NTID Student Congress

Bylaws

NTID Student Congress

Established in October 1971

Fall 20061 Edition

Table of Contents

Article Page

(with Section headline)

I. Name...................................................................... 3

II. Derivation of Authority ................................................. 3

III. Purpose ................................................................ 3

IV. Membership .............................................................. 3

V. NSC Officers.............................................................. 3

VI. NSC Executive Board...................................................... 7

•Initiating Legislation

•Executive Board Meeting

•Emergency Decisions

VII. NSC Administration ..................................................... 7

VIII. Elections and Appointments ............................................ 8

•Eligibility

•Election Chairperson and Committee

•Nomination Requirements

•One-Ticket Rule for Candidates

•Campaign Rules

•Election Procedure

•Newly Elected Officers

IX. Succession .............................................................. 11

•Presidential and Vice Presidential Absences

•Vacancies of Executive Board Positions

X. Impeachment .............................................................. 12

•Grounds for Impeachment

•Grounds for Notification

•Procedures

XI. Bylaw Revision and Suspension ........................................... 12

•Grounds for Proposing an Amendment

•Voting

XII. NTID Student Assembly .................................................. 13

•Purpose of NSA

•Legislative Powers

•Officers

•Meeting Procedures

•Active/Inactive Organizational Status

•Elections

**Note: Articles I-XI refers to NSC only. Article XII refers to NSA only.

Appendix (This appendix was created to collect supplementary materials for referral)

A. RIT/Gallaudet Sports Weekend By-Laws...................................... 18

2

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be National Technical Institute for the Deaf Student

Congress or NTID Student Congress, hereafter referred to as NSC.

Article II: Derivation of Authority

NSC shall recognize that it receives its right to function as a student body government

organization under Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Student Government (SG)

Bylaws and Charter. NSC shall abide by RIT’s rules, policies, and regulations.

Article III: Purpose of NSC

A. Is to govern and represent NTID and cross-registered students within RIT.

B. Is to coordinate activities and events that create positive images of NTID.

C. Is to encourage personal growth and advancement of NTID and cross-

registered students within RIT as a whole and individually.

D. Is to advocate NTID and cross-registered students both individually and

wholly within RIT.

E. The official colors of NSC are orange and brown.

Article IV: Membership

Any NTID or cross-registered student that have paid RIT and NTID student activities

fees shall become an active member. Anyone is eligible to become an honorary member

of NSC but only if an active member nominates the person and the nomination is

approved by NTID Student Assembly (NSA).

Article V: Officers

Section I. NSC shall have an Executive Board, consisting of the following:

A. President

B. Vice President

C. Director of Student Academic Affairs

D. Director of Communications

E. Director of Programming

F. Finance Director

G. Executive Assistant

Section II. Duties and Responsibilities of the Executive Board

A. President

i. Shall preside at all regular and special NSC meetings, and shall

coordinate the preparation of all matters submitted to the Executive

Board for action.

3

ii. Shall be the chief administrative officer, bearing full responsibility for

the administration and to the faithful execution of the NSC Bylaws.

iii. Shall have the full power to delegate tasks to other members of the

Executive Board.

iv. Shall be the chief NSC representative to the public, RIT, and RIT SG.

v. Shall be a member of the RIT SG Senate and Dean’s Student

Leadership Advisory Group.

vi. Shall attend all necessary meetings requested by any NTID/RIT

administration, faculty, SG, NSC, or students, and if he or she is

unable to do so, the Vice President shall be notified and shall act as the

replacement.

vii. Shall lead the NSC Board to establish annual goals and objectives of

NSC.

viii. Shall either be the chairperson for the biannual Brickfest event or

appoint a chairperson with joint approval by the NSC Executive

Board.

B. Vice President

i. Shall serve as acting President upon the President’s temporary

absence.

ii. Shall assist the President in the performance of his or her duties.

iii. Shall keep the President advised of any action from the Directors.

iv. Shall attend all external meetings as a replacement for the President

upon the President’s request.

C. Director of Communications

i. Shall report to the NSC President.

ii. Shall be the liaison between the Student Communication Center (SCC)

and NSC.

iii. Shall lead a council, consisting of the webmaster, public relations

chairperson. The Director may create additional council members as

deemed necessary upon joint approval by the NSC President and Vice

President.

D. Director of Student Academic Affairs

i. Shall report to the NSC President.

ii. Shall provide information and resources about academic issues to

students, and shall advocate for the academic rights of students.

iii. Shall lead a council, consisting of at least one representative-at-large.

The Director may create additional council members as deemed

necessary upon joint approval by the NSC President and Vice

President.

4

E. Director of Programming

i. Shall report to the NSC President.

ii. Shall coordinate community events that NSC hosts.

iii. Shall lead a council, consisting of programming assistants. The

Director may create additional council members as deemed necessary

upon joint approval by the NSC President and Vice President.

