THE CONSTITUTION OF SIMMONS HALL

PREAMBLE

For decades at MIT, dormitory communities have been developing sophisticated systems
of self-governance. These systems are entirely student-built and student-run, and they
have received very little support or interference from the MIT administration. Despite or
because of this (you be the judge), these governance systems have developed quite well.

According to the MIT administration, Simmons Hall is intended to signal a change from
the current standards of dorm life. This is largely true. However, the governance of
Simmons Hall will not be a change away from the self-governance model, but
formalization and strengthening of it. The Simmons Hall governance model is intended to
allow the dorm to have more independence and a stronger voice in the decisions that
affect it. Moreover, it is intended to better define the relationship of Housemasters and
Graduate Resident Tutors to the governance process, encouraging their participation and
support but ensuring that they do not assume control over governance functions.

The Simmons Hall governance model is also founded on the concept of the House as an
entity that is more than just a building, and more than simply the sum of its residents. All
residents are supported by the House physically and socially. Reciprocally, the House
requires support from all of its residents. This House model works on several basic
principles:

Principle 1: All residents have an implicit responsibility to the House. There is not a
select group of people who handle all the functions of House governance, and whom you
can blame if dorm life is not what you want it to be. It is up to everyone. If you want
Simmons Hall to be a good place, you have to get involved and make it that way. If you
think Simmons Hall sucks, then there's no one you can blame but yourself.

Principle 2: There are varying levels of responsibility to choose from. You can run for an
elected Office, or volunteer to serve on a Committee, or show up to House Committee
meetings, or on the most basic level, have respect for the House and for your fellow
residents. Define your responsibility as you like. Teach the freshman next door how to do
an 8.01 problem. Start your own Committee, or initiate a project that will make the House
more interesting. Throw a House-wide party - making sure that you do not cause harm to
the House or its residents.

Principle 3: The House speaks for the House. When the House makes a decision, it is
explicit that the decision was made through a democratic process that involves all House
residents. There are no representatives who "call the shots" for everyone.

Principle 4: If you do not like something, change it. While traditions are important to
building culture, the House should not keep doing something simply because people did
it the year before, and other people did it the year before that. Times keep changing and
the House should keep thinking creatively and coming up with new ways to improve
House life.

Principle 5: The House has a responsibility to improve campus life at MIT. The
residential communities are among the strongest, if not the strongest, social groups at
MIT. Any semblance of a campus-wide community is most likely to start in the
residential communities. Simmons Hall needs to work towards creating ties to other dorm
communities on all parts of campus, as well as the FSILG community, graduate students,
alumni, faculty and even administrators. What does this all really have to do with House
governance, you might ask? Really, not much. But keep it in mind.

Principle 6: House governance should be part of the educational experience for all
residents. Students and faculty alike should feel that they learned something from being
an active member of the House. They should also feel that they had some degree of fun,
and that their educational experience was better because they had a release from the rigor
of MIT academics and research.

This is the philosophy behind the governance of Simmons Hall.

Jeff Roberts
Simmons Hall Founders Group, 1999-2002
Governance Subcommittee Chair
September 3, 2002


ARTICLE I. GENERAL DEFINITIONS

Section 1. The House

1.1. The House, as referred to in this document, refers to the collective residents and
communities residing within the Simmons Hall dormitory of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, located at 229 Vassar Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When
Simmons Hall is mentioned in this document, unless otherwise mentioned, it is in
reference to the House and not only the building.
Section 2. Official House Documents

2.1. This document is the Constitution of Simmons Hall. The purpose of the Constitution
is: (a) to establish the overall model for governance of the House; (b) to define the roles
of some of the individuals and groups who are involved in the governance of the House;
(c) to define some of the procedures that guide the proper functioning of House
governance.
2.2. House Policies supplement the Constitution in guiding House governance, and may
be created and revised continually over time. House Policies may include, but are not
limited to, the policy on room assignments, policies on the use of House facilities and
House funds, rules of conduct such as quiet hours or regulations on the use of alcohol,
policies that establish the roles and responsibilities of new House governance groups or
positions, and policies that define or clarify House governance procedures.

ARTICLE II. THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

Section 1. Introduction

1.1. The House, through its governance mechanisms, makes many decisions that impact
all its residents. It raises House funds and uses those funds towards House-shared
resources and events. It defines House Policies that ensure the well-being of all House
residents. It also, at times, expresses collective House opinions. The governance of
Simmons Hall is established on the principle that when an issue affects all residents, all
residents should have a voice in making a decision on that issue. The House Committee is
the central mechanism by which the House makes the types of decisions described in this
paragraph.

