Constitution CISC

Consitution

The College of Education and Human Development International Students Community (CISC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing international students at CEHD by advocating for their rights and interests. We create spaces for international students through engaging activities, academic and career development sessions, and facilitate conversations between international students and CEHD to address their needs. Our mission includes helping international students navigate resources within UMN and CEHD, and fostering a sense of belonging among CEHD international students. CISC operates in accordance with all University policies, procedures, and applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Membership

Membership is open to all international students at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, creed, marital status, public assistance status, or sexual orientation. At least two-thirds of the total voting membership must be students at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities campus. Voting members are those registered with CISC and present at general meetings. Members not present at meetings will have their votes automatically counted in alignment with the majority. Any voting member present at a general meeting is considered a member of the assembly. To become a member, fill out the membership application form. Any member or officer may be impeached for misconduct, such as failure to perform duties, poor attendance, or misuse of funds. A seven-day notice and an opportunity to defend oneself will be provided. A two-thirds majority vote is required for impeachment.

Leadership: Board of Directors

Our leadership team consists of the President, Vice President, Director of Programming, Director of Communication, Director of Finance, Program Coordinators, and Co-Directors as needed. All officers must be international students on F-1 or J-1 visas, enrolled full-time at the University of Minnesota, and registered student services fee-paying students. Graduate students may be exempt upon certification of active degree pursuit. Officers must be in good standing with the University and free of any sanctions as defined by the Student Conduct Code. Officer recruitment begins at the end of the academic year (April - May) and is open to all members. Co-director positions are available if multiple candidates wish to share responsibilities. The selection and finalization of officers occur in August, with terms lasting at least one year. The new Board of Directors is announced at the start of the next academic year. Program Coordinators and their teams are selected on a rolling basis for specific projects, events, or activities. All CISC members are eligible to apply as program coordinators, and officers can also lead projects if desired.

President

call for any of the ordinary and extraordinary meetings (listed in Article IV);
manage, govern, and lead the CISC in coordination with the Board of Directors (or Officers);
report to and communicate with the other institutions as a representative of the CISC;
Arrange and assign any role or responsibilities to any member of the Board of Directors (or Officers) not otherwise assigned under this Charter and;
enforce the rules and regulations related to management and governance of the Member as stated in this Charter and policy of the CISC

Vice President

preside at meetings in the absence of the president;
succeed the president if the president cannot complete his/her term of office. Oversee the activities of all community committees;
attend all necessary meetings (as listed in Article IV), take notes of the proceedings, and write summaries of the proceedings for distribution to Members; (in case of the Vice President's absence, they have all rights to appoint another Board Member to act as minutes takers on their behalf);
solicit meetings summaries from other Board of Directors (or Officers) and(or) CISC general members when necessary;
incorporate critical points from those summaries into written reports to be distributed on a semester basis to Members and the Board of Directors (or Officers) and
maintain and ensure the security of all CISC records and documents, whether paper-based, electronic, stored locally, or stored online.

Director of Programming

participate in all (or the majority of) required board of director meetings.
serve as chairperson for the Program Committee and recruitment of program coordinators.
incubate and support the creation of fun activities and academic/career development programming;
support and align program coordinators with CISC’s missions and visions, code of conduct, cultures, and implementations;
oversees the overall programs and events that involve members and external stakeholders, including, and not limited to, CISC’s events, events co-hosted by/with other organizations, the University of Minnesota events;
create strategic timelines of all the events proposed by program coordinators, ensuring there are no overlaps in implementations;
create and monitor evaluations and impact of all events, programs, and activities on community members;
collect reports of all events, programs, and activities completed under CISC.

Director of Communication

establish communication within and outside the community by maintaining email and social media
create and manage the CISC’s media platforms;
consult regularly with the Board of Directors (or Officers) about CISC’s program coordinator regarding the implementation and publications of events, projects, activities, and achievements for promotion;
liaison with all other related organizations within the University of Minnesota and(or) with the University of Minnesota communication team/personnel to share content beneficial for CEHD international students;
develop and coordinate communications activities and timelines between community members, the general public, and the Board of Directors (or Officers);
create and implement a public relations strategy to promote a positive public image of the CISC;
maintain all branding and public image of CISC’s across all designs, specifically across different projects, activities, and events.

Director of Finance

participate in all (or the majority of) required board of director meetings.
control, manage, and supervise the finances of the CISC with the utmost attention being paid to the ethical handling of all monies and the thorough accounting of all income and expenditures;
report to and communicate with the Board of Directors (or Officers) and the other necessary stakeholders, including but not limited to funders, sponsors, and donors, regarding any matter involving CISC finances;
communicates and aligns all program budgets across different activities, events, and programs.
aligns CISC’s budget and consolidates expenses proposed by the Director of Programming and Program Coordinator.

Program Coordinator(s)

develop and propose projects, events, and activities to the Board of Directors (or Officers) via cisc@umn.edu.
submit a proposal to the Director of Programming.
lead project onboarding sessions, recruit the program team, lead the implementation of the projects, coordinate project closing sessions;
work with:
1. Director of Programming to schedule, seek support in implementation, report, and evaluate of the projects, events, and activities;
2. Director of Communications or communication personnel within the program team to design, publish, and promote projects, events, and activities;
3. Director of Finance to consolidate budgets, make purchases, and report financial transactions;
plan, implement, lead, and report the projects.

Co-Director(s)

Split roles and responsibilities with any of the assigned director positions above, including, but not limited to, Director of Programming, Director of Communications, and Director of Finance.

Outgoing Board of Director

Support the transition and onboarding process of new directors.
Serves as a consulting body to the board of directors.

Meeting and Proceedure

A public meeting, also known as a voting, general, or special meeting, will be held twice per semester. Ten percent of the voting membership may petition to call a special meeting, and any member of the Board of Directors or officers can lead this meeting. Decisions of the organization are enacted by a majority vote of the voting membership unless otherwise specified. Board of Directors or Officers Meetings will be held monthly to ensure the organization's smooth operation. These meetings are led by the President or Vice President and should be attended by all Board members or officers. Program Coordinators are exempt from these meetings unless the discussions involve their projects, activities, or events. Directors are exempt if their Co-Directors participate.

Committee Meetings can be held at various times during the semester and serve as forums for action, discussion, and collaboration on specific purposes. These meetings can include, but are not limited to, program meetings, communication meetings, and financial meetings, and can be proposed and led by their respective Directors. Program Onboarding and Closing Meetings, led by the Program Coordinators, will cover discussions about program planning, implementation, evaluation, and team-building activities. Program Coordinators and/or Directors of Programming will lead these meetings accordingly.

Detailed Information here

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