BALLROOM DANCE, UCONN

Article I – Name and Affiliation

  1. Name

    1. The official name of this organization shall be UConn Ballroom Dance


  1. Affiliation

    1. UConn Ballroom Dance is not affiliated with any national organizations, it is local to the Storrs Campus.


Article II – Mission Statement

  1. This organization’s primary purpose is to provide the opportunity to learn ballroom dance by encouraging individual practice, the formation of partnerships, and mentoring of beginners by advanced members.


Article III – Membership

  1. All persons who paid membership dues shall be a member of the UConn Ballroom Dance organization

  2. An accurate listing of the membership is to be kept on the organization’s UConntact page and regularly submitted by way of the Re-Registration and Roster-Verification forms

  3. Membership dues shall entitle the person to membership solely for the current semester.

  4. Any person regardless of student status shall be eligible for membership of this organization.


Article IV – Officers

  1. Executive Officers

    1. PRESIDENT

      1. Is a voting member of the Executive Board

      2. Shall provide leadership and direction to the organization

      3. Shall organize and run all meetings of the Executive Board

      4. Shall compile agendas for the Executive Board meetings and necessary organizational meetings

      5. Shall coordinate the work of the other officers and committees of the organization in order that the objectives can be met

      6. Shall assist the Vice President with the coordination of external social dances

      7. Shall recommend such organizational changes as are necessary to effectively implement the responsibilities of the organization and to ensure its continuity

      8. Shall serve as the liaison between the organization and other clubs and/or teams

      9. Shall be responsible for working with the Treasurer to complete paperwork for the Undergraduate Student Government (USG)

      10. Shall be responsible for securing primary and secondary practice space for the organization

      11. Shall be the secondary signer for the UConn Ballroom Dance checking account at Liberty Bank

      12. Shall be responsible for training the next president when their term is over

      13. Shall attend SOLID Executive Leadership and Mission, Values, and Culture Workshop


  1. VICE-PRESIDENT

    1. Is a voting member of the Executive Board.

    2. Shall assist the President in a supportive manner through direct communication in the implementation of policies, programs, and activities

    3. Shall, in the case of the President’s absence of inability, or at their request, assume control of any Executive Board meeting, function, or activity, with all rights, privileges, and power as if they had been duly elected President

    4. Shall assist the President at all meetings of the Executive Board

    5. Shall assist the President in coordination the work of the other officers and committees of the organization in order for the objectives to be met

    6. Shall be responsible for coordination of internal and external social dances along with other extracurricular activities to facilitate “team bonding” amongst members.

    7. Shall be responsible for training the next Vice President when their term is over.

    8. Shall attend SOLID Executive Leadership and Mission, Values, and Culture Workshops


  1. SECRETARY

    1. Is a voting member of the Executive Board

    2. Shall keep accurate minutes of the meetings of this organization

    3. Shall maintain necessary records of the organization

    4. Shall submit an updated roster on UConntact as required by the University

    5. Shall make all necessary arrangements and communications related to organization-sponsored competitions to ensure the success of all such events, including, but not limited to:

      1. Registration of members

      2. Partner preferences

      3. Travel arrangements

      4. Housing arrangements

      5. Directions to and from competitions

      6. Parking arrangements

      7. Working with the Treasurer to finalize competition registration costs, acquisition of funding, and supplying funds to all competitions attended by members

    6. Shall work closely with the Treasurer to supply information regarding competitions for USG

    7. Shall be responsible for training the next Secretary when their term is over

    8. Shall attend SOLID Mission, Values, and Culture and Secretary workshops


  1. TREASURER

    1. Is a voting member of the Executive Board

    2. Shall be the financial officer of the organization

    3. Shall have the care and custody of all monies belonging to the organization and shall be solely responsible for such monies or securities. They shall maintain an operating budget as decreed by the time of year and past operating expenses. The balance of funds shall be deposited in the UConn Ballroom Dance business checking account at Liberty Bank.

    4. Shall be the primary signer for the UConn Ballroom Dance checking account at Liberty Bank

    5. Shall sign all disbursement vouchers of the organization or delegate signing privileges as circumstances arise

    6. Shall submit a report of all receipts and disbursements at each meeting of the Executive Board

    7. Shall be responsible for the requesting of funds from USG and shall serve as the main contact to USG officers to ensure all procedures are carried out properly

    8. Shall be responsible for working with the President to complete paperwork for USG

    9. All financial requests from any member of UConn Ballroom must be reviewed by the Treasurer for approval prior to purchase. If the request was not approved, the Treasurer reserves the right to deny reimbursement for the purchase.

