Rice Program Council Constitution
Updated July 2024
Reviewed by Annie Ribordy (President) and Tagee Blackman (Staff Advisor) in conjunction with the Council Executive Board
A. DEFINITION AND ORGANIZATION
Section 1 Definition
The Rice Program Council1 shall be the official program organization of Rice University. The purpose of the Council is to enhance the quality of life of the Rice community by providing programs of social, cultural, educational, and recreational value. The Council shall endeavor to present programs that represent and foster participation among the members of the Rice community. The Council shall coordinate the planning and scheduling of campus-wide programs for the undergraduate student body.
Section 2 Membership
The Council shall consist of members in the following positions: Executive Board Officers, College Representatives, Committee Co-Chairs, and Committee Members. Members of the council shall be selected in the process defined in Article A, Section 4 of the Council Constitution. At no time shall fewer than half of the organization’s members be student members.
The Executive Board Officers of the Council shall be the President, the Internal Vice President, the Social Vice President, the External Vice President, the Director of College Relations, and the Treasurer. Each office shall be held by no more than one person.
Section 3 Eligibility
Only student members who are not on Disciplinary Probation or otherwise prohibited from holding office in a registered student organization shall be eligible to seek and hold office.
Internal decisions shall be made by voting positions. Voting positions shall be the President, the Internal Vice President, the Social Vice President, External Vice President, the Director of College Relations, and the Treasurer.
The President of the Council shall be elected through the Student Association general election.
To be on the ballot for the Student Association general elections for the Council President and to serve as President, the individual must have been a member of the Council for at least one (1) full semester, be in good standing, and be a current member of the Council, as defined in Article A, Section 2 of the Council Constitution, at the time of the Student Association general election.
For a position on the Council, each candidate must be a member of the student body not on disciplinary or academic probation.
For a position on the Council, each candidate must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Section 4 Member Selection
The incoming Internal Vice President, Social Vice President, External Vice President, Director of College Relations, and Treasurer shall be reviewed and selected by the newly elected President in consultation with the outgoing Executive Board and Staff Advisor within three weeks of the Student Association general election results announcement.
Committee Co-Chairs shall be reviewed and selected by the Executive Board within four weeks after the incoming Executive Officers have been selected.
Committee Members shall be reviewed and selected by Committee Co-Chairs with the approval by the Executive Board within the first month of the fall semester.
Existing Members may reapply at the end of the spring semester as Committee Members, and will be reviewed and selected by incoming Committee Co-Chairs with the approval by the incoming Executive Board.
A second Committee Member application and selection process may take place at the end of fall semester, if deemed necessary by the Executive Board. Committee Co-Chairs shall review and select new members with approval by the Executive Board by the start of spring semester.
The College Representatives shall be selected by their respective residential colleges.
In the event that a residential college selects more than one person to act as its College Representative, then all the College Representatives of that residential college shall represent a total of one College Representative to the Council and shall act as one unit.
If no College Representative is selected by their residential college in their residential college’s elections process, the college shall be notified and a new College Representative from that residential college will be selected by the Executive Board.
Section 5 Meetings
The Executive Board shall host one or more General Body Meetings throughout each semester which all members of the Council are expected to attend, including Executive Board Officers, Committee Co-Chairs, Committee Members, and College Representatives.
All members of the Council must be notified of General Body Meetings at least one week in advance.
General Body Meetings may be called either by the Internal Vice President of the Council or by another Executive Board Officer.
All Executive Board Officers, Committee Co-Chairs, College Representatives, and Committee Members are expected to attend each General Body Meeting. If circumstances prevent that person’s attendance, that person should inform the Internal Vice President at least 24 hours before the meeting or as soon as permitted by their circumstances.
If any member misses a significant number of General Body Meetings (as determined by the Executive Board) per semester with or without notifying the Internal Vice President, said member will receive a warning through email from the Internal Vice President. If said individual continues to miss General Body Meetings, the individual will meet with the Internal Vice President. The individual’s membership will be considered for review.
Every committee will present at each meeting on pertinent activities and updates of the committee.
Meetings of the Executive Board Officers and meetings of each Standing Committee will occur regularly, with scheduling left up to the discretion of each committee.
