Constitution
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF RIT LAUNCH INITIATIVE
Last Revised and Ratified: ___03/02/2024_at 10:24:56 AM___
Article I
Preamble
We, as students at Rochester Institute of Technology, do hereby create RIT Launch Initiative, to design, build, and experiment, with high-power rocketry, and to further explore high powered rocketry in all modes.
Article II
Derivation of Authority
RIT Launch Initiative shall recognize that it receives its right to function as a club from Student Government and the Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
2A: Statement of Compliance with University Regulations
RIT Launch Initiative shall comply with all University, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, and Center for Campus Life policies and regulations, as well as local, state and federal laws.
Article III
Club Objectives
3.A: Mission Statement
RIT Launch Initiative is a student-run organization aiming to encourage rocketry research and development, with the goal of successfully launching a rocket past the Kármán Line.
3.B
To provide opportunities for broadening the intellectual, cultural, and social development of all its membership. To provide students exposure to working in larger engineering teams.
To create a positive, team-oriented environment.
Article IV
Governance and Leadership
4.A: Constitution
The Club Constitution is written and maintained by RIT Launch Initiative and defines the major aspects, goals, and governing structure of the Club. Only the sitting President, Vice President, and Director of Operations shall be able to directly amend the Constitution.
4.B: Ratification
This Constitution shall be ratified by the club Officers outlined in Section 4.B.1. Ratification must occur when any significant amendment is made to the Constitution. A significant amendment is defined as the addition of a new section, subsection, or article and/or a noteworthy change to an existing section, subsection or article.
4.B.1: Process of Ratification
To ratify the Constitution, the President must read over any significantly amended Articles of the Constitution to the majority of the Officers. The Officers may then choose to 'endorse' or 'oppose' those Articles of the Constitution. A two-thirds majority of the Officers standing with the Constitution will ratify the Constitution until such additions or changes outlined in Section 4.B. are made that deem another ratification necessary. Upon successful ratification, the Enabling Clause and the "Last Ratified and Revised" dates must be changed. Article VII cannot be opposed or amended.
4.B.2: Process of Re-ratification
The team constitution shall be re-ratified each year. Yearly re-ratification shall be conducted with only the current academic year's officers. The Process of Re-ratification is identical to the Process of Ratification outlined in Section 4.B.1.
4.C: By-Laws
Club By-Laws define more flexible aspects of the club. A by-law may expand on rules
outlined in the Constitution, but may never contradict the Constitution.
4.D: Club Officer
A Launch Initiative Officer is defined as a member of Launch Initiative that was elected to the Executive Board or appointed as a Project Lead.
4.E: The Executive Board
Executive Board members are Launch Initiative Officers that have been elected for positions such as, but are not limited to:
- President
- Vice President
- Director of Operations
- Director of Public Relations
- Treasurer
- Director of Sponsorships
- Secretary
The President, Vice President, and Director of Operations shall henceforth be referred to as "Admin Team"
4.E.1: Admin Team Exclusionary Clause
Members in good standing as defined by 5.D. are unable to fill the roles of the Admin Team if said member is going on Co-op for either the fall or spring semesters of the academic year in which they would need to fill such Admin Team role as defined in section 4.E.
4.F: Project Leads
Project Leads are Launch Initiative Officers that have been nominated to lead their team by the Officer previously holding such position or the Admin Team. Upon simple majority confirmation by the rest of the Officers, this Officer becomes a team lead. Team leads include, but are not limited to:
- IREC Team Lead(s)
- Space Race Team Lead(s)
- Avionics Team Lead(s)
- Liquid Propulsion Team Lead(s)
- Solid Propulsion Team Lead(s)
4.G: Team Advisors
Team Advisors are Launch Initiative Officers that have been appointed by the Admin Team to fill gaps in knowledge transfer on teams deemed necessary by the Admin Team. Such team leads to support are defined in Section 4.F.
Article V
Membership
5.A. Qualifications
All students, undergraduate or graduate, who attend the Rochester Institute of Technology, are eligible
for membership in RIT Launch Initiative.
