The Occidental College Democrats - About Us
Statement of Purpose
The Occidental College Democrats pledge themselves to promote progressive values by supporting all efforts to increase the participation of college students in political affairs and to promote the policies and positions of the Democratic Party. To these ends, the Occidental College Democrats shall seek to educate, activate, and support its members, enabling them:
- To promote student awareness regarding political and social issues.
- To advance and articulate intelligent political and social dialogue on campus.
- To participate in progressive political change on the local, state, and national level.
- To communicate the philosophies of the Democratic Party.
Membership
- The Occidental College Democrats do not base membership criteria on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or disability. There are two types of membership within the Occidental College Democrats:
- Non-voting members - Any student currently enrolled at Occidental College who holds the best interests of the club at heart and who wishes to be identified as a Campus Democrat may be a non-voting member.
- Voting-members - In addition to the responsibilities of a non-voting member, a voting member must attend a minimum of one (1) club meeting per month OR attend three (3) consecutive club meetings prior to a vote in order to possess voting status. A voting member may seek office and vote in club elections, club endorsements, for recalls, for constitutional amendments, and for club leadership structure. Each voting member is entitled to one vote. Additionally, voting members hold priority over non-voting members with respect to events and activities that have limited space.
- All members of the College Democrats will have the option to serve on committees, created as needed by the membership of the club. These committees, which will work to carry out specific club duties, will not have to be appointed or include elected chairpersons. Each committee will select a liaison, who will report to the general club on the progress and needs of the committee. Club members are free to serve on multiple committees.
Leadership Structure
There exist three options pertaining to the official leadership structure of the Occidental College Democrats. These options exist as follows:
Option (1): President, Vice President, Finance Minister, Secretary.
Option (2): Two Co-Presidents, Vice President, Finance Minister, Secretary.
Option (3): Two Co-Presidents, Finance Minister, and Secretary.
A vote is to take place within the final month of the academic year to determine the leadership structure for the coming academic year. The option adopted must be the one winning the highest number of votes. This vote must occur before general elections for officeholders take place.
These options exist in acknowledgement that club characteristics, including membership numbers and personalities of potential club leaders, can vary widely between years.
Officer Duties
- It is expected that all elected leaders maintain active involvement in all of the College Democrats activities and endeavors.
- Duties of the President(s):
- Be a leading figure of the College Democrats.
- Help define the agenda of the College Democrats during his or her tenure.
- Act as an official representative of the College Democrats to other groups and the media.
- Facilitate meetings of the College Democrats.
- Duties of the Vice-President (if applicable):
- Be a leading figure of the College Democrats.
- Help define the agenda of the College Democrats during his or her tenure.
- In situations of disagreement, the authority of the President shall supersede that of the Vice President.
- Duties of the Finance Minister:
- Direct fundraising activities and prepare all grants.
- Manage the bank account and budget, including reimbursements from ASOC.
- Anticipate expenses associated with proposed activities.
- Duties of the Secretary:
- Record minutes of general meetings.
- Maintain a running list contact information of both Occidental members and all relevant contacts both on and off campus.
- Actively monitor which members have voting rights and which do not.
- Additional positions (such as publicity, outreach coordinator, etc) and their responsibilities may be created on an as needed basis if agreed to by a simple majority of Club members possessing voting rights.
Officer Election Procedures
- All officeholders will serve a term of one academic year. There are no restrictions concerning running for re-election. Elections are to take place within the final month of the academic year to determine the leadership for the coming year.
- Candidates shall be nominated directly before the election.
- All members interested in an elected position shall be given the opportunity to speak briefly on their qualifications and intentions if elected.
- Vote counting and declaration of winner will occur directly after the election. Votes will be counted by two separate club members who themselves are not running for election.
Recall Procedures
If 2/3 of club members with voting rights sign a petition requesting the recall of an elected official within a one week period, the elected official in question must relinquish his or her position immediately. Only one recall may be brought against the same elected official per semester.
Advisor Expectations
The Occidental College Democrats expect their faculty club advisor to be:
- Willing to actively serve as the faculty advisor for the academic year.
- Willing to occasionally attend a weekly meeting.
- Willing to be available for consultation regarding club events, ideas, and agendas.
- Willing to accept an open invitation to attend events put on by the club.
Meeting Frequency
Meetings will be held on a weekly basis and are open to the student body at large. The President(s) shall also be able to call special meetings, or approve special meeting requests of other members with voting rights.
Endorsement Procedures
The Occidental Democrats reserve the right to endorse any candidate running for office (be it at the school, local, state, or federal level) whose jurisdiction would include Occidental College. Only voting members may participate in this process. Candidate names must be submitted, after which a vote shall take place. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be the endorsed candidate of the Occidental College Democrats if, and only if, the difference between their vote total and the vote total of the nearest competitor exceeds 10% of the total number of votes cast. If this threshold is not met, a second round of voting – under the same procedures – may take place at a later time.
Amendment Procedures
Only a member with voting rights may propose a constitutional amendment.
Any amendment to this Constitution must be submitted to the President(s) in writing, after which the member who submitted the amendment has one week to acquire the approval, via signature, of 2/3 of the club’s voting member population. Upon verification of these signatures, the amendment shall be immediately adopted.