Official Member Voting | Proposal for Change in Constitution

Saludos HPN Familia.

The 2020 HPN Executive Board is proposing the following changes to the Hispanic Policy Network Constitution.  This online form when submitted will serve as your Voting Ballot on the following proposed changes. Included below are important notes, proposed changes, rationale, and impact on HPN.

Click here to view the HPN Constitution

Important Notes:

Official Membership required to vote

• View your membership status here - Official HPN Members
• Contact Dr. Micaela Vargas, HPN Treasurer, at mv37164@txstate.edu or Ramces Luna, President, at ramcesluna@txstate.edu to pay your Official Membership Dues prior to casting your vote. 
• Any vote received from a non-Official member will not be considered and counted towards the HPN's decision.

Dates for Voting

• Starts: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 12:00 PM
• Ends: Monday, September 30, 2019 at 12:00 PM

Reasons for including your Name and Contact Information on Ballot

• Your name allows us to ensure one vote per member and that each vote is from an Official Member
• Your email allows us to send you an automatic email confirmation that your ballot was cast. 
• A final result will be shared (i.e. resolve and changes pass or fail). Results will exclude who or how votes were cast.

Proposed Changes highlighted in RED.

Articles, Rationale and Impact

Articles being Proposed for Change:

• Article VII - Officers and Executive Board
• Article VIII - Duties of Officers - President
• Article VIII - Duties of Officers - President-Elect
• Article IX - Tenure and Vacancies - Tenure
• Article IX - Tenure and Vacancies - Vacancies
• Article X - Election of Officers

Rationale:

• Presently, the President-Elect is a two-year commitment (i.e. first year as President-Elect and second year as President).
• Due to numerous turnovers (3) in members elected as President-Elect since FY 2017, HPN Executive Board agreed and recognized that the present organizational structure is not the most effective way to operate and develop leaders on campus. 

Impact:

• President-Elect position would change to Vice President.
• Vice President Position would be a one-year term. 
• VP Position will be included in the slate of officer positions available for nominations and elections in Spring 2020.
• Vice President Position would take affect FY 2020 along with all other positions.
• The change would require that HPN organization will need to elect new officers for each position each year.
• Each year the outgoing and incoming HPN Executive Boards will hold a Summer Retreat (June or July) to transition the organization to the incoming HPN Executive Board. 

Article VII - Officers and Executive Board

Constitution as Written:

The officers of the HPN shall be the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Historian.  Elected officers will comprise the Executive Board of HPN.  The Executive Board shall be responsible for the overall governance of HPN in accordance with its stated purpose Article II.

Proposed Change:

The officers of the HPN shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Historian.  Elected officers will comprise the Executive Board of HPN.  The Executive Board shall be responsible for the overall governance of HPN in accordance with its stated purpose Article II.

Article VIII - Duties of Officer - President

Constitution as Written:

President. The President shall perform all duties proper to the office and appoint any and all standing committee, ad hoc, and special chairpersons after consultation with the Executive Board.  The President shall preside at all HPN General Meetings when present.  The President has the right to call an emergency meeting with majority approval of the Executive Board.  The President shall serve as mentor to the President-Elect and, during the summer ending the President’s term, ensure a smooth transition of leadership.  The HPN President is also responsible for keeping the Advisory Board appropriately informed regarding HPN’s significant activities and undertakings.  While conducting business at General Membership meetings, the President only votes in the event of a tie.

Proposed Change:

President. The President shall perform all duties proper to the office and appoint any and all standing committee, ad hoc, and special chairpersons after consultation with the Executive Board.  The President shall preside at all HPN General Meetings when present.  The President has the right to call an emergency meeting with majority approval of the Executive Board.  The President shall serve as mentor to the newly elected President and, during the summer ending the President’s term, ensure a smooth transition of leadership.  The HPN President is also responsible for keeping the Advisory Board appropriately informed regarding HPN’s significant activities and undertakings.  While conducting business at General Membership meetings, the President only votes in the event of a tie.

Article VIII - Duties of Officers - President-Elect

Constitution as Written:

President-Elect.   The President-Elect shall preside in the absence of the President or if the President is unable to perform his/her duties.  The President-Elect will assist the President in his/her duties.  The President-Elect will oversee the functions of each Chair/Co-chair of the standing committees.

Proposed Change:

Vice President.   The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President or if the President is unable to perform his/her duties.  The Vice-President will assist the President in his/her duties.  The Vice-President will oversee the functions of each Chair/Co-chair of the standing committees.

Article IX - Tenure and Vacancies - Tenure

Constitution as Written:

Tenure. A President-Elect will be elected to serve a one-year term as President-Elect, automatically followed by a one-year term as President.  A member serving as President-Elect may not be re-elected to serve a consecutive President-Elect term.  A Treasurer, Secretary and Historian will be elected for a one-year term.

Proposed Change:

Tenure. A President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Historian will be elected for a one-year term.

Article IX - Tenure and Vacancies - Vacancies

Constitution as Written:

Vacancies. The vacancy of the President shall automatically be filled by the President-Elect.  Should the office of President-Elect become vacant, through early succession or otherwise, a special election shall be held at the next regularly scheduled HPN meeting.  If the office of Secretary, Treasurer or Historian shall become vacant, the Executive Board shall appoint a member to fill such office to complete the term of office.

Proposed Change:

Vacancies.The vacancy of the President shall automatically be filled by the Vice President. Should the office of Vice President become vacant, through early succession or otherwise, a special election shall be held at the next regularly scheduled HPN meeting.  If the office of Secretary, Treasurer or Historian shall become vacant, the Executive Board shall appoint a member to fill such office to complete the term of office.

Article X - Election of Officers - Paragraph 1

Constitution as Written:

Paid HPN Members are eligible to run for office.  A past HPN president or executive officer will chair the election committee. Nominations will be requested for the offices of President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Historian.  Verification of acceptance to these positions may be made prior to the printing of the ballots.  Arrangements shall be made so that the Election Committee collects, counts and certifies the votes.

Proposed Change:

Paid HPN Members are eligible to run for office.  A past HPN president or executive officer will chair the election committee. Nominations will be requested for the offices of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Historian.  Verification of acceptance to these positions may be made prior to the printing of the ballots.  Arrangements shall be made so that the Election Committee collects, counts and certifies the votes.