Student Assembly

HAVEN: THE LGBTQ STUDENT UNION VISION STATEMENT
Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union seeks to enrich Cornell University by supporting its diverse array of sexual and gender identities and expressions. Through education, outreach, and service, we promote understanding and the development of inclusive communities.

HAVEN: THE LGBTQ STUDENT UNION CONSTITUTION

Article I. Mission
Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union’s mission is to enhance the cultural and social climate at Cornell University and to improve and enrich the lives of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning (LGBTQ) and Same Gender-Loving members of the community. This will be achieved through funding, training, and administrative support for the organizations represented by Haven so they may organize successful educational, social, and cultural programs and serve as effective supportive environments.

Article II. Affiliation
Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union is hereafter referred to as Haven. Haven is affiliated with and supported by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, Haven also works collaboratively with the LGBT Resource Center to complement their support services with programming for the whole Cornell community.

Article III. Nondiscrimination
In accordance with Appendix B Section III Clause O. of the Student Assembly Charter, Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union and any organization that receives Student Activity Fee funding indirectly through Haven shall not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, past criminal history, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, or any combination of these factors when determining its membership and when determining the equal rights of all general members and executive board members, respectively, which shall include, but are not limited to, voting for, seeking, and holding positions within the organization.

Article VI. Membership

Section 1. Definition of Member
The terms Haven member, member of Haven, or member used herein and henceforth shall refer exclusively to those individuals that satisfy the requirements for membership set by the constituent Member Organizations of Haven. These requirements include, but are not limited to, regular attendance at and participation in at least one Member Organization’s meetings.

Article IV. Executive Board

Section 1. Board Membership
The Members of the Executive Board of Haven are the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of Haven, the Social Programming Chair, the Educational Programming Chair, the Publicity & Social Media Chair, and the elected Organization Representatives. All members of the Executive Board have an equal vote in all matters before the board. The Advisor(s) and the Director of the LGBT Resource Center serve as ex officio members of the Executive Board, but are not afforded votes.

Section 2. President
The duties of the President are as follows: (1) Schedule all Executive Board meetings; (2) Preside over all Executive Board meetings; (3) Act as the official liaison between Haven and other organizations; (4) Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years. Any member of a Haven Member Organization who is not representing a Member Organization, and preferably who is not facilitating a Member Organization, is eligible for election to the office of the President.

Section 3. Vice President
The duties of the Vice President are as follows: (1) Fulfill the duties of the President in the absence of the President; (2) Act as the official liaison between Haven and its Member Organizations; (3) Prepare the application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years; (4) Assist the President in the fulfillment of their duties. Any member of a Haven Member Organization who is not representing a Member Organization, and preferably who is not facilitating a Member Organization, is eligible for election to the office of the Vice President.

Section 4. Treasurer
The duties of the Treasurer, under the supervision of the Advisor, are as follows: (1) Oversee the accounts of Haven; (2) Collect and file all documentation of expenditures; (3) Assure all University paperwork regarding the accounts of Haven is properly filed; (4) Prepare and maintain annual budget report; (5) Provide a full update of the annual budget report once a month at the Executive Board meetings; (6) Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years; (7) Assist funding applicants with budget requests. Any member of a Haven Member Organization who is not representing a Member Organization, and preferably who is not facilitating a Member Organization, is eligible for election to the office of the Treasurer.

Section 5. Secretary
The duties of the Secretary are as follows: (1) Record and archive minutes of all physical and electronic Executive Board Meetings; (2) Assure that the leadership of all Member Organizations has registered with the Student Activities Office; (3) Assure that the leadership of all Member Organizations has reserved meeting space and are active; (4) Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years. Any member of a Haven Member Organization who is not representing a Member Organization, and preferably who is not facilitating a Member Organization, is eligible for election to the office of the Secretary.

Section 6. Organization Representatives Every Member Organization is required to send a representative to the Haven Executive Board. Organization Representatives are expected to shall attend all Executive Board meetings. Only members of the specific respective Member Organization are eligible to represent that organization Member Organization on the Executive Board.

Section 6. Social Programming Chair
The duties of the Social Programming Chair are as follows: (1) Organize the ad hoc committee to plan and execute at least one Fall semester and one Spring semester dance; (2) Assist the Member Organizations in the planning and execution of the social events brought forward by their constituencies; (3) Seek information from and develop potential events to satisfy currently underserved constituencies; (4) Facilitate small, regularly scheduled social activities for the active groups; Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years.

