article I).
Subclause 3. Director of Public Relations
- The director of public relations directly reports to the President
- The director of public relations addresses the graphic design and marketing needs of the team
- The director of public relations directly manages and leads the recruiting efforts of the Team (quad day/activity day/summer recruiting)
- If applicable, the director of public relations directly oversees and recruits individuals involved in the creation of websites for the Team
- The director of public relations manages the organization of information nights/open house events for the Team.
Clause 8. Annual Reports
Each officer must produce an annual report that covers the performance of the Team in the areas most closely related to the officer’s own responsibilities. These reports must contain a summary of any quantifiable data of which the specific officer is responsible for keeping records and may contain any subjective assessments the officer wishes to add. The reports must be released to all Active Team Members before the spring election software is opened for voting (as described in Article V Section 5 Clause 4 Subclause 6). Failure to carry out this duty on the part of one or more officers, however, may in no way be construed as a reason to prevent elections from proceeding.
Section 3. Bylaws
Clause 1. Creation, Amendment, and Authority of Bylaws
The executive board has the authority to create a system of bylaws consisting of any decisions intended to become long-term policy. Creating the initial system of bylaws and amending it by adding new bylaws or by adding greater detail to existing bylaws has the same requirement as passing a motion described above in (Article V, Section 1, Clause 2, Subclause 7). Amending the bylaws by removing existing bylaws or by substantially altering or reversing the policy described within them requires the support of two thirds of all executive officers. The bylaws are subject to this Constitution and any bylaws that are inconsistent with it or violate it are not legitimate. Bylaws may not be made to restrict or further define the duties described in Section 2 Clauses 6 or 7 as belonging autonomously to executive officers unless explicitly authorized within this Constitution. The bylaws must be made available to all Active Team Members, and the executive board has the discretion to disclose them to other interested parties however it sees fit.
Clause 2. Authorization of Bylaws That Could Affect Membership Status
Article II Section 2 establishes a right to be an Active Team Member and thereby prohibits the executive board from placing any restrictions on Active Team Membership that are not expressly authorized within this Constitution. This Constitution therefore expressly authorizes the following rights of the executive board because they are seen as necessary to the health and well being of the Team.
Subclause 1. Defining Competitively Oriented Classes
The executive board may define within its bylaws a way to distinguish between those of its classes that are “competitively oriented” and those that are not, for the purpose of clarifying which specific classes qualify someone to be an Active Team Member. In doing so, the board may consider only whether the classes are oriented towards preparing students for competitive dancing and not the syllabus level taught within the class or the proficiency levels of the students within the class.
Subclause 2. Determining Competition Registration
The executive board may define a systematic procedure within its bylaws for determining who has competed in affiliation with the Team. The procedure must be aimed at making this determination accurately and efficiently, and not at restricting the number of true competitors who can claim membership.
Subclause 3. Right to Assess Membership Fees
The executive board has the authority and discretion to assess membership fees to Active Team Members, and may assess these fees in any dollar amount it sees fit in order to support the financial needs of the Team. If fees are assessed, they must be defined in the bylaws. The executive board also has the discretion to define within its bylaws whether some forms of service to the Team may warrant a reduced or relieved membership fee, but must otherwise apply membership fees consistently to all Active Team Members.
Subclause 4. Discretion in Referring to Broader Membership
The executive board has the discretion to keep a registry of those individuals who are not Active Team Members but who are nevertheless involved with the team through participation in non-competitive classes, social events, or other activities. The board may choose to define these relationships in its bylaws but is not required to do so. The board and its officers may refer to these individuals as “members,” “friends,” “family,” or in any way they see fit so long as their approach toward them is consistent with the Team’s mission to “extend its goodwill and friendship toward the communities with which it interacts.”
Section 4. Accounting Principles and Procedures
Clause 1. Independence of the Team’s Financial Records
The financial activities of the Team must be documented using records that are separate and independent from the personal financial records of any individual or any other entity, regardless of that individual or entity’s relationship to the Team.
Clause 2. Use of Artificial Time Periods
These records must divide time into, at a minimum, the artificial time periods described in Section 2, Clause 6, Subclause 4, and the treasurer has the discretion to further define artificial time periods within the records. Since the Team’s mission as defined in Article I implies the Team should exist indefinitely, all financial records of the Team must assume its indefinite existence.
