ARTICLE I: NAME

 

The name of this student organization shall be known as Aggies & Mentors (A&M) of Texas A&M University. 

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND GOALS 

 

Section I (Purpose)

 

The purpose of this student organization shall be to connect current students to former students within the Aggie Network by establishing resourceful mentorships, coordinating large and small scale programs, and perpetuating the traditions and values of Texas A&M University. 

 

Section II (Mission) 

The mission of Aggies & Mentors is to provide opportunities for professional development and leadership growth by connecting current and former Aggies.

                                                                                                                                                                              

Section III (Vision)

Aggies & Mentors seeks to be an inclusive and diverse professional development organization charged with providing connections between current and former students at Texas A&M University through collaboration between the Student Government Association, Association of Former Students, and Career Center.

 

Section IV (Values)

  • Professionalism - Aggies & Mentors exists for professional development of its mentees and mentors. Professionalism and tact is paramount of the member body. 
  • Integrity - Members will always live by the Aggie Code of Honor and fulfill their obligations to each other.
  • Loyalty - Aggies & Mentors is built upon loyalty to the Aggie family and a spirit of selflessly giving back, for mentors and eventually mentees.
  • Diversity - Aggies & Mentors would fail if not for a diverse organizational culture and member body. Diversity is all encompassing, referring to diversity of the members of the organization as well as their identities and aspirations. 

The Aggies & Mentors values are consistent with those of the Student Government Association of Texas A&M University, and include Student Leadership, Service and Tradition. 

 

Section V (Goals)

  • To provide current students with a relatable former student mentor to help guide them through their time as a student at Texas A&M University, and to prepare them for their careers following graduation
  • To engage former students by connecting them with current students, so that they may share their personal experiences as an Aggie while concurrently serving the student body and the Aggie Network
  • To bridge any gap between current and former students by cultivating bonds between both parties that are rooted in the traditions and values of Texas A&M University
  • To develop the leadership skills of the Aggies & Mentors staff and participating students
  • To uphold the mission and values of the Texas A&M Student Government Association
  • To uphold the reputation of Aggies & Mentors, the Student Government Association, and Texas A&M University
  • To uphold the Texas A&M Core Values and Aggie Code of Honor
 

ARTICLE III: STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATION 

 

Section I (Definitions) 

  • Executive Leadership - The executive staff of the organization consists of the Executive Chair and all Directors. The executive staff will function as a cohesive team to carry out the operations and execution of the mission of the organization and will serve as the officers for Aggies & Mentors. The Executive Leadership will facilitate the recruitment of student mentees and former student mentors and organization-wide programming. The Executive Leadership will carry out and maintain accountability for the mission, vision and goals of the organization.
  • Mentor - A mentor in the program may be a former student of Texas A&M who completes the application and training process as well as commits to the time requirement.
  • Member - A member of the organization is a mentee in the mentorship program, which is restricted to current Texas A&M students, including members of the Blinn TEAM program.
     

Section II (Membership and Officer Eligibility, Standards & Requirements) 

Members must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible:

  • Current Texas A&M University student or Blinn TEAM student
  • In good standing with the University
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Completed application
  • Completed training
  • Commit to a minimum of 4 hours per month towards the program and mentor partnership 
  • Meet with their mentoring partner at least 1 per month 
  • 2.0 GPR cumulative for undergraduate students and 3.0 GPR cumulative for graduate students - appeal process available for those who do not meet this requirement
 

Executive Leadership must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible:

  • Current Texas A&M University student
  • In good standing with the University
  • Completed application
  • Have at a minimum experience as a mentee or a leadership position in Aggies & Mentors
  • Completed training
  • Attend all required meetings
  • Commit to a minimum of 2 hours per week towards the organization
  • 2.0 GPR cumulative for undergraduate students and 3.0 GPR cumulative for graduate students - appeal process available for those who do not meet this requirement
 

Leadership must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible:

  • Current Texas A&M University student or Blinn TEAM student
  • In good standing with the University
  • Completed application
  • Completed training
  • Attend all required meetings
  • Commit to a minimum of 4 hours per month towards the organization
  • 2.0 GPR cumulative for undergraduate student and 3.0 GPR cumulative for graduate student - appeal process available for those who do not meet this requirement
 

Section III (Disciplinary Procedures)

All leadership and membership of the Aggies & Mentors organization are expected to uphold the responsibilities associated with their respective positions. Individuals who fail to do so may be disciplined or removed from their position. 

