Constitution for the Mallet Assembly Honors Program

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Contents

Preamble

The Mallet Assembly shall be an honors program on the campus of the University of Alabama with the following goals:

  • 1. to recognize extraordinary scholastic achievement through its admissions process;
  • 2. to encourage further scholastic development through a comprehensive system of in house programs designed as learning activities which are enjoyable;
  • 3. to encourage the development of leadership skills through the self-government of the program and encouragement of individual and collective involvement throughout all areas of campus life; and
  • 4. to gather students to these ends with high scholastic and achievement records into a unique environment encompassing academics, recreation, unity, and fellowship.

Article I: Membership and Meetings

  • 1. The Board of Governors shall consist of: the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Professor-in-Residence, and eight (8) faculty members. The President, Senior Monitor, Treasurer, Alumni Representative, and three (3) Resident Advisors shall be ex officio members of the Board. During the Summer Terms, the Summer Senior Monitor will also act as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors and if the president is not available will act in his place on the board.
  • 2. The Assembly shall meet on alternate Thursdays. The President shall post notice of Assembly meetings not less than twenty-four hours before a meeting is to occur. The President or a quorum of the Executive Committee may call emergency Assembly meetings. The Assembly shall be given as much notice as possible when emergency Assembly meetings are called.
  • 3. A quorum of the Assembly shall consist of one-third of the active members. The presiding officer shall determine whether a quorum exists. Absence of a quorum may be suggested by an active member at any point in a meeting. No issue may be voted upon in the absence of a quorum, although the meeting may proceed as usual. Failure to suggest the absence of a quorum does not circumvent the necessity for a quorum.
  • 4. All legislative powers of the Mallet Assembly shall rest with the Assembly.
  • 5. The President of the Assembly shall conduct Assembly meetings. If the President is unavailable, Assembly meetings shall be conducted by the Vice-President. If the Vice-President is unavailable, then the meeting shall be chaired by an active member chosen ad hoc by the Assembly. Meetings shall be conducted as informally as possible, but in accordance with this Constitution, its Bylaws, established rules and precedents of the Assembly, and Robert's Rules of Order.
  • 6. Only active members shall vote at Assembly meetings. No absentee votes may be cast. Voting shall proceed in a manner established by the presiding officer.
  • 7. An individual who is not an Assembly member shall not be allowed to speak at Assembly meetings, except by special permission from the Assembly.
  • 8. The Board of Governors and Executive Committee members deemed to be ex officio members will be able to attend, speak, and present at all respective meetings but do not possess the ability to vote at those respective meetings.
  • 9. A member of the Assembly shall be anyone who has been admitted by a majority vote of the admissions committee and is in good standing with the Assembly.
  • 10. Membership in Mallet Assembly shall be open to all individuals, without regard to race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, age, or national origin.

