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Bylaws

LAFS BYLAWS

Article I. Name, Address, Nature, and Mission

Section 1. Name

The name of this organization is the Latino Association of Faculty & Staff of California State University, San Marcos, hereinafter referred to as LAFS. The "&" is an official part of the name.

Section 2. Address

The address of LAFS shall be the University address of its incumbent President.

Section 3. Nature

LAFS is a voluntary association, and does not seek pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof. The funds of the Association whether received by gift or otherwise and regardless of the source thereof, shall be used exclusively for the mission set forth below.

Section 4. Mission

The mission of LAFS is to address the needs of Latinos on campus, promote professional development of its members by fostering fellowship and cooperation among members, and to serve the Latino community through cultural activities and education.

Section 5. Procedures

LAFS acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities associated with formal recognition by (affiliation to) California State University San Marcos, and will comply with University policies and regulations in the course of affiliation activities.

Article II. Membership, Dues and Meetings

Section 1. Membership Qualifications

Membership to LAFS is not limited to Latinos, but rather to "California State University San Marcos employees" who support the spirit and intent of the association's mission statement. LAFS will not tolerate nor permit unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, sexual orientation, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition, age, or marital status.

Section 2. Dues

The membership annual dues are $20.00 for full membership and $10.00 for affiliation as a "Friend of LAFS." Dues cover membership per academic year from July 1 to June 30, and are to be paid by September 30th. Dues allow full members the opportunity to vote and serve on standing committees.

Section 3. Friends of LAFS

Individuals from the university and community who subscribe to the spirit and intent of the Association's mission, but do not wish to become voting members may elect to be affiliated as a "Friend of LAFS." A "Friend" is not eligible to vote or serve on the Executive Committee, but is welcome and invited to all LAFS meetings and sponsored events.

Section 4. Meetings

Monthly meetings will be held and are open to invited visitors, Friends of LAFS, and members. Every effort shall be made to schedule these meetings at times/days which will ensure the maximum participation and attendance. Attendance is registered by a sign-in sheet, which will indicate name, membership status, and contact information for non-members. For the purposes of votes, quorum of 50% of the total membership is required. If quorum is not reached, the President and executive board members will consult with the membership in attendance to reschedule the vote for the next meeting or conduct the vote via email.

Article III. Officers of LAFS

Section 1. Officers

Elected officers are the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers and the standing committee chairs shall compose the Executive Committee of LAFS.

Section 2. President

The President is the chair of the organization and presides over LAFS meetings. The President is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the membership are carried out. In addition, the President serves as the spokesperson of the organization. The President is responsible for submitting, on a yearly basis, an application to the CSUSM Chief Financial Officer/Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services seeking re-affiliation with the University. For this purpose, it is the responsibility of the President to secure a campus sponsor and provide the University with acknowledgement and acceptance of the responsibilities associated with the formal recognition by the campus, including compliance with the policies and regulations governing the University. The President shall have the authority to nominate ad-hoc committees as needed.

Section 3. Vice President

The Vice-President is the President-elect and presides over LAFS meetings in the absence of the President. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall take over the office until the term expires. The Vice-President is the chair of Nominations/Elections Committee and shall update and maintain the by-laws in accordance with Article V.1 of this document. The Vice-President has the responsibility of documenting quorum and confirming attendance rules in all LAFS meetings where voting is required. If the Vice-President is absent from the meeting, this responsibility falls to the President.

Section 4. Secretary

The secretary shall hold office for two consecutive years. The secretary shall maintain the minutes and proceedings of all meetings and shall record all votes of the organization. The secretary shall ensure that a meeting agenda is set and that meetings are called in a timely fashion. The Secretary shall work with the Treasurer to maintain an updated list of LAFS members and Friends of LAFS. The list must be available at all LAFS meetings to be used for the purposes of determining quorum at the meetings. The Secretary must also act as the Association's archivist and must maintain all records for affiliation purposes. All documentation shall be passed on to the new officers at end of term.

Section 5. Treasurer

The treasurer shall hold office for two consecutive years. The Treasurer is the Chair of the Membership Committee and a member of the Fundraising Committee. It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to collect membership dues, receive, and deposit all operational funds with the CSUSM Foundation. The Treasurer shall work with the Secretary to maintain a current list of all LAFS members. In addition, the Treasurer shall maintain all financial records; keep proper account of funds; and present monthly status-reports at LAFS meetings. All financial records shall be turned over to the new officers at the end of the term.

