SECTION I.2 UNT Tapestry Purpose

UNT Tapestry is established to advise and assist the Division of Equity and Diversity regarding multicultural and cross-cultural issues. It will provide a vehicle for promoting cross-cultural communication among members of the UNT community, to include but not be limited to the following:

• A forum to discuss and act on issues or concerns regarding diversity, to include embracing the plurality of its diverse communities.
• Promote mentoring to increase retention of ethnically diverse faculty and staff.
• A forum for promoting scholarly activities.
• Promote the recruitment of faculty and staff that reflects the current demographics of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the State of Texas and the nation.
• Advocate the University’s mission to preserve an atmosphere of openness and tolerance; remain committed to maintaining an unpretentious and accepting atmosphere welcoming to anyone who will strive to achieve his or her personal best; and possess and value an increasing diversity among the individuals who make up its community.

Membership for UNT Tapestry shall be open to all faculty, staff, and alumni of UNT interested in diversity and cross-cultural issues. Annual membership dues are $20 for the academic year for voting members. Non-voting members do not pay dues. Voting rights become effective after ratification at the next General Meeting. Members that are ratified for the previous year maintain voting rights after the payment of the current year’s dues. If a voting member is unable to attend the meeting, he or she may vote by proxy via another voting member by possession of a hard copy document from the voting member stating proxy authority.

Sponsorship shall be open to all interested parties. Sponsors will receive public acknowledgement. Sponsorship is not synonymous with membership.

• Provide mentoring services to UNT Tapestry members.
• Provide advice and support to UNT Tapestry members.
• Develop a faculty/staff resource directory that will be revised as needed.
• Maintain a Listserv that communicates UNT Tapestry interests and concerns.
• Support campus and community organizations and groups on issues related to diversity.
• Develop partnerships to work with organizations and groups, on and off-campus, that are interested in issues affecting UNT Tapestry members.

The elected officers of UNT Tapestry will be as follows:

The Chair shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UNT Tapestry. He or she shall preside at all scheduled general meetings and serve as the duly elected and official spokesperson for UNT Tapestry. Chair will appoint a nominating committee consisting of five members for the annual election of officers. The Chair will be from the previous year’s Executive Committee.

The Secretary shall serve as the Chief Communications Officer of UNT Tapestry. The Secretary shall record, authenticate and present the minutes of all General Membership meetings and/or Executive Committee meetings; maintain a calendar of all UNT Tapestry meetings and other activities; maintain membership attendance records, as required, and file and maintain records of all official UNT Tapestry correspondence, communications and/or meetings.

The Vice Secretary shall serve as an aide to the Secretary and shall be responsible for handling the official correspondence of UNT Tapestry. In the absence of the Secretary, the Vice Secretary shall record minutes of meetings and perform those duties designated by the Secretary, until the Secretary is able to return, or until a new Secretary is elected, in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the constitution and bylaws.

The Treasurer shall monitor, assess, and maintain the propriety and integrity of all financial records of UNT Tapestry. The Treasurer will maintain financial records according to standard operating and legal procedures. The Treasurer shall make regular or special reports to the Executive Committee during the general meeting and upon request of the general membership. The Treasurer also shall serve on the Finance Committee.

The Historian will be responsible for maintaining record of Council proceedings, special events and membership activities (recognitions, awards, major publications, certifications, exhibits and performances). The Historian will be responsible for updating these records periodically or as needed.

The Parliamentarian will be responsible for ensuring that the Council parliamentary procedures and rules of debate are followed. The Parliamentarian shall be a non-voting member of UNT Tapestry.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the seven elected officers, four committee chairs and three ex-officio liaisons from the Student Ethnic Enrichment Center, the UNT System Center at Dallas and the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. The Executive Committee shall act as the official governing body of UNT Tapestry. The Executive Committee shall be presided over by the Chair.

The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of UNT Tapestry and prepare the agenda for general meetings. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Executive Committee shall be present in order to ratify appointments of committee chairpersons. The Executive Committee must review the (proposed and/or revised) Annual Budget. Approval for adoption of the budget shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members present. The Executive Committee shall propose to the general membership recommendations for "amendments", to the Constitution and Bylaws of UNT Tapestry. Adoption of the amendments requires a "majority" vote of the members present.

All regularly scheduled Executive Committee meetings are "open" to all UNT Tapestry members. These meetings shall have a published agenda and recorded minutes that are available to the general membership upon request.

The Executive Committee may convene a special meeting. The agenda, proceedings and minutes of such meetings may be deemed "confidential and private" and circulation of those proceedings may be limited.