Article II: Elections

  • 1. The Assembly's elected officers are, in order: Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Board of Governors, Professor-in-Residence, President, Vice-President, Third Member of the Tribunal, Senior Monitor, the three (3) Resident Advisors, Minister of Information, Admissions Committee Chairman, Scribe, Treasurer, Social Committee Chairman, Sports Committee Chairman, Service Committee Chairman, Historian, Sysop, Librarian, the three (3) Resident Advisors, Hall Council President, Hall Council Vice-President, Hall Council Secretary, and Hall Council Treasurer shall be held immediately after. Elections shall have their own meeting a week before the last Assembly meeting of the Fall and Spring semesters. Elections for the Resident Advisors, Hall Council President, Summer Senior Monitor, Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Board of Governors, and Professor-in-Residence shall be held during the Spring elections. At the third Assembly meeting of the Fall semester, elections shall be held for the following positions: Shadow President, Shadow Vice-President, Shadow Senior Monitor, Shadow Admissions Chair, and Shadow Minister of Information. These officers shall be ex officio members of the Executive Committee. Only freshmen may vote for and hold these positions. For the Spring, these officers shall be elected at the same time as other elected officers.
  • 2. Any active member residing in the Assembly during the period of his tenure in office shall be eligible for office; however, any office that grants the officeholder ex officio member status on the Board of Governors can only be filled by a member who is of the legal age of adult in the state of Alabama. No person shall be eligible to hold more than one elected office simultaneously with the exception of the offices of Resident Advisor, Hall Council President, Hall Council Vice-President, Hall Council Secretary, and Hall Council Treasurer. No person shall be eligible to hold more than one of the three (3) aforementioned offices. For all offices with the exception of Resident Advisors, nominations may be made by any active member present and need not be seconded. With the exception of Resident Advisors, all elections will be based on a majority vote of active voting members present. Resident Advisor nominations will be based on number of residential semesters in the program. At the nominations meeting the chairing officer will read aloud the descending list of residential seniority. Any member may decline their nomination. During elections, each name will be read aloud one at a time with votes being cast after each nominee. A Resident Advisor will only be elected by a two-thirds majority vote of active voting members presents. Each Resident Advisor position is elected this way until all three (3) offices have been satisfied. The alumni representative may be nominated by a member of the Assembly or the Board of Governors. The two-thirds majority must come from total votes counted and not total active members present; abstentions will not count as votes for or against a motion, nor will abstentions count against quorum.
  • 3. Nominations for elected officers shall be made at the Assembly meeting prior to the meeting set for elections. If a nominee is absent, that person shall have 48 hours to notify the Scribe or a member of the Tribunal of his decision which to accept or decline the nomination.
  • 4. Nominations shall not be reopened at the elections meeting unless an office receives no nominations, or no individual nominated is still willing to serve if elected. The Scribe shall record and post nominations at least one week prior to the elections or the elections will be declared invalid. Individuals nominated to one position are eligible to run for three other offices if they are not elected to the office for which they are nominated.
  • 5. The Professor-in-Residence and the Board of Governors shall serve for terms of one year. Resident Advisors and the Hall Council President will serve for one full academic year consisting of the fall and spring semesters only. All other officers shall serve terms of one semester. An officer shall be eligible to succeed himself or any other officer for an indefinite number of terms, granted that he meets the requirements of the position. Upon a vacancy in any office except the Presidency, the President shall appoint ad interim any one qualifying member to fill the post. The Assembly shall elect a successor at the next Assembly meeting. Upon a vacancy in the Presidency, the Vice-President shall succeed as President.

Article III: The Executive Committee

  • 1. The voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of: President, Vice-President, Third Member of the Tribunal, Senior Monitor, the three (3) Resident Advisors, Minister of Information, Hall Council President, Admissions Committee Chairman, Scribe, Treasurer, Social Committee Chairman, Sports Committee Chairman, Service Committee Chairman, Historian, Sysop, and Librarian. The ex officio members of the Executive Committee shall be the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Professor-in-Residence, the Hall Council Vice-President, Hall Council Secretary, Hall Council Treasurer, Shadow President, Shadow Vice-President, Shadow Senior Monitor, Shadow Admissions Committee Chairman, Shadow Minister of Information, and all appointed officers. No proxy votes may be cast.
  • 2. The Executive Committee shall have the power and responsibility for running the program between Assembly meetings. If the Assembly cannot be convened, the Executive Committee may take extraordinary action by a two-thirds vote, subject to review by the Assembly. The Committee shall oversee the performance of the duties of all officers. The Committee shall establish a non-exclusive agenda for each Assembly meeting. The Scribe shall post this agenda on the first floor bulletin board after the Committee meeting. The Committee shall have the power to disburse funds not exceeding the base Assembly fee for that semester. All disbursements shall be subject to review by the Assembly.
  • 3. The Executive Committee shall meet weekly at a regularly scheduled time, and at any time deemed necessary by the Vice-President or two voting Committee members. All meetings shall be open to Assembly members and reasonable advance notice shall be given. The Vice-President shall preside and may cancel any meeting if there is insufficient business. If the Vice-President is unavailable, the Committee shall be chaired by an ad hoc chairman chosen by the Committee. One-third of the voting members shall constitute a quorum.
  • 4. Officers shall be expected to regularly attend meetings. An officer shall not fail to attend three consecutive Executive Committee Meetings or Assembly Meetings or combination of the two or five total meetings during one semester. Failure to attend meetings as outlined above shall be considered grounds for impeachment. Assembly activities, class and work are acceptable grounds for an excused absence. Other excused absence may be granted by a member of the tribunal.
  • 5. Elected officers may be impeached for failure to perform their duties properly. The Executive Committee or a group of at least five of its members chosen by the Executive Committee shall constitute a Board of Impeachment. No officer being impeached may sit on the board hearing his own case. No officer may sit on a board for which he has petitioned. Any active member may petition the Executive Committee for a Board of Impeachment. The Committee shall convene a Board of Impeachment as expediently as possible. Conviction must be rendered by a two-thirds vote. Upon conviction, the impeached officer shall immediately be removed from office. Any member may refer the case to the Tribunal if further judicial action seems appropriate. A conviction of impeachment may be appealed to the Assembly. On appeal, the Board of Impeachment's highest-ranking officer shall present the case for conviction, and the convicted officer or his designate shall present the defense. A conviction may be overturned by a majority vote of the Assembly, with absent active members counting as negative votes.

