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Constitution
The SSE Constitution formally governs the operations of the Society of Software Engineers. We recently replaced the old constitution with a new one.
The "authoritative" version of the constitution is available as a PDF.
See also the current Presidential policy.
1 Overview
1.1 Mission Statement
The Society of Software Engineers (SSE) is a student operated organization dedicated to the philosophy that proper Software Engineering is necessary for systems to be designed and developed. The Society fosters development of strong relationships between peers, mentors and colleagues.
1.2 Non‐discrimination Policy
It is the shared belief amongst members of the Society of Software Engineers that discrimination on the basis of sex, race, age, gender, sexual orientation or identity, personal preferences or any other factor is not acceptable. The members of the Society commit to upholding tolerance and respect of all people regardless of their lifestyle or background. .
2 Organizational Structure
2.1 Principal Officers
Within the structure of the Society, there are several positions of leadership. The four positions that are defined by this constitution are the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Other positions will be granted in the annual policy prescribed by the President for a given academic year.
2.1.1 President
The position of the President is the most decorated role within the Society's active leadership. It is the President's responsibility to continue the goals of the Society and to encourage membership support and involvement within the Society. It is also the duty of the President to enforce the Constitution and to ensure a values system that makes the Society a strong and welcoming organization. It is typically the role of the President to lead meetings. The final responsibility of the President is to be the principal decision holder and to also call for votes on important decisions.
2.1.2 Vice President
The Vice President works directly beside the President and assists the President in any way possible. It is the principal duty of the Vice President to maintain reliable information collected from the many chairs and heads that run other aspects of the Society.
2.1.3 Secretary
The principal role of the Secretary is to maintain organization within the Society. In addition, the Secretary holds a vote as a Principal Officer and is granted the ability to aid in decision making procedures. The membership roster is also part of the Secretarial duties.
2.1.4 Treasurer
The role of Treasurer is to manage and keep records of the monetary funds for the Society. The Treasurer should keep an updated total of the funds available to the Society and should produce an annual policy on the budgets for a given year. It is also the duty of the Treasurer to help procure funds from fundraising or sponsorship.
2.2 Committees and Committee Chairs
In the Presidential Policy defined at the beginning of each year by the new President, several committees may be created with Society members being appointed Chair of these committees. The committees are created for a useful and productive purpose and are to be monitored by the Officers. Generally, committees will be directed entirely by the appointed Chair. In order for a Chair to be appointed, the Chair must be an RIT student and also an active member of the Society. Chairs are also permitted to define annual policies which govern their operation in conjunction with the Presidential Policy of that year.
2.3 Membership
Membership status within the Society of Software Engineers is only limited by the factors of individual participation. Each member should be an active part of the Society and should attend events and meetings as much as possible. Members are expected to take personal responsibility for the Society and fellow members in order to continue the growth of the Society.
2.3.1 Roster
A membership roster is kept by the Secretary and will include the names, contact information, status and requirements met for each member. This roster is considered "cleared" at the start of each academic year, and should be re‐populated accordingly. Members are expected to resubmit their desire to be part of the Society when the new academic year begins.
2.3.2 Membership Requirements
Requirements for membership are to be determined by the Presidential Policy. (See Section 3.1 Annual Policies)
Additional requirements include:
- Registration on the Society of Software Engineer's website and mailing list.
2.3.3 Exceptions to the Requirements
Members who have a record of good standing who've gone on co‐op can remain members of the Society without penalty from the membership requirements.
For exceptional cases, the President may pardon a member from the requirements if it is deemed that the member should not be penalized due to extraordinary circumstances. While the pardon may not need approval from the Officers, it can be challenged and nullified if such motion is brought forward.
2.3.4 Membership Revocation
It is the duty of the Officers to uphold the membership requirements and when these requirements are not met, they are responsible for removing membership status. Members are entitled to a three week notice before their membership can be removed. In this time, they are expected to remedy the issues that were being cited for their removal. Members who do not adequately resolve the issues will be subject to revocation of membership status and may not be counted as a member for the remainder of the year unless pardoned by the President.
Membership revocation for issues not provided for by this constitution must be agreed upon by all of the Officers.
3 Organizational Procedures
3.1 Annual Policies
Annual Policies are documents which define additional regulations and procedures that are supported by specific individuals in various positions. The most important Annual Policy is the Presidential Policy which can be used to define many aspects of the leadership for a given year. All leaders of the Society are strongly encouraged to create their own Annual Policy as well as revise Annual Policies from the previous years.
3.1.1 Creation of the Presidential Policy
The Presidential Policy should be created and presented to the Principle Officers early in the Fall Quarter. Specific parts of the policy should be defined as early as the intent for the presidential candidate is announced. It is important that the policy be created and put into effect as early as possible, as it should define how the Society is structured for a given year. This policy should include, but is not limited to: the committees that will be in effect and the membership requirements in effect.
