The Women’s Leadership Initiative at Yale

Constitution

 

I.       Mission

A.     The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) is a student organization that aims to create a campus culture that encourages and empowers aspiring female leaders at Yale. We simultaneously embrace diverse styles of leadership and emphasize the ethic of an assertive woman who finds strength in principle and magnanimity towards others. We seek to achieve our mission by providing a community within which women may support one another’s endeavors; by presenting speakers who model the ethic of a strong, assertive woman; and by strengthening relationships among under- and upperclassmen, between students and professors, and between Yale College and the professional world. The group does not espouse any particular type of political, ideological, or religious beliefs and, therefore, welcomes members of all backgrounds.

 

II.    General

A.     The Women’s Leadership Initiative shall consist of the following institutions:

1.      Executive Board

2.      Advisory Committee

3.      Conference Committee

4.      Faculty Advisory Board

5.      Alumnae Advisory Board

6.      General Membership

B.     This Constitution shall be posted on the official WLI website.

C.     Although this document stipulates that voting shall be the mechanism of decision-making in certain situations, WLI operates primarily by consensus, and members in management positions should make every effort to achieve consensus before any vote takes place. 

 

III.Executive Board

A.     Make-up

1.      The Board must consist of a minimum of five (5) members led by a president.

2.      Suggested composition of executive board:

a)      President

(1)   Assists in development of each Chair’s initiatives and guides the overall development and innovation of the organization.

(2)   Arranges weekly meetings with the Executive Board and monthly meetings with the Advisory Committee.

(3)   Serves as liaison to administrators in the President’s and Dean’s Office.

(4)   Selects and maintains communication with the Faculty Advisory Board.

(5)   Ensures systematic documentation of Board activity to preserve institutional memory.

(6)   Sends out weekly newsletters.

 

b)      Business Chair

(1)   Maintains communication with sponsors (such as academic departments at Yale, the recruiting divisions of corporations, et cetera).

(2)   Maintains communication with the Development Office. 

(3)   Manages the legal aspects of WLI (such as applying for 501(c)3 status).

(4)   Applies to the Undergraduate Organizing Committee for funding. 

(5)   The Executive Board must approve all fundraising activities by a four-fifths (4/5) vote. 

(6)   Responsible for all treasury activities and writing checks.  The President shall be a co-signatory to the bank account. 

 

c)      Outreach Chair

(1)   Produces all marketing materials and strategy for events.

(2)   Maintains the Women’s Leadership Initiative website and brand image.

(3)   Maintains and develop relationships with undergraduate, graduate, and local New Haven associations to co-host initiatives and to publicize our events.

(4)   Organizes community service projects to mentor and teach young women in New Haven in conjunction with WLI’s activities on campus.

d)      Mentorship Chair

(1)   Manages mentorship relationships between upper- and underclassmen. 

(2)   Organizes mentorship events, such as dinners, ice cream socials, et cetera.

 

e)      Speakers Chair

(1)   Brings adult role models to campus through Master’s Teas, dinner discussions, and lectures.

(2)   Organizes career panels and skill-building workshops.

(3)   Maintains communication with Karen Ramos at the Registrar’s Office to reserve rooms (she will only communicate with one person per undergraduate organization).

(4)   Co-sponsor events with Women in Management at Yale’s School of Management (SOM), the Women’s Faculty Forum, the Poynter Fellowship, student organizations, and other Yale organizations with which WLI has established partnerships.

 

f)       Conference Chair

(1)   Organizes an annual leadership conference.

(2)   Heads a Conference Committee that includes the Chairs of Speakers, Alumnae, Outreach, and Business amongst other designated participants to plan and execute the one-day event, from inviting speakers and recruiting participants to finalizing conference logistics.

 

g)      Alumnae Chair

(1)   Builds and maintains a network of alumnae through periodic newsletter communication and active contact database management.

(2)   Selects and maintains communication with the Alumnae Advisory Board.

(3)   Corresponds with the Association of Yale Alumnae (AYA) and the Yale Alumnae Magazine.

(4)   Maintains particular contact with graduating seniors and recent alumnae so as to ensure their involvement in WLI through a “Young Alumnae Network” and related events.

(5)   Organizes such activities as job-shadowing, reunions, and alumnae panels.

