As of May 2011
Name: The name of this organization is The Detroit Partnership, hereafter known as the DP.
Affiliations: The DP is affiliated with the Political Science Department at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and with the City of Detroit. The DP shall work with and maintain relationships with various partner organizations, schools, churches, and community groups throughout Northwest and Southwest Detroit, and specific organizations listed within the bylaws of The DP.
Mission: We, The Detroit Partnership, seek to unite the University of Michigan and Detroit through fulfilling community partnerships. As a multicultural organization, we strive to raise awareness, break stereotypes, and promote social justice through our service-learning programs.
Mandate/Aims/Functions: The DP exists in order to create service-learning opportunities for volunteers in the city of Detroit and to promote public welfare. The DP exists in order to build community between the communities in Detroit and in Ann Arbor through both service and education. This organization is an initiative to involve a diverse student population in service, and to create partnerships between campus and community groups that will extend far into the future. The DP is essentially a resource available to the University of Michigan and greater community for active service-learning opportunities.
Funding: The DP (DP) is a not for profit student organization at the University of Michigan. The DP acquires funding in several different ways: corporate sponsorship, grants, fundraising, and personal donations. DP members are in no way required to pay dues or membership fees. The DP does not have annual revenue, but merely funds that roll over to the next year’s budget.
Membership: -
Member: Anyone who participates in a DP event, be it weekly or one-time, is considered a member of the DP. In other words, to be a member, one must participate in a DP-sponsored event. Membership is not limited to University of Michigan students. These members are non-voting members of the DP.
Planning Team: Members must be appointed through an application and interview process. Planning Team members must complete written applications and an oral interview in order to be placed on the Planning Team. The Directors Team will conduct these interviews. Each Planning Team member, in order to remain a member of the Planning Team, must attend weekly Planning Team meetings, contribute to a positive working environment, fulfill his/her duties as given by his/her Director, actively participate in DP events, and generally devote his/her work with the DP to the betterment of the DP and its goals.
Directors Team: The Directors Team consists of an Executive Director and seven Associate Directors. Each person may only hold one office at a time.
The Executive Director: This person serves as the chief officer for all of the DP and its activities. S/he represents the organization externally to all communities (both on campus and in the greater Detroit community) and generates initiatives and support for all internal issues. The Executive Director oversees all planning processes while setting the agenda and scope of weekly functions as well as long-range objectives and plans. S/he works on pulling together all parts of the program in order to promote the mission and goals of the DP
Associate Directors: In the absence of the Executive Director, or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, the Associate Directors shall perform in conjunction the duties of the Executive Director, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Executive Director. Any Associate Director shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Executive Director.
Associate Directors: -
Brightmoor Community Director: This person serves as the primary link to, and resource about, the Brightmoor community. This person is the primary resource for information about the organizations with which DP is affiliated and the volunteer efforts going on in the Brightmoor neighborhood. S/he works to build relationships with community organizations, residents, and city officials. This person also represents the DP in the Brightmoor Alliance. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for, and facilitates, Brightmoor Team meetings.
Major Events Director: This person serves to oversee all of the major events that the DP coordinates. This primarily includes the annual Food & Clothing Drive in the fall and DP Day in the spring. Responsibilities for this director include overseeing the planning of these events with regards to logistics, transportation, and overall execution in a manner that will most benefit the community and the volunteers. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for, and facilitates, Major Events Team meetings.
School Programs Director: This person serves as the primary liason between The DP and the schools with which we work. The person also serves to coordinate and follow through with all programs that the DP does with Detroit schools, and is a resource all programs involving Detroit youth. In the past, these have included recurring mentorship and tutoring programs as well as one-time events. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for, and facilitates, School Programs Team meetings.
Southwest Community Director: This person serves as the primary link to, and resource about, the Southwest Detroit community. This person is the primary resource for information about the organizations with which DP is affiliated and the volunteer efforts going on in the Southwest Detroit neighborhood. S/he works to build relationships with community organizations, residents, and city officials. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for, and facilitates, Southwest Team meetings.
External Director: This person serves to oversee all external aspects of the DP. This person works to make the campus more aware of The DP and create partnerships throughout the campus community. This includes (but is not limited to) helping to manage all publicity and recruitment efforts, communicating with volunteers, coordinating with other student organizations, creating a coherent channel towards service-learning work in Detroit for all other related student organizations, and being a spokesperson for the organization. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for and facilitates External Team meetings. –
Finance Director: This person serves to oversee all finance efforts, including acquiring funds from all sources of funding (on-campus funding, community funding, and corporate sponsorship) and following up with all financial supporters. This person also oversees solicitations and donations from outside businesses. The Finance Director is in also in charge of developing and overseeing the large DP budget throughout the year, handling all account maintenance tasks (including, but not limited to, reimbursements and deposits) and keeping all directors informed about financial status and opportunities. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for and facilitates Finance Team meetings.