Article IV: The Tribunal

  • 1. The Tribunal, which shall consist of the President, Vice-President, and Third Member, shall hear specific instances of breach of the Mallet Constitution, its Bylaws, accepted precedents, Assembly rules, and rulings made by any officers who are responsible for specific portions of the Assembly. No person may sit in judgment of his own case, and members must recuse themselves from cases in which they are directly involved or interested. In case of recusal of the President or the Vice-President the Executive Committee shall appoint a non-officer replacement. In the case of recusal of the Third Member, the President shall preside at the Tribunal meeting and shall, with Executive Committee approval, appoint a non-officer replacement.
  • 2. Tribunal actions may be brought by any member or resident faculty member with proof that a serious violation within the Assembly's jurisdiction has occurred. Charges may not be brought after the last day of classes of the semester following the alleged violation. The person bringing the action shall inform the Third Member that he wishes the Tribunal convened and shall act as prosecutor. If the Third member determines that there are insufficient grounds for prosecution, he may grant summary judgment in favor of the defendant. This decision may be appealed with the presumption that the Third Member acted properly. Any member brought before the Tribunal shall be treated fairly. He shall have the right to confront his accusers and hear the charges against him. He shall have the right to demand that all proceedings be made public. He shall have the right to counsel. He shall have the right to present and cross-examine witnesses. He shall not be compelled to testify against himself. Members shall also have these rights during appeals. Appeals shall involve full review.
  • 3. Tribunal decisions shall be made by a majority vote. Tribunal members shall make their decision according to a standard of reasonable belief, which does not require that a person be proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, but that the Tribunal be reasonably certain that the accused is guilty based on the evidence presented. A copy of the decision and minutes shall be placed on record. All Tribunal decisions shall serve as precedents for future Tribunal hearings. The Tribunal shall have power to assess fines and impose punishment, including expulsion, as they deem necessary. The minimum fine is an amount sufficient to repair or replace property damaged by the defendant. All fines and punishment imposed must be reasonably related to the offense for which the person was found guilty. A member shall only be expelled for a gross violation of Assembly standards. An expelled member cannot be reinstated to membership except by two-thirds vote by the Assembly. An expelled member forfeits all privileges of membership. A written account of the Tribunal's ruling must be posted within twenty-four hours after the Tribunal meeting. The account shall contain:
  • a) the defendant's name, the charges, and the accuser's name;
  • b) all evidence presented; and
  • c) the Tribunal ruling and the specific reason for the Tribunal's decision.
  • 4. Tribunal verdicts may be appealed to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, by two-thirds vote, may dismiss the appeal or remand the case to the Tribunal with specific instructions as guidelines for the Tribunal's further consideration. Tribunal members may not vote on appeals to the Executive Committee. Decisions by the Executive Committee may be appealed to the Assembly. The Assembly may, by two-thirds vote, remand the case to the Tribunal with specific instructions as guidelines for further consideration; otherwise the appeal is dismissed. The final appellate board is the Board of Governors, who may take whatever action they deem appropriate.
  • 5. Should property under the Assembly's control be vandalized, the guilty party shall have 48 hours to contact the President, Senior Monitor, or the Chairman of the Board of Governors and confess his actions. If no one comes forth within the 48-hour period, the Senior Monitor and Resident Advisors shall investigate the incident. If no charges have been brought within two weeks, the officers investigating the incident shall come before the Tribunal and present the findings of the investigation. The Tribunal shall decide if a hearing against any member is warranted.
  • 6. Whenever the Tribunal is unable to rule that a specific party is responsible for damaging Assembly property, it shall allocate funds for the repair or replacement of the property. Funds so allocated must come from a fine levied upon the Assembly.