Section 2. Role and Responsibilities of the House Committee

2.1. The House Committee, by collective action, makes all major house-wide decisions
and expresses the official opinion of Simmons Hall on any matter of interest to the
residents of Simmons Hall.

2.2. The House Committee is responsible for: (a) establishing House Policies, and
making changes to standing House Policies and to the Constitution; (b) allocating House
funds to be used towards House-shared resources and events; (c) creating or adopting
new residential programs that will result in major changes to the House; (d) discussing
any issue of relevance to Simmons Hall or to MIT at large, and approving any resolution
expressing the official opinion of the residents of Simmons Hall on any such issue; (e)
discussing and deciding upon items presented to it by any individual House Committee
Member or group of House Committee Members; (f) overseeing the activity of all
Committees, Subcommittees and House Offices.

Section 3. House Committee Membership

3.1. Every official resident of Simmons Hall is a Member of the House Committee. Each
Member may cast one vote in any House Committee decision.

Section 4. House Committee Procedures

4.1. All official business of the House Committee is discussed at meetings of the House
Committee that are open and announced to all Members of the House Committee.
Meetings of the House Committee occur at least once within every two-week period.
4.2. Any House Committee Member or group of House Committee Members may
propose an item to be discussed or decided upon by the House Committee. Any proposed
item should be submitted to the Chair of the House Committee, who must place that item
on the agenda of the next House Committee meeting if the agenda for that meeting has
not been set.
4.3. For all proposals brought before the House Committee, three actions available to the
House: Defer, Move-to-Full-Forum, and Approve. The chair of the house committee
should remind participants at the start of each meeting that these options are available.
Voting may take place in person during meetings of the House Committee or by ballot
during a specified period of time directly following the House Committee meeting. No
item may be voted upon until after it has been discussed at a House Committee meeting.

4.4. Proposals are approved by a majority vote yes, with the exception that proposals for
Constitutional Amendments require a two-thirds majority vote for approval.
4.5: Proposals are moved-to-full-forum by a greater than one-third vote yes. A motion to
move-to-full-forum takes precedence over a motion to approve. When a proposal is
moved-to-full-forum, the house secretary should create a description of the issue of
contention with input from one or more proponents and opponents. The secretary would
then publicly post the description and issue a full house ballot on the issue to be
concluded before the next house meeting. The results of this vote would be final. (Note:
In implementation, this would mean posting the issue to Simmons' official or other
public mailing lists, and the vote could be issued on the Simmons database.)

4.6. Proposals are deferred by a majority vote yes. A motion to defer takes precedence
over a motion to move-to-full-forum and a motion to approve. When a proposal is
deferred, it is tabled for a two week period until the next house meeting.

Section 5. House Committee Offices

5.1. The House Committee elects one individual to serve as Chair for a one-year term,
one individual to serve as Secretary for a one-year term, and one individual to serve as
Treasurer for a one-year term. Regular elections for Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer are
held at the end of each fall semester.
5.2 In order to carry out the duties of his office, in accordance with the above section, the
House Chair shall be granted a fund of $250 at his discretion. If spent, this fund may only
be replenished by vote of the House Committee.
5.3. The Chair of the House Committee is responsible for: (a) creating and distributing to
all Members a schedule of House Committee meetings for each academic semester, prior
to the start of that semester; (b) creating and distributing the agenda for each House
Committee meeting at least one day prior to the start of that meeting; (c) facilitating and
maintaining order at all meetings of the House Committee, following an established set of
procedures and conducting meetings in a fair way that allows all Members an opportunity
to speak; (d) conducting elections; (e) generally overseeing all business of the House.
5.4. The Secretary of the House Committee is responsible for: (a) documenting all
business of the House Committee, including but not limited to minutes of House
Committee meetings; (b) recording all decisions made by the House Committee and
making those decisions available to all House Committee members and outside groups;
(c) maintaining an archive to ensure that such documentation is available to all present
and future House Committee members; (d) serving in lieu of the Chair of the House
Committee if the Chair is temporarily unable to serve.
5.5. The Treasurer manages the finances of the House and implements the financial
decisions made by the House Committee. The Treasurer is responsible for: (a) receiving
signatory privileges for all House bank accounts, including the student activity account
maintained by MIT; (b) keeping record of all financial decisions made by the House
Committee, with the assistance of the Secretary of the House Committee; (c) reimbursing
individuals for House-related expenses approved by the House Committee; (d) reporting
at every meeting of the House Committee, presenting the balances of all House bank
accounts and an itemized report of all account activity, and making its reports available
for viewing by all House Committee Members; (e) presenting to the House Committee
written financial statements for the end of each academic term, detailing current House
assets and financial activity for the halfyear period leading up to that point; (f)
Treasurer's report should include: current balances, anticipated budgets, and effects of
current proposals on the budget.
5.6. The Chair of the House Committee, Secretary of the House Committee, and the
Treasurer of the House Committee are considered House Offices and adhere to the
provisions of Article VII of the Simmons Hall Constitution.
5.7. If the Chair of the House Committee position is vacant, the Secretary of the House
Committee assumes the role of Chair of the House Committee until the time of the next
regular election. If the Secretary of the House Committee position is vacant at the time
the Chair of the House Committee position is vacant, the remaining House Officers
collectively appoint a Member of the House Committee to serve as Chair until the time of
the next regular election. If the Secretary position is otherwise vacant, the procedure for
acquiring an interim Secretary is outlined in Article V, Section 1.8. If the Treasurer
position becomes vacant, the procedure for acquiring an interim Treasurer is outlined in
Article V, Section 1.8. The interim officers serve until the time of the next regular
election.

