Our Constitution

The purposes of this chapter are to promote interest in technical communication and to encourage the professional development of students in technical communication.

Section 2

The chapter shall hold regular business meetings with programs on topics related to technical communication.

Purpose

Section 1

Article 3

Membership

A student organization is eligible for registration if it does not deny membership on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, except that: a registered student organization created primarily for religious purposes may restrict the right to vote or hold officer to person who subscribe to the registered student organization’s religions beliefs.

Active members shall be students enrolled at Texas Tech University and shall have paid the required national dues.

Associate members shall be faculty, staff, alumni, or community members who are interested in technical communication. They shall not be eligible to hold office or to vote.

Section 2

Section 3

Article 4

Officers

Section 1

The officers of the society shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and SORC/Org Representative. These officers shall perform their duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary procedures adopted by STC. Immediate Past President may sit on the council of the chapter.

Section 2

All officers must be students enrolled at Texas Tech University who demonstrate an interest in technical communication.

Officers shall be elected at the March meeting each year, and assume office at the April annual meeting.

Section 3

Section 4

Officers shall be elected to serve for one year or until their successors are elected.

Section 5

Outgoing and incoming officers shall meet for an exchange of information between the March elections and April annual meeting.

Officers

Section 6

Vacancies in office shall be filled by nomination and voting of a quorum of active members.

Article 5

Meetings

Section 1

The regular meetings of the chapter shall be held at least three times in the Fall and three times in the Spring semesters. Meetings will be announced and posted at least one week in advance.

Section 2

Quorum will constitute two-thirds of members who are present at the meeting.

Section 3

One meeting in March shall be the election meeting.

Section 4

The regular meeting in April shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of acknowledging the service of outgoing officers and installing incoming officers, as well as receiving reports of officers and committees and conducting any other business.

Section 5

Special meetings may be called by the President or Executive Committee or shall be called upon the written request of 25% of the membership of the chapter. Three days notice shall be given electronically, except in cases of emergency, and the purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the notice.

Meetings

Voting

Article 6

Voting

During a meeting and after quorum has been established, voting will occur per Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 1

The decision on the vote will be announced by the President after 51% of the eligible membership raises a hand for the desired outcome.

Section 2

Article 7

Departmental and External Relationships

This organization is a student chapter of the international Society for Technical Communication.

Section 1

This organization is the student chapter for the Society for Technical Communication at Texas Tech University.

Section 2

Departmental and External Relationships

Article 8

Committees

The Executive Committee shall include the officers of the society. They shall supervise affairs of the society between its business meetings, make recommendations to the society and perform other duties as specified in the bylaws. The Executive Committee shall be subject to the orders of the society and none of its acts shall conflict with actions taken by the society.

Section 1

Standing Committees may include the following:

Website Committee. The committee will update and maintain the website.
Fundraising Committee. The committee may organize fundraising events in accordance to the requirements of the SGA and work with the treasurer for the safe handling of monies, if applicable.
Publicity Committee. The committee, with the Secretary, will develop and implement recruiting ideas and help advertise chapter events, including social media publicity.
Program Committee. The committee, with the Vice President, will develop chapter meeting programs.

Section 2

Committees

Special event committees shall be formed of volunteers for the purpose of planning and organizing special events (i.e. job site excursions, job fairs, diversity week). Following these events, the chair shall submit a written report to the President for future reference. The President and/or the Vice President shall meet with these committees as often as needed to provide advice and support.

Section 3

Other committees shall be appointed by the President as the society or the Executive Committee deem necessary to carry on the work of the society. The chairs of other committees should attend the Executive Committee meetings when the agenda concerns the other committees’ business.

Section 4

Advisor/s

One or more advisors (Faculty Sponsor) shall be selected each April by the Executive Committee in consultation with the director of the technical communication program. The Faculty Sponsor will advocate for the chapter at STC and council the Executive Committee.

The advisor/s must be a full-time faculty/staff and shall not have any voting privileges.

Responsibilities shall be those assigned by the Texas Tech University Student Affairs Handbook.

An advisor may be removed from the position at the request of a written letter/email submitted to the Executive Committee and must receive a two-thirds vote of the organization.

Section 1

Section 4

Section 3

Section 2

Article 9

Advisors

Legal Agreement

Article 10

Legal Agreement

The chapter agrees to abide by all federal, state, and local laws; and by Texas Tech University policies and procedures.

Section 1

Amendments

Article 11

Amendments

This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the chapter by a two-thirds vote of members present, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing (hard copy, email, or web copy) at the previous meeting.

Section 1

Constitution Updated & Approved July 2017