Article V: Committees

  • 1. Standing committees shall include the Executive Committee, Academic Committee, Urban Renewal Committee, Ministry of Information, Hall Council, Admissions Committee, Budget Committee, Social Committee, Sports Committee, Service Committee, Alumni Relations Committee, and Tech Committee. Any Assembly member may petition a member of a standing committee for a meeting. If a meeting is denied he may appeal to the Executive Committee who may decide the validity of the request and the denial. Ad hoc committees may be created by the President, or the Assembly. Ad hoc committees shall by default include the Willy Club, Mallet Players, the Trips Committee. Members may also band together for their own purposes, but shall not receive Assembly funds or speak in the Assembly's name without a vote of approval from the Assembly.
  • 2. The Academic Committee shall be chaired by the Vice-President. The Committee shall consist of ten (10) permanent members who shall be chosen by the Vice-President and approved by the Assembly with a majority vote. Members shall be chosen on the basis of their academic prowess and their wide variety of majors as a whole. They shall be available to Assembly members who need help in their class work and/or academic advising in their major. The Vice-President will take all available steps to provide the complete list of Academic Committee members before the start of the fall semester. The Academic Committee may perform an academic review of Assembly freshmen towards the end of their first semester. If a freshman member fails to meet the University of Alabama's and the Assembly's academic standards of maintaining a grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for their first semester, then the member will be brought before the Academic Committee and given an opportunity to explain their circumstance. For members whose grade point average is below 2.5, if the reasons given do not satisfy the Academic Committee members, then a vote may be called by any member and a ruling of either suspension of residency or probation may be passed by a two-thirds majority vote. If a ruling of probation is passed, conditions to be met by the probationer at a date designated by the Academic Committee will be presented at the ruling. Should these conditions remain unmet at the designated date, another ruling may be passed at the discretion of the Academic Committee. Appropriate University of Alabama administration will be consulted and alternate housing options will be presented to the student within a reasonable amount of time. The ruling of the Academic Committee may be appealed to the Assembly. The Assembly, by a two-thirds majority of the active voting members present, may vote to remand the case to the Academic Committee with specific instructions as guidelines for the Academic Committee's further consideration; otherwise the appeal is dismissed. The final appellate board is the Board of Governors, who may take whatever action they deem appropriate.
  • 3. The Urban Renewal Committee shall maintain the Assembly's residence in an attractive manner, and shall negotiate and develop specifications for improvements. The Senior Monitor shall chair the Committee, with the Service Committee Chairman acting as ranking member and the three (3) Resident Advisors serving as permanent members.
  • 4. The Ministry of Information shall be headed by the Minister of Information. The Ministry of Information shall maintain communications with on-campus organizations in an effort to maintain good relations. The Ministry shall also encourage members to develop and display leadership skills by encouraging them to seek political office in the University's student government and aiding in their campaigns. The Ministry shall coordinate with the Admissions Committee for the dissemination of information about the Assembly. The Ministry of Information will be responsible for maintenance of the Mallet mailing lists, maintenance of the official Mallet website, collection of all accessible and viable internal and external official Mallet information, the collection and proper dissemination of the minutes as recorded by the Scribe, and the proper distribution of the Mallet Assembly's mail received in the Assembly's official mailbox. The Ministry shall be responsible for writing, publishing, and distributing not less than four newsletters each semester. The Ministry shall also act as an editorial board for all official external Mallet news articles and publications.
  • 5. The Admissions Committee shall maintain full enrollment in the Assembly. The Committee shall consist of the Admissions Committee Chairman, who shall preside, and at least four other members who have been active for more than one semester. The Committee shall establish an awareness of the program. They shall interview applicants when possible, establish and update application forms, cover letters, and other necessary written materials. They shall obtain listings of potential members from the University and work with other committees to establish an effective recruitment program. The Committee shall maintain the Assembly's entrance requirements. Entrance requirements shall be a score of 28 on the American College Test, a college grade point average equivalent to a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, or an equivalent outstanding accomplishment. The Admissions Committee shall admit qualified applicants by a majority vote. If an applicant does not meet the entrance requirements, the Chairman may, at his discretion, present the case to the Admissions Committee. The Committee should then vote on presenting the case at an Assembly meeting. A majority vote at the Assembly meeting is required for admission in the case of an unqualified candidate.
  • 6. The Budget Committee, consisting of all officers, shall allocate Assembly funds. Assembly funds shall consist of Assembly fees, contributions from the Board of Governors, earnings from Assembly activities, fines, and donations. At the beginning of each semester, each officer, except the Social Committee Chairman, shall submit an itemized budget to the Treasurer for the Budget Committee meeting. The Assembly must approve all allocations that are approved by the Budget Committee. Supplemental allocations may be made from available funds at any time. The Budget Committee shall advise other committees and members attempting to draft budget requests. All Assembly expenditures must be receipted. The funding of events coordinated by the Social Committee is to be handled by the Assembly on a per function basis. In order to obtain funds, the Social Committee Chairman shall submit a funding request at the Assembly meeting prior to the function. Should the funds granted by the Assembly be inadequate to cover the expense of the function, the Social Chairman is empowered to request donations by those in attendance.
  • 7. The Social Committee shall plan and execute social events and clean up afterward.
  • 8. The Sports Committee shall recruit members to participate in intramural sports and promote the Assembly's athletic teams.
  • 9. The Service Committee shall be responsible for recommending service projects and implementing them as directed by the Assembly.
  • 10. The Alumni Relations Committee shall be charged with maintaining a list of alumni, maintaining contact in and among alumni, sending out periodic newsletters to solicit funds and support, and planning alumni functions. The Historian shall chair the Alumni Relations Committee and the Alumni Representative shall be a permanent member.
  • 11. The Tech committee shall oversee the upkeep and repair of the Assembly's computers, computer-related devices, and network hardware. The Committee shall be chaired by the Sysop.
  • 12. The Willy Club shall be devoted to reading and discussion of literary topics.
  • 13. The Mallet Players shall give theatrical presentations.
  • 14. The Trips Committee shall plan trips for Assembly members.