B.     Responsibilities

1.      The Executive Board shall shape the mission and vision of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.

2.      Board members are expected to attend all Board meetings and all Advisory Committee meetings.  If a Board member misses more than two meetings per semester, that person shall forfeit Board membership, unless excused by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the remaining Board members. 

3.      Board members must attend all events sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Initiative.  If a member cannot attend an event for some reason, special permission must be obtained from the President.

4.      The Executive Board must approve all fundraising activities and expenditures by the Women’s Leadership Initiative by a four-fifths (4/5) vote. 

5.      The Executive Board shall engage in a formal feedback session at the end of each semester. Such a session shall involve two activities:

a)      Board members shall offer constructive feedback to one another in order to improve one another’s leadership skills. 

b)      Board members shall assess the activities of the past semester. 

6.      The President

a)      Shall have a profound understanding of the vision of the organization. 

b)      Shall serve as the primary institutional memory of the organization.

c)      Shall maintain regular communication with top administrators at Yale. 

d)      Shall be a co-signatory to the bank account. 

e)      The President may veto any activity of the Women’s Leadership Initiative. 

7.      To require a Board member to forfeit his/her position, a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the remaining Board members is required.

8.      The outcome of a vote is invalid unless all Board members participate in it.

C.     Appointment

1.      Procedure

a)      The Executive Board shall transition at the end of every fall semester.

b)      Each year, the Executive Board shall design an application to be filled out by Board applicants.  The application must be approved by at least four-fifths (4/5) of the Executive Board. 

c)      The Executive Board shall read all applications and interview all applicants. 

d)      Applicants shall be appointed by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Executive Board. 

2.      Eligibility

a)      Any Yale undergraduate may apply to be on the Executive Board.

b)      Applicants for all positions with the exception of President need not have been members of the Women’s Leadership Initiative. Both men and women are eligible.

c)      Any member of the Executive Board or Advisory Committee may apply to be the President.

d)      A given individual may serve on the board for more than one year.

 

IV.Advisory Committee

A.     Make-up

1.      The Advisory Committee shall comprise of no more than ten (10) members led by an Advisory Committee Head.

2.      The position of 85 Broads Liaison is open to the designated 85 Broads Ambassador or President of the 85 Broads Chapter at Yale.

B.     Responsibilities

1.      The Advisory Committee will serve as the core membership of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.

2.      The Advisory Committee shall meet with the Executive Board in the last week of each month to provide feedback and ideas for the activities of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.

3.      The Advisory Committee will further the Executive Board’s initiatives by providing connections, resources, and assistance wherever possible.

a)      The Advisory Committee Head will work with the President to ensure effective communications between the two bodies.

b)      The Alumnae Liaison shall provide institutional memory and assist the Alumnae Chair in reaching out to graduates.

c)      The 85 Broads Liaison shall maintain communications with 85 Broads national and assist in leveraging the networking and career guidance resources of the organization.

4.      Advisory Committee members may not miss more than one Advisory Committee meeting per semester.  If a member misses more than one meeting, that person shall forfeit Advisory Committee membership, unless excused by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Executive Board.

5.      Advisory Committee members must attend all events sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Initiative.  If a member cannot attend an event for some reason, special permission must be obtained from the President.

6.      Any Advisory Committee member may be required to forfeit his/her membership by a four-fifths (4/5) of the Executive Board.

C.     Appointment

1.      Procedure

a)      The Advisory Committee shall transition at the end of every semester.

b)      The Executive Board each year shall design an application for Advisory Committee applicants to fill out.  The application must be approved by at least four-fifths (4/5) of the Executive Board. 

c)      The Executive Board shall read all applications and deliberate together on the applicants.

d)      Applicants shall be appointed by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Executive Board. 

2.      Eligibility

a)      Any Yale undergraduate may apply to serve on the Advisory Committee.  Preference will always be given to Women’s Leadership Initiative members and especially to former Board Members. Both men and women are eligible.

b)      A given individual may serve on the Committee for more than one semester.

 

V.    General Membership

A.     Members of WLI are those who attend at least two WLI activities per semester and are listed in the organization’s email list.

B.     Any individual may be a member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative.

 

VI.   Amendments

A.     This Constitution may be amended by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Executive Board.

B.     Whenever an amendment is approved thus by the Executive Board, the revised Constitution must be immediately uploaded to the website, and the Advisory Committee must be notified that an amendment has been made.