F. Finance Director

i. Shall be responsible for preparing a budget that is subjected to the

approval of the NSC Executive Board.

ii. Shall meet with the Advisor’s assistant bi-weekly to update the budget.

iii. Shall give a monthly report of the NSC income and expenses to the

NSC Executive Board within the first two weeks of every month.

iv. Shall set up a financial committee, consisting of finance directors

and/or treasurers from all active organizations in NSA, to discuss and

recommend solutions to any financial issues.

v. Shall have the President and Administrative Advisor edit and approve

the expense request form before continuing with the procedure.

vi. Shall attend Student Government Finance Committee meetings.

G. Executive Assistant

i. Shall be responsible for taking and distributing the NSC Executive

Board meeting minutes within 48 hours after adjournment.

ii. Shall be responsible for taking and distributing NSC memos and letters

from the NSC Executive Board to NSC Affiliated Representatives.

iii. Shall be in charge of the mail folders, incoming and outgoing mail,

and maintaining all NSC files.

iv. Shall maintain a record of absences at the NSC Executive Board

meetings and shall send absentee reports to the NSC President, Vice

President, and Executive Assistant.

Section III. NTID Senator

A. Shall serve his or her term as liaison between RIT SG and NSC in full

compliance with the expectations as stated in RIT SG’s Bylaws.

B. Shall create and sustain joint efforts with NSC to fully serve the interests of

the NTID community.

C. Shall attend NSC Executive Board meetings to report any information

obtained from RIT SG.

D. Shall discuss issues of concern to the NTID community during NSC meetings

but may not have any voting power.

E. Shall attend NSA meetings to report any information obtained from RIT SG.

F. Shall discuss issues of concern to the NTID Community during NSA meetings

but may not have any voting power.

5

Section IV. Brickfest and RIT/Gallaudet Weekend Chairpersons

A. Brickfest Chairperson

i. President of NSC shall appoint a Brickfest chairperson with joint

approval of the NSC Executive Board according to the RIT/Gallaudet

Weekend Bylaws.

ii. Brickfest chairperson shall maintain close correspondence with the

NSC President.

iii. Brickfest chairperson shall comply with the Brickfest Bylaws.

iv. Brickfest chairperson shall seek assistance with financial issues from

the Administrative Advisor.

B. RIT/Gallaudet Weekend Chairperson

i. President of NSC shall appoint a RIT/Gallaudet Weekend chairperson

with join approval of the NSC Executive Board according to the

RIT/Gallaudet Weekend Bylaws.

ii. RIT/Gallaudet weekend chairperson shall maintain close

correspondence with the NSC President.

iii. RIT/Gallaudet weekend chairperson shall work with the Gallaudet’s

chairperson to plan out the event.

iv. RIT/Gallaudet Weekend chairperson shall seek assistance with

financial issues form the Administrative Advisor.

v. RIT/Gallaudet weekend chairperson shall comply with the

RIT/Gallaudet & Gallaudet/RIT Weekend Policy

Section V. NSC shall have an administrative advisor with duties that consist of the

following:

A. Shall attend all NSC Executive Board meetings.

B. Shall advise all NSC Executive Board members when deemed necessary.

C. Shall at all times be supportive of the concept and principles of NSC.

D. Shall serve as financial advisor for Brickfest and RIT/Gallaudet Weekend

chairpersons.

E. Shall not interfere with an of NSC’s executive decisions unless it conflicts

with the Institute’s policies and regulations.

Section VI. All officers shall serve a one-year term

Section VII. No officers shall serve two offices within NSC at once.

6

Article VI: Executive Board

Section I. Members of the Executive Board may initiate legislation. Refer to Article XI.

Section II. Executive Board Meeting

A. Shall review and may veto bills passed by NSA within ten (8) working days

after NSA's approval of the bill by unanimous consent.

B. Shall meet at least five (9) times a quarter at anytime so desired by the

members of Executive Board.

C. Quorum shall be met when all the filled positions of Executive Board are

present.

D. President shall chair Executive Board while the meeting shall be conducted

with equal voice and vote amongst all members.

E. Administrative Advisor shall be required to be present at all meeting with

exceptions of an emergency meeting.

F. Shall be authorized to make operating policies for NSC. To make such

policies, a unanimous consent must be reached. The operating policies are

limited to NSC office and or any or all councils.

Section III. Emergency Decisions

A. In a case where NTID or cross-registered students may be significantly

impacted and immediate attention is urgent, the NSC President may call an

emergency meeting to make a decision towards a resolution.

B. The administrative advisor shall be informed of the meeting and its intent

before such a meeting may be called shall be permitted to attend.

Article VII: NSC Administration

A. Shall be consisted of the Finance Director and Executive Assistant.

B. Shall handle and process all paperwork for all branches of NSC.

C. Shall maintain the NSC office according to the operating policies set by the

Executive Board.

