Constitution of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community

(Ratified by the Provisional House Council on February 4, 2003,
passed a general vote of the House Membership in March 2003)

I. Name

The Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community

II. Mission

To promote fellowship, scholarship, citizenship, and the general welfare of the members of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community.

III. Membership

Membership shall be of the following classes:

1. Active Members - All residents of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence.
   
   
2. Honorary Members - Individuals who have rendered distinguished service to the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community, to be elected by a two-thirds vote of the Sidney-Pacific House Council.
   
   
3. Visiting Members - Individuals not falling in the first two classes who are granted some of the privileges of membership.
   
   
4. Alumni Members - Individuals who were formerly Active Members.
   
   

IV. House Council

The legislative and executive powers of the Sidney Pacific Graduate Community shall be vested in a Sidney-Pacific House Council, charged with representing the interests and furthering the Mission of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community, levying the House Tax and controlling the disposition of House funds for the benefit of Members, and controlling and promoting the use of the House avocational and recreational facilities. The House Council shall consist of a Hall Council, a Cabinet, and an Executive Council, each granted specific authorities as provided below. No member of the House Council shall hold more than one office therein. The House Council may enact legislation by a majority vote of those present at a House Council Meeting, however a two-thirds vote shall be required if proposed legislation countermands an existing policy enacted by the Hall Council, Cabinet or Executive Council, in which case the decision of the House Council shall take precedence. Voting rights of the various offices of the House Council shall be specified in the Bylaws.

1. Hall Council - The Hall Council shall consist of one Councilor from each Hall, elected by the Active Members of the Hall thereof for a one year term of office. No person shall be a member of the Hall Council who is not an Active Member. The Hall Councilors shall be charged with serving as a point of contact and representing the interests of their respective Halls to the House Council as well as organizing activities and encouraging interactions among the residents at the Hall level. The enumeration and demarcation of the Halls shall be provided in the Bylaws.
   
   
2. Cabinet - The Cabinet shall consist of one Chair, appointed by the Executive Council for a one year term of office, of each of the Standing Committees recognized by the House Council. The enumeration and duties of the Standing Committees shall be provided in the Bylaws.
   
   
3. Executive Council - The Executive Council shall consist of five voting members: the Chair of the Halls, elected by the Hall Council for a one year term of office and the President and three others, each elected by the House Council to serve one year terms of office. The President shall designate one of these three to serve in his or her place in the event that the President is unable to perform the required duties. The Executive Council is charged with coordinating the actions of the House Council, setting the agenda and presiding at meetings of the House Council, representing the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community to persons outside, presenting the budget for ratification by the House Council, and other duties as provided in the Bylaws. No person shall be a member of the Executive Council who is not an Active Member and a graduate student. Decisions of the Executive Council shall be made by majority vote, with the Housemasters and House Manager serving in an advisory capacity.
   
   

V. Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees shall exercise the judicial powers of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community, administrate fair elections, act in an advisory capacity to the House Council, and assume other duties as requested by the House Council. The Board shall consist of at least three members, nominated by the Executive Council and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the House Council, holding office so long as Active Membership is maintained. The Board shall elect a Chair from among its members for a one year term of office. No member of the Board may be a member of the House Council. Decisions of the Board shall be made by majority vote, with the Residential Life Associate serving in an advisory capacity. Cases may be brought before the Board by petition, in writing, of any Member.

VI. Meetings

The House Council shall meet at least once every month at the call of the President. Meetings shall be announced and their agenda publicized at least one week prior to being held. A majority of the membership of the House Council shall constitute a quorum, and Robert's Rules of Order shall prevail, unless they are in conflict with the Constitution or Bylaws. Proxies may be submitted by petition in writing to the Executive Council. Meetings shall be open to all Members.

VII. Removal From Office

1. Impeachment - In the event of negligence of duties or of conduct unbecoming an officer of Sidney-Pacific, impeachment proceedings may be brought against a member of the House Council or Board of Trustees through petition, in writing, to the Magistrate by ten percent of the membership of the House Council or by ten percent of the Active Membership.
   
   
2. Magistrate and Review Board - If a member of the House Council is the party impeached, the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall serve as the Magistrate and the Board of Trustees shall serve as the Review Board. If a member of the Board of Trustees is the party impeached, the President shall serve as the Magistrate and the Executive Council shall serve as the Review Board. Each member of the Review Board shall have the right to recuse himself or herself from a case and appoint a replacement.
   
   
3. Review - If the impeachment petition has not been endorsed by a majority of the House Council, the Magistrate shall convene the Review Board to discuss the merits of the impeachment case. If it is determined by a two-thirds vote of the Review Board that the case is spurious or without merit, the impeachment proceedings shall end without finding.
   