Clause 3. Access to Financial Records
All Active Team Members have the right to view the Team’s financial reports. Additionally, anyone who makes a monetary gift to the Team has the right to specify the purpose for which the gift is to be used, and has a right to access any financial records verifying the gift was used for its specified purpose.
Clause 4. Level of Disclosure
The information disclosed by the Team’s financial reports must be detailed enough to allow the Active Team Members to understand how the Team is spending its money and to judge whether the choices made are reasonable and cost-effective. The rationale for any restrictions on the level of detail disclosed must be clearly explained and documented.
Clause 5. Documenting and Justifying Expenditures
Subclause 1. Recording the Monetary Value
The Team’s financial records must in all cases record the actual cost paid in U.S. dollars to acquire any good or service rather than any other judgment of cost, such as the market value or a subjectively determined fair price. Any revenues and expenses should be recorded in the period (as described in Clause 2) when the actual revenue or expense occurs.
Subclause 2. Use and Storage of Evidence
Any officer that makes a purchase must provide objective evidence of the transaction and its details (such as a receipt or invoice) to the treasurer. If the treasurer makes a purchase, the executive board must review the objective evidence. The treasurer must use this evidence as the basis for all of the Team’s financial reports. All financial evidence should be kept for a period of at least five years.
Subclause 3. Justifying Expenditures
The rationale for each purchase must be recorded and included in all financial reports. The rationale must include why the purchase was important to the Team’s mission as defined in Article I. Wherever the purchase may have represented the choice between two or more alternatives, the rationale must include why the chosen purchase was the most cost-effective option.
Subclause 4. Further Definition of Accounting Principles in Bylaws
The executive board has the discretion to, with adequate input from the treasurer, further define accounting principles and procedures in its bylaws. Such definition may include whether and how to institute cash or accrual accounting systems; requirements for the timeliness of the procedures described in this Section; the length of time for which objective evidence of transactions must be stored, including whether and how a permanent digital copy of the evidence must be made and stored; the level of detail in financial disclosure it deems necessary to achieve the objective described in Subclause 3; and guidelines for determining whether financial expenditures cost-effectively contribute to the fulfillment of the Team’s mission. To protect the autonomy of the treasurer, the executive board may not make any bylaws concerning accounting procedures that are not explicitly authorized in this Subclause.
Section 5. General Election of Officers and Chairs
Clause 1. Eligibility
The sole requirement to be eligible to run for and be elected to an executive office is that the candidate be an Active Team Member.
Clause 2. Principle of Elections
Every Active Team Member will have the opportunity to nominate two Active Team Members for each executive board position. Active team members may nominate themselves or others. A single nomination is sufficient to allow a nominee to run for office and be listed on the ballot. Nominees must explicitly accept their nomination to run, will be allowed to run for up to two positions, and will have the opportunity to submit a personal statement. The election will utilize preferential voting, also called instant runoff voting. This means that voters will rank candidates in order of preference rather than only selecting one candidate for the position. Allowing candidates to run for two positions and allowing voters to rank the candidates in order of preference will allow everyone to follow their conscience when running and voting, without worrying whether their decisions will “spoil” the election in any way.
Clause 3. Management and Oversight of Election
Subclause 1. Appointment of Election Coordinator
The executive board must appoint an election coordinator for each election, prior to the beginning of the nomination process. The election coordinator is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the election procedure described in Clause 4, and may also be involved in administering the removal of officers (Section 9), special elections (Section 10 Clauses 2 and 3), petition-based referendums (Article VII), and constitutional amendments (Article VIII). There is no limit to the number of times an election coordinator may serve, but the executive board must officially appoint or reaffirm the election coordinator at each election. The election coordinator must be an Active Team Member but must have voluntarily agreed not to run in the specific election that he or she is coordinating. Once the position expires, the person who served as election coordinator is free to run in other Team elections. The executive board must attempt to appoint an election coordinator who is not one of its officers. It may choose one of its officers to serve in this position only after all reasonable means of soliciting the service of a non-officer have been exhausted, and in such a case the secretary must keep a record of all documentation substantiating the failed attempts of the board to find a non-officer to fill the position and make this documentation available to all Active Team Members. The election coordinator retains the right to nominate and vote for candidates.
Subclause 2. Discretion Concerning Procedural Details
The executive board has the authority and discretion to further define the procedural details of elections in its bylaws beyond the level of detail defined below in Clause 4. Any details left undefined are left to the discretion of the election coordinator.
Clause 4. Election Procedure
Subclause 1. Announcing the Elections
Every step of the election process will be announced in person during regularly scheduled announcements and by all forms of electronic media in use by the Team during the relevant time period. The election coordinator must make all electronic announcements but has the discretion to delegate in-person announcements to the president or to someone to whom the president has delegated the task of regularly scheduled in-person announcements if needed.
Subclause 2. Use of Electronic Software and Proper Settings
Nominations and elections will utilize electronic software. The election coordinator must take responsibility for operating the software. Software and its settings must be chosen in a manner that guarantees anonymity, assurance against tampering by anyone including the administrator using the software, and assurance that only those eligible to vote may do so. The software must also be set to use preferential (instant runoff) voting for each position.
Subclause 3. The Nomination Process
Nominations for Competition Coordinator must begin at least four weeks after the first day of classes of each fall semester and nominations for all other positions must begin at least four weeks after the first day of classes of each spring semester according to the UIUC academic calendar. Nominations should start at least four weeks after the Team’s first day of dance instruction of that semester whenever the election coordinator judges that doing so would allow elections to conclude with ample time remaining for a smooth transition of power from existing executive board members to newly elected executive board members.
To initiate the nomination process, the election coordinator distributes to all Active Team Members the following: a list of positions on the executive board, their associated descriptions, the list of the names of Active Team Members, and instructions about when and how nominations will take place. The deadline to participate in the nomination process will be at least one week after the election coordinator distributes these materials. The opportunity to participate in the nomination process will remain open for at least 48 hours (unless all Active Team Members respond to the nomination invitation before the 48-hour period has expired).
The election coordinator will notify each nominee (but not the other nominees, and not the other Active Team Members) of his or her own nomination (but not the number of nominations received) for the purpose of collecting the nominee’s decision whether to run as described in Subclause 4. Unless the Election Coordinator needs to release software-generated results to prove the integrity of the nomination process in response to a challenge from an Active Team Member, no further information about the nomination results will be released.
Subclause 4. Accepting Decisions to Run and Personal Statements
4.1 Deadlines
The election coordinator will be responsible for collecting the decisions of all nominees to either accept or reject their nominations, and for collecting personal statements from the nominees who accept. By accepting their nominations, nominees decide to run for office, are considered candidates, and will be added to the ballot. The election coordinator may ask for decisions whether to run and personal statements simultaneously, but must provide separate deadlines: the deadline for submitting decisions whether to run must be at least one week after the nomination process concludes, while the deadline for submitting personal statements must be at least two weeks after the nomination process concludes.
4.2 Advancing the Election Process Before the Deadlines
If the election coordinator has received personal statements from everyone who is running before one or both of the deadlines described in Subclause 4.1, the election coordinator may immediately initiate the distribution of election information as described in Subclause 5. The election coordinator may assume for this purpose that a lack of response indicates a decision not to run only if the deadline to submit decisions to run has already expired.
4.3 Privacy of Personal Statements
The election coordinator must collect the statements in a manner that involves reasonable precautions meant to prevent any candidate from gaining access to any other candidate’s personal statement until the statements are distributed as described in Subclause 5.
4.4 Content of Personal Statements
The purpose of the personal statements is for the candidates to describe their own merits for the positions and their visions for the team. If a candidate is running for two positions, the candidate must declare within the personal statement which position he or she would accept upon winning both, and this decision will be considered binding upon the candidate if such a situation occurs. Candidates must disclose within their statements any extended absences (defined in Section 8) that they know or expect they may experience during the term for which they are running. The executive board may further define rules governing personal statements in its bylaws and the election coordinator may also autonomously define such rules. However, if any such rules include restrictions on the words or space that each candidate may use, they must allow equal words or space to each candidate, regardless of the number of positions for which each candidate is running. The election coordinator is responsible for enforcing compliance to any such rules.
Subclause 5. Distribution of Election Information
Once the election coordinator receives personal statements from all candidates, or once the deadline to submit them has passed, he or she must distribute to all Active Team Members a list that clearly and completely describes who is running for each position along with the personal statements of all candidates.
Subclause 6. The Election
Opportunity to cast votes in the election will open for at least 48 hours (unless all Active Team Members respond to the invitation before the 48-hour period expires). The election must end at least one week after the election information is distributed but no later than the end of Reading Day of the spring semester as determined by the UIUC academic calendar, and no later than six weeks after the day the nomination process was initiated. Within 24 hours of the close of the election, the results must be released in full detail by all forms of electronic media in use by the Team during the relevant time period.
Section 6. Terms of Service
Executive officers and chairs elected in the general election cycle described in Section 5 assume the powers and duties of their positions on the first day of academic instruction for the first summer session as determined by the UIUC academic calendar. This constitutes the beginning of one term of service, and the term ends on the equivalent day within the academic calendar of the following year. The role of Competition Coordinator is exempt from this cycle. The Competition Coordinator elected in the fall election cycle described in Section 5 assumes the powers and duties of their position no sooner than the date of that year’s home competition and no later than one week after that year’s home competition. At the conclusion of an executive board member’s term, the officer or chair no longer retains the powers and duties of his or her position unless duly elected to another term.
Section 7. Term Limits
No one shall serve in the same executive board position for more than three terms, and no one shall serve on the executive board for a total of more than six terms. These totals reflect cumulative service and whether the terms are consecutive plays no role in their calculation. Terms that end within a year of the ratification of this Constitution are the first terms to be counted toward these limits.
Section 8. Extended Absence of Officers and Chairs
Clause 1. Definition
For the purposes of this section, an extended absence is defined as a continuous period of time equal to or greater than six weeks during which an executive officer or chair is absent from the area in a manner that precludes his or her physical, in-person presence in executive board meetings and at other activities of the board and Team.
Clause 2. Disclosure and Approval by Active Team Members
All extended absences of executive board members must be approved by the Active Team Members. Candidates who expect to experience extended absences during the terms for which they are running must disclose these expectations in their personal statements. Elected officers and chairs who learn after their elections of extended absences they will experience during their terms must submit a request for the Active Team Membership to approve this absence by referendum. The executive board members must have the opportunity to submit a statement to the Active Team Members arguing that he or she is able to fulfill the position’s responsibilities during the absence. Since the referendum is to seek approval and not to arbitrate a dispute, no counter-arguments may be included. The referendum must, however, include a choice to hold a special election to replace the officer. The referendum must use electronic software considered adequate for a general election (Section 5 Clause 4 Subclause 2). The executive board may further define rules governing the administration of this referendum in its bylaws, but if left undefined, the details of the procedure fall to the discretion of the officer or chair who is seeking approval of the absence.
Section 9. Removal of Officers and Chairs
Clause 1. Principle of Removal
Executive board members may be removed from office for the following reasons: 1) failure to fulfill their duties to the extent that the efficiency of Team operations is compromised or other officers or chairs face undue burdens; 2) willful and continual (or continuous) failure to abide by the Constitution and by the constitutionally legitimate bylaws of the executive board; or 3) egregious behavior that works grossly against the Team’s mission as described in Article I. Removing an executive board member requires a transparent process in which the officer or chair has the opportunity to make an adequate defense, a strong rationale based clearly and explicitly on the three reasons for removal outlined above, objective evidence clearly substantiating the rationale, a recommendation by the executive board that the Active Team Membership remove the executive board member, and a referendum for removal approved by the Active Team Members.
Clause 2. Procedure of Removal
Subclause 1. Initiation of the Procedure
The first step of the removal process is for the executive board to vote to approve discussing it as part of the agenda of an executive board meeting. If an Active Team Member who is not an executive board member wishes to initiate the process, the Active Team Member is entitled to ask the executive board to vote to approve the agenda item, and may include a request for the board to approve that member’s full participation in the process, including the member’s presence at the executive board meeting at which removal is discussed. Approval of the agenda item requires support of a majority of the executive board.
Subclause 2. Formulation of the Agenda Item
The agenda item must be formulated as a motion to recommend that the Active Team Members remove the officer or chair, and it must clearly and explicitly include the specific rationale for removal. The agenda item in its final wording must be distributed to all executive board members, including the officer or chair whose removal is being considered, at least one week before the agenda item is approved, and the agenda item must be approved at least one week before it is discussed in meeting. Any supporting evidence that may be used in support of the argument for removal must also be distributed to all executive board members at least one week before the meeting.
Subclause 3. Scheduling the Meeting
The date and time of the meeting must, as with all executive board meetings, be approved by the board through voting, after adequate discussion wherein all executive officers have equal opportunity to provide input. The officer or chair whose removal is in question has the right to attend the meeting and participate equally in it, but may not obstruct the process by refusing to attend the meeting. For these reasons, if this officer or chair has already had an extended period of absence approved by the Active Team Members (as described in Section 8), or has notified the board of a brief period of absence prior to the distribution of the first notice that the removal process would be initiated, the board may not schedule the meeting during these absences. The officer or chair must otherwise either attend the meeting as scheduled or forfeit his or her right to attend.
Subclause 4. Roles of the President and Secretary
The specific roles of the President and Secretary within the meeting remain as described in Section 1 Clause 2 Subclauses 4 and 5, unless one or both of them are directly involved in the dispute either by having initiated the removal process or by being the officer or chair whose removal is being discussed. If the president is directly involved in the dispute, the board must elect an alternative officer to chair the meeting, and if the secretary is directly involved in the dispute, the board must elect an alternative officer to record the minutes.
Subclause 5. Discussing the Agenda Item
All discussion pertaining to the agenda item within the meeting must focus on whether the rationale is substantiated by the evidence and whether the rationale, if well substantiated, fulfills one or more of the three criteria for removal outlined in Clause 1. The rationale may not be changed during the meeting, and only evidence that was properly distributed beforehand may be used.
Subclause 6. Approving the Motion
Approving the motion to recommend that the Active Team Members remove the officer or chair requires support by two thirds of all executive officers.
Subclause 7. Recording and Distributing the Minutes
The minutes of the meeting must include a clear description of any arguments and any evidence that played a key role in the decision to approve the motion. The minutes must be approved by a majority of the executive board and distributed to all Active Team Members prior to the initiation of the referendum to remove the officer or chair.
Subclause 8. Referendum to Remove the Officer or Chair
Before the referendum is circulated, the executive board must appoint an election coordinator using the same criteria as in a general election (Section 5 Clause 3 Subclause 1). The election coordinator must not be directly involved in the dispute and must waive the right to run in any special election that may be used to subsequently replace the officer or chair. The election coordinator must distribute the referendum to the Active Team Members using electronic software considered adequate for a general election (Section 5 Clause 4 Subclause 2) and must distribute an argument in favor of removal approved by the executive board and an argument against removal approved by the officer or chair whose removal is in question. Deadlines and procedures governing the composition of these statements may be defined in the bylaws of the executive board or left to the discretion of the election coordinator. The deadline to vote on the referendum must take place at least one week after the text of the referendum and the arguments are circulated, and the opportunity to vote must remain open for at least 48 hours (unless all Active Team Members vote before the end of the 48-hour period). Removing the executive board member requires support from two thirds of all Active Team Members who choose to vote. If the referendum passes, removal of the officer or chair is effective immediately. Removal creates a vacancy within the executive board that must be handled using the procedures outlined in Section 10. If the board chooses to hold a special election, the same election coordinator who administered the referendum may serve in that election.
Subclause 9. Rights Retained and Lost by the Removed Officer or Chair
If the executive board member is removed, the officer immediately loses the powers and duties of office but retains the right to be an Active Team Member. If a special election is held, the removed officer may not run in it. If the removed officer runs for any executive board position in the future, the officer must disclose any previous resignations or removals in his or her personal statement.
Clause 3. Limitations of the Removal Process
The removal process is subject to several limitations:
1) An officer may not be removed for anything that occurred prior to the ratification of this Constitution.
2) The removal process may not be initiated against the same officer or chair more than once in any given term.
3) If an officer is convicted of a crime in a court of law, or is disciplined by UIUC or another institution for violating that institution’s policies, this may be used as evidence to support one of the reasons for removing the officer or chair outlined in Clause 1; however, the executive board may not pronounce its own judgment about whether an officer or chair has committed a crime or violated the policies of UIUC or another institution.
4) The removal process is a revocation of the Team’s vote of confidence that the officer or chair is suitable to hold office and is not to be construed as a disciplinary process.
Section 10. Handling Vacancies in the Executive Board
If an officer or chair resigns a position, if no officer or chair is elected to a position, or if an officer or chair is removed from a position, the executive board has three choices: it may redistribute the responsibilities among its members, hold a special election, or combine a referendum to rearrange the executive board with a special election.
Clause 1. Redistribution of Responsibilities
The executive board may collectively assume the autonomous responsibilities of the unfilled position and redistribute them to other executive officers or chair, so long as the following conditions are met: each executive officer or chair that receives responsibilities must consent; the executive board must approve the arrangement; the secretary must record the arrangement; and no one who receives a responsibility associated with the unfilled position may assume a title that misleadingly suggests he or she has been elected to that position. If autonomous responsibilities remain unaccounted for, a special election must be held.