Section 6 Removal Process
If a member is believed to be engaged in misconduct or to not be performing their obligations outlined by their position, the member will be called for a special meeting with their executive board liaison and the President. The member will receive a warning, specific recommendations for improvement, and adequate time for improvement. If improvement does not occur by the end of the allotted time, the individual will be considered for removal by the Executive Board.
Any member may be removed at any time from a Committee Co-Chair, College Representative, or Committee Member position by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board.
If a member of the Executive Board is believed to not be performing their obligations as outlined by their position, the member will be called for a special meeting with the President. In consultation with the Staff Advisor, the President and member in question will form a leadership contract with deadlines and measurable methods of improvement. If terms of leadership contract are not fulfilled, the other members of the Executive Board will meet with the member in question. The member will have a chance to present their case. Following this, the other Executive Board Officers will vote on removal of the member in question. The position will be filled as necessary and as deemed by the President.
Section 7 Resignation Process
If a member wishes to resign from their obligations outlined by their position, the member must inform their Committee Co-Chair(s), Internal Vice President, and Executive Board Liaison at least two weeks before their resignation.
The member must arrange a meeting with their Committee Co-Chair(s), Internal Vice President, and Executive Board Liaison to explain their resignation.
The Internal Vice President will act as the primary contact for obtaining information regarding the resignation. The Executive Board Liaison will facilitate the transition of roles if a replacement member is deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
If this protocol is not followed, their resignation may be taken into account in their subsequent applications, if any.
Section 8 Replacement Process
If a Committee Co-Chair is removed or resigns from their position, the Executive Board shall begin a special selection process to choose a new Committee Co-Chair.
If a College Representative is removed or resigns from their position, the residential college shall be notified of removal and a new College Representative from that residential college shall be selected by the Executive Board.
If a Committee Member is removed or resigns from their position, the Executive Board shall replace that Committee Member at the discretion of the Committee Co-Chairs of that Standing Committee.
B. COMMITTEES
Section 1 Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of the Executive Board Officers of the Council, with the President of the Council as chairman. The Executive Board shall regularly review the activities of each Standing Committee of the Council and meet with and make recommendations to the Committee Co-Chairs of each Standing Committee.
Each Executive Board Officer will meet with the Staff Advisor in weekly one-on-ones.
Each Executive Board Officer will serve as a liaison to one, but no more than two Standing Committees and will meet with said Standing Committees during their bi-weekly meetings with Co-Chairs. Executive Board Liaisons are selected in a meeting of the Executive Board.
Executive Board Officers shall organize events not falling under any of the Standing Committees as defined in Article C, Section 3 of the By-Laws to the Council Constitution.
Executive Board Officers shall be responsible for managing requests for co-sponsorship. Potential co-sponsorship events may include joint activities with registered student organizations, departmental groups, and athletic support groups. Co-Sponsorship request forms will be available on the Council’s website.
The Executive Board shall conduct a review of their constitution at the end of each position term.
All incoming Executive Board Officers of the Council will assume their duties after Beer Bike. Transition will occur in the 30 days following the selection of the incoming Executive Board and meetings will be conducted as needed.
The outgoing Executive Board will maintain responsibility of previous calendar year events including their liaison responsibilities.
Section 2 Standing Committees
The Council shall have the following Standing Committees: Passport to Houston, Beer Bike, Festivals, Publicity, Socials, Traditions, Night Owl Antics, and Design.
Each Standing Committee will be chaired by an appropriate number of chairperson(s). These chairpersons of the Standing Committees will be known as Committee Co-Chairs.
The Committee Co-Chair(s) of each Standing Committee shall be responsible for the completion of all duties of their respective committees.
Each Standing Committee shall be prepared to present a verbal report of committee activity during each General Body Meeting of the Council.
Each Standing Committee must compile documentation following each event to outline the event’s activities, contacts, and feedback.
The Executive Board may appoint additional Standing Committees as needed.
C. FINANCIAL REGULATIONS
Section 1 Club Funds
All funds gathered by the organization must be deposited into a club account through the Office of Student Activities within one business day of their receipt.
Misuse of Funds: The sponsor shall refer to the relevant University office(s) any member reasonably suspected of spending club funds without authority, failing to deposit club funds appropriately, or otherwise misusing or abusing club funds.