    10. Shall be responsible for transaction of all monies belonging to the organization

    11. All disbursements exceeding $200 shall be approved by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board prior to the event and shall require a signature by the President and the Treasurer

    12. Shall assist the Community Outreach and Fundraising Chair in raising funds for the organization.

    13. Shall be responsible for training the next Treasurer when their term is over

    14. Attend the SOLID Mission, Values, and Culture and Treasurer workshops


  1. CAPTAIN

    1. Is a voting member of the Executive Board

    2. Shall secure coaching for Ballroom instruction

    3. Shall coordinate weekly practices and sound equipment

    4. Shall create and implement the mentor program

    5. Shall create playlists for rounds and socials

    6. Shall maintain support equipment and medical supplies (first aid/competition “survival kit”, etc.)

    7. Shall send emails to inform members of weekly practices and announcements


  1. Ad-Hoc Officers

    1. ASSISTANT CAPTAIN

      1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

      2. Is elected by a vote of the members of the Executive Board with whom they shall serve

      3. Shall act as the chief representative of members and present their concerns or suggestions to the Board

      4. Shall assist the Captain with music responsibilities as needed

      5. Shall work closely with the coach(es), mentors, and captain to develop and maintain a training schedule for the organization

      6. Shall be responsible for training the next Assistant Captain when their term is over



  1. WEBMASTER

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall work with the Web Developer to ensure website functionality

    4. Shall be responsible for maintenance of all online applications including, but not limited to, the registration system, email system, and reports system

    5. Shall be responsible for keeping information on these applications up to date

    6. Shall be responsible for maintaining the email system including all “@uconnballroom.com” email accounts.

    7. Shall be responsible for training the next Webmaster when their term is over


  1. WEB DEVELOPER

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall secure hosting for the website and maintaining prompt payment of bills and fees associated with it

    4. Shall work with the Webmaster to ensure website functionality.

    5. Shall be responsible for training the next Web Developer when their term is over


  1. COMPETITION COORDINATOR

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. The Competition Coordinator’s term shall start as soon as they are elected and end when the next Competition Coordinator is elected

    4. Shall secure a venue approved by the Board for a date approved by the Board

    5. Shall present an initial budget to be approved by the Board, and update the Board of all substantial changes (a variance of 5% or greater) of the total budget, before being finalized

    6. Shall procure the necessary officials, including judges, disc-jockeys, and scrutineers

    7. Shall head the Competition Planning Committee to organize all aspects of the competition and shall have the power to delegate required tasks as necessary

    8. If an opportunity exists to co-host a competition, the Competition Coordinator and Planning Committee shall coordinate with the co-host school within University guidelines

    9. Shall work closely with the Treasurer for all funding requests and associated expenses

    10. If the Competition Coordinator or any member of the Competition Planning Committee does not comply with the outlined budgeting procedure, the Treasurer reserves the right to deny reimbursement for amounts exceeding the initial budget or non-approved budget changes

    11. Shall book showcase and obtain insurance, if necessary

    12. Shall be responsible for training the next Competition Coordinator when their term is over


  1. QUARTERMASTER

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall keep inventory of all supplies owned by the organization (i.e. Costumes, Electronic Equipment, Medical Supplies, etc.)

    4. Shall be in charge of storing the organization’s supplies while not in use

    5. Shall be in charge of lending any supplies owned by the organization

    6. Any individual borrowing anything belonging to the organization must file a contract, which will be held on record with the Quartermaster

    7. Shall be responsible for ordering apparel (i.e. Jackets, T-shirts, etc.) or delegating said duties

    8. Shall lead an annual audit with the assistance of the President, Treasurer, and/or designated official at the end of their election term

    9. Shall be responsible for training the next Quartermaster when their term is over


  1. COMMUNITY OUTREACH CHAIR

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall collaborate with the Webmaster to ensure effective advertisement and promotion of UConn Ballroom Dance through social media

    4. Shall be responsible for creation of all promotional material for UConn Ballroom Dance

    5. Shall be responsible for planning any performances or demonstrations by the organization

    6. Shall be responsible for organizing members for external ballroom dancing opportunities

    7. Shall have the power to delegate required tasks as necessary

    8. Shall serve as a liaison between the Vice President and other organizations for the coordination of events within the organization

    9. Shall get approval from the treasurer for any events

    10. Shall be responsible for training the next Community Outreach Chair when their term is over


  1. FUNDRAISING CHAIR

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall collaborate with the Webmaster and Community Outreach to ensure effective advertisement and promotion of fundraising for UConn Ballroom Dance

