Constitution for the Disabled Student Cultural Center

Article I - General Information

Section I: Identity
The official name of this non-profit organization shall be the Disabled Student Cultural Center, whose
official acronym is DSCC and main location will be Room 213 in the University of Minnesota’s Student
Union on the East Bank campus. The DSCC, as it will be referred to throughout the constitution from this
point on, will comply with all University policies and procedures, as well as local, state, and federal laws
and regulations.

Section II: Purpose

The DSCC will
1. Be a completely accessible environment to all.
2. Serve as a social and study area for all students with a focus on individuals with disabilities.
3. Foster a positive culture where students with disabilities are celebrated.
4. Provide an opportunity for all students, regardless of ability, to learn about disabilities and
disability culture.
5. Increase the level of disability awareness and uphold the rights of students with disabilities on
campus through advocacy.
6. Be a resource for the University of Minnesota.

Article II - Membership

Section I - General Membership

1. General Membership is open to anyone, including students, staff, faculty, or non-students;
however, 2/3 of the members must be students, faculty, and staff at the University of Minnesota,
Twin Cities.
2. General Membership is not withheld for reasons regarding race, religion, color, sex, gender,
national origin, ability, age, veteran status, creed, marital status, public assistance status, sexual
orientation, or any other identity.
3. The process of General Membership Registration requires aspiring General Members to add
their name and email to the DSCC mailing list.
Section II - Board Membership
1. To become a Board Member, the following requirements must be met:
a. The individual must have attended at least one event or two Board Meetings and be given
majority approval from the Board by vote at a board meeting.
 b. Board Members must be enrolled at the University of Minnesota1 and either be an
undergraduate student registered for six or more credits or a graduate student enrolled in
more than three credits.
2. Rights of Board Members:
a. Voting to elect the Officers during the election month for the following fiscal year.
b. Proposing amendments and By-Laws to the constitution of the DSCC.
c. Decide programming sponsored by the DSCC.
d. Board Member’s responsibilities will be detailed in Article III.

Section III - Officers

1. The Admin Officers of this organization shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary,
Finance Director, and Program Director. In the event that all these positions are filled, an
Auxiliary Team consisting of an Advocacy Coordinator, a Technology Specialist, a
Communications Coordinator, and a Social Media Coordinator can be instituted.
2. Roles of each position will be outlined in Article III.
3. Officers must either be self-nominated or nominated by another board member prior to the
election meeting in March.
4. Elections will generally take place, both in person and online, during the last board meeting in
March. Preliminary training for specific positions will begin the week after elections.

Article III - Board Members’ Responsibilities

Section I - Board
All Board Members must
1. Be familiar with:
a. Google Drive: (docs, sheets, hangouts, calendar, etc.)
b. All information pertaining to events such as date, time, and subject matter.
c. The DSCC website at z.umn.edu/dscc.
d. The SSF (Student Services Fee) process.
e. The DSCC Constitution and By-Laws
2. Properly train their successor.
3. Officers that are not on the admin team (as defined in Article II) must contribute a minimum of 3
Office Hours per week at the DSCC. Admin team officers have a minimum of 5 Office Hours
per week at the DSCC or more.
a. These hours do not have to be consecutive.
b. If unable to do office hours, an agreement can be reached with an admin team on a
case-by-case basis.
4. Accomplish additional tasks outside of their specific role as needed.
5. Keep in communication:
a. Regularly Check the DSCC online communication platform of choice.

1
 b. Respond to direct messages from other board members in a timely manner.
c. Read all emails sent from DSCC board members and respond if necessary.
d. Indicate ability to attend events.
6. If tasked with opening the DSCC, both doors must be fully open and lights must be turned on.
7. If tasked with closing the DSCC, give a 5-minute warning before it closes so that everyone can
clean up and prepare to leave.
8. Abide by Article IX - Code of Conduct

Section II - Board Meetings and Official Business

1. Board Meetings occur a minimum of three times a month during the academic year. The exact
dates and times will be determined and publicly displayed each semester.
2. Meetings are open to all, but voting participants will include only Officers, Board Members, and
Advisors.
3. An opportunity to vote must be given to all board members, either in person or online.
4. A board member, preferably the secretary, must volunteer to take notes for the meeting and store
them in the DSCC google drive in the Meeting Notes Folder.
5. Task completion progress should be reviewed and reported to the President.
6. A quorum must vote in order to conduct official DSCC business.
7. Decisions of the organization shall be enacted by a majority vote of the Board, which may include
electronic votes given within 48 hours of the in-person vote.
8. In the case of a tied vote, the electronic voting period will be extended, or if all members have
voted, the admin team will be tasked with the decision.

