ARTICLE I: NANE

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ARTICLE II: PURPOSES

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ARTICLE III: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

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ARTICLE IV: POLICE AUTHORITY

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ARTICLE V: MEMBERS

PG. 2-3

ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

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ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

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ARTICLE IX: RECORDS

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ARTICLE X: FINANCES

PG. 6-7

ARTICLE XI: INDEMNITY OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

PG.7

ARTICLE XII: IMPEACHMENT

PG. 8-10

ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

PG. 9-10

ARTICLE XIV: ELECTIONS

PG. 10-11

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be Community College Association for Student Advocacy Inc.,
hereinafter referred to as CCASA.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
The CCASA is established to promote and develop legislation benefitting the students of the Community
College system of California and to strengthen the cause of students in higher education for the public
good and to maintain collective student rights. These agreements shall seek:
1. To obtain explicit guarantees of academic freedom, student rights, and academic
due process.
2. To create orderly and clear procedures for prompt consideration of problems and
grievances.
3. To promote and protect the interests of CCASA and all of its members.
4. To promote unity among its members, and thereby enhance the effectiveness of
CCASA in representing these members.
ARTICLE III: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The parliamentary authority for the CCASA shall be the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
ARTICLE IV: POLICY AUTHORITY
Authority for the governance of the CCASA is ultimately vested in its members. Executive Officers,
Committees, and all representing bodies, as well as staff, interns, and volunteers are responsible for the
CCASA membership.
The Board of Directors, with the guidance of all Standing Committees is the primary governing body of
the CCASA, and is the direct representatives of its members.
The Board of Directors, with the guidance of all Standing Committees shall oversee the governance of the
CCSASA & carry out its policies. The Board of Directors shall act under the provisions specified in these
Bylaws.
ARTICLE V: MEMBERS
A member is defined as any member ASO that chooses to provide support to CCASA during that fiscal
year in the form of human capital, financial contribution, or other related means. Member rights include:
1.
The right to participate in CCASA meetings;
2.
The right of any member Associated Students Organization
(ASO) board member to become a voting member of any committee that the CCASA
currently has.
3.
The right to petition the organization on policy and governance
matters;
4.
The right to be allowed to run for a Board of Director position
with the procedures detailed in these Bylaws.
5.
The right to participate in the development of CCASA proposals
and strategies.
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ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1.
The Board of Directors shall be composed of: The President, The
Executive Vice President, The Vice President of Finance, The Vice President of Advocacy,
and The Vice President of Communications, one appointed Board Member, and five Board
Members appointed from member ASOs. Failure to carry out any of the duties outlined below
is subject to punishment as defined in section XII.
a.
Appointed Members:
i.
Shall be
required to attend all Board of Director meetings.
ii.
Shall be
required to be an active participant of at least one committee.
iii.
Shall be
required to present a biannual report regarding the advocacy interests of their
respective college, as gathered from a reasonable sample of students.
b.
The President:
i.
Shall chair and
facilitate all Board Meetings.
ii.
May assume, or
appoint someone to temporarily fulfill the duties of any other Executive
Officer, should their position become vacant.
iii.
Shall act as the
official spokesperson for the CCASA.
iv.
Is an Ex-Officio
member of all Standing Committees.
c.
The Executive Vice President
i.
Shall assume
the duties of the President is his/her absence, and shall assume the Presidency
in case the position becomes vacant.
ii.
Shall act as the
Secretary for the Board of Directors.
iii.
Shall oversee
all special projects decided upon by the Board of Directors.
iv.
Shall perform
other duties as delegated by the President.
d.
The Vice President of Finance
i.
Shall chair and
facilitate the Finance Committee Meetings.
ii.
Shall record
and organize all monetary transactions.
iii.
Shall sign all
requisitions for expenditures.
iv.
Shall be
responsible for maintaining the, with assistance from the Finance Committee
CCASA Fiscal Code.
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v.

Shall oversee

all efforts to raise funds.

vi.
Shall perform
other duties as delegated by The President.
e.
The Vice President of Advocacy
i.
Shall chair and
facilitate the Advocacy Committee.
ii.
Shall oversee
all Advocacy and Legislative efforts.
iii.
Shall organize
Legislative Priorities.
iv.
Shall perform
other duties as delegated by The President.
f.
The Vice President of Communications
i.
Shall chair and
facilitate the Communications Committee.
ii.
Shall manage
all forms of outreach; including, but not limited to the website, newsletters,
emails, correspondences, social media, etc.
iii.
Shall perform
other duties as delegated by The President.
2.
Term of Office
a.
All Board of Directors Executive
Officers shall have a two year term limit from December 1st until November 30th.
b.
All appointed Board of Directors
members shall have a one year term limit from December 1rst until November 30th.
c.
All Standing Committee members have
a term limit of one year; barring the chair.
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
1.