D. Members shall be required to sign a confidentiality contract and may not share

any information gained through their work with NSC without express request

of an Executive Board member.

E. Finance Director shall be the sole member of the Administration to process

financial transactions.

7

Article VIII. Elections and Appointments

Section I. Election Chairperson and Committee

A. Elections shall be coordinated by the Election chairperson.

i. Election chairperson shall be appointed by the NSC Executive Board

by the fifth week of Winter Quarter.

ii. Election chairperson shall establish an Election Committee, consisting

of four committee members.

iii. Election procedures shall be in compliance with that of SG.

iv. Election procedures and timeline shall be reviewed and approved by

the Administrative Advisor.

v. Election chairperson and committee members shall not be current

members of NSC.

vi. Election chairperson and committee members shall not run for any

position.

vii. Any disputes between the Election committee and candidates shall be

referred to the Administrative Advisor.

B. The Election Committee has discretion in coordinating the election and must

maintain constant correspondence with the NSC President.

C. At least one member of the election committee is required to attend NSA

meetings during nomination and campaigning period.

Section II. Eligibility

A. Anyone is eligible to run for any elected office provided they have the

following qualifications:

i. Is a full time student in NTID/RIT.

ii. Is in good academic standing according to RIT Student Government

and has no disciplinary or academic probation.

iii. At least two (2) academic quarters of participation in a collegiate

organization or political body.

B. Anyone is eligible to run for any vacant non-elected office provided they have

the following qualifications:

i. Is a full time student in NTID/RIT.

ii. Is in good academic standing according to RIT Student Government

and has no disciplinary or academic probation.

Section III. Nomination Requirements

8

A. Nomination deadlines will be made by Election committee and approved by

the Administrative Advisor.

B. Updates of the nomination lists are to be sent to the Election Chairperson after

every NSA meeting.

C. Candidates are required to present a hard copy of their cumulative GPA to the

NSC Executive Board and shall be subject to a clearance check of any judicial

status by the Administrative Advisor before the petition deadline as decided

by the Election Committee.

D. Candidates shall have presented a petition signed by at least one hundred

(100) NTID or cross-registered students.

i. The petition period shall extend from the time and deadline set by the

Election Committee.

ii. Candidates shall submit the petition to the Election Committee for

primary approval, and sent to the Administrative Advisor for

secondary approval.

E. All nominees shall complete all nomination requirements (including petition

forms and certification forms) in order to be a candidate.

F. Prior to the debate and presentation portion of the election, the Administrative

Advisor shall approve of all the nominations.

G. Potential candidates who have not submitted the petition prior to the set

deadline may join the race by means of write-in. The Election Committee

shall decide whether the write-in candidates meet eligibility requirements as

stated in Article VIII, Section I, A, with the aid of the Administrative Advisor

and the final approval by the NSC Executive Board.

H. Election Committee is to determine whether students are eligible for the office

with the aid of the Administrative Advisor.

Section IV. Candidates for President and Vice President must run on one ticket.

Section V. Campaign Rules

A. Candidates who have passed all eligibility requirements with approval fo the

NSC Executive Board shall have the right to campaign.

B. Candidates shall not campaign in a form that violates the integrity of NSC or

the NTID community.

i. Words of profane or offensive nature shall not be tolerated.

ii. Logos indicating support form a particular organization of any kind on

display shall not be tolerated.

iii. The Election Committee shall have discretion on permissible forms of

displays.

C. Write-in candidates shall be permitted to display posters, distribute handouts,

or campaign for themselves but shall not be permitted to participate in neither

debate nor presentation and shall comply with the aforementioned rules.

9

D. Violation of Campaign Rules may warrant exclusion from the ballot, with

discretion by the Election Committee and final approval by the NSC

Executive Board.

Section VI. Election Procedure

A. Student Government will decide the voting dates and the Election Committee

will follow the Student Government timeline.

B. Voting is run by the Student Government on their website and any concerns

regarding voting shall be addressed by the Student Government Vice

President and his/her Election Committee.

C. Student Government is responsible for the official announcement of the

election results.

D. Election Committee shall organize and administer the Oath to the newly

elected President and Vice President. It must occur between the sixth and

ninth weeks of Spring Quarter.

Section VII. Newly Elected Officers

A. Newly elected officers shall begin their terms once they have taken their oath

at the Oath Ceremony.

B. The old and new Executive Boards may share the NSC office for the

remainder of the academic year.

C. The newly elected President, Vice President shall begin appointing Directors

of Communications, Student Academic Affairs, and Programming for the

following academic year. Appointments shall be approved by NSA prior to

the second week of fall quarter of the following school year.

Section VIII. Executive Board shall appoint non-elected officers by unanimous consent.

10

Article IX. Succession

Section I. Presidential and Vice Presidential Absences

A. If the President is temporarily absent, the Vice President shall become acting

President.