Section III - Administrative Team

1. Collective Responsibilities of Administrative Team
1.1. All policies from Article III, Section I.
1.2. Assign tasks to other Board Members/Officers.
1.3. Reply to DSCC’s mail/emails with regard to their position
1.4. Report maintenance and facilities issues/questions to CMU
1.5. Hold a minimum 5 office hours per week. You are encouraged to work on your duties
during these hours; however, depending on the responsibilities of your position,
additional hours may be needed.
2. President
2.1. Evaluate DSCC Application Forms and conduct Board Member Interviews
2.2. Set the DSCC agenda and efficiently lead Board meetings.
2.3. Re-register the student group each year.
3. Vice President
3.1. Fill in for the President when necessary.
3.2. Responsible for addressing interpersonal conflict and concerns.
3.3. Responsible for orienting new Officers and Board Members.
3.4. Recruit new members and affiliate organizations
3.5. Maintain relationships with affiliates.
 4. Secretary
4.1. Maintain office supplies (printer ink, paper, staples, tape, etc.)
4.2. Responsible for creating and maintaining office hour schedules.
4.3. Update the DSCC calendar regularly.
4.4. Collect mail from the SUA office weekly.
4.5. Sort incoming emails into the proper admin folders to be reviewed.
5. Program Director
5.1. Responsible for planning and executing programming/events.
5.2. Collaborate with the Finance Director to write Student Services Fees narratives and
develop future programming for SSF applications.
5.3. Present SSF application to the SSF Board.
5.4. Make necessary programming purchases.
5.5. Facilitating electronic sign in at events.
6. Finance Director
6.1. Maintain a detailed financial ledger with receipts and bank statements.
6.2. Pay all bills and oversee expenses.
6.3. Maintain tax-exempt and non-profit status.
6.4. Attend activities associated with Student Services Fees when necessary.
6.5. Collaborate with the Program Director in order to prepare the Student Services Fees
application.
6.6. Find and categorize all operational and programming expenses

Section III - Auxiliary Team

1. Collective Responsibilities of Auxiliary Team
1.1. All policies from Article III, Section I.
2. Communications Director
2.1. Design marketing documents, such as flyers for the DSCC
2.2. Send a monthly DSCC newsletter to those on the mailing list.
2.3. Maintain and update group media platforms.
2.4. Respond to comments/concerns/questions posted on social media platforms.
3. Technology Specialist
3.1. Maintain accessibility technology
3.2. Maintain group technology equipment (television, computers, etc.)
3.3. Communicate with UMN IT Services in the case of an issue.
4. Advocacy Coordinator
4.1. Hosts meetings in the DSCC to allow other students to get involved with advocacy efforts
and determine what can be done to make the campus better for people with disabilities.
4.2. Meets with University and University-related officials to facilitate meaningful change.
4.3. Ensures the DSCC has appropriate representatives in MSA and other relevant
organizations.
 Article IV - Election Process
1. Any current Officer who wants to maintain their position for the following school year must go
through the Election Process for their position again.
2. Current graduating Officers may vote in the election following their graduation.
3. Primary Elections will be to select individuals for the Administrative Team positions (President,
Vice President, Secretary, Programing Coordinator and Finance Director) and Secondary
Elections will be used to elect the remaining Officer positions. Ideally, all admin team positions
happen in Primary Elections before Secondary Elections begin.
4. Any Board Member is eligible to become an Officer, but must be nominated a minimum of three
days prior to the election.
5. The Board Members of the DSCC will hold elections for the following school year. This will
generally take place during the last meeting of March in order to leave time for training.
6. For all elections, a simple majority of votes is required to win.
7. In the case of a tied vote, the electronic voting period will be extended until the next Board
Meeting. A new in-person vote will be conducted at the following Board Meeting in the case that
the tie remains. At this time each candidate shall be allowed to present their case and try to sway
voters.
8. For all votes, elections or otherwise, an electronic vote will be provided for those that may not
physically be able to attend the board meeting or may otherwise find it easier.