5.B: Definition of Membership
A member of Launch Initiative is henceforth defined as a student of RIT who attends at least one or more meetings, at any point throughout their education at RIT, or has presence in any or all, but not limited to, the following sites or services used by RIT Launch Initiative:
- Google drive
- Confluence
- Fusion360 Hub
- Altium
- Slack
- Calendars
- Any file hosting or information sharing platforms where "presence" is defined as actively contributing to a platform or in person event for Launch Initiative.
5.C. Member Expectations
As a team member of RIT Launch Initiative, one must:
- Demonstrate civility, respect, decency, and sensitivity towards all members of RIT Launch Initiative.
- Take ownership for all agreed-upon commitments and maintain a high level of accountability
- Have a willingness to learn and teach
- Practice responsible and ethical decision making
- Represent RIT Launch Initiative with integrity in all aspects
5.D. “Good Standing”
In order to be in good standing with RIT Launch Initiative, members must stay in good standing as students of the Rochester Institute of Technology, and abide by all expectations set forth by Section 5.C. To maintain one's 'Good Standing,' members must exhibit commitment to and responsibility over assigned action items.
5.D.1: Actionable Conduct
Any member that does not complete assigned tasks, or attend team meetings for multiple weeks without communicating with their lead, an E-Board Officer, or the Admin Team may have the following actions taken upon them:
- Loss of the privilege to represent RIT Launch Initiative in any facet
- Denial of Attendance to the Performance Team Open House
- Denial of attendance to team launches
- Removal from their team
- Prevention from purchasing team apparel
Any action taken against team members for lack of commitment must be approved by the majority of the Admin Team before, and only before, said action is to take place. Any Officer found to have taken action against a team member without notifying and discussing said action with the Admin Team will cause the Admin Team to enact Section 5.I: Procedure for Executive and Project Lead Revocation of Position.
5.E. Member Rights
Only members in good standing as defined in Section 5.D. have the right to:
- Vote on polls and in elections
- Attend club sponsored events
- Purchase team apparel
5.F. Probation
Members no longer in good standing with the club as outlined in Section 5.D. will be placed on a probationary status. Probationary status includes the loss of all following rights:
- Right to vote on proposals and in elections
- Right to work on projects or attend team meetings
- Right to attend social events, sponsorship events, and team launches
- Right to purchase team apparel
Members on probation may still attend General Meetings
5.F.1: Note on Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating Circumstances are hereby defined as circumstances that are outside of a member's control or that require their immediate and/or prolonged attention. A member under such extenuating circumstances shall not have their Good Standing status revoked. This member must notify their respective Project Team lead or another Officer of their situation, but does not have to delve into any more detail than they see fit.
5.F.2: Recovery of Good Standing
Revocation of Good Standing status is not a life sentence. A member may recover their Good Standing Status by discussing their situation with the Project Lead of their respective team or by taking their case to another Officer. That Project Team Lead or Officer can hold a meeting with the rest of the team Officers to discuss recovery of that member's Good Standing Status. Good Standing recovery can only begin when a member lacking Good Standing initiates the above procedure. It is not the team Officers' responsibility to oversee every member's recovery of standing.
5.G. Removal of Membership
Any member can be removed from RIT Launch Initiative if they are found to be breaking any or all of RIT Policies and/or are actively jeopardizing the status of the club.
5.G.1: Definition of a Complaint
A complaint is hereafter defined as an offense against another team member or team lead. Such offense is media-neutral; any offense levied verbally, over electronic messages, or otherwise shall be treated equally in the eyes of the Admin Team. Complaints can be anonymous, the mode of complaint shall be left up to the issuer.
5.G.2: Definition of an Offense
Such offenses are those that violate any or all, but not limited to: RIT's code of Ethical Conduct and Compliance, Title IX, Code for Academic Integrity, or Code for Gender Based and Sexual Misconduct. Any malicious action taken against another member based solely on a protected class as outlined by RIT's code of Ethical Conduct and Compliance, Title IX, Code for Academic Integrity, or Code for Gender Based and Sexual Misconduct will instead turn the actions of the Admin Team upon the member that issued the malicious complaint.