B. If the President and Vice President are temporarily absent, Director of Student

Academic Affairs shall become acting President, with the Director of

Communications next in line followed by the Vice President of Programming.

Section II. Vacancies of Executive Board Positions

A. If the President’s position becomes vacant by reason of resignation or

impeachment, the Vice President shall become President.

B. If the Vice President’s position becomes vacant by the reason of resignation or

impeachment, the Executive Board shall appoint a new Vice President with

the approval of NSA.

C. If the positions of President and Vice President are both vacant, Director of

Student Academic Affairs shall become acting President, and shall

immediately appoint an Election Chairperson to conduct an election campaign

in accordance with Election rules.

D. If the position of Director of Communications, Student Affairs, or

Programming becomes vacant, the Executive Board shall appoint a new

person to the position with the approval of NSA.

E. If the position of Finance Director or Executive Assistant becomes vacant, the

President and Vice-President shall appoint a new person with joint approval of

NSC Executive Board.

11

Article X. Impeachment

Section I. Elected officers may be impeached if they have met at least one of the

following grounds for impeachment:

A. Knowingly violating or permitting others to violate the Bylaws.

B. Conducting in such a way that is contradictory to the interests of NSC.

C. Violating RIT Student Government’s hazing policy. (Bylaws of Student

Government, Article VIII)

Section II. If the decision to consider impeachment is made, the grounds for notification

are as follows:

A. Announcement of consideration for impeachment must be made at the next

NSA meeting.

B. The Executive Board shall give the accused a written notice of his or her

impeachment.

C. If the Executive Board as a whole is accused, the NSA Speaker shall notify

the accused in writing.

Section III. The accused shall be give at least one week to prepare a case in his or her

defense.

Section IV. If the announcement is made at the last meeting of the quarter, the trial shall

stand on the first meeting of the subsequent quarter.

Section V. The accused shall maintain the right to be present during the closed session.

Section VI. The deliberations must be made in a closed session. A 2/3 vote by the NSA

representatives that are present is necessary for removal from office. The votes shall be

taken in closed ballot.

Section VII. The accused shall be notified of the results of the vote in writing.

Section VIII. NSC shall observe all inalienable constitutional rights of the accused.

Section IX. If NSA votes for the accused to be removed from office, the accused is

forever barred from holding any NSC office.

Article XI. Bylaw Revision and Suspension

Section I. If NSC feels that an amendment to the Bylaws is necessary and is in the best

interests of NTID/RIT, they may ask a member of the community to make a proposal

during a NSA meeting.

12

Section II. Amendments shall be passed upon a 2/3 vote by NSA.

Article XII: NTID Student Assembly

Section I. The purpose of NSA shall be to act as a forum in which members of the

community may assemble to inform the community, make announcements, and discuss

issues of concerns.

Section II. Legislative powers are vested solely to NSA representatives.

Section III. NSA Officers

A. The Executive Board of NSA shall consist of the Speaker, Vice Speaker,

Parliamentarian, Clerk, and Sergeant-at-Arms.

B. Speaker

i. Shall chair all NSA meetings.

ii. Shall vote only to break a tie.

iii. Shall attend NSC Executive Board meetings to report the latest updates

with NSA. Should the Speaker be unable to attend, the Vice Speaker

shall act as the replacement.

iv. Shall be familiar with the Bylaws.

C. Vice Speaker

i. Shall preside at the meeting in the absence of the Speaker.

ii. Shall assist Speaker in all that is necessary.

iii. Shall be familiar with the Bylaws.

D. Parliamentarian

i. Shall be familiar with the Bylaws

ii. Shall ensure that the meeting runs in agreement with the House Rules,

Bylaws, and Constitution.

iii. Is responsible for bringing the latest edition of the Bylaws and

Constitution to every meeting.

iv. Shall have the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order (RRO) in order

to have parliamentary authority on matters not covered by the Bylaws

and Constitution and shall be responsible for its interpretation.

v. Shall keep records of all bills that have been tried.

vi. Shall be responsible to update the Bylaws when a new bill has been

passed and approved by the NSC Executive Board.

E. Clerk

i. Shall record and type the minutes of each NSA meeting.

13

ii. Shall maintain all records and files pertaining to NSA.

iii. Shall record the roll call of each meeting, and keeps track of each club or

organization’s status, based on attendance.

iv. Shall be responsible to obtain information on the active/inactive status of

each club or organization at the beginning of each academic year.

v. Shall be responsible for reserving the meeting location for every

meeting.

F. Sergeant-at-Arms

i. Shall oversee each meeting to ensure that the House Rules are in

Compliance by all the participating members.

ii. Shall have authority to remove a person from the meeting upon that

person’s repeated violation of the House Rules.

