BY LAWS | Aztec Music Group

BYLAWS

Aztec Music Group at San Diego State University

ARTICLE I NAME

Section 1 The name of this organization shall be the Aztec Music Group (AMG) at San Diego State University (SDSU).

ARTICLE II PURPOSE

Section 1

The Aztec Music Group of San Diego State University will act as the official independent SDSU student music collective that provides entertainment, artist development/exposure, performance opportunities, and music industry knowledge to the San Diego State University community. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

ARTICLE III SDSU AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Section 1

This organization is a recognized student organization at San Diego State University and adheres to all campus policies, including those set forth in the SDSU Student Organization Handbook.

Section 2

This organization may establish Standing Rules to govern administrative and procedural matters (such as time and location of meetings, etc.). Standing Rules shall not conflict with these bylaws. Standing Rules may be adopted, amended, or temporarily suspended by a majority vote present at an organization meeting where a quorum is present (advance notice is not required).

Section 3

A consensus vote shall be the authority for which most of all decisions will be made by the organization. All matters that need special consideration will be decided by majority vote including but not limited to: purchases made by the organization, elections, bylaw amendments, etc. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP

Section 1

Participation and membership in the organization shall be open to those enrolled at San Diego State University

Section 2

This organization shall have associated members who are non-SDSU students or who do not meet the above criteria. Associated members shall have all membership privileges except for the right to vote or hold office. By California State University policy, no more than 20 percent of the membership shall be individuals who are not CSU students (e.g., community members, students at other colleges, etc.).

Section 3

No campus shall recognize any fraternity, sorority, honor society, or other student organization that discriminates on the basis of race or ethnicity (including color, caste, and ancestry), religion (or religious creed), nationality, citizenship, age, medical condition, genetic information, gender (or sex), gender identity (including nonbinary or transgender), gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran or military status, or disability (physical or mental).

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

Section 1

The executive officers of the organization shall be the President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Finance (Treasurer), Vice President of Communications, Vice President of Marketing, (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 2 Powers and Duties of Executive Officers:

President - shall serve as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the organization, shall preside at all meetings of the organization and shall prepare the agenda for meetings. The President shall be the official spokesperson of the organization, representing the policies, views, and opinions of the organization in its relations with the campus and community at large. The President shall appoint all committees and committee chairs. The President shall have such further powers and duties as may be prescribed by the organization. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Executive Vice President - shall serve as the Head of A&R and Production who will be responsible for overseeing the development of AMG artists, and AMG music. Furthermore, the EVP will oversee the operations of the organization and assist in the facilitation of events, meetings, elections/appointments, funding, and other critical affairs. Additionally, they will attempt to release at least 1 EP/album per academic year. Must be competent in responsibilities for each position. (REVISED, 08/27/18)

Vice President of Finance - shall serve as the Treasurer of the organization. This officer will handle all financial affairs and budgeting of the organization, maintain all necessary accounting records, and prepare monthly financial reports for the membership. The Vice President of Finance is responsible for creating an academic year budget prior to the beginning of the current year and provides strategic outlook to the executive board monthly. The Vice President of Finance shall collect and deposit all dues and fees. This person shall maintain bank accounts in the organization’s name, requiring signatures of both the Vice President of Finance and President for authorized disbursements. This person is responsible for overseeing the organization and implementation of a fundraising activity. This person is responsible for communicating directly with the VP of Communications when new members have paid their required dues. (REVISED, 08/12/20)

Vice President of Communication - shall serve as the chief communications officer (CCO) of the organization. The VP of Communications is responsible for the creation and distribution of monthly newsletters to AMG members and segmented audiences interested in AMG. The VP of Communications shall act as the Public Relations Officer of the organization, and work with the President and VP of Marketing to provide any official organization statement(s) and/or event press releases. This person is responsible for taking minutes at all executive board meetings, keep these on file, and submit required copies to the e-board. The VP of Communications is responsible for overseeing all internal affairs of the organization including official membership status, and internal organization announcements/correspondence. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Vice President of Marketing - shall serve as the chief marketing officer (CMO) of the organization and is responsible for marketing AMG to the community at large. The VP of Marketing will act as the chair of the Marketing Committee and is responsible for recruiting and leading in the strategic direction of the committee. Responsible for tabling events. Responsible for posting fliers around SDSU campus. Promote AMG events around campus. Furthermore, the VP of Marketing shall manage the social media platforms of AMG including but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are also responsible for managing the digital content calendar in conjunction with the Vice President of Communication. Additionally, they are responsible for overseeing social media analytics, activity and shall report to the executive board on AMG’s continual growth on these platforms. (REVISED, 08/27/18)