5.G.3: Definition of Severity
A serious offense is one which rises to the level of action from RIT Campus Safety and/or the committee for Student Conduct, hereafter referred to as "University Powers." Such serious offenses instigate action from University Powers who's authority supersedes that of the Launch Initiative Officers and shall be heeded.
5.G.4: Note on Serious Offenses
The line between an offense that can be handled within the team and one that must be handled by the University Powers is blurred. The sitting Admin Team may choose to observe the precedent established by previous Admin Teams pursuant to 5.G.5, however in the event that established precedent does not cover the issue at hand, the Admin Team has the power to determine their course of action on a case by case basis.
5.G.5: Preservation of Records and Establishment of Precedent
It is the duty of the sitting Admin Team to keep a record of all complaints brought to them. The Admin Team's response to the complaint, how the complaint was resolved, and any correspondence from the University and the Faculty Advisor must also be recorded. This information will be kept confidential to all members and Officers except the Admin Team and shall be used to establish precedent for future Admin Teams in similar cases.
5.G.6: Discretionary Powers
It is impossible to write a document that anticipates every complaint an Admin Team may receive, thus the records established in 5.G.5 are not meant to be followed as law. Section 5.G.6 grants the Admin Team "Discretionary Powers" such that they may use these records merely as a guide to inform their decisions on handling the complaints they receive. Overall, it shall be left to the sitting Admin Team to decide how they wish to resolve conflicts on a case by case basis, with records pursuant to 5.G.5 being made for each incident.
5.H Procedure for General Removal
The removal process begins when a complaint is brought to the Admin Team. If deemed necessary by the Admin Team, the Admin Team may notify the Faculty Advisor that the removal process has been initiated.
5.H.1
The Admin Team will meet to determine a course of action. Other members of the Executive Board shall be notified and factored in on a need to know basis. Such courses of action are defined in the following sections but can be summarized by the following:
- Internally resolve the complaint between the parties involved
- Report the complaint to the University
5.H.2: Internal Resolution
"Internal Resolution" is defined as the Admin Team resolving conflicts within the team. Pursuant to Section 5.G.6, the sitting Admin Team has the discretion to determine what action is best suitable to resolve the conflict. In the event of an internal resolution, pursuant to Section 5.G.5, records of the conflict shall still be created and maintained.
5.H.3
In a timely manner, the Admin team will notify the member of concern and organize a meeting time to discuss the complaint brought against them.
5.H.4
In the event of a member committing a serious offense, pursuant to Section 5.G.3, procedure dictated by 5.H.2 is void. The Admin Team will meet and discuss the complaint and thereafter report the complaint to the Faculty Advisor and proper University Powers. RIT Launch Initiative will heed all orders communicated from such groups.
5.H.5
If the Admin Team deems it necessary, the member will be immediately removed from the RIT Launch Initiative roster and membership will be revoked. Such membership is defined in Section 5.B. The Director of Operations will notify this member of the decision via email, with the Faculty Advisor included on all exchanges.
5.H.6
If removal is deemed unnecessary, the Admin Team can decide to take the best course of action on a case by case basis. Said member will be notified via email, with the Faculty Advisor included on all exchanges.
5.I Procedure for Executive and Project Lead Revocation of Position
If at anytime member of a project or other members in the club feel that a project lead or elected role is not fulfilling their responsibilities and/or is negatively impacting the team, that lead or elected role can have their position revoked. Revoking of position and removal of membership are not mutually exclusive and can happen simultaneously. Procedure for General Removal 5.H shall be followed in the event an Officer is to be removed from Launch Initiative.
5.I.1
The revocation process begins when a complaint is brought to the Admin Team.The Admin Team will meet to determine a course of action. Such courses of action are defined in the following section.
