The Aggie Arthouse Constitution

Article I. Name

The name of this student organization shall be known as The Aggie Arthouse.

Article II. Organization Mission Statement

    Section I. Purpose 

The Aggie Arthouse is a film society founded on the Texas A&M University campus. The organization strives to bring together a diverse community of film-lovers by hosting screenings of independent, foreign and classic cinema and giving the student body an opportunity to explore the wide, wonderful world of cinema right on campus.

    Section II. Goals

The primary goals of this organization shall be to 1) foster an inclusive community of cinephiles for the discussion of films, 2) expand cultural and social awareness and understanding through film and 3) broaden and renew an interest in cinema amongst the greater student body through the marketing and subsequent screenings of such films.

    Section III. Values

Open-Mindedness

  • We want our members to be open-minded towards other members and the various works, genres, and cultures we will be showcasing throughout our screenings and discussions.

Inclusivity

  • We hope to foster an environment of inclusivity and welcome all members regardless and in appreciation of their unique backgrounds and attitudes.

Dedication

  • We believe it essential for all members to be dedicated to this mission and vision and reflect these values both within and outside of organization functions.

Article III. Activities and Operations:

    Section I. Meetings

The organization will hold several meetings each month for a variety of purposes, including:

  1. General meetings that shall be held at Bi-Weekly at a consistent time and day of week. There will be approximately 6-8 a semester. During this time, the organization will gather to intermingle, go over news and meet with their committees to discuss upcoming org events.

  2. Executive Committee meetings that shall be held Bi-Weekly at a time and date suited for the majority of the committee to ensure complete attendance. There will be 6-8 a semester. During this time, the executive committee will prepare the agenda for the upcoming general meeting.

    Section II. Screenings

Film screenings open to the general student body will be planned, marketed and held at least eight times a semester.

  • The Events Committee will determine a particular theme for an event and compile a few titles sourced from public polls, submissions, member-picks and depending upon licensing availability. The titles chosen, along with descriptions of the film, will be presented at the nearest General Meeting. Each member belonging to the organization will have two votes that they can use to endorse any of the film options. The film that has the most endorsements will win. 

Article IV. Membership Selection

    Section I. Eligibility

Any currently enrolled students at Texas A&M can be a member. All members must abide by the following:

  1. Be in good standing with the university, as defined by the Texas A&M University Student Rules Section 27, and The Aggie Arthouse (see Section III). 

  2. Pay dues within two weeks from the date that members receive notification of their acceptance; the cost shall be $25 per semester or $40 per academic school year. Special exceptions may be made if the member reaches out to a member on the Executive Committee within the same timeframe to express a concern. 

    Section II. Attendance Standards

Members of the organization are expected to commit to attending the following:

  1. Attend % or more of General Meetings

  2. Attend 75% or more of the organization’s screenings

If members do not abide by these standards, they will be subject to disciplinary action. See Article IV. Section IV.

    Section III. Member Point System

A point system will be in place for all members to help guide officer selection and member selection in subsequent semesters. For members it will look like:

  1. 15 pts per screening attended

  2. 15 pts per general meeting attended

  3. 5 pts for receiving a Member Highlight, to be awarded at the Bi-Weekly General Meetings and chosen by the members of the Executive Committee

Members should have a minimum of 150 pts at the end of each semester to be considered in good standing and thus, be eligible to return the following semester.

    Section IV. Discipline & Removal Procedures

Any member found to have violated organization conduct or that of the University will be subjected to the following disciplinary action, should the officers or members motion to remove them:

  1. The member will be formally notified of the offense brought against them and asked to meet with member(s) of the Executive Committee to discuss the violation and will be given the opportunity to express their perspective.

  2. After the meeting, should the officers deem it still necessary to remove the member in question from the organization, they may move to do so with a majority vote. 

  3. If the decision is to remove them, the member will be ineligible from returning the following semester and placed on a minimum probation of one (1) semester, meaning they will not be eligible for membership for this duration. Additionally, if the member in question violated university rules, the incident will also be formally reported.

