Newman Association of Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Constitution

CONTENTS
ARTICLE I: Name ARTICLE II: Mission
Statement ARTICLE III: Composition ARTICLE
IV: Membership Defined ARTICLE V:
Meetings ARTICLE VI: Qualifications ARTICLE
VII: Office Holders ARTICLE VIII: Faculty
Advisors ARTICLE IX: Executive
Committee ARTICLE X: Amendments
ARTICLE I: NAME

Section 1.1

The official name of the organization will be the
Newman Association of Clarion University of
Pennsylvania

ARTICLE II: MISSION STATEMENT & CAMPUS
MINISTRY
Section 2.1 - Mission Statement
The Newman Association is an officially recognized
student organization at Clarion University. While its
leadership is made up of students, it encourages the
input of faculty and religious representatives. It is much
more that just "The Catholic Club" on campus; it seeks
to foster dialog with the truth that is found within
theology, philosophy, and human experience. Newman
includes presentations on faith, culture and morality;

theological discussions and debates; belief expressed in
acts of charity; the pursuit of religious truth within a
spirit of community. The Newman Association serves
the Clarion University community. Newman respects
the pluralism of religious traditions of the students,
faculty, staff and administration, as well as the open
nature of discussion and debate found within a public
institution. Newman believes that the mission of any
university is, in part, to pursue the knowledge found
within all academic disciplines and to integrate that
knowledge with one's academic and professional life.
Accordingly, the Newman Association encourages
those who participate in the mission of the university to
be open as well to the insights of technology and
philosophy while pursuing a degree, doing research, or
teaching an academic discipline.
Section 2.2 - Campus Ministry relationship to Newman
Campus Ministry will serve the members of
Newman just as it serves all Catholic students at Clarion
University.
Section 2.3 - Newman relationship to Campus
Ministry
Newman members will ask Campus
Ministry for a donation at the beginning of each
semester; will ask the Campus Minister to assist at
Newman meetings, events, and programming; will ask
the Campus Minister to use student mass for fund
raising and be promoted in announcements at student
mass and in the Campus Ministry bulletin.
Section 2.4 - Role of Campus Minister in Newman
a. Will be responsible to plan Newman's yearly retreat

along with Newman's Executive Committee
b. Will be responsible to advise within the guidelines of
the constitution and mission statement.
c. Will be responsible to secure partial funding from
Campus Ministry budget.
d. Will be liaison to Immaculate Conception Parish.
ARTICLE III: COMPOSITION
Section 3.1
Newman will be made up of Catholic Undergraduate
and Graduate Students currently enrolled at Clarion
University of Pennsylvania.
Section 3.2
Campus Minister assigned to Clarion University by the
Diocese of Erie.
Section 3.3
Two Catholic Faculty Members of Clarion University
chosen by the members to be official advisors to
Newman.
Section 3.4
Any other Catholic Faculty, Staff or Administrator at
Clarion University that wishes to join Newman as a
member.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
DEFINED
Section 4.1
All who wish to join
Newman will be Catholics in good standing.

Section 4.2
a. All Newman members will have to pay a $10
membership fee every semester, or a $20 fee at the
beginning of the school year.
b. All dues-paying members will have the right to
nominate and vote on office holders.
c. All dues-paying members will have the right to vote
on the semester's budget prepared by the Executive
Committee, and the right to vote on any other relative
initiatives.
Section 4.3
All dues paid to the Treasurer are non-refundable.
Newman will be working with a fixed budget and will
be allotting funds, including dues, for future projects.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 5.1
a. All meetings will begin and end with a prayer.
Members will be asked to participate by putting
together prayers for a certain meeting by the President.
b. The schedule for meetings will be set by the
Executive Committee at the beginning of each semester.
The days that meetings are scheduled may be changed
but the schedule is necessary to ensure that there is a
balance between the four types of Newman meetings.

Section 5.2 - Types of meetings
In order to meet the guidelines set out in the mission
statement, there will be four basic types of Newman
meetings. In order to bring structure and direction to the
Newman Association, business meetings will be
necessary. In order to get to know each other better, and
have fun every once in a while social meetings are also
necessary. Spiritual meetings are also a important
component allowing members to grow together in our
faith. Finally educational meetings teach members more
about their faith and spirituality. Education meetings
will also be used to learn more about other
denominations and religions.
a. Spiritual meetings = Bible Studies, Faith Sharing and
Prayer Meetings
b. Educational meetings = Speakers and presentations
done by faculty members, Campus Minister or someone
brought in from outside of the campus community.
c. Social meetings = Parties and Holiday celebrations.
d. Business meetings = Will be necessary at least every
four meetings in order for Newman Officers to make
reports and to prepare for upcoming events.
Section 5.3 - Business meeting procedures
a. President will ask for announcements and or reports
from Newman Officers at the beginning of every
business meeting.
b. President will then ask if any other members have
announcements or projects that they would like to bring

up for discussion.
c. The Newman Archivist must take attendance and
have each member of Newman approve minutes for that
meeting.
ARTICLE VI: QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE
HOLDERS AND FACULTY ADVISORS

Section 6.1
a. All Office Holders must have a GPA of 2.5, or
higher.
b. President and Vice-President will have to have two
years of Newman experience.
c. Treasurer and Archivist will have to have one year of
Newman experience.
d. The experience requirements for officers can be
waived by a simple majority vote if the members of
Newman feel that a member not filling this requirement
can successfully take on the responsibilities of that
position.
Section 6.2
Faculty Advisors will be Catholics in good standing and
currently employed at Clarion University.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICE HOLDERS