5.I.2
In a timely manner, the Admin team will notify the Officer of concern and organize a meeting time to discuss the complaint brought against them. If deemed necessary by the Admin Team, the Admin Team may notify the Faculty Advisor that the revocation process has been initiated.
5.I.3
If it is deemed necessary, the Officer will vacate their officer position. Such officership is defined in section 4.D. The Director of Operations will notify this Officer of the decision via email, with the Faculty Advisor included on all exchanges.
5.I.4: Refusal to Vacate
In the event that the Admin Team deems it necessary to revoke an Officer's position, and such Officer refuses to vacate their position, Procedure for General Removal 5.H. shall be initiated. Pursuant to 5.G.6, the sitting Admin Team has discretion on how they proceed with General Removal. An Officer's refusal to vacate shall be included in the record of the conflict, pursuant to 5.G.5.
5.I.5: Revocation of Team Leadership Position
In the event of a Project Lead vacating their position, that team shall not be abandoned. In a timely manner, the Admin Team will nominate a member they see fit to take the role. Such member must be in good standing within the club, and must make their decision after and only after being informed of the commitments they must make to lead the team. After which, the club Officers will vote on that member taking the role.
5.I.6: Revocation of Executive Board Position
In the event of an Executive Board member vacating their position, their duties shall not be abandoned. In a timely manner, the Admin Team will nominate a member they see fit to take the role. Such member must be in good standing within the club, and must make their decision after and only after being informed of the commitments they must make to fulfill the duties of the role. After which, the club Officers will vote on that member taking the role.
5.I.7
The Admin Team may choose to take no action. In such cases the Director of Operations will notify this Officer of the decision via email, with the Faculty Advisor included on all exchanges.
5.J Admin Impeachment
It shall not be ignored that the Admin Team has more powers and sway than other Officers. As such, Section 5.J defines the protocol for Impeachment of an Admin role if such role is grossly flouting their duties, responsibilities and/or negatively impacting the team. Impeachment and removal of membership are not mutually exclusive and can happen simultaneously. Procedure for General Removal 5.H shall be followed in the event an Admin Team member is to be removed from Launch Initiative.
5.J.1 Definition of Impeachment
Impeachment is henceforth defined as a formal action taken by the club Officers against any member of the Admin Team, requiring an Admin Team member to step down from their position.
5.J.2
The impeachment process begins when a complaint is voiced within and shared between the Officers of the club. Those Officers must then bring their complaint to at least one member of the Admin Team. This Admin Team member will henceforth be referred to as an "Arbiter"
5.J.3
In a timely manner, the Officers and Arbiter will notify the Admin member of concern and organize a meeting time to discuss the complaint brought against them. The Arbiter will arbitrate the discussion between the Officer of concern and the Officers of the club. If deemed necessary by the club Officers and Arbiter, they may notify the Faculty Advisor that the impeachment process has been initiated.
5.J.4.
If it is deemed necessary, the Officer will vacating their Admin Team position. Such officership is defined in section 4.D. The Director of Operations will notify this Officer of the decision via email, with the Faculty Advisor included on all exchanges. If the Officer of concern is the Director of Operations, this duty falls upon one of the other Admin Team members.
5.J.5: Refusal to Vacate
In the event that the club Officers and Arbiter deem it necessary to revoke an Admin member's position, and such Officer refuses to vacate their position, Procedure for General Removal 5.G. shall be initiated. Pursuant to 5.G.6, the club Officers and Arbiter have discretion on how they proceed with General Removal. An Officer's refusal to vacate shall be included in the record of the conflict, pursuant to 5.G.5.
5.J.6: Contingency Upon Impeachment
In the event an Admin Team member vacates their position, their duties shall not be abandoned. In a timely manner, the club Officers and Admin will elect another member to take over the duties of the vacant role. Such member must be in good standing within the club, and must make their decision after and only after being informed of the commitments they must make to fulfill the duties of the role. Such member's position will be labeled as "Acting _______". This Acting Admin member is now a Launch Initiative Officer, and shall be subject to all sections that define or describe their duties and responsibilities.
