Article I—Name

The name of this organization shall be The Latin American Student Organization.

Article II—Purpose

The purpose of the club shall be to maintain and encourage a unified Latinx Community at Towson
University. We are a strong and growing organization that celebrates our Latinx heritage and culture by
sponsoring educational, political, and social activities. Our members include students of many different
Latinx ethnicities enrolled at Towson University, as well as other Towson students who are interested in
learning about and participating in Latinx culture, history, and empowerment.

Mission Statement:
L.A.S.O. strives to promote Latinx culture and improve diversity awareness at Towson University, as
well as in the surrounding community. Our goals are to encourage unity through common bonds, to be
voices of the Latinx Community on campus, and to serve as a resource of educated Latinx students. In
addition, we will stay active in the Latinx Community by finding job opportunities, internships, and
volunteer work for members that are interested in giving back. These goals will be achieved through
activities which provide community service and cultural celebration events and forums.

Article III—Membership

Section 1 - Active membership of this student organization shall be chosen without discrimination
on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status,
sexual orientation or gender.

Students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and be a fee-paying undergraduate student to be an active
member of this student organization.

Active membership of a student organization includes the right to hold office.

Section 2- Active members of this organization are members who: Attend our meetings, events, and agree
with our mission.

Article IV—Executive Officers

Section 1 - The executive officers of The Latin American Student Organization shall be as follows:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Fundraising Chair, Events Coordinator, Community
Service Chair, Public Relations, Co-Advisor/Tiger Stripes, and Social Coordinator. All Executive
Officers must be fee paying undergraduate Towson University students with at least a 2.0 GPA.
Section 2 – An officer may be impeached by a 2/3 majority vote of the present active executive board
members if he or she is not fulfilling their constitutional duties.

Section 3 – In the event that an officer is impeached or resigns, the executive board members will
inform the general board members about the open position. If any of the general board members are
interested, they will be given the opportunity to shadow the executive board members for a week and
interview them to determine if they are qualified for the position.

Section 4 – All officers must contribute to all fundraising events and community service events by
either of the following:
A. Participation - tabling or attending events.
B. In the event that someone cannot do any of the above requirements they must inform the
President or Vice President 24 hours before the event.

Article V—Duties of the Executive Officers

The President is the primary official of the Executive Board. He/She:

● Plans and presides over all general body meetings and executive board meetings by keeping order
and guiding the members to accomplish the specified goals of the meeting.
● Acts as a spokesperson for the organization when attending SGA meetings. If the President is
unable to attend, he/she may appoint an alternate spokesperson in his/her absence.
● Reviews information sent to the organization and distributes it to the appropriate chairperson.
● Maintains healthy relationships with other student organizations on campus by being aware of the
other groups’ officials. For the purpose of networking, attend other organizations’ meetings and
represent L.A.S.O. by making his/her face known among them.
● Maintain records of financial transactions and execute them in the event that the Treasurer is
unable.
● Work alongside the Treasurer to write and submit the semester budgets required by the SGA, as
well as funding requests to the SGA and other possible funding sources.
● Supervise and ensure the effective performance of the remaining executive board members.
● Appoint committee leaders and assign specialized projects or responsibilities to specified
members as it is deemed necessary.
● All publications, e-mails, information posted on the website, speeches, and other related materials
meant for the purpose of promotion or representation of L.A.S.O. must first be proofread and
approved by the President of L.A.S.O. before they are made available to the general student
body/public.
● Responsible for signing any and all contracts dealing with Towson University.
● Be aware of current issues affecting the Latinx Community.

The Vice President is responsible for overseeing the organization in the absence of the President.
He/She:
 ● In the event that the President should have to step down, or can no longer perform all of his/her
duties, the Vice President will assume the role of ‘Acting President’ until the next eboard
selection.
● Assist in planning and conducting general body and executive board meetings, as well as other
events and programs.
● Assist the President in making decisions of events and choosing topics for general body meetings.
● Assist in the gathering of resources, information, and making the google docs for the meetings.
● Act as spokesperson for the organization when necessary and in the absence of the President.
● Coordinate the duties of committees.

Secretary is responsible for the safekeeping of the organization’s central files, past and present.

● Take notes/writes on google doc during weekly general body and executive board meetings of
topics discussed and other matters of business relating to the organization.
● Take attendance for every general body meeting as well as other L.A.S.O. activities such as
community service, fundraising, etc.
● Keep a record of members' attendance
● Compile an updated directory/roster of all the L.A.S.O. members which include names, phone
numbers, email addresses, and birthdays. Keep involved@TU updated
● Maintain comprehensive and current files, which include the constitution, list of members, supply
inventory, and all other pertinent records.
● Perform any clerical duties that are needed for L.A.S.O. as per the request of other executive
board members.
● Send out weekly email reminders notifying members of general body meetings, social events,
community functions, and any other pertinent information including time, location, and any other
matters of business scheduled to be discussed.

Treasurer is the primary financial officer of the organization.