The Chair shall appoint the following chairs, with the concurrence of a majority vote of the Executive Committee:

1. Finance Committee
2. Faculty and Staff Retention and Mentoring Committee*
3. Membership and Public Relations Committee
4. Faculty and Staff Recruitment Committee*
   *It has been recommended that these two committees act in an advisory capacity to support the recruitment and retention programs and initiatives of the Division of Equity and Diversity.

Only members who have paid the annual dues before elections may run or serve as a UNT Tapestry officer, committee chair, or committee member. Only ratified members may vote during the election of officers.

The Executive Committee, or the Chair, acting under the auspices of the Executive Committee, shall schedule elections before the end of the Spring Semester of each academic school year.

1. Elected Officers
   All elected Officers shall serve a term of one year. The term of Elected Officers shall expire at the first regularly scheduled general meeting following the current year’s election. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity.
        
2. Appointed Committee Chairpersons
   All appointed Committee Chairs shall serve a term of two years. Their term shall expire at the first regularly scheduled general meeting two years, following the current year’s election.
        
3. Reelection of Officers
   Officers may be elected for more than one term, but shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity.

The work of UNT Tapestry shall be carried out by the elected officers and the committees. The size of the committee shall be determined by the individual Committee Chair.

1. Finance Committee
2. Faculty and Staff Retention and Mentoring Committee*
3. Membership and Public Relations Committee
4. Faculty and Staff Recruitment Committee*
   *These two committees will act in an advisory capacity to support the recruitment and retention programs and initiatives of the Division of Equity and Diversity.

a. Committee membership

In general, the membership of UNT Tapestry Committees shall be filled by "volunteers", following a "call for members" to the general membership. Exception(s) may include instances where the mission of a specific committee, or its specific task, might require the filling of a specific seat, by an individual with specific skills, education, expertise or experience. Exceptional cases are defined as "skilled" seats, which may be filled at the discretion of the Chair or the relevant Committee Chair, with the concurrence of the Chair. The size of the individual committees will be determined by the individual Committee Chair.

b. Committee Terms

Committees shall (normally) be constituted and formed for the "life of the project". Under normal circumstances, said term/tenure shall be construed to be extant for a period of one (1) year maximum. However, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, the Chair may extend the term of the Committee beyond that one year limit when the work of the specific committee, the (existing) expertise, harmony and chemistry of the current committee, or that the special set of circumstances (existing or anticipated) warrants such an extension of (delegated) authority and tenure.

Finance Committee

Faculty and Staff Retention and Mentoring Committee

The Faculty and Staff Retention and Mentoring Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to support the recruitment and retention of programs and initiatives of the Division of Equity and Diversity. This committee will be responsible for the development and implementation of workshops, seminars, and other programs directed towards the professional enhancement and personal development of the UNT community.

Membership and Public Relations Committee

It shall be the mission of the Membership and Public Relations Committee to promote the growth and membership development of UNT Tapestry through promotion, publicity, and membership campaigns. The Committee will initiate and sustain procedures to develop and maintain an accurate membership roster, mailing, and E-mail distribution list.

Faculty and Staff Recruitment Committee

The Faculty and Staff Recruitment Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to support the recruitment programs and initiatives of the Division of Equity and Diversity. It will establish, develop and pursue specific initiatives to assure that outreach activities are conducted for prospective, new and current faculty and staff.

The Chair shall schedule two general meetings during the academic year. The Chair may schedule special meetings to conduct UNT Tapestry business after notifying the members.

b.  Committee Meetings: For committee meetings, a quorum is met when one half plus one of the committee members are present or represented by proxy.

SECTION III.4 Removal of Officers from Office

In the event of non-performance of duties, misappropriation of funds or negligence, an officer may be removed from office in the following manner:

a. Elected Officers: Elected officers may be removed from office by two/thirds (2/3) of the members.

b. Committee Chairs: Committee Chairs may be removed from office by two/thirds (2/3) of a majority of the Executive Committee.

a. Elected Officers: If an elected officer shall relinquish his/her position during the term year, then the Chair shall appoint an "interim" replacement until the next regularly scheduled meeting has been convened. At that meeting, the vacancy may be filled by a nomination and election process that has been opened to the membership. If the Chair shall relinquish his/her position, then the Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair until a suitable process of election and replacement has taken place as mandated herein.

The Constitution and Bylaws of UNT Tapestry shall serve as the official governing rules of UNT Tapestry, unless superseded by an amendment.

All proposed amendments to this Constitution must be submitted, in writing, at a regularly scheduled meeting of UNT Tapestry. The proposed amendment must be presented from the floor by a member of the Executive Committee or a voting member. The Chair shall subject the proposed amendment to a "call for vote." Approval requires a majority vote of the members present.

This Constitution and Bylaws is the official governing document of the UNT Tapestry Council.