The Computer Club at Western Michigan University was formed in the year nineteen hundred and seventy-six by James Sleep and Jay Martin on the campus of Western Michigan University. It has no bounds on computer competency for membership therein. The Computer Club at Western Michigan University is formed solely for the betterment of all persons interested in computers and technology.
The official name of this organization is "The Computer Club at Western Michigan University." Hereunto it may be referred to as "Club" or "CCAWMU."
The purpose of Club is:
- To promote a better understanding of computers.
- To facilitate the sharing of ideas among its members.
- To develop hardware and software for Club and affiliated institutions.
The goals of Club include:
- Improve the state of the art of computing.
- Provide a friendly, helpful, and social atmosphere for those interested in computer hardware, software, and other technology.
Student Members are those currently enrolled students at WMU who have agreed to Club's ethics policy and have met the requirements for new membership. Student Members shall be entitled to all privileges.
Non-Student Members are those persons who have agreed to Club's ethics policy and have met the requirements for a new membership. Non-Student Members shall be entitled to all privileges except those prohibited by University policy.
Lifetime Members are those persons who Club thusly recognizes, as described below. Lifetime Members shall be entitled to all privileges except those privileges prohibited by University policy; furthermore, they shall not be required to pay annual dues to maintain Good Standing.
Should an individual make outstanding contributions to Club deserving of high honors, they may be eligible to become a Lifetime Member. Should an Officer wish to propose Lifetime Membership for an individual, they must make a Statement to that effect and obtain unanimous agreement from all other Officers. A Vote shall then be held regarding whether the individual should be granted the status of Lifetime Member at the next regular meeting on or after the date the Statement was made.
Membership shall be granted to an individual in the event that:
- They express an interest in having Club membership.
- They meet the requirements for the type of membership they wish to obtain.
- They have paid annual dues.
A member in Good Standing is a member who has met the requirements for annual dues and has upheld Club's ethics policy. If a member is not in Good Standing, they may not participate in Votes, Elections, or Motions.
Members not in Good Standing may have their membership terminated by any Officer. The Officer must make a Statement to do so. Upon termination of membership, the individual shall lose all privileges previously granted. A student who is an ex-member may appeal the termination to the Office of Student Activities.
An individual may voluntarily terminate their membership at any time by making a Statement.
No individual shall be denied membership based on the protected classes of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, height, weight, or marital status.
The Executive Board shall consist of the following Officers:
- President
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Vice-Treasurer
- Secretary
The responsibilities of the President include:
- Oversee Club in general.
- Oversee the other Officers of Club.
- Preside at all meetings of Club and of its Executive Board.
The responsibilities of the Vice-President include:
- Assist the President in completing their duties.
- Determine if and how appointed positions should be filled.
- Assume those duties of the President that the President delegates to the Vice-President.
The responsibilities of the Treasurer include:
- Deposit and disperse the Club funds.
- Maintain Club financial records.
- Prepare financial reports for Club.
- Develop funding proposals for submission to those bodies who might provide funding to Club.
The responsibilities of the Vice-Treasurer include:
- Assist the Treasurer in completing their duties.
- Assume those duties of the Treasurer that the Treasurer delegates to the Vice-Treasurer.
The responsibilities of the Secretary include:
- Keep minutes of all regular meetings.
- Prepare Club correspondences.
- Maintain a file of Club correspondences.
- Maintain membership records.
An Election for all Officers of Club shall be held at least once per year. The election shall happen during a regular meeting of the president's choosing during the spring semester, with at least 14 days notice given to Club during which nominations may occur.
The following positions are not part of the Executive Board and do not have Elections held for them. The Vice-President shall determine what Student Member(s), if any, shall hold the following appointed positions, provided that the Student Member(s) in question wish to hold the position(s) in question.
The responsibilities of the Systems Manager include:
- Assist the Vice-President in day-to-day computer operations.
- Maintain software and hardware owned by Club.
- Monitor system security of Club systems.
- Maintain Club's web server.
The responsibilities of the Relations Manager include:
- Advise the Executive Board regarding Club's relationship with third parties.
- Maintain and build relationships with third parties, especially other WMU organizations.
No individual may simultaneously hold more than one position within Club, either as an Officer or as an appointed position.
If an Officer vacates their position early, the following processes shall be used to ensure the responsibilities of the vacant position are fulfilled. If one of the processes results in a newly vacated position (most likely due to an Officer being transferred to a new position and leaving their prior position vacant as a result), continue applying the processes repeatedly as necessary.
If the position of President is vacant, the position shall be filled by Vice-President. Should the position of Vice-President also be vacant, the position shall be filled by the next occupied position from this list.
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Vice-Treasurer
If the position of Treasurer is vacant, the position shall be filled by Vice-Treasurer, provided the position of Vice-Treasurer is occupied.
If the position of Secretary, Vice-Treasurer, or Vice-President is vacant, or the position of Treasurer is vacant and cannot be filled as above, and if the position is vacated during the fall or spring semester, the position shall be filled by an Election during the next regular meeting.