● Mandatory attendance at required and relevant meetings, including budget approval meetings and
SGA hearings. The Treasurer must comply with all SGA procedures regarding the budget.
● Maintain and enforce the budget in order for the organization to obtain budget lines at all times.
● Once a month let other officers know where the L.A.S.O. account stands.
● Work alongside the President to write and submit the semester budgets required by the SGA, as
well as funding requests to the SGA and other possible funding sources by the university required
deadline.
● Have an understanding of who the SGA Accountant is and make sure to turn in all required
documents/receipts to him/her on time. He or she should also develop a healthy relationship with
that office and ask for guidance and advice, when necessary, for the organization’s financial
affairs.
● For the purposes of making deposits and withdrawals, he or she must be aware of the location of
the Ticket Office for Financial Operations. (1st floor Union — Ticket Master window)
● Work with the Fundraising chairs to develop more efficient ways to produce funds for the
organization
 ● Execute financial transactions in a timely manner, maintaining copies of all relevant forms and
receipts. Make all necessary calculations.
● Maintain records of financial transactions in a ledger and make them available to members upon
request.
● Make copies of all checks received from sponsors of outside fundraising events. Hand over any
funds that have been raised to the treasurer for deposit into the L.A.S.O. account.

Fundraising Chair:

● Responsible for setting up programs to raise money for the organization to reach its semester
fundraising goal.
● Responsible for contacting businesses/companies that will fundraise with us.
● Responsible for collecting the items necessary for the event to take place.
● Maintain executive board updated on fundraising requirement goal status.
● Responsible for ensuring the organization is on track to meet the SGA fundraising requirement.

Events Coordinator

● Responsible for planning the layout of events (venue setup, decorations, location of food, number
of volunteers needed, etc.)
● Responsible for reservation of rooms and spaces for all organization events (through Events and
Conference Services).
● Responsible for getting the supplies that are needed for the event or designating this
responsibility to other executive board members.
● Responsible for coordinating committees for big events such as Noche Latina.
● Responsible for coordinating the promotion of events along with the Public Relations officer.
● Responsible for supporting Public Relations officer when needed.

Community Service Chair

● Responsible for finding out about community service events that are held on or off Towson’s
campus.
● Responsible for keeping track of community service hours and submitting them by the deadline
obtained from the SGA.
● Plans at least two community service events per semester (On or off-campus).
● Keep a record of volunteer and community service contacts.
● Maintain executive board updated on the number of community service hours completed and
needed.
● Responsible for ensuring the organization meets the required number of community service hours
by SGA.

Public Relations
 ● Creates flyers/advertisements for all events and shares with the executive board before the flyers
are released.
● Updates social networks (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.)
● Responsible for taking photographs at events, meetings, etc.
● Responsible for updating pictures on social networks.
● Responsible for maintaining the L.A.S.O. banner up-to-date.
● Responsible for making a recap (video, slideshow, etc.) of the semester at the end of it. (Optional,
but not mandatory)

Co-Advisor

● The liaison between the advisor and the student group.

● Responsible for picking up duties and responsibilities the President assigns.
● Responsible for overseeing the executive board and assisting them with whatever they need.
● Responsible for making sure we are meeting the requirements of our TigerStripes package.

Social Coordinator

● Responsible for arranging one executive board bonding activity/outing event per month.
● Responsible for arranging at least two general body members bonding activity/outing events per
semester.
● Responsible for supporting community and fundraising coordinators as well.

Article VI—Elections

1. Election of officers shall take place yearly in May.

2. Elections will be chaired by the current executive board members
3. In the event of a tie, a debate will take place and a revote will be done.
4. Voting Rights:
a. To be a voting member, one must be an e-board member who actively participates in the
organization’s activities.
b. Active membership of a student organization includes the right to vote and hold office.
c. Must attend 3 community service activities or serve on at least one committee for any
event (such as Noche Latina).
d. Elections shall be held using a secret ballot system.
e. Candidates may vote for all offices.
5. Eligibility to hold office:
a. General body members who have been actively involved with the organization are
eligible for nomination as an officer of the Executive Board who meets the Towson
University SGA eligibility for student office holding (b) fulfills the qualifications as set
up by this constitution and the Executive Board.
b. The candidate must shadow an officer in the executive board who holds the position
which he/she is interested in. Shadowing is necessary since it trains potential executive
 board members and allows them to learn the responsibilities associated with the position
they are interested in.
6. It is the responsibility of the incumbent board member to plan a transition meeting in order to
discuss proper execution of L.A.S.O. business.
7. Once each executive board member assumes his or her role as an officer, he or she must abide by
the rules set forth in this constitution and carry out all responsibilities assigned to that office.

Article VII—Amendments

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed to the executive board members by a majority vote or
by a petition signed by ¼ of the general body members. Amendments shall be declared or adopted
upon SGA approval.

Article VIII—By-Laws

By-Laws, not inconsistent with this constitution, may be adopted or amended by a 2/3 majority of the
members present at any general or special meetings, provided the By-Laws are submitted in writing at
least one week previously at either regular or special meetings of the general membership and upon SGA
approval.