Student OrgsDiversity Leadership Council

Gustavus Adolphus College

Diversity Leadership Council

As of May 3rd, 2023

We the Diversity Leadership Council shall support those organizations that are advocates of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and intersectionality at Gustavus Adolphus College. The Diversity Leadership Council shall formulate a collective voice when it recognizes the need to promote, preserve, and protect on-campus diversity.

Article I: Definitions

1. DLC: Diversity Leadership Council
2. Student: any person taking courses at Gustavus Adolphus College, either full time or part time
3. Essential Organizations: the Campus Activities Board, Student Senate, Building Bridges and Peer Assistants
4. Representative: members of both Diversity Leadership Council organizations and Essential Organizations who have been selected to represent the aforementioned organizations during Diversity Leadership Council meetings
5. Absence: the failure to attend a Diversity Leadership meeting, this includes committee meetings and executive council meetings when applicable
6. Proxy: the replacement of a Diversity Leadership Council member in the event of an absence
7. Community Comment: an opportunity for any member of the Gustavus community to address the Diversity Leadership Council during Diversity Leadership Council meetings

Article II: Purpose and Responsibilities

Section One: Policies

DLC shall follow and uphold all policies delineated in the “Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct Procedures” section of the most recent Gustie Guide, and shall ensure and protect all rights of students listed in this section. DLC shall be subject to the “All-College Policies'' listed in the Faculty Book and shall act in accordance with them. DLC shall be subject to and follow all local, state, and federal laws.

Section Two: Mission

DLC will foster diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality and belonging through the student body. DLC will work to uplift and provide structure for students bravely making steps to address these issues. DLC will work closely with College Administration, Board of Trustees, Faculty and Staff and the Center of Inclusive Excellence to preserve the interests of these students. 

Section Three: Fees and Allocations

The funds collected shall be allocated for the purpose of supporting, progressing and uplifting underrepresented peoples. The funds will be allocated to organizations and events pursuant to DLC financial guidelines and mission. 

Allocation of funds collected will be subject to DLC discretion. Students that believe allocated budgets conflict with this constitution or the financial bylaws may file a complaint to the Ethics committee. 

Article III: Structure

Section One: Requirements

DLC shall be composed of the following members who shall carry out responsibilities detailed in this constitution. Students must be full time students, as defined by the Registrar. No student placed on disciplinary probation or suspended for a Title IX offense may serve for DLC.

Section Two: Executive Council members

Executive Council members shall assume office at the end of the final DLC meeting during the academic year and shall perform duties prescribed in the bylaws. Executive Council members retain no voting privileges and full speaking privileges.

Section Three: Executive Council elects

Executive Council elect shall be elected in the penultimate month of the academic year and serve in their elected roles during the following academic year. Elects shall perform duties prescribed in the bylaws. Executive Council electors will only retain voting privileges if they were serving as a DLC organization representative prior to the election. In all other cases, the Executive Council elects retain no voting privileges. All Executive Council electors retain full speaking privileges.

Section Four: Diversity Ball Co-Captains

Diversity Ball Co-Captains shall be elected by the end of October during the academic year. Diversity Ball Co-Captains shall perform duties prescribed in the bylaws. Diversity Ball Co-Captains are members of the Executive Council and thus retain no voting privileges and full speaking privileges. If a DLC Representative is elected as a Diversity Ball Co-Captain, the organization is required to replace that member with a different representative. They will be allocated three weeks to replace the representative.

Section Five: Executive Council 

The Executive Council shall be composed of the Co-Presidents, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Finance Director, Finance Controller, Ethics Chair, Public Relations Chair, Diversity Ball Co-Captains. The Executive Council will fulfill duties prescribed in the bylaws. 

Section Six: DLC Organization representatives 

Representatives may be selected under the discretion of their respective DLC Organization. Representatives shall perform duties prescribed in the bylaws. DLC Organization representatives retain voting and speaking privileges.

