I. PREAMBLE
It is the right of any religious or spiritual organization to send a representative
(ordained or unordained) to work on the campus of Towson University (TU), and we respect
the right of that representative to minister on this campus. However, we, the members
of the TU Religious & Spiritual Coordinating Council (RSCC), deem it necessary to
make this agreement with any religious or spiritual staff at TU who wishes to participate
as a member of the TU RSCC.
II. PURPOSE
The purpose of the TU RSCC is to gather into a cohesive, communicating, professional
body all those who minister in the name of religion and spirituality at TU and who
wish to participate in a council as colleagues. Our purpose is to better serve the
campus community as well as the religious or spiritual institutions we serve as an
official link with TU.
III. BENEFITS
Membership carries benefits in personal, professional, and logistical areas. If one
chooses not to participate, one will not receive the benefits of membership. Benefits
include the chance to meet and interact with other religious or spiritual staff and
to be officially recognized by the University through the Office of Inclusion and
Institutional Equity. Other benefits include parking privileges, TU OneCard, reservation
of facilities and other university privileges to better function on campus.
IV. MEMBERSHIP
We are guests of the University and will act in accordance with the TU Policy on Campus
Ministries 06.07.00. We are accountable to each other and need to hold each other
accountable, and we are accountable to our appointing body.
- Application for membership must be
- made in writing to the current chair expressing the desire to be a member
- provide address, and phone number of the applicant
- be accompanied by a letter of appointment from an appointing body to whom the applicant
is accountable. As an alternative, a letter of request from a recognized SGA-affiliated
religious or spiritual group may be considered. In rare circumstances, the RSCC may
consider accepting someone for membership absent either of the above
- include a pledge to abide by the RSCC’s Code of Ethics and Bylaws
- keep the chair informed of any changes in the individual’s mailing- address or phone
number; and,
- be submitted to the chair one month in advance of the next regularly scheduled meeting
so that this information may be disseminated to the RSCC members.
- any of the above requirements may be waived by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those
present provided there is a quorum.
- The chair will verify items in the application by the next meeting. The chair then
presents the applicant to the RSCC for voting into probationary membership at the
next regular meeting. The applicant must be present to dialogue with the membership
and will leave prior to the vote. The chair will advise the applicant of the decision
immediately after the vote. If accepted, the applicant will be allowed to immediately
return to the meeting. Probationary membership is granted by a positive vote of the
majority of those present, provided there is a quorum.
- After one full year of competent and consistent service to the campus community, full
membership will be considered by another vote.
- Two tiers of membership exist in RSCC:
- Full membership:
- Must attend meetings
- Has seat, voice, and vote
- Associate membership:
- Must attend initial meeting; subsequent meetings optional
- Has seat and voice but no vote
- There shall be at least one full member for each individual ministry. All others associated
with that ministry may be associate members. The full member is responsible for communicating
information to the associate member(s) of the ministry and will be held accountable
for the associate member’s behavior according to the Code of Ethics and the Bylaws.
- Absence policy:
- For full members, three consecutive excused absences will be the maximum allowed.
- When three consecutive meetings are missed, then disciplinary action up to and including
removal and requiring resubmission for membership will be decided upon by the membership.
- Full membership may be maintained by:
- attendance at the meetings;
- assuming an appropriate share of the responsibilities; and
- abiding by the Code of Ethics and Bylaws.
- Members may forfeiture membership if there is a failure to comply with any of the
above. If the membership does not accept the given explanation for this failure, the
member will be suspended. The chair will notify the member of the suspension in writing.
If no written appeal is made or if the membership denies the appeal, the individual
is removed from membership.
- If someone who has an organizational colleague who is already a member of the RSCC
applies for membership between meeting times, they will be admitted to provisional
membership until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
- The Vice President of Inclusion and Institutional Equity will be an ex officio, non-voting
member of the RSCC.
V. MEMBERS AND OFFICERS
- Three regular meetings a year will be scheduled - one near the beginning of each semester
and one near the end of the spring semester. Special meetings may be called by the
chair with one week's notice given to the membership. Only those items mentions as
part of the official agenda can be acted upon at a special meeting.
- A chair and a secretary will be elected at the meeting near the end of the spring
semester to serve through the same meeting of the next school year. The goal is to
rotate these responsibilities among the membership over time.
- No official business shall be voted upon without the presence of a quorum. A quorum
shall be more than fifty (50) per cent of the voting membership determined at the
last regular meeting.
VI. OPERATING PROCEDURES
- General Privileges - All RSCC members are entitled to a parking privileges, TU One
card, facility reservations and e-mail when available. The secretary will notify the
Vice President of Inclusion and Institutional Equity of the current membership after
each regular meeting. The Vice President will then inform the appropriate offices
of the current membership.
- University Listings - At the regular meeting near the beginning of the spring semester,
the secretary, or someone appointed by the secretary, will ensure that the student
religious or spiritual organizations, RSCC membership, and local worship center listings
are updated for publication in the various TU informational publications.
- Special Events - When the RSCC agrees to sponsor an event, costs and responsibilities
will be shared by the membership, decided upon the voting membership.
- Religious and Spiritual Coordinating Counsel Center (RSCCC) - The bulletin board calendar
will serve as a reservation place for the RSCCC on a first come basis. If schedules
conflict, the members involved should first try to resolve the conflict. Appeals may
be made to the RSCC Chair. Office needs, including telephone calling, storage and
counseling sessions are other main uses of the RSCCC. It sometimes serves as a lounge
for students wishing to study and/or visit. Keeping these competing needs in mind,
all members are requested to view the RSCCC as belonging to all RSCC members and to
use immense consideration and compassion in its usage. The Bulletin Board in the main
hallway is available for advertising special events.
- Religious/Spiritual Interest Cards - At the regular meeting near the end of the spring
semester, the responsibility will be assigned for the printing of the Religious/Spiritual
Interest Cards. Any religious and/or spiritual organization or faith represented by
the membership may be listed and the student religious and spiritual organizations
served by the membership may be listed if:
- the members pay their group's appropriate equal share of the cost;
- the members pledge to share the card's information with all religious groups checked
or circled on the card;
- the members pledge only to contact students indicating interest in their religious
or spiritual affiliation/sponsoring body or student organization; and,
- the members share responsibility for distributing, collecting, and sorting of the
cards.
The chair and secretary will supervise the above process.
VII. CHANGES
Changes to this bylaws may be made at any regularly scheduled meeting of the RSCC
by the vote of a two-thirds (2/3) of the membership present.
Revised 12/00/2019