Article VI: Elected Officers

  • 1. The Chairman of the Board of Governors shall maintain liaison with University and Housing officials, while serving in an advisory position for the Assembly in general. He shall also be an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.
  • 2. The Professor-in-Residence shall maintain liaison with University Housing officials. He shall be a member of the Board of Governors and an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.
  • 3. The President shall maintain communication between the Assembly, its officers, and committees and the University Administration, faculty and off-campus organizations. He shall chair all non-committee Assembly meetings. He shall see that this Constitution, Bylaws, and all Assembly orders and mandates are promptly, efficiently, and faithfully executed. With the advice of the Executive Committee, he shall appoint all non-elected committee chairmen. He shall serve as a Tribunal member and as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors. The President, Vice-President, and Scribe shall jointly prepare a semesterly report on the activities and accomplishments of the Assembly and its members for distribution to appropriate University officials and campus area news media each October and March.
  • 4. The Vice-President shall serve as chairman of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Academic Committee, and as a Tribunal member. He shall coordinate the Mallet Speaker series.
  • 5. The Third Member of the Tribunal shall preside at Tribunal meetings and act as spokesman in handing down and posting Tribunal decisions. He shall serve as Parliamentarian and Sergeant-at-Arms for Assembly and Executive Committee meetings. He shall maintain the official copy of the constitution.
  • 6. The Senior Monitor shall allocate rooms according to the standards set by the Assembly, notify Housing of room occupancy and changes, and shall attempt to maintain internal harmony within the Assembly. The Senior Monitor shall assign the Resident Advisors responsibility for individual sections of the building. He shall also serve as chairman of the Urban Renewal Committee and as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors.
  • 7. The Senior Monitor and the three (3) Resident Advisors shall maintain the Assembly's residence in a quiet, clean, orderly, and structurally sound condition. They shall establish and maintain communication with University Maintenance officials. They shall see that necessary repairs are made in the Assembly. They shall store and allocate furniture and maintain common storage space. They shall keep the hallways and attic clear and shall oversee the common rooms and may issue appropriate orders to ensure quiet, orderliness, neatness, cleanliness, and safety. In the performance of their constitutional duties, the Senior Monitor and the Resident Advisors shall have the power to inspect any part of the residence under the following conditions.
  • a) No room shall be inspected until after a knock and verbal notice of the purpose for inspection have been given;
  • b) A room for which the occupant is absent shall be inspected by either the Senior Monitor accompanied by a voting member of the Executive Committee, a Resident Advisor accompanied by two members of the Executive Committee, or the Senior Monitor or a Resident Advisor accompanied by The Professor-in-Residence or The Chairman of the Board of Governors; and,
  • c) Members whose rooms have been inspected shall be notified as soon as possible by a member of the inspecting party. This procedure for room inspection does not have to be followed under extreme emergency conditions.
  • 8. Three (3) Resident Advisors will be elected that meet the Assembly's requirements and meet the University of Alabama's standard resident advisor academic requirements of maintaining a minimum grade point average of 2.65 on a 4.0 scale and possessing a clean judicial record. The Resident Advisors shall assist the Senior Monitor in his duties and shall make timely reports to appropriate University of Alabama administration concerning the status of the Assembly's residence. Resident Advisors shall also be permanent members of the Urban Renewal Committee. Resident Advisors will attend resident advisor training and attend the regularly scheduled resident advisor meetings. Resident Advisors will receive the standard resident advisor compensation package. Resident Advisors will be ex officio members of the Board of Governors. Resident Advisors will be allowed to hold an additional office on the Executive Committee; however, any officer who also serves as a Resident Advisor shall not be allowed to behave as two independent parties with respect to voting and other standard committee or Assembly functions.
  • 9. The Minister of Information shall establish and maintain communication between the Assembly's standing and ad hoc committee chairmen and other on-campus organizations. He shall maintain a proper system of files. He shall maintain the Assembly's office. He shall publish a phone list for active members.
  • 10. The Admissions Committee Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Admissions Committee and shall seek out qualified individuals for admission into the Assembly. He shall coordinate the mentor program.
  • 11. The Scribe shall take minutes of Assembly, Executive Committee, and Tribunal meetings. He shall maintain the minutes of Assembly, Executive Committee, and Tribunal meetings and decisions. He shall be a permanent member of the Ministry of Information. In order to resolve disputes as to previous Assembly actions, he shall read the minutes of any previous meetings.
  • 12. The Treasurer shall collect, disburse, and account for all Assembly funds. He shall maintain financial records. He shall collect all fines. He shall serve as Budget Committee Chairman and as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors. The Treasurer shall report which members qualify as active members to the presiding officer of Assembly meetings.
  • 13. The Social Committee Chairman shall plan and stage Assembly social functions. He may order unruly members and guests to leave social events and require particularly messy members to aid in the cleanup after social functions.
  • 14. The Sports Committee Chairman shall make necessary contacts with University sports officials, organize teams, schedule games and sporting events, and maintain the Assembly's athletic equipment.
  • 15. The Service Committee Chairman shall coordinate the Assembly's community service projects. He will serve as the ranking member on the Urban Renewal Committee. His duties on the committee will be to collect building improvement suggestions and research their viability and expense. He shall try to facilitate and organize any internal Mallet community services and come up with ways to improve the building's sense of community.
  • 16. The Historian shall maintain a comprehensive and timely record of the important facts and fictions of the Mallet Assembly's history. He shall chair the Alumni Relations committee and be responsible for setting its agenda and meeting time.
  • 17. The Alumni Representative is elected from the body of the Assembly's alumni. He shall attempt to best represent the interests of the entirety of the Assembly's alumni to the Assembly. He shall be a member of the Alumni Relations Committee by default in order to organize alumni related events and activities. He shall serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Committee and as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors.
  • 18. The Sysop shall chair the Tech Committee. He shall serve as representative for the Assembly in any computer related issue. He shall have the responsibility to dictate any rules and regulations regarding both the use of the Assembly's computers and the use of ResNet by Assembly members' computers where not already dictated by the University, in which case he will see that any University imposed regulations be followed.
  • 19. The Librarian shall maintain and organize the computer room and the Glen Hardy Memorial Library. He shall acquire new books and materials, and subscribe to magazines recommended by the Assembly.
  • 20. The Summer Senior Monitor is required to fulfill all Assembly officer and committee chairman duties for those officers not present over the summer terms. His core responsibilities mirror those of the Senior Monitor. His term is immediately ended upon the arrival of the Fall's Senior Monitor at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
  • 21. The Hall Council President shall regularly attend the Residence Hall Association meetings and fulfill all duties of a Hall Council President as defined by the Residence Hall Association. He shall be responsible for reporting pertinent information related to the Residence Hall Association to the Executive Committee. He shall be responsible for verifying that all activities of the Hall Council are being completed and he shall be able to appoint Senators to vote at the Residence Hall Association meetings in the event that three of the voting elected officers are unable to attend. He shall be allowed to hold an additional office on the Executive Committee with the exception of Resident Advisors; however, any officer who also serves as the Hall Council President shall not be allowed to behave as two independent parties with respect to voting and other standard committee or Assembly functions.
  • 22. The Hall Council Vice President shall regularly attend the Residence Hall Association meetings and fulfill all duties of the Hall Council Vice President as defined by the Residence Hall Association. He shall be allowed to hold an additional office on the Executive Committee with the exception of Resident Advisors; however, any officer who also serves as the Hall Council Vice President shall not be allowed to behave as two independent parties with respect to voting and other standard committee or Assembly functions.
  • 23. The Hall Council Treasurer shall fulfill all duties of the Hall Council Treasurer as defined by the Residence Hall Association. He is able to vote at the Residence Hall Association meetings on an alternating meeting-by-meeting basis with the Hall Council Secretary, if present. He shall be allowed to hold an additional office on the Executive Committee with the exception of Resident Advisors; however, any officer who also serves as the Hall Council Treasurer shall not be allowed to behave as two independent parties with respect to voting and other standard committee or Assembly functions.
  • 24. The Hall Council Secretary shall fulfill all duties of the Hall Council Secretary as defined by the Residence Hall Association. He is able to vote at the Residence Hall Association meetings on an alternating meeting-by-meeting basis with the Hall Council Treasurer, if present. He shall be allowed to hold an additional office on the Executive Committee with the exception of Resident Advisors; however, any officer who also serves as the Hall Council Secretary shall not be allowed to behave as two independent parties with respect to voting and other standard committee or Assembly functions.

Article VII: Appointed Officers and Their Duties

  • 1. Appointed officers of the Mallet Assembly are: Willy Club Chairman, Director of the Mallet Players, and Trips Committee Chairman. The President shall appoint each to a one-semester term. All appointed officers are eligible to succeed themselves for an indefinite number of terms. Any officer appointed by the President may be subsequently removed by the President granted that an alternative appointee is presented. Any removals are subject to appeal to the Executive Committee.
  • 2. The Willy Club Chairman shall secure speakers for the Willy Club.
  • 3. The Director of the Mallet Players shall organize and stage productions of the Mallet Players.
  • 4. The Trips Committee Chairman shall seek out information regarding Assembly functions that involve traveling or vacationing and shall handle issues of lodging and transportation for all participating Assembly members .

Article VIII: Board of Governors

  • 1. The Board of Governors shall consist of: the Chairman of the Board of Governors, the Professor-in-Residence, and eight (8) faculty members. The President, Senior Monitor, Treasurer, Alumni Representative, and three (3) Resident Advisors shall be ex officio members of the Board. During the Summer Terms, the Summer Senior Monitor will also act as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors and if the president is not available will act in his place on the board.
  • 2. Members of the Board of Governors and the Professor-in-Residence shall be elected annually. Each is eligible to succeed himself. The Chairman of the Board of Governors and the Professor-in-Residence shall reside in the Assembly's residence.
  • 3. The Board of Governors and the Assembly shall keep the program solvent. When necessary Housing revenues are deficient, the Board shall investigate and may make a uniform assessment upon members.
  • 4. The Board of Governors and the Assembly shall enforce proper discipline in the Assembly and shall establish and maintain standards for continued residence in the Assembly.
  • 5. All funds and financial accounts of the Assembly shall become property of the Board of Governors upon dissolution of the Mallet Assembly.
  • 6. The Assembly may veto the final draft of any contract binding its members.

Article IX: Hall Council

  • 1. The members of the Hall Council shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee.
  • 2. The voting members of the Hall Council within the Residence Hall Association General Assembly shall consist of the Hall Council President, Hall Council Vice-President, Hall Council Secretary, and Hall Council Treasurer.
  • 3. The voting members of the Hall Council shall convey the wishes and desires of the Mallet Assembly to the Residence Hall Association.
  • 4. The voting members of the Mallet Assembly’s Hall Council shall convey information gleaned from the Residence Hall Association to the Mallet Assembly.

Article X: Administrative Regulations

  • 1. Only members shall reside in the Assembly's residence during the Fall and Spring semesters. Guests shall be allowed to visit at all times, provided that they do not unreasonably disturb members.
  • 2. The Assembly shall maintain a rental rate which is the lowest permitted by University Housing.
  • 3. Rooms shall be allocated to members on a seniority basis with the following priorities:
  • a) Number of semesters in the program;
  • b) Number of hours earned at the University of Alabama; and
  • c) Discretion of the Senior Monitor.
  • 4. No member may be forced to move out of a room he occupied at the end of the previous non-summer semester, unless the individual's roommate is eligible for a private room and has lived in the room for the most semesters. There shall be no official room change date in the Assembly. The Senior Monitor shall attempt to promote harmony by approving requested room changes. If the Senior Monitor is unable to solve problems in this area, then the Tribunal may be called on to work out an equitable solution. In the case of two members vying for the same room with different roommate preferences, the total seniority of the member and his roommate shall be considered to determine who get the room. If one of the members is eligible for the room as a private, the seniority of each member shall be inspected individually. Semester credit seniority shall be calculated in the following manner:
  • a) Each spring or fall semester spent in the Assembly's residence shall count as one semester of seniority;
  • b) Each spring or fall semester spent out of the residence under a cooperative education or exchange program shall count as one-half semester of seniority; and
  • c) Each term of summer school spent in residence shall count as one-quarter semester of seniority.
  • 5. The Senior Monitor shall maintain a uniform check-in procedure. Check-in will begin on the Monday before schedule pick-up day, from noon until 5 P.M. daily through the day before classes begin. During that time the Senior Monitor or any of the Resident Advisors must be available to check members in. Check-in shall consist of key distribution and the escorting of new members to their rooms.
  • 6. A uniform checkout procedure for all members not returning to the same room during the next school session shall be maintained by a committee consisting of the Senior Monitor, the three (3) Resident Advisors, and the Professor-in-Residence or Chairman of the Board of Governors. The checkout deadline shall be noon one week before the day classes begin, or the last day of finals week, whichever comes later. Before that time, a departing or relocating member must remove all personal belongings from his room, call a committee member to inspect the room, and turn in all keys. Failure to check-out will result in an improper check-out fee of $50.00 being charged to the student through the University's Office of Student Receivables.
  • 7. Assembly fees are $60.00. Assembly fees shall be paid within 30 days of the beginning of classes of the fall and spring semesters, after which fees will increase to $80.00. After 60 days, Assembly fees will increase to $100.00. Hardship cases may appeal to the Treasurer for deadline extensions. The time of day for the deadlines will be at the Treasurer's discretion.
  • a) In the event that a resident has not paid their Assembly fees before the date of the second to last executive meeting of a semester in which they have lived in the dormitory since before the 60th day after the beginning of classes, then that resident will be considered in default of a fine levied by the Assembly. The sum of this fine shall be the value of the fees owed, and the due date for payment of this fine shall be the final day of classes for the semester as per the official Academic Schedule of the University of Alabama. The resident may, if unable to provide the fees asked of them before this fine is levied, present their case to the Assembly along with sufficient evidence of financial hardship in order to have the fine waived until 30 days after the beginning of classes of the following semester. This wavier may be granted by a simple majority at the final dormitory meeting of the semester. If no dormitory meeting is scheduled before the end of the semester, then it may, at the discretion of the treasurer, be presented to and decided upon by a two-thirds majority vote at the final executive meeting of the semester.
  • 8. For non-residential members, dues will not increase after the time period set forth by the Assembly; however, dues must be paid forty-eight hours before any non-residential member may be allowed to vote at an Assembly meeting.
  • 9. Fines not paid within 30 days, or by the end of the semester, whichever comes first, shall be held in default.
  • 10. Fines are due immediately, regardless of appeal. Successfully appealed fines shall be refunded.
  • 11. A member cannot take residence in the dorm during a new semester, or act as an active member, while in default of a fine.
  • 12. In the event that the Residence of the Assembly is coed, the following shall take effect.
  • a) Floors, bathrooms, and wings shall not be separated by gender. Rooms will be unisex only.
  • b) Females shall be awarded no seniority except as earned under the constitution.
  • 13. Any non-resident member who wishes to leave an item of furniture or a collection of personal belongings unattended in a public space at the Assembly's place of residence for longer than 72 consecutive hours must have the permission of the Senior Monitor. After this time, the Senior Monitor may at his or her discretion ask that the offending member remove his or her belongings. If the member is not compliant within seven days of this notice, then a fine equal to half of the base non-resident Assembly fee for the semester shall be levied against them. This fine shall increase by the same amount for each subsequent week that the offending items are left unclaimed, up to a maximum of five times the initial fee. The member shall not be prohibited from collecting these items by the Mallet Assembly without legal cause.

Article XI: Amendments

  • 1. Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any active member at Assembly meetings. The proposed amendment must be read in full and recorded by the Scribe. The proposed amendment must then be posted in the common areas of the first floor and basement for a period of not less than two weeks prior to ratification. The proposed amendment must also be sent to the Mallet Announce List not less than two weeks prior to ratification.
  • 2. Ratification of amendments requires approval of two-thirds of the active voting members present at the Assembly meeting during which the ratification vote is taken. The two-thirds majority must come from total votes counted and not total active members present; abstentions will not count as votes for or against a motion, nor will abstentions count against quorum. Upon ratification, the Third Member shall revise the Constitution accordingly, placing a revision date at the end for historical purposes. The Third Member shall also maintain an official copy of the most current Constitution and have it available for review by any Assembly member at all times.
  • 3. Bylaws may be added to this constitution by the procedure outlined for approval of amendments with the exception being that bylaws require only a majority in favor at the ratification meeting. Bylaws may not conflict with any specific or implied provisions in this constitution.


Note: Use of the word "he" is intended to be gender neutral.

Last Revised 10/20/2011

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