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE

Section 1. Introduction

1.1. Many of the functions performed by the House Committee require that constant
attention is paid to specific topics. For each of these specific topics, it may be appropriate
to establish a Committee of the House. Committees focus on specific issues and make
recommendations to the House Committee. In addition, Committees oversee and manage
the implementation of House Policies and particular House activities, events, and
programs.

Section 2. Committee Definitions and Membership

2.1. A Committee is a group of House Committee members who collectively focus on
particular sets of issues of importance to residents of Simmons Hall. Committees may be
established on a Standing or Ad-Hoc basis.
2.2. An Ad-Hoc Committee for any purpose may be convened by the Chair of the House
Committee or by virtue of a majority vote of the House Committee.
2.3 Any Standing Committee must be formed by action of the House Committee in the
form of an amendment to this Constitution and included in the following section.
2.4. Seven Committees of the House are defined in the Simmons Hall Constitution. These
Committees are: (a) the Facilities Committee; (b) the Technology Committee; (c) the
Dining Committee; (d) the Rush Committee; (e) the Social Committee; (f) the
Reservations Committee; (g) the Athletics Committee. These Committees must exist at
all times. The roles and responsibilities of these Committees are stated in this Article of
the Simmons Hall Constitution.

2.5. Each Committee must have one or two Chair(s), who are responsible for: (a)
maintaining a Committee membership list; (b) scheduling and facilitating meetings of the
Committee; (c) reporting on the activities of the Committee at House Committee
meetings. If the Chair(s) fail to report at House Committee meetings, the
Chair of the House Committee may choose either: (a) to allow the remaining
Committee members to elect a new Chair(s); (b) to appoint a new Chair(s); (c) to dissolve
the Committee.
2.6. The House Committee elects one or two individuals to serve one-year terms as Chairs of
each of the Committees of the House defined in Article II, Paragraph 2.4 of the Simmons
Hall Constitution. Regular elections for House Subcommittee Chairs are held at the end
of each fall semester. These Chairs are considered House Offices and adhere to the
provisions of Article VII of the Simmons Hall Constitution.
2.7. Membership on any Committee of the House must be open to all Members of the
House Committee. A Member of the House Committee may join a Committee by
contacting the Committee Chair or the Chair of the House Committee and asking to be
added to the membership list.
2.8. If a Committee member fails to report to meetings or otherwise fails to carry out the
responsibilities required of the individual by that Committee, the Committee
Chair may choose to remove that individual from the membership of the Committee.

Section 3. Committee Procedures
3.1. All business of each Committee is discussed at meetings that are open and
announced to all members of the Committee, and preferably announced to all Members
of the House Committee. Committees may also encourage discussion outside of
meetings, for instance over e-mail lists. All modes of discussion must allow for
participation from all members of the Committee.
3.2. Committee meetings should be held at appropriate times given the particular topic of
the Committee's attention. Committee meetings should typically occur once each month,
unless there is no business to be discussed at that time.
3.3. An official statement presented by a Committee to the House Committee or to any
other group internal or external to the House is considered a decision. Decisions may
include, but are not limited to, event plans, funding proposals, and proposed policies.
3.4. Committees make decisions by group consensus or by majority vote. No decisions
are made until after the full membership of the Committee is given a chance to comment
or vote. Committee decisions are reported to the House Committee by the Committee
Chair. If any member of a Committee disputes a decision reported by the Committee
Chair, the Chair of the House Committee may call a vote of the Committee membership,
or refer the complaint to the Judicial Committee.