Section 2 Expenditures
Committee Members, Committee Co-Chairs, College Representatives, and Executive Board Officers can utilize club funds once they have completed the required internal training provided by the Executive Board during the annual fall retreat and the purchase and spending budget is approved by the Treasurer.
Treasurer must be informed of check requests at least four weeks prior to the payment deadline.
All major expenditures must be approved by an Executive Board member. Requests for such expenditures must be made in a timely manner.
Expenditures will be estimated prior to an event for the purposes of approval.
Section 3 The budget shall be developed by the Executive Board, led by the Treasurer, using former budgets as a guide for decision making.
D. STAFF SPONSORS
Section 1 The Assistant Director of Campus Events shall serve as the official staff sponsor of the Council. Other staff sponsors may be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. If the sponsor resigns, is replaced, or is otherwise unable to continue serving as the sponsor for the remainder of the academic year, the organization shall select a new sponsor and notify the Office of Student Activities of the change within 15 class days.
E. CAMPUS WIDE POLICIES
Section 1 Nondiscrimination Policy: This organization shall not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status.
Section 2 Anti-Hazing Policy: This organization shall not engage in any form of hazing, as defined by the Code of Student Conduct and any other applicable Rice University rules and regulations.
Section 3 Conflict of Interest Policy: The business of this organization shall not be conducted in any manner that creates a conflict of interest or the reasonable appearance thereof.
Section 4 Approval of Contracts: No commitments or contracts shall be made by any member of this organization on behalf of this organization without the approval of both the sponsor and a majority vote of the Executive Board.
F. RELATIONSHIP WITH STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Section 1 This organization shall recognize the primacy of the Student Association Executive Branch, the Student Senate, and ultimately, the Student Association. This organization shall be bound by the requirements of the Constitution of the Student Association and any associated rules and regulations. This constitution and any bylaws or policies adopted by this organization are subordinate to the Constitution of the Student Association.
G. AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Approval by Student Association Parliamentarian. Amendments approved by the membership shall be submitted to the Student Association Parliamentarian. Amendments may not take effect until they are approved by the Parliamentarian or the Student Senate in accordance with the Constitution of the Student Association. The Date of Last Revision on the title page of this constitution shall be updated to reflect the date of approval by the Parliamentarian or Senate.
BY-LAWS to the Rice Program Council Constitution
A. DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS
Section 1 The President shall:
Be the official representative of the Council.
Preside at the meetings of the Council and of the Executive Board.
Have the power to call regular meetings of the Council and shall provide agendas for such meetings.
Be an ex officio member to all committees.
Determine, at the beginning of each semester, an appropriate time at which all Executive Board Officers can meet on a regular basis.
Communicate with the Executive Board Liaison of each Standing Committee to ensure that they are proceeding effectively.
Appoint the rest of the Executive Board, as outlined in the constitution: Article A, Section 4, Part a of the Council Constitution.
Appoint, with the assistance of the Executive Board, the chairperson(s) of the Standing Committees as described in the constitution: Article A, Section 4, Part b of the Council Constitution.
Facilitate transition meetings between the incoming and outgoing Executive Board. These include but are not limited to: a Joint Exec meeting (everyone on the incoming and outgoing Executive Board), a Constitution meeting (everyone on the incoming and outgoing Executive Board), and a Budget meeting (incoming and outgoing Treasurers and Presidents).
Work with the External Vice President throughout the term for the calendaring of events.
Section 2 The Internal Vice President Shall:
Act as President if the President is unable to carry out his or her duties.
Track member volunteer credits and follow-up with those who do not meet the requirements.
Plan General Body Meetings.
Disseminate information and internal updates to all current members of the Council, whether in the form of General Body Meetings or in any way that is deemed fit by the Executive Board.
Manage attendance for General Body Meetings and follow-up with those who cannot make the meetings.
Carry out member appreciation shout-outs or a similar form of member recognition.
Update the reference sheet for the incoming Council
Manage an internal roster of the Council and update membership with any resignations and new positions filled
Maintain the internal listserv of the Council
Develop and enforce a File Sharing system among the Council. The Internal Vice President shall create or update a standard file sharing protocol (Team Drive for all Standing Committees except Beer Bike) to ensure that folders and files are accessible to the relevant parties, organized, and reflect a standard file sharing structure across all of the Council. This may involve downloading and re-uploading all files that are not in the Team Drive to the Team Drive to ensure that folders/files are not lost in transition.