Voting

a.
Each Board of Directors member shall
cast one vote regardless of the number of positions held by that individual; barring
the chair.
2.
Board of Directors Members Acting Without Meeting
a.
In case of extreme urgency, if 2/3 of the
Board of Directors decide to act without meeting, action may be taken.
i.
Quorum must
be met with the decision as defined under (3).
ii.
Written consent
must be provided by Board of Director members. This may include emails.
3.
Quorum
a.
Majority is defined as half of the Board
of Directors members, plus one.
b.
In the case that Quorum is not met, the
Board of Directors may hold discussion, but not act on any business.
4.
Alternatives
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5.
6.

a.

No alternatives may be used.

a.

No proxies may be used.

Proxies
Teleconference

a.
One or more Board members may
participate in a meeting by means of teleconference, or similar communications,
through which all Board of Directors members in the meeting can speak to and hear
each other.
b.
A Board Member calling in via
teleconference shall count towards quorum, and may vote.
7.
Notices
a.
Board meeting shall be called by the
President with at least 8 days notice, except as required by emergency situations.
ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES
1. Their respective chairs shall call all committee meetings.
2. All committees shall consist of:
i. A Chair
ii. A Vice Chair
iii. Any member ASO
member that chooses to be a part of said committee.
iv. If a Standing
Committee; any member appointed by the Committee Chair.
1.
Me
mbers appointed by the chair shall be non-voting,.
v. If an Ad-Hoc, initial
voting membership shall be decided by all members who choose to attend the
first meeting.
vi. If a member, whether of
a Standing Committee or an Ad-Hoc, is absent for more than two consecutive
meetings, Chair of the Committee shall have the authority to remove said
member.
3. Vacancies
a. Order of succession
i. If the Chair position becomes
vacant, then the Vice Chair becomes Chair Interim until a new Chair is elected.
1. Once
the Chair is elected, the Chair Interim reverts back their position of Vice
Chair.
4. Standing Committees
a. Finance Committee
i. Shall be chaired by the Vice
President of Finance.
ii. Shall assist the Vice President of
Finance in all their duties.

iii. Shall provide a recommended

budget to the Board of Directors at the beginning of the Fiscal Year.
iv. Shall conduct an audit at the end
of each Fiscal Quarter.
v. Shall perform other duties as
delegated by the Vice President of Finance.
b. Advocacy Committee
i. Shall be chaired by the Vice
President of Advocacy.
ii. Shall assist the Vice President of
Advocacy in all their duties.
iii. Shall perform other duties as
delegated by the Vice President of Advocacy.
c. Communications Committee
i. Shall be chaired by the Vice
President of Communications.
ii. Shall assist the Vice President of
Communications in their duties.
iii. Shall perform other duties as
delegated by the Vice President of Communications.
5. Ad-Hocs
a. The President is an ex officio member of all Ad-Hocs.
b. All Standing Committee Chairs reserve the power to
create Ad-Hocs within the scope of their duties.
i. Elections for the Vice Chair of
the Ad-Hoc shall be held at the first meeting.

ARTICLE IX: RECORDS

1. Records
The corporation shall maintain adequate and correct accounts, books, and records of its business
and properties. All such books, records, and accounts shall be kept at its principal place of
business in the State of California, or as otherwise stipulated by the Board of Directors.
2. Inspection of Books and Records
All of the books and records shall be open to inspection of the Directors at any time and members
at a mutually agreed upon time and in the manner provided in the Corporation Code of California.
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Copies of all Vice President of Finance Reports and Audit Reports shall be provided to members
upon written request.
3. Certification and Inspection of Bylaws
The original or a copy of these Bylaws, as amended or otherwise altered and certified by The
Executive Vice President, shall be open to inspection by the members of the corporation, as
provided in the Corporation Code of California.
4. Contracts
The Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided, may authorize any Officer or Officers,
agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf
of the corporation. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so
authorized by the Board of Directors, no Officer, agent or employee shall have any power or
authority to bind the corporation by any contracts or engagement, or to pledge its credit, or to
render it liable for any purpose or amount.
ARTICLE X: FINANCES
1. Fiscal Year: July 1st - June 30th
2. All Officers shall be abide by the Fiscal Code.
3. Donations:
a. All financial donations, including cash & written checks, shall be
submitted to the Vice President of Finance.
i.
The Vice President shall maintain and regularly organize
a file of all donations and information regarding the donor name, a donor place of
residence (should they choose to disclose it), the date of the donation, and the
amount donated.
b. A receipt shall be given to the donor upon request, either in person, by
mail, or through any electronic medium, by the Vice President of Finance.