Section 3 Qualifications necessary to hold office in this organization are as follows:

California State University policies require that to be eligible for office, candidates must be in good standing and enrolled students at San Diego State University. (REVISED, 09/01/23)
California State University and San Diego State University policies require that the President and Treasurer must be matriculated at a CSU campus maintaining a minimum on campus term and cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA), are in good standing, and must not be on academic, disciplinary or administrative probation. The President and Treasurer must be enrolled in at least six units each semester while holding office. Graduate and credential officers must earn 3 semester units per term while holding office. Undergraduate students are allowed to earn a maximum of 150 semester units or 125 percent of the units required for a specific baccalaureate degree objective, whichever is greater. Graduate and credential students are allowed to earn a maximum of 50 semester units or 167 percent of the units required for the graduate or credential objective, whichever is greater. Students holding more than this number of units will no longer be eligible. (REVISED, 08/26/23)
The President and Vice President of Finance are required to complete an online orientation as outlined in the Student Life Leadership RSO registration process and complete Inclusive Leadership Awareness Training (ILAT) prior to the academic year of their term. (REVISED, 09/01/23)
The Vice President of Finance must attend the Associated Students’ banking orientation each academic year.

ARTICLE VI SELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1

The President, Executive VP, VP of Finance, VP of Communications, VP of Marketing and all the directors shall be appointed through an interview process created by the executive board. The interviews will take place at least four weeks before May 1st of the SDSU academic year.

(REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 2

In addition to meeting the above requirements, The President, Executive VP, VP of Finance, VP of Marketing, VP of Communications, and all directors must complete an additional application and/or questionnaire, submit their resume, and submit their latest unofficial transcript by a date designated by the executive board. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 3

Officers shall assume office on 1st of May and shall serve for one full school year.

Section 4

If the position of President becomes vacant as the result of resignation, ineligibility or recall, the Executive Vice President shall assume the office of President. In the event that a position in any other office becomes available during the academic year, the executive board may appoint a replacement based off the process listed in section 6 and 7 of Article VI. The President may appoint an interim officer to fill the vacancy until the election is held. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

ARTICLE VII MEETINGS

Section 1

Regular meetings shall be scheduled weekly during the academic year. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 2

Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of the Executive Board. All members must be given a minimum of 24 hours’ notice prior to the meeting time. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 3

Business cannot be conducted unless a quorum of the membership is present. A quorum for this organization is defined as a majority of the voting membership. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 4

Official members must be present to vote. Absentee or proxy voting is not permitted. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 5

In order to vote a member must be in good standing. Good standing includes payment of all assigned member dues, and maintaining a GPA above a 2.0 (REVISED, 08/12/20)

ARTICLE VIII ADVISOR(S) CLAUSE

Section 1

The organization shall appoint a University advisor who is either a faculty or staff member of the CSU or one of its auxiliaries. The advisor shall fulfill the responsibilities specified in the SDSU Student Organizations Handbook. Advisors shall serve on an academic year basis or until their successor has been selected.

ARTICLE X STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES:

Section 1

The organization shall have the following standing committees: Marketing Committee, Artist Development Committee, , and the Events and External Relations Committee. (REVISED, 08/12/20)

Section 2

The duties of each of Standing Committees is as follows:

Marketing Committee - shall carry out marketing and promotional campaigns under the leadership of the VP of Marketing. If deemed appropriate, the committee shall devise marketing campaigns for the organization, its events, and/or artist project releases. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Artist Development Committee - shall act as a recruiting arm of AMG to find SDSU musical talent. The committee is also responsible for the development of AMG artists and oversees any possible recording budget, song selection for studios and artist production. Members of this committee shall act as A&Rs and managers, while artists of AMG act as associated members of the committee. The committee shall be led by the Executive Vice President. (REVISED, 08/23/18)

Events & External Affairs Committee - shall act the official programming and external affairs unit of Aztec Music Group. Under the leadership of the Vice President of Event Coordination and Vice President of External Relations, the committee shall create and plan all AMG events/programming that is targeted outside of the organization. Furthermore, the group shall work towards creating mutually beneficial relationships with AMG stakeholders and the community by negotiating sponsorships, initiating collaborations and engaging in community service opportunities. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 3

The President shall have the authority to establish ad-hoc committees as may be necessary from time to time to carry out the work of the organization.

ARTICLE XI LEADERSHIP TEAM DIRECTORS

Section 1

The directors of the leadership team of the organization shall be the Director of Event Coordination, Director of External Affairs, Director of Community Affairs, Director of Artist & Repertoire, Director of Sponsorships and Director of Professional Development. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 2

Powers and Duties of the Directors:

Director of Visual & New Media - shall serve under the vision of the Vice President of Marketing and have a voting seat on the Aztec Music Group marketing committee. The Director of Visual & New Media shall act as the lead visual and creative director for Aztec Music Group. This person will oversee all photography and videography for Aztec Music Group and assemble a team of photographers to properly stylize the organization. The Director of Visual and New Media shall oversee all multimedia, visual and artistic design for Aztec Music Group. Furthermore, the Director of Visual and New Media shall create promotional items, t-shirts and marketing materials with AMG in conjunction with the Vice President of Marketing. Additionally, they will assist in the effort of the organization to maintain the Fall 2015 branding standards created by the organization.

(REVISED, 08/27/18)

Director of Community Affairs - shall serve under the vision of the Vice President of Event Coordination and have a voting seat on the Aztec Music Group events and external affairs committee. The Director of Community Affairs shall serve as the Community Service officer and campus liaison for the organization. The Director of Community Affairs shall serve as the PSFA College Council representative and additionally establish at least (1) community activation or service opportunity for the organization per each academic semester.

Director of Sponsorships - shall serve under the vision of the Vice President of External Affairs and the Vice President of Finance and have a voting seat on the Aztec Music Group events and external affairs committee. The Director of Sponsorships shall oversee all efforts for collaborating and receiving funds from local and national businesses of interest. Furthermore, the Director of Sponsorships shall work towards the organization’s financial independence from the internal campus funding opportunities. The Director of Sponsorships will be the point person for all AMG related fundraising and shall create at least (1) fundraiser per semester. (REVISED, 08/27/18)

Director of Professional Development - shall serve under the vision of the Vice President of External Affairs and have a voting seat on the Aztec Music Group events and external affairs committee. The Director of Professional Development shall oversee all efforts to get AMG members to create LinkedIn accounts, apply for internships and conferences, and to develop holistically as an artist and or student pursuing a career in the music industry. The Director of Professional Development shall help facilitate the process of organizing and building the annual AMG album/EP. The Director of Professional Development shall create and distribute a contact list with all official AMG artists and work directly with the Vice President of External Affairs to reach out to local studios for partnerships and collaboration. (REVISED, 08/27/18)

Director of Artist & Repertoire - shall serve under the vision of the Executive Vice President and have a voting seat on the Aztec Music Group artist management committee. The Director of A&R shall assist the Executive Vice President in overseeing the recruitment and development of SDSU artists within AMG. He/she will assist in the development of the Aztec Music Group album in conjunction with the Director of Professional Development and Furthermore, they will work directly with artists on their image and sound. Additionally, they will attend as many campus events that highlight original music as possible and shortly thereafter contact artists to let them know about Aztec Music Group.

Director of External Affairs - shall act as the official representative of Aztec Music Group next to the President. The Director of External Affairs is responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with AMG partners through organization/event sponsorships. The person is also responsible for maintaining contact with guest speakers and coordinating their visits to meetings and events. This shall include email, phone, and interpersonal interaction with professionals. This person is also responsible for researching internships and job opportunities in the music industry and working with the VP of Communications and VP of Marketing to ensure that this information is communicated to AMG members and posted on the official AMG website. This person serves as the liaison between AMG and other student organizations on campus including but not limited to: Associated Students, School of Music and Dance, PSFA College Council. This person shall serve as AMG’s PSFA College Council representative. If this person is unable to attend PSFA College Council meetings, he/she shall appoint a designee. Furthermore, the Director of External Affairs shall help facilitate the process of organizing and building the annual AMG album/EP. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Director of Event Coordination - shall act as the head of event programming for the organization. He or she is responsible for creating and planning events and booking event space on or off campus. This person is responsible for working with the Vice President of Finance create an academic year budget for events, and providing event budget updates to the rest of the executive board/general body as deemed appropriate. The Director of Event Coordination is responsible for planning and coordinating with Associated Students and the Director of External Affairs to ensure the continual growth and success of the event. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

ARTICLE XII MARKETING COMMITTEE

Section 1

The chair of the marketing committee shall be the Vice President of Marketing

Section 2

The Director of Professional Development will act as officers of this committee. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 3

The marketing committee shall meet biweekly or at a time(s) deemed appropriate by the chair and officers of this division.