Section 7. Educational Programming Chair
The duties of the Educational Programming Chair are as follows: (1) Assist the Member Organizations in the planning and execution of the educational events brought forward by their constituencies; (2) Seek information from and develop potential events to satisfy currently underserved constituencies; (3) Work with group leaders to develop small educational meetings on topics pertinent to their constituencies; (4) Organize facilitation workshops and trainings with the Advisor to help develop the group building, listening, and support skills of any member of Haven wishing to take on a facilitation role and any student currently facilitating a Member Organization; (5) Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years.

Section 7. Publicity & Social Media Chair

The duties of the Publicity & Social Media Chair are as follows: (1) Assist and supervise the Member Organizations in the planning and execution of marketing and publicity campaigns; (2) Maintain and update the website and social media applications (i.e., Facebook, Twitter) of Haven on a consistent basis for community outreach and publicity purposes (3) Ensureing all publicity associated with events sponsored by Haven has the appropriate information, before sending it to the Executive Board for approval. (4) Maintaining archives of publicity materials; (5) Prepare the Application for Byline Funding in the Fall of odd-numbered years. Any program, project, or event receiving funding from Haven must list Haven as a contributing sponsor. Additionally, all advertisements and promotional materials for the program, project, or event must include the line: “Funded in part by the Student Assembly Activity Fee.” If the event is funded by Haven through a Member Organization the Member Organization should be listed as a sponsor and the following line included in all advertisements and promotional materials: “<Name of Member Organization> is part of Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union, funded by the Student Assembly Activity Fee.”

Section 8. Elections
Elections for the offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Educational Programming Chair, Social Programming Chair, and Publicity & Social Media Chair shall be held during the first week of March of the each academic year during a special elections meeting of the Executive Board. The outgoing officers will oversee the election process. However, in the event that a current officer is nominated to serve again, the Advisor must step in to oversee the process. All officers shall serve a term of one year commencing with the close of the academic year. All nominations will be taken from the floor at the special elections meeting. Any member of a Haven Member Organization in attendance is eligible to vote for the officers of Haven. The victors shall be decided by a simple majority. The officers-elect will work with the current officers for the remainder of the academic year to gain new experiences experience in of the position.
Elections of Organization Representatives shall be held during the first full month of the academic year at the first meeting of each of the Member Organizations. This election must be conducted in a democratic fashion and shall be decided by a simple majority.

Section 9. Affiliated Organizations
Haven-affiliated organizations are student groups that focus on LGBT interests and needs not addressed by Haven Member Organizations, but that are not afforded a vote on the Executive Board. The affiliation status does not enhance this organization’s ability to receive any funding from Haven. Representatives of these organizations are encouraged to provide input or points of views on issues facing the Cornell LGBT community, when being discussed during Executive Board meetings.

Section 10. Voting
All matters before the Executive Board shall be decided by a simple majority vote unless otherwise specified.

Article V. Member Organizations

Section 1. Requirements of Membership
All Member Organizations must be registered as University student organizations with the Student Activities Office. No organization under Haven may discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, socio-economic status, or disability. Every organization under Haven is also required to elect by a simple majority an Organization Representative.

Section 2. Rights of Active Membership
Active Member Organizations have the right to receive an equal share of the Administrative Category of the Haven budget. Member Organizations also have the right to request funds for projects, events, or other expenditures from the Executive Board.

Section 3. List of Member Organizations
The organizations that reside under the administrative umbrella Member Organizations of Haven are as follows: (1) BiOm; (2) Cornell University Gay-Straight Alliance (CUGSA); (3) Dialogue; (4) Ga’avah; (5) Greeks United (GU); (6) Greeks United Straight Alliance (GUSA); (7) Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer/Questioning Women (LBQ); (8) MOSAIC for queer and same-gender loving People of Color; (9) OUTreach; (10) faQ Online; (11) ZAP! Peer Educators of Gender and Sexuality (PEGS) Sexuality Discussion Panels.

Section 4. Inactive Organizations
If a Member Organization is without members and leadership, then that organization can be defined as an inactive organization. This status can be conferred on a group A Member Organization may be deemed inactive when it is known that they have not attempted to meet that semester, the organization representative has failed to attend Executive Board meetings, or the facilitator has failed to attend trainings. Inactive organizations will no longer have representation on the Executive Board and will not be afforded the rights of active Member Organizations. They will, however, continue to be listed as members of Haven as a means of encouraging possible future leadership and activity. Inactive status may be conferred by a three-fourths vote of the Executive Board and lifted by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Section 5. Addition of Organizations
A new organization may be considered for addition to Haven if it satisfies the needs of a subset of the LGBTQ and Same Gender-Loving community not already met by one of the existing organizations. The addition of a new organization to Haven will be voted on by the entire Executive Board at its next scheduled meeting. The organization will only be granted membership in Haven with a unanimous vote of the Executive Board.