G. Copy Interpreter

i. Shall copy-interpret everything that a member in the audiences says

during a meeting.

ii. Shall not dress in neither sharp, color contrasting clothing, nor large

printed shirts.

iii. Shall remain neutral throughout the entire meeting.

H. Representatives

i. Shall represent a club or organization that is listed in the Recognized

Clubs and Organizations List (RCOL).

ii. Shall communicate business and/or ideas with his or her constituents in

the particular club or organization that he or she represents.

iii. Shall be required to attend every NSA meeting.

iv. Shall have the authority to form any ad hoc committee upon request by

the NSC President.

v. Shall select and approve chairpersons for any ad hoc committee.

vi. Shall have authority to nominate and elect its Speaker, Vice Speaker,

Parliamentarian, Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Faculty Advisor.

vii. Shall review the House Rules annually and make necessary revisions.

viii. Shall not be a member from the Executive Boards of NSC or NSA.

I. Faculty Advisor

i. Shall be a faculty or staff member of NTID/RIT.

ii. Shall be nominated by members of the community annually, with

selection completed prior to the second week of fall quarter.

iii. Shall attend every NSA meeting.

iv. Shall clarify NTID/RIT policies and regulations as needed.

v. Shall assist in the case of a conflict during a meeting.

vi. Shall not be the administrative advisor for NSC.

14

Section IV. NSA Meeting Procedures

A. NSA shall meet once per week. The time and locations is to be determined by

NSA; the Clerk shall make all necessary arrangements for having the meeting.

B. The Speaker shall chair NSA meetings. If the Speaker is absent, the Vice

Speaker shall chair the meeting. If neither is present, the meeting is cancelled.

C. If the Faculty Advisor is unable to attend the meeting, then he or she shall

make every attempt to find a replacement.

D. If the Faculty Advisor is not presented at the meeting, the Speaker shall have

authority to table any issues that arise during discussion and business.

E. Governance

i. NSA shall be governed by the latest edition of the House Rules, Bylaws,

Constitution, and RRO, respectively. NSA is to abide by its House Rules

and RRO when conducting business at any meeting. In case of conflict

between the Bylaws, House Rules and RRO, the Bylaws has higher

precedence, followed by House Rules.

ii. In case of continuing conflict, refer to RIT SG Bylaws.

iii. If the House Rules, Bylaws, Constitution or RRO are not present at the

meeting, the meeting is adjourned.

F. The procedure for NSA meetings shall be as follows:

i. Call to Order

ii. Roll Call

iii. Approval of the Minutes

iv. Reports

1. Speaker

2. Vice Speaker

3. Parliamentarian

4. Clerk

5. Sergeant-at-Arms

6. Faculty Advisor

7. NSC Executive Board

8. NTID Senator

9. NSA Representatives

10. Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson

v. Unfinished Business

vi. Discussion

vii. New Business

viii. Announcements

ix. Adjournment

15

G. Business

i. The quorum for NSA shall be 2/3 of the total number of representatives

of clubs and organizations as recognized in RCOL. If the quorum is not

met, the meeting is informal.

ii. In informal meetings, representatives may not conduct business but they

may make reports, have discussions, and make announcements.

iii. All bills shall be submitted to a member of NSC Executive Board

immediately after adjournment of the meeting.

iv. NSC Executive Board has 8 days to approve or veto a bill, effective

immediately after adjournment.

v. If 8 days has passed and the NSC President or Vice President has not

signed the bill, indicating approval from the NSC Executive Board as a

whole, the bill is automatically passed.

vi. If the bill is vetoed, the NSC President shall state the reason in his or her

report at the next NSA meeting.

vii. NSA representatives may override the veto with a 2/3 vote in the

following NSA meeting after announcement of the said veto.

viii. If the Executive Board of NSC or NSA deems that a change to the

bylaws is necessary, the issue of concern shall be presented during

discussion. NSA representatives may then make a proposal regarding the

matter.

ix. Upon approval of a bill by the NSC Executive Board, the bill must be

inserted in the Bylaws prior to the following NSA meeting. Refer to

Article XII, Section II, Part H.

x. Parliamentarian has power to reject a proposal before it is made on these

grounds:

a. Ambiguity

b. Missing information

c. Proposal consists of more than 1 motion

xi. Speaker has power to overrule the Parliamentarian’s decision.

Section V. Active/Inactive Status of an Organization

A. A club or organization may lose their seat in NSA and become inactive when

they have exceeded the allotted number of absences as indicated in the House

Rules of that particular academic year.

B. Representatives of a club or organization with an inactive status may not vote.

C. A club or organization may not get their seat back unless a member of a

separate club or organization, or a member of the community proposes to give

the seat back. A representative from the club or organization must be present

at the meeting in order for the proposal to be considered. If he or she is not,

then the bill is invalid.

16

Section VI. Elections

A. Nominations for NSA positions for the following year shall begin in the 8th

week of winter quarter and continue to 2nd week of spring quarter.