Section 4. Subcommittees

4.1. From time to time it may be deemed prudent to establish subgroups of Committees to
handle certain tasks in that Committee's purview. These Subcommittees shall have the
same flexibility to act and create policy as a full Committee, however any decision of a
Subcommittee is subject to the approval of the full Committee of which it is a part.
4.2. A Subcommittee of any existing full Committee may be established by a majority
vote of the House Committee. Subcommittees may be established on an Ad-Hoc or
Standing basis.
4.3. The Chairs of Subcommittees are not considered full House Officers and as such do
not fall under the purview of Article VII, Section 1. They may however be brought
forward on Impeachment charges according to Article VII, Section 2.
4.4. Subcommittee Chairs are nominated by the Chair of the House Committee in
consultation with the appropriate Committee Chair and are subject to the approval of the
House Committee. The appointment of Subcommittee Chairs should occur as necessary
throughout the term.

Section 5. Role and Responsibilities of the Facilities Committee

5.1. The Facilities Committee oversees the use and maintenance of facilities and
equipment owned by the House, and oversees the use of common areas within Simmons
Hall.
5.2. The Facilities Committee is responsible for: (a) creating, recommending to the
House Committee, and overseeing the implementation of policies regarding the use of
House-owned equipment, including but not limited to sports equipment, videos, games,
and cleaning equipment; (b) creating, recommending to the House Committee, and
overseeing the implementation of policies regarding the use of common spaces within
Simmons Hall that are within the purview of the House Committee, including but not
limited to the multipurpose auditorium, exercise room, country kitchen, dining areas,
common lounges, and music practice rooms; (c) advising the Reservations Committee on
the development and implementation of policies to reserve the use of the commons
spaces of the building (c) reporting regularly to the House Committee.
5.3. The Facilities Committee designates specific volunteers to manage particular
activities, such as the renting of videos and equipment to residents, oversight of the
condition of exercise room equipment, and scheduling the reservation of common areas.
These volunteers are automatically and necessarily considered members of the Facilities
Committee.
5.4. The Simmons Hall Desk Captain is encouraged, though not required, to serve on or
to assist the Facilities Committee.

Section 6. Role and Responsibilities of the Technology Committee

6.1. The Technology Committee maintains the computing and telecommunications
resources managed by the House. The Technology Committee also offers advice to the
House Committee and other Subcommittees and actively proposes creative new solutions
to House computing problems.
6.2. The Technology Committee is responsible for: (a) debugging and updating the
Simmons Database System, House mailing lists, and House web server; (b) proposing,
implementing and maintaining technological solutions to meet other House computing
and telecommunications needs; (c) reporting regularly to the House Committee.
6.3. Residential Computing Consultants (RCCs) working for MIT's Department of
Information Systems who live in Simmons Hall are encouraged, though not required, to
serve on or to assist the Technology Committee.
6.4. The Technology Committee must maintain high standards of confidentiality and
ethics when dealing with the Simmons database and sensitive issues.

Section 7. Role and Responsibilities of the Dining Committee

7.1. The Dining Committee continually oversees the Simmons Hall residential dining
program, including the operation of the main dining facility and the night café along with
other possible dining program elements.
7.2. The Dining Committee is responsible for: (a) gathering feedback from House
residents as to their satisfaction with the Simmons Hall residential dining program; (b)
working with the dining hall and café manager to establish menus, hours of operation,
and other service specifics; (c) negotiating with the dining hall management for use of the
cooking facilities for special house programs; (d) advocating the House's opinion to the
Office of Campus Dining and the Campus Dining Board, with the assistance of the
President; (e) reporting regularly to the House Committee.

Section 8. Role and Responsibilities of the Rush Committee

8.1. The Rush Committee oversees all activities related to the housing selection process
for incoming new students.
8.2. The Rush Committee is responsible for: (a) producing material for the Interactive
Introduction to the Institute (I3), the Guide to First-Year Residences, and any other
material sent to incoming students regarding residential life; (b) overseeing the planning
and organization of events during Campus Preview Weekend and Orientation Week for
prospective or incoming students; (c) providing assistance to the Desk Captain during any
times at which residents are moving into or out of the building; (d) communicating with
the DormCon Residence Orientation Chair, I3 staff, and administration on any of the
above issues, with the assistance of the President; (e) reporting regularly to the House
Committee.

8.3. The Rush Committee recruits specific volunteers to undertake particular activities,
such as the production of the I3 video, or organizing a Campus Preview Weekend party.
These volunteers are automatically and necessarily considered members of the Rush
Committee.
8.4. The Rush Committee may request that its members be granted early returns from
DormCon for Orientation Week. Only members of the Rush Committee who assist in the
organization or implementation of Orientation week activities may be granted early
returns.