    4. Shall be responsible for the creation of all promotional material for UConn Ballroom Dance fundraising

    5. Shall be responsible for organizing fundraisers for the organization

    6. Shall have the power to delegate required tasks as necessary

    7. Shall get approval from the treasurer for any events

    8. Shall be responsible for training the next Fundraising Chair when their term is over


  1. VIDEOGRAPHER

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Is elected by the members of the Executive Board with which they shall serve

    3. Shall be responsible for videotaping all lessons, workshops, and competitions

    4. Shall be responsible for uploading and making such videos accessible to members in good standing

    5. Shall have the power to delegate required tasks as necessary

    6. Shall be responsible for training the next Videographer when their term is over


  1. Election of Officers

    1. Eligibility

      1. There shall be a Board consisting of an Executive Board and Ad-hoc Board, responsible for overseeing the functions of the organization

      2. Each officer shall be an active member in good standing

      3. An active member shall be defined as any member that attends at least 50% of their respective ballroom meetings or practices on a per semester basis

      4. A member in good standing shall be defined as any registered, dues-paying member of the organization so long as they do not have any unresolved formal complaints against themselves.

      5. Any member who does not meet the above criteria and wishes to be a Board member may present their case to the current Executive Board and faculty advisor for approval


  1. Term of Office

    1. The term of office for all positions except Competition Coordinator shall be from July 1st until June 30th of the following year with elections held at the election meeting

    2. The Competition Coordinator shall assume their duties as soon as they are elected and will serve as a member of the ad-hoc board until the next Competition Coordinator is elected.

    3. Each Executive Officer position shall be elected once every academic year in the first two weeks of March by dues paying members

    4. The permanent Executive officers of this organization shall always be the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary

    5. Other Executive Board positions may be created or eliminated as deemed unanimously necessary by the Executive Board

    6. Presently, the Team Captain is an Executive officer created under these circumstances

    7. Ad-Hoc Board positions may be created or eliminated as deemed unanimously necessary by the Executive Board


  1. Election Procedure

    1. Executive Board elections shall occur in person at the meeting during the first two of weeks of March by the members via instant runoff voting

    2. If there is only one (1) nominee for any position, that office may be elected by a written yes/no closed ballot vote determined by a straight majority

    3. The ballots cast shall be counted by the Faculty Advisor at the meeting if they are available or by appointed officials if not

    4. Ad-Hoc Board elections shall occur the week following the Executive Board elections

    5. The Ad-Hoc positions shall be elected by the newly elected Executive Board via interview process

    6. Approval for an Ad-Hoc position constitutes to a majority vote from the Executive Board


  1. Removal/Replacement of Officers

    1. If an officer is unable to fulfill duties as judged by the Executive Board, a formal remediation process shall be enacted with the assistance of the faculty advisor

    2. If an officer wishes to leave their position they shall provide a verbal or written resignation to the Executive Board

    3. A vacancy occurring in any Executive Board position shall be filled for the unexpired term by a person elected by a majority vote of the organization. Notice of said election has to be given with at least one (1) week of anticipation


Article V – Operating Procedure

  1. Meetings

    1. Lessons shall be held no less than once a week

    2. Practices shall be held no less than once a week

    3. Executive Board meetings shall be held no less than once every three (3) weeks


  1. Decision-Making Process

    1. Voting rights can be given to non-voting Board members as deemed unanimously necessary by the Executive Board either verbally or by written vote

    2. The Executive Board shall put to vote any decisions concerning the general membership of the organization

    3. In order for a decision to be put into place, a debate must be held culminating in a vote in which a two-thirds majority must be achieved

    4. All members shall be notified of recent decisions in meeting minutes drawn up by the Secretary


  1. Amending the Constitution and Bylaws

    1. Amendments to this document may be made at any point in which the Executive Board or membership sees fit to make changes.

    2. This document must be reviewed for potential updates and amendments every two years by the standing Executive Board.

    3. Amendments or changes to this constitution must be:

      1. Unanimously approved by the full Executive Board

      2. Voted upon by the members of the organization after one week’s notice (approval by ⅔ of the active and good standing members).

      3. Filed with the UConn Office of Coordinator of Student Activities by the President


Article VI – ADVISORS

  1. Requirements of the Faculty/Staff Advisor

    1. The advisor must be a faculty/staff member on the Storrs Campus.

    2. The advisor may also be a Graduate Student as long as they also serve as a Graduate Assistant (GA) or Teaching Assistant (TA).