3.1.2 Publication of Annual Policies
The Annual Policies fail to serve their purpose if the members cannot view them. In order for an Annual Policy to complete the transition from inception to finalization, it must be published in hard copy and filed in the public filing cabinet. Additionally, other means of making the policy available should be explored.
3.1.3 Challenging of an Annual Policy
One of the many purposes of an Annual Policy is to clearly define a leader's intent for the time of that person's term. Having the intent specified in writing allows members to help balance the Society. Any member of the Society can challenge a portion of any Annual Policy and the challenge must be heard at the next meeting. It is then up to a members majority vote to decide against the portion remaining in that Annual Policy.
3.2 Committee Creation and Disbandment
The creation and disbanding of committees must be supported by the President and must be voted on by the Principal Officers. At the beginning of each academic year, the President will define within the Presidential Policy the various committees which will exist for the year. The other Officers will need to be in consensus for the creation of the committees before they are fully instantiated. When a Committee is started, a member from the Society will be appointed by the Principle Officers to lead the effort. Members should avoid holding multiple lead positions.
Disbanding a committee can be proposed by any member, but must have consensus of the Principle Officers in order for the change to occur. Disbandment of a Committee is the sole responsibility of the Principle Officers.
3.3 Delinquencies
The roles of leadership within the Society require dedication and drive from those who hold them. When a person fails to perform in an acceptable capacity as deemed by the President, that person can be formally removed from the position according to the guidelines below.
3.3.1 Officer Delinquency
It is the responsibility of the Principle Officers to check and balance each other. If a single Officer has become delinquent, the other three are expected to bring forth the concern and have the Officer replaced. Removing an Officer from a position requires either consensus of the other remaining Officers, or a petition drawn from the Society containing no less than two‐thirds of the active membership roster. The replacement calls for a formal vote of the Society.
3.3.2 Committee Head Delinquency
Committee Head Delinquency can be brought forth by a single Officer or fellow Committee Head and must be presented to the Officers. The Officers need to be in consensus for a Committee Head to be removed. The replacement is an appointment approved by the President.
3.4 Absences
There are many reasons for members in leadership positions to become absent. If for any reason, an Officer or Committee Head becomes absent, they shall be replaced according to the same procedures outlined for having a member take that position. (Officers are elected, Committee Heads are appointed.)
3.5 Voting
Several styles of voting exist to have a fair but progressive system. Voting amongst the Officers needs to be done by the order of consensus. (All Officers are in agreement.) Voting amongst the entire Board of Directors generally calls for two‐thirds majority. Voting that involves the entire Society membership will be a simple majority of those that choose to vote.
3.6 Elections
The Principle Officer positions are all elected positions. Elections are held at the end of an academic year in Spring Quarter. Candidates require a simple majority vote of the Society in order to be elected. All members who are present are eligible to vote, and absentee votes may be accepted so long as there is accountability for the vote. A vote should remain anonymous and if it is required that accountability be determined at submission of the vote, it should not be retained beyond submission.
3.7 Candidacy and Eligibility
There are two aspects for a Candidate to be eligible for an Officer's position as prescribed below.
| Officer Role | Year Level | Prior Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| President | 4th | 2 quarters |
| Vice President | 3rd | 1 quarter |
| Treasurer | None | 1 quarter |
| Secretary | None | None |
The requirement of year level is based on credits. The requirement of prior involvement must have been a substantial role of leadership quality; either an Officer or a Committee Head for the duration indicated. In addition to the above two requirements, an additional requirement is that the member must be a Software Engineering student at RIT in order to hold one of the Principle Officer positions. Candidates are required to submit their intent to run or be nominated for an Officers position 48 hours prior to the opening of the ballot. The nomination should be collected by the Secretary, or in case of the absence of the Secretary, the Vice President.
3.8 Amendment Procedure
Any member of SSE can propose an amendment. A proposed amendment's text should be prepared and presented at the proposal. A vote which involves no less than two‐thirds of the membership roster must be held to ratify an amendment. Of those numbers, two‐thirds of them must approve the amendment.
3.9 Ratification Procedure
Ratification may be required for various documents and policies that define the structure and procedural details of the Society. In the majority of cases, a two‐thirds majority of at least two‐thirds of the total membership must be in approval for the ratification to succeed.
3.10 Reimbursement of Funds
No assumption may be made on the reimbursement of funds by any person. All purchases made with intent of reimbursement should be approved by the Treasurer first. The Treasurer has the ability to retroactively approve purchases, but there is no guarantee of this.
4 Amendments
This section has been reserved for any future amendments. This text may be removed with the introduction of an amendment.