Section 6. Term of Office

Terms of officers shall be one academic year from July 1 to June 30, except for the Secretary and Treasurer who shall hold office for two consecutive years. All board positions shall serve no more than two consecutive terms for the same position. In the event new nominations are not received during the nomination period, the current board member in question may opt to commit to a new term.

Section 7. Elections Procedures

Nominations for officers may be taken from the floor of LAFS meetings or by recommendation of the Nominations/Elections Committee. Nominees shall be drawn from the current full-membership of LAFS members. Nominations shall take place two weeks prior to the scheduled election date. Elections are by secret ballot to be deposited in a physical or electronic ballot box, the location of the box will be announced at the time of the election. The submission method and location will be announced at the time of the election. Ballots shall be available for a one-week period prior to the scheduled election. The Vice-President is responsible for tabulating the votes. The committee must include 2 members not appearing in the ballot. Once the ballots are made available, members have 3 days to cast their ballot. The Vice-President shall announce the new elected officers by the next business day. Elections shall take place no later than the 31st of May. Officers are elected by a simple majority (51%) of the voting members.

Section 8. Removal of Officers

An affirmative vote of two thirds of the entire Executive Committee is required to remove an officer of the association.

Article IV. Standing Committees

Section 1. Committees

All members are encouraged to volunteer for committee work. All committees shall be composed of at least twomembers from the organization. The Executive Committee has the authority to form ad-hoc committees according to the needs of the organization. Committee members shall be composed of LAFS members or Friends of LAFS. 

Section 2. Membership Committee

The Membership Committee maintains a roll of the current membership and serves to recruit new membership. The Treasurer is the Chair of the Membership Committee. The members of this committee shall be composed of LAFS members or Friends of LAFS.

Section 2.1 Fundraising Committee

The objective of the Fundraising Committee is to actively seek contributions from community patrons and plan activities that will generate funds for the organization. The Treasurer and one Co-Chair of the Scholarship Committees are members of the Fundraising Committee. A chair will be selected from the membership of the committee. 

Section 2.2 Activities Committee

The Activities Committee serves to research community events and educate the membership on community activities of interest to the organization. The committee is a resource for information and education concerning political/social issues. The committee shall also propose a yearly calendar of events, such as educational activities, political forums, and social gatherings. A chair will be selected from the membership of the committee.

Section 2.3 Scholarship Committee

The Scholarship Committee shall determine the number of scholarships available for each fiscal year and set award's criteria for the scholarship in accordance with CSUSM’s University Advancement and Scholarships procedures and regulations. The committee shall promote the availability of the scholarship within the campus and local community; locate resources to increase scholarship designated revenues; and determine the guidelines for awarding the scholarship. The committee will be chaired by two LAFS members serving as Co-Chairs. One of the Co-Chairs shall be a member of the Fundraising Committee.

Section 2.4 Nominations/Elections Committee

The committee shall ensure that the nominations for LAFS officers will reflect the diversified nature of the organization. The committee shall carry out the nominations and elections procedures. The Vice President is the chair of the Nominations/Elections Committee.

Article V. Amendments

Section 1. Amendments

The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the LAFS membership. Amendments adopted by the Association shall take effect immediately unless otherwise indicated in the amendment. The LAFS Vice-President shall preside over discussion of the by-laws, and is responsible for distributing the revised bylaws as necessary.

Section 2. Petition

A petition of twenty percent of the total membership is necessary to open the by-laws for discussion. The full membership shall be informed in advance of the scheduled by-laws discussion. Amendments to the by-laws must be discussed in two readings, and the first and second reading must take place in separate meetings. When the second reading of the proposed amendments is agendized, the full membership shall be provided with the proposed changes in writing one week before the meeting.

Article VI. Indemnification

Section 1.

LAFS shall indemnify and hold harmless the State of California, the Trustees of the California State University, the University, including California State University San Marcos, their officers, employees, representatives and volunteers from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses including attorney fees arising out of the activities described herein, caused in whole or in part by any negligent act or omission of LAFS, any contractor, any subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable, except where caused by the active negligence, or willful misconduct of California State University San Marcos.

Amendement History

  • Amended on January 24, 2019
  • Amended on November 18, 2004
  • Amended November 27, 2002
  • Adopted December 9, 1992