Constitution

• Section I: To promote a greater involvement by minorities in university affairs at the University at Buffalo.
• Section II: To support efforts aimed at developing and maintaining a viable affirmative action program.
• Section III: To encourage and promote a sense of community pride and unity among the minority population at the university.
• Section IV: To improve communication and service between the university and minority community, and other area minority or black faculty and staff associations.
• Section V: To encourage minority student enrollment in this university and its academic departments inclusive of, but not confined to the Educational Opportunity Center and Educational Opportunity Programs but, at all levels. To actively seek to improve the equality of life with special emphasis on minority students at this university.
• Section VI: To carry out Association projects and social activities as determined by the membership.

• Section I: The Minority and Faculty & Staff Association shall be governed by this Constitution (Association) and Bylaws, the latter document to provide specific direction for the organization, administration and services of the Association.
• Section II: The Association’s Constitution and Bylaws shall be consistent with provisions and content of any organizational charter or certificate of incorporation the Association may propose and or execute.
• Section III: The Association’s Constitution and Bylaws shall supersede any other Constitution and/or Bylaws, organizational charter or certificate of incorporation that may govern other Associations, organizations, companies, enterprises, ventures, unless the Association’s Constitution and/or Bylaws are specifically amended.

• Section I: The Association’s organizational structure will consist of: (1) General Membership; (2) Governing Board; (3) Officers and (4) Executive Committee.
• Section II: The duties, powers and regulations governing the Association organizational structure shall be defined and delimited in the Association’s Bylaws.
• Section III: The span of authority, rights and privileges shall devolve as follows:
  1. Constitution
  2. Bylaws
  3. General Membership
  4. Governing Board
  5. Officers
  6. Executive Committee
  7. Standing Committee
  8. Nonstanding Committees

• Section I: The Association’s financial affairs will be governed by the Governing Board upon the advice and direction of the Executive Committee.
• Section II: The Association’s Treasurer will provide the Board and Executive Committee an income and Expense Statement and Financial Statements each academic semester. In addition, the Treasurer may be required to submit other reports, analyses and studies on the Association’s financial affairs as directed by the Board and/or Executive Committee.
• Section III: The Association shall assess and collect dues in an amount stipulated in the Association’s Dues Schedule. The Dues Schedule will be formulated and governed in accordance with the Association’s Bylaws.

• Section I: The Association’s Governing Board shall formulate, amend, alter, delete, repeal and add policies to govern the Association, its programs, activities and projects.
• Section II: The Governing Board may formulate and change its policies, from time to time without the necessity to amend this Constitution and the Association’s Bylaws.
• Section III: The Governing Board may not expressly, implicitly or by reference seek or cause to seek or alter the abrogation, amendment, addition or modification of this Constitution and/or Association’s Bylaws are duly amended.

• Section I: Format and guidelines for conducting all Association meetings including Standing Committees, Nonstanding Committees, Executive Committee, Governing Board and General Membership shall be governed by the Association’s Bylaws.
• Section II: Meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. Notwithstanding this provision, the Association may adopt such flexible rules of order as provided in the Association’s Bylaws.
• Section III: Unless specifically provided otherwise by the Association’s Bylaws, actions by the General Membership, Governing Board, Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Nonstanding Committees or special Task Forces, may be approved only by a simple majority of the members in attendance at a duly constituted meeting.
• Section IV: Duly constituted meetings shall be interpreted as meetings in adherence to pertinent Bylaws quorum requirements. If no quorum is specified, the quorum requirements will be a simple majority of the members of record of the committee or Body.

• Section I: The Association may propose and execute an organizational charter or certificate of incorporation in accordance with all local, New York State and Federal (U.S.) regulations, codes and laws.
• Section II: The certificate of incorporation shall not vitiate any provision of this Constitution or the Association’s Bylaws, unless, a court of competent jurisdiction expressly rules, orders or directs otherwise. If any such provision or the certificate, in whole or part, is held to be unlawful, only the unlawful provision or certificate will be null and void. The remaining provisions and/or certificate, in whole or part will continue in effect as valid.
• Section III: The certificate of incorporation shall not govern the application and administration of the Constitution or the Association’’ Bylaws.

• Section I: The Association may appoint a special Committee or Task Force to make recommendations regarding the amendment, alteration or repeal of this Constitution. Such committee or Task Force shall serve at the pleasure of the General Membership and the Governing Board.
• Section II: Constitutional Committee(s) or Task Force(s) members may not serve as Bylaws Committee members during the same term of service.
• Section III: Interpretation of this Constitution shall be made in the form and manner as interpretations are regulated in the Bylaws.

The Constitution of the Association shall be amended only by a two-thirds majority of all members of both the General Membership and the Governing Board.

These Bylaws shall take effect immediately upon acceptance by a simple majority of the membership and extend indefinitely, subject to alteration, amendment or repeal, in whole or part, as specifically provided in this Constitution.