 

All Leadership and Membership of the Aggies & Mentors organization are responsible for abiding by Texas A&M University's Student Rules, State Law, and Federal Law. Aggies & Mentors does not support any activities that violate these regulations. Additionally, leadership and general members of Aggies & Mentors will be held accountable to the Aggies & Mentors Mission, Vision and Values Statement, the Constitution and By-Laws, the Values Agreement, and all Leadership and Membership will be responsible for holding others involved accountable to these as well.

 

Executive Chair Disciplinary Procedures

  1. Notice: Should the Executive Chair not uphold the standards and requirements of Aggies & Mentors and fulfill the mission of their position, a notice signed by an Executive Leadership Director and an advisor must notify the chair of what regulation or code was infringed and that a counseling session will take place with all Executive Leadership and Advisors.
  2. Perspective: The counseling session will be a process whereby the Executive Chair is given the opportunity to share their perspective followed by a discussion of the panel without the Executive Chair where the panel will decide on the disciplinary action which may include but not limited to removal from the organization entirely, stepping down, additional frequent meetings with advisors, correction of behavior, etc.

Executive Leadership Disciplinary Procedures

  1. Notice: Should an Executive Leadership Director not uphold the standards and requirements of Aggies & Mentors and fulfill the mission of their position, a notice signed by the Executive Chair and an advisor must notify the Director of what regulation or code was infringed and that a counseling session will take place with the Executive Chair and both Advisors.
  2. Perspective: The counseling session will be a process whereby the Executive Leadership Director is given the opportunity to share their perspective followed by a discussion of the panel without the individual where the panel will decide on the disciplinary action which may include but not limited to removal from the organization entirely, stepping down, correction of behavior, etc.

Leadership Disciplinary Procedures

  1. Notice: Should a Leadership member not uphold the standards and requirements of Aggies & Mentors and fulfill the mission of their position, a notice signed by the Executive Leadership Chair and corresponding Executive Leadership Director must notify the Leadership member of what regulation or code was infringed and that a counseling session will take place with the Executive Chair, the corresponding Executive Leadership Director, and an Advisor.
  2. Perspective: The counseling session will be a process whereby the Leadership member is given the opportunity to share their perspective followed by a discussion of the panel without the individual where the panel will decide on the disciplinary action which may include but not limited to removal from the organization entirely, stepping down, correction of behavior, additional trainings, etc.

Membership Disciplinary Procedures

  1. Reporting Procedures
    1. Executive Leadership becomes aware of a situation that has taken place or has the potential to take place. We respond within 48 hours letting the submitter know that we received their submission and will follow up with them. 
    2. Executive Chair, External Director, Internal Director, Advisors and any other Director they feel necessary will meet to discuss the situation and determine the next course of action. If the meeting is held virtually, the meeting will be recorded and stored in the shared drive. If the meeting is held in person, one director will take notes and upload them to the shared drive for future reference. Executive Leadership will determine if the situation is a major or minor offense. 
    3. If deemed a minor offense, one director will have a follow up conversation with the reporter to gain more information and let them know we will follow up with the Mentee/Mentor in question so that they know their concerns are being addressed. One director will also contact the Mentor/Mentee in question to check in, remind them of the expectations of their role and essentially give them a warning. 
    4. If deemed a major offense, the Executive Chair, Internal Director/External Director and advisors will schedule a meeting with the individual submitting the report to gather more information surrounding the situation. A meeting will be scheduled only if the reporter chooses to disclose their name. Based on the individual with the offense, two of the following steps will be taken: 
    5. If the offender is a Mentee: an Investigative Meeting will be scheduled with the offender, with two directors and an advisor present. This will be an opportunity for directors to gather more information and hear their perspective. This must be scheduled within 72 hours. 
    6. The directors and advisor in this meeting will meet at a separate time to deliberate over the information gathered, and determine an outcome within 1 week of the investigative meeting. 
    7. The offender will be notified of the outcome via email within 48 hours of the deliberations meeting. 
    8. If their actions warrant it, the Executive Chair/Advisors will report the offender to appropriate campus offices within 24 hours of the deliberations meeting. 
  • If the offender is a mentor: the Executive Chair, Internal/External Chair, Advisor and any director as necessary will schedule a meeting to discuss mentor’s major offense given in a report. In this meeting, Executive Leadership will determine the appropriate outcome for the offense, and follow up with the reporter if necessary. 
  • An email notification will be sent to the offender within 48 hours of deliberations meeting notifying them of the outcome. Outcomes in these situations can include, but are not limited to, removal, termination mentor/mentee relationship. 
  • Campus Police will be contacted within 24 hours of the initial meeting as necessary. 
 

