Constitution

Afrikan Arts Ensemble Constitution

University of California Los Angeles
Established. 1919.
Last updated: January 2019

Article I - Mission Statement & Purpose

1. Afrikan Arts Ensemble (AAE) uses the arts to build community amongst creatives and artists of Afrikan descent in the greater Southern California area. Our mission is to provide the physical and emotional space to create authentic content, and to foster a platform of exposure for artists from the Afrikan Diaspora. AAE provides mentorship, a wide variety of resources, and a community of artists ready to collaborate and support one another. AAE also works to provide opportunities to enhance individual skill set within the arts and entertainment industry.

Article II - General Provisions

1. The membership of this organization shall consist of any UCLA undergraduates, graduate students, or UCLA extension program students. We also open general body membership to those of the African diaspora who reside in the greater Los Angeles Area.
2. In order to be a registered member of Afrikan Arts Ensemble you must be an undergraduate or graduate student at UCLA and attend 50% of the meetings + 1. Meaning, if there are 8 meetings in the quarter, you must attend 5 staff meetings in order to be a registered member of Afrikan Arts Ensemble. In addition, the registered member must be an individual that the board has unanimously welcomed on staff.
3. A general body member is defined as an individual who is welcome to attend general body meetings and events as well as volunteer; however, a general body member does not have jurisdiction over decisions, changes, or constitutional amendments that take place in or for Afrikan Arts Ensemble.
4. Afrikan Arts Ensemble does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, medical condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. This also prohibits sexual harassment, harassment, and verbal and physical abuse.
5. We welcome and encourage participation from all identities in our spaces including allies; however, Afrikan Arts Ensemble is historically a space catered to those of the African Diaspora and we ask that allies be mindful of how much space they take up within their general body membership.

Article III - Values, Policies, Codes of Conduct, and Dismissal

1. Afrikan Arts Ensemble values the maintenance of a communicative, supportive, loving, respectful, and honorable space and holds this at its highest priority. If an individual/member is deemed disruptive, disrespectful, hurtful, harmful, dangerous, non-committal (see article II, section 2.), then that member is subject to dismissal from events and removal from the organization upon the jurisdiction of the executive staff on the basis of majority rule.

Article IV - Organization

The Board

1. The board shall consist of the following offices in order of succession.

Communication Curator (Internal Relations)

External Relations (Harambee Council Representative)

Component Leads

Cash Crew (Treasurer(s))

Historians

Graphics Guru (Branding and Design Team)

Art Heauxs

1. Accept new members
2. Appoint positions
3. Remove members

1. (at least 3) chiefs of staff
2. responsible for becoming the signatory and registering the organization at the beginning of every quarter responsible for holding meetings and discussing events and plans with SOLE Advisor, responsible for running and organizing staff, responsible for access to funding apps, responsible for retaining and directing staff, responsible for facilitating staff and general body meetings (creating agendas, leading discussions, shaping conscious dialogue, and keeping track of time during meetings)