Section 7.1
a. Office holders for Newman will serve a term of one
year (fall and spring semester). Officers must try to
attend at least 3/4 of all meetings in any semester.
b. Nominations will be toward the end of the spring
semester. Nominations will be made anonymously by
all Newman members. Any member can refuse
nomination. Members who are nominated for more than
one office must choose which office they would like to
run for, at the end of the first round of nominations.
c. Voting for officer positions will be done at the last
business meeting of the year.
d. Voting will be done anonymously by all dues paying
Newman members either by being present or by
absentee ballot. A simple majority will be necessary for
any candidate to win office. In the case of a tie vote the
members will vote again until a simple majority wins.
e. The newly elected members will assume their
responsibilities at the conclusion of the last business
meeting.
Section 7.2 - President
a. The President of Newman will be responsible to
make sure that a meeting time is set at the beginning of
every semester which attempts to meet the schedules of
a majority of Newman members and set up a meeting
room on campus.
b. Will be responsible to check Newman mailbox before
every meeting and report anything to the group.

c. Will be liaison to the University and the Student
Senate.
d. Will be responsible to run all meetings in an orderly
fashion; starting meeting off at the right time and
ending it on time; making announcements and asking
the other officers for their reports.
e. Will work to accomplish the established goals and
objectives of Newman in any given year.
Section 7.3 - Vice-President
a. The Vice-President will be responsible to know all
the responsibilities of the other officers and will be
asked to exercise them in the event that they would not
be able to attend a meeting.
b. Will be liaison to Campus Ministry and will have to
meet with the Campus Minister prior to every Newman
meeting. The VP will then report to Newman anything
of significance that is going on in Campus Ministry.
The VP will also serve as a member on the Campus
Ministry Board and attend all meetings of the board.
c. The Vice-President will be in charge of all
communications. Will be responsible to inform all
members about upcoming events and meetings, and will
be responsible to hang up posters for Newman meetings
and events.
d. Will work to accomplish the established goals and
objectives of Newman in any given year.
Section 7.4 - Archivist

a. Archivist will be responsible to take minutes at every
meeting and will report on the previous meeting. The
Archivist will also keep record of all votes during
meetings. Will then submit minutes to members for
approval
b. Will be responsible for the upkeep of the photo
archives and descriptions of any events.
c. Will be responsible to submit text file of minutes and
activities to Campus Ministry for web site.
d. Will work to accomplish the established goals and
objectives of Newman in any given year.
Section 7.5 - Treasurer
a. Treasurer will be responsible for keeping track of
Newman funds and will make a report at every meeting
if any changes have been made in the Newman balance.
b. Will have their name on a joint account along with
one Faculty Advisor at Clarion University Federal
Credit Union.
c. Will be responsible to coordinate fund raising
through Student Senate, Campus Ministry, fund raising
and dues.
d. Will work to accomplish the established goals and
objectives of Newman in any given year.
Section 7.6
If any office is vacant at any time in the school year, the
Executive Committee may appoint someone to that

office until the next election.
ARTICLE VIII: FACULTY ADVISORS
Section 8.1
Two members of the faculty currently at Clarion
University will serve as the official advisors to
Newman. Both Advisors will be asked to serve one year
terms.
Section 8.2
a. At the end of each year the Advisors will be reviewed
by the Newman Officers. The Advisors will be asked to
do a personal review at the end of the year and the
Newman Officers will also do a review of each Advisor
with the help of the Campus Minister. The Advisor will
then be asked to renew his\her commitment to Newman
for another year unless the Newman Officers and that
said Advisor decide that Newman would be better
served by asking another faculty member to take their
place.
b. In the event that a Faculty Advisor must be replaced,
the Executive Committee along with the Campus
Minister, will find a Catholic faculty member that they
feel can serve Newman as a whole and ask that person
to serve as a Newman Advisor. Any candidate however,
will have to be first discussed with the Newman
members as a whole, and a vote must be taken to see if
the members agree on the candidate that the Executive
Committee has chosen.

Section 8.3 - Responsibilities
a. One Faculty Advisor will have their name on a joint
bank account at Clarion University Federal Credit
Union, along with the Newman Treasurer. This Faculty
Advisor will have to sign any check that the Treasurer
tries to use and will have the power to veto any
spending that they deem as frivolous or going outside of
the already planned budget.
b. It will be the responsibility of both Faculty Advisors
to advise Newman members within the framework of
the constitution and the mission statement.
ARTICLE IX: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 9.1
The Executive Committee will be made up of the
Newman Officers and Faculty Advisors.
Section 9.2
It will be the Executive Committee's responsibility to
prepare a budget for each semester. It will be the
responsibility of the Executive Committee to plan a
schedule of events for each semester. The committee
will also be responsible for anything already mentioned
in this document.
Section 9.3
The schedule and budget must be submitted to the
Newman members as a whole for their approval. A 2/3
majority vote will be necessary to pass the budget and

slate of activities.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS
Section 10.1
Any amendments or changes to this Constitution must
be done by a 2/3 majority vote by all dues paying
members. All changes must be ratified by both Faculty
Advisors and either Advisor can veto any changes or
amendments, that they feel is against Newman's stated
goals in the mission statement.