Section 3 The Social Vice President Shall:
Promote internal morale among the Council through creative and exciting means by organizing internal Council retention events and oversee the creation and distribution of appreciation gifts to all members.
Be responsible for retention of members of the Council. Be responsive to member needs and solicit feedback to make sure retention events are inclusive and enjoyable.
Oversee and track individual committee bonding funds.
Section 4 The Internal Vice President and Social Vice President Shall:
Strive to foster Council member satisfaction.
Collect and organize member information at the beginning of the term. Information includes t-shirt sizes, contact information, college, food allergies, and any information deemed relevant by the Executive Board. The Internal Vice President and Social Vice President should share this information with the Council, and update and maintain the information throughout the year.
Collaborate to organize a Spring Retreat for all Committee Co-Chairs, Executive Board Officers, and College Representative once all of the new Committee Co-Chairs and College Representatives have been selected before the end of the Spring Academic Semester
Collaborate to organize a Fall Retreat for all Committee Co-Chairs, Executive Board Officers, Committee Members and College Representatives within a month of all the new Committee Members being selected
Collaborate to organize a End-of-the-Year Event for all Committee Co-Chairs, Executive Board Officers, Committee Members and College Representatives before the end of the Spring Semester after their term
Manage the budget shared by the Internal Vice President and Social Vice President
Oversee the organization of the Council closet at the end of the academic year andor on an as-needed basis throughout the school year.
Section 5 The External Vice President Shall:
Oversee calendaring with the collaboration of the Executive Board. The Executive Board will aim to calendar events for the upcoming fiscal year a year in advance. The External Vice President is responsible for reaching out to residential college socials and coordinating the dates of college socials at the end of each semester for the subsequent semester. A calendar shall be compiled each semester to coordinate events (for the following semester) of the Council, the residential colleges, and affiliate student organizations.
Maintain event posts to a Council calendar that reflect the schedule of the Council’s events.
Be responsible for recruitment for the Council. This includes holding necessary recruitment events before Executive Board applications, Committee Co-Chair applications, and Committee Member applications are due and reaching out to the appropriate listservs for recruitment.
Serve as the point of contact to other campus organizations. This includes attending the meetings of the Student Association Senate, as needed and if called upon.
Keep accurate meeting minutes for all meetings held by the Executive Board.
Manage transition documents for all Standing Committees and Executive Board positions. The External Vice President should update and send a template with detailed instructions to facilitate the process. Transition documents should be reviewed and approved by the External Vice President in a timely manner from events being completed.
Maintain the feedback system for the Council (this includes event feedback, collaboration, and suggestions forms). This includes acting as a point of contact between student feedback and the appropriate Committee Co-Chairs and Executive Board Officers.
Coordinate Committee Co-Chair and Executive Board information sessions to promote Council applications
Oversee the Council’s external listserv
Section 6 The Director of College Relations Shall:
Act as Executive Board liaison between the College Representatives and the Council, to ensure proper communication of Council events and announcements, and to maximize responsiveness to opinions and concerns of the student body.
Develop and maintain a solidified College Representative change-over process, including but not limited to: interest meetings, outlining responsibilities for candidates, transition meetings, and Council retreats.
Meet with College Representatives at least once a semester.
Promote morale among the College Representatives through a bonding event
Oversee the fulfillment of responsibilities of the College Representatives and follow up with those who do not fulfill their responsibilities.
Assist the Publicity Committee in promoting awareness of the Council over social media.
Section 7 The Treasurer shall:
Supervise the finances of the Council and keep complete and accurate records of all incomes and expenditures of the Council and encourages members of the Executive Board to do the same
Shall maintain the budget as outlined in the constitution: Article C, Section 3.
Review periodically the financial records and practices of each Standing Committee and edit the allocations within the budget as necessary in collaboration with the relevant committees. Report the results of these reviews to the Council. As a minimum, this should be accomplished during the middle and end of each semester.