Article V. Committees

    Section I. Committee Structure

Committees will be formed, each with their own set of defined duties and responsibilities. Each committee will also be headed by a member of the Executive Committee. Every member not in an officer position must join at least one of the following committees:

  1. Events Committee

  1. Marketing & Social Media Committee

  2. Finance Committee

    Section II. Events Committee

The Events Committee will be responsible for:

  • Determining screening themes

  • Compiling a list of titles for voting on the films to be shown at each screening

  • Designing marketing materials for screenings and distributing them

  • Preparing concessions and serving them at screenings

  • Introducing films at screenings

  Section III. Marketing & Social Media Committee

The Marketing & Social Media Committee will be responsible for:

  • Regularly uploading film-related clips, stills, and other media to our Instagram & Pinterest

  • Designing and distributing our organization’s monthly newsletter

  • Performing other recruitment and outreach efforts

    Section IV. Finance Committee

The Finance Committee will be responsible for:

  • Planning and helping out at fundraisers such as Bake Sales and Popcorn Sales

  • Sourcing fundraising opportunities

  • Cash handling at events with concessions

  • Keeping track of monthly budget statements

  • Handling dues

Article VI. Officer Selection

    Section I. Officer eligibility

Members of The Aggie Arthouse must meet the following requirements to possess eligibility for holding an officer position, as outlined by the University Student Rules:

  1. Have a minimum cumulative and semester grade point ratio (GPR) as stated below and meet that minimum cumulative and semester GPR in the semester immediately prior to the election/appointment, the semester of election/appointment and semesters during the term of office. 

  2. For undergraduate students, the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is 2.00. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (half-time credits) must have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least six credit hours must have been taken during the course of either the full or two summer session(s). 

  3. For graduate level students the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is 3.00 and for first professional students the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is 2.50. In order for this provision to be met, at least four hours (half-time credits) must have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least four credit hours must have been taken during the course of either the full or two summer session(s) unless fewer credits are required as they complete the final stages of their degree. 

  4. Be in good standing with the university and enrolled: at least half time (six or more credit hours), if an undergraduate student (unless fewer credits are required to graduate in the spring and fall semesters) during the term of office. Students enrolled in the Blinn TEAM program are also eligible to hold an office, as long as the student is meeting all applicable Blinn TEAM requirements and is in good standing with the program. 

Members will be ineligible to hold an office should the student fail to maintain the requirements as prescribed in (a) and (b). 

Section II. Officer Selection:

At the beginning of April, the following officer selection process will take place:

  1. Current officers who will be graduating or simply no longer desire to hold their position come the Fall Semester will prepare to vacate their respective roles by organizing Google Drives with transition materials that will be passed down to their successors by the end of April. Transition materials will consist of important contacts, former event plans & their respective marketing materials, and the organization’s brand pack (logo, fonts, colors, etc.)

  2. Members who have been a part of the organization for a minimum of one semester may apply for any open position. Members may apply for more than one position and, should they do so, they will be asked to rank the positions on a scale of most desired to least desired in their application. 

  3. Utilizing the member point system and application information,  the current Executive Committee will determine who is eligible to move forward to the interviewing process. After interviews are held, the Executive Committee will hold a vote for each open position. A candidate must have a majority vote of 3/4 of the Executive Committee to be chosen. Once it is determined who will make up the Executive Committee for the following year, all positions will be announced at the last General Meeting of the year, where power will formally trade hands.

Section III. Positions & Duties:

The following officers shall make up the executive committee and hold voting capabilities.

  1. Director/Co-Director: This officer(s) shall serve as the chief executive officer of the organization as a whole. It is the duty of this officer to preside over general and Executive Committee meetings, facilitate organization activities, and act as a mediator between officers and members. The Director/Co-directors are also responsible for maintaining close contact with the Faculty Advisor and Student Activities, as well as being knowledgeable of University Student Rules and the Student Organization Manual. This individual should strive to inspire growth within the organization and its impact on the greater Texas A&M campus community. A director may simultaneously serve as any of the Committee Chairs, should they desire, but it is not required.

  2. Event Chair: This officer is responsible for overseeing the execution of the organization’s screenings. This will include, but is not limited to, determining themes, obtaining film rights based on chosen title and respective distributor, reserving venues, and handling concessions. They will serve as the head of the Events Committee.