ARTICLE XI: INDEMNITY OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

The corporation shall indemnify the officers, directors, and members of this corporation for debts,
liabilities, or obligations of the corporation.
ARTICLE XII: IMPEACHMENT
1. Impeachment shall be defined as the process through which a serving board or
committee member shall be tried for their grievances against the organization.
2. Removal shall be defined as the dismissal of a member from their duties, which
shall immediately follow a successful impeachment process.
3. Articles of impeachment
a. The articles of impeachment shall commence the
impeachment process and shall include
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i. A list of discrete and separate

grievances and charges against the impeached party.
1. The
impeached party must not exceed one person.
ii. A list of signatories that shall be
composed of no less than one-fourth of any Standing Committee membership.
b. The articles must be submitted to the Executive Vice
President in order to commence impeachment.
4. Proceedings (to be executed in the order mentioned)
a. The articles of impeachment shall be submitted to the
Executive Vice President, who shall convene an ad hoc committee for the sole purpose of
impeachment, the voting members of which shall consist of all committee members and
one representative from each ASO.
i. Each ASO shall have the duty to
choose a representative amongst themselves who alone shall have the power to
vote from their respective organization.
ii. All other members from each
ASO shall be considered non-voting; they shall not be allowed to deliberate or
interact with other voting members, but may serve as counsel for their
representative.
b. The Executive Vice President shall have the duty to
entertain a motion to elect a presiding officer for the impeachment committee and to take
minutes and record the proceedings.
i. The Executive Vice President
shall be forbidden from entertaining all other motions beyond calling to order and
allowing the election of an officer.
c. The Presiding Officer shall be elected from among the
committee by simple majority, and may not elected from amongst The President, the
Executive Vice President, or the impeached party.
d. Upon election of a Presiding Officer, the Executive Vice
Presidents role shall collapse to taking minutes, and the Presiding Officer shall oversee
the rest of the procession.
e. The Presiding Officer shall be tasked with the duty of
verifying the articles of impeachment.
i. The Presiding Officer must
verify, in committee, that each signature attached in the articles is true and
correct, and that a coherent charge or charges have been brought forth.
ii. The Presiding Officer shall read
aloud the grievances brought forth to all voting members, the name and title of
the impeached party, and shall direct the proceedings so that the party is tried for
all grievances as separate charges.
f. The prosecuting and impeached party shall have the duty
to choose no more than two representatives to champion their case; this shall include the
duties of presenting opening statements, examining and cross-examining witnesses,
presenting and submitting evidence, and presenting summary statements.
g. Deliberation
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i. The deliberative process shall

begin with an opening statement from the prosecutions representatives, followed
immediately by the opening statement of the impeached party.
1. The
Presiding Officer reserves the right to set equal speaking times for the
opening statements to ensure a speedy trial, and shall not set unequal
speaking times under any circumstances.
ii. The process shall continue with
submission of evidence from either side in order to support or document any
claims or defenses against claims.
1. The
Presiding Officer shall be responsible for organizing and recording all
submitted evidence for further reference in the proceedings.
2. Any
voting member shall have the power to move to request any submitted
evidence for personal review and clarification as a point of personal
privilege.
iii. Upon submission of all
evidence, each side shall have the right to call forward their own witnesses for
direct examination
1. Each
side shall be allowed to coordinate examinations with submitted
evidence
2. After
the presenting party directly examines a witness, the opposing party shall
have the right of cross-examination.
3. The
Presiding Officer may set an examination time limit for each witness, but
may not set unequal times for different witnesses.
iv. Upon submission of evidence
and witness testimony and examination, the deliberation shall move into closing
statements, first from the prosecution and then from the impeached party.
1. The
Presiding Officer shall have the power to set time limits for closing
statements.
v. After closing statements, the
representatives from both parties as well as the impeached party, shall leave the
committee chamber. At this point, the Presiding Officer shall open the floor for
debate amongst the voting members.
1. Debate
shall be limited to a time moved for and voted for by a simple majority
of the committee.
Each voting member shall be given equal speaking time to voice their opinion in favor of
a certain judgment or decision as recognized by the Presiding Officer.