Education Director: This person serves to improve the overall awareness and education of Planning Team members, DP members, and the overall campus community. This director will act as a community-builder between the Ann Arbor community and the Detroit community. This director will lead his/her team and help the Education Team to plan events; both on-campus and in Detroit. This director will help his/her team to work break down stereotypes, teach people about Detroit, and close the gap between the community in Ann Arbor and the community in Detroit. S/he is responsible for bringing a greater level of understanding to volunteers through education and reflection activities throughout the year and for DP Day. This person provides support for his/her coordinators. This person also sets agendas for, and facilitates, Education Team meetings.
Officers/Boards/Committees/”Teams”:
Brightmoor Team: The Brightmoor Team is led by the Brightmoor Director and is made of community coordinators. These community coordinators are partnered with one or more organizations in the Brightmoor community. Each coordinator is responsible for planning programs with his/her corresponding organization/s and serving as a link between The DP and his/her organization/s. Each member serves a one year term. All members who wish to serve on the Brightmoor Team for the following year must reapply. The Brightmoor Team will meet once per week, or at the discretion of the Brightmoor Director and based on the needs of the team. The Brightmoor Director will schedule and facilitate Brightmoor Team meetings. The Brightmoor Director will select the coordinators for the Brightmoor Team, keeping other DP Directors suggestions/recommendations in mind. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year. The goal of the Brightmoor Team is to build lasting partnerships with the Brightmoor Community and organizations, as well as strengthening the existing relationships. The Brightmoor Team gives University of Michigan students the opportunity to learn about the Brightmoor area, interact with the community, and work towards successful community development, with the greater goal of facilitating lasting relationships between students and residents of the city of Detroit.
Major Events Team: The Major Events Team is led by the Major Events Director and is made of several coordinators. Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the Major Events team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the Major Events Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week (except around the time of major events, the team will likely meet more often). The Major Events Director will schedule and facilitate Major Events Team meetings. The Major Events Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators of the Major Events Team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year. The Major Events Team coordinates at least two large-scale events during the school year; one per semester. These events in the past have been known as the Food and Clothing Drive in the fall semester and DP Day in the winter semester. The Major Events Team is responsible for all logistics behind these events, including supplies, transportation, and organizing donations.
School Programs Team: The School Programs Team is led by the School Programs Director and is made of several coordinators. Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the School Programs Team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the School Programs Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week. The School Programs Director will schedule and facilitate School Programs Team meetings. The School Programs Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators of the School Programs Team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year. The School Programs Team is responsible for all programs related to School in schools, such as but not limited to tutoring, special school clubs, and other in-school or after-school activities. Each School Programs coordinator will serve as a liaison between the DP and his/her school.
Southwest Team: This team is led by the Southwest Director and is made of coordinators who are partnered with one or more organization in Southwest Detroit and who are responsible for planning projects and serving as a link between The DP and their organization(s). Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the Southwest Team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the Southwest Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week. The Southwest Director will schedule and facilitate Southwest team meetings. The Southwest Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators of the Southwest team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year. The Southwest Team works to create and sustain partnerships with various organizations in the Southwest Detroit community. This team creates opportunities for University of Michigan students and the Southwest Detroit community to interact and learn from each other with the common effort of promoting community development and revitalization in this area.
External Team: This team is led by the External Director and is made of coordinators. The members of this team function together to recruit volunteers and maintain relationships between The DP and its members, as well as effectively communicate the goals of The DP throughout Detroit and the University of Michigan campus. Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the External Team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the External Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week. The External Team will meet to plan out strategies for recruitment as well as coordinate duties
between members. The External Director will schedule and facilitate External Team meetings. The External Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators of the External Team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year.
Finance Team: This team is led by the Finance Director and is made of coordinators. The members of this team oversee all budgetary and fund raising efforts for the DP. Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the Finance Team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the Finance Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week. The Finance Director will schedule and facilitate Finance Team meetings. The Finance Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators for the Finance Team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year. The Finance Team’s main responsibility is to maintain financial stability for The DP. The Finance Team is to create a budget for The DP that will be followed as closely as possible. The Finance Team must ensure that The DP is in good relations with all business contacts: Student Organization Account Services, University of Michigan, University of Michigan Political Science Department, University of Michigan Credit Union, all corporate sponsors, and any organizations that have been in contact with the DP on a financial basis. The Finance Team is required to allocate funds to each team as described by the budget created each semester.
Education Team: This team is led by the Education Director and is made of coordinators. The members of this team exist to educate the Planning Team and University of Michigan community on social and political issues facing Detroit. This is done by holding forums on current events and the history of Detroit. The goal of the team is to provide DP members and the general campus community with a frame of reference so that they can get the most out of their service-learning experience in Detroit. It is the responsibility of the Education Team to plan fun, educational events such as (but not limited to) field trips, panel discussions, and informal educational/social gatherings. Each member’s term is one year. All members who wish to serve on the Education Team for the following year must reapply. This team will meet at the discretion of the Education Director and his or her coordinators; advised once a week. The Education Director will schedule and facilitate Education Team meetings. The Education Director, along with the recommendations of the other DP Directors, will select the coordinators of the Education Team. Selection is done once every winter semester of the academic year.
