Constitution of The Ethical Hacking Club

Constitution of The Ethical Hacking Club

PREAMBLE

The intent of this constitution shall be to lay out the structure and
laws for Auburn University’s Ethical Hacking Club. Any instructions laid
out in this constitution are final unless edited in the future by the
amendment process specified in this document. Auburn University’s
Ethical Hacking Club operates as a sub-organization of Auburn
University’s Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).

ARTICLE I: NAME OF ORGANIZATION

The name of this organization shall be Auburn University Ethical Hacking
Club (AUEHC), hereinafter be referred to as EHC throughout this
constitution.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION

The purpose of EHC is to provide an environment for Auburn University
students who wish to learn about ethical hacking, cyber security, and
any other related topics in a safe, educational, and fun environment.
The demand for cybersecurity professionals has never been higher after
recent attacks on critical infrastructure and currently the amount of
people with the skills to combat these threats are low. Large portions
of people do not even know this field exists and some that do have
incorrect ideas. Clubs such as these can start to change this, however,
by educating people and exposing them to this part of the cyber world.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP TO THE ORGANIZATION

1. Eligibility for Membership

   1. Membership is restricted to regularly enrolled Auburn University
      students, faculty, and staff. No university student may be
      denied membership on the basis of race, sex, religion,
      national origin, color, age, disability, gender identity or
      expression, sexual orientation, or veteran status as outlined
      in the Auburn University Policy Regarding Prohibited
      Harassment of Students.

2. Criteria or Qualifications for Membership

   1. Members must respect and follow the constitution and bylaws of
      this organization.

3. Categories of Membership

   1. Affiliate Membership

      1. This is an organization for those who are interested in
         Cybersecurity.

      2. Affiliated membership grants access to attend meetings but
         voting rights are reserved for registered members.
         Following the allocation of opportunities to registered
         EHC members, affiliate members can participate in club
         competitions or events.

   2. Registered Membership

      1. Registered membership status can be attained through ACM’s
         payment of a nominal yearly fee set by ACM executives.

      2. The dues cover a full academic year, ensuring uninterrupted
         access to club benefits and privileges.

      3. Registered members enjoy the exclusive rights to vote,
         precedence in club competitions and events,
         merchandise, a unique discord role, and other things as
         well

      4. EHC Officers are required to determine the benefits that
         will be extended to its registered members on a yearly
         basis. In addition to the benefits outlined above,
         officers have the discretion to introduce new perks and
         privileges that are not specifically listed in the
         constitution, provided that they align with the club’s
         mission.

4. Withdrawal or Removal of Members

   1. Members who would like to leave the club simply have to notify
      the club secretary of this decision.

   2. The grounds for the removal of a member can be enacted under the
      following circumstances: If a club member who has exhibited
      poor conduct or has represented the organization in a negative
      way

   3. At this point a committee will convene to decide on the future
      of said membership. With a two-thirds majority vote from the
      officers, membership can be revoked for said member.

   4. Any member of the club has the right to request removal or
      withdrawal of a member if the grounds for removal are
      suitable.

ARTICLE IV: ELECTION

1. Times and Period when Elections Occur

   1. New officers will be sworn in at the end of every academic
      school year two week before finals week. The new officers will
      begin to assume responsibilities immediately and work
      alongside the current officers for the remainder of the spring
      semester, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership. At the
      end of the spring semester, the newly elected officers will
      assume full responsibility of the officer positions and roles.

2. Nominations Procedure

   1. In the 10th week of the spring semester, a form will be sent out
      during the designated club meeting time, providing aspiring
      candidates with the opportunity to self-nominate for the
      available positions. Candidates can nominate themselves for
      their top 3 desired positions. Upon the expiration of a
      week-long period, the form will cease to accept any further
      submissions.

   2. Nominations can be made by any registered club member,
      registered club members may only nominate themselves

3. Notification and Posting of Elections

   1. Members nominated will be shared with all registered members
      using prevailing communication methods, along with a verbal
      announcement in the following meeting.

4. Election Procedures

   1. Elections will take place in the 12th meeting of the spring
      semester.

   2. Nominees are required to submit a written statement or short
      video outlining their qualifications and why they believe they
      are suitable for the position. The nominee may choose their
      preference. The written statement must be concise and not
      exceed a single page in length. The video must be less than 3
      minutes.

   3. Nominees shall be granted a period of one week following the
      conclusion of the nomination process to submit their written
      statement or short video to the current officers. Failure to
      submit either required items within the stipulated time frame
      will result in the nominee's name being removed from further
      consideration.