B. NSA Executive Board shall be responsible to contact the people who have

been nominated to find out if they accept or reject their nomination.

C. NSA Executive Board shall create a nomination form for each nominee, with

the nominee’s name, contact information, and verification of acceptance or

rejection of their nomination.

D. The nominee must either sign the nomination, indicating acceptance or

rejection, or they may send an email which will be attached to the nomination

form.

E. Presentations for all positions shall occur during the 2nd week through 3rd

week of spring quarter.

F. Presentations for all positions shall consist of 5 minute presentation, followed

by a 3 minute question and answer session.

G. Voting occurs after the presentation through silent ballot.

H. NSA Speaker and Faculty Advisor shall count the votes.

I. In case of a tie, candidates shall present again for 2 minutes.

J. NSA shall state 3 pros and 3 cons about each candidate after their

presentation, and then vote.

K. Nominations for all positions that are still vacant are to be done by the end of

September.

L. Election for positions within NSA, excluding Representatives, must be

completed by the 4th week of spring quarter.

17

Appendix A.

RIT/Gally Sports Weekend

By-Laws

Amended to the NSC’s By-Laws as Appendix A. on 5/9/06

(Updated as of Spring 2006)

Article I: Name and Purpose.

Section 1. The name of this event shall be either RIT/Gallaudet Weekend or

Gallaudet/RIT Weekend.

Section 2.

A. To foster a spirit of sportsmanship, competition and cultural events.

B. To promote social relationships and interactions between both institutions.

Article II: Location and Date.

Section 1. The location, where the event will be held, shall be either at Gallaudet

University or Rochester Institute of Technology.

Section 2. The event shall be held during the Rock Festival Weekend at Gallaudet

University, and Brick Festival at Rochester Institute of Technology, it shall be

held on the second or third week of April depending on the Holidays.

Section 3. Gallaudet University shall host the event during every even numbered year

Section 4. Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT, shall host the event during every odd

numbered year.

Section 5. The hosting institution shall send a confirmation letter on date of

RIT/Gallaudet Weekend to be held as stated in Article II, Section 2 by the first

week of may. The visiting institution shall respond the letter of confirmation

by the end of second week of May.

Article III. Appointment of Chairpersons.

Section 1. The hosting and visiting institutions shall appoint their chairpersons in the

Spring for a following year before RIT/Gallaudet Weekend shall be held.

Section 2. The hosting institution shall inform the visiting institution of the chairperson’s

appointment in writing in the Spring (May).

Section 3. The visiting institution shall inform the hosting institution of the chairperson’s

appointment in writing in the Fall (October).

Article IV. Appointment of Coaches.

18

Section 1. The hosting and visiting institutions shall appoint all team sport coaches in

January.

Section 2. Try-outs and selection of players by the hosting and visiting institutions shall

be completed by the second week of March.

Section 3. The visiting and hosting institutions shall complete a copy of all eligible

players’ valid photo identification cards attached to the Final Team Roster by

the last Friday of March.

Section 4. The visiting institution shall complete a RIT/Gally Weekend’s Final Team

Roster (Copy of Photo ID Attached, Liability Waiver Form Signed,

Transportation, Hospitality Arrangement and Drug/Alcohol Policy Signed)

and send a copy by certified mail to the hosting institution by the first Monday

of April.

Article V. Appointment of RIT/Gally Weekend Advisors.

Section 1. Rochester Institute of Technology shall have an advisor from the NTID

Support Team to The Center of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation.

Section 2. Gallaudet shall have an advisor from the Student Life Affairs.

Section 3. The role of an advisor is to ensure that the RIT/Gally Weekend By-Laws are

complied and followed accordingly; provide support and advice as needed;

and maintain open communication with the RIT/Gally Weekend Chairperson.

Article VI. Participation and Qualifications.

Section 1. Students participating in this event shall consist of RIT students and Gallaudet

University students.

Section 2. Rochester Institute of Technology shall be represented by deaf and hearing

RIT/NTID students.

A. Deaf students shall apply for permission to participate through the NTID

Student Congress (NSC).

B. RIT hearing students (i.e. interpreting students) shall apply for permission to

participate through NSC with the understanding that hearing students are

required to know how to use sign language (To get a form to verify the SCPI

rating of either 4 or 5 from the Communication Department at NTID.)

C. The President of NSC and the Chairperson of the event shall play an impartial

role in determining the qualifications of RIT students.

D. Intercollegiate Athlete’s Participation: Only one eligible Intercollegiate athlete

is allowed per team. S/he must participate in a different RIT/Gally Weekend

sport other than an Intercollegiate Athletic team that s/he plays for.

E. Every qualifying participant must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above

otherwise shall not be allowed to participate in RIT/Gally Sports Weekend.

19

Section 3. Gallaudet University shall be represented by deaf and hearing students.

