Constitution of the
Philosophy Club - University of Louisiana at Lafayette
 
 
 
 

 
 

 Article I
Official Name of the Organization

UL Lafayette Philosophy Club

Article II
Purpose and Affiliation of the Organization

The purpose of this organization shall be as follows:
 

1.  To promote the interaction between the Department of Philosophy and other academic departments within the university
2.  To maintain the integrity of the philosophy curriculum
3.  To promote intercollegiate activities in the study of philosophy and participation of students in professional conferences
4.  To promote awareness of philosophy and philosophical issues
5.  To encourage students to take philosophy courses
6.  To promote social and academic interaction among the students interested in philosophy
7.  To encourage and provide information about graduate study in philosophy
8.  To provide awareness of career opportunities in philosophy
9.  To promote interaction between the philosophy faculty and students
   * Numbers 4 thru 9 are directed especially towards philosophy majors at UL Lafayette, other UL Lafayette students, high school students, and the public

Activities that result in undue physical stress or any subtle or covert technique that will impair, make captive, or destroy an individual’s freedom of thought will not be tolerated.

This organization will adhere to all policies and regulations of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Board of Trustees of State Colleges and Universities.

All fund raising activities shall be carried out in accordance with the rules and policies of the Office of Student Affairs and the UL Lafayette Union.

Article III
Membership

All UL Lafayette students, full or part-time, regardless of major, shall be eligible for membership in the UL Lafayette Philosophy Club.

Membership shall not be denied on the basis of race, skin color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, gender, or disability.
 
 

Article IV
Officers and Advisors

Section I.  El Presidente
1.  Duties - The President shall be responsible for organizing and conducting meetings, supervising and aiding the other officers in their duties as necessary, delegating responsibilities, enforcing the constitution, and maintaining contact with the advisor of the organization.
2.  Term - The President shall hold this position for a term of one year.  Each year, at the end of the spring semester, a new President will be elected.
3.  Special Requirement - The President must have at some time in the past held another position of authority in the club, i.e., another office or a chairmanship of a committee.

Section II.  Vice President
1.  Duties - The duties of the Vice President shall consist of aiding the President in activities and administrative affairs of the club. They may include, but are not limited to, taking care of the public relations of the organization, organizing soliciting for membership and arranging for the invitation of lecturers and other public functions.
2.  Term - The term limitations of the office of the Vice President shall be identical with those of the office of the President.

Section III. Secretary/Treasurer
1.  Duties - The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer shall be to keep a record of club membership, to undertake bookkeeping as necessary, oversee any fund raising activities the organization may be involved in, and be responsible for the collection, security, and distribution of all monies raised by the club.
2.  Term - The term limitation of the office of the Secretary/Treasurer shall be identical with those of the office of the President.

Section IV.  Committees
Committees may be formed by the officers of the organization to tackle any problems identified by the leadership of the club.  Committees shall consist of a chair and committee members from among other interested members of the club.  All chairs of committees shall report to the officers at regular meetings and be required to attend all meetings.

Section V.  Elections
Elections shall be held before the week of final examinations at the end of each spring semester.  A special meeting shall be held prior to the end of the semester to allow for the nomination of candidates and the actual election.  This meeting shall be advertised at least one week in advance.  All candidates must be present to be nominated.  Because of the clubs fervent support of integrity and fairness officers will be elected by approval voting.  Members may not hold more than one office at a time.  In the event that an office becomes vacant during the course of a year for any reason, the other officers shall  appoint a member or officer (in this case the officer will have to relinquish him/her current position and another non-office holding member will replace him/her) to replace the missing one.  Should the office of the President become vacant, however, the current Vice President shall assume the office of the President, and a new Vice President shall be appointed by the officers.
 

Section VI.  Advisors

The UL Lafayette Philosophy Club shall at all times, in order to maintain the integrity of the organization and to remain eligible for official organizational status at the university, have an advisor who is a faculty member of the UL Lafayette Philosophy Program.

Article V
Meetings

The meetings of the Philosophy Club shall be held at least once a month while school is in session, at a time appointed by agreement of the officers and advisor, and not to be held during times when school is not in session.
Attendance - The attendance of all officers is strongly encouraged at all meetings, and members are required to attend at least one half of all meetings, unless this requirement is amended by the officers.  Failure to attend meetings regularly shall possibly result in expulsion from office for the officers and in termination of membership eligibility for absentee members, depending upon individual and extenuating circumstances (determined by the non-absentee officers and advisor), and the decision of the non-officers concerning the particular situation at hand.

Article VI
Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution may be suggested by any member of the club and must be approved by the advisor and a majority (at least two-thirds) of the officers in order to be effected.  By-Laws may also be added or amended in this manner and following this procedure.

Any major amendment must be submitted to the UL Lafayette Organizations Committee for approval.

By-Laws

Section 1.  Dues
There will be no official dues owed by any member of the club to the club.  But, donations of at least 50 cents will be asked for at each meeting.   Monies for the club will be gained through this system of patronage and through other fund raising schemes.

Section II.  Selection of Committees
The committee chairpersons shall be selected by a simple majority of committee members, and any club members may belong to a committee without the requirement of selection or appointment.

Section III.  Authorization for the Use of Funds
Authorization for the use of club funds shall be obtained by the advisor and either the President or the Secretary/Treasurer.

Section IV.  Meeting Procedures
The meetings will be organized and conducted by the officers or non-officer members selected by the officers.  The meetings will take course according to the needs of the individual(s) conducting the meetings.  Anyone may attend, so long as there presence is not disruptive.

Section V.  Philosophy Library
The UL Lafayette philosophy faculty maintains a library dedicated to the subject of philosophy. All club members shall have access to it, on the condition that they follow the library guidelines established by the faculty.
 

Philosophy Club, HLG 563, 141 Rex St., Lafayette, LA  70504,
(337) 482-6806, philosophy@louisiana.edu, http://www.louisiana.edu