Appeals for all decisions from the counseling/review sessions must be made by a formal letter of appeal sent to the Executive Chair and Advisors and other individuals deemed appropriate** to review except for the case of the Executive Chair appealing in which case the letter of appeal must be sent to the Executive Leadership and Advisors and other individuals deemed appropriate.**

**The appeal panel must not be identical to the original counseling/review panel.

 

Section IV (Officer Selection Processes)

Timing

  • Executive Chair: Selections in February, applications solicited for new Executive Leadership in February
  • Organization Executive Leadership: Selection in March, applications solicited for additional Leadership in March
  • Other Leadership: Selection in April
  • Leadership Turnover: Leadership turnover will be in April, potentially corresponding to an organizational event, where the new leadership can be introduced. 
 

Process

  • Executive Chair: Selection will be determined by a panel of the previous Executive Chair, Primary Advisor, Secondary Advisor, and any necessary third party individuals following an application with at least one year of experience on the Aggies & Mentors Leadership Team
  • Organization Executive Leadership: Selection will be determined by a panel of the Executive Chair, Primary Advisor, and Secondary Advisor, and others deemed appropriate
  • Other Leadership: Selection will be determined by the Executive Chair and the Director of the corresponding committee, and others deemed appropriate
  • Leadership Turnover: Leadership Turnover will occur by the incoming Executive Chair shadowing the Executive Chair immediately following selection in February until formal announcement in April, potentially corresponding to an organizational event. Similarly, the incoming Directors will shadow their corresponding Director immediately following selection in March until formal announcement in April as well.
 

Deviations to leadership turnover will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the current executive team and current advisors.

 

Section V (Officer Duties)

  • Executive Chair
    • In charge of weekly meeting organization and planning
    • Maintain and establish committee relations
    • Executive leadership recruitment 
    • Fulfills all necessary trainings on StuActOnline 
    • Attend weekly meetings with Primary Advisor, Executive Leadership Team, and General Membership
  • Finance Director
    • In charge of all monies associated with organization 
    • Generate yearly budget and organizational finance reports
    • Maintain relations and knowledge with Student Organization Finance Center
    • Fulfills all necessary trainings on StuActOnline 
    • Attend weekly meetings with Primary Advisor, Executive Leadership Team, and General Membership
  • Event Planning Director
    • Responsible for planning key events for both mentors and mentees
    • Attend weekly meetings with Executive Leadership Team and General Membership
  • Marketing Director
    • In charge of recruitment marketing
    • Responsible for all public announcements
    • Responsible for the management of Aggies and Mentors social media accounts and updating the Aggies and Mentors Maroonlink page
    • Attend weekly meetings with Executive Leadership Team and General Membership
  • Operations & Assessment Director
    • Work closely with Aggie Mentoring Network software as associated Full-Time Staff support
    • Develop and foster preferences and matching process
    • Create and conduct regular assessments of the program
    • Attend weekly meetings with Executive Leadership Team and General Membership
  • External (Mentor) Support Director
    • Establish and maintain relationships with Mentors in program 
    • Act as primary contact for questions about platform and other programs used 
    • Develop strategic Risk Management procedures for Mentors in collaboration with the Executive Chair 
    • Attend weekly meetings with Executive Leadership Team and General Membership
  • Internal (Mentee) Support Director
    • Establish and maintain relationships with Mentees in program to best assist their needs
    • Act as primary contact for mentees
    • Attend weekly meetings with Executive Leadership Team and General Membership
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director 
    • Responsible for the development and execution of strategic inclusion initiatives including, but not limited to support in recruitment, trainings and event planning 
    • Set strategic goals surrounding DE&I for the organization and responsible for sharing those goals with the appropriate directors 
    • Attend weekly meeting with Executive Leadership team and general membership when necessary
  • Any other directors or leadership positions deemed necessary by the executive leadership and advisors for accomplishment of Aggies & Mentor’s organizational mission
 

