Osage Nation College Constitution
Board Membership Establishment and Requirements
Unofficial Document
Lee Vasquez-Ilaoa and Veronica Pipestem met with Dr. Grayson Noley at the University of Oklahoma on 29 August 2008 to discuss Constitution format. Here is the template we received from him. Most of the notes we have included are a combination of Noley’s template and the needs we perceive for our college. Please feel free to make additions and revisions to the format as well as the included information.
The use of green font indicates areas in which we would like to receive feedback and assistance.
Article I
The name of the organization shall be:
Osage Nation College
Article II
Purpose of Organization:
The purpose of this organization can be described by the five following categories delineated in the Mission Statement
Tribal:
To provide the Osage people with highly trained human resources and personnel
To assist people in being active, productive members of their community and the Osage Nation
To assist tribal institutions and departments in staff preparation, planning, research, and evaluation services
Cultural:
To preserve, perpetuate, and promote research of the Osage language and culture
To provide opportunities for students and instructors to integrate the Osage language and culture into their personal and professional lives
To educate Osages and other Oklahomans with respect to Osage history, the history of colonization, and the traditional and contemporary culture of Osage peoples
Academic:
To provide high-level certificate-granting and degree programs
To provide college hours for transfer or continuing education credit to other higher educational institutions
To develop students’ leadership, technological, archival, critical, and communicative skills
To provide reflective, collaborative relationships among staff, students, and other educational institutions
Community:
To assist in assessing and planning for the developmental needs of the Osage Nation and surrounding communities
To provide reputable, competitive continuing and community education
Article III
This article will address Board of Regents membership status and requirements.
Membership:
Although all members of the Board of Regents are not required to be members of the Osage Nation, all members must demonstrate a commitment to furthering and progressing the goals in the mission statement and maintain a consistent dedication to the goals and projects associated with the College.
Organizational Leadership (Officers):
Contemporary organizations need individuals to serve in leadership capacities to facilitate the business of the organization. Please consider the following:
Number of leadership roles and the name/title of each role
Function of each role
Term of office
Time of year elections are held
Please also consider the following:
Who is eligible to run for office? (Do students need to have been a member of the organization for a number of semesters in order to be eligible to hold office?)
What constitutes removal from office?
What is the procedure for removal from office?
How is voting to be handled?
Can elected officials serve as members concurrent to their position in office?
Do we want to limit the number of non-Osage Board members or require that a certain percentage of the Board is Osage/Native American?
What are the roles of the responsibilities of the Board of Regents?
REFERENCE
Here are some links to other tribal colleges’ Boards of Regents/Trustees and their organizational structures.
We have put these here for you to view and select which structure(s) you would prefer. Please note that a few of the following colleges have an advisory council as well as a board of regents:
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College: http://www.sagchip.edu/regents.htm
Turtle Mountain Community College: http://www.tm.edu/facultystaff/governance.asp
Blackfeet Community College: http://www.bfcc.org/About_BCC/BCC_Org_Chart.pdf
Cankdeska Cikana Community College: http://www.littlehoop.edu/cccc/governance/charter.pdf : see Articale Seven
Wind River Tribal College: http://www.wrtribalcollege.com/node/5
Chief Dull Knife College: http://www.cdkc.edu/board.htm
Fort Belknap Community College: http://www.fbcc.bia.edu/Board.htm
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College: http://www.lco.edu/bor.html
Leech Lake Tribal College: http://lltc.edu/about/boardoftrustees.htm
Taken from Little Big Horn College (http://www.lbhc.edu/about/ ):
"The College Mission and Purpose is directed by the College Charter, passed by the Crow Tribal Council in 1980: to establish, maintain and
operate an educational institution at the post-secondary level on the Crow Indian Reservation. Crow Indian voters in the six reservation districts
elect the all-Crow Indian Board of Trustees. In addition to the elected board members, a yearly elected member of the LBHC faculty staff and
student body comprise the Board of Trustees."
Sitting Bull College (http://www.sittingbull.edu/aboutus/):
While the accreditation activities ensure that Sitting Bull College meets the standards of the higher education agencies, the fact that SBC is
tribally controlled means it must also provide services to the Native American community. Advisory boards made up of community members;
provide input that is relied upon for program continuation and changes. The College Board of Trustees is elected from the eight districts. At the
state and national levels the college is a member of the North Dakota Association of Tribal Colleges and the American Indian Higher Education
Consortium.
Article IV
Meetings and Quorum:
How often do we want the organization to meet?
Who can call (schedule) an official meeting of the organization?
Article V
Amending the Constitution
It is important to establish a process to amend the constitution. Some amendments will have the support of nearly all of the membership, while other amendments will generate divided opinion among the membership. Therefore, it is important to establish a process that is fair and easily understood. Here are some questions to consider:
How are amendments placed on the agenda?
How much advance notice do you want to have about the proposed amendment?
What is the minimum number of total members that must participate in the vote to determine whether or not it is approved?
Of those members present, how many must vote in favor of the amendment before it is approved?
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