Selection Procedures:
Executive Director: The Executive Director of The DP will be selected annually by a selection committee consisting of the current board of Directors and any interested and qualified second year planning team members. To qualify to be a part of the selection committee one must be a second year planning team member and have shown active participation throughout the year. No member of the selection committee may be a candidate undergoing evaluation for the position or any Planning Team member who does not meet the qualifications to serve on the selection committee. All applicants must complete an application and interview process. The application and interview questions and procedures will be handled by the current Executive Director. The selection committee shall select the most qualified individual to serve as Executive Director. The
selection committee will try to make a unified discussion. If this is not possible, it shall go to a vote where majority rules and each member of the selection committee have one vote. In the event of a tie, the vote of the current Executive Director shall be the tie-breaking vote.
Associate Directors: The Associate Directors for the DP shall be selected annually by a selection committee composed of the newly selected Executive Director and the current board of directors. The application questions and procedures will be handled by the newly selected Executive Director. A director that is undergoing evaluation for a position of an associate director for the next year may not be a part of the interview and selection process for the position for which he/she is applying. However, a director that is undergoing evaluation for a position of associate director for the next year may be a part of the interview and selection process for the positions for which he/she is not applying. The selection committee shall interview and select the most qualified individual to serve as associate directors for the DP for the next year. The selection committee will try to make a unified discussion. If this is not possible, it shall go to a vote where majority rules and each member of the selection committee receive one vote. In the event of a tie, the vote of the Executive Director for the next year shall be the tie-breaking vote.
Planning Team: The newly selected Executive and Associate Directors shall interview and select the Planning Team for the next year, in order to fulfill the necessary obligations of the DP. All applicants must complete a written application and an interview. The selection of Planning Team members are discussed among the Directors Team, but selection is left to the discretion of the director for that specific team. Each Planning Team member shall hold office until his/her successor has been selected and trained.
Removal: Any Planning Team member who is not fulfilling his/her duties may be removed by either the Executive Director or the Associate Directors. A member of the Directors Team may be removed by the consensus of five other members of the Directors Team. For specifics on removal procedures, see bylaws.
Vacancies: A vacancy on any team because of resignation, removal, disqualification, or otherwise, shall be filled by the Executive and/or Associate Directors until a replacement is selected. If that position cannot be fulfilled by any members of the current Planning Team, then a new member may be added to the Planning Team. The position will first be opened to people who had previously applied for that position. If the Directors Team feels that there are no qualified prior applicants, the position will become open to anyone. All potential additions to the Planning Team must complete a written application and an interview prior to their selection.
Compensation: No compensation shall be paid by The Detroit Partnership to its officers for services rendered in the course of holding office.
Voting: All content of The DP constitution must be voted on and passed by The DP Planning Team. In order to conduct a vote, two-thirds attendance is required. A two-thirds majority of the attendees is needed in order to pass a Constitutional amendment. Quorum: A two-thirds majority of the Planning Team shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Planning Team. If less than two-thirds majority of the members of the Planning Team are present at a meeting, a majority of the Directors Team may adjourn the meeting and plan to vote at the next scheduled Planning Team meeting.
Hearings and Appeals: Any who would like to take action outside of his/her described role or would like to make a formal complaint to the Directors Team may construct a written proposal or complaint. It is the member’s responsibility to construct a proposal or complaint which describes the specifics of the action that he/she would like to be taken. The member will present the proposal or complaint to his/her Director. This Director will then present the proposal to the other Directors. Depending on the proposal or complaint and whether or not the action falls under Constitutional or bylaw changes, the Directors will then make the decision as to whether or not this proposal is worthy of presenting to the entire planning team or making the decision themselves. The Executive Director of The DP will mediate discussion on both levels.
Member with proposal→ Team Director with proposal→Director’s Meeting↓→Planning Team
Meetings: The DP meets on a regular basis at three different levels: Directors, Planning Team, and individual teams.
Directors: The DP Directors will meet on a weekly basis, time determined by the Directors each year, for at least two hours a week. The Directors will determine any time necessary to meet outside of the regularly scheduled meetings informally.
Planning Team: The DP Planning Team will meet on a weekly basis, time determined by the schedules of the Planning Team members, for at least one hour a week. The Planning Team will determine any time necessary to meet outside of the regularly scheduled meetings informally.
Individual Teams: The DP teams will meet on a regular basis outside of the Planning Team meetings as determined by the team as a whole. It is recommended to meet on a weekly basis for at least an hour each meeting.
Amendments and Ratifications: To make an amendment to the constitution of The DP, one must be an active member of the Planning Team. To make an amendment, one must draft a written outline of the amendment and bring it to the Directors Team meeting to discuss. If the draft is approved by the majority of the Directors Team, the author of the draft may compose a formal amendment either alone or with a committee of other members of the DP Planning Team. The formal, final copy of the amendment is then distributed at a DP Planning Team meeting to be further discussed. At the following weeks DP Planning Team meeting, all members, having read and reviewed the amendment, will have time to discuss, and then vote on the ratification of the amendment. The ratification of an amendment to the constitution of The DP requires a 2/3 vote from the Planning Team.
Miscellaneous:
