Article 1 - Name of Organization

 

·       This organization shall henceforth be identified as the Mesa Honors Club.

 

Article 2 - Purpose and Goals of the Organization

 

·       The Honors Club seeks to reflect the ideals and standards that the Honors Program emphasizes. Overall, the Honors Club seeks to foster a community of motivated San Diego Mesa College Students, to utilize the benefits of networking, to augment personal resumes, and to share useful tips regarding scholarships, transferring, and financial aid. Our mission is to become the active link between the program and its students, to create a strong sense of community, to foster scholarship and academic excellence, and to communicate to the student body at large that the program is within their reach.

·       We also seek to significantly increase each member’s preparation and admission to any university.

·       This honors community is dedicated to improving the larger community as a whole through service activities, e.g.: blood drives, beach cleanups, etc.

·       Our long-term goals include:

·       To produce a newsletter for the whole college community (Hon-Our Way), informing students of various opportunities, such as scholarships, student conferences, volunteer workshops, etc.

·       To encourage students to become actively engaged in campus life.

·       To foster a Speakers’ Bureau, especially motivational speakers, to make classroom/Honors Club presentations.

·       To facilitate students’ attendance at transfer conferences.

·       To bring cultural awareness through cultural events on campus.

·       To foster unity among campus clubs.

 

Article 3 - Membership

 

·       Membership shall be open to all registered San Diego Mesa College students

·       Membership in the Mesa Honors Club is established by successfully registering for the current Honors Database.

·       Active membership status in the Mesa Honors Club is granted to members-in-good-standing with the Mesa Honors Program who participate regularly in Mesa Honors Club meetings, events, or volunteer and community service projects. 

·       Membership of any Mesa Honors Club member can be revoked and prohibited at any time, for a timeframe not to exceed one academic year (two semesters) at a time, by the President or Vice President of the Mesa Honors Club upon the request of at least three active club members within the same semester. Membership revocation and prohibition by the Mesa Honors Club President or Vice President must be legitimatized by a two-thirds vote in a scheduled or emergency Executive Council meeting where a minimum of three-fifths of the Mesa Honors Club officers are present. A statement of reasons why membership was revoked or prohibited or failed to be revoked or prohibited must be provided by either the Mesa Honors Club President or Vice President and made public to all individuals involved and all current active members of the Mesa Honors Club immediately following the action.

·       Members are encouraged to complete the Honors Program by completing 15 units of Honors coursework, participating in four Mesa Honors Club activities, providing documentation of 10 hours of community service, and achieving a 3.25 GPA.

 

Article 4 – Frequency of Meetings

 

·       General Club Meetings will be held every other week on campus at Mesa College. The meeting times will be based on officer availability.

·       Special Club Meetings can only be requested by an Honors Club Officer with the approval of the Mesa Honors Club President or Vice President and the Mesa Honors Club Advisor(s); if a member wishes to call a special meeting, a Mesa Honors Club officer must sponsor them.

·       All Mesa Honors Club Meetings will be announced through email, the Honors Program webpage, the Mesa Honors Club webpage, and at the prior meeting.

 

Article 5 – Qualification and Election of Officers

 

·       The Mesa Honors Club shall have a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Honors Opportunities,  Director of Service, Co-Director of Service, Director of Fundraising, Co-Director of Fundraising, Director of Public Relations, Co-Director of Public Relations,  Director of Social Media, Webmaster, Photographer, ICC Representative.

·       The Executive Council consists of the aforementioned positions and the advisor(s).

·       The Executive Council assumes leadership of the Mesa Honors Club for one full academic year.

·       Elections are to be held in the Fall and Spring semester, within the first month of the start of the semester; unless unforeseen circumstances require changes and it is approved by the Club Advisor(s).

·       Emergency Elections can be held at any scheduled General Mesa Honors Club meeting should an Executive Council position become vacant. The President, with the approval of the Mesa Honors Club Advisor(s), shall appoint club members to the Executive Council to fill vacancies until elections can be held.

·       No student shall hold the same office on the Executive council for more than two terms.

 

Article 6 – Duties of the Officers

 

·       President will preside and oversee all meetings and club activities, providing leadership and focus on achievement of club goals. He/she will represent the Honors Club at all official functions or appoint a designee, as well as attend all regular meetings of the Associated Student Government (ASG) or appoint a delegate to do so.

·       Vice President shall assist the President in the completion of his/her duties and will assume the duties and roles of the President in his/her absence. He/she will take an active part in directing the activities of club activities and serve on committees as needed.

·       Secretary will keep accurate minutes of all meetings, posting minutes where they are accessible to all Honors Club members, help to coordinate club publicity (maintaining fliers, archives, etc.) and fill other roles as needed.

·       Treasurer will be responsible for accurately collecting, tracking, and maintaining Honors Club accounts (expenditures and receipts) and will report the status of club funds at every meeting, as well as researching future fundraising activities. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       Director of Honors Opportunities will be responsible for organizing community-based guest speakers, plan workshops for transfer(s), and career building opportunities. Must communicate with members of Honors club, and identify their needs. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       Director of Service will be responsible for researching, organizing and coordinating on and off campus community service projects and proposing such projects during club meetings. Events should be tailored to Honors Student’s needs. Prepare and maintain publicity projects for the club with the consent of the president. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       Co-Director of Service in cooperation with and under the authority of the Director of Service will be responsible for researching, organizing and coordinating on and off campus community service projects and proposing such projects during club meetings, and other responsibilities per the Duties of Director of Service (above).

·       Director of Fundraising will be responsible for researching, organizing and implementing effective means of raising funds for the Honors Club. This officer will actively replenish funding for Honors Club treasury account and execute and publicize fundraising events. He/she will organize fundraising committee meetings and coordinate responsibilities. He/she will notify and recruit members during general meetings to participate in above. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       Co-Director of Fundraising in cooperation with and under the authority of the Director of Fundraising will be responsible for researching, organizing and implementing effective means of raising funds for the Honors Club, and other responsibilities per the Duties of Director of Fundraising (above).

·       Director of Public Relations will create posters and flyers to advertise club meetings and events to promote the Honors Program. He/she will be responsible for researching viable social events and propose such events during club meetings and establish any necessary plans for social meetings. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       Co-Director of Public Relations, in cooperation with and under the authority of the Director of Public Relations, will be responsible for researching viable social events and propose such events during club meetings and other responsibilities per the Duties of Director of Public Relations (above).​

·       Director of Social Media will be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the Honors Club Facebook page and provide help with the content of the Honors web page on the Mesa College website. Duties include but are not limited to: Ensuring content, posts and responses are accurate, timely and inoffensive; post events, announcements and other information pertinent to honors students at the direction of honors advisors and officers; keep Facebook page current. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

·       ICC Representatives will represent the Honors Club at the Inter-Club Council. Attend the Inter-Club Council meetings regularly. Keep a record of information obtained from council meetings and report it to both the Officer and general meetings of the club. They will also fill other roles as needed.​

·       Photographer is responsible for taking creative and professional photographs of Honors students, events and activities throughout the semester. The photographer must have a flexible schedule and will be required to attend the majority of the meetings and events. He/she will work closely with and provide edited images to the Newsletter Editors, Director of Social Media, and Director of Public Relations. He/she will be expected to provide their own equipment. He/she will also fill other roles as needed.

 

Article 7 – Current Advisors and Officers

 

See here

 

Article 8 – Executive Council Organization and Authority

 

·       The Executive Council’s duty and commitment will be to govern the club with fairness; to execute policies judiciously; to make informed decisions for the benefit of all members; and to maintain and to add to the integrity, diverse culture, and vitality of San Diego Mesa College.

·       The Executive Council shall meet, at a minimum, once per month during each academic semester.

 

Article 9 – Impeachment and Replacement of Officers

 

• Officers are required to attend every meeting except for medical or other emergencies.

• The Honors Advisors, with advice from the Honors Club President, reserves the power over Dismissal of Officers.

• Inappropriate behavior and/or disrespect towards any club member or officer will result in disciplinary action at the Advisor and President’s discretion.

• Officers may resign “at will.” If the individual fails to uphold their responsibilities, they will be given prior warning in order to give them a chance to improve their performance prior to being dismissed.

• Succession of responsibility is as follows: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Honors Opportunities, Director of Service, Director of Fundraising, Director of Public Relations, ICC Representative

• In a case where the President is deposed, the Vice President will assume presidential responsibilities until such time as an emergency election is held to elect a new President.

• Should it be deemed necessary, emergency elections will take place no more than one month after Dismissal of the President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer.

• All decisions made during this process will be passed through the club advisor for final approval, especially in circumstances that conclude in a stalemate.

 

Article 10 – Constitutional Amendments, Revisions, and Ratifications

 

• Amendments or revisions to the Constitution require a vote that shall be made by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active members present during the scheduled meeting.

• Prior to a vote opposing sides will each have 15 minutes to address voting members.

• The only exception shall be amendments or revisions to Article 7 of the constitution which will be maintained by the President/Vice President to reflect the most current elected officer positions.

• This Constitution must be effective upon approval of the Honors Club members voting.