Society for Intellectual Diversity
-Supporting the right to academic freedom for all university students, faculty, and staff-
Constitution
Name
Article I
Section (1) The name of the organization shall be Society for Intellectual Diversity.
Purpose
Article II
The purpose(s) of this organization shall be to: Support the right to academic freedom for all university students, faculty, and staff members. Academic freedom is defined here (based on the 1915 General Report of the Committee on Academic Tenure of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) definition and the 1967 AAUP’s Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students ) as “the freedom to teach and the freedom to learn.” The Society for Intellectual Diversity will serve as advocates for students, faculty and staff to safeguard this right through the promotion of scholarly and intellectual virtues based on the liberty of thought and conscience. The ETSU Mission and Institutional Purpose states that “ETSU strives to create a community of learning that actively advances the fundamental values of higher education – the free interchange of ideas, curiosity and desire for learning, critical thinking and self-reflection, ethical behavior, academic freedom, and appreciation of human diversity.” The ETSU Faculty Handbook states that “academic freedom in teaching is a basic protection of the intellectual rights of both teacher and student.” The Society for Intellectual Diversity will strive to promote the university’s mission statement by advocating that courses, classrooms, and the university uphold the ETSU core value of “diversity of people and thought.” The university serves as a public trust and the public expects the university to follow its stated mission and institutional purpose. The Society for Intellectual Diversity seeks to reaffirm these core values and promote them as necessary to provide a high quality education for all who seek to embark on such an endeavor at East Tennessee State University.
Membership
Article III
Section (1) Membership in this organization shall be open to all ETSU students, faculty and staff.
Section (2) Membership shall be for those students, faculty, or staff who are currently enrolled or employed by East Tennessee State University and will last as long as they are currently enrolled or employed. However, membership will be terminated at that time when a member requests not to be affiliated with the organization.
Section (3) Any current member who pays his/her dues shall be considered in good standing.
Section (4) Member responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
A. attend meetings and functions set forth by the organization
B. serve as advocates to uphold academic freedom within courses, classroom, and the university in general
C. conduct themselves in a manner that supports and promotes the ETSU core values as outlined in the ETSU Mission and Institutional Purpose
Section (5) This organization will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
Removal of Members
Article IV
Section (I) Grounds for removal of any member are: Those members who fail to comply with any of the statues as outlined in Article III, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, will be removed from the organization.
Dues
Article V
Section (1) The dues of the Society for Intellectual Diversity organization is set at one-time $10.00 fee, followed by a $5.00 fee per year following the first initial year of membership. The one-time fee will cover cost of a T-shirt, and the consecutive yearly dues will be used for an academic or social event during the Spring Semester. The initial fee should be paid upon joining the organization, and yearly dues should be paid by November 1st.
Section (2) In case of organizational dissolution, the organizational funds will be donated to the ETSU Library, for the purchase of academic journals/titles.
Officers/Leadership
Article VI
Section (1) The officers/leaders of this organization shall consist of a:
A.) President D.) Treasurer
B.) Vice-President E.) Parliamentarian
C.) Secretary F.) Faculty Advisor
Section (2) The election of these officers shall be held during the 2nd Meeting of the Spring Semester.
Section (3) The term of office shall be for 1 year. An officer may be elected for more than one term. However, an officer may not serve more than two consecutive terms with a one year waiting period between the end of their second consecutive term and the beginning of the next elected term.
Section (4) An officer may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the members for not following any of the statutes as outlined in Article III, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 of the organization constitution, as well as for not following any of the duties as outlined in Article VII for that specific officer post in question.
Section (5) Should an office become vacant in mid-term a new interim officer shall be appointed by the President until formal elections are held during the Spring Semester.
Section (6) Requirements to be an officer include being a registered student, in good academic standing, at ETSU for the entire term of office, and have been a member of the organization for no less than 1 year. While faculty are encouraged to join the organization, officer positions are limited to students only. Faculty may seek the position of Faculty Advisor.
Duties of Officers/Leadership
Article VII
Section (1) The president shall serve as Chief Executive Officer of the organization. The president will exemplify those membership responsibilities as outlined in Article III, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5. The president will preside over each meeting and work in conjunction with the faculty advisor to see that the organization is following its stated purpose.
Section (2) The vice-president shall serve in absence of the president and shall perform such duties as assigned by the president
Section (3) The secretary should check role at each meeting, shall be responsible for the minutes of all meetings and all correspondence of the organization.
Section (4) The treasurer shall be responsible for collecting dues. The treasurer will deposit all funds in the organization’s account. All organization account withdrawals and expenditures requires signatures from both the president and treasurer.
Section (5) The parliamentarian shall facilitate, or guide all meetings, ensuring that they run smoothly and fairly, as well as follow the Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section (6) The faculty advisor shall serve both as chief advisor to the organization and as principle liaison to the faculty and administration of the university. The faculty advisor will exemplify those membership responsibilities as outlined in Article III, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.
Organizational Meetings
Article VIII
Section (1) There shall be a minimum of (2) meetings per semester during the Spring and Fall semesters. Additional meetings may be called as necessary by the president.
Section (2) The business of these meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section (3) This organization is subject to the policies and procedures of ETSU and the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Section (4) A quorum for conducting business shall be considered to be a simple majority of the members present at the meeting.
Section (5) The faculty advisor should attend all meetings of this organization.
Section (6) All general meetings shall be open to the public.
Amendments
Article IX
Section (1) This constitution may be amended during any general meeting by any member submitting a proposal change and being passed by a simple majority vote.