Section Seven: Essential Organization representatives

Representatives may be selected under the discretion of their respective Essential Organizations. Representatives shall perform duties prescribed in the bylaws. Essential Organization representatives retain voting and speaking privileges.

Article IV: Impeachment, Resignation and Vacancies

Section One: Disciplinary Action

Any member of the Gustavus community has the right to bring a complaint to the DLC ethics chair. The ethics chair shall call a meeting of the Ethics committee for a disciplinary hearing if any member or organization of DLC fails to perform their duties as outlined in the Constitution and by­laws. The Ethics committee shall hear the case and may recommend disciplinary action. This action may include, but is not limited to:

1. a) Informal reprimand by the Ethics Chair
2. b) Formal reprimand by the Ethics Chair (signed by disciplined member or organization and acknowledged by the DLC body 
3. c) Censure (the most official reprimand; must be endorsed by the DLC body with a simple majority vote) 
4. d) Impeachment and replacement of representative or impeachment of a DLC 

organization from the DLC Body (must be endorsed by the body by a 2/3rd majority vote).

1. e) If the body endorses disciplinary action against an individual representative, the member organization is not disciplined, however in the case of impeachment of a representative, the representative must be replaced immediately. 
2. f) Discipline should be designed to match the gravity of the offense, and must not exceed impeachment or any punishment that outlasts the member’s term of office. Any action taken of greater severity than a reprimand or censure shall require a two­-thirds majority vote of the full DLC body. When a member or organization is impeached, they shall immediately be dismissed from office.
3. g) If a complaint is brought against a member of the Executive Council, the remaining Council members shall meet to recommend disciplinary action.

Article V: Meetings

Section One: DLC Orientation

The first DLC meeting of the year will serve as an orientation meeting. During this meeting, DLC representatives will be informed of their responsibilities and determine committee interest. Committee interest will be used to guide the Executive Council’s committee placements during their first meeting. Representatives will be informed of their committee placement during the following meeting.

Section Two: DLC meetings

DLC meetings will be held weekly during the academic year, excluding breaks. The duration of the meeting shall be limited to an hour and a half following the community comment. Information presented at DLC meetings shall be relayed to DLC organizations via their representatives.

Section Three: Executive Council meetings

Executive Council meetings shall be held weekly during the academic year, excluding breaks. The duration of the meeting shall be limited to an hour.

Section Four: Committee meetings

Committee meetings shall be held periodically in accordance with the bylaws and committee demands. The duration of the meeting shall be limited to a half hour.

Article VI: Attendance

Section One: Absences 

Member organizations representatives are allowed two (2) absences a semester. Following a third absence, the representative’s membership will be reviewed by the Ethics committee. Following a fourth absence, the representative's membership will be revoked. Any absences must be communicated to the Ethics chair (for general meetings) or committee lead (for committee meetings).

Executive members are allowed three (3) total absences from the full body meeting, executive board meetings, and committee meetings. If a fourth absence occurs, the Executive’s membership will be reviewed by the advisor. Following a fifth absence, the Executive’s membership will be revoked. Any absences must be communicated to the Ethics Chair. Absences must be reported a day in advance, in exception to emergencies

In unprecedented circumstances and meeting attendance is compromised, the sitting co-chairs will determine the attendance requirements.

Section Two: Proxies

In the event of an absence, a proxy must be sent in place of the representative. This proxy excuses the absence of the representative. Each DLC representative is allowed as many proxies as needed per semester. Proxies are not permitted for Executive Council meetings or committee meetings.

Article VII: Elections

Section One: Nominees

Nominees must be full time Gustavus students as defined by the Provost. Students are permitted to nominate any student, including themselves, for Executive Board positions.

Section Two: Election Process

The Executive Board along with the advisor will serve as the Election Committee. Nominations will be opened during the first week of March. Nominations will be closed during the last week of March. Nominees will be required to accept or decline nominations by the end of the first week of April. No response from the nominee will be presumed as a declined nomination. Elections will be open to the Gustavus Student Body for the duration of the second week of April. Nominees will be informed of the results of the election that following Monday. Results will be announced during the following DLC meeting and Executive Board elect will serve in their roles for the remainder of the semester.

