Kirby Student Center

How to Write a Constitution

A Constitution is a statement and description of who your group is and your group’s policies and rules. It is also an acknowledgement of the University of Minnesota Duluth’s policies and regulations. By submitting a constitution, you provide official documentation of your compliance with University policy and you have documentation as to the rules that will govern your group.

The Student Activities Office would use your constitution as an advising tool. If you come to our office with a question about how certain situations can be handled by your group, your constitution provides for us a way of working with you to find a solution. Many conflicts have been able to be resolved amicably within student organizations due to the fact the group had a constitution in place. It is because of this very reason, though constitutions are not mandatory, we in Student Activities strongly recommend that your club create one.

Remember that though constitutions may seem tedious to create, they are vital documents. They ensure the smooth operation of your group and provide us with an official statement of purpose and a set of rules that will help you run your group to its fullest potential. Also remember that constitutions can be changed. When creating or changing your group's constitution, we ask that you keep in mind the inclusion of our general recommendations.

Official name of the group: This should be stated in your constitution as you will want it to appear on all directories, lists, and any promotional material used on campus.
University of Minnesota Duluth Policy : Student Groups must comply with all University policies and procedures, as well as local, state, and federal laws and regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, the Board of Regents Policy on Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action as they relate to group membership and access to programs. Religious student groups may require their voting membership and officers to adhere to the group's statement of faith and its rules of conduct. Your constitution should include a statement about your group's responsibility to operate in accordance with these policies.
Membership: Your constitution should define whom your membership is open to and any qualifications of membership, if any (example: Needs to be in the Honors Program to be a member of the Honors Student Association). It should state the UMD policy that your group will not discriminate membership based upon race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. It should state who the voting membership is open to in your group. The voting membership is ONLY open to UMD students [Student Activities Policy].
Officers: All officers must be currently enrolled students at the University of Minnesota Duluth and registered for at least six credits [Student Activities Policy]. Your constitution should also define any officer's roles and responsibilities as well as qualifications, if any, and election procedures.
Dissolution of Organization: Your constitution should state any procedures to be followed if the group is to be dissolved. You should have specific stated instructions for the disbursement of the group’s funds. An individual cannot be the recipient of any remaining funds.
Ratification: The constitution should include the date it was ratified (adopted by the organization). With this, must be the printed names and signatures of 4 officers of the organization at the time it was ratified or amended.

If you would like assistance in creating and/or editing your constitution, please contact Christina in the Student Activities Office (cgeissle@d.umn.edu or x8739).

Adapted from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Student Organization Policies & Procedures: January 2007.