A. Gallaudet University students shall apply for permission to participate through

the Gallaudet University Student Body Government, SBG.

B. Gallaudet hearing students shall apply for permission to participate through the

SBG with the understanding that Gallaudet hearing students are required to

know how to use sign language. (To get a form to verify the SCPI rating of

either 4 or 5 from the ASL Department at Gallaudet).

C. The SBG Director of Social/Cultural of Gallaudet University and the

Chairperson of the event shall play an impartial role in determining the

qualifications of Gallaudet students.

Section 4.

A. Student of the hosting institution may participate in two sports while students

from the visiting institution may participate in three sports unless there is a

conflict with the schedule.

B. All players must bring valid identification cards as proof that they are students

in order to participate in any sports.

Section 5. Both institutions shall be responsible to fax the list of players to the

Chairpersons two weeks prior to the RIT/Gally Weekend event.

Section 6.

A. The coaches shall not play on his/her team, but s/he may participate in any one

or two sport other than the one s/he is coaching.

B. The event Executive Board of both institutions shall meet every year according

to Article XIII to determine which sports require a coach.

C. The event Executive Board of both institutions shall determine which team

and/or individual sport(s) shall be played at the hosting institution. The

decision to omit any sport must be made at least 2 months prior to the event

weekend.

Section 7. The sporting events shall include the following:

A. Team sports:

Sports Sex Status Player Coach required? Limit To

Basketball Men Yes 10

Women Yes 10

Dodgeball Men No 12

Women No 12

Flag Football Men Yes 16

Women Yes 16

Racquetball Men No 3

Women No 3

20

Indoor Soccer Men Yes 15

Women Yes

15

Softball Men Yes 15

Women Yes

15

Swimming Men No 6

Women No

6

Volleyball Men Yes 10

Women Yes

10

Wallyball Men No 4

Women No 4

Water Polo Coed Yes 6 Men

6 Women

Ultimate Frisbee Coed Yes 8 Men

8 Women

B. Individual sports:

Sports Sex Status Player Coach required? Limit To

Arm Wrestling Men No 3

Women No 3

(light, medium and heavy weights)

Badminton Men No 2

Women No 2

Billiards Men No 2

Women No 2

Bowling Men No 2

Women No 2

Chess Men No 1

Women No 1

Darts Men No 2

Women No 2

(Double/Single Tournament)

Disc Golf Men No 2

Women No 2

Foosball Men No 2

Women No 2

(Double/Single Tournament)

Ping Pong Men No 2

Women No

2

Tennis Men No 2

Women No

2

C. Points System:

21

i. For all team sports, a winning team earns 10 points per event. A losing

team earns 5 points per event. (See Attached – RIT/Gally Weekend

Points System)

ii. For all individual sports, a winner earns 6 points per event. A loser earns

3 points per event. (See Attached – RIT/Gally Weekend Points System)

iii. If the team or individual is not present at the game within 5 minutes, the

game is to be forfeited. The present team shall get 6 points and

individual shall get 3 automatically. The team/individual not at present

will get 0 point.

iv. For swimming, each race is:

1st Place: 6 points

2nd Place: 3 points

3rd Place: 1 point

D. Team sports and Individual sports rules:

i. The visiting and hosting institution shall make an agreement on each

team and individual sports rules prior to try-outs so that every coaches

and players alike will have mutual understanding of the rules.

ii. If more than 50% of individual sports have been forfeit due to lack of

attendance, the opposing institution shall impose a fine of $50 from the

performance bond to compensate for the lack of effort.

Article VII: Floating Trophy Cup.

Section 1. The winner of the competition shall receive a floating trophy cup and shall

bring the cup home to the winning institution for one year.

Section 2. Before the next event, the past winner shall be responsible for bringing the

trophy cup to the hosting institution’s chairperson for presentation to the next

winner.

Section 3. If the floating trophy cup is lost, stolen, or irreversible damaged, the

institution who is the holder of the trophy cup shall be responsible for

purchasing a new floating trophy cup. The holder is also responsible for

repairs of any damage to the cup.

Section 4. The winning institution is responsible for the engraving of the trophy cup

before the next events.

Article VIII: Referees.

Section 1. The team events shall have referees (two from hosting and one from visiting

institutions) at all times.

Section 2. The hosting institution is responsible for getting certified or trained (through

the Intramural department) referees for team events. The visiting institution

brings one referee per sport.

22

Section 3. The referees shall have the authority to eject player(s) or coach(es) from any

game if:

A. Any player or coach demonstrates non-acceptable behavior toward

referee(s), player(s) or spectator(s). Behaviors such as, but not limited

to, the following: swearing, pushing, punching or throwing items, and

unsportsmanlike conduct.

Section 4. The referees shall stop the competition if both teams get involved into an

unsettled argument or physical assault.