   
4. Conviction - If the case for impeachment has satisfied or bypassed Review, the Magistrate shall notify the impeached officer of the time and place of the vote for Conviction, which shall take place during a House Council Meeting no less than two weeks and no more than two months after notification. The Magistrate shall officiate the proceedings, offering the impeachers the opportunity to state their case and the impeached officer or his or her designee their defense. The impeached officer or his or her designee will also be granted the option to make a statement immediately before the vote for Conviction. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote of the House Council and results in an immediate removal from office.
   
   

VIII. Vacancies

Vacancies in the House Council shall be announced at the earliest possible House Council meeting, and filled by decision of the respective electing body before or during the following meeting. In order that House business may continue unimpeded, the Executive Council may use its discretion to make temporary appointments to fill vacant offices of the House Council. The Executive Council shall also make temporary appointments as necessary in order to retain the minimum membership of the Board of Trustees of three. In no case shall a temporary appointment last longer than three consecutive months.

IX. Amendments

1. Constitution - Amendments to the Constitution may originate in the House Council or by petition in writing by ten percent of the Active Membership. The Council shall vote on any amendments during the House Council Meeting following their announcement. Adoption requires a three-fourths vote of the House Council, followed by a majority vote of the Active Members voting in a referendum prior to the subsequent House Council meeting.
   
   
2. Bylaws - Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the House Council.
   
   

X. Ratification

Ratification of this Constitution and the appended Bylaws requires a three-fourths vote of the provisional House Council followed by a majority vote of the Active Members voting in a referendum. If passed, it shall take effect immediately.

Bylaws of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community

(Ratified by the Provisional House Council on February 4, 2003,
passed a general vote of the House Membership in March 2003)

I. Offices of the House Council

1. President - The President shall set the agenda and preside at meetings of the House Council and Executive Council, coordinate the activities of the Executive Council, and act as the chief representative of the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community. The President shall have oversight of the Office of the President, consisting of the following Standing Committees:
   
   
   1. Neighborhood Outreach Committee - Charged with the establishment of connections and promotion and facilitation of interactions between the Sidney-Pacific and surrounding communities.
      
      
   2. Housefellows Liaison Committee - Charged with the establishment of connections and promotion and facilitation of interactions between Members and MIT faculty.
      
      
   3. Committee for Scholarly Interactions - Charged with the promotion and facilitation of scholarly, cross-departmental, and intellectual interactions among Members.
      
      
   4. Graduate Student Council Representation Committee - Charged with the representation of Sidney-Pacific interests in the GSC General Council, the maintenance of open channels of communication between the GSC leadership and the Executive Council, and the promotion of involvement of Members with the GSC.
      
      
2. Chair of the Halls - The Chair of the Halls shall set the agenda and preside at meetings of the Hall Council, organize the weekly coffeehours in conjunction with the Hall Councilors, and otherwise coordinate the activities of the Hall Council. The Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence shall be divided into Halls according to floor and a North (Gray and Orange Wings) or South (Blue and Green Wings) designation as follows:
   
   
   1. Floor 9
      
   2. Floor 8
      
   3. Floor 7
      
   4. Floor 6 - South
      
   5. Floor 5 - South
      
   6. Floor 4 - South
      
   7. Floor 3 - South
      
   8. Floor 2 - South
      
   9. Floor 1 - South
      
   10. Floors 5 and 6 - North
       
   11. Floor 4 - North
       
   12. Floor 3 - North
       
   13. Floor 2 - North
       
       
   Bylaw Amendment 1
   Bylaw Amendment 2
   Bylaw Amendment 4
   Bylaw Amendment 5
   
   
3. Vice-President of Information - The Vice-President of Information shall be the member of the Executive Council charged with directing the information resources and communication efforts of the House Council, including the recording, filing and publication of House Council and Executive Council minutes, maintenance of records, publicity, and facilitation of external liaisons. The Vice-President of Information shall have oversight of the Office of Information, consisting of the following Standing Committees:
   
   
   1. Web Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of the Sidney-Pacific webpage and the SPIDir (Sidney-Pacific Information Directive) Database.
      
      
   2. Publicity Committee - Charged with the design and distribution of publicity materials for the House Council and the management of the publicity efforts of outside agencies within the House.
      
      
   3. Sidney-Pacific Television (SPTV) Committee - Charged with the development and scheduling of regular programming for SPTV, facilitation of House Council publicity efforts on SPTV, development and maintenance of a videographic record of life at Sidney-Pacific, and encouragement of resident involvement in SPTV programming development.
      
      
   4. Photography Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of a visual record of life at Sidney-Pacific.
      
      
   5. Newsletter Committee - Charged with the development and distribution of a regularly appearing newsletter for the Sidney-Pacific Graduate Community.
      