  2. Duties of the Faculty/Staff Advisor

    1. Is a non-voting member of the Board

    2. Shall report all incidents of gross negligence to the University

    3. Shall aid and resolve conflicts within the Board with the University at the request of an organizational member

    4. Shall be kept informed about Board meetings and strongly encouraged to attend and/or facilitate said meetings

    5. Shall be accessible for communication with the Executive Board

    6. Shall be used for guidance by the Board

    7. Shall be responsible for maintaining fair and unbiased elections for officers of the Executive Board

    8. Shall serve as a tiebreaker should the Board have an unresolved tie

    9. Advisors do not have voting rights.


Article VII – Financial Statement

  1. Dues

    1. The dues for members of the organization shall be collected by the fourth meeting after the Involvement Fair.

    2. Dues shall be collected by the Treasurer with the assistance of other members of the Executive Board and any other person appointed by the Treasurer.

    3. A complete list of all persons who have paid dues, with the appropriate contact information and the amount paid, must be kept up-to-date and accessible by the Executive Board at all times.

    4. A change in dues must be unanimously approved by the full Executive Board and explained to all members as soon as possible.

    5. Students of any institution (current full- or part-time) may be eligible for the student rate. All other persons must pay the non-student rate.


  1. Funding

    1. Our organization will seek funding from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and pledges to follow all of the funding board director’s policies that come with it.

    2. Our organization will seek fundraising opportunities throughout the semesters led by the Fundraising Chair


  1. Beneficiary Addendum

    1. In the event of a break in this organization, the business account will pause for one year.

    2. In the event of the dissolution of this organization, all assets from its account shall be transferred to the following beneficiary: UConn Swing and Blues.

    3. The address of this beneficiary is:


UCONN Swing and Blues


University of Connecticut


c/o Student Organization Center


2110 Hillside Rd., U3008


Student Union Room 218


Storrs, CT 06269-3008



Article VIII – Non-Hazing Compliance Statement

  1. UConn Ballroom Dance maintains a strong commitment to not engaging in any activities that could be considered or construed as hazing by any legal party or the University of Connecticut Office of Community Standards

  2. Hazing is defined as any activity without reasonable or legitimate educational value expected of someone for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional, psychological, and/or physical harm, regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.

  3. In cases of individual violators, appropriate disciplinary action may be imposed as outlined in The Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code. In cases where the entire organization has authorized such conduct; loss of privileges, temporary suspension of registration, or rescission or termination of registration may be imposed.

  4. Such penalties shall be in addition to any penalties pursuant to penal law (Public Act No. 88-328) which violator or RSO may be subject.

Article IX – Enabling Clause

  1. This Constitution was reviewed and ratified by the Executive Board on December 29, 2022 at a regular body meeting

  2. The entire membership and Executive Board are in agreement with this document


Article X - Other Harassment-Related Circumstances

  1. In the event that the Board receives a formal complaint about any form of verbal or sexual harassment, a formal report shall be filed with the University.

  2. The Advisor shall be contacted in writing at once so they can assist in overseeing the situation.


Article XI - Organization

  1. There shall be a UConn Ballroom Dance organization composed of a Board, and collective body of members through designated subdivisions who act as representatives of UConn

  2. There shall be a Board consisting of an Executive Board and Ad-hoc Board, responsible for overseeing the functions of the organization.

  3. In the competition setting the members of our organization shall represent the UConn Ballroom Dance Team

  4. The organization shall provide opportunities for all members to dance in their respective preferred contexts: Social, Competitive, American, International, ect.

  5. This shall be a nonprofit organization. All services rendered by its members shall be provided voluntarily and without pay, although members will be reimbursed for the financial expenditures they make in the fulfillment of their duties. Only the professional instructors and/or coaches shall be paid or their services to the organization.

  6. The Executive Board consists of all voting officers who are responsible for all official actions taken by the Board.



Article XI - Committee

  1. Only active members of the Organization in good standing as defined by the constitution shall be eligible to serve in any elected or appointed position(s).

  2. The Executive Board may create such standing committees, as it may deem necessary, to promote the objectives and carry on the work of the organization.

  3. Committees can only be proposed by members of the Executive or Ad Hoc Boards.

  4. A committee may be proposed to the President anytime throughout the semester via a written proposal hereafter called the ‘Committee Report’.

  5. The Committee Report must contain a statement of the purpose, a list of committee members and their responsibilities, and a general timeline.

  6. Upon receiving the Committee Report, the president will present it to the Executive Board for approval.

  7. The Executive Board has no more than one (1) week to make any modifications to the initial Committee Report.

  8. If the Executive Board deems the committee unnecessary for completing the work of the organization, they can decline the proposal by straight majority vote.