5.J.7
The Arbiter and club Officers may choose to take no action.
Article VI
Meetings
6.A: Frequency of Meetings
RIT Launch Initiative will gather for weekly meetings for all members, hereby labeled General Meetings.
RIT Launch Initiative Club Officers will gather for weekly leadership meetings, hereby labeled Leads Meetings.
Meetings may be canceled for reasons such as holidays , breaks, or other events.
6.B: Structure of the Meetings
RIT Launch Initiative aims to cover all of the following areas, but not limited to them, at most meetings, in no particular order:
- Announce club news and activities.
- Provide updates for all teams.
- Present "Space News," a section of General Meeting dedicated to covering new developments in the Aerospace and relevant industries.
- Rocket of the Week (ROTW) which is a short educational presentation that teaches members about a particular vehicle, or subsystem thereof.
- "Five Minute Training", a short educational presentation that aims to teach members a new skill related to our mission or students' academics.
6.C: Provisions for Emergency Meetings
In the event that the Admin Team warrants an emergency meeting must be called, which may be at any reasonable time on any day of the week, announcements will be made immediately via the following predominant communication methods, but is not limited to:
- Slack
- Call/Texting Personal Cell Phones
All club officers are expected to make a conceded and genuine effort to attend the emergency meeting, and if they are unable to attend because of extenuating circumstances, they must alert the Admin Team and/or other club officers by the same channels
6.D: Attendance Policy
For General Meetings, attendance shall be recorded via a "Check In" system facilitated by google form. This will be presented at every General Meeting, and members will be able to utilize this system to verify their attendance.
All club officers shall make every effort to attend the majority, if not all, of Leads Meetings be it in person or online, and if they can not, they must alert the team via the channels outlined in 6.C. Attendance shall be recorded on the Leads Meeting Notes manually.
6.F: Voting Procedures
For any procedure defined in this Constitution for which voting is the chosen means by which to make a collective decision, the minimum number of votes in order to accept a specific rule, appointment, or other action, must be equivalent to or in excess of simple majority of the voting body. However, the definition of any other voting procedure in the Constitution will overrule this simple majority requirement in favor of the voting rules established by the appropriate clause of that procedure.
6.F.1: Parliamentary Procedures
Launch Initiative has no requirements for formalized parliamentary procedure.
ARTICLE VII: ADHERENCE TO UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Section 1: Anti-Hazing
Per the RIT Hazing Policy (RIT Student Conduct Process; IV. RIT Code of Conduct; 14. Hazing/Failure to Report
Hazing)
Hazing/Failure to Report Hazing. Behavior, regardless of intent, which endangers the emotional, or physical
health and safety of a Student for the purpose of membership, affiliation with, or maintaining membership in,
a group or Student Organization. Hazing includes any level of participation, such as being in the presence,
having awareness of hazing, or failing to report hazing. Examples of hazing include, but are not limited to,
beating or branding, sleep deprivation or causing excessive fatigue, threats of harm, forcing or coercing
consumption of food, water, alcohol or other drugs, or other substances, verbal abuse, embarrassing,
humiliating, or degrading acts, or activities that induce, cause or require the Student to perform a duty or task
which is not consistent with fraternal law, ritual or policy or involves a violation of local, state or federal laws,
or the RIT Code of Conduct.
NY State Hazing Law
§ 120.16 Hazing in the first degree. A person is guilty of hazing in the first degree when, in the course of
another person's initiation into or affiliation with any organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in
conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person and thereby
causes such injury. Hazing in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.
§ 120.17 Hazing in the second degree. A person is guilty of hazing in the second degree when, in the course
of another person's initiation or affiliation with any organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in
conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person. Hazing in
the second degree is a violation.
Section 2: Anti-Discrimination Clause
This organization shall not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, sexual orientation gender
identity and gender expression, religion, age marital sate, national origin, disability or veteran
status. This policy will include but is not limited to, recruiting, membership, organization
activities or opportunities to hold or run for club office.