Clause 2. Special Elections
The executive board may hold a special election to fill a vacancy among its officers or chair. Special elections follow the procedure of general elections described in Section 5, but are subject to different time constraints: a special election may occur at any time as long as its associated processes (from the opening of nominations to the closing of the election) do not overlap with those of a general election. Additionally, an executive officer or chair may not run in a special election unless the officer or chair agrees to put his or her own position up for election simultaneously. In such a case, the officer has the right to run for both positions.
Clause 3. Referendum to Rearrange the Executive Board
If the executive board collectively agrees that one of its officers or chairs is best fit to fill the vacancy, it may propose a rearrangement of positions and submit this rearrangement to the Active Team Members for approval. Each officer or chair whose position is changed must consent to the rearrangement, and it must be approved by a vote of two thirds of the officers. If passed by the board, Active Team Members must vote on it as a referendum question following the procedure. Since a rearrangement will leave a different position vacant, a special election will have to be held regardless of whether the rearrangement passes. Special elections (Clause 2) require the appointment of an election coordinator (Section 5 Clause 3 Subclause 1), and the election coordinator appointed for the special election must also administer the referendum, using software suitable for general elections (Section 5 Clause 4 Subclause 2). The referendum must include the alternative choice that a special election be immediately held for the position that is vacant at that time. The officers who approved the arrangement and, when applicable, must be given the opportunity to compose arguments for or against the arrangement to be distributed by the election coordinator. Two thirds of Active Team Members must vote for the rearrangement in order to approve it. If the referendum passes, the rearrangement becomes effective immediately. Whether the referendum passes or fails, the executive board must initiate a special election to fill whichever position is left vacant.
Article VI. Relationship with Professional Coaches
Decisions establishing or altering relationships with professional coaches to provide the Team with its primary system of regular professional instruction must be approved through referendum by two thirds of the Active Team Members, following the procedures outlined in Article VII, only a two thirds of vote of the executive board may be used to put the referendum question on the ballot as an alternative to a successful petitioning drive.
Article VII. Referendum by Petition of Active Team Members
Any Active Team Member may at any time initiate a petition to include a referendum question to be voted on by the Active Team Members, but the referendum may only be voted on during a general election. Referendum questions that do not violate this Constitution may overturn existing executive board policies with the support of two thirds of Active Team Members who choose to vote. If the referendum gains only a simple majority, it may establish a new policy, but the executive board may override it with a two thirds vote of all officers. To begin the petition process, an Active Team Member must request forms from the secretary to collect signatures. The secretary must provide these forms along with a list of Active Team Members. The forms must include the exact text of the proposed referendum question as well as space for the names, email addresses, and signatures of Active Team Members who support the referendum question. To succeed in placing the referendum question on the ballot, the petition must include supportive signatures from at least twenty percent of Active Team Members. The secretary is responsible for reviewing the petition and verifying that the signatures are indeed those of Active Team Members. When the election coordinator is appointed for the general election, the election coordinator is responsible for soliciting arguments for or against the referendum question, distributing the arguments and the text of the referendum with the election information, and for adding the question to the ballot. The executive board may further define rules governing the solicitation of arguments for and against referendum questions but this matter is otherwise at the discretion of the election coordinator.
Article VIII. Amending the Constitution
Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed at any time, but may only be voted on during a general election. Amendments may be proposed by any Active Team Member. The secretary is responsible for keeping a running list of proposed amendments throughout the year. When the election coordinator is appointed for the general election, the election coordinator must review this list and establish a constitutional amendment committee if the list contains one or more proposed amendments. The committee must include at least one executive officer but executive officers may not constitute a majority of its members. The committee is responsible for determining whether the proposed amendments merit a vote of ratification. The committee may edit the language for clarity and must formulate the final amendment in a way that makes clear whether it is meant to add, replace, or remove language from this Constitution. If the committee approves the amendment, it must be included on the general election ballot as a referendum and concise arguments in favor of and against the amendment must be included in the election information distributed by the election coordinator. It passes if it obtains the support of two thirds of the Active Team Members who choose to vote. The executive board may further define rules governing the formation and operation of the constitutional amendment committee within its bylaws but these matters are otherwise at the discretion of the election coordinator.
Article IX. Indemnification of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illini Dancesport is not an official agency or a part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Illini Dancesport agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from any claim, suit, or proceeding resulting from acts and liabilities arising from club activities.
Article X. Languages
The present constitution has been written in American English. Machine translations are available for the following document; however, for procedural purposes, the text in American English is to be given priority of interpretation.