Section Three: Mid-Year Vacancy Election

In the event of a vacancy, a special Mid-Year Vacancy Election will be held to fill the position. One week will be allowed for nominations, followed by a week for the nomination acceptance process. Elections will be held for the entirety of the third week and nominees will be informed of the results. Results will be announced during the following DLC meeting and the elect will serve on the Executive Board for the remainder of the term.

Section Four: Term

The term of office for a member of the Executive Board shall be one (1) academic year unless re-elected.

Article VIII: Committees

Section One: Finance committee

The finance committee shall be composed of the Finance Director, the Finance Controller, and five other DLC representatives selected by the Executive Council following committee interest. All together the committee must be subject to a majority vote for any budget changes.      

The Finance committee shall have the following responsibilities:

To ensure the maintenance of the DLC contingency expenditure.

To hear all funding requests under one thousand and five hundred dollars and either deny, alter, and/or approve said expenditure.

To publicly hear all funding appeals from DLC organizations.

To meet once a week, at the discretion of the Treasurer

If a budget is denied by the finance committee, the organization can appeal to the DLC body. Requests over one thousand and five hundred dollars will be presented to the DLC body with a recommendation from the finance committee or the Executive Board. Budgets must be approved by a majority vote of the DLC.

Section Two: Marketing committee

The marketing committee shall be composed of the Public Relations Chair and DLC representatives selected by the Executive Council following committee interest. This committee meets weekly. The marketing committee is responsible for promoting and supporting DLC and participating organization events on campus. This includes the creation and distribution of event posters if requested by a DLC organization. On request of a DLC organization, a selected representative from the DLC marketing committee must attend the organization’s events to provide photographs for social media use.

Section Three: Ethics committee

The Ethics committee shall be composed of the Ethics chair and DLC representatives selected by the Executive Council following committee interest. This committee meets monthly and for ethics hearings called by the chair. The Ethics committee is responsible for ethics hearings and providing solutions to concerns expressed to the Ethics chair.The Ethics chair must operate and maintain an online form for anonymous ethics concerns. 

Section Four: Diversity Ball committee

The Diversity Ball committee shall be composed of the secretary, the Diversity Ball Co-Captains and DLC representatives selected by the Executive Council following committee interest. The committee is responsible for planning and budgeting for DLC’s largest event in the spring.The committee will meet monthly in the fall and weekly in the spring.

Article IX: Amendments

Section One:Proposal of Amendments

All active representatives may propose amendments. The proposed amendment will be submitted to the Advisor and Executive Board for review one (1) week before voting will take place.

Section Two: Voting on Amendments

All present representatives are eligible to vote on an amendment. A two-thirds (2/3) majority is needed for the amendment to pass.

Section Three: Adoption of Provisions

If an amendment is passed it will take effect as soon as the Council is prepared to adopt its provisions. Amendments must take effect before the start of the next academic year.

Article X: Bylaws

Section One: Proposal of Bylaws

Any student can propose bylaws. The ability to strike or add a bylaw is a function of DLC.

Section Two: Review of Bylaws

Bylaws must be reviewed at minimum once per academic year.

Section Three: Approval of Bylaws

All attending representatives are eligible to vote on the approval of bylaws. Bylaws shall be approved via fifty percent plus one majority of the representatives present.

Article XI: Stipends

Section One: Allocation

The Co-President shall each receive a stipend of four hundred and fifty dollars per semester. The Finance Director and Controllers each receive a stipend of one hundred and seventy-five dollars per semester. In the event of a mid-term vacancy the Executive Council will determine the prorated stipend for the departing and incoming students.

Section Two: Adjustments

All stipends must be included in the constitution. Any adjustment to the stipends will take effect the year following enactment.