Section 9. Role and Responsibilities of the Social Committee

9.1. The Social Committee organizes major House-wide events, such as parties and trips,
and organizes campus-wide events hosted by Simmons Hall or hosted by Simmons Hall
in partnership with other groups.
9.2. The Social Committee is responsible for: (a) organizing at least two major
Housewide events each term, at least one of which is a campus-wide event; (b)
advertising Simmons Hall social events to the House, advertising campus-wide Simmons
Hall social events to MIT at large, and advertising other MIT social events to the House;
(c) reporting regularly to the House Committee.

Section 10. Role and Responsibilities of the Reservation Committee

10.1 The Reservation Committee oversees the reservation process of all Simmons public
spaces according to the "Simmons Hall Reservation Bylaws".
10.2. The Reservation Committee is responsible for: (a) setting up procedures for
reserving Simmons spaces (b) handling all reservation requests (c) charging groups as
necessary (d) publicizing the reservation schedule.

Section 11. Role and Responsibilities of the Athletics Committee

11.1. The Athletics Committee shall be responsible for organizing and coordinating
House participation in external athletic programs, especially the MIT Intramural Sports
Program.
11.2. The Athletics Committee should communicate with the administrators of the MIT
Intramural Sports Program and take steps to coordinate Simmons' involvement including,
but not limited to, surveying interest in participating in a given sport, locating coaches for
teams in sports in which the dorm participates and helping to recruit members for
intramural teams. The Chair of the Committee should report regularly to the House
Committee regarding the status of the House�s participation in Intramural Sports.

11.3. The Athletics Committee should be responsible for bringing forth all proposals to
the House Committee regarding dues for team participation and proposals for equipment
and uniforms for Simmons' Intramural teams.
11.4. The Athletics Committee will also have an oversight role over the various
Intramural teams and should take steps to ensure that teams remain active in their league
and do not incur punitive fines. The Athletics Committee can recommend to the House
Committee not to fund historically negligent teams.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Section 1. Roles and Responsibilities

1.1. The President is the chief diplomat of Simmons Hall, responsible for representing the
House to all external groups.
1.2. The President is responsible for: (a) being the primary representative of the House to
any outside groups, including, but not limited to, other dormitories and living groups,
student governments, other student groups, the MIT administration, the MIT faculty, and
groups outside MIT; (b) presenting the official opinion of the House, as determined by
the House Committee, to the above-mentioned groups; (c) advocating and negotiating on
behalf of Simmons Hall to the above-mentioned groups; (d) presenting items for
discussion and decision by the House Committee on behalf of the above-mentioned
outside groups, though the President does not have to support such items; (e) representing
Simmons Hall to the Dormitory Council and casting votes on behalf of Simmons Hall
residents; (f) communicating regularly with the Housemaster; (g) reporting regularly to
the House Committee; (h) inviting outside guests to address the House Committee.
1.3 In order to carry out the duties of his office, in accordance with the above section, the
President shall be granted a fund of $250 at his discretion. If spent, this fund may only be
replenished by vote of the House Committee.
1.4 The President shall have the power to convene Ad-Hoc Subcommittees of the House
membership to assist him or her in the execution of the responsibilities of the office as
detailed in section 1.2. The Chair of these Presidential Subcommittees, if not the
President him/herself must be approved by a majority vote of the house and is subject to
only Section 2 of Article VII.
1.5. At the end of each fall semester, the House Committee elects one individual to serve
as President for a one-year term. If the President position becomes vacant, the Chair of
the House Committee may select, by appointment or by provisional election by the House
Committee, an interim President to serve until the time of the next regular election.

ARTICLE V. ROOM ASSIGNMENT COMMITTEE

Section 1. Roles and Responsibilities

1.1. The Room Assignment Committee manages room assignments for new and
continuing residents according to the House Policy on room assignments.
1.2. The Room Assignment Committee is responsible for: (a) executing the House Policy
on room assignments; (b) maintaining a record of all Simmons Hall residents and their
assigned rooms; (c) suggesting alterations to the House Policy on room assignments, to
be approved by the House Committee; (d) communicating regularly with the
Housemaster, House Manager and Desk Captain; (e) communicating with the MIT
Housing Office and DormCon Housing Committee on housing-related issues, with the
assistance of the President; (f) providing assistance to the Desk Captain upon request
whenever residents are moving into or out of the building; (g) reporting regularly to the
House Committee.
1.3. At the end of the fall semester, the House Committee elects one individual from the
sophomore class to serve as a Room Assignment Committee Officer for a two-year term.
There should be two Officers in the Room Assignment Committee at all times. If an
Office in the Room Assignment Committee becomes vacant, the remaining Room
Assignment Officer may appoint an individual to fill the vacant Office until the time of
the next regular election. If there are no Officers serving on the Room Assignment
Committee, the Chair of the House Committee may appoint one or two Officers to serve
until the next election, at which two new Officers are elected.
1.4. The senior Room Assignment Officer, by class year, serves as Chair. The Chair is
responsible for managing all activities of the Committee and reporting to the House
Committee. The junior member of the Committee serves as Associate Chair. The
Associate Chair is responsible for assisting the Chair in managing the activities of the
Committee, and for assuming the role of Chair if that Office becomes vacant.

