Article I

Name of Chapter

This organization should be known as the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPSI) Student
Circle Chapter of Tennessee State University.

Article II

Our Purpose

The Tennessee State University Student Circle Chapter is organized to operate educational
purposes, including but not limited to:

• Promoting and advancing the profession of African Psychology

• Influencing and affecting social change and

• Developing programs whereby psychologists of African descent (hereafter known

as Black Psychologists) can assist in solving problems of Black communities and
other ethnic groups.

Article III

Membership

All students at Tennessee State University who have paid the Student Activity Fee, attend
Tennessee State University as part time or full time and show an active interest in the topic are
open for membership in the following categories:

National Members: Members who have also paid their annual dues to the Association of Black
Psychologists national chapter and attend Tennessee State University part time or full time are
welcomed to actively participate in the Tennessee State University Student Circle chapter.
Interested members should be committed to upholding the purpose of The Association of Black
Psychologists.
General Members: are students who are not national members but take part in general meetings
and activities hosted by the Student Circle Chapter

Recruitment and Retain of members: The Tennessee State University Student Circle Chapter will
host an annual recruitment for membership event to recruit new-interested members.

Active members: Members that have attended at least 5 general meetings.

Inactive members: Members that have attended less than 5 general meetings.

Article IV

Meetings and Activities

General meetings and executive board meetings will be held during opposite weeks on the
appropriate days for the duration of the academic year.

Follow Roberts’s rules.

Article V

Executive Board

Section I: Officers

Members of the student circle chapter’s executive board shall be the President, Vice President,
Treasurer, Secretary, Social Action Chair, Director of Programing, Director of Public Relations,
Senior Advisor, and Faculty Advisor.

Section II: Roles and Responsibilities

President:

• Organize, plan and implement activities to ensure the continuation and overall
success of the chapter.
• Call meetings of the executive board and delegate responsibilities as needed
• Call meetings of chapter members
• Manage planning and implementation of a successful year of programs, including
at least one (1) community service program.
• Establish relationships with local community and industry representatives
• Communicate with Regional Representatives
• Facilitate the annual submission of renewal documents and chapter dues to the
National Office.
• Ensure that changes in contact information are submitted to the National Office
 • Submit articles of the chapter’s activities for publication consideration in the
Psych Discourse.

Vice-President:

• Plan and organize chapter programs as outlines in current program packet

• Oversee work of committees formed by chapter
• Preside over all meetings and take on presidential responsibilities in absence of
the president
• Assist president in the completion of duties

Recording Secretary:

• Record minutes of each executive board or chapter meeting, and submit copies to
officers and advisor.

• Serve as chapter archivist (in absence of chapter historian) with the assistance of
chapter advisor.

Treasurer:
• Manage all financial transactions of chapter
• Prepare a budget for chapter
• Receive and distribute chapter funds
• Investigate courses of local funding or initiate fund-raising activities
• Report financial activity to the chapter advisory on a monthly basis
• Assist the vice-president with chapter program planning

Social Action Chair:

• Facilitate the organization of social justice work

• Coordinate community outreach, through committee planning and operations
• Shall be responsible for providing all community activities

Director of Programming:

• Shall aid the Social Action Chair with community activities

• Shall be responsible for the organization of all activities
 • Oversee work of volunteer planning committees in relation to events
• To maintain and organize the progress of activities and meetings
• Maintains the communication with other student organizations

Director of Public Relations:

• Promote and publicize events/activities of the organization

• Publicize the topic, place and time of the event; flyers shall be posted at least one
week in advance to all public locations.
• Be the liaison between the school/community and the organization
• Help the secretary in promoting and notifying members about the meetings

Senior Advisor:

• Act as a peer advisor of the chapter

• Act as the Executive Board’s mediation source
• Mentor the Executive Board with any tasks

Faculty Advisor

• Mentor and assist the Association of Black Psychologists’ Student Circle

members.
• Be the Executive Board’s immediate faculty and/or staff contact
• Be a liaison between the organization and the Tennessee State University
community

Section III: Term Selection

Executive board officers will hold the elected title for one academic year.