   4. The items submitted by the nominees will be made available to
      all members of the EHC via discord until the day following the
      voting day.

   5. The voting process will be carried out online during the meeting
      in a 30-minute window.

   6. Only registered members of EHC will be eligible to vote.

   7. In the event that a member's first-choice position is already
      filled by another candidate with more votes, the member's
      candidacy will automatically be considered for other available
      positions, based on the votes received for their desired
      position. It is important to note that this process will only
      apply to unfilled positions, and any position that has already
      been filled through the voting system will not be subject to
      reconsideration. Ultimately, the candidate with the most votes
      in their desired officer category will be appointed to the
      position.

   8. If a particular officer position remains unfilled, the
      opportunity to be considered for the position will be extended
      to the officers who contested for other positions. If this
      option fails to produce any candidates, the unfilled position
      will be reopened to the club for additional nominations.

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

1. Description of Officers

   1. The officers of this organization will be the president, the
      vice president, the secretary, the treasurer, the public
      relations representative, webmaster, and technical advisors.

   2. There will be an executive committee which is made up by the
      officers listed above and the Faculty Advisor.

   3. In order to meet the evolving needs of the organization and its
      members, the officers of Auburn University's Ethical Hacking
      Club hold the authority to establish new positions for
      incoming officers, if deemed necessary. However, before the
      creation of any such position, a vote by the officers must be
      held, and a decisive two-thirds majority is required to
      authorize the role's establishment.

   4. These new roles may be established for a limited period, such as
      for training purposes or as a transitional position, or may
      evolve into a full-time role within the organization. For
      example, a new webmaster position may be created to facilitate
      the training of a new member, or a general officer role may be
      established to provide an opportunity for individuals to learn
      about leadership and organizational management within the
      context of the club's operations.

2. Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

   1. The President is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the
      club's activities. This includes, but is not limited to,
      planning officer meetings and club meetings, managing events,
      serving as the club's primary point of contact, casting a
      deciding vote in the event of split decisions, collaborating
      with the advisor/professors, and supervising the
      responsibilities of all officers.

   2. The Vice President works collaboratively with the President to
      oversee the officers and members of the organization. In the
      event of the President's absence, the Vice President assumes
      the responsibilities outlined above, as well as assisting the
      President with their duties and splitting the workload as
      needed.

   3. The Secretary is responsible for maintaining accurate records of
      the current membership, documenting meeting minutes,
      identifying appropriate meeting locations and times, and
      ensuring the club's compliance with all applicable rules and
      laws outlined in the constitution. This includes creating
      detailed write-ups for officer and club meetings, reviewing
      the constitution and by-laws, and coordinating logistics for
      all meetings.

   4. The Treasurer manages all financial matters, including
      collecting dues and overseeing fundraising events. This
      includes developing budgets for events and club meetings,
      making purchases on behalf of the club, and ensuring members
      pay their dues in a timely manner.

   5. The Public Relations Representative serves as the face of the
      organization, documenting events and spreading information to
      potential members. This includes managing the club's social
      media presence, creating weekly social media posts to promote
      meetings and events, drafting blurbs for the AMC email,
      Discord announcements, and website, this also includes
      producing social media posts to promote and summarize
      important news and events.

   6. The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining and updating the
      club's website, ensuring that it remains current, secure, and
      functional. This includes updating the website with events and
      news, managing the website's calendar, keeping the website
      secure, and documenting procedures for editing and updating
      the website. The webmaster must also maintain all of EHC’s
      production servers, such as the web server, Discord server,
      etc., keeping them up-to-date and hardened, and maintaining
      comprehensive documentation.

   7. The Technical Advisor is someone with previous technical
      experience who leverages their knowledge to train others,
      provide feedback to officers on decisions, and occasionally
      lead or captain teams for competitions (such as SECCDC, CTFs,
      etc.). This includes delivering lectures on relevant technical
      topics, assisting with training programs, and providing
      strategic guidance for the organization's technical
      initiatives.

3. Qualifications of becoming an Officer

   1. In order to run for any office of this organization, one must be
      a student of Auburn University and a current registered member
      of EHC who has paid their dues

4. Terms of Office

   1. Officers will hold their office positions the entire school
      year, unless they resign or are removed. They may run for
      office again for the next term if they desire.

   2. If an officer can only serve for a single semester, the club has
      two options available to ensure continuity of leadership.
      Firstly, a re-election will take place at the beginning of the
      following semester for that specific officer position.
      Alternatively, two individuals will be elected for the officer
      role, with one person serving the first semester and the other
      serving the second semester. The position will be handed over
      between semesters to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

   3. Officers will assume their position immediately following
      elections.

5. Procedure for Filling Vacated Offices

   1. If an officer’s position is to become vacant during his or her
      term for any reason, then a casual vacancy will ensue, during
      which the remaining officers will convene to appoint a member
      of the club to temporarily fill the position until an ad hoc
      election is conducted during which any eligible member may run
      for the vacant position.

6. Procedure for Removal of Officers

   1. Any club member can initiate the removal process of an officer

   2. If the process is initiated a committee will be convened to see
      authenticity of the request and if it is deemed the officer
      should be removed a meeting will be set with said officer to
      discuss their position going forward

   3. After said meeting a vote will be held with a two-thirds
      majority vote determining the officers position

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

1. Standing Committees

   1. Executive Board

   2. Fund-raising Committee

   3. Publicity Committee

2. Temporary/Special Committees

   1. If at any time the current officers decide that a committee is
      necessary, they may convene and create one.

   2. Should a committee be created for any reason, the officers
      reserve the right to decide the composition of the committee
      from the pool of interested, active members.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

1. Types of Meetings

   1. Regular Meetings

   2. Workshops

   3. Group Meetings

   4. Group members are required to attend the regular meetings and
      group meetings and are encouraged but not required to attend
      workshops

2. Time and Occurrence of Meetings

   1. EHC will strive to hold meetings on a weekly basis.

   2. The exact dates and times will be determined by the officers
      each year and may vary.

   3. It is the job of the officers to call the meetings and inform
      the members of their date, time, location, and purpose.

3. Special Meetings

   1. Officers may call for additional meetings as frequently as they
      deem necessary so long as they give at least seventy-two hours
      of notice to the members.

4. Quorum

   1. Regardless of the percentage of attendance, necessary business
      will be conducted at meetings, and decisions will be made with
      a majority vote of present members.

5. Method of Conducting Meetings

   1. All regular meetings shall be conducted by Robert’s Rules of
      Order, Revised

ARTICLE VIII: FINANCES/FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Dues/Membership fees

   1. Dues will be decided on a yearly basis by the club officers

   2. Fees are due by the end of the second meeting of the semester
      unless certain circumstances arise

   3. The treasurer oversees collecting and monitoring dues

2. Budget Expenditures

   1. The treasurer and president are responsible for authorizing all
      expenditures and reimbursements

ARTICLE IX: ADVISORS

1. Qualifications

   1. EHC shall have an Auburn University faculty, administrator, or
      staff member serving as Advisor at all times.

2. Terms of Office

   1. The advisor of the organization will remain the advisor unless
      they resign or are removed.

   2. If the advisor position should become vacant at any time, it is
      the duty of the officers to decide on a new advisor and
      confirm via a two-thirds supermajority vote.

3. Roles and Duties of An Advisor

   1. The role of EHC advisor is to provide guidance, assistance, and
      encouragement to the organization and its members.

   2. An advisor should never purchase alcohol for club members, deal
      with the debt of an individual member, run the organization,
      or assume the role of any officer.

   3. Additional roles of the advisor include attending meetings and
      events, assisting the organization in compliance with all
      University policies and procedures, ensuring sound financial
      policies, helping with club planning and club goals,
      communicating with the officers, following through on
      commitments, and helping promote a safe and fun club
      experience.

4. Removal of an Advisor

   1. When the advisor exhibits questionable behavior, or does not
      uphold his or her responsibilities in the organization, the
      officers will convene on the matter. With a two-thirds
      majority vote from the club officers, an advisor can be
      removed from the club.

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

1. Proposing Amendments

   1. Only active members, who have paid their dues, may submit an
      electronically written document for an amendment to the
      constitution by presenting their proposal to the officers and
      advisor, who will convene on the matter.

2. Provisions

   1. Amendments can be proposed at any point throughout the school
      year.

   2. If and only if there is approval from the advisor and a
      two-thirds majority vote by the officers in accordance with
      the proposed amendment will the amendment be presented to the
      organization members at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

   3. The officers must inform the members of the opportunity to vote
      on the possible amendment at least seventy-two hours before
      the meeting when the vote will occur.

   4. With a two-thirds majority vote of members participating in the
      meeting, the constitution may be amended.

   5. New amendments will be effective immediately.

*Modified from the Constitution and Bylaws of CAREing Paws 2016