ARTICLE VI. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE

Section 1. Roles and Responsibilities

1.1. The Judicial Committee oversees the peer disciplinary system within Simmons Hall
and is the only undergraduate group authorized to take disciplinary measures against
individuals or groups for violating House Policies or the Constitution, causing damages
to House residents or to the House at large, or otherwise compromising the well-being of
House residents.
1.2. The Judicial Committee is responsible for: (a) hearing all complaints raised by
individual House residents or groups of House residents with regards to violations of
House Policy or the Constitution, or with regards to misconduct resulting in damages to
House residents or House-owned property; (b) reaching decisions on all complaints
brought forth; (c) assisting to mediate or settle disputes outside of the formal judicial
process when appropriate; (d) conducting all business through a fair, confidential process,
as described in the Uniform Judicial Code for Undergraduate Dormitories; (e) applying
sanctions as described in Article IV of the Uniform Judicial Code for Undergraduate
Dormitories; (f) informing all House residents of the Simmons Hall judicial process and
of their ability to file complaints; (g) informing all House residents that judicial decisions
may be appealed to the Dormitory Council Judicial Committee, as described in the
Uniform Judicial Code for Undergraduate Dormitories; (h) communicating regularly with
the Dormitory Council Judicial Committee and the MIT Office of Conflict Management
and Discipline; (i) reporting regularly to the House Committee.
1.3. At the end of each fall semester, the House Committee elects two individuals from
the freshman class to serve as Judicial Committee Officers. Elected Judicial Officers may
serve until they resign or until they are no longer official residents of Simmons Hall.
If a Judicial Office not belonging to a member of the senior class is vacant, the House
Committee elects a new member from the same class year as the resigned member. At all
times the Judicial Committee consists of at least six members, two from each
undergraduate class, along with any spring-term seniors or super-seniors who choose to
remain in service.
1.4. The Judicial Committee elects one of its own Officers to serve as Chair, and may
elect to replace the Chair whenever it deems appropriate. The Chair is responsible for
managing and facilitating all business of the Committee, including scheduling meetings
and hearings, and speaking before the House Committee.
1.5 The Judicial Committee has its own bylaws, which outline all its responsibilities and
the steps of its disciplinary/hearing procedures. All members of the Judicial Committee
must abide by these bylaws. The bylaws are derived from the dormitory judicial board
requirements of MIT.

ARTICLE VII. OFFICER PROVISIONS

Section 1. Elections

1.1. Only undergraduate members of the House Committee are eligible to serve as
Officers. No individual may hold more than one Office simultaneously.
1.2. New officers take office during the first meeting of the spring term. Outgoing
officers have the responsibility of handing over turnover files to the incoming officers.
Outgoing officers also have the responsibility of helping to run the first meeting of the
spring term.

1.3. All elections must be open to all Members of the House Committee, whether or not
they are able to attend House Committee meetings, and must use preferential voting
methods where applicable.
1.4. The election process is overseen by the Chair of the House Committee and the
tallying of votes is overseen by the Secretary of the House Committee. The Judicial
Committee hears all complaints related to the fairness of the election procedure.
1.5. An Office becomes vacant when the individual holding that Office resigns or is no
longer an official resident of Simmons Hall. An Officer may resign by informing the
Chair of the House Committee of one's resignation, or the Chair of the House Committee
may assume that an Officer has resigned if that Officer fails to communicate with the
House Committee or otherwise fails to undertake the responsibilities of that Office.
1.6. Nominations for house officer positions will occur during the house meeting
preceding elections (second from end of fall term). A nominee will be placed on the
ballot if their name is mentioned and seconded. People can nominate themselves and
nominate multiple times. One can be nominated by proxy, including by the house chair.
The chair must nominate anyone who notified him/her by two days before the house
meeting.
1.7. House meetings are currently bi-weekly. During the interim week between the
nomination meeting and the final meeting of the term, we will hold a special election
meeting. During this meeting, all candidates will be given three minutes to present their
platform and one minute to answer questions. A further several minutes will be
dedicated to questioning any/all of the candidates for a particular office. Proxies may
read the platform of missing candidates, but may not take part in the question answering
sessions. This meeting should be heavily publicized to increase turnout.
1.8. If a house officer position becomes vacant mid-term, the resigning officer should be
reminded of his/her duty to train the replacement. The chair of the house committee
should notify the house that the spot has become vacant and that they may demonstrate
interest within the week. At the end of the week, one of two outcomes has occurred: (a) 1
or 0 people have contacted the chair. In this case, the chair is permitted to appoint said
person (if one is found) to the office in question. The chair must ratify the selection at
the next house committee meeting with a simple majority vote; (b) 2 or more people have
contacted the chair. In this case, the chair (with the help of other officers) must
administer a one-week mid-term election for the house to select between the candidates.
Additionally, if the end of the one-week special election would fall within one month of
the end of a regular election, then the house chair may exercise his/her discretion in
deciding whether to run a vote/ appoint directly/ wait for the main election.
1.9. Provisionally elected Officers take Office immediately upon election and fill the
vacant Office until the time of the next regular election.

Section 2. Impeachment

2.1. Any member or group of members of the House Committee may propose an Article
of Impeachment against an Officer, if that member or group feels that: (a) the Officer is
neglecting the responsibilities of that Office; (b) the Officer is abusing the authority
granted to that Office; (c) the Officer is not acting in the interest of the House. A
proposed Article of Impeachment must include an explanation that addresses at least one
of these three points.
2.2. A proposed Article of Impeachment is placed on the House Committee agenda,
discussed, and voted upon in the same manner as is any other item of House Committee
business.
2.3. If the Chair of the House Committee is the object of the Article of Impeachment, the
Secretary of the House Committee assumes the responsibilities of the Chair for all
business relating to the Article of Impeachment.
2.4. If an Article of Impeachment is approved by a House Committee vote, the Judicial
Committee holds a judicial hearing open to all Members of the House Committee. The
proponent of the Article of Impeachment, the impeached Officer, and the Chair of the
House Committee are given the opportunity to speak at this hearing, and may invite
witnesses to speak on their behalf, but any witness may be dismissed by the Judicial
Committee on the grounds of irrelevance. With the exception of Judicial Officers, no
other individuals are allowed to speak at this hearing. After hearing all presented
evidence, the Judicial Committee deliberates in a closed session and reaches a decision.
2.5. The Judicial Committee may decide, based on the evidence presented at the hearing,
by consensus or by majority vote, to remove an individual from Office if and only if: (a)
it determines that the information presented in the Article of Impeachment is truthful in
content; and (b) it determines that the Article of Impeachment sufficiently explains why
the impeached individual should be removed from Office. After deliberation, the Judicial
Committee presents its decision, along with a written explanation and a vote count, to the
House.
2.6. The decision of the Judicial Committee to remove an individual from Office may be
appealed to the Dormitory Council Judicial Committee, as described in Article V of the
Uniform Judicial Code for Undergraduate Dormitories.
2.7. If an Officer of the Judicial Committee is the object of an Article of Impeachment,
that Officer is suspended from Office at the time the House Committee approves the
Article of Impeachment. If the remaining members of the Judicial Committee decide
against the Article of Impeachment, the impeached Officer is fully reinstated to the
Judicial Committee effective immediately upon receipt of the decision.
2.8. An Office that is unoccupied as the result of impeachment proceedings is then treated
in the same manner as any other vacancy, except that the removed Officer is no longer
eligible to hold that Office.

ARTICLE VIII. THE HOUSE SUPPORT TEAM

Section 1. Live-In House Support Positions

1.1. MIT specially selects some individuals to live in Simmons Hall in order to ensure the
health, safety and well-being of House residents and to promote a vibrant and diverse
social life within the House. These include Housemasters and Graduate Resident Tutors
(GRTs), and may also include Visiting Scholars, Residential Life Associates, or others.
Along with the House Manager and staff, these individuals collectively form a House
Support Team, with the Housemaster serving as its head, that operates independently of
the House Committee but must remain in contact with the House Committee in order to
ensure a mutually supportive working relationship.
1.2. Housemasters, GRTs, and any other individuals who are specially selected by MIT to
live in Simmons Hall are all considered Members of the House Committee, but do not
have any official standing within the House Committee, nor do they have any official
responsibilities to the House Committee. Nonetheless, they are encouraged to participate
in all activities of the House Committee, and to offer their support to the House
Committee where the House would benefit from the specialized assistance they may be
able to provide.