ARTICLE XIV EVENTS & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Section 1

The chair of the events and external affairs committee shall be the Vice President of Communication. (REVISED, 09/01/23)

Section 2

The Director of Community Affairs, Director of External Affairs, and the Director of Event Coordination will act as officers of this committee. (REVISED, 09/04/23)

Section 3

The events and external affairs shall meet biweekly or at a time(s) deemed appropriate by the chair and officers of this division.

ARTICLE XV ARTIST MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Section 1

The chair of the artist management committee shall be the Executive Vice President

Section 2

The Director of A&R will act as officers of this committee. (REVISED, 09/04/23)

Section 3

The artist management committee shall meet biweekly or at a time(s) deemed appropriate by the chair and officers of this division.

ARTICLE XVI FINANCES CLAUSE

Section 1

Membership dues shall be $40.00 in the fall for the full year, or $20 for a single semester.

Section 2

Dues shall be paid by the fourth week of the semester.

Section 3

This organization has the ability to assess the membership for special purposes. Assessments shall be determined by a quorum of the membership at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 4

Members who have not paid their dues or special assessments by the due date shall be considered as not being in good standing and shall lose all membership privileges, including voting, until the dues are paid.

Section 5

The Executive Board shall propose an annual budget to be voted upon no later than the second regular meeting of the academic year. Any unbudgeted expenditures shall be approved in advance by the membership. When financial decisions must be made between meetings, the Executive Board is authorized to approve expenditures not exceeding $100.

Section 6

Organization funds shall not be used to purchase or reimburse members for alcoholic beverages.

ARTICLE XVII DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS:

Section 1

When a member believes that another member has engaged in conduct that is detrimental to the organization, a written charge may be filed with the executive board. The executive board (members who are impartial in the matter) shall review the charges and may conduct a preliminary investigation if deemed appropriate. If the preliminary investigation concludes that misconduct appears to have occurred, the e-board shall conduct a hearing on the matter. The member alleged to have engaged in the misconduct shall be given at least 72 hours notice of the hearing and be given an opportunity to present a defense. By a majority vote, the executive board shall determine whether misconduct occurred. If it determines that misconduct did occur, the executive board shall prepare a report to the membership of its findings and recommended sanctions, which may include expulsion, suspension, or lesser sanction(s) including, but not limited to, a reprimand, removal from office, a fine or corrective remedies.

Section 2

The e-board shall review the hearing report in executive session, and the member accused of misconduct shall have an opportunity to rebut the information in the report. After providing a statement to the e-board , the member accused of misconduct shall leave the room for the remainder of the deliberations.

Section 3

The e-board shall vote first on whether the member has engaged in misconduct. If by a two-thirds vote, the e-board determines that misconduct has occurred, the e-board shall then by a two-thirds vote, determine appropriate sanction(s). The accused member shall be immediately notified of the outcome.

Section 4

By a two-thirds vote, the e-board may reinstate a member who has been suspended or expelled.

ARTICLE XVIII AMENDMENTS

Section 1

Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented to the executive board, in writing, at least two (2) meetings prior to the meeting where the amendment will be voted upon by the executive board. One week after a proposed amendment is submitted by an official AMG member, it will serve as an information item on the executive board agenda. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 2

Bylaw amendments require approval by two-thirds of the voting executive officers present at a regular meeting. The amendment shall be effective immediately unless otherwise stipulated in the amendment.

Section 3

If a bylaw amendment is rejected by the executive board, the voting member has the right to submit an official appeal to general membership. An official appeal consists of an email to the official organization account. In this scenario, bylaw amendments require approval by two-thirds of official members present at a regular meeting. (REVISED, 08/17/16)

Section 4

A copy of any amendments to these bylaws must be submitted to the Student Life & Leadership Office at San Diego State University within two weeks after adoption.

These bylaws were adopted on 12/12/2014 and most recently revised on 09/04/2023.