Section 5. The referees must fill out a report of any player or coach’s inappropriate

behavior or fight and give it to the hosting event Chairperson. Both

institutions shall determine the consequence for any player.

Article IX: Lodging.

Section 1. The hosting institution shall be responsible for arranging housing for players,

coaches, and committees in most convenient way possible.

Section 2. The arrangement shall be made prior to the event, so the arrivals will not be

inconvenient. A hospitality roter/final team roster shall be completed by each

institution on the last Friday of March (Attached – Hospitality Form).

Section 3. The visiting institution shall provide a list of tentative players and fans to the

hosting institution’s RIT/Gally Weekend Chairperson on the last Friday of

March in order to make lodging arrangements.

Section 4. Neither institution shall be responsible for any vandalism, theft, or misconduct

behavior by the fans or participants. Fans and/or participants shall be

responsible for their personal properties.

Article X: Publicity.

Section 1. The hosting institution shall be responsible for the program book as the best

possible means of giving information to all people participating in the event.

Section 2. Information about the RIT/Gally Weekend event shall be available to the

participating students at least two months prior to the event.

A. Tentative schedules (RIT/Gall Weekend games schedule, Pep Rally and

Brickfest or Rock Festival) shall be ready by one month prior to the event.

B. Final confirmation schedules shall be completely ready by two weeks prior to

the event.

Section 3. The hosting institution is responsible to inform the public about updated

scores.

Article XI: Meetings.

Section 1. Meeting(s) between the competing institution’s chairperson and/or

representative from NSC and SBG shall be made in October and February

23

prior to the event in order to exchange information, resolve any issues and

revise the by-laws and reach any necessary agreements.

Section 2. The visiting institution’s Chairperson(s) of the event shall go to the hosting

institution to arrange the event before February.

Section 3. The signatures on the newly revised policy shall be made by both institutions,

the Chairpersons or/and the NSC and SBG Presidents four months

(December) prior to the event.

Section 4. The hosting institution must send a tentative sport schedule to the visiting

institution at least one month prior to the events.

Section 5. Meetings to maintain open communication between the visiting and hosting

institutions RIT/Gally Weekend Chairpersons shall be conducted on a weekly

basis via e-mail.

Section 6. Mandatory meeting to revise the By-laws in the Fall prior to the event shall be

conducted in person or via a video camera.

Article XII: Evening Activities.

Section 1. The evening activities shall be the responsibility of and shall be arranged by

the hosting institution.

Section 2. All fans including players are required to bring their valid institution I.D. cars

and valid driver’s license.

Article XIII: Performance Bond.

Section 1. The visiting institution shall make a deposit of three hundred dollars ($300.00)

in performance bond to the hosting institution for the arrangement of security

and to guarantee attendance for the events.

Section 2. The performance bond shall be paid 8 weeks prior to the event. Lateness shall

result an half-deposit ($150.00) to be kept by the hosting institution.

Section 3. The performance bond ($300.00) shall be returned to the visiting institution

within one month after the event pending attendance.

Section 4. The hosting institution shall pay all costs of referee charge according to

Article VI, Section 1 by using the performance bong ($300.00) already

deposited if the visiting institution fails to attend the event. The visiting

institution will lose the deposit of three hundred dollars.

Section 5. Failure to comply the deadline of Deposit of Performance Bond, Final Team

Roster with a copy of photo IDs and signed Liability Waiver, Hospitality

Arrangement or signed Drug/Alcohol Policy shall result a refundable half of

the deposit at $150. If more than two late deadlines of shall result no refund of

the deposit of $300.

Article XIV: Emergencies.

24

Section 1. Any emergencies involving both parties shall be as follows:

A. Visiting players are responsible for their own insurance arrangements.

B. Visitors are held responsible for their own violations. Refer to Article VII,

Section 4.

C. Any medical emergencies shall be taken care by hosting institution’s

emergency facilities; Visitors are responsible for medical costs.

Article XV: Other Big Events.

Section 1. No major events of NSC/SBG other than the RIT/Gallaudet Weekend

activities are allowed to be held at either institution during that weekend,

according to Article II.

Section 2. Any other activities of NSC/SABG can be taken with a written approval of

RIT or Gallaudet Chairperson(s).

Article XVI: Amendments.

Section 1. Any changes or amendments to this policy shall be approved by NTID Student

Congress RIT/Gallaudet and the Gallaudet University (SBG) RIT/Gallaudet

Weekend Executive Board.

A. At least five members of the Executive Board from each institution shall be

present at the meeting and these members have the voting power.

B. The voting system shall be determined by majority vote.

This Bylaw was carefully reviewed, revised, and amended through NSA by:

Date Name

January 15, 2004 Jill Hatcher, Bylaws Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee (ad hoc)

January 24, 2006 Christopher Samp, NSA Parliamentarian

June 2, 2006 Christopher Samp, NSA Parliamentarian