Constitution
Note: this is a copy of the official group constitution. The OSE-approved copy can be found on CardinalEngage.
Dancebreak Constitution
Version Date: 1/9/2020
Article 1: Name
Dancebreak
Article 2: Purpose
The goal of Dancebreak is to make social dance more accessible to Stanford University students. We seek to provide an opportunity for fun, high-level social dancing which requires little to no previous experience of any dance form and welcome beginners. We hold weekly practices and encourage experimentation in creating new Stanford-based dances as well.
The purpose of Dancebreak is to build a community of social dance enthusiasts and share opportunities to learn, practice, perform, and enjoy social dance. We encourage dancers of all levels to interact and teach each other, and we provide opportunities for people to expand their dance repertoire beyond the classroom.
Article 3: Activities and scope
The primary activity of our group is a weekly dance event during which we create a friendly atmosphere for people of all levels to enjoy social dance. These events are open to all Stanford students, and we welcome newcomers throughout any time of the year. We are a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students. We particularly encourage participation by students enrolled in the social dance classes taught at Stanford, by announcing Dancebreak in those classes and focusing sessions on what was taught in those classes the week prior.
We also encourage members to arrange and attend other related events to help build the community feel within the group, such as DJing their own social dance events, and teaching social dance to members of the greater Stanford community.
Article 4: Membership
We are proud to welcome any Stanford student with an interest in social dance to our group and do not require any background experience in ballroom dancing or any dance form. Our group is a mix of undergraduate and graduate students. We are also a mix of students who have either taken or are currently taking social dance classes at Stanford, as well as other students with interest in social dance.
To keep track of members we use CardinalSync (the current OSE group management website) and our mailing list.
Only currently registered Stanford students are eligible to become voting members, and must be registered on CardinalSync. We have no dues, auditions, or attendance requirements, although attendance will be considered for officer elections. Only officers have work responsibilities at events, although volunteers are always appreciated. Officers for the following year will be elected in late Spring and must be registered as a student for the following academic year.
We expect that removal of a member will be a very rare incident, although should this come up we have the following process: if a member feels uncomfortable about the presence of another member at a weekly dance event or other campus-based activity, they should bring this to the attention of one of the officers. The officers will discuss and if seen fit will give the offending member a warning. If the offending member does not improve their behavior by the next event, they will be asked to leave, and will be removed from the mailing list and CardinalSync, if applicable.
Article 5: Leadership/Officers
Our group has three official officer positions: President, Vice President, and Financial Officer. To be eligible, officer candidates must be a registered student during the year in which they serve, be registered on CardinalSync, and have a strong attendance at weekly practices. Officer election for the following year will occur in late spring, and will serve starting after the current academic year has ended (beginning of summer) until the following academic year ends.
The positions and responsibilities are explained as follows:
President: handles organizational and logistical issues by registering and staying in the loop with OSE (the student group leadership, currently using CardinalSync as their web interface), booking the room for every dance event, and keeping documents updated.
Vice President: in charge of getting information about our events to the public and general assistance to the president.
Financial Officer: works on getting money from ASSU and GSC to support mostly room fees and any other costs for events.
For elections, the group will be notified of an upcoming election and call for interested members. Any eligible interested member should inform the current officers and will be considered for a position. If considered qualified, they will become a candidate for that position. If there are no other candidates for a position, then that individual will be selected. If there are multiple candidates for a position, an anonymous voting system will be arranged either online or in-person, and only Stanford students will be eligible to vote. Once selected, the current president will be responsible for re-registering the new officers on CardinalSync. In addition, the upcoming Financial Officer will be required to attend the mandatory OSE financial orientation meetings.
Should a current officer be considered by another officer or group member to be inadequately carrying out the specified responsibilities for the position, an officer (or second officer) should be contacted. All officers should meet to discuss the responsibilities of the position and involvement of the current officer. If after a period of two weeks the complaints about responsibilities remain, the officers will meet again to discuss and ask the officer to step down. The remaining officers may shuffle positions if desired (although additional training may be required for the Financial Officer position), and then an email will be sent to the entire group explaining that the officer has chosen to step down due to exterior conflicts and the same officer election process as before will be used to select a candidate for the single position.
Article 6: Decision making
Any decision affecting the entire group will be put up to vote for all eligible voting members. Advance notice will be given, then voting will be conducted and a simple majority will be required to pass. Decisions should adhere to the purpose and disposition of the group.
Article 7: Dissolution
Dissolution must be voted on by 70% of all members in order to pass. In the event that the group becomes dissolved, all funds will pass back to the ASSU or GSC, depending on source.
Article 8: Amendment of constitution
Any amendments made to the constitution must be agreed upon by all current officers as well as a simple majority of voting-eligible group members. The president will be responsible for updating the constitution on CardinalSync after obtaining approval from OSE.