      
   6. Library Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of the Sidney-Pacific Library and Archives.
      
      
   Bylaw Amendment 7
   
   
4. Vice-President of Residential Life - The Vice-President of Residential Life shall be the member of the Executive Council charged with directing the House-wide social and cultural activities of the House. The Vice-President of Residential Life shall have oversight of the Office of Residential Life, consisting of the following Standing Committees:
   
   
   1. Cultural Committee - Charged with the organization and encouragement of activities for the cultural enrichment of Members and promotion of intercultural exchange.
      
      
   2. Social Committee - Charged with the organization and encouragement of activities that provide opportunities for social interaction among Members.
      
      
   3. Athletics Committee - Charged with the organization and encouragement of athletic activities and the development and maintenance of the House Exercise and Game Rooms and other House athletic equipment.
      
      
   4. Brunch Committee - Charged with the organization of regular House brunches.
      
      
   5. Orientation Committee - Charged with the production of orientation resources and the organization of a program of orientation activities for new Members entering in the Fall and Spring terms.
      
      
   6. Outing Committee - Charged with the organization and encouragement of outdoor activities and promoting appreciation for the natural world.
      
      
   7. Movie Committee - Charged with the organization of regular movie nights, development and maintenance of the Sidney-Pacific movie library, and the promotion of film appreciation among Members.
      
      
   Bylaw Amendment 6
   Bylaw Amendment 8
   
   
5. Vice-President of Resources - The Vice-President of Resources shall be the member of the Executive Council charged with directing the use of House physical resources, avocational and recreational facilities and stewarding the financial resources of the House Council. The Vice-President of Resources shall have oversight of the Office of Resources, consisting of the following Standing Committees:
   
   
   1. Bikes Committee - Charged with the development, maintenance and direction of the Sidney-Pacific bicycle fleet.
      
      
   2. Environmental Committee - Charged with the education of Members and facilitation of Members' efforts regarding conservation, recycling, and environmental initiatives.
      
      
   3. Plants Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of the Sidney-Pacific plants and education of Members regarding care and appreciation of plants.
      
      
   4. Aquarium Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of the Sidney-Pacific aquarium and education of Members regarding care and appreciation of aquatic creatures.
      
      
   5. Audio/Visual Committee - Charged with the development, maintenance, and direction of the Sidney-Pacific electronic audio/visual equipment.
      
      
   6. Arts Committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of public art within the House and the encouragement of artistic expression and appreciation among Members.
      
      
   7. Music Committee - Charged with the development, maintenance and direction of the Sidney-Pacific Music Room and encouragement of musical expression and appreciation among Members.
      
      
   8. Information Technology Committee - Charged with the development, maintenance, and direction of the Sidney-Pacific Resource Center and other House information technology equipment and education of Members regarding their use.
      
      
   9. Committee of the Controller - Charged with the processing of House Council financial transactions and maintenance and reporting of House Council financial records.
      
      
   Bylaw Amendment 4
   
   

II. Meeting Procedure

At the beginning of each meeting of the House Council, Robert's Rules of Order shall be suspended and the meeting shall be officiated at the discretion of the President. Any member of the House Council may, at any time during the meeting, require the reinstatement of Robert's Rules. All votes shall be conducted publicly and entered in the minutes of the meeting, except those involving elections, which shall be performed by secret ballot. Members of the Executive Council and the Cabinet shall receive one vote, while each Hall Councilor shall receive two.

III. Elections

Voters will be asked to list the candidates in order of preference and the votes will be counted using the Full Preferential method. If no candidate receives a majority of first choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first place votes will be eliminated and that candidate's votes will go to the candidate that was listed as a second choice. This process will continue until a candidate receives a majority of the votes and is declared the winner. The first runner-up is determined by eliminating the winner from the votes cast and applying the full preferential method as described above among the remaining candidates. This process is repeated until a complete order of finish for all candidates is determined. The winning candidate in any election shall be granted the option to accept office. If the option is not exercised within one week, it shall pass to the runners-up, in order of finish, resting with each for a period of one day, until the office is accepted.

1. Executive Council - Nominations shall open at the March House Council Meeting and close after two weeks. Any person qualified to serve on the Executive Council may be nominated by any Member verbally, during the March Meeting, or by petition in writing to the Board of Trustees. Nominees must submit a statement of candidacy and any supporting documents to the Board of Trustees by the close of nominations. Elections for all five Executive Council positions shall take place concurrently during the April House Council Meeting, which shall be held no fewer than three weeks following the March Meeting. The Board of Trustees shall officiate the portion of the April Meeting regarding the elections, allowing each candidate to make a statement and respond to questions prior to the casting of the votes. Transitional training for the Executive Council-Elect shall take place during the following month, and the Executive Council-Elect shall take office two weeks from the date of the April House Council Meeting.
   
   
2. Hall Council - Nominations shall open at the April House Council Meeting and close after two weeks. Any person qualified to serve on the Hall Council may be nominated by any Member verbally, during the April Meeting, or by petition in writing to the Board of Trustees. During the nomination period, each Hall Councilor shall organize a Hall Meeting for the residents of their Hall in order to encourage nominations and discuss issues of importance to the Hall and the House. The Board of Trustees shall officiate the portion of the Hall Meetings regarding the election. Members of each Hall may cast their votes at their Hall Meeting or during one additional period, to be chosen by the Board of Trustees, falling between the close of nominations and the May House Council Meeting. Newly-elected Hall Councilors shall take office during the May House Council Meeting, which shall be held no fewer than three weeks following the April Meeting.
   
   
3. Cabinet - The Executive Council shall make appointments during the May House Council Meeting. New appointees shall take office immediately.
   
   
4. Board of Trustees - The Executive Council House Council may present a nomination for the Board of Trustees during any House Council Meeting. The nominee shall be voted on during the first House Council Meeting to be held more than two weeks from the date of nomination. The election for the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall occur in April, on a date determined by the Chair and announced to the Trustees at least one week in advance. The Trustees shall meet on the specified date, and nominations for Chair shall be entered verbally, by any Trustee, during the meeting. The vote shall be held using a secret ballot, and the Chair-Elect shall take office immediately.
   
   

Bylaw Amendments

March 6, 2003

1a) Members of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority resident in Hall Floor 2 North shall not be included in the constituency of the Floor 2 North Hall Councilor, but represented in the House Council by the Kappa Alpha Theta representative in the Office of the President.

1b) Kappa Alpha Theta Representation Committee - Charged with the representation of Kappa Alpha Theta interests in the House Council, the maintenance of open channels of communication between the Kappa Alpha Theta leadership and the Executive Council, and the promotion of interaction between Members and Kappa Alpha Theta.

2) In addition to the duties as specified in the Constitution, Hall Councilors shall be expected to reside in their respective Halls.

April 1, 2003

3) A seniority point system shall be used to preferentially allocate vacant rooms, guest rooms, parking spaces and other limited resources among Members. Unless otherwise noted in the Bylaws, these points shall be awarded by the Executive Council, in consultation with the Housemasters and House Manager and with input from the House Council, Board of Trustees, and other Members. The points shall be awarded in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms through the following (non-exclusive) channels:

1. Each Active Member shall be awarded one point per term of residence in Sidney-Pacific.
   
   
2. Each member of the House Council shall be eligible for up to two points per term, awarded on the basis of service performed.
   
   
3. Members of Cabinet and Hall Committees who are not members of the House Council are eligible for one point for term, awarded on the basis of service performed and the recommendation of the relevant House Councilor.
   
   
4. Each member of the Executive Council is eligible for one point per term, awarded by majority vote of the members of the relevant Office, on the basis of service performed.
   
   
5. Any Member may be awarded a point on the basis of exceptional service to the House.
   
   

December 2, 2003

4) Addition of two committees to Bylaws:

• Coffee Hour Committee: Charged with the organization of weekly coffee-hour social events. (in the Office of the Vice President of Residential Life)
  
• Inventory Committee: Charged with the upkeep of the inventory database and the oversight of front-desk and main lobby resources. (in the Office of the Vice President of Resources)
  

   Deletion of a phrase from the Bylaws:

• Chair of the Halls: ... organize the weekly coffeehours in conjunction with the Hall Councilors,...

April 8, 2004

5) Modifications of Hall Designations for Floors 5 and 6 (in section lb - Chair of the Halls):

• Delete: sections iv. (Floor 6 - South) and x. (Floors 5 and 6 - North).
• Add: section iv. (Floor 6) and x. (Floor 5 - North).

6) In the Office of Resources section:

1. Deletion of Environment committee.

7) In the Office of Information section:

1. Deletion of History/Library and Photography committees.
2. Addition of Archive/Photography committee - Charged with the development and maintenance of a written and visual record of life at Sidney-Pacific.

8) In the Office of Resources section:

1. Deletion of Movie Committee.

9) In section 1b of the bylaws, Chair of the Halls:

1. The Chair of the Halls is further responsible for running the Internal In-House Lottery in accordance with the deadlines set by the Graduate Housing Office.

10) In section 1a of the bylaws, Office of the President:

1. Deletion of the Housefellows Liaison Committee.
2. Modification of the Committee for Scholarly Interactions - Charged with the promotion and facilitation of scholarly, cross-departmental, and intellectual interactions among Members as well as the establishment of connections and promotion and facilitation of interaction between Members and MIT faculty.

11) In section 1a of the bylaws, Office of the President:

1. Deletion of the Kappa Alpha Theta Representation Committee.