Constitution2

I.   Name

The official name of this College of Education organization is the Bilingual Education Student Organization. It will be commonly known as BESO.

II.   Purpose

BESO is a student organization that is affiliated with the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE). Its purpose is to create opportunities for students to exchange ideas, practices, and information about bilingual education on a local level. The organization strives to help its members to develop support groups, to grow professionally, to network, and to serve the local community through volunteer activities. Additionally, BESO provides a means for recruitment of new bilingual education teachers, which is one of the highest-need teaching fields in Texas and throughout the nation. The BESO meetings, conducted in a relaxed atmosphere of camaraderie, typically feature invited speakers from the education sector, and they serve as a forum for the presentation and discussion of such topics as policy, teaching practices, materials development, and research.

III.   Membership

A. Membership shall include students in the College of Education and other UT students
      who are interested in bilingual education.

B. Attendance
1.   Attendance is encouraged at all meetings and functions. Anyone with more than three unexcused absences per semester shall automatically be disqualified for consideration for awards or other incentives.

C. Dues
1.   Members will be required to pay $20 in dues for the year. Students joining BESO in a Spring semester will be required to pay $20 in dues. Dues will include membership to TABE. Dues are expected to be paid by the second meeting.

IV.   Officers

A.   The officers will be elected during the Spring for the following
       year in order to learn the duties for their respective positions.

B.    The Executive Committee consists of the President, Vice President/President-Elect,
        Treasurer, Public Relations Officer, Secretary, and Members - at - Large. The
        Executive Committee has the power to remove or appoint an officer by a two-thirds
        vote.

C.    The President will
1.   Conduct regular meetings.
2.   Be the official representative of the Bilingual Education Student Organization.
3.   Have the power to call a special session of the organization.
4.   Oversee student representation on College Committees.
5.   Supervise the organization in general.

D.    The Vice President/President-Elect will
1.   Assume any duties the President is unable to perform.
2.   Oversee arrangements for all events, speakers, and programs.
3.   Assume the duties of President for the next academic year.

E.    The Public Relations Officer will
1.   Be in charge of all publicity for the organization.
2.   Maintain the Bilingual Education Student Organization website.
3.   Create a Scrapbook.
4.   Maintain the Kiosk in the Sanchez Building.
5.   Take pictures of BESO events.

F.    The Treasurer will
1.   Oversee the checking account.
2.   Prepare budget reports for all officer meetings.
3.   Prepare budget proposals for outside funding sources.
4.   Coordinate all fundraising activities.
5.   Collect dues.

G.   The Secretary will
1.   Compile and distribute the official roster each semester.
2.   Take roll at all regular meetings.
3.   Oversee point system.
4.   Communicate information about events and meetings to all members by phone or email when necessary.
5.   Be in charge of taking minutes at all officer meetings and distributing these to the officers and advisors.

H. The Members - at - Large will
   1. Help the rest of the officers in whatever is needed.

V.   Meetings

Meetings will be held at least twice a month. The dates and times will be posted on the website, announced during the meetings, and distributed at the beginning of the semester.

VI.   Amendments

A.    Any changes to this constitution must be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the
        active members.

B.    A copy of the Constitution will be available for all members and posted on the
        website.

C.     It will be that additional duty of the Secretary to make changes in the Constitution
         necessitated by the amendment procedure.

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Last modified: Sept. 7, 2006
Send mail with questions or comments to carmenmeyer@mail.utexas.edu

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