Train the newly elected Treasurer, who shall be an ex officio member of the Council during the period between elections and turnover. Up to the last calendar year event, the newly elected Treasurer shall become familiar with the position while assisting the current Treasurer with the execution of his or her duties.
Be responsible for keeping track of the Council’s p-card whereabouts, and deposit any amount exceeding $200 in cash and checks within seven days.
B. DUTIES OF COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1 The College Representatives shall:
Represent and communicate to the Council the ideas and opinions of their respective residential colleges.
Actively promote and communicate to their respective residential colleges all programs of the Council.
College Representatives shall report directly to the Director of College Relations
Attend General Body Meetings of the Council and meetings hosted by the Director of College Relations. If the College Representative cannot attend a General Body Meeting, they must inform the Internal Vice President in the appropriate time period. If the College Representative cannot attend a meeting hosted by the Director of College Relations, then they must inform the Director of College Relations in an appropriate time period.
In the event that a College Representative does not meet the above expectations, the Executive Board retains the right to remove said person as a College Representative and will contact their residential college asking for a new College Representative to be appointed.
C. STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1 The Rice Program Council Standing Committees shall be as follows: Passport to Houston, Beer Bike, Concerts, Publicity, Socials, Night Owl Antics, Traditions, and the Design Committee
Section 2 Standing Committee Requirements
All Standing Committees will meet as needed with the Student Center Staff Advisor and their Executive Board Liaison.
All Standing Committees will meet regularly, as outlined at the beginning of each semester by the Committee Co-Chair(s) with their Executive Board Liaison.
Section 3 Standing Committee Functions
The Passport to Houston Committee shall:
Purchase tickets for cultural, musical, and sporting events to be given away for free or sold at a discounted price to the students.
Seek to promote events in the Houston area that might be of interest to the Rice student body.
The Festivals Committee shall:
Be responsible for planning the Welcome Back Festival on the first day upperclassman can return to campus.
Be responsible for creating or collaborating to provide a spring event, depending on budget capabilities.
The Socials Committee shall:
Be responsible for the implementation of University-wide recreational and entertainment events, including the annual events of Screw-Yer-Roommate and Crush Party.
Provide at least one formal throughout the course of the year, entitled either Esperanza or Rondelet. If providing two formals, then one in the fall semester entitled Esperanza, and one in the spring semester entitled Rondelet.
The Traditions Committee shall:
Be responsible for coordinating a schedule of activities planned for the week of Homecoming with the appropriate parties planning the events.
Be responsible for coordinating at least one event during the week of Homecoming.
Facilitate the nomination and voting process for Homecoming court.
Be responsible for coordinating at least one Beer Bike Week event during the week before Beer Bike.
Organize a Study Break during Dead Days of each semester.
The Beer Bike Committee shall:
Be chaired by an appropriate number of Committee Co-Chairs, preferably only upperclassmen with knowledge of the event.
Include at least one Bike Captain Liaison (in addition to Committee Co-Chairs and Area Coordinators), who is an outgoing and/or incoming Residential College Bike Captain to assist in making decisions regarding Beer Bike safety, rules, and planning. These Bike Captain Liaisons shall be appointed several months in advance and consulted on an as-needed basis.
Be responsible for planning campus-wide elements of Beer Bike, which is held during the end of March or early April.
Be responsible for selecting Area Coordinators during Committee Member selection.
The Night Owl Antics Committee shall:
Plan a minimum of 4 substance-free, night programming events per academic year, which may include inter-committee collaborations.
Be responsible for planning an annual Gingerbread House Building Competition close to the end of the fall semester.
The Publicity Committee shall:
Organize a booth for the Council at the campus-wide Activities Fair.
Traditionally plan 2 “Night Bites” events per semester for the purpose of publicizing a future event to be held by the Council or item of significance.
Work with other Standing Committees to publicize events held by the Council.
Oversee the Council’s social media accounts (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat)
Conduct annual review and regular update of the Council’s website
The Design Committee shall:
Work alongside the Publicity Committee and work with other Standing Committees to design appropriate Council graphics for all events, RPC merch, or items. Designs will be made for social media, print media or any other forms of communication.
D. AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by any member of the Council and must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the Council, and subsequently approved by a 4/5 vote of the Student Senate, as outlined in the Student Association Constitution.