If the position of Secretary, Vice-Treasurer, or Vice-President is vacant, or the position of Treasurer is vacant and cannot be filled as above, and if the position is vacated during the summer semester, the President assumes the duties of the vacated position until an Election is held. Such an Election is held during a regular meeting of the President's choosing during the fall semester, with at least 14 days notice given to Club during which nominations may occur.
If an Officer wishes to resign, they may do so at any time by making a Statement.
If an Officer intends to resign in the near future, they should alert the Executive Board of their intentions. In such a situation, if an Election would be used to fill the vacated position, the President may determine that the Election be held before the Officer officially resigns, with the elected candidate filling the Officer's position at the time of their resignation. Such an Election requires at least 14 days notice given to Club during which nominations may occur.
No Officer shall be absent for more than two consecutive meetings or more than three total meetings in a semester. If any Officer violates this policy, any other Officer may remove the Officer in question from their position by making a Statement.
Annual dues shall be $10.
Annual dues shall be assessed on all members that aren't Lifetime Members upon the anniversary of their date of joining Club. New members that aren't Lifetime Members shall be assessed their dues as a requirement for being granted membership.
Funds may be obtained for general operations and special projects from any source, not be detrimental to Club, as Club sees fit.
An expense is a cost incurred to Club for any singular purpose, such that if multiple related transactions in the service of a single goal are made sequentially, all such transactions shall be summed and considered a single expense.
A minor expense is any expense equal to or less than $50.
If any member wishes to utilize Club funds, they may require approval, as described below:
- If the expense is a minor expense and the member is an Officer, no approval is needed. The Officer must make a Statement that they have incurred the expense.
- If the member is an Officer and the expense is expected to be reimbursed by an external body, no approval is needed. The Officer must make a statement that they have incurred the epxense.
- If the member is an Officer and the purpose of the expense is to replace or repair the critical infrastructure of Club, no approval is needed.
- If the expense is a minor expense and the member is not an Officer, the member must receive approval from the Treasurer or Vice-Treasurer. The Treasurer or Vice-Treasurer must make a Statement that they have approved the expense.
- Otherwise, the member must receive approval through a Vote.
Banking for Club shall be conducted through PNC bank.
In the case of the inactivation of Club, non-University Funds for Club shall be made available for Club's Advisor to be donated to a technology-related organization legally qualified for non-profit status.
The Computer Club at Western Michigan University will follow and be subject to all University policies, procedures, and practices regarding student organization accounts and finances.
The Computer Club at Western Michigan University will comply with all Office of Student Engagement and University policies, procedures, and practices and all local, state, and federal laws.
Some Officers are granted additional abilities to amend this constitution.
- The President may use an Executive Amendment to amend Article VII (Formal Procedures) Section 5 (Statements) Subsection "Appropriate Alternative Mediums for Statements" if and only if their amendment exclusively comprises the creation of a new alternative medium or the removal of a defunct alternative medium.
- The President may use an Executive Amendment to amend Article III (Officers and Appointed Positions) Section 2 (Officer Description and Duties) if and only if their amendment exclusively comprises the addition of responsibilties to extant Officer positions or the removal of responsibles from extant Officer positions, and if this addition or removal does not conflict with any other portion of the constituion that describes the responsibilities or powers of that position.
- The Vice-President may use an Executive Amendment to amend Article III (Officers and Appointed Positions) Section 4 (Appointed Positions) if and only if their amendment exclusively comprises the creation of a new appointed position, a modification of the responsibilities of an extant appointed position, or the removal of a currently unoccupied appointed position.
- The Treasurer may use an Executive Amendment to amend Article IV (Finances) Section 1 (Funding) Subsection "Amount of Annual Dues" if and only if their amendment exclusively comprises an adjustment to the amount of dues assessed.
- The Treasurer may use an Executive Amendment to amend Artivle IV (Finances) Section 2 (Utilizing Funds) Subsection "Minor Expenses" if and only if their amendment exclusively comprises an adjustment to the threshold used to qualify an expense as a minor expense.
If any Officer wishes to amend this constitution in a manner covered by an Executive Amendment, the following process must be completed.
- The Officer submits the proposed amendment to the Executive Board.
- The Officer makes a Statement describing the purpose, scope, and effect of the proposed amendment.
- An Officer shall announce the proposed amendment at the next regular meeting on or after the date the Statement was made.
- At the request of any Officer, the amendment shall be read aloud in full.
- After a comment period of 14 days from the regular meeting at which the proposed amendment is announced, the Officer makes a Statement confirming their intent to enact the amendment.
- The amendment is enacted.
If any Student Member wishes to amend this constitution materially, such as to change its structure or content in a manner not covered by an Executive Amendment, the following process must be completed.
- The Student Member submits the proposed amendment to the Executive Board.
- The Student Member makes a Statement describing the purpose, scope, and effect of the proposed amendment.
- An Officer shall announce the proposed amendment and read aloud the Statement at the next regular meeting on or after the date the Statement was made.
- At the request of any Officer, the amendment shall be read aloud in full.
- The proposed amendment, along with the Statement describing the purpose, scope, and effect of the proposed amendment, shall be published on the club website.
- After a comment period of 14 days from the regular meeting at which the proposed amendment is announced, a Constitutional Vote on the amendment shall be scheduled for the soonest regular meeting on or after the date which ends the comment period.
- The amendment is enacted.
If any Student Member wishes to amend this constitution superficially, such as to correct formatting or spelling mistakes, the following process must be completed.
- The Student Member submits the proposed amendment to the Executive Board.
- The Student Member makes a Statement describing the purpose, scope, and effect of the proposed amendment.
- An Officer shall announce the proposed amendment at the next regular meeting on or after the date the Statement was made.
- At the request of any Officer, the amendment shall be read aloud in full.
- A Constitutional Vote on the amendment shall be held immediately.
- The amendment is enacted.
If a situation requires a Vote, the following process must be completed:
- An Officer shall, during a regular meeting, announce the purpose of the Vote and describe what the effects of passing the Vote would be and what the effects of failing the Vote would be.
- Members must be given adequate time to raise any questions or concerns regarding the purpose of the Vote and its effects.
- An Officer shall ask for a show of all those eligible members who wish to pass the Vote. If a clear majority shows support to pass the Vote and the Vote is not a recount, the next step may be skipped.
- An Officer shall ask for a show of all those eligible members who wish to fail the Vote.
- If more than 50% of voting members wish to pass the Vote, the Vote passes. If more than 50% of voting members wish to fail the Vote, the Vote fails. If neither threshold is met, the President casts a deciding vote to pass or fail the Vote.
If an individual does not wish to vote, they may abstain. They may do this by refraining from showing their support to either pass or fail the Vote.
When casting a deciding vote, the President may not abstain.
If any member believes that Club does not have sufficient knowledge to perform a Vote effectively, they must pass a Motion to that effect. If the Motion is passed, a Vote shall be conducted regarding whether the original Vote shall be deferred, except that the Vote to defer may not be deferred. If the Vote to defer passes, the original Vote shall be conducted at the next regular meeting instead of immediately.
If any member believes that the results of a Vote were incorrectly counted and wishes for a recount, they must pass a Motion to that effect. If the Motion is passed, the Vote is conducted again, except that the new Vote may not be recounted.
If a situation requires a Constitutional Vote, the process to be completed is the same as the process for a Vote, except that the minimum percentage of Members required to pass the vote is raised to 66.67%, and the minimum percentage of Members required to fail the vote is lowered to 33.33%.
If a situation requires an Election, the following process must be completed:
- An Officer shall announce all positions that are part of the Election during a regular meeting.
- Any member who wishes to nominate a candidate to run in the Election must pass a Motion to that effect. The candidate must be a willing Student Member.
- If any position receives no nominations, the previous holder of that position is nominated for that position by default.
- All members (including candidates) may cast one vote for each position for any candidate.
- For each position, the votes shall be tallied and the candidiate with the most votes shall be informed that they have been elected to that position.
- If the above steps would cause any individual to hold multiple positions, they must withdraw candidacy from some or all of the positions they have been elected to such that they would only hold a single position. Upon occurence of such a withdrawal of candidacy, the candidate with the next most votes is elected to that position.
- If the above steps would cause any position to be empty, another Election is held immediately to fill that position.
If a situation requires a Motion, the following process must be completed:
- A member shall make a Statement that they wish to pass a Motion. The member in question shall be said to have proposed the Motion.
- Should any other member make a Statement agreeing to pass the Motion, the Motion shall be passed. The member in question shall be said to have seconded the Motion.
- Should a reasonable amount of time pass without any member agreeing to second the Motion, the Motion shall be failed.
If a situation requires a Statement, the following process must be completed:
- A member shall declare their Statement. This declaration must occur either during a regular meeting, or through one of the appropriate alternative mediums for Statements.
The appropriate alternative mediums for Statements are:
- In the #officers channel of Club's most prominent chat service.
- During an extenuating situation when Club's most prominent chat service is unavailable, at the President's discretion, in any publically available chat service for which reasonable efforts have been made by the Executive Board to inform Club of the extenuating situation and the alternative chat service in use.
The Club shall hold regularly scheduled public meetings, known as regular meetings, as determined by the Executive Board, at least once per week during the fall and spring semesters, holidays and exams notwithstanding. At these meetings, the current operations and projects of Club shall be discussed as well as any other appropriate topics.
Club shall have an Advisor selected from among faculty or staff who wish to advise the Club in all its functions as a registered student organization.
- First Draft-Constitution outline 7/7/77
- Second Draft-Constitution outline 4/28/83
- Editing done on 9/1/83 9/5/83 9/30/83
- Editing done on 10/08/83 10/16/83 10/17/83
- Editing done on 12/10/86
- groff "man" formatting done on 8/1/94
- Third Edition Constitution rewrite 8/??/94
- Constitutional amendment proposal 1/30/97
- Updated Funding Section per University Requirements 10/26/10
- Fourth Edition Constitution rewrite 1/26/23
- Constitutional amendment proposal 4/3/25