ARTICLE IV: GPR REQUIREMENT

 

The officers of this organization must meet the following requirements: 

  1. Have a minimum cumulative and semester grade point ratio (GPR) as stated below and meet that minimum cumulative and semester GPR in the semester immediately prior to the election/appointment, the semester of election/appointment, and semesters during the term of office. 

1. For undergraduate students, the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is 2.00. In order for this provision to be met, at least six hours (half-time credits) must have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least six credit hours must have been taken during the course of either the full or two summer session(s). 

2. For graduate level students the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is a 3.00 and for first-time professional students the minimum cumulative and semester GPR is 2.50. In order for this provision to be met, at least four hours (half-time credits) must have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least four credit hours must have been taken during the course of either the full or two summer session(s) unless fewer credits are required as they complete the final stages of their degree.

  1. Be in good standing with the university and enrolled: 

1. At least half time (six or more credit hours), if an undergraduate student (unless fewer credits are required to graduate in the spring and fall semesters) during the term of office. Students enrolled in the Blinn TEAM program are also eligible to hold an office, as long as the student is meeting all applicable Blinn TEAM requirements and is in good standing with the program. 

2. At least half time (four or more credits), if a graduate level student (unless fewer credits are required in the final stages of their degree as defined by the Continuous Registration Requirement) during their term of office.

  1. Be ineligible to hold an office should the student fail to maintain the requirements as prescribed in (a) and (b).
 

ARTICLE V: FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

 

All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization at the Student Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The advisor to this organization must approve and sign each expenditure before payment.

 

ARTICLE VI: ADVISOR EXPECTATIONS

 

Section I (Primary Advisor)

  • Experience working with The Association of Former Students and The Student Government Association at Texas A&M University
  • Attend weekly Executive Leadership and any necessary General Member meetings
  • Attend weekly meetings with the Executive Chair and the Finance Director
  • Help support the Executive Leadership Team in the development of executive events and meetings
 

Section II (Secondary Advisor)

  • Should be the individual overseeing the Aggie Mentoring Network platform and have a strong relationship with The Career Center
  • Experience with working with mentorship between Former Students and Current Students

ARTICLE VII: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

 

⅔ of the Leadership Team must approve any amendment to the constitution. This procedure can occur if needed once a semester at Executive Leadership Team meetings with both the Primary and Secondary Advisor present.

 

ARTICLE VIII: STATEMENT OF ANNUAL REVIEW

 

The constitution will be reviewed annually and subject to the approval of the Department of Student Activities. If there are any particular events or situations that need further review, the Executive Leadership Team will lead the review process. This copy of the constitution will be made available to organization members, upon request.


ARTICLE IX: STATEMENT ON HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION

Aggies & Mentors of Texas A&M is committed to the fundamental principles of academic freedom, equity of opportunity and cultivating a sense of belonging. To fulfill its multiple missions as a student organization in a diverse institution, Aggies & Mentors encourages a climate that values and nurtures respect, diversity, inclusivity, equity, pluralism, and the uniqueness of the individual within our organization, institution, state, country, and world. All decisions and actions involving students and mentors should be based on best practices around diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion.