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\begin{document}
% Purpose
% Membership
% Executive Committee and Officers
% Meetings
% Community Relations
%  (relationship to IS, MIT, ASA, UA, etc, var...)
% Amendment procedure


This is a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the SIPB;
this final draft was approved by a 22-0-4 vote at the SIPB meeting on
14 October 1996.

\setcounter{section}{-1}
\renewcommand{\thesection}{Article \arabic{section}}

\article{Title [to replace current title]}
The Constitution of the Student Information Processing Board of the
Undergraduate Association of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

\renewcommand{\thesection}{Article \Roman{section}}

\article{Preamble [to replace Article I, Section 1 of Article II, and
Section 1 of Article VIII]}

The members of the Student Information Processing Board, in order to
provide students with improved access to computational facilities, to
serve as an advocate for the MIT Community to the Faculty and the
Administration in computer-related topics, to function as an
information center for members of the MIT Community interested in
topics in computer science or computing, to conduct, manage, and
support experiments run by students to advance the techniques of
organization, planning, and administration of access to computers, and
to initiate, develop, and provide computer services deemed valuable to
the MIT Community, do establish this Constitution as a framework for
conducting business to meet these goals.  All affairs of this Board
shall be conducted in light of these purposes with service to the
students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology always being
held the uppermost among all considerations.

\article{Membership [to replace Article III]}

\subsection{Requirements}
Full membership in the \SIPB{} is open to all students of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; associate membership is open to
anyone.  Any person may join and remain a member of the \SIPB{} by
assenting to its principles as described in this Constitution, by
participating in the work of the \SIPB{}, and by acceptance by the
\SIPB{} according to the procedure in [\ref{Election of Members}].

\subsection{Associate Membership}
An associate member of the \SIPB{} shall not vote in elections and
shall not hold any position on the \EC{}, but may participate fully in
the work and activities of the \SIPB{}.  Consideration of a person for
associate membership shall be accomplished by the procedure outlined
in [\ref{Election of Members}].

\subsection{Full Membership}
Only full members may vote in elections and hold positions on the
\EC{}.  Full members shall be expected to participate in the work and
activities of the \SIPB{}.  Consideration of a person for full
membership shall be accomplished by the procedure outlined in
[\ref{Election of Members}].

\subsection{Membership Status}
An active member of the Board shall be defined as a member in good
standing who has participated in some service furthering the goals of
the \SIPB{} and has attended at least one meeting during the preceding
month.  Any member not conforming to these minimum criteria shall be
classified as inactive, at the discretion of the \EC{}.  The status of
any member immediately following any academic vacation of duration of
a week or more shall be defined to be the status of that member
immediately upon beginning that vacation.  Only active members may
vote in elections and hold positions on the \EC{}.

\subsection{Prospectives for Membership}
Any person interested in applying for membership in the \SIPB{} shall
undertake an introductory period during which that person, referred to
as a prospective, may be familiarized with the operation of the
\SIPB{}.  The introductory period shall last at least one month, and
the prospective shall attend at least four general meetings of the
\SIPB{} during the introductory period.  After such an introductory
period has been served, that prospective may become an active member
of the \SIPB{} by the procedure in [\ref{Election of Members}].

\article{Election of Members [to replace Amendment III]}
\label{Election of Members}

\subsection{Nomination of Prospectives}
In order to consider a prospective for membership in the \SIPB{}, a
motion nominating the prospective for membership shall be proposed and
seconded by active full members present at a meeting of the \SIPB{},
and accepted by the prospective.  By accepting this nomination, a
prospective shall assent to the principles of the \SIPB{} as described
in this Constitution and agree to participate in the work of the
\SIPB{}.  This motion to consider the prospective shall be carried by
a majority of the active full members of the \SIPB{} present.

\subsection{Notification of Election}
The prospectives shall be elected to membership in the \SIPB{} by the
active full members of the \SIPB{}.  The meeting at which the
membership elections for those nominated shall be held shall be
scheduled no sooner than six (6) days following the meeting at which
the motion to consider the prospectives for membership was
entertained.  Each active full member shall be sent a notification of
the date of the elections and a list of the prospectives nominated for
membership at least four (4) days in advance, unless the member waives
such notification in writing to the Chair.

\subsection{Absentee and Proxy Voting}
Absentee voting shall be allowed for the purpose of electing the
prospectives.  Absentee ballots shall be valid only if presented to
the Chair before voting commences.  Proxy voting is not allowed.

\subsection{Quorum}
Quorum for the election shall be the number of votes needed to pass
(as stated in [\ref{Election Formula}]) plus two; absentee ballots
shall be counted towards this quorum.  If quorum is not achieved or if
the prospective is not present, the election shall be rescheduled by
the Chair, and all absentee ballots shall be voided (and must be
resubmitted for the rescheduled election).  If, on two separate
occasions, quorum is achieved but the prospective is not present, the
nomination of that prospective member shall be automatically
withdrawn.

\subsection{Questioning}
Anyone present at the election may question the prospectives for
membership; this questioning period must be closed before voting
commences.  The Chair may restrict questioning and limit discussion
as the Chair deems appropriate.

\subsection{Election}
All voting shall be by secret ballot.  If more than one prospective is
under consideration, ballots not exactly marked with the name (first
and last names, or just first name or last name if unique) or username
of each prospective shall be wholly discarded as abstentions.  Ballots
not exactly marked with ``yes'', ``no'', or ``abstain'' for each
prospective shall be wholly discarded as abstentions.

These conditions satisfied, new membership shall be granted by
garnering the floor of one-half of the total active full membership and
the floor of two-thirds of the active full members voting:
\label{Election Formula}
\begin{displaymath}
{\rm max}
\left(\left\lfloor{1\over 2}\times
	{\it number\ of\ active\ full\ members}
\right\rfloor,
\left\lfloor{2\over 3}\times
	{\it number\ of\ yes\ or\ no\ votes}
\right\rfloor\right)
\end{displaymath}
For the purpose of this calculation, abstentions shall not count as
votes.

\subsection{Revocation of Membership}
Revocation of membership shall be accomplished by the procedure
outlined in [\ref{Election of Members}], subject to identical
restrictions upon meeting schedules and approval required for the
carry of the respective motions, except that the member in question
need not be present.  A member's membership may be suspended, until
this revocation procedure is complete, by a two-thirds vote of the
\EC{}.  Should the revocation motion fail, the current \EC{} shall not
suspend the member's membership again.

\article{Meetings [to replace Article VI]}

\subsection{General Meetings}
General meetings of the \SIPB{} shall be held periodically, at a time
and place arranged by the \EC{}, upon notice to all members of the
\SIPB{} at least seven (7) days in advance.  Any member of the \SIPB{}
may call for a general meeting at a specified time and place.  The
majority of the active full members of the \SIPB{} must approve the
meeting for it to be held, and this vote is not subject to the
approval of the \EC{}.  All general meetings of the \SIPB{} shall be
open to the public unless a meeting voted closed to non-members of the
\SIPB{} by a majority of all active full members of the \SIPB{}
present.  Nominations and elections of prospectives and of the \EC{}
may be entertained at general meetings.  Business shall be conducted
at general meetings subject to the approval of the \EC{}.

\subsection{Special Meetings}
Any member of the \SIPB{} may call for a special meeting at a
specified time and place.  The majority of the active full members of
the \SIPB{} must approve the meeting for it to be held, and this vote
is not subject to the approval of the \EC{}.  Any business suitable
for general meetings may be conducted at a special meeting, unless the
meeting is designated for a particular purpose.  A quorum for
conducting business may be designated at the general meeting calling
for the special meeting.  Business conducted at special meetings is
not subject to the approval of the \EC{}.

\subsection{Meetings of the \EC{}}
Meetings of the \EC{} shall be held at the request of any member of
the \EC{}, or in accord with guidelines set down by the \EC{}, at a
time and place arranged by the Chair.  Five members of the \EC{},
including at least one officer, shall constitute a quorum for
conducting business.

Meetings of the \EC{} shall be open to all members of the MIT
community unless a meeting is voted closed to non-members of the \EC{}
by a unanimous consensus of all members of the \EC{} present.  Any
member of the \EC{} shall be free to invite any individual to attend
its meetings, and shall be free to ask any such person to serve in an
advisory capacity to the \EC{}.

The discussion and business of all meetings of the \EC{} shall be
conducted through the consultation of the participants thereof, in a
spirit such that each participant remains objective, and understands
that his or her ideas, once expressed, become the property of the
\EC{}, rather than of his or her own self and desires.  All business
conducted at a meeting of the \EC{} must be reported to the general
membership of the \SIPB{} by the next general meeting of the \SIPB{}
to remain valid.

\article{Review of Decisions [to replace Article VII]}
\label{Review of Decisions}
In the case that a decision of the \EC{} is felt detrimental to the
goals of the \SIPB{}, the general active membership of the \SIPB{} may
choose to overrule the decision in question.  The procedure for
overruling a decision of the \EC{} shall be accomplished by the
procedure outlined in [\ref{Election of Members}], subject to
identical restrictions upon meeting schedules and approval required
for the carry of the respective motions, except that members of the
\EC{} need neither be present nor approve the overruling.

\end{document}
