Conversio Virium

Article IV: Membership

Section 1: Definitions

1. Full membership in Conversion Virium is open to all members of the Columbia University, Barnard College, or Teachers College community, including staff, faculty, alumni, non-traditional students and graduate students. Members must attend at least three (3) meetings and sign a Membership Statement.
2. Only undergraduate members of Columbia University and Barnard College may hold the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
3. All members will be reported to the ABC and SGA offices when membership lists are requested.
4. The privileges and responsibilities of membership commence immediately after the appropriate statement is signed.
5. Alumni membership is open to all former students, staff and faculty members of Columbia University, Barnard College and Teachers College. It is the duty of anyone wishing to be an alumnus/a member to contact the Executive Board and request such status and to provide electronic mail addresses, postal addresses, and/or phone numbers.
6. The privileges and responsibilities of membership include:
   • The right and responsibility to vote on all issues
   • The right to run for offices and chairs (subject to the other criteria outlined in Article VI)
   • The right to attend group events at a free or reduced rate, and to receive any discounts available to the group using the current membership card
7. The signed Membership shall last until the beginning of the next academic year unless revoked by the signatory or by the group as a whole. At the beginning of each academic year all previous statements shall be destroyed to protect the confidentiality of the members and associates.

Section 2: Procedures for Expulsion of Members

1. The criteria for expulsion of a full member:
   • violation of the confidentiality rule;
   • violation of the safe space rule;
   • nonconsensual behavior.

   as defined in Article III.

2. An accusation that would warrant expulsion from the group must be brought before the Executive Board, which will then bring it before the group as a whole.
3. Anyone who is considered to have committed a violation of group rules warranting expulsion may receive a minimum of one warning from the Executive Board. Any subsequent violation may lead to immediate expulsion from the group.
4. A motion to expel a member from the group shall require a two-thirds majority of the full membership or the unanimous consent of the Executive Board. Such an Executive Board decision can be overruled by a two-thirds majority of the full membership. Any person who has been expelled from the group may not attend group meetings or activities.
5. Any person who has been expelled may ask to be re-admitted to membership after one full year from the date of expulsion. Such a person requires the approval of a two-thirds majority of the full membership, or the unanimous consent of the Executive Board, to be re-admitted. The decision of the Executive Board can be overruled by a two-thirds majority of the full membership.

Section 3: Deadwood Check

1. A majority of the full members present at any given meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may call for a deadwood check. A deadwood check will consist of calling all members to determine whether or not they wish to remain members.
2. Deadwood checks may not be called during breaks or finals.

(Back to Article III: Principles of Operation or continue to Article V: Meetings and Procedures.)