CoordBoard Meeting Bylaws

The official bylaws of coordboard meetings: Interim Operating Procedures for the Coordinating Board of HSU

Preamble: (1) In the absence of ratified founding documents detailing the operating procedures for the Coordinating Board of the Hampshire College Student Union (hereafter referred to as ‘CoordBoard’), this document stands as a necessary placeholder until a ratified document exists. (2) This document differs from the Governance Task Force Final Report of April 2011 (unratified and non-binding) in both scope and content. It simply addresses gaps in CoordBoard’s administrative structure. (3) The powers of this document are derived only from the deference with which CoordBoard shows it.

Operational Agreement: In order for this document to be adopted as an operational set of rules governing the structure and proceedings of CoordBoard, an agreement must be reached by popular vote within a meeting of CoardBoard in which a quorum has been met. All additions or revisions to this document must be enacted by majority vote.

Rules of CoordBoard:

(1) Voting may only occur in an official CoordBoard meeting. (1. 1.) An official CoordBoard meeting shall be constituted by a quorum and recorded in minutes/notes. (1. 2.) A quorum shall be constituted by the presence of three of the voting At Large members, and three of the voting Scope Group representatives. (1. 2. 1.) If there are fewer positions filled among either the At Large members or the Scope Group representatives than the specified minimum for quorum, the definition of a ‘quorum’ shall be changed for that half of CoordBoard to be simply ‘all current members of that half’ (‘half’ referring to either the At Large or Scope Group portion of CoordBoard).

(2) All votes must be recorded and made public by the note taker by the end of the official meeting in which the vote occurred.

(3) The facilitator and alternate facilitator of a CoordBoard meeting shall be decided by a popular vote of all present members at the end of the prior meeting. (3.1.) A vote to change facilitators can be called at any time by any individual member, including intra-meeting. (3.2) For simplicity sake, there shall be no more than one facilitator at any given time

(4) Voting in CoordBoard meetings shall be reserved exclusively to officially confirmed members.

(5) In the absence of a superior selection process, vacancies for At Large positions shall be filled entirely on a ‘first come first serve’ basis. An email expressing ‘intent to join’ sent to the CoordBoard inbox shall constitute an application. (5. 1.) New members shall obtain voting rights at the beginning of the Coordboard meeting following their application. (5. 2.) Shortly after the creation of an open CoordBoard position, a public ‘position opening notice’ must be sent out to the Hampshire student body.

(6.) Any member of CoordBoard can be removed by a two-thirds vote, if and only if said member has failed to attend three meetings or has failed to attend two Town Meetings.

(7.) All proposed amendments to this document must be presented in writing (digital or on paper) to CoordBoard by or upon the beginning of any of any official CoordBoard meeting. (7.1.) Voting on proposed amendments must be priority on all official meeting agenda's (7.2.) Results of voting are effective immediately.

(8.) Agenda items must be proposed prior to official CoordBoard meetings. (8.1.) Any agenda item brought fourth outside of this time frame will be added to the end of the agenda, if permitted by a vote, in the order in which they are proposed. (8.2.) There shall be an allocated time for all agenda items. This allocation shall be reasonably predetermined by the facilitator prior to official meetings. (8.3.) A time extension for any given agenda item may be voted upon at the end of said items allocated time.

(9.) A designated note taker and back up note taker must be voted upon at the end of every meeting. (10.) All official CoordBoard meetings and Town Halls meetings will end with a 15-minute debrief/temperature check. Note that this is the time for constructive criticism of group dynamic and personal emotions regarding voting results.

(10.1.) The participation of this debrief is limited to official CoordBoard members.