  3. Marketing & Social Media Chair: This officer is responsible for the promotion of the organization events internally and externally. They will also be tasked with handling the organization’s various social media platforms in a way that aligns with both The Aggie Arthouse expectations and that of the University. They will serve as head of the Marketing & Social Media Committee.

  4. Finance Chair: This officer is responsible for handling the finances of the organization, as outlined in Article XII. Financial Procedures. They will also be tasked with securing funding and communicating with donors. They will be the head of the Finances Committee.

  5. Secretary: This officer will be responsible for keeping record of both officer and member attendance at all meetings, ensure dues have been paid, tally point system continuously and communicate with members any organization updates.

    Section IV. Officer Attendance & Participation

Officers are expected to commit to attending the following:

  1. 80% of the general meetings, of which there will be approximately 6-8 per semester.

  2. 100% of Executive Committee meetings, of which will be catered to the availability of all officers to avoid any conflict. Unavoidable absences such as exams or unexpected events such as illness may excuse an absence, but will affect their points.

  3. 75% of the organization’s screenings, of which there will be at least 8

    Section V. Member Point System

A point system will be in place for all members to help guide officer selection and member selection in subsequent semesters. For officers it will look like:

  1. 15 pts per screening attended

  2. 15 pts per general meeting attended

  3. 10 pts per Executive Committee meeting attended

  4. 5 pts for receiving a Member Highlight, to be awarded at the Bi-Weekly General Meetings and chosen by the members of the Executive Committee

Officers are expected to have a minimum of 245 pts at the end of the semester to be eligible to resume their position as an officer and no less than 150 to remain a member in good standing.

    Section VI. Officer Removal & Discipline

Any officer found to have violated organization conduct, officer expectations or that of the University will be subjected to the following disciplinary action, should the officers or members motion to remove them:

  1. The officer will be formally notified of the offense brought against them and asked to meet with member(s) of the executive board to discuss the violation and will be given the opportunity to express their perspective.

  2. After the meeting, should the officers deem it still necessary to remove the officer in question from the organization, they may move to do so with a majority vote. 

  3. If the decision is to remover the officer, they will be ineligible from returning the following semester and placed on a minimum probation of one (1) semester. They will also be ineligible to fill an officer position ever again. Additionally, if the officer in question violated university rules, the incident will also be formally reported. A member will also be chosen to temporarily fill the role until the Executive Committee can hold an election.

Article VII. Advisor Expectations:

At least one member of the Texas A&M University faculty shall be invited by the organization in April to fill or resume the advisor position come the Fall semester.

  1. The advisor will be required to complete the training outlined in the Student Organization Manual and sign the Advisor Agreement.

  2. There is no limit as to the number of semesters or years an advisor may serve. 

  3. The advisor may at any time request to be replaced by another faculty member and step down from the position.

    Section I. Advisor Attendance and Involvement

  1. Monthly check-ins with Director(s) to go over upcoming events 

  2. The  Advisor may aslo attend Executive Committee meetings or organization-wide general meetings. Otherwise, they may request a written report of meeting events and topics from the Secretary.

  3. The advisor will be active with the group in advising the planning and execution of their events.

 

Article VIII. Financial Procedures:

Purchases made for The Aggie Arthouse shall be for the collective benefit of its members and the following procedure shall be followed when conducting such:

  1. All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization at the Student Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The advisor to this organization must approve and sign each expenditure before payment.

  2. Officers on the Executive Committee may make any purchase less than $20 at any time on behalf and for the benefit of The Aggie Arthouse with prior approval of the Treasurer.

  3. Officers on the Executive Committee must obtain prior approval from the Treasurer and Director(s) for purchases and reimbursements of more than $20.


Article IX. Amendments Procedures:

Statement of Annual Review - the organization shall submit a copy of its constitution to the Department of Student Activities for review. This copy will be made available to organization members and upon request, amendments may be made at any time if:

  1. A general member submits a request to amend the constitution at a general meeting with at least 80% of the organization present and a vote will be held.

  2. A two-thirds majority vote amongst all members of the organization motion to carry out the amendment and it is further reflected by a two-thirds majority vote amongst officers.


Due to the fact that this is the inaugural year for our organization, the contents of the above document are subject to change and variations without notice throughout the 2024-2025 school year.