Section 2. The Housemaster Role

2.1. The Simmons Hall Housemaster team consists of the Housemasters and Associate
Housemasters, who are faculty members living with their families in Simmons Hall. The
Housemasters and Associate Housemasters are appointed to their positions by the Office
of the Dean for Student Life. They are expected to integrate fully into the House and to
support the entire House socially and intellectually.
2.2. The Housemaster role in the House falls into four areas: (a) They hold frequent
social events, and participate actively in the social events held by House residents, in
order to get to know as many undergraduates as possible; (b) they help House residents
deal with problems, ranging from inter-personal or inter-group issues to those of a highly
personal and individual nature, including but not limited to difficulties with academics,
personal stress brought upon by relationships, difficulty dealing with the pace and
pressure of MIT, and medical problems; (c) they supervise the Graduate Resident Tutors;
(d) they report to the rest of the MIT faculty and to the MIT administration.
2.3. When a new Housemaster or Associate Housemaster must be selected, a House
Subcommittee is formed to review candidates and make recommendations to the Dean
for Student Life.

Section 3. The Graduate Resident Tutor Role

3.1. Graduate Resident Tutors are MIT graduate students hired by the Office of the Dean
for Student Life to live in Simmons Hall, sometimes along with partners or families.
They are expected to integrate fully into the House and to provide support to a specific
set of House residents living in a particular area of the building.
3.2. The GRT role in the House falls into four areas: (a) They serve as advisors and
mentors to House residents, particularly those living within their area; (b) they respond to
crises and conflicts that occur within the House, relying on their training and judgment;
(c) they serve as advocates for the interests of students, as liaisons between students and
Housemasters, and sometimes as liaisons between students and the administration; (d)
they serve as community facilitators, encouraging interaction and providing recreational
opportunities for House residents, particularly those living within their area.
3.3. The GRT role in the House expressly excludes any disciplinary component. Only the
Judicial Committee or the Housemasters may officially recommend disciplinary action
against a resident of Simmons Hall.
3.4. When new GRTs must be hired to fill open positions in Simmons Hall, a House
Subcommittee, including members of the Housemaster team, is formed to review all
candidates and provide a list of recommended candidates to the Office of the Dean for
Student Life.

Section 4. Other Special Live-In Positions

4.1. Other individuals who are selected to live in Simmons Hall may include Visiting
Scholars and their families, Residential Life Associates, or possibly others to be defined
in the future.
4.2. Individuals specially selected by an MIT authority to live in Simmons Hall, while
Members of the House Committee, are not required to have any special responsibilities to
the House Committee. However, the House Committee may establish House Policies
regarding the roles these individuals are expected to play in the House. Live-in roles as
defined by the House Committee must complement, and must not contradict, the roles as
defined by the MIT authority responsible for appointing or hiring the individuals.

Section 5. Non-Live-In House Support Positions

5.1. Individuals who play significant support roles within the Simmons Hall community
but are not residents of Simmons Hall may include the House Manager, staff serving
under the House Manager, the dining hall staff, and others. These individuals are not
considered Members of the House Committee, nor do they have any official standing
with respect to the House Committee, nor do they have any official responsibilities to the
House Committee. Nonetheless, they are encouraged to communicate with the House
Committee, through its Officers, and to offer their support to the House Committee where
the House would benefit from the specialized assistance they may be able to provide.

ARTICLE IX. USE OF HOUSE RESOURCES

Section 1. Use of House Funds

1.1. Every house resident has an equal opportunity to benefit from the use of house funds.
1.2. All proposals made to the house committee should have an explicit time-frame built
in. This is especially important so that treasurers do not need to maintain logs indefinitely
of approved, allocated money that has never been spent. The "default" expiration of
allocations (i.e. those that do not specify otherwise) will be at the end of the term in
which the money was intended to be spent, or at the end of the current term if no intended
date is specified.

ARTICLE X. CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY

Section 1. Constitution Ratification

1.1. This Constitution is offered by the Governance Subcommittee of the Simmons Hall
Founders Group to the residents of Simmons Hall. The residents of Simmons Hall have
made certain changes to reflect the first year of Simmons' existence. The residents have
also chosen to ratify this Constitution with a two-thirds vote, following a consensus from
the House that the voting method is appropriate.

SIGNED,
Jeffrey C. Roberts
Chair of the Governance Subcommittee
Simmons Hall Founders Group

AMENDED,
Dan Ramage
Chair of the Simmons Hall Constitution Committee

Andrew Lukmann
Lakshmi Nambiar
David Nedzel
Alison Taylor
Amy Wu
Members of the Simmons Hall Constitution Committee

Adopted by Convention - 2/22/04

Amended - 12/4/05

Amended - 10/10/06