Article VII. Facilitators
Facilitators of Haven Member Organizations are responsible for the daily functioning of their organizations. Facilitators are to be trained undergo training and education in group building, and listening and / support skills, and LGBTQ and ally community issues. The facilitator of a Member Organization is neither expected nor encouraged to be the same person as the Organization Representative of said Member Organization. All group facilitators are expected to attend all trainings and workshops to be held at least once a semester.

Article VIII. Advisor(s)
The primary duty of the Advisor(s) is to give recommendations and a historical background to decisions concerning the allocation of funds, planning of events, and special projects. The Advisor(s) will also offer advice as to the appropriateness of the content of programs and events from the perspective of the Office of the Dean of Students. Working in conjunction with the Treasurer, the Advisor(s) will assure that all expenditures are properly filed and do not violate Student Assembly, University or Dean of Students accounting guidelines. The Advisor(s) will also organize and schedule training and workshops with the Vice President Educational Programming chair to help develop the group building, listening, and support skills of any member of Haven wishing to take on a facilitation role and any student currently facilitating a Member Organization.
The Advisor(s) will also serve as the primary advisors for all Member Organizations. However, Member Organizations are encouraged, but not required, to seek out secondary content advisors.

Article IX. Meetings
Executive Board meetings should be held at least monthly during the academic year. These meetings may be either physical or electronic in order to best accommodate the members of the Executive Board with the exception of the first three meetings and the special elections meeting, which may not be held electronically. The first meeting of the full Executive Board will include nondiscrimination training and review of the policies and procedures of Haven, including a reading of this constitution.
In the event that a matter must be presented to the board before its next meeting, the President may call an emergency meeting or conduct the business via email. In the event of an email vote, every member of the Executive Board will be afforded precisely two days to respond. A non-response will be counted as an abstention regarding the motion as stated.

Article X. Allocation of Funds
Section 1. Establishment of Categories
The Executive Board shall establish, within the first month of the academic year, the funding categories of the Haven budget. The board shall set a spending limit for each category at this meeting. If during the course of the academic year it becomes clear that more funding is required in a specific category, limits may be reset. Recommended funding categories are administrative funds, social programs, educational outreach programs, and cultural events.

Section 2. Administrative Funds
The funds allocated to the administrative category shall be evenly divided amongst all Member Organizations. This money shall be used for advertising the meetings of the organization and for refreshments at meetings.

Section 3. Recurring Expenses
When the Executive Board sees fit, it may establish a project, program, or event that occurs yearly as a recurring expense. These funds will be allocated outside of the established categories. These expenses must be projects, programs or events that benefit the membership of multiple Haven Member Organizations or the entire a significant portion of the LGBTQ and Same Gender-Loving community. Additionally, these can be expenses required for the basic functioning of the Executive Board.

Section 4. Requesting Funds
Any Member Organization can request funds for a program, project, or event by submitting, in writing, a proposal and budget to the Executive Board. If requested, The event planner should be prepared to submit price quotes for budgeted items. Once the Board is satisfied, all Executive Board members will vote on whether to fund the event, by a simple majority. The amount will then be discussed and set by a simple majority vote.

Section 5. Cosponsorships
Any registered student organization or university unit may request cosponsorship of projects or events by Haven or a Haven Member Organization. There are two avenues to pursue cosponsorships: through a Member Organization or through Haven as a whole. Through a Member Organization, a group asks the leadership of that Member Organization to cosponsor. If that Member Organization wishes to cosponsor they can request funds from the Executive Board as explained above.
If the outside group requests that Haven as a whole cosponsor they may present a request for cosponsorship to the Executive Board. The outside organization must show evidence that this event, project, or program will be of interest to a Haven constituent community. Once satisfied, all Executive Board members will then vote on whether to fund the event by a two-thirds majority. The amount will then be discussed and set by a two-thirds majority vote.

Article XI. Amendment of Constitution
Amendments to this constitution must be proposed in writing at an Executive Board meeting and read to the board at that meeting. The Executive Board will immediately vote whether to send the amendment to the general membership by a simple majority. If passed, at the next Board Meeting, the proposed amendment will be read again, and all assembled members of Haven Member Organizations, including the Executive Board, may vote. A two-thirds vote of all assembled will be required to ratify the amendment.