2. After
debate time expires, the committee shall automatically move to a vote on
whether or not to remove the impeached party from office. A simple
majority shall suffice for the motion to carry.
vi. Upon the attainment of a
verdict, all parties shall be invited back into the chamber and read the verdict,
after which point the committee shall adjourn and expire.
5. Mistrial
a. Mistrial shall be defined as a procedural violation of the
impeachment process.
b. A Mistrial can occur on the following grounds:
i. If representatives from either
party attempt to bribe, coerce, sway, or otherwise influence the behavior of the
voting members outside the argumentative scope of proceedings, or if voting
members engage in analogous behavior against the representatives.
ii. A hung jury of voting members
which cannot reach a verdict
iii. Improper submission of
evidence
iv. Misconduct by a party or a
voting member, if it prevents the administration of justice, including fraudulent
motions to impeach, harassment of witnesses, or fraudulent motions to show
mistrial.
c. Either party may move to show mistrial at any point in
the proceedings. The motion must be approved by the Presiding Officer and one-third of
the committee, after which point said party will be given at least 15 minutes to present
evidence, after which point the other party shall be given the right-of-reply to defend
themselves not exceeding the same time.
d. The committee will vote on mistrial, where a simple
majority will constitute acceptance. Should the motion carry, the impeachment process
shall collapse and ad-hoc will expire.
6. Additional Powers of the Presiding Officer
a. The Presiding Officer shall have the power:
i. To expel, discipline, and
censure nonvoting parties and to keep decorum during proceedings.
1. Disrupt
ive behavior from representatives may result in docked speaking time or
outright mistrial.
ii. To delegate organization and
archival of evidence to a competent, non-voting member in cases of emergency.
iii. To enforce fair and equitable
rules, as stated above, for presentation of arguments and deliberation from both
representatives and voting members.

ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

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1. Proposal
a. Any officer from the Board of Directors may bring
forward changes to the Bylaws, or
b. Changes may be brought forward by no less than onefourth of any Standing Committee membership.
c. Petition must be submitted to the Executive Vice
President in order to be considered.
d. Executive Vice President shall forward the proposed
changes to the Board of Directors for review in no more than one week.
e. Executive Vice President shall have the authority to send
back unfinished or improperly filled out petition to be corrected and re-submitted again.
2. Review
a. Board of Directors shall review the proposed changes in
an open meeting no more than one month after the Executive Vice President forwarded
the proposed changes.
b. By a majority vote, Board of Directors may decide to
create an Ad-Hoc for review of the proposed changes.
c. Ad-Hoc
i.
Executive Vice President shall
be the Chair of the said Ad-Hoc.
ii.
Membership shall be limited to
all committee members and one representative from each ASO.
iii.
Each ASO shall have the duty to
choose a representative amongst themselves who alone shall have the power to
vote from their respective organization.
iv.
All other members from each
ASO shall be considered non-voting; they shall not be allowed to deliberate or
interact with other voting members, but may serve as counsel for their
representative.
3. Adoption
a. If review happened within the Board of Directors:
i.
The body may adopt proposed
changes with a 2/3 majority.
b. If review happened within an Ad-Hoc
i.
The committee may adopt the
proposed changes with a 2/3 majority.
ii.
The body shall then forward the
changes to the Board of Directors for approval.
iii.
The Board of Directors may
approve the changes with a 2/3 majority.

ARTICLE XIV: ELECTIONS

1. Elections for the executive members of the Board of Directors shall take place every four
years on the second Friday of November.

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2. Timeline:
a. President shall announce elections date and time line no later than July
st

31 .
b. All candidates shall submit an intent of running form with a list of
signatories that shall be composed of no less than one-forth of any Standing Committee
membership no later than August 31st.
i. Intent of running forms must be submitted to Executive
Vice President or designee.
3. Elections shall last for seven days and shall be available online to all Standing Committee
members.
4. A candidate shall be conferred the position theyre running for upon receiving a simple
majority of all votes.
a. In case a candidate did not receive a majority of votes, runoff election
between two candidates who got the highest number of votes shall occur, where the
winner shall also be declared by simple majority.
5. Run-off elections
a. Run-off elections shall three days after initial results are announced.

6. Vacancy
a. When a vacancy occurs, President shall appoint an interim officer until
the next regular election.
b. A simple majority from the Board of Directors shall confirm the
appointment. The confirmation shall not be treated as an election process, but rather as
recognition from the Board of Directors that an interim officer has been appointed.

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