Officer Elections: The chapter will hold an annual closed election for officers. This election
process will be in April. The current elected officers and advisor will facilitate elections.

Section IV: Elections

Section I

Each candidate must have attended at least five meetings.

All active members are eligible to run for the Executive Board assuming the position.

People elected into office shall serve for one year, both fall and spring semester.
Elections will be held the last week of April.

Section II.

Nominations will be accepted by application to the board.

Robert’s rules will be used for elections.

Section III

Ten minutes will be given to the board to ask the candidate questions.

Each executive board member is entitled to one vote, after all votes have been counted, the
nominees will be announced to all members.

Others may run if they are active members. Active members may also vote positions.

Impeachment and Procedures VI

Section 1

Violations that are subject to impeachment

1. Attendance: All officers should be at all executive board meetings. If an office has three
unexcused absences, then the officer will be considered impeached. Unexcused absences
are defined as:
a. absences that are not communicated at least two hours before the meeting
b. Any absence that does not deal with classes, sickness, work, other student
organization responsibilities or family emergencies
c. If there are other reasons that seem valid but are not mentioned in this section, then
the executive board reserves the right to determine if the absence is inexcusable or
not.
2. Continuous inappropriate behavior that makes any member uncomfortable or
inappropriate behavior as outlines by the Code of Students Rights, Responsibility and
Conduct.
3. Failing to uphold the purpose of the ABPsi or neglecting duties of the role assigned.

Section 2

The impeachment process

 1. All members are empowered to bring about impeachment charges against any officer or
chair elected or appointed.
2. Any charge should be written and submitted to the president through email. The email
should include the name of the officer being charged, what the charges are and why they
are being charged. If the president is being charged, then the email should be sent to the
vice president and ABPsi’s faculty and student advisor should be cc’ed.
3. Before a meeting regarding impeachment is called, the officer being charged should be
notified about the charges and the meeting 5 days in advance so they can respond
appropriately.
a. At the meeting the president should present the officer being charged with the reason
why they are being charged. The charged officer will then have the opportunity to
resign or provide reasons as to why they should not be impeached.
4. This meeting can be called by an officer (not the one up for impeachment) or SA court at
any time between the hours of 10 am- 10 pm, Monday- Saturday, as long as all officers
are available. Advisors should be notified about the meeting and be present.
5. Impeachment votes are to be held by officers.
6. Impeachment votes need to have two- thirds vote for approval and results should be
shared with SA Supreme Court and Student Involvement within 48 hours of the vote.

Article VII

Committees

1. The Executive Board may appoint any volunteered members of the Association of
Black Psychologists’ Student Circle to become a member of a specialized committee.

2. E-board reserves the right to form committees.

3. Committees can be formed by at least two active members of ABPSI Student Circle.

4. The committee can choose their own chairperson who will be responsible to report
the organization of their progress.

Article VIII

Parliamentary Authority

The Student Circle Chapter at Tennessee State University acknowledges and agrees to abide by
the National Constitution of the Association of Black Psychologists. Given the close proximity
of the Student Circle to the Student Association at Tennessee State University the organization
will adhere to the Code of the Student Rights, Responsibilities and conduct, all Tennessee State
University policies and procedures along with local and federal laws, along with the Student
Association Constitution, laws and policies.

Article IX

Amendment Procedure

Section I: Amendments

1. The ABPSI Student Circle Chapter at Tennessee State University’s bylaws may be
amended, repealed, or added to by a 2/3-majority vote of the active ABPsi members.

2. Any member of the Executive Board may propose amendments to the constitution. It
may be ratified by the majority vote of Executive Board members present at the time
of the voting.

3. It is a must to announce the Amendment to the Constitution to the members

beforehand.

4. Must have approval of SA court.

5. A majority vote from the executive board is needed to put an accused e-board
member on an impeachment trial. A confidential investigation will be conducted.

Section X

Affiliations

The Association of Black Psychologists – Student Circle acknowledge and agrees to abide by the
Code of the Student Rights, Responsibilities and conduct, all Tennessee State University policies
and procedures along with local and federal laws, along with the Student Association
Constitution, laws and policies.