Nālimakui Council Bylaw
Preamble
“Nālimakui” refers to the joining or linking of arms as a sign of lōkahi (unity, solidarity) between people and communities. The origin of Nālimakui is found within moʻolelo (stories, histories) of the place names of ʻEwa. These moʻolelo teach us the importance of listening to the needs of the communities we serve, and it is our hope that our council will be the inspiration and foundation upon which the University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu will link arms with our Native Hawaiian communities.
Article 1: Statements of Vision and Mission
Section 1: Vision and Mission
Vision: Nālimakui envisions a Pu‘uhonua, a Native Hawaiian educational sanctuary, which enriches the students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community through Hawaiian cultural values.
Mission: Grounded in Hawaiian values, the mission of Nālimakui is to provide advocacy, leadership and support for Native Hawaiians through higher education.
Section 2: Purpose and Function
Nālimakui shall advise on all matters as they impact Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian programs, including issues pertaining to Hawaiian language, culture, and history, and other forms of Hawaiian knowledge. Nālimakui shall also function as the recommending and advisory body of the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu, directly to the Chancellor.
Article 2: Membership
Section 1: Member
A member shall be defined as a faculty, staff or administrator at the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu who is of Native Hawaiian ancestry or is an ally of Native Hawaiians and supports the purposes and goals of Nālimakui Council. New members must complete and sign the Membership Information Sheet and submit to the council.
Section 2: Student Caucus and Representative Members
A student member shall be defined as a student at the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu who is of Native Hawaiian ancestry or is an ally of Native Hawaiians and supports the purposes and goals of Nālimakui Council. Students who are interested in participating on the council may organize themselves into a Nālimakui Student Caucus and send two student representatives to participate as full members of the Nālimakui Council. Student Caucus Representatives must complete and sign the Membership Information Sheet and submit to the council.
Section 3: Membership Conduct
In our interactions with each other and our community, all members shall conduct themselves with hōʻihi, which refers to a sense of reverence and respect in which all members’ voices are heard and their opinions honored.
Section 4: Change of Membership Status
In the event that a member fails to support the mission, decisions, activities and initiatives of the Council, a decision will be made, in accordance with our normal decision-making procedures, to officially determine whether the member may continue membership.
Article 3: Organization
Section 1: The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of Nālimakui is the only standing ommittee of Nālimakui. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Nālimakui Chair and two (2) Vice-Chairs.
Section 2: Duties of the Chair
The duties of the Chair shall be to:
- Schedule, prepare, and preside at all meetings;
- Serve as an Executive member of Pūko‘a Council as well as a representative of Nālimakui.
Section 3: Duties of the First Vice-Chair
The duties of the First Vice-Chair shall be to:
- Assist the Chair;
- Serve as an Executive member of Pūko‘a Council as well as a representative of Nālimakui;
- Preside at meetings when the Chair is absent;
- Prepare and ensure timely delivery of agendas, minutes, and other information to the membership;
- Maintain an archive of the Charter, minutes, and resolutions of Nālimakui;
- Collect, copy, collate and distribute reports of ad hoc committees and other relevant data to the membership;
- Handle official correspondence of Nālimakui.
Section 4: Duties of the Second Vice-Chair
The duties of the Second Vice-Chair shall be to:
- Assist the Chair and First Vice-Chair;
- Preside at meetings when the Chair and First Vice-Chair are absent;
- Keep records of Nālimakui’s membership;
- Distribute Nālimakui’s Charter, including amendments, to all new members;
- Keep financial records of Nālimakui.
Section 5: Selection of the Executive Committee
The selection shall be made during the summer for the following academic year. Members of the Executive Committee should have served for a minimum of one semester on the council. Members shall serve for a two-year (2) term; two-year term is defined as two consecutive academic years. These terms will be staggered so that there is overlap of service between incoming and outgoing members. A member may serve longer than their two-year term if and only if there is no one willing to serve.
Article 4: Meetings
Section 1: Time
Nālimakui shall meet once a month during an academic year. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair or at the request of more than one-third (1/3) of the members of Nālimakui, with a minimum of seven days (7) notice.
Section 2: Emergency Meetings
An emergency meeting may be called at the discretion of the Chair.
Section 3: Executive Committee Meetings
The Chair may schedule an Executive meeting with the Vice-Chairs and any other Nālimakui members for the purpose of planning and preparing for monthly meetings. No official actions may be taken at these meetings.
Section 4: Ad Hoc Committee Meetings
Ad Hoc Committee Chairs may schedule meetings on the issues they are organized to address. No official actions may be taken at these meetings.
Article 5: Decision Making
Section 1: Voting and Quorum
All decisions relating to membership, the executive committee, and all projects, programs, and budgets undertaken by the council shall be made after the members in attendance reach consensus. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, there must be greater than two-thirds (2/3) agreement in order for any decision to move forward. Only members who have attended at least fifty percent (50%) of the meetings of the current academic year shall be eligible to vote. No decision shall be made without quorum. Quorum shall be defined as greater than fifty percent (50%) of active membership.
Section 2: Emergency decisions
In the event of a need for an emergency decision, the Chair shall poll members and act upon the responses received based on the guidelines outlined above in Article V, Section 1.
Article 6: Committees
Section 1: Standing Committees
Nālimakui shall have one standing committee which is the Executive Committee consisting of the Chair and two (2) Vice-Chairs. All other committees shall be formed ad hoc.
Article 7: Recommendations
Section 1: Ad Hoc Committee Recommendations
All ad hoc committee recommendations are subject to review and/or ratification by Nālimakui. Committees shall submit written reports and provide rationale for those recommendations to Nālimakui.
Article 8: Amendments
Section 1: Proposed Amendments
Amendments to this document may be proposed by any Nālimakui member. Proposed amendments shall be introduced in or transmitted to the council members in written form. The proposed amendment shall be placed on the agenda for the next meeting and subject to the decision-making policy of the council (Article V).