Article V - General Feedback & Formal Complaint Policy

1. To give feedback or file a complaint about the space, or a specific person, an anonymous online
form can be filled out on the website. The President and Vice-President will view the complaint,
so long as the complaint is not about them.
2. Any Complaints regarding the President or Vice President are immediately subject to the full
Board’s review.
3. The person submitting this form can express intent to have their responses discussed at the
following Board Meeting; however, the decision is up to the discretion of the President and Vice
President.
4. Complaints about Board Members
a. While a call for Impeachment may follow a formal complaint, filing a complaint form is
not the same as a call for Impeachment. If three separate concerns or one serious concern
(i.e. physical/sexual violence) are/is filed against the same person the Board will vote to
trigger the Impeachment process.
b. While the impeachment vote must be ⅔ majority as Article V, Section I describes, the
vote to begin the process requires a simple majority.
5. Complaints about Non-Board Members
a. The Suspension/Banning process is triggered by 3 separate concerns or one serious
concern (i.e. physical/sexual violence)
 b. A ⅔ majority of the board must vote to suspend the individual for a semester. Each
following semester, the board will need a ⅔ majority vote to either maintain the
suspension or dissolve it.
c. In the case of physical/sexual violence the Board can vote to permenantly ban an
individual from the space.
6. The impeachment of an Officer does not lead to the Banning/Suspension of that Officer. The
Banning/Suspension process requires a separate vote from the Board.

Article VI - Impeachment/Replacement Process

Section I: Impeachment
1. Any Board Member may raise awareness of another Board Member’s misconduct (including, but
not limited to: failure to perform duties, attendance, and/or misuse of funds) to the Board or to the
Administrative Team.
2. The Board Member/Officer performing misconduct shall be given a three day notice issued by the
Vice President. The highest ranking official active will find another board member to fill in for
the accused board member during this time.
3. At the first Board Meeting after the seven days of notice has expired, the Board Member/Officer
in question will be given a hearing with the Board with an impartial third party acting as a
mediator if possible.The accused may provide a defense at this time (if applicable).
4. Immediately following, the Board shall vote on the removal in question. A ⅔ majority vote is
required to remove the Board Member/Officer in question. The Board Member/Officer in
question is not allowed to vote, nor do they count toward the majority.
5. An impartial 3rd party must be responsible for counting the votes.

Section II: Replacement

If a board member is impeached or resigns, the process of replacement begins.
1. If resigning, the resignee may appoint a board member to take their place temporarily. Otherwise,
the highest ranking Officer that has not resigned or been impeached can appoint another board
member to serve in the vacant position temporarily.
2. The highest ranking Officer shall be determined by the following order of roles: President, Vice
President, Secretary, Programming Director, Finance Director, Communications Coordinator,
Advocacy Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, Technology Specialist.
3. The deadline for an individual to declare that they are running for the vacant position is three days
(72 hours) after the impeachment or resignation has been publicly announced.
4. The nearest board meeting that is more than one week after the vacant position is announced to all
Board Members. Elections are then conducted to fill the vacant board position.
5. For Election protocol see Article IV
 Article VII - Financial Matters
1. The fiscal year shall follow the University of Minnesota’s: July 1 - June 30
2. The organization will operate as a nonprofit and actively pursue a tax-exempt status
3. In the case of the organization’s dissolution, board members should vote to determine the
allocation of remaining funds. If a consensus is not reached, then funds will be given to the
organizations below in the percentage specified:
3.1. Organization of Graduate and Professional Students with Disabilities (OGPSD) - 100%

Article VIII - Amendments and By-Laws

1. Amendments and by-laws to the constitution may be proposed by any Board Member/Officer
2. Such proposal must be submitted to the Administrative Team
3. The Administrative Team shall read through any and all proposals during the following Board
Meeting for review
3.1. The Board will vote upon the proposed amendment
3.2. A 2/3 majority vote by the Board is required for the adoption of the amendment

Article IX - Code of Conduct

1. Board Members/Officers will work to maintain the respect of both other people and the shared
space. This includes, but is not limited to:
1.1. Keeping the space clean and maintained
1.2. Actively ensuring the DSCC is a safe space for all people (persistent and intentional
derogatory language, disrespect of the space or personal belongings, and inappropriate or
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated)
2. Board Members/Officers must comply with all University policies and procedures, as well as
local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

By signing below, I agree that if I do not comply with the constitution above, I will be subject to
immediate removal from my position.

______________________________________________ ________________
Name Date

Aysha Razzaque (President)

8/17/21
Brooklyn Lamers (Finance Director) 08/17/21

Jessica Jabbar (Program Director) 8/17/21

8/17/21
Matthew Croft (Technology Specialist) 8/17/21

Amethyst O’Connell (Technology Specialist) 8/17/21